Child not reading at school.

[Karleeb30]

Dd has sen and an EHCP meaning she should be being supported at school more than she is.

She is speech delayed and reading has not come naturally to her. She can barely read. I appreciate that a teacher has potentially 30 kids so reading with 30 kids individually must be hard. I remember we all read individually with teachers/ta's at primary school quite often or out into small groups based on ability. Maybe things have changed (I am late twenties). There are two ta's in her class.

However, I am not happy with the lack of reading. I know a lot of reading is done at home with the parents - but in Dd's case she is really struggling. She is 6 and the youngest in her year 2 class.

Aibu to think based on the fact that she has an EHCP and should have a ta supporting her (which half the time she doesn't) she should be reading more at school?

Older DS has sen too and his ta read with him every damn day to get where he is (same school too).

I don't expect special treatment but I'm so angry that her learning needs outlined on her EHCP aren't being met half the time!

Wwyd? EHCP review is very soon. Wait it out until then? Complain? Complain to the EHCP sen people and say her needs aren't being met?!

I would speak to the teacher. My son struggles with reading and has always been a daily reader (doesn't have an EHCP). I don't expect the school to read with him everyday but it should be most days; this wasn't happening so I mentioned it to the teacher, who was lovely and she explained that things had been a bit hectic but he was on her daily reader list. He has since been heard most days.

Before anyone asks, I do listen to him read 4-5 times a week.

@Violinist64

Two things spring to mind. You mentioned that she is the youngest in the class. Is there any possibility of her repeating year one? My other thought is whether she is in the right school setting for her needs. Would she benefit from a more specialist environment? The EHCP review is vital and hopefully you will have some questions answered.

I don't think she would meet criteria for sen school. There aren't many around here and sen schools that do exist are in such high demand with children with much more complex needs. As a whole Dd enjoys school, is very happy and settled at school, has good friends and doesn't have any behavioural needs!

School aren't keen on repeating years either... tried to start DS a year later and the school refused. I also tried to start Dd a year later and again they didn't like it.

If she cant read imo theres no point giving her a book and forcing her to try and read it.

Iv 2 very dyslexic children (one who had severe speech delay until 8/9) and at that age if you tried to make them read a book they would have flipped. Working on basics is the way to go. Making sure she has a secure grasp of all letter sounds - much better done with games. Then can she identify vowels sounds individually and then in short words - again with fun games.

Does her echp say she gets 1:1 support or list specific literacy interventions.

Iv found books like word hornet, word wasp very easy to use - building up basic sound awareness. Nessy online is quite good fun. Pocket phonics was good when mine were smaller.

www.wordwasp.com/ you can buy books from loads of places.

School have just started with Lexia but havnt had much dealing with it yet

At that age my children were encouraged to read and they chose reading books from appropriate level box. It was up to the parents to read with them every night and mark it o in a reading diary. The teacher would review and listen to them reading every week or two. They only moved them up a level if their understanding of the level was met. There are a few stages to reading.. knowing the words and understanding them are two I can think of.

Also it was up to the xhiks to change their books when they finished them. The teacher reminded them etc but they can't physically read with each child every day and change books with them.. there wouldn't be time for anything else.

If they haven’t changed books it could be that they need her to grasp what is in one book before there’s any point in moving on to another one. From what you’ve said, from a KS1 TA, they could easily be thinking about targets and plans for your dd, and be actively working on phonics with her. As you say she knows lots of high frequency words,maybe she’s making progress with ‘see and say’ type learning. It could be that she is receiving interventions but the school haven’t communicated it well.

Keep reading the same books you have from school for now while you find out what’s going on, your dd will benefit from going over and over the same thing if she’s struggling with blending.

Maybe phonics isn't working for her
www.readwithphonics.com/when-phonics-doesnt-work

I sincerely hope that you are helping by reading with her daily and reading story books to her daily. My children used to read to me morning and night at your DD age. Don't just blame the school for your DD inability to read.

@whattodo2019 I have a very similar sounding DD also with an EHCP to the OP. Don't be a dick. "Don't just blame the school for your DD inability to read". Have you ever actually tried to get a child who raly struggles with reading, who is aware they are far behind their peers to actually engage with reading at home? My DD does now read twice a day at home with me but for a long time reading made her so anxious she simply couldn't. Don't be a dick

@whattodo2019

I sincerely hope that you are helping by reading with her daily and reading story books to her daily. My children used to read to me morning and night at your DD age. Don't just blame the school for your DD inability to read.

As mentioned above she reads every night . She looks books, we read to her. I assume you don't know what it's like to have a child with sen? Or having a child who isn't being given the support they should be?

[quote Mumofsend]@whattodo2019 I have a very similar sounding DD also with an EHCP to the OP. Don't be a dick. "Don't just blame the school for your DD inability to read". Have you ever actually tried to get a child who raly struggles with reading, who is aware they are far behind their peers to actually engage with reading at home? My DD does now read twice a day at home with me but for a long time reading made her so anxious she simply couldn't. Don't be a dick[/quote]
Totally! Dd actually likes books and trying to read. However, with my oldest (autistic also with EHCP) getting him to enjoy reading has been a total struggle. People have no idea do they!

@NailsNeedDoing

If they haven’t changed books it could be that they need her to grasp what is in one book before there’s any point in moving on to another one. From what you’ve said, from a KS1 TA, they could easily be thinking about targets and plans for your dd, and be actively working on phonics with her. As you say she knows lots of high frequency words,maybe she’s making progress with ‘see and say’ type learning. It could be that she is receiving interventions but the school haven’t communicated it well.

Keep reading the same books you have from school for now while you find out what’s going on, your dd will benefit from going over and over the same thing if she’s struggling with blending.

Thank you. They are actually changing the books too quickly imo. She needs more time on each book. Dp usually signs her reading records and says she needs more time but they don't seem to read it and change it anyway!

Talk to the school.

Before the review, and not in a confrontational way (yet).

Ask for a meeting with class teacher & sendco.

Recognise the achievements she has made - it does sound like she made some fantastic progress last year despite school closures etc. That is brilliant!

Now the focus needs to be phonics. Express your concerns, ask what support she is getting in class for this focus. Ask what you can do at home (sounds like you are already doing loads which is great, it’s more asking because it’s reminding school that you are supportive & engaged).

It’s a new school year & can take new teachers some time to get to know new class. Meeting with the teacher puts your dd in their focus (yes ideally she already would be - and maybe is - but we have to be realistic re 30 children in a class). I say do it before ehcp review because then with any luck the professionals will already be thinking more about what needs to be amended etc by the time of the review meeting.

Hopefully that will be enough to get your questions answered. Of course, if the school start promising things that then don’t happen, or your dd is not getting her ehcp entitlement, you will need a different approach. But it doesn’t sound like things are there yet.

@ProfSprout thank you for informative reply. I am actually getting Dp to chat to teacher - he does pick up afternoons this week plus he's much better at words than me and I just get muddled when I'm anxious about bringing something up and I'll email the senco myself! Review is in a couple weeks - before half term. The only professional she has currently is salt. She was signed off everything else in reception as was seen to be making progress and was leaving the eyfs professionals as moves and not something different (not sure if this is the same everywhere). But it's become more apparent as she gets older that she may need to see an Ed psych again. Problem is so many parents at the school are reporting that by he school aren't doing the correct referrals as it costs them too much money!

[quote Karleeb30]@ProfSprout thank you for informative reply. I am actually getting Dp to chat to teacher - he does pick up afternoons this week plus he's much better at words than me and I just get muddled when I'm anxious about bringing something up and I'll email the senco myself! Review is in a couple weeks - before half term. The only professional she has currently is salt. She was signed off everything else in reception as was seen to be making progress and was leaving the eyfs professionals as moves and not something different (not sure if this is the same everywhere). But it's become more apparent as she gets older that she may need to see an Ed psych again. Problem is so many parents at the school are reporting that by he school aren't doing the correct referrals as it costs them too much money![/quote]
Good luck, hope your DP is able to have a productive conversation.

Re professionals, teachers, sendco etc are all professionals too :) most of ehcp review is done in house so I was really referring to them.

Is she doing phonics in a small group? If so, she will be reading daily, and heard by a teacher throughout the lesson. It’s just not recorded in the reading journal.

Lots of people think they are not being heard read; they forget the daily reading in phonics lessons.

For goodness sake just ask her teacher and stop assuming they’re doing nothing.