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AIBU?

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Original poster

Teacher not ready

90 replies

Gangreenoh · 04/10/2023 18:34

DS is in year 4 and have been told the teacher will only read with him (hear him read) once or twice this year. Is this the norm? Really disappointed by this!!

OP posts:
SpaceXStarship · 04/10/2023 19:43

Reading the 1-2-1 is something that is done at home. Im not trying to be harsh in my reply but honestly think about it. When does a teacher have time to listen to 30 children read individually. You need to be reading with your own child and take an active role in their education. It isn’t all on schools in this case.

AffableApple · 04/10/2023 19:45

Come on, the OP was referring to being a working parent in the context of being asked to volunteer. Not in the context of spending 10 mins hearing a child read. Be reasonable, folks.

Notmyfandango · 04/10/2023 19:47

Gangreenoh · 04/10/2023 18:48

I work! Also my son refuses to read to me

This is your issue - a year 4 child doesn't get to refuse to read to you. Step up and parent and don't expect your son's teacher to parent your child.

CurlewKate · 04/10/2023 19:50

Does he have AEN? My answer will be different if he has.

listsandbudgets · 04/10/2023 19:51

OP will he not read because he's disinterested in what's in front of him. It doesn't need to be a "proper" book - discuss newspaper articles and get him to read bits out, look up things in encyclopaedias, read instruction manuals, go on to Trip Advisor and get him to read out reviews of his favourite (or least favourite) places, read the blurbs on the back of books, read recipes, .... even save the junk mail. Tailor his reading to his interests and see if it helps.

Also try ordering the Phoenix comic and see if that draws him in - it was what finally got my very reluctant DS to read

Shinyandnew1 · 04/10/2023 19:51

Sorry, but if your child refuses to read to you, you need to make some changes somewhere.

ColleenDonaghy · 04/10/2023 19:54

Gangreenoh · 04/10/2023 18:48

I work! Also my son refuses to read to me

Bluntly, you're going to need to find a way around this. Homework is now something that will need to feature in your routines - sympathies as we found it tough to adjust when ours started school last year. But it does need to be done.

Ours also hated doing any school work with us, she's more enthusiastic now in P2. We focussed on reading to her in bed, occasionally pointing at a word she'd know or be able to sound out. Then lots of incidental asking her to sound out words out and about - stop signs etc.

With the group reading in school she was fine, keeping up if not flying.

I asked her teacher about it at parent teacher meeting and she was very firm that we shouldn't push it with formal work at home - far more important to enjoy learning and enjoy school at this age. She could see DD was progressing and so could we.

This year she's happily reading to us.

Parental involvement is hugely important though, you can't leave his education solely to school.

ColleenDonaghy · 04/10/2023 19:55

Oh FFS. Year 4, not 4yo. Gets me every time - not everyone lives in England and the classes mean nothing to me.

Ignore my post above.

But 5 (?) years into school, how on earth have you not worked homework into the schedule?

ChildhoodNeglect · 04/10/2023 19:56

Hello child here in year 4 we listen for 20 mins each evening. Not sure how often teacher does.

crumblingschools · 04/10/2023 19:56

Do you read to him?

PurpleFlower1983 · 04/10/2023 19:57

He needs to read daily at home. Reading is a joint effort and school can only do so much. You working isn’t an excuse I’m afraid!

ChildhoodNeglect · 04/10/2023 19:57

Year 4 homework this evening:
proof reading
TT rockstars
Reading
Spellings
an additional times table task

🤦🏽‍♀️

FloweryName · 04/10/2023 20:01

Did they say anything at the meeting about reading in a group? There are plenty of opportunities for teachers to hear children read without sitting down 1-1 with a book.

Either way, reading with your child is not a responsibility you get to shirk if you want your child to do his best with reading. Even with a TA listening to them once a week, it’s the ten minutes daily practice with a parent that makes all the difference. Don’t understand how important it is.

Thatladdo · 04/10/2023 20:03

Gangreenoh · 04/10/2023 18:48

I work! Also my son refuses to read to me

😳
Gosh.

😂
More effort, less excuses!

MumDadBingoBlueyy · 04/10/2023 20:04

🤯 your child’s education is still your responsibility! We read together as part of our nighttime routine.

QuillBill · 04/10/2023 20:09

What would you like the other children to be doing when the teacher spends time reading with each child?

Say eight minutes for each child if you also want a comment in their reading diary.

So four hours.

Then there's the hour of maths and an hour of literacy.

Then science, history, geography, PE, RE, IT, PHSE, music and art.

Stellaroses · 04/10/2023 20:15

I’m a yr 4 teacher and I disagree with most pps! I listen to every child in the class read every week, 1-1. In the 1st 40mins minutes of every day I listen to around 5/6 pupils in a group, one at a time, set targets or give advice and feed back to their parents via Teams. I spend less time on the fluent readers. I find it one of the most important and useful things I do with my time.

CentrifugalBumblePuppy · 04/10/2023 20:30

Ex teacher here, who agrees with all of the other teachers.

There are so many other opportunities for a child to read to you that isn’t a reading scheme book for just 10-15 minutes a day.

Let them help write your shopping list, and they can read it back as you do your shopping (even online for delivery, encourage them to write the list & read it back as you search & order).

Having a takeaway? Let them read the menu aloud as you choose your meal, whether it’s the local Chinese menu at home or the jumbo screens in McDonalds.

Watching TV? Turn the sound off & have them read the subtitles; even better if they do character voices, have fun with it!

What about your child writing their own story & reading it aloud as you cook their dinner?

Or having them read the ingredients & instructions from a recipe as you follow it together?

How about they find a news story of the day online that interests them & is appropriate of course, BBC Newsround is great) and they read that to you & you can discuss together afterwards?

With the greatest of respect, many of us have worked when our children were at school and have still squeezed in 15 minutes of reading. And as much as I’d have loved to sit & hear every KS2 child in my class read every day and discuss the texts, there simply isn’t enough time in the day.

As a teacher, I couldn’t have given a shiny sausage if that 15 minutes of reading was from a school’s reading scheme book, a library book, a religious text or a bunch of till receipts from Morrisons. A few minutes of positive, 1-2-1 communication by a parent, focussed on them alone, makes all the difference, not only in terms of reading ability, but a whole host of psychological & pedagogical milestones too.

Cosyblankets · 04/10/2023 20:36

CentrifugalBumblePuppy · 04/10/2023 20:30

Ex teacher here, who agrees with all of the other teachers.

There are so many other opportunities for a child to read to you that isn’t a reading scheme book for just 10-15 minutes a day.

Let them help write your shopping list, and they can read it back as you do your shopping (even online for delivery, encourage them to write the list & read it back as you search & order).

Having a takeaway? Let them read the menu aloud as you choose your meal, whether it’s the local Chinese menu at home or the jumbo screens in McDonalds.

Watching TV? Turn the sound off & have them read the subtitles; even better if they do character voices, have fun with it!

What about your child writing their own story & reading it aloud as you cook their dinner?

Or having them read the ingredients & instructions from a recipe as you follow it together?

How about they find a news story of the day online that interests them & is appropriate of course, BBC Newsround is great) and they read that to you & you can discuss together afterwards?

With the greatest of respect, many of us have worked when our children were at school and have still squeezed in 15 minutes of reading. And as much as I’d have loved to sit & hear every KS2 child in my class read every day and discuss the texts, there simply isn’t enough time in the day.

As a teacher, I couldn’t have given a shiny sausage if that 15 minutes of reading was from a school’s reading scheme book, a library book, a religious text or a bunch of till receipts from Morrisons. A few minutes of positive, 1-2-1 communication by a parent, focussed on them alone, makes all the difference, not only in terms of reading ability, but a whole host of psychological & pedagogical milestones too.

I love this

Stellaroses · 04/10/2023 20:37

There’s a carousel. Whilst I listen to one group, 1 group practises the week’s spelling pattern, 1 group does handwriting activities, 1 are in the reading corner reading anything of their choice and one do online reading.

CinnamonJellyBeans · 04/10/2023 20:38

Gangreenoh · 04/10/2023 18:48

I work! Also my son refuses to read to me

Just thought I'd add myself to the incredulous quoters of this post.

Stellaroses · 04/10/2023 20:39

Stellaroses · 04/10/2023 20:37

There’s a carousel. Whilst I listen to one group, 1 group practises the week’s spelling pattern, 1 group does handwriting activities, 1 are in the reading corner reading anything of their choice and one do online reading.

Sorry, forgot to quote but I was replying to someone who asked what the other children are doing whilst the group read to me

Pieceofpurplesky · 04/10/2023 20:43

Without a TA who looks after the other 27 kids?

BlueIgIoo · 04/10/2023 20:47

Stellaroses · 04/10/2023 20:37

There’s a carousel. Whilst I listen to one group, 1 group practises the week’s spelling pattern, 1 group does handwriting activities, 1 are in the reading corner reading anything of their choice and one do online reading.

This is great if it works for you and I don't actually disagree that it's a good use of time but in most schools you have to do what you're told (to an extent) and carousels were considered old-fashioned/poor practice when I trained 10 years ago. Handwriting, for example, I would only want to teach whole class as a guided activity.

PonyPatter44 · 04/10/2023 20:51

OP, can he actually read fluently, or are there issues with his reading?

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