To expect a child to read with a grown up at least a couple of times in the first term of reception?

[Benibidibici]

DC is late aug birthday so only just four on starting school. Happy there and enjoying it etc, settled in fine.

They are never heard read by any adult. Teacher has acknowledged this.

Have found out this week some kids are reading with an adult one on one three or four times a week.

I know they have to focus on the ones who need a bit of help but come the fuck on, how does a little 4 year old feel if they never get that little bit of one on one time with a grown up and others get loads? Its not just about the reading - its about that bit of attention, the teacher or TA learning who they are and how they respond. Surely they can fit in my DC once or twice a term if they can find 3 or 4 times a week for other kids. Dc hates never getting picked to go and read. :(

Teachers have to go for equity.

We’d love to spend as much time with the children at the expected or above level of learning but there is not the capacity in schools for this.

OP ffs I'm so glad I gave up teaching and don't have to deal with parents like you.

What an incredibly rude thing to say.

I hope my kids teachers appreciate that I'm engaged and supportive of their education, raise them to be polite and respectful of their teachers and well behaved. Be careful what you wish for - pretty sure teachers jobs would be even harder facing 30 kids from homes where parents don't support their learning.

Oh and i spoke to the school 2 days ago. I didnt mention what i knew from other parents.

Sadly the TA initially tried to lie and say no child was ever reading one to one with adults. I questioned this and they back tracked, looked shifty as fuck and then made excuses about checking who'd been heard. The teacher was then a bit more honest and apologetic and admitted they needed to ensure they got to him before the end of term.

@Benibidibici

'Be careful what you wish for - pretty sure teachers jobs would be even harder facing 30 kids from homes where parents don't support their learning'

I don't teach anymore so this is irrelevant to me. You're also making my point, those kids DO need that one to one attention more than yours surely or are you begrudging them that?
I don't think I was rude at all, I was a teacher for over 12 years and the demands of the job coupled with unrealistic demands of parents was enough for me. Which is a shame as I was very good and teachers like me are leaving in droves.
If you nit pick about very minor things like how much attention your already able child gets for one to one reading, you are in for a very difficult road head with your child's education.

I'm a parent like any other. I'm here to advocate for my four year old, my concern is his welfare and education. I am entitled to care about my son.

No one is saying you’re not entitled to find out about his education. Didn’t you have parents eve recently where you could get a run down of how he is doing in each area?

It’s great you’re involved and are obviously aware of what needs to be learnt, with your mention of digraphs etc earlier. I expect the teacher will see how they’re doing during phonics sessions and monitor them this way and if not concerned and knowing the reading record is filled in to see he’s reading then they’re happy with the progress.

keep doing what you’re doing. Marketplace is a great place for cheap phonics books too as I find we don’t get enough and helping them with handwriting formation helps a lot as it’s something that’s hard to get round to everyone and makes everything easier if they know the right way (even though this isn’t a must in reception) teaching them after they form them the wrong way is a right pain!

unless you have been a teacher you just don't get it.

No @happypin, many of us do get it despite not having been teachers. Not all parents are unreasonable!

I honestly do not think it is being "demanding" to expect a very young 4 year old might be heard read with a grown 1 on 1, once in a half term.

Once.

If there's resource to hear another child twenty times, there's resource to hear mine once.

Im not expecting the teacher or TA. There are some classroom volunteers. One of them surely could be spared once.

Oh and my mum's a ks1 teacher and is horrified by it.

That's not good at all. Would you consider moving schools?

My dd goes to a prep (reception, started in sept) and reads with a teacher, assistant, or reading buddy every day. She's given a new book every day and we do it at home (v simple 'he took a big sack of corn to the mill' etc)
A new phonic a day that they work on and have to bring items in with that digraph or trigraph.
She's very happy there.
Lots of my clients children go to state school and they get one book a week which the parents read every night and and they are read with once a week at school.
They are very happy there.

As long as you're doing it at home with them they'll all catch up to the same level.

Why don't you ask the teacher?

Education is not about 1-1 time or 'attention' for all, it's about standards, levels and help where needed.

Reception year is HUGE in terms of foundations - getting the kids ready for Year 1, knowing the school will be judged by Year 2 SATS, means that although the year can feel quite 'fluffy and fun' from home, especially as there is a transitional 'play' element still, things are very much business in terms of outcome.

Your child will be heard reading by an adult at some point as they will need to be levelled. If they're not getting that weekly, it's because their reading is generally considered to be good enough to not have to input additional time/resources which are, pretty much across the board, thin on the ground.

If you feel so strongly about this then I agree with PPs - volunteer some of your own time to help the school facilitate it.

I would also point out, although it may well get me flamed, that all kids that age should be getting 1-1 reading time at home with a parent or guardian, preferably daily, to encourage vital skills. Schools cannot do that for us.

You're literally paying for that privilege!

I'm sure you're aware that state schools are a tad different 🙄

Hes more able. The teacher has told me he is ahead in phonics.

But you still want him to get 'equal attention' to those who are struggling.

You're in for a rude awakening over the next decade or so!!

I’m assuming you listen to your own child read? There you go. They have an adult that listens to them read. When my children were small I read with them and I volunteered to listen to readers in their school (I was working 3 days/week). Some children get no help at home, or English isn’t spoken in the home or they have SEN like cerebral palsy. These children take precedence in school because they are furthest behind their peers and already have fewer chances in life.

I’m at teacher and at my school we’re expecting to hear every child in Y5/6 read once per fortnight. Those with additional needs or other issues are more often, some daily. In reception I’d say at least once a week. This is the most important time.

If he’s ahead it’s unnecessary. I’m not sure why you think the only quality time kids get in school is 1:1 reading. For many kids that’s the worst part of the day!

Horrified is a bit hyperbolic.

It's still the first term, it's a lot of work to try and get all children to a base line in phonics in order to be able to build on it in lessons going forward. I'm sure when the dust settles the 1 on 1 reading will become more balanced, but in the interim lots of praise, stickers etc at home when you write in their diary and why not ask the teacher if they can show them it every morning or whatever; it'll take a few seconds but might give him the valuation from an adult he's missing. Lots of children who aren't as ahead with phonics find reading really challenging and don't enjoy 1 to 1 reading, it's quite a privileged view really to assume all children enjoy that time. I'd be pleased that my child at this time didn't require it, and that they werent struggling and that I had the resources to hear them read at home.

Your Mum is ‘horrified’? I’d to see what she would think if something of any consequence happened! Ridiculous.

As part of a nurture package, I read with three children on a 1-1 basis every morning in Reception last year (TA). They weren’t behind but they were at risk and building relationships with staff through reading (my colleague was doing the same thing with another three children) which meant we could notice when things weren’t right and that the children had trusted adults to talk to. I’ve also read with a child every day to assess his mood (ADHD) and factor that into the learning over the day eg simpler on a ‘busy’ day and more complex if he was more able to cope. Currently further up the school reading every day with 2 under-achieving children who are sadly well behind their peers. I’ve only read with about 7 of their class, despite my best efforts, I think the teacher is on a similar number and so is the other TA which leaves a handful of amazing readers that don’t get to read each week. It makes me very sad.

As a parent, I think it’s pretty poor they aren’t getting round to reading with your child at least once a fortnight but, unfortunately, I can see how it can happen.

Just to clarify, the other parents have td you that yours is the only child in the class not getting 3-4 one-on-one sessions? How many are they getting? If it’s two but some are getting three, it’s no big deal.

Children with special needs - and this will come as a shock it seems - have special needs. My child needs extra help because they have special needs. They can’t fucking speak. They can’t communicate. But yeah it’s super unfair that means it takes some time away from little Johnny and his “need” for some extra attention cause of his parents’ inflated sense of entitlement. Hideous comment.

If you feel that strongly about it keep him home or go into school and sit with him whilst he reads!