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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be very irritated by dd2's school insisting i listen to her

28 replies

MonnowCyclist · 01/04/2010 19:58

Read for 5-10 minutes every day? Jolly letter home from school tonight saying they will book appointments with all parents not toeing the line. Dd2 is 10.2 and last July had a reading age of 14.6 - yes we encourage her to read but no I do not feel I need to be told what to do by the school having got her this far largely by ourselves!!! But just want to make sure I'm not overreacting

OP posts:
littlebrownmouse · 01/04/2010 19:59

Lit co-ordinator here, yep, its ridiculous!

AnzoneioBanderas · 01/04/2010 19:59

ha yes
ds4 is just 7 and has a reading age of 14.
cant be bothered.

BallpointPen · 01/04/2010 20:01

They have to send this letter to everyone so as not to appear to be singling out those that can't read as well.

If your DD can manage well on her own then let her.

To be irritated is unreasonable.

JaneS · 01/04/2010 20:02

Surely it's just a standard letter and some children won't be as advanced as yours? They can hardly call out the worst readers in the class by name and give them a special note to take home, can they?

Intergalactic · 01/04/2010 20:04

How will they know whether you're doing it or not? I'd be tempted to tell them you are, then just carry on as normal (you are obviously doing something right anyway!). Or let them book an appointment for you and go in and tell them why you won't be doing it.

thisisyesterday · 01/04/2010 20:05

there are ways of wording it though aren't there?

although tbh i think oyu CAN single people out. I would really hope that ds1's teacher would talk to me if his reading (or anything else for that matter) was lagging behind and they felt he needed extra attention. that would ensure i didn't just see anther letter and lob it in the bin.
I wouldn't be offended in teh slightest if they said to me "ds1's seems to be struggling with reading a bit, can we talk about some ways to help him..." and then asked if we read to him/listen to him read regularly.

much more pro-active than sending a standard letter out to everyone which prob results in most people either being offended or just ignoring it

Original poster
MonnowCyclist · 01/04/2010 20:06

Ok well thank you all, brilliantly fast responses! Bpp the letter wouldn't have irritated me if they hadn't insisted we were going to be dragged in about it, or I would have treated as applying to more developing readers.

OP posts:
Original poster
MonnowCyclist · 01/04/2010 20:06

Ok well thank you all, brilliantly fast responses! Bpp the letter wouldn't have irritated me if they hadn't insisted we were going to be dragged in about it, or I would have treated as applying to more developing readers.

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Intergalactic · 01/04/2010 20:08

Those saying you can't single out the kids doing less well - why not? Why not send a letter home in the post, or bring it up at parents evening (or arrange an earlier appointment if necessary)? I agree that making the kids who can't read good stand in line and collect a letter would be bad form, but if the policy only needs to be implimented for some pupils the surely there are tactful ways of arranging that?

strawberrykate · 01/04/2010 20:13

Just tick the box/ say yes you do and it will never be mentioned again I'm sure! Some things are just downright silly and deserve ignoring. Schools take the hint eventually when they're ignored and the daft idea ceases. I dont worry about thtings like this, nor would I response to attend a meeting if asked.

BallpointPen · 01/04/2010 20:24

Bringing difficulties up at parents evening or the teacher popping out at home time to have a quick word or even a letter through the post are better ways of alerting parents about issues their kids have at school. Handing out letters to individuals in the classroom in front of their peers could cause upset and embarrassment to children who are already self concious about deficiencies in their school work.

Your daughters school have chosen a blanket approach by giving letters to everyone.

In your situation(i.e your daughter being a very confident reader) I wouldn't worry too much about the letter, I doubt it's aimed at you and how will they know whether you read with her or not? but I wouldn't be irritated by it.

Hulababy · 01/04/2010 20:36

I actually think that is is very important for ALL children to read aloud for some time every week. It doesn't need to be nightly though, nor for very long.

BUT reading aloud is a very different skill to reading in your head. Being able to read aloud is a life skill. Your children will need to be able to do it for various presentations throughout school, college and university and in many jobs and careers. It is a good thing to be a good orater.

My DD is 7y, she has a reading age of way beyond this. But we still hear her read aloud for a few minutes a couple fof times a week. Her teacher also listens to her at least once a week too. DD's school is really big on children speaking aloud in various assemblies, resentations, etc.

It does make a difference.

It is harder to be fluent when reading aloud and it can be more difficult to take it in (comprehension) when reading aloud. Practise int his is essential.

Original poster
MonnowCyclist · 02/04/2010 09:31

Thank you, yes you are right about reading aloud being a different skill. We do listen to her occasionally, and she does read\present at assemblies & in class which we help her practise, but it's a good idea to encourage her from that point of view. I still won't do it nightly but will treat it differently when I do. And hopefully avoid an appointment!

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Original poster
MonnowCyclist · 02/04/2010 09:31

Thank you, yes you are right about reading aloud being a different skill. We do listen to her occasionally, and she does read\present at assemblies & in class which we help her practise, but it's a good idea to encourage her from that point of view. I still won't do it nightly but will treat it differently when I do. And hopefully avoid an appointment!

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seeker · 02/04/2010 09:35

Interested in all these people who know reading ages - I thought schools didn't measure reading age any more?

claig · 02/04/2010 09:53

attend the meeting, bring up lots of issues that you are unhappy about and they will soon cut the nonsense out

Hulababy · 02/04/2010 10:26

I wouldn't do it nightly either, but a couple of times a week is sufficent IMO at this stage.

Seeker - we know because it was part of the assessment dd had last year when she was checked for dyslexia. She isn't but has several yenfancies similar and has some support with this, so her reading she, plus other stuff, is assessed every so often. We get a rropet from support teacher with the info.

However in normal schooling as far as I know reading ages she not assessed. Dd's friends haven't been and children at my school aren't tested.

coralanne · 02/04/2010 10:33

Reading aloud is entirely different to silent reading.

How do you know they are pronouncing the words correctly if all they do is silent reading?

Some children are brilliant readers but sometimes their comprehension level is below their reading level.

By listening to them read aloud and then have a conversation about the actual content and what they think the author means,is beneficial to any child no matter what their age.

Years ago I went to a meeing where the guest speaker was Katherine Patterson, author of Bridge to Terabithia"

She said that she had started to read aloud for half an hour most days because she found that when she only read silently, she constantly mispronounced words.

coralanne · 02/04/2010 10:35

My DGD is just 7 and she likes nothing better than lining her 3 younger siblings up and "being teacher" and reading to them.

Alouiseg · 02/04/2010 10:38

Schools always aim everything at the lowest common denominator.

The catch all safety net system.

Original poster
MonnowCyclist · 02/04/2010 10:43

Coralanne, entirely agree about comprehension - at one point they were giving dd2 a higher reading age than dd1, who is about 5 years ahead of herself in reading age, but I knew it was wrong because she didn't understand what she was reading.

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Original poster
MonnowCyclist · 02/04/2010 10:44

And we get reading age pronouncements every summer with the annual report.

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claig · 02/04/2010 10:44

"My DGD is just 7 and she likes nothing better than lining her 3 younger siblings up and "being teacher" and reading to them."

Gordon Bennett, the 3 younger siblings are probably some of the keenest eager pupils who look forward to going to school, anything to get away from DGD.

Only joking, DGD sounds great

coralanne · 02/04/2010 10:51

claig, you are right. I've never seen a 9 month baby crawl so fast sometimes.

Miss 7 just grabs her and plonks her back in her place.

DS just 5 puts his hand up and says "Is it lunchtime yet".

He then goes and hides.

Just 2 DGD is always happy to stay and gets lots of stickers.

claig · 02/04/2010 10:54

great stuff
that would make a great movie