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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to pop a note in DS' book bag?

39 replies

helyg · 21/04/2010 08:39

DS is 5, and has a reading book home from school twice a week. In school he is reading ORT level 3, plus a similar level book from a different series. So he has 4 books home a week. However, he has obviously run out of ORT books at that level to read as, for the third time, he has brought one home which he has already read a few weeks earlier.

At home he reads at a higher level. He goes to the library frequently and has a free choice of what he wants to borrow. Recently he has read (and I mean properly read, and understood) ORT Level 6 as well as several books of poetry and novels along the lines of Roald Dahl/Horrid Henry etc.

I know that school probably have set criteria for moving them up, but it seems a bit silly that he is re-reading the same books. They have told me that he is very good at reading, but still don't move him up!

AIBU to pop a note in his reading diary saying what he is reading at home and asking whether he should be moved up a level?

I don't want to look pushy, but at the same time I don't want him to spend the rest of teh year re-reading books! I know he has teh opportunity to read other stuff at home, but still, shouldn't school be trying to stretch him? He's certainly not a child genius so I'm guessing that there are other children in his class with the same problem too.

OP posts:
APassionateWoman · 21/04/2010 10:15

Christ, ORT 10?!

They abandon it in Yr 1 at DS's school. In fact, they really only use it as a guide in reception and Year 1. It isn't cast in stone.

I would definitely have a word to the teacher. Apart from anything, the stories are dullsville .

Original poster
helyg · 21/04/2010 10:19

Fortunately the stories do get a bit more interesting by ORT 10. Not sure what happens in level 9 as DS1 skipped them, but the last we saw of Biff and Chip was in Level 8. Perhaps in level 9 the magic key took them to a war zone and they were blown up by a land mine?

OP posts:
APassionateWoman · 21/04/2010 10:22

lol!

Is Floppy still doing the rounds? He's had more adventures than Lassie, that dog. DS still has a soft spot for him. Do they do ORT chapter books?

AccioPinotGrigio · 21/04/2010 10:30

I would second having a word rather than sending a note. Can you not call into the classroom first thing when you drop him off at school?

roses12 · 21/04/2010 10:34

we have a school diary for communication with between the parents and teachers so I don't think a quick note is too pushy.
If you really cannt grab her in am or pm then could you leave a message with secretary for her to phone you at her convenience (giving times that are good for you). had this with my dd who was reading at a higher level at home. They explained that sometimes they keep them at a lower level because they are looking at more than reading. the discuss the meanings and are looking for the child to demonstrate they understand the meaning of the words not just the ability to read them. I got dd to read with feeling and she has been flying up the levels eversince.

Original poster
helyg · 21/04/2010 10:39

The reading diary is also a parent/teacher communication book, which is why I thought of popping a note in there.

Its a small school so the secretary only works very part time. I'd have to leave a message on the answering machine.

I work so the DC usually go to breakfast club, and she is often not in her classroom at that time.

OP posts:
realitychick · 21/04/2010 13:33

I'm intrigued that so many people think a note is not a good idea. i'd have thought it was much kinder to a teacher, allowing them to deal with it in their own time, and also not having to make a big deal/enter into a discussion about something that could be easily remedied. Our school also has a communication section in the reading diary. Avoids every parent in a class of 30 asking why Johnny did or didn't get his book swapped every week.

What puts people off the note idea?

Oblomov · 21/04/2010 14:13

I put a note in asking when ds was going to be benchmarked again. what I really meant was , this is way too easy and it should have been done, probably 2 weeks ago, what the hell is going on. but what i wrote was please could you tell when benchmarked next. and i got reply. sorry, days out trips, will be done by next monday. problem solved.
agree, why the resistence to notes, generally.

tablefor3 · 21/04/2010 14:25

I think that a note can look passive agressive. However, as OP's school has some system for parent/teacher communication which is writeen, then would seem more normal.

Original poster
helyg · 21/04/2010 14:31

I've thought about it some more, and had a chat with my mum (who has reassured me that I am not pushy), and have decided to pop a note in. The note reads along the lines of "DS has read this book, he also read it back in February. He enjoys reading harder books at home, is he ready to move up a level yet?"

Having spoken to DS about it, he was apparently reading a Level 7 book to his TA at the beginning of the week (he wants to move up and I think he was hoping she would take the hint!) so it shouldn't come as too much of a shock to her.

OP posts:
pigsinmud · 21/04/2010 14:32

I think it depends how it's done.

Dh gets peed off when he gets notes from parents questioning why darling Jimmy is looking at a Grade 2 piece when he's working towards Grade 3 - the tone taken by my dh is "This is too easy - what the hell are you doing?" when it could be a genuine question with no questioning of his teaching ability. Sometimes tone is difficult to read. That's why I think notes can be dodgy.

Original poster
helyg · 24/04/2010 09:01

Just to let you know what happened...

I popped the note into DS2's reading diary. He came home last night and said that he will be moving up a level on Monday, when the teacher has read with him herself (rather than the TA) to see whether he needs to go up just one level or if he is ready to move up two levels (as apparently he was reading a Level 7 book that he found on the table the other day, currently he is only officially on Level 3).

Also DS1 (who is in the same class) has come home with an extra book, I don't know whether this is connected as I didn't say anything about him in the note. He is already near the top of the class in reading so I wasn't that concerned about him! But it may be she has decided to look at both of them.

Also, she doesn't seem to have suddenly taken against me as some kind of super pushy mother, she was very friendly when I saw her last night and she actually rang me up mid afternoon to ask me something about the choir that DS1 is in.

So all in all it looks like a good result

OP posts:
Polgara2 · 24/04/2010 09:30

Just to add, even though you're all sorted, I do reading books at school and quite often parents write in that they wonder if their child is ready to move up or they are not being challenged enough etc. It is never a problem and the teacher always responds positively (either yes moves them or explains why they are not). It is your child and you should never feel that you can't put your point of view across or that it makes you too pushy .

janajos · 24/04/2010 09:45

I'm a teacher, drop a note in the bag as Shaz 10 suggests. It is possible that the support you give ds at home to read and understand the books you have mentioned is not feasible for a classroom teacher to do with so many other children to consider. This is not to say that he will not be making progress at school, just that he may not be able to achieve the level you see him achieve at home. That being said, he should not have to read and re-read the same books, so do talk to the teacher!!

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