My DS is 5 (almost 6) & in Year 1 at primary school. From the beginning he has not found learning his sounds easy & is still struggling with stage 1 of the Oxford Learning tree. He is also behind on numeracy (only recognises numbers up to about 15) which we beleive may be due to reading situation.
Yes, you should be concerned and should get a private tutor straight away. Whether through Kip McGrath or some one who has experience and freelances. You need information without bias. In Year 1 he shouldn't be having all these problems. It may be that he responds better 1:1 or there are other reasons as to why he's struggling - and they may or may not be academic. The sooner you crack on, the sooner you will have something tangible to deal with.
Initially we not overly concerned (boys will be boys etc..) as the class was small & he was enjoying school. However the school has lost 2 of its 4 teachers over the last 9 months, subsequently Reception & Year 1 have been almagamated & he is now in a class of 29. As such we believe he does not get the support/focus he really needs & is slipping away from the rest of his year (obviously not blaming the teacher).
The teacher should be concerned and should be doing more to help waive your fears & support your child, 29 is quite a reasonable number of children but not so many that the T should not be taking this seriously. For a school to lose 2 teachers when it has 4 to start with rings alarm bells for me about management & leadership within the school. Class size at this point shouldn't make any difference with a dedicated professional working with the children.
We have spoken at length with the head and his teacher on how we can both support him and the school, but it seems to be a one way street. We agreed with the head that regular feedback was needed, but short of a brief comment in his reading record book, we are not getting anything back. We also for any advice on helping him which has not been forthcoming.
Sounds like they are paying you lip service. Get a tutor. They cost, but it may not be long term, also you may be able to pay for the tutors planning which you can implement yourself on a daily basis and then have the tutor visit once a week or something similar.
His teacher doesnt think he has a specific learning issue (although no formal assessment has been completed) but in a test undertaken recently he failed to identify over half the key words.
That is worrying and a red flag. The T should be considering how best to support your son.
The effect of all of this is that he is now becoming reluctant to go to school and makes regular remarks such as 'school is too difficult' and 'I'm stupid', which absolutely breaks my heart. He is also commenting on how his peers are further ahead than him.
I feel we need to take action now before the enthusiasm for school & learning is knocked out of him. We do all we can at home to help him & try to make learning fun but obviously there is only so much we can do.
You are right to be concerned and with the mid-term break and summer hols coming up now would be a great time to involve a tutor.
We have now reached the point where we are seriously considering moving him to a local independant school which prides itself in teaching children with reading difficulties but are reluctant to do this due to the cost and social implications of moving him away from his friends. We also have a 3 year old DD who we to take into account but interestingly enough, even at her young age I don't have the same concerns.
I think you will find that unless the fee-paying school is empathetic and they usually aren't, it will only further compound the issue. Prep schools are all about results and money when it comes down to it, usually they will ask for a registration fee up front and 'test' your child to see if he is 'suitable' and at this stage you may well be doing more harm than good by putting him through this type of assessment.
If anyone has any thoughts/advice on our best course of action & whether we should change schools I would be most grateful!!
My advice would be to spend some money now on a tutor and save in the long run. The tutor ideally would be able to come to your home, establish a relationship with your child, do some basic assessments without agenda and identify where to next. They should be open with you about their concerns and strategies. There may even be some teachers on maternity leave who might consider working with him. You could request reading books from the school or may have to buy 2nd hand copies as the tutor may not have a full library or resources, but it will work out cheaper in the long run. Above all they should get your child laughing and enthusiastic. The relationship will dictate all that follows.
Many schools vary in their class sizes but it does not necessarily follow that private or state, the T will be dynamic and have your child's best interests at heart. I am sorry to suggest a tutor, but I feel his present school is being remiss in their approach and your son is not enjoying his learning as he should. Investigate private schools by all means, but it is a good teacher that will make all the difference, and I would hate to see you spend money hand over fist on fees when a good tutor may be the best short-term solution. I am concerned about the leadership at his present school and would suggest that you look at all schools in your area to help make an informed decision. The best of luck to you both and your son.