Am I being fobbed off?

[charlietherednosedpussy]

DD1, year 3 had a new teacher at the start of this term. Lovely and enthusiastic I thought, saying how she was putting all these new fabby ideas in place and things may not get done etc while she was easing them into the new schemes etc.
DD was last listened to read at school on the 10th of this month. That was 20 days ago. She has of course read books at home..however thats not the point...
Asked DDs teacher why she hadnt been listened too and got a big spiel about them now not doing individual reading and them doing it in groups and how it was all going to start on Monday...
HMMMMMMMmmmmmmm heard this at half term.
Is that the new way or am i being fobbed off?

Dunno Charlie but I'm peed off about ds1's reading - he is only in reception but from chatting with others in teh playground it seems that those who are already really ahead at reading are getting a lot of practice while those that are just starting to blend (probably most of them) are getting less.

Ds1 last had a note in his book on 21st Nov, it was by a parent helper and when I spoke to her she said he was the last one she read with and they were out of time so he only got about a minute.

Am very annoyed. I'm trying to do it myself with him but it's very difficult as up to about 7pm I've got a 3 yr old and 15 month old too - it's nigh on impossible.

Sorry, I'm not sure how far on they are in year 3 as I've no children who are this age yet but I must admit it doesn't seem great to leave out individual reading altogether. Very easy for those struggling to get lost in a group I'd say. I'd not be happy about that at all.

She said The whole school is taking this new approach...which sounds like well rehearsed parp to me and I nodded towards reception aged dd2 who hasnt started reading yet and said even the little ones and she said Im not sure what the infants are doing...but I thought you just said ...Hmmmmmmmm

Sounds very odd. If you really think it might affect your dd I think I'd talk to the head. YOu don't have to go in all guns blazing - just a 'I've heard that a new approach is being adopted, I'm not clear on how that works better that reading practice individually, can you reassure me/explain a bit more...' That's what I'd do.

With ds1, we are only in the first term but if this really continues and I see the better readers speeding ahead I am definitely going in. A couple of the kids have read every single book in the classroom and then the whole corridor outside - come on, how have they had time to do that when ds1 hasn't had a reading session since 9 days ago and then only for 1 minute?!

Ooh, I'm fuming now!!

GDG, Do you have those home/school reading books where you read a bit/a book/they read a bit/a book with them?
I know that when dd1 was in reception they would read quite regularly and if the book hadnt been checked/signed by the parent they would get passed by for someone who had been checked/signed...maybe that?

And its the fact dd1 has had the same book/my last signiture on the 10th that has made me query this..

Sadly, unless there is regular help, there is little time in the junior curriculum to hear readers one to one.

The way most teachers get around it is through group reading where, in ability groups they discuss and read passages from a book. There is usually a group reading slot of 1/2hour each day.

Most classes have 5 groups so they each have a day with the teacher. On the other four days they will be doing differentiated activities based around their group reading book. These include a character portrait, finding 12 interesting adjectives, drawing a picture of the scene using the description given etc.

This way each child is heard for 5 or 10 mins once a week. Some teachers lick myself will have 10mins silent reading afer lunch. During this I try to hear those children struggling to read as 10mins weekly isn't enough for them.

It's far from ideal but all there's time for TBH. Of course, if there is help in the class, either a TA of a parent, then readers can be heard more often.

like myself, not lick.

Don't want to hijack the treat, but If I could ask you for some advice Homemama.

I've just taken on y7 kids, great kids but lots of SEN. Several have reading ages of 6/7. targets are to access the top 100 word of year 3.

Ant idea where I can access these? And any hints for supporting them. I structuring the lesson round lots of practical stuff plus constant repetition of Kew words but they are way beyond them, poor kids!

No you are not being fobbed off.
Schools now teach reading sklls in more appropriate ways. Each child will be reading daily at school as part of the class in a variety of ways; they should also be participating in a "guided" read regularly. In a guided read, a group of children work with a teacher exploring a text which is appropriate for their reading ability. It might be a simple book with a few words where the teacher is concentrating on decoding skills and the use of phonics, progressing through to exploration of perhaps the moral in a fable. This has been established practice for many years and is much more effective than trying to hear each child read a few pages every day whilst the rest of the class "queue!"
Most schools still give children books to take home and share with an adult at home. Some schools also send home the book or text that the child has done in guided reading( if they think they will get it returned)
You should not judge the quality of the teaching that your child has been getting by the frequency of a signature in a reading diary.
The only way that you might consider yourself "fobbed off" is by not having the school's practice explained clearly.
A teacher can sign their name in a child's diary without having actually taught them anything during the few minutes they listened to them. Whole class text work and guided reading is much much more valuable.
Ask the teacher if she would like some help hearing readers if you stil think it important.

Have you got access to writing with symbols MB?
It uses Makaton and other signs to provide visual prompts for new words.
Y3 words are on NLS website I beleive.. sorry to butt in

No I'm in a mainstream school

None of these kids are statemented, on sa plus

They are essential unable to read, and I'm having to teach them words like soluble. Poor kids.

Hi MB,
By the key words, do you mean the ones in the literacy strategy folder? I think this gives you key words from Reception to Y2.

You could also look at the 'word level' work for years 2&3 (and perhapsY1) This has letter strands and blends ideas.

Depending on their needs, you may actually need to get hold of a PIPS book. (progression in phonics) It's full of key words/spellings and packed with games to teach children how to read those words and others with similar letter strands. It's a DFE issue and your local feeder primary will have loads so could lend you one until you get one through.

I'll have a think what else. Be back later. May start a new thread sorry to hijack Charlie!

The NLS website may also help.

Thanks for that, I'll have a shuft and will get on to the SENCO. They are such nice kids and in y7 are still so keen to please. I'm worried sick that if we can't move them on , they will become disenchanted and switch off

As a secondary sciene teacher I just don;t know how to teach someone to read

It's laughable isn't it. Last year I had two kids in my class on SA plus (although in their case the plus meant plus bugger all) I'd look at them when I was teaching things like how to use an encyclopaedia and think how they had no real letter recognision and couldnt write their own name.

I have to agree with homemama. I would think it unusual if a Y3 child was reading 1:1 with the teacher. I would expect the real strugglers to get 1:1 time with a TA, or maybe a parent helper, but the majority of readers would be heard in a group. That shouldn't mean they aren't being taught. If group reading is run properly then the children will all be of a similar standard and working on specific targets. The teacher should certainly have records and assessments for each for individual, and should be able to talk to you in detail about the specific skills that she is working on with your dd.

I used to still use the home/school diary for Y3s, with a stamper that said 'I have read in a group today', and then I would quickly add a comment about what we'd been working on in the group session (particular decoding strategies, skim reading to isolate information, identifying clues about a character from adjectives/phrases etc etc)....

So I'd say you are not being fobbed off, as long as the teacher can talk to you about how your daughter's reading is progressing, and knows how to help her improve. HTH

Mb- explore this ICT option. This programme is a word processing programme which gives a sign or pictorial representation for every word- such as volcano, river test tube , gas, etc etc. It can help children with low reading ages to access what you are doing with the rest of the class if you can prepare ahead some simple resources to support them. I use it with non readers and it is really good- writing with symbols.

thanks for these ideas, sadly i have no ict in the lab, and the kids don't have laptops.
any other ideas greatly received !

no -You use it in advance so no classroom access to ICt needed. My dh who teaches secondary is exploring using it to adapt written resources to kids with v v v v v low reading abilities.

What is te programme name???

Have a look here writing with symbols
this shows it in its most simplistic use.
I feel so sorry for all these secondary techers being confronted by children reading at level 2 and just expected to teach them as well as the rest. My poor dh is nearly bald with it .. although being married to me saw off most off his hair some time ago

\link{http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/literacy/publications/word/63313/Is this site any good for what your looking for MB?} Ok, not being fobbed off. Id have rather died than have my mum at school reading so i wouldnt inflict myself on dds school

here?

Sorry Charlie for hijacking and typing so quickly and not spell checking.
Please read my post about how Literacy is taught. I think it will clarify things.

I will check this properly before someone starts a thread complaining about how teachers can't spell.... again!