Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Education

Join the discussion on our Education forum.

Flip

Original poster

Is it inappropriate for a child to ask a teacher to move up to the next level of reading books?

19 replies

orangehead · 19/07/2008 20:16

ds1 aged 6 has been struggling with his reading recently mainly because he is not showing much interest. He has been on the same level for a while. He asked me the other day when I picked him up if he could ask his teacher if he could go up to the next level. I explained she might say no but he can ask her. So he asked and she very nicely explained that she wanted him to make some more progress before, and he seemed happy with that and we went home. The next day he come home very upset, apparently she told him infront of the whole class that he should not ask a teacher to more up. He said she sounded angry but he is very sensitive so it is possible she might not of sounded angry. But I think it is a bit off to even say anything to him and especially infront of the whole class. Or is it me in the wrong should I have not allowed him to ask? Just need some perspective before I talk to her

OP posts:

gothicmama · 19/07/2008 20:19

no he should ask teachers are there to encourage dd's teacher put her up a level when she was bored after we asked ans she should not have said anything in front of the whole class IMHO

Collision · 19/07/2008 20:19

I wrote it in his comments book when I wanted him to move up a level.

dont think ds would have had the courage

ratbunny · 19/07/2008 20:20

by all means, discuss his reading with her. She may well give you pointers that will help his reading. IMO she is probably wanting him to read that level for a reason - I LOVE moving children up a level, but I wouldnt do it before they are ready. But maybe he should be reading books that are that level, but not from the same set iyswim. It can be demoralising for the child to not be able to read many words on a page, and if he is NOT ready it will put him off further. If he is getting bored, there are loads of things he can read instead - non fiction, comics, poems.
If the teacher told him off infront of the whole class, she is very insensitive. Do you think perhaps he felt like it was in front of the class, but perhaps he was at the front talking to her, or just his table?
But do talk to her about his reading.

GivePeasAChance · 19/07/2008 20:21

My DS asks this all the time - unprompted. He generally gets moved up too - and that is generally despite me thinking that he probably shouldn't be

Teacher sounds a bit of a power freak

BreeVanderCampLGJ · 19/07/2008 20:21

Sounds like the witch DS has just left behind.

savoycabbage · 19/07/2008 20:25

If he is bored with his school reading book then read different books at home and get them out of the library to get him interested in books. It can't be the child's decision when to move up to the next level can it? That seems like madness to me!

Doodle2U · 19/07/2008 20:27

My ds (just turned 7) told me the WHOLE of his group had a pet hamster. Like hell they do - ONE child out of his group of 8, has a pet hamster.

Be wary of a six year old's use of the words "whole class"

He was OK to ask IMO.

Original poster

orangehead · 19/07/2008 20:29

Apparently they were all sat on the mat doing the register and when she got to his name she then said it. I have talked to her on a few occasions about his reading and she has been really helpful. However him asking was totally unprompted by me, he just asked me first if he could ask and what she said at the time seemed to help as he seemed more determined to progress and he seemed really happy with that. I am quite surprised by her saying something the next day as she seems a lovely teacher. Ok I feel I need to say something, what do I say? (I am so rubbish at this sort of stuff)

OP posts:

ratbunny · 19/07/2008 20:31

just say - ds is getting bored with reading from the same level. Is there anything else at school he could read? And could we try him on a book from the next level just to see if he can read it (as a challenge, perhaps)?

Doodle2U · 19/07/2008 20:34

OH, I wouldn't say anything about the incident on the mat TBH. I'd let that one go for now. Only a few days left until the end of term and I'm assuming he has a new teacher in September, so leave it be and start afresh after the summer.

Meanwhile, loads of stuff he could practice for 10 minutes a day over the summer holidays, so when he does go back, he probably will be ready for the next level.

katebee · 19/07/2008 20:37

It sounds very wrong of the teacher to talk to your DS in front of the whole class like that.

In your position I would try to find the teacher or teaching assistant and ask if your DS could try some books at the next level. Do you feel he is definitely ready to move up? Is he reading most words correctly first time?

Hopefully they will assess your DS again at the start of next term and will I'm sure move him up a level then.

Original poster

orangehead · 19/07/2008 20:38

Before this happened had actually ordered some books for school holidays that he was really keen to read after her explaining he needed to progress some more. But after her saying that in class he was sobbing for quire a while that evening and has been upset since

OP posts:

ratbunny · 19/07/2008 20:39

btw, the correct level of reading is to get 4/5 words right first time. And to read the rest reasonably fluently.

wheresthehamster · 19/07/2008 20:39

I imagine the teacher said something to the whole class along these lines "I'd rather children didn't ask to move up a reading level as I like to decide myself when you're ready" and not "DS, don't ask me to move you up a reading level as I don't like it".

Maybe some other children had asked that day as well and she was nipping it in the bud. I can't imagine she purposely told him off in front of everyone but he could have taken it that way. I would have done at that age!

MrsWeasley · 19/07/2008 20:45

That dreadful orangehead. The pupils in the class I work in often ask if they can change levels(usually because there friends have) and we rarely say no. We usually ask them to have a go at reading the first one to one of the staff to check they arent struggling too much.

RusselBrussel · 19/07/2008 20:58

Your ds was definately right to ask, and if the teacher did make that comment in front of the whole class, than that was wrong of her.
for your ds.

Fwiw dd often asks if she can move up a level. The teacher ususally tells her 'I will read with you today to see if you are ready' and sometimes she gets moved up, sometimes she has to spend a bit more time at the current level.
But this is always a conversation just between the teacher and dd, as far as I am aware no one else is able to hear.

In the holiday, take your ds to the library and let him choose some books he would like to read. Don't worry too much about levels whilst at the library. I think reading books he chose will help his enthusiasm!

Smithagain · 19/07/2008 22:08

The first time DD1 asked if she could move up a level, I wrote a comment to the effect of "she says she's finding this too easy, is she ready to move on?"

I was reticent about being "pushy" and told the teacher that I wasn't sure whether it was appropriate for us to ask. She said it was entirely appropriate to do so and she'd rather know if a child is expressing boredom than leave them plodding along. She emphasised that she would, of course, hear the child read and make her own mind up - but in practice each time I've asked her to check DD's level, she has been moved up.

cory · 20/07/2008 22:41

I found at one stage that dd was not progressing because the level she was on was too low. She found it harder reading the books with few short words iyswim. Plus they were deadly dull.

Fortunately, the teacher gave us a bit of leeway in what dd took home as homework reading and her reading really took off after that.

It was amazing how much she could do once she was allowed to move onto something with a decent storyline.

I remember this from my own childhood too: finding few words and large letters far harder to read than a page of continuous small text.

Hulababy · 22/07/2008 19:58

Nothing wrong with him asking, or you for that matter.

The teacher was out f order to embarrass your child in this way, and I wouldn't be happy with that way of responding.

But the teacher is the professional and usually (granted sometimes may be wrong) leaving them on a level for a reason.

For example, DD is a really good reader and I noticed a few weeks ago that some of the books DD was bringing home were far easier to read for her than others had been, and naturally I did ask her teacher about it. Her response was good IMO - she was giving DD books which did not challenge her reading wise, but they were focusing on expression in reading such as taking note of question marks, explanation marks, speech marks, etc., and also in some of the books her ability to rhyme and read different types of poetry. They were also looking more closely at comprehension, and this is easier to do in books where the language is less challenging. This made perfect sense to me - and worked fantastically well. After a bit, the books got more challening again, and the cycle continued.

Flip