Weird school report?

[sambaba]

DD, just turned 5, has been able to read since 2. She can now read for example Harry Potter. She will ask about and respond to punctuation in text. Comprehension is amazing.
She started school this Sep and her first school report says underachieving for language and communication.
Both her nurseries identified her language was very advanced.
For context DH and I are both teachers and were also both GAT at literacy.
Is this a bit odd? I don't really plan on saying anything but I'm just a bit baffled.
It's two form entry and there are a lot of challenging kids I think including one whose been a bit violent at time, I suspect she's a gentle soul and doesn't say much.

Is your child not just hyperlexic? Comprehension can still be good with hyperlexia, but there’s usually a corresponding delay in communication, usually due to autism or SCD. I was also hyperlexic as a child looking back and had decent comprehension, but probably poorer social skills. They often correlate. There’s nothing wrong with it, just the brain prioritising decoding skills over social skills.

Can she understand Harry Potter? I personally didn't give those books to my (hyperlexic, autistic, extremely early reader) until he was 9, because I knew the actual themes and plot were beyond him even though he could read the words.

Language and communication is about more than just reading ability and vocabulary, so maybe ask them to explain a bit more about their specific concerns.

No she's very sociable and has zero issues communicating with people. She likes board games and toys. I taught her to read.
DH is also a senco!

Yes I know. I'm a qualified teacher. I go through reading comprehension with her rather than just rote reading.

As per PP to be Harry Potter at 5 to be honest screams inappropriate book choice to be “that parent”

I have a hyperlexic DD - it’s a pain trying to find stuff, she reads incredible volumes of books, but keep it appropriate - look up reading lists, step ahead 1-2 years if must, but Harry Potter at 5 doesn’t indicate what you think it might

Ask what the school have observed

I'd ask for a meeting to discuss. It might be simply marking the wrong thing, it might be that they've not assessed her properly because she's quiet, or it might be that they've spotted some gaps in her skills.

Actually I was reading it to her on my kindle and she asked if she could read it.
Are your reading skills ok? Did you not read the part where we are BOTH teachers and not 'that parent'. Funnily enough I didn't go dancing into the school with a t shirt proclaiming she can read Harry Potter.
The school raised her reading with us at parents eve, we didn't make a big deal of it.

Ask to speak to her teacher. They may be not seeing her true colours if she's very reserved.

Yes this is my thoughts. The teacher is very young, very inappropriate with some of the things she raises with parents in the line and downplayed some very violent behavior from another child before the HT stepped in (not my child, one of her closest friends).

I’m curious though, how do you know she has good comprehension? Does she tell you the plot of whatever she’s reading without you prompting her or telling her what the book is about in any way? It is just regurgitating facts, or is it flexible thought?

Being cynical, is assessing down something a school might encourage teachers do to improve their progress stats? I know you are both teachers so apologies if that's way off the mark!

I don't really know what to say to that, I've got enough experience with children to be pretty confident that the plot and themes of Harry Potter aren't really accessible in a meaningful way to a 5 yr old even if they can read and understand the words. I'm not a teacher though, so feel free to ignore me, but maybe listen to the actual teachers who have concerns over your child's language and communication?

Because I have 16 years of experience of doing reading comprehension. Every day with all abilities. Otherwise I wouldn't be questioning it.

I'm sure you know she's not hyperlexic so gently pushback against it if they moan about social skills.

No need to be arrogant OP, I simply asked how she displays comprehension. I have a hyperlexic DC, so wanted to know what lead you to the conclusion that her comprehension is good. I suspect neurodivergence in you and your child given how you interact in this thread and having a hyperlexic DC but whatever, why make the thread in the first place if you know everything!

@HollopingHooligans
I shall. We have 30 years between DH and I.
They haven't highlighted concerns. They have put her up two years for reading, hence my wondering.

I've got enough experience with children to be pretty confident that the plot and themes of Harry Potter aren't really accessible in a meaningful way to a 5 yr old even if they can read and understand the words.

I agree.

Anyway, I would just ask the teacher what she meant - she probably just wants your daughter to speak out more in class.

@QuickDenimDeer
I have a degree in psychology, DH is a senco. Sorry I'd forgotten the arm chair diagnosis of ND on Mumsnet is always right tho.

But neither of you work in SEN. You don’t even know what myself and my DH do for a living…

Can she read nonsense words like sklonk, fwarple and zjoump? Schools have tests to spot kids who have accidentally learned to read by using an image memory rather than actually decoding phonics and a child who can read words they have seem before but can't decode a new never-seen-before word will be not meeting expectations until they can demonstrate skills in phonics which your DD may not be cooperating with.

@QuickDenimDeer
No senco never work with SEN!
And there are none in mainstream schools either. So no experience here.

Yep, they assessed her for this.

It could just be an error. My DD was marked as 'working towards' for spoken language one year, but she's as articulate as they come and it was hard to believe that any child in her class had met the expected standard if she hadn't. When I asked her teacher what we needed to work on to fix it, the teacher said it was an error and she'd send a revised report out.

I would assume there had been a mistake. I remember one report the teacher said my daughter was slow at typing - she’d just finished a touch typing course where she had practised touch typing for 20mins a day for a year. She could do 42 words in a min or something. Teacher admitted she’s just cut and pasted that part of her report and agreed to change it.

It sounds like you’re putting pressure on a 5 year old tbh.