Target: Keep chatting to a minimum during independent writing

[treas]

Yr2 Dd, in a Yr1/2 class, has received an honest and accurate school report

Basically, she's a talker when working and produces the bare minimum of work. On the positive side she has got SATs level 3c's for reading, writing and maths, with 2a for S&L - obviously lacks in the listening department.

What can dh and I do to help the teachers? Obviously we can't be in the classroom when this is all going on!

We did suggest at parents consultations that dd she complete unfinished work in her own time, at break or home. This never happened. Also should she be segregated from the other pupils if she is chatting?

Next yr she'll be in a Yr2/3/4 class so hopefully find it a more stimulating environment.

Your dd sounds just like mine.

She got the same SATs results and the chatting thing is a problem because her table are all other chatty girls who are her close friends.

The teacher has introduced a couple of boys from the 2nd top table and apparently this has helped the table dynamics.

It's not always that easy to sit children alone in class - there is usually a finite number of tables/chairs and if there are 30 children in the class then spares may not be available. It's also not going to teach her to work near others long-term if she's always alone for writing.

If she were in my class I would probably tell her, for each task, how much writing I am expecting from her and mark on the page where she should get to. If she doesn't get to that mark because she's chosen to spend the time chatting then I'd get her to come back from lunchtime early or send the work home.

Unfortunately, crazygracieuk dd is already on a table that is predominantly boys - she's very 'social' to say the least.

SE13Mummy - thanks for your comments, a mark on the page seems like a great idea, although she may need to be told this is the minimum amount expected because she'd be likely to aim for the mark and not bother to go any further!

The mark would indicate sufficient work had been done but if I were her teacher I'd continually increase the amount I expected her to write so would mark further down the page each time - I wouldn't want to start off too far down the page and make it impossible for her to achieve!

SE13Mummy - please come and teach at dd's school!

Sounds like not only would you get your pupils to achieve the best that they could but you would be willing to extend them - wish I felt the same about the teachers at dd's school.

I'm much more popular as a teacher on here than I am in real life... I would extend her, yes. Whilst fending off complaints from parents about victimising their child for asking them to bring their bookbag in/stop touching other people/to refrain from telling people to 'shut up'/for doing my job!

Ds had the same peppered throughout his school report (yr1). I'm thinking of sending his new teacher a roll of gaffer tape to keep him quiet .

MollieO - this point was laboured rather than peppered through dd's report, by the fifth or sixth mention it was a case of "Yeah - we get it!" Having said that we were delighted to receive an honest report - even if it could be classed as brutally honest.

SE13Mummy - I wouldn't do your job if my life depended on it! Especially having to deal with 'interested' parents like myself

treas - it's a great job and 'interested' parents are brilliant. It's the ones who think everything I say is wrong/untrue that I could do without.

mollieo - in a Y6 class I once had I did have a roll of gaffer tape. It was put in the middle of the chattiest table and identified as 'sacred tape'... a visual aid to help them keep their lips together. It worked because every time they looked up to chat about nothing in particular, they caught sight of the sacred tape .