Can any Primary teachers shed any light on this for me please?!

[argeybargey]

Can any teachers help with this please? Thanks in advance : )

My DD1 is a September birthday and has just started Yr 1. In Yr 1 they didn't seem to do much reading. They seemed to colour in a lot. And watch telly. I started doing a bit of reading with DD @ home (ORT) . She was in top set in rec (it wasn't hard to work this out although they named sets after animals).

DD1 is now in Yr 1 and appears to have been 'moved down' a table. If that is where she needs to be to support her in her learning then I don't have an issue with that but I would want to be sure that she was being taught in such a way as she has the chance to meet her potential. Can I stress that this is for HER sake Not mine.

Anyway... I really could do with knowing how tables at this age are 'arrived ' at?
I ask as my DD is a bright, quirky young lady -if a bit on the busy side in terms of getting down to work bless her,can't IMAGINE where she gets that from : D - and her reading is pretty good, (ORT 4 - they havn't started ORT 2 yet in school, on any ability table ).
It may be worth mentioning that sometimes she can get a couple of her sounds muddled, most days she gets them all though(I know because we practice at home). She did say that they had to do their sounds for the teacher last week and that she 'only got one wrong'could this be why they'd move her to a different ability table? (I am assuming yes).

So :Are ability tables in Year 1 just arrived at through assessing reading ability alone?Or knowing sounds? Or does writing come into it, maths also; - and general attitude to learning?

Also (sorry, one final question) there see ms to be a bit of a mix within her group too - two who I'd say would be higher ability, two somewhere in middle and I don't know who else she is grouped with..Altogether there seem to be four groups with around six-eight children per group.There are around 33 in the class.

Any info appreciated ,Thankyou : )

Sorry at start of post should read 'in reception they didn't seem to do much reading'

ps - she also said something about they had to choose a partner then they were put into groups??

My DD has just moved into Y2. I can tell you that her 'ability' table (likewise after animals; she was happy to be a cat) in Y1 was based around...

Surnames

Children were seated alphabetically. She's a B and the 5 other children she sat with were the first names on the register.

There is a good argument for not seperating abilities because of the process of 'scaffolding' (or Zone of proximal development), where the stronger able children are naturally inclined to assist the weaker able, which also helps the stronger children affirm their knowledge and understanding in their own mind. (I hope that makes sense. If not you can Wikipedia it.)

When teachers / classroom assistants read with children to assess ability at this age it is IME on a one to one basis.

As far as I can can tell my DS seems to be in an alphabetical group too, as he is C and the other 4 are A's and B's.
They are Lions

Where my dd sat in the class had nothing to do with ability because they were streamed for phonics, numeracy and literacy and so she moved classes then to be with others in the top groups. Maybe the tables in class aren't ability tables at all just a mix of children who work well together.

I haven't a clue if my ds is on a table for ability or not

I trust the teachers to know what they're are doing

if your dd is coming home with Reading books that are too easy just write a note in the contact book

or just carry on like you are - get books from the library

stop obsessing about tables etc

Chances are they'll reassess the tables in a few weeks. When the teacher knows who works well with how, who doesn't, who talks too much, who needs to be closer to the front etc. In the long run it really doesn't matter !

Ah , ok, thanks for posts/feedback, much appreciated. Not been here before (she's my Eldest)so it's all new to me.

It can be hard knowing how much you are meant to take these things on board when you have no prior. Or even how involved you are supposed to be as a parent. No one really tells you.

That's why I post on Mumsnet !! : )