Is she being held back?

[LB29]

My DD aged 6 is a good reader. I have encouraged her to read every night and our house is full of books, both kids and adults.
Her last teacher moved her up 5 or 6 reading groups in year 1. This really encouraged her to keep reading the school books as she had a sense of achievement. She has never struggled and seems to pick up the new words quickly.
Her new year 2 teacher has only written in her reading record twice since the beginning of the year. I thought this maybe due to lack time so I offered to help out at the school. Her teacher seemed grateful and I have been hearing the children read one morning a week.
Each time I begin with the lowest group. I am quite shocked at how difficult some of the kids are finding it. They have been listened to everyday. When I get about half way through the levels the same seems to be the case as for my DD, no regular teacher comments.
I have asked her teacher about this and she stated that the better readers do not need to be listened to as they are as good as they need to be for their age. She has also said that she will not be moving DD up any reading levels for the same reason, plus they only have reading scheme books so she would run out of levels.
I have also noticed that when I am in the class only a small group of children seem to get help. The rest were set a task and were left to get on with it. I was quite shocked to see my DD finish her work and then tidy up some books that had been left out. Her teacher didn't seem bothered by this and didn't even thank her.

Should I be concerned by this? Of course I understand that I have only seen a snapshot of what happens in the week and that those struggling to read will need extra help. I have spoken to my DD and she just says that she enjoys helping out.

hmm. I wouldn't like that. Iwould be looking carefully for evidence that she is being challenged, eg when is next parents evening to see her books. If you are worried you could always speak to the teacher to reassure you.

Hmmm... I wouldn't like a parent helping out with a hidden agenda.

My children never have comments from any staff in their reading diaries. They record it elsewhere. The reading diaries are for children and parents to write in.

Also I am sure the teacher is delighted you have volunteered so you can check up on her doing her job.

your post is too long to read, therefore i surmise you are obsessed and need to chill and watch some tv with your child

I'd be concerned. But then I'm a problem parent. I agree with blackeyedsusan.

"plus they only have reading scheme books so she would run out of levels."

That's the bit that would make me go . How ridiculous.

It looks like you help out just to spy on your DD and her teacher, not really what is needed. If you are concerned ask for a meeting. It sounds as though your daughter enjoys school and is doing well which I think is fine for any 6 year old.

Parents like you are exactly the reason that our HT won't allow parents to help out in their own child's classroom. Hear readers, yes please, in the library. But not in the classroom.

I'm surprised the school allows you to volunteer in your own child's class as surely you're supposed to be there to help the teacher with the children that need it most, not be questioning her classroom practice.

Regarding your own child's reading, you don't have to restrict your child to the books the school provide, you are free to take her to the library and buy books yourself, which it sounds like you are doing already. If the teacher won't recommend books that stretch and develop your child maybe your local children's librarian can help.

Must say this was part of the reason I moved my son from the state to the independent sector. Although the teacher at his state primary was fantastic, there is only so much one woman can do alone (there was no Teaching Assistant) with 30 children of mixed abilities aged 4-6 (mixed R / Y1), with some who didn't speak English; being realistic she had to concentrate on the children that needed the most help and those with parents that couldn't / wouldn't provide support out of school.

I think you are obsessing.

I used to volunteer at school in ds1s class and listen to the 'weaker' readers,reading is a 'penny drop' skill some children 'get it' easily some dont,some children will always find pleasure in a book others may never read for enjoyment.

Once a child can read his reading skills roll forward themselves they need no prompting,its like riding a bike at first you need your mum holding onto the seat saying slowly slowly slowly,then she just steadies you and off you go -once you can ride it to have your Mum stood behind you holds you back it stops the freedom of the pedal - reading is like that.

Reading schemes are no true marker of skill genuine reading at home of cereal boxes,comics in the paper and books the child chooses are a measure.

Reading is the most important thing a child can do to aid his independance in school - be thankful your dd grasped it early and is confident in doing it.

I speak from vast experience ds1 read at 2,ds2 couldnt read at 8 and ds3 at 6 had a reading age of 15.
Im also a nursery nurse.

PS never divulge your observations to the teacher ....tis not good.

My mum taught me to read when I was 2 and I'd finished the Hobbit by the time I was 6 (not that I understood a word of it I'm sure). It was the worst disservice she could have done me, because it was totally unnecessary, and made me very very bored and therefore naughty when I got to school.

You should just be pleased that your daughter reads well, and reads for pleasure. She and you should just ignore what gets done in school because you and she have already done the hard work.

And mind your own business where other children are concerned.

Beanlet thats what I meant to say too theres reading and reading and understanding and these can be a world apart.

I shall stick my neck out and say that the teacher is talking rot, and that you need to do something about it. My Y2 daughter is a very good reader, and her teacher still hears her read (and writes in her book) at least twice a week. If the teacher started claiming that they would 'run out of levels' if DD read too many books, I'd be mightily fed up. (FWIW, she's not a first born, so I'm not in the slightest bit obsessive or precious about her. ) The children can change their books as often as they like; there's no sense of waiting for the others to catch up. I fear this is all about the less able children meeting targets: once they've done that, the whole class scores well compared to national averages. Stuff the clever ones: they don't affect the school's score so long as everyone is at the same mediocre level.

I think it's not a good idea to volunteer in the classroom, though. I'd go for the more direct-but-friendly approach ("I'm concerned that the better readers are not getting the attention they also need...").

This kind of thing is why I cripple myself to send my children to private schools.

My DC were never listened to at school. In Year 1, perhaps once every two months, and since then, has only ever been listened to by the teacher when they do the formal assessment for their testing. None of them have had books sent home since Year 1.

What this has meant is that they dont see the point of reading because no-one, other than me, ever listens to them. As far as they are all concerned, the teachers dont care so why should they.

This is one of the negative aspects of those children who dont get listened to because they can read. They see their friends getting the teachers attention but not them.

Im all for lower ability kids to be listened to every day, but the children at the other end of the scale need listening to as well.

However, I am also very well aware that it is extremely time consuming. If you listen to a kid read for 10 minutes and there are 30 in the class that would be 5 hours of the teaching time. So parent help is also very essential (but never in your child's year group).

The other observation I had when I listened to school reading, was that many of the kids didnt read their books at home. Parents relied totally on the school to get their children to learn to read.

Our reading policy was, they took the book home, read it twice, then read it back to someone at school where we discussed the contents.

A lot of the books stayed in the bookbag, never saw daylight, so they couldnt read the book properly, or review it, then the parents would come in and complain that their reading books were too easy and that they should be moved up several levels.

it all sounds very normal from a yr 1 pov tbh. i used to be a reading buddy for the children who were struggling - it's truly amazing when it finally clicks and they 'get it'. my favourite part of the volunteering.

dd2 was assessed at reading age of 12 in yr r. i don't think anyone has ever written in her reading record lol. i don't think there is any need to. definitely wouldn't expect it. later on as part of the guided reading there is more of an opportunity to go further in depth with comprehension etc.

teaching your daughter to read is obviously not necessary. nor is it necessary to be hothousing her - as long as she's got plenty of reading materiel at home i wouldn't worry. there's plenty that schools do to provide for capable readers. is it an infant school or a primary? most places where kids are free readers (ie have finished the schemes) let the children borrow from other year groups stock. it's not normally a problem. once children a re free readers they rarely get 'listened' to anyway, except in guided reading.

Reading to somebody is such a tiny part of learning to read. Once you can read, decode and read fluently there isn't a need for a teacher to work on those skills. Hearing the child read and writing 'well dine' doesn't help the child.

More than likely the teacher is doing all sorts of comprehension and reading activities all day. For example when I have a learning objective up on the board I will say 'what do you think ... Means?' and straight away they are interpreting information - a huge part of reading. Just because I don't record it in reading diaries doesn't mean that it wouldn't happen.

I feel OP is coming in for unfair criticism.

On the whole I think I'd be worried, but I haven't a clue how I'd tackle it. I know from experience that DC's reading has improved most from stuff they read at home, anyway.

And most schools have to target resources at the most needy (the underachievers). That's how govt. spending works, too -- the needy get most.

But Ofsted would be very concerned at what OP says. Ofsted will pick it up and criticise if the medium and higher ability students aren't being challenged enough (this was a specific criticism in DC's school's last Ofsted visit). And it's weird if the teacher is saying she won't even try to move the child up reading levels when they're ready; every child should be working at their ability.

When I read with children (y2, as parent helper) we were asked to note in reading record what page we stopped on, and generally how the children got on (can't remember much guidance at all, I rarely dared to write anything!). And the pupils were lucky to be listened to weekly, from what I could tell. That was 4 years ago.

Sorry, I think I am being unfair when I say DC werent listened to. They probably did the guided reading, and other classroom activities, but just not the reading books being sent home bit. So when you ask them if they read to anyone they always said no.

But thinking about the reality, they must have read to someone to get the grades they did.

I should say, most the class working independently at desks wouldn't worry me, it was just the reading levels thing in OP. Most children in December of Y2 aren't Free Readers yet, so you'd expect a bit more structured encouragement (being listened to and getting feedback) than OP seems to describe. It's also a chance to check the Reading Record for any notes from home.

I was listening to Y2 readers, too, also in the autumn term. I can only remember 2 of the 30 that were (I presume) Free Reader level. I listened to them all read, the best readers weren't singled out to be ignored with the high ability ones I used to work on comprehension: stop and ask them about whether they even knew what the words they were reading meant they sometimes didn't :).

Funding is tighter now, though. Maybe the OP's school is having to rationalise resources :(.

It's funny that jibe made at state schools on this thread; DS only just started at a private school and from he says most of the pupils at his old state school were much more able readers than at his new private one.

Evening

I'd check your child's comprehension levels and not just whether she read the words. My DD is a good reader but she sometimes gets stumped when it comes to comprehension.

I think it is useful to help out in your own child's class tbh. It gives you an insight.

I agree that the OP is getting a lot of unnecessary criticism. We should be glad of parents volunteering to do reading with the children, not on the constant look out to criticise.

OP - it's clear you're a bright woman and I wonder if you could set your own agenda with your daughter, e.g. read more challenging books at home, enrol her in a drama class etc. The teacher sounds too pushed to be able to set more difficult work as well so you may have to fill in the gaps at home.

mine stopped reading school biff and chip books at the start of year one and moved onto free reading using library books at home. he was and is a book worm and i've tried my best to keep upwith his reading needs.

Have had similar here. The weakest readers in our class get to read with someone daily, the others less than once a week.

The better readers know it and several have complained to their parents that it's not fair and why do x and y get to read so much more.

I don't think ds gets challenged very much at all.

My younger DD (currently in Yr3) is being heard every other week - this is pretty standard for able readers in her school. She gets a note in her reading record every time this is done. The rest of the time I make sure she reads at home - either from her school reading book or from something she has chosen from the library - and this is not a problem.

I do think that with very able readers there is the expectation that they'll be alright and that they'll be provided with stuff at home and that may not always be the case, so I'd keep an eye out.