Should I speak to headmaster?

[esor]

My DD is in year 2 and seems to be doing fine. However she is still on the same book level that she was on in July I have written in her record book that she needs to go up a level and both DH and I have approached the teacher to ask what is going on (have been told TA was off and also that she was working her way through the alphabetical list). Other things such as library books being changed over or show and tell are not happening because they have 'run out of time'. We do lots of stuff together outside of school but my DD has asked why she is on such easy books I feel it would do her confidence good to get a bit of recognition. I am concerned but do appreciate that the teacher is new and was hoping that by Christmas she would have got it together, do I speak to the headmaster in the New Year?

No, not the head. Put a note in your child's contact book asking for a meeting. Ask the teacher to explain how it works with the children changing books. I requested that my son's book be changed as he had had it for days. I was told it is up to him to change it. So easily sorted. It is up to the teacher, however, to decide when a child can move up a level.

Remind her at the beginning of term and give her a chance(say a week or so) to respond, failing that ask to have a chat. tbh I feel people get way too hung up over book levels once their child is reading ok. Such details are not something to take to the head, save it for when it is really necessary or as part of a bigger issue.

SOme schools just dont use reading book schemes as an essential part of their teaching. Some teachers focus on listening to kids every day/week, other teachers focus on teaching the whole class the curriculum.

There isnt always enough time in the day to do both.

Why not go to the library and just build up your DDs reading and comprehension from there. Its really important that your child can fully understand what she is reading, some teachers expect this more than others.
Librarians can guide you to which books she can read and in which order.

As mentioned by others, speak to the teacher first and ask what her policy is, then go from there.

Agree wth roadart there really isn't enough time. If the teacher is listening to them read at school that is sometimes enough. Dc have never got books home NEVER. They are still above the expected level in reading. I just take them to the library once a month or buy them books, so don't worry too much.

Thanks for your replies. As I mentioned I already do extra things outside of school, it is just that 'run out of time' seems to be the reason for quite a few things. I have already spoken to the teacher and as I understand it the children should be listened to approx every six weeks which obviously is not happening, what else is going adrift because of lack of time? This was not an issue in year 1, is year 2 so very different aademically? As I mentioned we have tried 3 times with the teacher to get an answer and to be honest I feel we are being fobbed off. I am not the only parent who is a little bit concerned either but I do have reservations approaching the headmaster hence posting.
TIA

I think you should tell the teacher you would like to speak to her regarding your daughter's reading and ask her when would be convenient. Then go to the meeting, say that you think she should be moved up a band and ask the teacher to assess her to see if she agrees. Then a couple of days later ask for the outcome. If she refuses, with no good reason, or doesn't do it within a few days then I'd go to the head.

Ok thanks BM, we have spoken to the teacher twice as previously mentioned, once was at the open evening and another time at the school door. Meetings are rather casual and you are supposed to catch the teacher at the end of the day. Both times we have been told that she was going through her register alphabetically and would get to DD, the first time was in October and I spoke to her again in November. There are 26 children in the class.

'I have written in her record book that she needs to go up a level'

Surely, this is actually that you 'would like' her to go up a level, as you don't really have a clue what the next level is, as you are not working in the school all the time and therefore don't know what the next level is.

Maybe the teacher disagrees with you but just feels under pressure and doesn't want to tell you. Ask her what the reason is, ask her what your daughter needs to do in order to move up a level. Don't go into school and tell the teacher what to do, ask her what to do instead. You may find you get a better reaction.

I would take this further for sure. If the teacher is not helpful when you meet then I would next write the teacher a formal letter before finally going to the head. Everyone is right that you shouldn't go to the head initially but it sounds like the teacher is just fobbing you off. I had real problems with dd1's teacher in yr2 last year. It was finally possible to complain because I saw in her books on a classroom visit that she had done no written work for a whole month. That gave me the courage to complain to the head and that made the teacher finally 'up her game' a bit. I don't think the head would have responded so positively (she was really apologetic) if there had not been such stark evidence (or lack of it) that the teacher was not doing her stuff though.
I don't know why people bend over backwards to assume the teacher is doing a wonderful job- she sounds rubbish. Most teachers are doing their best but as in any profession some people aren't. I teach at secondary level and I am very aware of who the very small minority are, that I would not want teaching my child...
My dd had alot of support at home but there were many more vulnerable kids in her class and if I had not complained they also would have continued to be very badly taught.
I actually think the teacher had lost her way a bit, she was quite young, and needed much more management than she was getting. Maybe your situation isn't as bad as mine was but I don't agree with the other posters that you should continue to have blind faith in your child's teacher, if she has well thought out reasons she has had every opportunity to explain them to you. if it was just show and tell that fell by the wayside - no big deal - but sge should be reading with your dd, even just once a week and able to tell if her level is right or not.

I just saw that the teacher is new - I don't actually want to suggest she is either great or 'rubbish', perhaps just not entirely coping. Kids can make such progress in yr 2 with their reading that to not assess any of them for a whole term is ridiculous and given that she is reading with each child so very infrequently herself, she has all the more reason to listen to what the parent feeds back. If she is actually doing reading work with the child then she shouldn't need to assess her to be able to comment to the parent on whether the level is about right or give a an explanation of whats necessary to move up.
Just becasue some Mums don't think levels are important doesn't mean that a teacher is justified in letting her assessment of reading fall by the wayside. There is also no reason to suppose that esor was in anyway demanding in her discussions with the teacher. The underlying anxiety seems to be that if the thing a paretn can know about is being left to drift then what else might be? Maybe nothing but after my experience its enough for me not to want to just assume alls well.
I think Im going on - but having been in a situation of worrying myself silly and finally complaining, I am very sympathetic.