Seeing your child's work - how often?

[Acinonyx]

There has been some discussion about how often parents at dd's school should be able to see their child's work and/or find out what they are doing exactly. I'm wondering what happens at other schools.

Do you get invited at regular intervals to view your child's work? Are you told what they are covering at school?

We have a brief curriculum map for the term and we see can visit their class work twice/year (I think). We have parent-teacher consultations each term. Some parents want to petition for more and I am myself utterly clueless as to whether that would be reasonable or not.

For myself, I would quite like a brief list of things they are covering that week. Dd is yr 1.

Never saw dd1's work except at parent's evening. Never thought about it either as she was very industrious/creative at home and loved reading, writing and drawing.

We see work at parents' evening in autumn and at open evening in the summer.

We also have a termly guide to what they will be working on.

As long as the teacher is open to discussing parents' concerns, this seems plenty to me. I'd rather teachers spend their time teaching and planning lessons.

How much more access to their children's work are people looking for, and why?

Ds1 is in reception. At his school you are free to go in every/any Wednesday just after school and look at their folder (which contains sample pieces of work/ recorded observations).

Because of the way the EYC works this doesn't give as clear a picture of where/what he's up to than if he were in Y1 (cause then he'd have work books). I go in about once a month - it would probably be less if ds1 ever told me anything but he doesn't.

We get a guide at the start of term as to the sort of things they're doing (ds1 is year 2), and a parents' evening once a term. We also have the opportunity for a half-termly 'informal chat' with the teacher, although in reality we're free to pop in any time at pick up/drop off for a quick chat and a squiz at the work on the wall etc.

Ds sometimes brings home stuff he's done (mostly artwork) too. We always chat about what he's done that day when he comes home, so I know (very vaguely!) what they're up to.

I think it's plenty tbh. I have no concerns with his schoolwork, and I'm confident that if school did then they'd be in touch pronto.

Throwing in a teachers point of view here. We show work twice a year too. However if a parent is concerned and wants to see work they can just make an appointment and pop in to see them.
My only plea from a teaching stand point is give the teacher a days notice. Sometimes with the best will in the world you might be a day or 2 behind with marking and so give them a chance to feel properly prepared.
I know some parents feel that a surprise visit is more accurate as a way to check up on the teacher too. If this is your concern by all means just pop in at the end of the day and ask to see the books. But if you are happy with the teacher give him / her a day just in case.

So basically i'm saying feel free to ask the teacher if your worried. Honestly as a teacher i am so much happier when parents want to help their child, it's not always the case, believe me!

'I'd rather teachers spend their time teaching and planning lessons.' As an ex-teacher, this is my feeling too.

Another school has a set up where you could go in regularly as BarbarianMum describes.

In general, it is quite difficult to speak to teachers at dd's school. I don't feel the need very often (could count on one hand the total number so far) but many of the other mums seem to feel much more need - sometimes I wonder if I'm not sufficiently involved!

Dd tells me next to nothing - but I am fairly confident that they are doing what they should be from the bits and pieces she does at home.

In addition to parents evening, we have one 'open afternoon' every half term. That's not for seeing workbooks though, more for seeing what's going on around the class. There's usually a theme - maths / ICT / literacy etc.

LauraSmurf - I feel no such need at all TBH. It's all I can do to 'fully appreciate' the masterpieces dd produces at/brings home.

I just feel under some pressure from other parents to be more demanding. I think I'm moderately educationally obsessed (OK somewhat contradictory perhaps) but then after talking to some other parents I get a kind of panic that I'm not talking her education seriously enough.

Similar to other posters - we have details of all areas to be covered at the beginning of term, and parents' evenings in the Autumn and Spring terms.

We also have an opportunity to see the work on the walls whenever we pop into the classroom at pickup time, and we see his homework book every week.

Luckily my DS is a little chatterbox, and I usually get to hear exactly what he has done each day. I am quite happy with this.

It's funny that you mention the masterpieces that are sent home and the appreciative comments that you make! Spare a thought for us teachers, we have to come up with 28 appreciative comments, each one unique and convincing!!!

LauraSmurf - my DS really appreciates them. He can quote his teacher's comments word for word:)

My DD's teacher just sent the class home with a photocopy of a story they had rehearsed as a group and then written up separately. It was lovely to see.

We also appreciate the comments, LauraSmurf!

Glad to hear it!

It is so nice to hear from parents point of view! I teach year 6 so i rarely get to see parents. Kids walk home alone or meet parents are siblings classrooms.

I love my job and i can also quote their comments too!!

Two of my faves:

• I was one of two unmarried teachers at school. The other significantly older than me. I went away at half term and came back married. When i told my class they said " That means Miss X will be the youngest now"!!

• The other being the day i bought my first house. We arent allowed mobiles on in class unless for special reasons. I had mine with me that day so hub could call about house. When i got the call saying we had the keys i was all excited and told my class who spontaniously started singing Happy New House to the tune of Happy Birthday. They had discussed and planned it together on the playground apparently!!

Aren't kids great!

Year 2 have an Autumn term meeting with the teacher and we view the work in the Summer term. Access to the classroom daily by parents is not allowed (health and safety), and opportunities to go to the classroom to see displays, workbooks and to talk to the teacher outside these times are non existent.

We are in the process of contacting governors to suggest ways of improving communication between the parents and the teachers.

In the meantime I make my own appointments termly with the form teacher to get a progress report.