Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

come and stop me saaying something stupid

57 replies

blackeyedsusan · 08/03/2011 07:51

AAGGHHH

I need you lot to come to our playground, Rugby tackle me, sit on me and generally stop me yelling at the teacher in frustration. (well it will do no good will it!)

I know it really doesn't matter

I know there are books in the library

I know we are carrying on at home

BUT every now and again the frustration builds and I want to shout,
"Why can't she have a harder reading book?"

(because she won't talk about the ruddy pictures)

and yes I also know that confidence will come ( though it seems to take forever)

The teacher heard her read last week and wrote in the diary,
"Lovely talking about the pictures." grrr

I just want to write, NOW can she have a harder book.

God knows what we will do when she is reading books at home without pictures...I can see us reading Harry bloody Potter before she finishes the pink band books at school!

Right rant over... your turn...

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Lizzylou · 08/03/2011 07:59

I don't blame you! I went in to school because DS1 kept having really easy books that he flew through and bored him to tears. I'd written as much in his reading record, to no avail.
They "re-assessed" him and he suddenly went up 2 levels
He wouldn't attempt harder books at home with me as he thought the school books were his level. Now he does and his confidence has improved enormously.

I won't be rugby tackling you, sorry!

TallulahDoesTheHula · 08/03/2011 08:00

How about reading the ones she likes at home and just using the school ones to talk about the pictures for a bit?
Then she wont get annoyed that the words are too easy (and should eaasily be able to read them to her teachers when required) but will get the hang of what the school is after whithout doing the tedious bit?

exoticfruits · 08/03/2011 08:19

I would just use the library-do your own thing.

generalhaig · 08/03/2011 08:52

I don't think you are being stupid! We had a similar thing with dd in y1 - over the summer she'd made enormous strides at home and started y1 able to read fluently - however she was still on a relatively easy level at school and it was affecting her confidence. At that age (any age really) what your teacher says is 'right' and it doesn't matter what your parents say ...

I really didn't want to be a pushy parent so didn't say anything for ages, assuming that the teacher would eventually notice. In the end dd was getting upset about it, despite me saying don't worry, we've got lots of books at home and we go to the library all the time, and I went to see her teacher just to ask if she could be reassessed.

Hey presto, she was immediately put onto a level a couple of bands higher, her confidence soared and she was off the reading scheme by the end of the term. The (lovely) teacher apologised and dd still thinks she's one of the best teachers she's ever had

maizieD · 08/03/2011 09:07

I sometimes wonder if the teachers themselves have a distorted view of reading. Why on earth does your dd have to talk about the pictures? They are just illustrations, FFS; it is the words that carry the story and the stimulus to the imagination.

I wouldn't rugby tackle you either...

PoppetUK · 08/03/2011 09:13

I hear the frustration. I made a mistake with my daughter and now I gently ask about whatever it might be with both the kids and if nothing happens I don't say anything I just move on. Obviously if there is a good reason for what they are suggesting then I do listen.

ShowOfHands · 08/03/2011 09:17

maizie, actually it is quite important to look at pictures. They help to develop the imagination in a very different way to words but in isolation some children might not respond. I don't think teachers necessarily have a distorted view of reading either but work within a framework. Sometimes they get it wrong but there are good reasons you start with picture books first. Good if they could move them on when they're bored rigid though.

pinkcushion · 08/03/2011 09:18

You have my sympathy but also the well worn advice - go to the library - forget the teacher, most are very good but a few are bloody useless, are consequently very defensive because they have had their shoddy teaching practices questioned over and over again by frustrated parents. Teachers like this will never give in - they will never admit to being wrong. You need to rise above it - your dc will learn to read at her own pace if you provide her with the right books despite being on pink level at school. It's not that long till the end of the year...

PoppetUK · 08/03/2011 09:23

Just to add my experience with my daughters year 1 teacher was very difficult (it wasn't just reading levels). I should've moved her class / schools in hind sight! I think that most decent teachers have it spot on and if like MaizieD suggested they can reassess after just a word it does work out. I think it's hard once you know you have asked and are hitting your head against a wall.

eileenslightlytotheleft · 08/03/2011 10:59

I am a bit bemused by all the discussions about reading levels. It's never occurred to me to ask what level DD is on (Y2), and keep thinking I must find out!

We often ignore the school books and read our own library books. I just write whatever we are reading in her book. Maybe our school is particularly flexible though.

maizieD · 08/03/2011 11:06

@ShowOfHands,

Are you a teacher?

lovecheese · 08/03/2011 11:09

I bet your DD knows what level she is on, eileen, and I bet the rest of the kids do too ; at my DD's school they change their books in a central area so it is plain for all to see.

begood · 08/03/2011 11:17

My ds literally crawled through the reading levels in reception. I was as frustrated as you. Surprisingly now i am pleased though. He is very confident at reading, can read anything, hasn't been put off by being given anything too hard as he was on each level so long by the time they gave him the next level that was too easy too!
However, now in year 1 they flew him through 6 levels in a term to free reading. But i am still glad he had a really good grounding.
Keep going to the library and DON'T say anything at school.

ShowOfHands · 08/03/2011 12:03

Does it matter if I'm a teacher?

Just pointing out that pictures aren't 'just illustrations'. I don't think children should be doggedly forced to look only at pictures if they want/need/crave more. Just pointing out that they serve a very useful purpose outside of being secondary to text.

marquesas · 08/03/2011 12:08

It can be frustrating and it must be difficult for the teachers to keep track.

I was had a very frosty response to a query about moving up which was followed up a few hours later by an apology as the teacher had realised that I was right.

lovecheese · 08/03/2011 12:11

I use wordless books with my youngest aged 2 but I can understand people's frustration with an older child who is clearly ready to move on.

carolb54 · 08/03/2011 12:20

I am having the same issue with my DS school as well. What I have now done is to get my DS to read other books (mostly from librarys) that I know my DS can read. At the beginning of year 2, my DS at times point blankly refuses to read any other books that was not from school. With a little bit of encouragement my DS now reads other books that is not from school. At times, I am a bit confused myself as to how these schools assessed the children. If you try to ask teachers anything they think that you are a bit pushy and are telling them how to do their work.

Original poster

blackeyedsusan · 08/03/2011 12:48

I have said everything possible there is to say to the teacher, she finlly told me that dd won't talk about the pictures at parents evening this term, despite me asking in the reading diary if she has the confidence to read at school since last term. I know that it is not unusual for children to clam up at school but it would have been nice to know sooner.

I have no intention of saying more to the teacher, (there is no point) it's just sometimes I have the urge to let off steam and shout something unhelpful.

She is reading well, making progress and I am happy with her understanding. I have resisted pushing ahead to the next level of books at home until we have read a few more from the library at a similar level because it took a while for her to even attempt a word she couldn't immediately read and we don't need to loose that confidence. We don't need the books from school to carry on. (She is reaading books from blue to green bands depending on what is available and a fair few I have guessed at the level because it doesn't say)

Dd is happy to read the books from school and, where the pictures do actually show more than the repetitive text underneath already describes, we use these to talk about the story and how people are feeling and give a summary of the story etc. So why do I still want her to have a harder book?

I have a sneaky suspicion that no child has a book harder than pink. Now that worries me!

(oh and I do get cross when I have been trying to encourge dd to use her phonics knowledge to sound out words and discourage use of the picture and she comes home from school having read and goes back to looking at the picture and guessing. short sharp comment about the Rose report and weaker readers after that. grr)

Show of hands what do you do when they are on chapter books with no pictures?

OP posts:

maizieD · 08/03/2011 12:52

ShowOfHands,

Just curious as to where you get your ideas about the importance of pictures in scheme books from. Teacher training or mummy mythology.

lovecheese · 08/03/2011 12:53

Er, they imagine what is happening in their heads?

Rachaeltall · 08/03/2011 12:59

You have my biggest sympathies and congrats at being able to move on. I've got parent evening today and don't think I'll be so polite!!

My experience of teachers is quite limited - one DD in reception, but it is quite simple - they are programmed not to listen to parents. I don't care what anyone else says!! Even down to asking if I want a proper chair then getting me one anyway when I say no thanks.
I've given up on helpful comments in reading record - when i said she enjoyed the non-fiction books, non-fiction stopped coming home!
Roll on end of July is all I can say...and many happy visits to the library in the mean time.

ShowOfHands · 08/03/2011 13:52

You're misunderstanding me slightly I think.

I was responding to your blanket statement that pictures are merely illustrations and it's the words that convey the story and stimulus. I think the role of pictures in learning to understand stories and enhance language is just dismissed too readily.

I'm an academic librarian if you want to know where my interest is from. My thesis was on the psychology of reading. It's very interesting if you look at the interaction of illustrations with words, particularly in a medium like comic books where the pictures are as important, maybe more important than the words. It stimulates the mind in a different way. I had a lunch with Michael Rosen once (through work) and he was very keen on stressing the importance of imagery, particularly with a certain type of reader and agreed that the stage of learning where picture books are relevant is often dismissed in the pursuit of words.

Of course once you're into chapter books, your mind supplies the images for you.

I in no way meant that all children should respond to images or be forced to use picture books when they are ready for or more suited to a different way.

ambivalentaboutmarmite · 08/03/2011 13:53

Just go to the library or use reading chest :)

OliPolly · 08/03/2011 14:14

OP - I understand your frustrations and pleased that you are moving on.

DS is 7 Y2 and is a keen reader but lazy at story writing etc. His teacher advised us to use pictures to help him with story writing and this worked really well because it got his imagination going.

LetsEscape · 08/03/2011 14:25

I had this battle in year 1 when my son was reading Harry Potter and his reading book had about three sentences per page. In his school he had to read every book in the scheme - he wasn't interested in school books so had fallen behind ... absolutely crazy I know but there goes. The battle was just not worth having and I did not want our son to see me being disrespectful to his teachers. So I sat my son down and explained this is your reading homework and this is your leisure book let's do 10 minutes of 'reading' homework and then go and read. It worked! It was only in the summer term when they ran a reading test on all the children that they were shocked and called me in as his reading age at age 6 was 12 years. I smiled sweetly and said that I knew he was an avid reader.

My son recently told me that he used to keep his 'home' book in his desk - I think he was reading the Hobbit at the time. When his teacher told the children to read for pleasure he would take out the Hobbit, and when she said take out your reading book out came Biff and Chip. He still remembers the look on her face.

Flip

1 2 3

Swipe left for the next trending thread