Reading again, sorry

[rebl]

I know that reading levels etc don't matter but at what point do you really have to push the issue with the teacher. We approached dd's teacher 5 weeks ago because her books really weren't challenging her at all. She was reading them with no problems, 1 book a night, maybe only 3 words a week that she was having to sound out. Teacher said she was on the right level as lacked confidence because didn't sound out (err, thats because she knows the words and doesn't NEED to sound them out). So we thought, fine we'll just whizz through these school books and read the right level from the library. She is on level 2 at school.

She is now confidently reading level 4 books from the library sounding out probably 2 or 3 words per book. She reads with feeling and emotion. She totally understands the stories she's reading, can answer questions on the story at the end of reading it the 1st time. But at school she's still on Level 2 and they're just quite frankly way too easy. The teacher clearly doesn't have any idea what dd can do.

I fully understand that what a child displays as her abilities at school can be different to what she does at home, but 2 levels? We've got to the point that we think she either lacks confidence at school which would worry us or the teacher doesn't realise what her ability is, which would also worry us.

We've written everyday in the reading diary (which is what we're asked to do when she reads a book and she reads every day) that she's read the book with no challenge, or read the book very easily. That's all we ever write, there isn't anything else to write!

Do we approach the teacher again? Or do we keep going through the library books and her actual ability carries on getting further away from where the teacher thinks she is?

Try "dd read the book cover to cover including the parents' notes. I was very impressed when she sounded out the word copyright".

Or "dd felt the need to liven up this reading book by performing it in a French accent, dressed as a rabbit".

Or "dd preferred the library book she read tonight. She needed some help with the words "anthropomorphism" and "hyperbole" but otherwise produced a sterling rendition of the text"

?

Hope your DS has now settled into school rebl - haven't seen you post for a while (zapostrophe namechanged)

LOL O2 . If only I actually thought any of those comments would work! We have learnt (with DS) that this teacher does not listen to parents and doesn't like children at either end of the spectrum and away from the average.

DS has settled really really well and so happy. Been there 4 weeks and its like he's been there since September. You have no idea, he's like a different child. He's confident, not wetting and is totally "got" by the teacher. His needs are all being met with no questions what so ever. He's not a burden to the teacher, she really seems to care about him. He has friends as well . Its such a relief to know that we made the right decision.

I don't have any advice but I'm watching with interest. DD started reading in french today out of complete frustration.... (Badly, btw)

Might take O2's advice.

rebl pleased to hear that your DS is getting on well at last :o

It sounds like the teacher needs to listen to individuals read in order to move them up a level (or two). The more often this happens, the more motivated the children become and progress becomes embedded.
Yes you do need to speak to the teacher again, and higher up if you still get no response.

We had parents evening last week and i raised reading with the teacher, as DS1 is in this situation. Teacher said she knew he found books easy, but would give him non fic ones which are harder. But he is on level 3 at school, now reading level 7 or more at home. I explicitly asked whether he seemed bored and was therefore playing up, and she said no. Leave it or push again?

knittinginknots - That might be an issue. DD always said she read with x, y, z Mummy. She never says she's read with the teacher.

DH suggested I start listing the library books she's reading each day as well as the school reading book.

My son was ahead in reading and still on the earlier levels [he is 9 now so it was a couple of years ago].

As you have said they not only test the reading but the sounding out and also if they can remember the story and certain things eg the colour of the dog.

I wrote to the teacher saying he should be moved up to no avail, I then wrote to the teacher telling her that he would no longer be bringing home school books we would get our books from the library.

He was soon tested and then moved up two levels and then became a free reader all within about 3 months.

So I suggest getting books from the library and write them in the school diary always remembering to keep asking her if she understood what she was reading and do a little fun test at the end.

sorry just read your last post about recording library books.........

do you go to the same school as us? Probably not because I have a sneaky suspicion that all the childen are on pink, ( the box of books to be given out seem to be pink band) (don't root through trays and book bags )

If you have tried all you can with the teacher, just get on with reading your library books at home. We do, And record every single one with details of how dd read. i write the book band in if I know the colour. (and I keep copies of the reading diary just in case it goes missing because I want copy of her progress too.)

dd doesnt "get enough of the story from the pictures" (because she rreads the bloomin' words!)

(going to try one of the turquoise books from the library tonight. they look easier than some of the others we have borrowed that I guessed she might read)

I always swore that I wouldn't be one of the parents who complained about reading levels, but I've just become one! I wrote to our headmistress last week complaining about DD's lack of progress. She has been on level 3 since December despite us asking twice for her to be moved up - she has even had the 'star reader' award from the headmistress and one of her teachers (job share) agreed that she should be moved up (unfortunately she's not the one who does the reading books!). Another class has the majority of kids on level 5 but no-one in DDs class is above level 3. She reads the level 3 books with no problem and doesn't have to 'sound out' as she reads the individual words in her head then the whole sentence out loud! I only ever write about the school books in her reading diary - I wasn't aware that we should include ones read at home - we'd have gone through about 4 diaries by now if I did that! Totally agree with blackeyedsusan - if they are good enough readers they don't need the clues from the pictures!! Or am I just being dense?

I get that as well, not using the pictures enough. So now we've told her to look at the pictures after she's read the text and say what she sees in the picture that is the same as the text. She's been doing that for well over a month now on every single page. I went to the library again this morning and I've come home with books from the same scheme as they read at school 2 bands higher. DH thinks I should send them into school tomorrow!

I am amazed to have got a very quick reply from the headmistress this morning - but it's basically just saying that different classes will have different mixes of children so some might be slightly ahead overall - two whole levels seems more than slightly ahead to me, but anyway.... Saw a link to Reading Chest on another thread and am going to sign up today, order level 4 books and then send them into school with DD !!! I suspect in our case the problem is that although there is a group of very good readers in DDs class there are also a group who are probably the poorest in the year overall (there are a number of P1 classes) - so the range is a problem.

Birdy the range really shouldn't be a problem but I suspect its our problem as well. This teacher has already made it abundantly clear she doesn't differentiate. With ds (who we removed from the school 5 weeks ago) who was way below the rest of the class she just said he wasn't trying and insisted on sending home book after book that he didn't have clue how to read. She insisted that he knew ALL the reception keywords, he knows at best 15. At his new school they have assessed and agree with us where he is and its all well differentiated. I think we have the same issue but at the other end of the spectrum with dd. But in her case we're not discussing moving schools, totally different situation.

you know what i did i wrote in my ds and dds planners i gave them permission to bring their own books in from the library and home and asked could the teacher read that with them please as their books ar e BORING lol i never heard back but they continued reading their own books , this was my two older dcs as they were into reading harry potter and things like that in year 4 , but my youngest was as some people on here not progressing , thats when it becomes a problem priority they need extra reading help, ds3 whos in yr 6 now was not getting on at all well in year 3and when he went into year 4 we had a long chat and they changed him onto Ruth Miskin synthetic phonics books instead of jolly and within 3 /6 months he was back on track with his peers he flew through them, does anyone else have synthetic phonics specifically ruth miskin method in their school its absolutely brilliant

I have to admit that since dts (P5) started getting Michael Morpurgo books their interest in reading homework has been sparked. They were bored solid by the Floppy books and the ones that followed and schools don't seem to consider some children prefer factual books to fiction!

My mother would get notes home from the teacher saying I was only to read one chapter and not the whole book - this was in the late 70s P1 and 2! So it is not a new thing. Just a pity some children are deliberately held back.

i think the teacher got out some (shock horror) red band books to read in guided reading today. ( I am betting that a handful of children all get put onto red books around Easter as the system seems so rigid.) (several parents have said the same thing with children further up the school)

Mum says i was bored rigid with school books but i have no recollection of that so at least dcs may not remember in future.

We had this with DD 2 in primary 6 when she was in a lower group than she should have been. The teacher didn't realise she could read harder things than she was giving her (at home) so we asked her to listen to her on her own. She eventually got moved up a group and was much happier, fulfilling herself better. Problem was she was (and still is) very distractable which was mistaken for laziness or inability.

I have written "I think J is finding these books too easy" in the reading book a couple of times when she had read most of one level and then they started her on the next level.

The reception teacher last year did say that even though DD1 was picking up reading quite well she wanted to make sure she had the basics of being able to sound the words out, knowing the sounds, learning camera words and also comprehension - being able to tell the story or anwer questions about it after reading it. So I think while sometimes they can read the words on a particular level you have to ensure that their level of understanding is there as well.

I loved my school reading schemes. Tim and the Hidden People - much more exciting than Floppy, Chip, Biff etc. Scared me half to death though :). They published consolidated versions a few years ago which I've got in the loft but I'm not sure whether to unleash them on my daughter yet.

It's crazy isn't it - such an important thing can be derailed by things outwith the parents control. Anyway, my letter to Headmistress must have had some effect as DD has come home with level 4 book today and a note in her diary saying that 'she should sail through level 4 now that the solid groundwork has been set'. Or in other words the teacher has been ticked off by the head and realises that she should be moving them on more quickly!! MrsH - we'd been writing that DD was finding them easy for weeks with no effect - I must admit I felt as if the teacher must have been reading with a different girl, although I know they can perform differently at school. I'm looking forward to having a wider selection of books through Reading Chest as our local library, while fab for story books isn't that good for early readers so we tend to avoid these from the library. I also used to read ahead of group reading chapters when I was at school (was and still am a voracious reader) and used to get told off for racing ahead!