DS in Reception hasn't been heard to read at school for 2 months - wwyd???

[PiedWagtail]

DS is in Reception. His class got a new teacher this term. He hasn't been heard to read at school since 24 November!!! Not by teacher/TA/parent helper. So effectively we are teaching him to read, not school . WWYD? Say anything or not?? It's not very impressive, is it??

How do you know no one has heard him read in school?

OP again - have just looked back at dd's reading book for Reception (she's in Yr 3 now) and she was heard reading 14 times in the same 2 month period :( That's really poor. Argh.

First, ask the teacher if you are right, then ask what the school's policy is.

Mrz - nobody has written in his reading book. He has had no guided reading stickers either.

None of my children ever got comments written in their home book by the teacher. This was for the parents to use. However, I do know that they were listened to in school. Just not written in their reading diary.

Perhaps his new teacher doesn't know she/he is meant to give guided reading stickers ... I seldom write in the home reading diary either.

Does he not have a daily phonics lesson where he's taught to read?

Listening to a child doesn't teach them anything.

Is his reading improving?

Maybe there are not enough classroom volunteers?

Do you know if any of the parents have volunteered to listen to the children read?

I have done it (hope to go back to it in April) and I can see how the teacher and TA may not have the time to listen to each child reading. It can be very busy in a Reception classroom.

I would never leave anything as important as reading solely to parent helpers who are a godsend for extra practise but it is a teacher's job to teach reading no matter how busy.

The new teacher might have a different way of doing things. The reading darts at my dc's school were so teachers could see that the parents were listening to their children read, not the other way around. The diary is not there for you to use to check up on the teacher! And plenty of teachers don't use guided reading stickers either, that doesn't mean they don't do guided reading.

Also, reading in the way that you mean is not part of the early years curriculum, which is what a reception child is working under. They might be doing loads of work on literacy skills and phonics that you know nothing about.

You need to ask the teacher how she thinks your dd is coming along with her reading, if she gives you a good answer, then you will know if she has heard your child read. If she stares at you blankly, you can probably assume she hasn't heard your child read, but she should be able to give you a good description of what she is doing.

I thought the OP was concerned about no-one listening to her child read in the classroom. I didn't teach the choildren to read, but I listen to them, like I would my own at home. Just reading practice.

'choildren' obviously meaning 'children'

Perhaps she is maybe it's important to her that someone/anyone hears her child read in school

WWYD? I would just ask the teacher about how the children are taught to read, and if they listen to children read at school.

OP here - I am a parent helper. I go in one afternoon a week to help out. I just think it's a huge change in only three years.

How often are your children listened to at school? I know he does phonics as a whole-class exercise.

I know how busy and manic a Reception classroom is - I have volunteered to help every year since dd was in Reception, so four years - but I also think it's important that the teachers actually hear children in their class reading, and know where they are. They may know all the phonics in the world but if they can't blend them and sound them out, what's the point??

I will have a chat with the teacher.

Most phonics schemes teach to decode words. This is daily teaching of reading (assuming they have phonics lessons every day!).

Any good phonics lesson involves using what the child knows in reading and writing.

According to my DD, she has never read to her teacher.
Only the TA. And only in a group setting.
Sadly, I believe her.

Hopefully her TA is a qualified professional with the skills to support children in guided reading

OP, If it was me I'd go in and ask what was happening regarding guided reading and 1-1 reading on a weekly basis. Not all teachers like to write reams in the home link books (though I always have written something as a Rec teacher). Our school has an open door policy whereby parents and carers can come in and select books (from the appropriate band) if they want more, works well. Am sure there will be a plethora of strategies employed by the teacher to support children and teach reading, they might just not be obvious. As well as the scheme books provided by school and real books I found the ladybird traditional tales books "read it yourself" brilliant for developing reading/comprehension with my two DDs. Good luck :)

Our school doesn't write in the reading log they have a separate form for guided reading and the reading log is just for home, maybe they do the same?

OP again - Thanks lulurose - ds has a reading diary that we, as parents, are supposed to write in every night (we are supposed to hear our dcs read every night) and write in diary.

south - The teacher always writes in diary after hearing children read. I have got phonics exercise books at home and Usborne first readers which he enjoys Can't help feeling it's the school's job, tho, not mine.

Your son was readinng after being in reception amonth and a half?

No! The first weeks were reading a book TO him and he'd pick up the pattern of repeated words and pick out HF words.

Oh dear! I would be more worried about that than I would by your OP post