Ofsted say literacy levels are falling.

[morethanpotatoprints]

Ofsted are saying that literacy levels are dropping and that those leaving primary at lower end of level 4 are not gaining GCSE C or above.

I just wondered what teachers and parents thought and if you agree where you think the problem lies and what should be done and by whom.

My view is more writing in lessons. My dd seems to do many projects involving drawing or computers and does very little writing, spelling. Also, she is brighter than her brothers but at a lower level than they were at her age.

Learnandsay it would be better to put support in place for those children with behaviour difficulties. There is a reason for their behaviour and sometimes home education would be the worst possible choice for them. Others just need and deserve specialist support and attention within the school setting. Unfortunately, usually due to financial constraints, these children are let down by the system. The teaching and support staff are often just managing as best they can.

I think there is a fall in written homework - actual writing, as opposed to typing it on the computer and then using spell check. I am also seeing mistakes made where the word does exist but it is the wrong spelling for the word they actually want - eg maid instead of made, complementary instead of complimentary (slightly tougher, I know, but if you can't get the meaning right, pick a different word!), their instead of there......which seem to be more typical of people who use predictive text on phones and spellcheck. Previously the more common problem was leaving letters out (or putting extra ones in or both) - eg "complimentry", "accomoddation". Also, with computers and mobile phones containing calculators, more of a tendency to rely on them instead of merely using them to check arithmetic, so youngsters cannot calculate discounts, compound interest, APR on credit cards (is this why some get into debt?), etc which is a bit worrying when you think it's their own money they cannot keep track of.
I think the problem is down to a change in emphasis in their homework, coursework and even exam requirements. One youngster told me they weren't even expected to read an entire book for their GCSE and A Level exam any more (ie Literature or set texts for RE.) No, the book was not War and Peace. Just Othello.

Everyone says I'm old fashioned or behind the times when I insist on writing, spelling and calculating using one's own brain.....and paper! But hey, I don't have those literacy problems they are talking about.

One youngster told me they weren't even expected to read an entire book for their GCSE and A Level exam any more (ie Literature or set texts for RE.) No, the book was not War and Peace. Just Othello.

I think one youngster was giving you a old flannel , I'm afraid. Of course they are 'expected' to read whole books - especially at A level!

Ahem, that should have read a load of old flannel!

i wonder if some of this data is down to so many children not being able to speak english at primary level

or schools will have to relearn how to get rid of the disruptive pupils.

Get rid of them where, learnandsay? And what a horrible expression. Think about what some of those children have been through to give them those problems, and have some sodding compassion, woman!

My daughter hasn't read a whole book in secondary ... just extracts and I know other schools are the same.

I work for Surestart and while the issues are complex & varied I believe that encouraging literacy & enjoyment of books starts with parents/families long before children get to primary school.

More readily available support for adults with literacy difficulties to overcome their own problems and learn how to share books and encourage their children would make a huge difference.

I also feel we need to think 'outside the box' to make reading more interesting and accessible to children who may not be so interested. Books don't have to be a quiet, solo, indoor activity, they can be outdoors, aloud, in groups and multisensory and combining those factors I think would really appeal to children who aren't natural readers.

children who aren't natural readers

No child is a natural reader. They all have to learn to do it.

Feenie - could be but he sounded genuine. I think he most likely meant that he got the impression they could get away with not reading the whole book. I can understand it if the book was "The Comprehensive Textbook of Statistics" and you're just at GCSE level, but surely everyone wants to know exactly how it all ends in Othello..... not the Coles notes version, but what Iago says and how Othello reacts, and all that.

Is there also now a tendency to expect teachers to "get real" nowadays and not correct students when they speak sloppily or use slang, or some teachers are even allowed to use it themselves to "connect" with pupils - I remember a time when we were fined for using slang and vernacular in school within earshot of a teacher. It's fine to use it once you leave the school gates, they said, but when you are in here you speak correctly. Or maybe it's just my school.

(Apologies to any statistics lovers out there, by the way, who read whole statistics texts at age 14 but I think you agree it's not everyone's cup of tea!)

Thanks mrz!

I'm a bit confused by this view that children aren't expected to do mental arithmetic any more, or learn times tables, or spell accurately. I don't remember any emphasis being placed on mental arithmetic when I was at primary school in the 70s and 80s (albeit there was a bit of a panic countywide at secondary level and everyone was tested to see how good their mental arithmetic was at that stage...). However, my children seem to be tested quite regularly on their times tables at school, taught number bonds and asked to work out sums in their heads. Spelling and handwriting are also worked on quite hard so as to ensure decent presentation. Fortunately, there is still plenty of time in the day to allow for other, more creative, activities, and I've noticed that they do get stretched more than I remember being stretched in maths in terms of being given problems to do (ie applying their skills of arithmetic, rather than just being given sheets of sums), which I think is actually quite a good thing. Basically, I think my children are receiving a far higher quality of education, with greater attention to differentiation, than I ever received at primary level. More emphasis is now placed on partnership with parents, though, and trying to get parents involved and in through the school's doors - in the 70s, parents were more or less told to back off and leave everything to the experts.

www.cypnow.co.uk/go/news/article/1121961/nutbrown-brands-childcare-courses-poor-quality/

Despite the fact early years professionals need good levels of numeracy and literacy to effectively support children and their parents, Nutbrown warned that "there are few learning routes that demand these in order to begin or complete a course".

What I mean is that some children enjoy quieter, solo activities so are more likely to sit down & pick up a book of their own volition.

Some children, especially at pre-school age, are simply not happy unless they are running around, jumping, climbing & surrounded by other kids. They might see 'traditional' reading as boring and we need to do more to change that perception, equally this could apply to children with issues such as attention deficit & received speech problems.

By incorporating multi-sensory techniques ie puppets, signing, music, sound effects etc we stand a better chance of reaching out to these children and helping them learn the value of reading in a way that is more suited to them than simply sitting in a quiet corner with a book.

I hate to be pedantic, but it was said in the news report that one in five children did not meet the national average.
I think this si an excellent result as usually it is around fifty percent.
I wonder how we're doing on basic maths.

Kipperandtiger and mrz - I take your points, but that's not the same as not being expected to read whole books.

They were most certainly not expected to read a whole book Feenie in fact they never had a book.

Learnandsay I totally agree with you however, could teachers please let parents know which books you will be covering in class as the last 3 I have done with dd are now going to be done in school. Her teacher and dd think it funny that they seem to choose the same books. My ds's read The Iron Man so when dd y3 said they were doing adjectives I couldn't resist. Lol.

They are definitely expected to on dh's courses - and definitely at A level.

What exactly do you agree with learnandsay over, morethanpotatoprints?

All they ever got were photocopied extracts from different books drove me mad

You get people who say that about KS2 though - certainly doesn't happen at my school, nor yours I expect, mrz

Feenie, I agree with supporting/educating children at home as well as school. I have done with all my kids, usually cgp books in the early years but now I am more confident I download my own resources and support the weak areas. The teachers know about this and are glad I do. I have got a PGCE but don't teach atm.

No we read the whole novel in KS2 (and in Y2) but literacy in my daughter's secondary was a disappointment. Lots of our parents with children in local schools report the same situations.

Feenie, Oh I see, no I don't think disruptive pupils should be gotten rid of. I am dyslexic, dyspraxic and struggled terribly throughout my school life. The teachers bullied me and even hit me, it was awful. Seriously scared for life, I wasn't disruptive but only because I was so scared. Everyone deserves a good education whoever they are.