How to word this or should I just leave it?

[Megan74]

Am I overthinking this?

My eldest has just started yr 2. TBH she has sailed through school, good reader, etc. The school started streaming in yr 1 from what I understood DD was top stream for literacy and the one down for maths. I was aware she got moved down for literacy after speaking to the teacher and was happy with this. However, I think she has been moved down again for both since starting yr 2. I havent been told but I can tell by who DD says she is sitting with. Yes I know that sounds bad . The people she was previouly sitting with are now on another table. I want to ask but dont want to look like a loon who is only interested in her child being top of the class. Also, she has been on the same reading level for a year. I am worried there is an issue and I am not being told. I do quite a bit with her at home and she does really well but I wonder if she is just different in a class environment where she is distracted. Tonight she did her Maths homework intended for the weekend in 5 minutes without any help from me. It was all correct - if she finds it this easy should I say something? I just want to understand where she is and whether she is not doing as well as last year and if so what can I do. Or is all this stuff quite fluid and changeable? I had very little parental input and felt sidelined at school. I really dont want the same for her but it feels such a fine line when you are trying to find out more as I suppose we all think of our DCs as being able to achieve more and want them to do well. I dont want the teacher to have me down as one of those parents but I am having niggling doubts.

I am sounding loon like aren't I?

Why don't you ask to meet with the teacher as you think she might not be progressing as well as she was in Y1? You could word it that you are looking for ways to support at home and are a bit concerned? I wouldn't necessarily mention about her groups/who she sits with and let the teacher tell you how well she is doing now she is in Y2.

You're just sounding concerned. No problem with that.

I also think you should request a meeting with the teacher, and just ask? In my experience, teacher's like involved parents (just not those who constantly demand that their child needs to be moved up every five minutes:) )

I wouldn't mention your perception of the groups, but perfectly valid to talk to the teacher about (a) no progress in reading and (b) seeming to find maths very easy.

I think you're within your rights to ask why she's been on the same reading level for a year. With my DS, he gets held back because he doesn't use enough expression. It could also be issues with comprehension. It would be helpful for you to know the reason.

Also, it could be that she just doesn't get listened to very often (this happens with good readers) and the teacher just needs reminding to evaluate her again.

I don't understand why schools are not open about the ability groups. They use them all the time, so what's wrong with knowing which group your child is in? Also, why is it so bad for a parent to work with their child so that she gets moved up a group. I think groups are mainly a teaching tool, a way for the teacher to make differentiation easier. I dislike ability grouping. I think they stick a label to the child (I have been assured that this is not true, that the groups are fluid, etc., but it doesn't seem that they are as fluid as the teachers say they are).

Anyway, assuming that teaching in ability groups is the best teaching method for the children, why all this secrecy? Why isn't it an open thing?

I really hate ability grouping. I think it's very common in the UK, but not in the rest of Europe (can anybody confirm this, maybe from France, or Germany, or Spain?)

Megan74, I would go talk to the teacher. If you dont' want to mention the groups, fine, but I personally wouldn't mind being completely open (I have done so in the past, and I am not ashamed of it). I think teachers should be greatful that parents want to helped be involved in their children's education.

Good luck!

"grateful", not greatful. If I were in school, I would be in the bottom group for spellings!

The rest of that sentence is also a mess, but the meaning should be clear.

I'm sure you're right about the levels, and if your daughter is on the same level for reading for one year, the teacher is getting it wrong. I would teach her at home as much as possible but it's such a shame to have to do that when they're so tired after school. But it doesn't take long to bring about arithmetic and spelling proficiency and then at least you know that whatever level the teacher thinks she's at, you know that she's getting decent grounding.