Refusing to put dc on next reading level or even assess

[Blueschool]

Dc in in year 2. Has been on same reading level since September.

My dc may not be good at a lot at school, but reading is dc strong point. Not the top of class but quite advanced. Not just my opinion but her previous teachers and helpers.

Her current level is not a challenge anymore. Mentioned this weeks ago. Given a huge list basically telling me why dc is a crap reader in teachers opinion. Very surprised as one area always was praised on reading.

Took it on chin and we worked hard to resolve the issues like "not enough expression".

Dc reading is just fine. I can not find not fault.

My comment I wrote last week was the "book was not a challenge". Teacher took a whole page up in dd reading record to again tell me how crap dc is.

I felt the comments were utterly unfair and do not reflect reality at all. She also told me I could buy books to read at home! Very unfair assumption dc reads for pleasure all the time and has 100+ at home.

She said IF she wants she will assess her after Christmas she will.

My issues are

• I thought parents and teachers were meant to be in partnership with education. How is this a partnership?

• IF dc is genuinely reading badly at school WHY? Why is there such a difference? Why is her educational environment not making her feel confident and supported to show her real abilty?

• Another parent has told me they have had similar issues as the teacher gets herself stressed. Im sorry, but holding a child back because you are stressed is quite something.

What should I do?

Sorry teacher but that comes across rudely (maybe you didn't mean it to).

My sons fabulous Year 2 teacher reads with each child every week. She is by far the best teacher I have experienced (not because of the reading thing but generally) and I find it quite offensive on her behalf that you are suggesting she is missing out curriculum for 121 reading. I have complete faith that she has planned her time and lessons effectively to manage this activity.

I remember seeing teachers with two children, one either side of the desk both reading, whilst the teacher was also giving instructions to the rest of the class (just a minute Billy.OK carry on). This was in the 70s So the children had then "read to the teacher" but the actual experience the child had wasn't any use at all.One page, then on to the next pair of children. Compared with that Guided Reading (done properly) is a quality experience for the whole group.

Just to add, they do guided reading groups as well as the 121 reading.

Can I ask how many children are in the class Spatsky?

30 mrz

I once took over a class, and parents started complaining because I didn't read often enough with their child 1:1. Apparently the previous teacher had listened to every child twice a week. I couldn't figure out how she did it, and I was following the same timetable as her as I inherited the class part way through the year and all the lessons were already allocated to different areas (not reading). After a bit more enquiry with my TA it transpires she listened to readers every afternoon while the class got on with other things or were just allowed to play, and she had one at each side of her reading two at a time for just a few minutes each with a quick comment in the reading record. In my opinion this is not quality teaching, just box filling to satisfy parents.
If you have a teacher who listens to every child individually, and also does guided reading, you need to ask yourself if the teacher is actually doing quality reading teaching in the individual time, or just a quick two minutes, or the child reading at her side while she does other things, so she can comment in your reading record to keep you happy.

One to one reading is of value whether it's to a Y5 or an old granny.

I dont think anyone is dismissing the merits of guided reading.

Rather concerned it is not alongside 1-1 in ALL schools.

Brycie can you explain why it is so valuable? The person reading with a child can often do more damage than good in my opinion if they go about it the wrong way. Reading to an adult for practice is valuable, but it cannot replace teaching.

and can I ask how many minutes do each child spend reading to the teacher?

I'm getting a bit annoyed now by people suggesting my sons teacher is missing out curriculum and now saying she is alllowing the kids to play and run wild in order to read one to one. I KNOW this is not true, not sure why people need to be offensive about teachers that do read 121??

Anyway, for that reason, I'm out.

Because children like it, for a start. How is it possible to go about it the wrong way? So long as you don't laugh at a kid for getting their words wrong.

But it is NOT quality reading for a very shy or socially anxious child to only be given the only medium of guided reading.

While the may reap some benefits such as understanding others pov etc, what about the chances that are being robbed?

Lets be honest here- how on earth could a teacher accurately assess a child of this nature if they never bother to do 1-1?

If you have never suffered from severe shyness or anxiety it may be hard to envisage why reading or speaking in front of others would be so horrific.

It seems the system isn't allowing for this.

This whole thread just seems like a core group of posters patting each other on the back and saying they agree with each other. Some of the posters could actually be the same people.

Then there seems to be the teachers, who are trying to explain how and why the OP's dd's teacher might be doing what she is doing. It seems to me that any advice is actively ignored.

I would join in with a more constructive post, but I really don't think it's worth my time and effort. I have marking and planning to do. For guided reading next week, naturally.

Oh gosh I wouldn't expect teachers to agree juniper. After all they can't see the wood for the trees have been trained.

Bit cheeky. But how did this country have the massive literacy leap? By people listening to other people read.

I'm interested in how she manages to hear all 30 every day Spatsky. I do 1-1 reading rather than guided reading but don't manage every child every day so would appreciate tips.

I think it's just to easy for the experts. Something so simple, that most people can do, can't possibly be a really important part of their job. It must be more complicated.

Or, perhaps, they know what they're talking about, seeing as we see 30 kids for 195 days, year after year after year.

We all seem to have the same answer (apart from the marmite attitude towards ORT) yet we're all differently trained at different types of institutes, in different eras, in different styles. Yet we all still have basically the same answer.

When did this country have the massive literacy leap Brycie? [puzzled]

It's like teachers don't get the fact that it's so simple, or have forgotten. One to one attention from a teacher is special and looked for. Adjunct it to reading - that makes reading special and looked for. Adjunct to visible progress, the children like that. Correcting a child's errors individually, not in front of people, asking comprehension questions which they can answer without feeling stupid, just listening and giving full attention. They're so important to a child, it's as if teachers have forgotten what a vastly important presence they are for a child and how positive one to one learning attention is so meaningful and makes reading so positive.

How can we be so sure our children are receiving 100% quality teaching just because it happens to guided reading session as opposed to 1-1 then?

Brycie I really wish it was as simple as you seem to believe ...if it were my colleagues and I wouldn't be giving up our own time to support those that find learning to read exceedingly difficult. Those that pick up reading easily as the fortunate minority.

DS(Y1) has been on Level 8 ORT books since September - if he stays there until the end of the year, I couldn't care less. Once he got past level 6 I felt like he could read. There doesn't seem to be much difference between level 8/9/10/11 and he can happily read (or try) anything. The amount of text/pages get longer; text more complex and unfamilar words are harder to spell out.

We go to the library and use Oxford Owl. At home he can pick his own books; any level or comics are fine. What about using some of MRZ'z questions to have your DD complete her own book report? This may help demonstrate comprehension and will help practise writing?

To be fair to the teachers in my DS's school, they must get cheesed off with parents asking that their DC's books are changed or that they are moved up a level. Reading levels give a yardstick to measure by; this isn't quite so apparent in other areas of the curriculum.

Brycie,

I just don't get the fetishisation of 1 to 1 in reading but not elsewhere, Brycie.

One of the reasons that I DON'T do 1 to 1 reading in any timetabled lesson time is so that I can work 1 to 1 or with a small group of children throughout every lesson in every subject - so in ICT, working with a group of children who are finding an aspect difficult, sorting out individual glitches, or discussing extension work with a more able child. Or in Maths, I always plan a target group or plan to work 1 to 1 with a child who just needs a nudge in 1 specific aspect. Equally for Science, I may work with a group at a time to carry out a more elaborate or risky eperiment or demonstratiin that a group can carry out independently. My comment on the teacher above is not critical - simply mathematical. For every 5 minutes a teacher spends reading individually with your child child, your child is NOT taught for 2 hours and 25 minutes.