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?

What TA was my next question.

Brycie, is isn't reasonable or feasible to ask a class of children to read or colour for an hour each day.

Is the sort of independent work you normally set "makework" which keeps them busy but makes no progress? That's shocking. Can you clarify before I respond?

No - you need to reread teacher's post.

For half an hour at a time it is. Reading, or a sums book, or working out times tables patterns, blimey, don't you normal set valuable independent work?

In Reception, by the way, 1 to 1 reading is absolutely the norm
a) because the 'learning through play' which is part of the EYFS is much more condusive to allowing a teacher time to do it than e.g. a KS2 Science lesson!
b) staffing levels are usually higher.
c) the social and learning skills of working in a group are still developing.

We do Guided Reading + 1 to 1 reading as I described from around Christmas of Year 1 onwards.

How can we guarantee a guided reading session means the child is getting the teachers full attention?

I asked earlier, was ignored.

DD's class has 1 teacher, 1 LSA (every day) and a parent helper every day and some days there's a parent helper in the morning and afternoon. On those days when there are 3 adults in teh classroom, I would have thought it possible for someone to be doing 1:1 reading with the children. Assuming it has to be the teacher, then you've still got the LSA and parent helper. I think that's feasible, isn't it?

So you are saying no child ever does valuable independent work? If yes that's shocking. If no, why can't they do the valuable independent work during one to one reading?

Will also add

My dd class has a TA and only 20 children. I see no reason she hasn't done 1:1 in the entire time dd has been in her class.

I would say if there's no great surprise that a Y2 is at the level "Biff went skipping" (which there hasn't been on this thread from teachers) then a lot more one to one in schools is plainly needed.

Assuming it has to be the teacher, then you've still got the LSA and parent helper. I think that's feasible, isn't it?

Feasible for the LSA and the parent to teach the class for an hour every day? No, I don't think that's at all acceptable - as a teacher or a parent.

Brycie, the point is that for those tasks to be useful, and to move the children forward, they have to be at a level which the child has not already mastered.

So they may - in fact should - need help and guidance and teacher input.

Which isn't available, as for 1 to 1 reading to be valuable then it should be 100% focused.

I have groups working independently in every lesson - but as I say, I timetable myself to be available to move their learning forward if they get stuck, or if the work is too easy. Otherwise it is just makework.

Blueschool I think we can see why. Thinking that one to one reading is worthwhile is regarded as a fetish by some trained teachers. So even when there is the time and the staff, it's not well regarded.

Mrz isn't one of those, she reads one to one and sees the point by the sound of it.

Brycie believe it or not, handwriting isn't a holding activity for Y1/2 children. It is a discrete lesson and actually needs the teacher to teach the lesson. Little children can't just 'get on' with adding or handwriting and make progress. They need teaching to get better. Just 'being given adding books' will not have any value at all - a waste of time.

Feenie, really? Not even if they were just following to the letter instructions that the teacher had left for them? I'm only talking YEar 1 here!

Do you call reading practise "makework"? Sums practice?

With regard to arithmetic it was rather a mantra - practice practice practice. You don't have to do something harder every time.

Brycie, WHY is 1 to 1 going to move a child forward faster than a properly planned guided reading session? (Or a class reading lesson, which is what Mrz does).

Several years ago, under a new head, the school I teach in moved FROM 1 to 1 reading in hasty 5 minute bursts to properly planned Guided reading. Reading progress went through the roof.

I think Mrz reads with children who need it during assemblies and through lunchtimes and breaks - like the rest if us, as far as I am aware. She doesn't abandon the class to colour in with a TA, since she doesn't have one.

Feenie, really? Not even if they were just following to the letter instructions that the teacher had left for them? I'm only talking YEar 1 here!

Only Year 1?

Absolutely not - I do not send my child to school each day to be taught for an hour by a TA or a parent.

"Just 'being given adding books' will not have any value at all - a waste of time."

It wasn't for me and my children and we are normal people. Or for anybody else's children I know from whenever, ten-13 years ago. Why is arithmetic practice a waste of time? What a dangerous attitude.

Only Year 1

Why is nobody answering my question?

How can you ASSESS a child if you never ever do 1:1 reading. Even if you only make time once every weeks to hear 1:1 PURELY for the reasons of assessment least your assessing them with accuracy.

I do teach 1 to 1 - for the children who need it (usually) temporarily, and (occasionally) on a permanent basis. My TA reads 1 to 1 with specific SEN children for significant periods of time every day (they need much more than a hasty 5 minutes to enable them to make accelerated progress) as part of their timetabled intervention work.

HOWEVER, for most of the class, most of the time, planned guided reading sessions are what we as a school has found accelerates progress the most. Because teaching time is scarce - to teach the same lesson to 6 children for 25 - 30 minutes gives each of them 5-6x the amount of 'contact time' to accelerate their reading progress on all types of reading objectives.

I had forgotten. Us teachers with our dangerous attitudes to arithmetic and all.