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?

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

And yet as a teacher you're happy for the children's reading to be left to the parents?

Neither my child's, nor that of the children I teach, are left to parents.

I teach reading. My child's school teaches reading.

I practise reading with my child at home (who is surprisingly resistant to any teaching from me and can detect a whiff of it a mile off).

"What was the method of instruction ?"

in the 18th -19th century phonics was the main method of reading instruction with large classes reading aloud

And yet as a teacher you're happy for the children's reading to be left to the parents

That's actually a staggering ignorant comment, Brycie.

Blueschool,

Say I am reading with 5 children in a group as I was today. I have a grid prepared for each guided reading lesson. Down one side I have their names, across the top I have the planned objectives for the lesson plus a couple of general points (e.g. I always have 'Expression' and may have 'Use of punctuation'). As each child is reading, I note what they are doing against the appropriate objectives. As I ask questions (if comprehension is one of today's objectives) I will comment on that against each child's name (e.g. 'explained 'shutters'. As they predict alternative endings and search for evidence in the text, I will briefly note how they are doing (e.g. 'tick - appropriate and detailed', or '? - detailed but not linked to story').

So at the end of each lesson, I will have evidence for each child against each objective. If there are any 'holes' I transfer that to the next week's sheet to probe that child in more detail on that aspect. It doesn't take long to get a clear picture of each child, which I then use to complete our genwral tracking sheets.

If there is a child where I do not have evidence in one specific area, and i'm not sure if it is a true weakness or just a lack of evidence, that is one reason why i would do a quick, very focused 1 to 1 session during assembly or lunchtime, just to find out about that specific objective.

I didn't teach either of my children to read ...at home I listened to them read their school books, encouraged them, read them stories at bed time or when requested and hopefully was a good role model when they saw me enjoying books.

I have never ever had a child who doesn't like guided reading. It's a fun group activity - children aren't embarrassed by stalling over words, as another will correct them; if they miss punctuation, the others spot mistakes, and we will re-read together. As groups are sorted on reading level a clear learning objective can be set for the children - the group environment enables them to learn from each other. In these sessions, I may model reading to the group or look at the expression prompted by verbs, learn new vocabulary, etc, etc. It's a stress-free situation for the children, and we all have a laugh.

Between teacher and TAs, we generally get through groups twice a week, with SEN children reading 1:1.
Half my Y2 class are reading white/lime/lime+, so we're hardly failing.

What is a child going to gain standing by a teacher reading several lines with little interaction or discussion? It is boring and a waste of time.

Brycie, I do not leave reading to be taught by parents. I teach reading absolutely explicitly for at least 25 minutes per day - much longer per child than I would if I did 1 to 1 reading with them.

Agreed alco - I keep the 'who is reading with me' secret until the start of each reading lesson, and all the groups clamour to be today's guided reading group....

My older 2 dc both have a similar issue to the OP - they are independently reading all sorts of rather challenging texts at home for pleasure, but reading far more basic texts at school in order to master skills such as inference & language analysis, in which 'being able to read the words' is the start point, not a measure of what level you're on.

My role as a parent & bookworm is very different from the teacher's.

In much the same way, reading a text freely for fun as an older child or adult is a totally different concept from studying a book for GCSE Eng Lit or a degree say.

All my year 10 students can read 'Of Mice & Men' & understand all the words - they can decode the text, no prob.

Can they get an A* without teacher input? Highly unlikely!

Reading is a family of skills, not just one.

Anyway, OP, I'd get your dd some books she loves - what school doesn't have time for, & what is of incalcuable value, is 'losing yourself in a book'. They're complementary but separate skills.

I have the APP grids with me during guided reading. When I'm planning my sessions, I write out the gaps for each child. Then during the session, I direct specific questions at specific children. That way, I can identify strengths and weaknesses. Incidentally, our guides reading books match nc levels so they are correctly differentiated for each group.

I do 1 to 1 reading as and when I can fit it in, but I am expected to have a focus teaching group for every lesson. For literacy and maths, 3 of my 5 groups will work independently, but after my whole class teaching and instruction. I am teaching independent working, but the activities are certainly not holding activities.

Teacherwith2kids

Well I can only hope dd teacher would be more like you in at least going the extra mile by picking up dd is shy (its fairly obvious) and that her shyness be hampering her rather than a genuine poor reading ability.

The crux of the issue she either hasn't noticed , or worse, has and doesn't care that dd has confidence issues and is not accommodating her needs therefore her assessment is inaccurate.

Blueschool,

I should also add that I find the cumulative evidence from guided reading a much more valuable assessment tool than anything but the longest 1 to 1 session. As I say, if I am unsure on a specific objective, I do check that 1 to 1 - but a 10 minute 1 to 1 session where I am only trying to find out one thing about a child's reading (because I already know all the reat from regualar reading lessons) is MUCH more valuable than a similar session in which I am trying to assess a child's reading 'as a whole' IYSWIM?

I will second blueschools question that has yet to be answered. How can you properly access a childs reading if you never here them read one to one.

My ds is painfully shy and lacks confidence in group situations. He is absolutely fine on a one to one basis with any adult be it teacher, ta, parent helper. He even got singled out to read with the ofsted inspector in year 1 because he was the most improved reader in the class at the time. Why was he the most improved reader because he read with me every day and the school also put in place extra help reading 1 to 1 with the senco 3 times a week. The extra help has now been taken away because it was deemed that he no longer needed it at the end of year 1. Now first term of year 2 and I am being told he is behind again and its his confidence in group situations thats causing the problems as he will not offer answers in group situations. They are working on things to help him in group situations but at the end of the day its no easy fix so in the meantime they think it acceptable to access him using methods that will not give a true account of his ability.

(Sorry, X-posts.)

All my year 10 students can read 'Of Mice & Men' & understand all the words - they can decode the text, no prob.

A student in dh's GCSE retake class once put up his hand to ask quite seriously if the mice were going to appear in the second half....

I would hear your child 1:1 and also put him in a reading group, which would (hopefully) encourage him to join in with the rest of the children. Even being in the group situation and hearing the discussion would be beneficial.

I have to say I've never had such a shy child in my class.

Sorry I keep going away and coming back, driving children around etc.

While guided reading is going on for - 40 mins?? what are the rest of the class doing then? why can't the do the same during one to one?

Cassgate, I tried to answer that query above.

In the case of your son, I would include him in guided reading - because it will help him in group situations - and assess him as far as I can in that situation. I would then read with him 1 to 1 to acquire the remaining evidence that I need to gain a true level.

For some children, all evidence comes from group reading. For others, it comes only from 1 to 1 reading (e.g. my barely-verbal statemented pupil). For yet others, it comes mostly from guided but a little from focused 1 to 1.

Brycie, If you think KS1 children, in classes of 30, will all work completely independently, and that it would be acceptable for them to do easy tasks such as letter formation, or simple tasks which need no adult intervention/support/guidance and that they will remain focused and quiet enough for the teacher to read uninterupted for an hour a day then clearly you have no idea what school is like.
The pressure for teachers to constantly engage, challenge teach and move children forward is immense. I don't know any teacher (other than in YR) that reads 1:1 with every child regularly in addition to guided reading. And why would reading their book to someone elses mum at school be so valuable? They would be better reading to their own parents!

There are examples of children on this thread hate guided reading.

Of the top of my head... You know...Such as the thread this little girl is ABOUT!

"I teach reading absolutely explicitly for at least 25 minutes per day"

to every child in your class?

Isabelle - if independent work is so difficult - what are they doing while the teacher is doing guided reading with five children? What are the other 25 doing?

"They would be better reading to their own parents!"

and if their own parents don't read with them?

Staggeringly ignorant? Why?

One session of guided reading a day with five or six children. So half an hour of group, not individual, reading attention per week from a teacher.

Who else do you think is doing the massive bulk of reading practice, correction, encouragement, motivation? Fairies? or parents?