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?

and the five hours "in a row" was "you can't expect children to do independent work without a teacher for five hours" (paraphrase) upon which I suggested breaking up the five hours to 30 mins morning and afternoon

but as I say you don't have to believe me

No, I have RTT. I might have interpreted some of the posts differently, though.

Have you thought of becoming a Parent Governor?

I'm not being sarky - I know we've crossed swords on a few occasions - but I actually think someone like you who isn't afraid to ask questions & pursue issues tenaciously might be rather an asset, & you obviously have an interest.

Flaming nora why why why am I doing this

"And what would you like the other children to be doing for the 5 hours (conveyor belt stylee ) that the teacher is reading one to one?"

"You seriously think the children could spend 40 to 80 minutes a day colouring in" (Yes it was my suggestion and a pretty stupid one but Feenie couldn't come up with anything herself)

I'd like to be a teacher but they would burn me first.

I don't find ofsted a particularly convincing argument either. Which is why I said "for what it's worth."
However, I wonder if you'd have been happy for you children to attend a school with a satisfactory (or worse) rating, rather than one with good or outstanding practice.

and this

"Daily reading in school is only valuable for those children which don't get to practice at home."

and now I'm to stick my head in a bucket of mud in the hope it will stop me posting on education threads

except can I say, Isabelleringing withdrew it, she did say it again in the same post but I don't think she meant it that way the second time

Sticks head in buckets of mud without flinching = teacher material.

Probably.

.

next time you see me doing this kick me

Its a shiney new day im prepared to stick my head out the bucket.

Im not sure brycies/op questions have been answered.

As for methods guess thats subjective to proper study as what works best for 1 child /school may not work as well for another.

For me a meer lay person 1-1 listening maybe not once a week with teacher or ta as they trusted to do guided reading and if trained should be able to relay back this child got 95% of words right.

To me one too one to one assessment at least for measure of grading that child in reading is essential as not every child will enjoy reading as a group if very shy/lacking confidence.

Do they not do art anymore. could you not set art project and whilst they doing that under watchful eye of ta read 20-30mins with 2-3 kids.

say I have 30kids in my class.

i listen 15mins per child 2kids per day-it would take teacher 3weeks to hear them read once a month.

I would then have list of senco kids-who would have additional 1-1 with ta.

Then the ones who didenr read at home would be on list for school helpers so hopefully read with 1-2times a week.

1-1 would be in addition to guided no instead of.
overreliance on one method seem wrong.

"Mrz can I ask something quickly - is there some special training required for guided reading which you have not had"

no Brycie, like most schools we did use Guided Reading when it was first introduced but we took a decision as a staff to drop it because we felt our way of working better matched our pupils needs. The fact that we have very good reading results allows us to justify our choice and Ofsted haven't seen lack of guided reading as a problem.

I should add that successive literacy advisors have tried to impose guided reading when they visit.

Why is it called "guided" reading, rather than what it actually is - group reading and comprehension?

Guided reading isn't new- I am older than most people on here and I did it at school as a child and hated it. I found it boring and surreptitiously used to read ahead.

It is guided because the teacher has learning objectives and focuses on those, rather than just reading the book. There will be some direct teaching too.
exoticfruits I am 60 and remember reading round in a group, all from the same book, when I was at school, but at our school that is all it was.There was no teaching from the text, we just all took it in turns to read. Being a good reader (my main talent) I remember getting impatient with those who stumbled with their words, and like you, reading ahead.

Thanks mrz that's interesting. Also this

"I should add that successive literacy advisors have tried to impose guided reading when they visit. "

seems very telling.

So far my view has changed as follows - that unless you have a teacher like teachmumof2 (sorry if the name is wrong) with a supercharged enthusiasm for guided reading and planning around it, driven by a passionate belief in its value, it could be very worthwhile. But individual assessment still required.

But otherwise it's no substitute for one to one, none at all.

I agree that it was mainly reading around but we did a lot of focussing on the text which slowed it down to what I found a boring level.

I got my if's and my unlesses mixed up there - I'm sure you understand.

In my experience of it you were allowed to test comprehension (how do you think Johnny felt - yawn) but not discuss language and structure. Discussing that was actively frowned on.

But then I am one of those sneeringly referred to as Johnny's lonely granny from across the road.

when i was in school juniors we went round the class and each child read out loud a chapter-dident realise that was called guide reading, we dident anyalyse it just read. reading comprehension as mentioned before was some other text/short story/poem ect.

I believe guided reading groups are kids with similar reading abilities or a very fast fluent reader be very impatiant with the slow reader.

I guess guided reading must be the new educational fad/trend.
Im not doubting if ta or teacher properly trained enthusiastic and its appropriariate for the child then it has benefit.

But if poorly done I fail to see how its more sucessful than 1-1.

Those who do guided reading by itself is their any correlation between the loud confident children being on higher levels as some kids are readers some performers.

A child with

special needs
shy
child whos low in confidence or just a littlle behind peers may not find guided reading the best.

Kids can be very cruel dd faced some comments over reading in past

Weird that schools do it different.

how does a teacher identify a non reading parent?
In areas of deprivation is the no of parents not reading at home higher? are Those kids being let down by school not having any one to one time?

most classes are 30. school runs 8/12months once account for hols is it really to much to give child some one to one time?

In op blue schools case would it not have been easier for teacher to say i take on board what your concerns are, I havent read personally with her for a while. Give me few days will do a one to one read assess get back to you and if needs moving up will do so-drama averted.

I think many parents have no idea

what guided reading is?
how often child reads in school
if its 1-1 if so how the 1-1 is focussed.

If schools were more open i think many parents be not so happy or maybe read more at home.

I have no idea what %of parents would moan in class per month i would say max 5/30 so in that case I would spend 1-1 time with those 5kids and properly access and say x staying on this level because of this reason and this is what you need to work onto move up.

Or x has really improved since last time i read with him, its been a while, well done x go onto level so and so next steps are to do this so the teacher /parent and child know where they are and why, what the next steps are rather than i heard that child in guided reading i dont agree not budging and ramble on about some plausible reason of inferenece or comprehension.

Sometimes parents do have legitimate point,

Its hard I admit to fit in reading dd has after school clubs, she can be tired, bit under weather depnding on which part of week or end of term reading can be not so good.

If teacher only reads once a term and that child has bad day then thats alomg time to be on incorrenct level term 1 was 8weeks long then 1 week off. term 2 is about 6weeks ith 2weeks off.
If childs in year 2 ould think reading progression be more critical due to sats.

Individual assessment happens within guided reading.

This is an extraordinary thread.

OP says that their child isn't being sufficiently challenged by school books.

Teacher explains what child need to do in order to progress and suggests OP reads widely at home.

OP says that she does this already and will continue to do so.

Nearly every other poster agrees that this is a good idea.

And it's still going strong at nearly 500 posts.

Good summary, yellow. In recognition of your higher order reading skills maybe the teacher will put you on a Gold book.

Unfortunately it doesn't address the problems involved with a child becoming demotivated at school yellowsubmarine, and a teachers' refusal to acknowledge this is as an issue. It doesn't acknowledge the importance of the classroom environment and the teacher's importance in motivation. If you don't think it matters that children become demotivated you are not alone I think.

OP doesn't say anything about her child becoming demotivated at school, nor has she taken up several invitations to share with other posters exactly what words the teacher used to say that her child's 'reading was crap'.

I don't know why you're trying to put words into my mouth about 'not thinking it matters about children becoming demotivated'.