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?

Thanks Yellowsubmarine but in that case you must see that such a problem is not magically resolved by advising the parent to go to the library, and that's why it's been a rather longer conversation than you might have enjoyed.

Isabelle, I don't think anyone is saying that children (apart from SEN etc) must always be taught one to one, they are simply saying that the assessment of a child's reading ability is probably more accurate if it is carried out one to one? And I (rightly or wrongly) think that when a child reads to either their parent or a school helper they are PRACTISING their reading, not being taught.

But we don't know what 'the problem' is, so I can't see that either I or any other poster have proposed a 'magical resolution'. Rather than give specific information about what the teacher said her dd needs to work on OP says that the teacher says that her dd's reading is 'crap' her dd's.

In answer to the OP, she can either spend her life getting her knickers in a twist on MN about one reading level or continue to read broadly with her dd at home and trust school to do their job as they have up to now. Or both. Really, there isn't a particular 'problem' here.

Yes Yellowsubmarine, I agree, it's been a long thread and we've gone slightly off topic. I would probably choose the 'reading broadly at home' option, but then I've been through the whole writing 'dd found this really easy' in green book week after week in reception so sort of found my own way early on. 'Tis hard for OP because reading seems to be the one thing that her daughter was confident about and teacher seems to be knocking that confidence.

How do we not know what it is? The daughter is not reading as well at school as at home, the parent is concerned her daughter is uncomfortable with the teacher, the child was a very good reader and is now stagnating, the parent feels the daughter is being held back. How on EARTH do we not know what the problem is?

You shouldn't be so patronising about "not a problem" - I'm sure you get concerned about your own children.

In fact there is quite a big problem looming, and the advice to Blueschool (which I agree with, and which a large number of posters have given, to give up on school reading and sort it out yourself) will minimise it only. The big problem looming is of classroom demotivation and distrust of the teacher. You really don't want to create that in a Y2. Well I wouldn't.

YELLOWSUBMARINE I tried to make same point upthread but no one answered. :(

OP has declined to tell us what the teacher has identified that her dd needs to improve on in order to progress a level. Or indeed what types of books her dd reads for pleasure - if a Y2 child reads for pleasure all the time at home as OP says, I honestly don't see what the 'problem' is.

This 'problem' honestly seems to be one of the OP's making. OP could just take the teacher's professional advice and read widely with her dd at home. All that will happen if her dd gets moved up a level is that she'll read slightly harder and longer school books in addition to the wide range of books that she reads all the time at home.

If OP has created a situation where her dd feels that developing her reading at home is 'stagnating', then this is probably a good time to review the importance given to the reading level of one or two books amongst the wealth of literary material that the OP's dd reads every week.

Perhaps when the OP was around it the idea that it was a non-problem wasn't a very good one to discuss.

I haven't and wouldn't advise anyone to 'give up' on school reading.

I don't think posts fuelling the 'teachers are crap, don't know what they're doing and won't listen to parents' line were all that helpful to OP myself.

She feels the reading at school is stagnating. She has tried the approaches developed by the teacher. It's no wonder parents become disillusioned when their help and support is demanded and expect and the respect in thre return is non-existent and the responses often blase.

No I'm sure you don't. But then there were plenty of teachers saying my colleague right or wrong. So I think it evened out. Most parents have spoken out of experience. When their children were having the same issues they went their own way with great success. If that involves a loss of respect for the teacher's opinion it's difficult to argue with.

By giving up I don't mean not doing it. I don't think anybody has suggested that.

And I might add, it's fortunate for the children talked about here that their parents have been interested, focussed and willing. What would happen to a child whose parents were disinterested and incapable, in the same situation? They could just disappear. That bothers me.

When their children were having the same issues they went their own way with great success.

This, in conjunction with not giving up on school reading, is EXACTLY what the majority of posters have suggested.

Yes - quite - and what about the children of parents who can't?

And what about the quite large possibility of classroom demotivation and lack of respect for teacher assignments?

Brycie, children don't 'disappear' if they're not put up a reading level with a parent demands. It's not helping your argument making such extreme and ridiculous statements.

I don't understand what you mean - the very same disinterested and incapable parents who can't help their children read are going to develop a lack of respect for the teacher assignments they're not interested and incapable of helping their children with.

OP asked what she can do and has received sensible advice. Forcing a teacher to up a reading level she can't do, read widely with child at home, she can do.

What do you think I mean by "disappear"?

What I mean by it is entering a vicious circle of low expectation and low achievement.

"the very same disinterested and incapable parents who can't help their children read are going to develop a lack of respect for the teacher assignments they're not interested and incapable of helping their children with."

This doesn't make sense.

Yes, it does. It means that you're saying that some parents are disinterested and incapable and so can't help their children at home. Then in the next breath that parents will lack respect for teacher assignments. They can't be disinterested and incapable, but engaged and capable enough to form an opinion of disrespect.

Disappear? I thought you meant, errm, disappear.

Entering a vicious cycle of low expectation and low achievement is different. Fortunately, OP's dd isn't in this situation as her teacher has assessed her reading, provided a page of written information as to her next steps in progression for home and has a supportive and engaged parent.

I think Brycie means that those children with parents who are unwilling/unable/couldn't give a toss will lose out ('disappear') if the teacher isn't doing her job properly. Those with parents who care will probably do ok even with a teacher who is not doing their job well because the parents will go out of their way to compensate for it.

Yes, I get that now. But it seems that OP's dd's teacher is doing her job.

Gosh did you think I meant vanish of the face of the earth? A feat that's not physically possible?

Thanks Manic, that's what I meant, you put it well.