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?

Is it really fair to judge children's reading in front of a group?

My dd is dreadfully shy of course her reading will be poor if asked to read in front of others.She will want the experience over asap so be too quick, and expressionless .

If this is what dd's teacher has assessed her on I don't think this is fair. Surely not fair on other children either who are shy and self conscience?

Bluesschool I reckon you're on a hiding to nothing and will have to take matters into your own hands. And for what it's worth, that seems like a very easy book for a Y2 and I hope she soars when offered books more interesting and challenging.

Now I'm going to make a cup of tea. Good night

simpson Maybe now, but not last year. But we just ignore the books that come home and I fill the diary in with whatever he's reading at home. DH met the teacher last week and they talked about it and she was surprised at the books he was reading, so I don't think she's looking at it anyway. But I'm relaxed now. My end game is only that as an adult DS can read and enjoys reading for pleasure. He wants to be an author when he grows up so something's working. :)

The shy children generally enjoy being part in a small group as they feel more at ease. Often, they feel more secure reading with other children than 1:1 with an adult, which puts them under more pressure. In a group, the children support each other when they come across unfamiliar words, and they all have a go with the expression, etc.

She has told me herself.Guided reading is done by the teaching assistants in this class.Dc 4 has said she hasn't read with him at all.Maybe she has got him to read the board -but he will be word perfect i can guarantee that.He certainly has nothing in his notebook.Incidentally i really do know what is happening at this school.I have had 4 dc 's attend at varying times.I have always helped out in several classes.I have never become as infuriated as i am now but i still won't fight with the teacher.If i do that how can i expect my child to obey?.

Thank you for your help Brycie :) bet you wish you had never mentioned buying ORT blummin books though!

Good to learn from others have been in this situation and think I will just follow their advice and focus on our home reading. Think Santa will be bringing lots of fun and thrilling books this Christmas!

Sizzle - thanks for those links, will check them out. Am struggling tbh to find chapter books for her to read (she loves Frog and Toad and one about Morris the Cat).

really interested in your points brycie.

I found old school very very controlling over reading.

The books were kept in the corridor out side year 1/2 classrooms.
we never had access to them as parents.

The teacher or reading helper put 1 book in their reading bag and note in book diary saing read pages 4-9. we read nightly with dd we read on then got told off for that was 16page ginn book not war and peace.

Someone said they restricting to try level the class as year 2 class was 2diffrent classes combined again as split every other year.

Another parent reckoned they were short on books?

They only had ort /ginn and some of these looked good 20years old they had old area code stamped on them.

To me it seems so odd they bang on about standards reading and phonics yet hardly any schools invest in more recent and wider variety of reading schemes.

When we looked around new school head said we have loads different reading schemes some ancient as find different schemes test diffrent things and different books suit difefrent kids they all indivduals and we encourage unlimited reading and love of books.

It felt so refreshing.new school libarys open parents can go in before or after school as has door off playground.

I keep reading so many posts about reading.
Its clearly a problem across many schools frustrating many parents and kids.

Wonder what they scared of that there will be gaps. But too slow and cautious can switch kids off reading do they not consider that.

I mean if parent reads with childs nightly, they interested in childs education and supporting school then surly thats a good thing and parents should be treated as with less contempt for speaking up otherwise known as being pushy and interefeing.
I resented having to keep going back and say this is just too easy and wasting time as her peers are several levlel above her. Even hen explained its upsetting her emotionally was still same robotic answer about comprehension.

I mean how can reading level/standard expectation be lower when they start school earlier?

Writing is a completely different subject and has absolutely no correlation to the reading

Do you really believe that?

DD struggles with writing as she is hyper mobile so has poor pencil grip and so poor letter formation... But what she does write (if you can read it!!) is pretty good for a 4 year old. She is good at phonics (doing yr1 stuff in reception) so spells phonetically but is getting there...I agree they are 2 different skills but are very much linked too iyswim.

No-one commented yet on the ongoing row between authors and Mr Gove, and to be fair, previous education ministers over the last few years, about the way education is killing children' love of reading for pleasure?
So kids read better and 'show understanding' by answering detailed and dull questions about inference, yawn, but read less for pleasure than ever before
Best thing you could do for any child imo is introduce them to a wide range of beautifully written novels, and then enjoy them together, without flogging them to death with dull comprehension checks

My ds was assessed last year as being a very good writer.He was capable of writing an a4 page of story at age 5.Obviously his spelling was very interesting phonetically and he had no paragraph formation but you get the gist.I think this teacher has gone on the defensive and is trying to assert her authority against the parents.I am not the only one who is feeling like this unfortunately.I have previously always been her biggest supporter and have frequently sung her praises to the headmaster.

m.guardian.co.uk/education/2012/nov/05/michael-rosen-english-grammar-test?cat=education&type=article

What a stupid article.

"I think this teacher has gone on the defensive and is trying to assert her authority against the parents".

Nail. Head.

Stupid patronising article. The man used to be a subeditor - he knows exactly how important punctuation and grammar is. Middle class airyfairyness - kids don't need to know stuff even though I benefitted from it they can all be lovely writers like me and earn lots of lovely money --writing patronising articles for The Guardian.

Umm, I think you'll find writing has quite a lot to do with the brain too.

"Best thing you could do for any child imo is introduce them to a wide range of beautifully written novels, and then enjoy them together,"

That seems to be what most teachers are saying mercibucket but I think it's far too simplistic to say children don't read because of education ... unlike on MN most children learn to read at school and if you can't read you can't read for pleasure and it's pretty difficult to enjoy something you don't understand at least on a basic level.
Modern children live "micro managed" lives full of activities, after school club, gymnastics, swimming, dance, pony club, rugby, football ... and then come home to an array of technology to entertain them with very little effort from themselves ... do you think that may play a small part in why some children don't choose to read for pleasure? The X Box and very full lives.

Use your local library! Masses of suitable books for fun. People get so caught up on the school reading book and the level- it isn't important. The teacher will move them when they are ready. You can be choosing your own in the meantime.

When changing a child's book in class last week I accidently gave them a book they had already read. The parent wrote in her reading record:

'please could you check more carefully before sending books home as this type of mistake doesn't help xx make progress'

With this type of attitude from lots of parents, is it any wonder teachers are reluctant to move kids up the levels before they are really ready?

Listening to a child read is not the same as teaching a child to read. Five minutes reading to an adult in school is pretty much a wasted excercise when that child is going to go home and read for half an hour with their parents (unless it is planned assessment). Daily reading in school is only valuable for those children which don't get to practice at home. Having volunteer parents in to read with children is not really as common, as reading isn't taught this way any more and too many just do it for the wrong reasons.

Galloping up the levels won't make your child read any better this week than she did last week.

I'm sure they would all get on better if they stopped treating it like a race. The best Aesop fable ever was 'the Hare and the Tortoise'-much better to take it slowly and consolidate. It really doesn't matter if your DD is a level below Sophie next door-when they are both 14yrs no one will know or care! (or even when they are 9yrs)

My 3 DCs were all fluent at different ages- no one could possibly tell now which was which.