School are holding my daughter back when it comes to reading

[cakebake]

I know theres been quite a bit of discussion on this, but I have a 6 year old who is a very advanced reader. Towards the end of the last school year her teacher admitted they didnt know what to do so were going to hold her at the level she was at (she was a 2a). At the time this was fine, but now I'm regretting saying it was ok.

She has moved up to year 2 and hasn't had her reading level changed since July. Her teacher and TA keep telling me that she is a level 3 reader, but that the stuff they have at her level isnt age appropriate, The chapter books they are giving her she is reading (and understanding) in an average of 2 days, but she is only getting one book a week. They have as good as admitted that they are holding her back.

As a TA myself I have some idea whats what and as a mum I know that my daughter has really good comprehension and understanding of what she is reading. We are finding books at the library or buying them cheaply, but I dont know where to go from here.

To make matters a bit more complicated I volunteer in school and dont want to upset anyone, but I dont want this happening to my youngest who is turning out to be as good as her sister.

I'd appreciate any suggestions on what to do next.

[simpson]

Tgger - that was my thinking with DD

Schools job to teach them to read, don't want to do it wrong and all that!!!

She had other ideas

[izzyishavingababyAGAIN]

use the bookpeople and get her books?

[sweetkitty]

If we have a Jan or Feb birthday we can defer for a year, a friend did that with her Feb birthday daughter, she spent another year in nursery and is the eldest in her year now, started school at 5y 7m. It's good to have that choice as a parent I think.

[Tgger]

Hmmm, yes, DD is quite strong minded so I think she'll decide........ .

Wouldn't like to think of DD being in YR at all at the moment (just 4 now).... shivers.... I know it's not such a biggie, they learn through play etc etc, but it is a biggie being in a classroom with lots of other children, with behaviour expectations etc etc....... so nice to just be 4 and do what you like (up to a point..!)

[simpson]

Yes I when I dropped him off on the first day

I do think it's a good thing to have a choice for your child, I just wish it was like that here. Having said that DS is now in yr3 and doing well....



In your case I would speak to the teacher and mention your concerns, I have been where you are as DS was kept on the same level for the whole of yr2 and the teacher and TAs were too busy to go to the junior building to get more books...

[learnandsay]

Sorry, simpson, my dear, ds2 kept on the same level? Level (colour of reading book) or same national curriculum level...

I tried following the debate but missed the important bits.

[Rudolphstolemycarrots]

It depends on her comprehension. If it's good, request that they move her on and give her more books. You are not asking for the earth, just something quite basic.

OR start ordering books online on your county council website. You can just find a great author and have all his/her books delivered to your local library.

[simpson]

Sorry, yes same reading book level. He finished yr1 on a 2c and finished yr2 on 3c...

But IMO books were not given to him at the correct level and even more importantly were not changed weekly (one time he went 6 weeks without it being changed) tbh I think KS2 are protective of their books and did not want to give any away to KS1 but I would rather the school were honest and then I could have plugged the gaps (which I did anyway but am reasonable and if the school had been honest it would have helped) DS's yr1 teacher (who was fab actually) did say to me he did not want DS to get too ahead with reading because otherwise he would have nothing for yr2, hence my concern for DD...

[simpson]

And can I add, DS whilst good at reading was no where near where DD is now...(in reception at the same age/class iyswim)..

[juniper904]

Op, your dd ended year 2 on a 3c, yet 'school are holding your dd back'?

To me, it seems like they are

[juniper904]

Bloody phone.

... Pushing your dd to the correct level. A 3c is good for year 2. What were u

[juniper904]

Argh!

... You hoping for?

This message brought to you in three parts, due to my phone's stupidity. Sorry.

[yellowsubmarine53]

The issue seems to be that OP's dd only gets one book a week from school which she finishes with good comprehension very quickly.

OP says that dd also reads lots from the library/books from home.

The majority of posters agree that this is the best way forward.

[SoupDragon]

Is your DD bothered about it? Is it putting her off reading?

I think I have a slightly different view of reading - provided they are learning how to do it, I'm not concerned; I want my children to learn to love reading, not see it as a chore.

Thankfully their primary used no graded reading scheme with levels, the children chose their own books from the class library (sometimes with guidance from the teacher). If my child is coming home with a book they want to read, I'm happy.

[learnandsay]

soupdragon, from an initial reading of the OP's posting that doesn't seem to be the case. Hers seems more of a query about the appearance of a wasted opportunity in that her daughter seems to be stagnating at school as far as literacy is concerned. But since she goes to the library, buys second hand books and clearly is an involved mother as far as reading (and probably writing) are concerned, then as one would expect, overall her daughter probably isn't suffering that much. But....

a) a school shouldn't allow its more able pupils to stagnate.
b) a parent might not be this involved (for a variety of reasons.)
c) a parent might not have the ability to enhance her child's higher order skills.

The school should do more. If allowing stagnation puts any children off it's wrong and a great pity.

[cakebake]

I take on board the comments made, and would say that she has been a lime level 3 reader since the end of year one, and she finds them very easy to read and comprehend.

I'm not interested in being able to say "i have a very bright child", I'm worried that I have a little one who loves reading but get bored easily. I dont want her to lose that love for books and reading.

She has read over 50 books since september of which 40 were provided by us, either bought or from the library, all of which were written in her reading record. I have tried to work with the school I've not complained when it has taken them 2 and a half weeks to change her reading book, and not read with her when they have changed it. I've just carried on providing more.

Maybe it is time for one more chat with school, and if I get no where then just stick it out and provide our own. What worries me though is that I mentioned in passing that the last book she had must have been pretty easy because her little sister (5 yo) and read it as well and the reply from the TA was "there's no point in her reading them because she will have nothing to read in year 2"?

[redskyatnight]

I don't see how your child will lose the love of books and reading if you are giving her books at home. My DS was pushed up the reading levels pretty quickly. If anything, this caused him to LOSE his love of reading - so many of the reading books he brought home were frankly dull, and even duller to have to read aloud (as required by the school).

My Y2 DD is also on lime level. she also reads and understands them very easily. At home she is at the moment reading the 1st Harry Potter book. She's also read many Roald Dahl stories and Horrid Henrys (all of which would be in the level above lime - the only higher level that exists at her school). She sounds very similar to your DD? However I am not bothered that she is not being challenged. Her teacher has openly said that at this stage the children can basically read - and we are not to get hung up on the reading scheme but encourage DD to read a variety of things at home. She also mentioned using the school and public libraries.

We still read her lime books at home still, but use them to look at use of language, inference, discuss character development, discuss vocabulary used - things which are "hard" concepts and easier to look at in an "easy to read" book. So I consider her school book to be a "learning" book and her home books to be "for enjoyment" books.

At school she is doing guided reading at an appropriate level.

I think you need to be clear what your concerns are. If you'd like your DD to have another ((or several others) banded reading book in the week, that sounds reasonable. But not having this extra book is not necessarily holding her back in any way.

[SoupDragon]

learnandsay I'm not sure you understood what I meant. I believe that "stagnation" means little if the child is enjoying reading the books they are given. IMO it is only an issue if it is putting the child off reading.

The top skill level of reading is the same whether you reach it at 7 or 15. Learning to love reading for pleasure is far more important than whether you read The Lord of the Rings at 5.

[Tgger]

I would be a bit at that comment too, re the "no point" comment as I think this is definitely the WRONG attitude- if that's exactly verbatim what the teacher said. It's great your younger child wanted to read it and did .

The other points re 50 books, 10 from school, 40 from home doesn't sound so bad. Just checked in DS's diary- he's only Y1 but similar level. He has read 16 school books since start of term. He's enjoyed some of the easier ones more than some of the harder ones actually - I think some of the "harder" ones he is not that engaged with the story lines, perhaps not mature enough yet. He doesn't ever seem bored or refuse to read the books, just I can tell when he is excited and wants to read on or is happy to stop after a few pages!

[Moredofbumsnet]

I have dc2 who is 6 in y2 and is on 'juniors' which means anything they fancy from the library if the teacher okays it. She reads only about one school book a week but tons of others that I don't really keep track of. The reason she only reads one school book a week is that she is supposed to read aloud to me and I ask her questions and meanings of words. I wouldn't have time to sit through more than one Steve Cole or M.Morpurgo a week as dc1 also reads the same sort of thing aloud to me. I think one paperback a week is fine. About one chapter a day.

[mrz]

Why do people believe that books have to be provided by the school?

[SunflowersSmile]

My ds year 3 enjoys reading and mainly ignores school books [which are not pushed at all with him] and puts own book/ library book whatever in his book bag. He is read with rarely and as he 'can read' I think that is fine. He has guided reading still [I think].
He is allowed to pick any book from school library and last week came home with a simple flap book! Who cares- he wanted something fun and easy...

I have to confess to being more stressy in Reception with ds1 and I am much more relaxed with child 2.....

[PolkadotCircus]

Exactly Mrz I don't see how school is holding the op's dd back with just 1 book a week. Sometimes it's quality not quantity and there are 101 places for a child to get reading material from.

Having said that re these early readers I do think more could be done but it isn't a case of sending more books home.

I think schools need to send book lists of recommended reading material coupled with reading targets and questions/focus to concentrate on for parents when hearing said able reader read.

I also think schools need to up their game re reading material in schools(but it costs money)and have more involvement in what able readers read.At our school you're just left to do your own thing which is fine for me but not for parents who have zero background in literacy.