my child reads and write at top level, but her Phonics group is not!!!

[B4r4joon]

My daughter is a very bright child at Y1...she is reading and writing very well...however when it came to grouping them, she is not been located in the top group in Phonics, although she reads the same level and writes the same as those children on the top group. This is very confusing for her amd me, as I dont understand on what basis this happened. She can be at times shy and she observes her peers very well and learn from them as she is bi-lingual. In the gropu she is in now, the difference between the level she reads and the level of some other children is huge...perhaps 7 colour reading band!!!

This has affecte dmy childs confidence as she thinks she hasnt been good enough, or why she is reading the same book as her reading partner, and he/she is in another group. ALl confusing for me, I am gonna talk to the teacher tomorrow, and I dont know how to say it. i dont want to convey that I dont trust their judgment, but this is gonna hold my child back and crashes her confidence, as the groups are gonna stay the same until the end of teh year! Can I ask the teacher to move my child to the other group? Is Phonics the knowledge that they learn to apply to their writing and reading, so how can she read and write higher than her phonics knowledge? She is already reading sounds that she has not been officially taught, by working it out on herself....

What you're suggesting though is actually limiting a child's learning, learnandsay. Not something most teachers would be comfortable doing.

Well, yes. I can't see how that one is going to turn out well!

Maybe, Feenie. But at least we're studying soldiers. Before that we were having some kind of a fight. It's progress of a sort.

I can see why you think that. But it really wouldn't be a good thing for the child.

And a better alternative is what?

and the child at the back of the class thinks to him/herself he gets to do what he likes for being naughty think I'll try that

To gently open up the child's horizons - by many means, but not by colluding with him to see that you can always get your own way if you really want to. It's not a helpful lesson, and the lack of meaningful learning does him more of a disservice really.

not letting the child thump thump whack whack in the first place

Possibly, mrz. I suppose it depends on what we mean by do what he likes. We're studying the Great Fire of London. Initially the child doesn't want to join in. But now he's joining in because soldiers played an important role in trying to manage the fire. So he's joining in as a normal member of the class. Sounds OK to me.

And how do we stop him thumping and whacking?

For now!

If he is in yr2 and learning the Great Fire of London, he should already know that he cannot thump and whack at school.

It's like teaching a child thats its ok to have a hissy fit and they will get their on way....

OK, but this is a hypothetical child. Let's suppose his mother has just moved him from the school where the headmistress supplied violent children with plimsolls to throw at staff. And he has no idea that attacking his teachers is wrong!

by what he likes I mean "soldiers" only child 2 only likes moshi monsters and power rangers ...
A gentle reminder of the consequences if he continues thumping and whacking and a few minutes to consider his options out of thumping and whacking distance

Takes off learnandsay.

But surely the easiest option out of whacking and thumping distance is to stare out of the window and not do any boring history.

I'd struggle with moshi monsters and power rangers, but try to offer outlaws, mythical monsters and heroes as a substitute. But if it absolutely had to be moshi monsters and power rangers I think I'd be defeated.

Or, rather than give up straight away, I'd try to place a power ranger in the role of the Duke of York in Pudding Lane commanding the soldiers to pull the houses down. If that idea fell flat on its face then I'd consider defeat.

Staring out the window is rewarded by doing the work in his own time so no breaks

No breaks?! Gimme my ffin break, you
thwack, thwack.

no break for the rest of the week

Just you try and stop me going out!
thwack, crunch!!

What are you lot staring at?!!

Crack, crunch.

The thing is, learnandsay, that if you have to go to the lengths of bringing power rangers and Moshi Monsters into it you've basically lost the battle before you've started. The great fire is not actually boring or engaging material.

You've not been in many primary schools have you learnandsay

Sorry - that should say UNengaging.