Do some schools hold some dc's back so others catch up?

[Whitecup]

Evening

My reception age dd is reading at red level. She wasn't a great reader when she started school. However she's really clicked with it, got the bug and went from red to pink in a month (oct). She's now a cracking little reader and I'm thinking she's probably ready to go yellow (she reads level 3/4 ORT books at home). So today I went in to school to change her books (she's read 4 red books this week changed by school) and have a nosey at a yellow book to see what they involved so I could put my case forward to the CT. I was shocked to see only red and pink books available. I noticed in her reading diary that she's not read a book with the CT or a TA, but to volunteer mums, this calendar year which also disappoints me as surely the TA/CT need to hear a child read to establish the level.

Do some schools play the catch up game to get all children to a certain level? Is there any benefit to this? Thanks

[BooksandaCuppa]

I think in most cases, seeker, antagonism towards wordless books by a parent is indicative of what will progress to a broader belief of 'I'm right, teacher is wrong'. Most people I know who've felt so strongly about wordless books have ended up moving their children around umpteen schools...

[mrz]

As a teacher I am antagonistic towards wordless reading scheme books ...they were originally produced as part of the look & say method to encourage children to use picture clues.
Having said that I love high quality wordless children's books for storytelling.

[exoticfruits]

'The move up together' comment is particularly silly- that would be an immediate cause for concern for the place they moved to.
I am always saddened by the fact that many DCs don't have a library ticket and a weekly visit - it all seems to hinge on the school reading book.

[Cat98]

My ds Is in reception, is still only 4 but is apparently working 2 years ahead in numeracy. I am glad they really don't seem to be holding him back at all. He frequently comes home telling me things he has been doing and I am amazed. His reading is also above average I think and again, they are not holding him back - quite the opposite; they have him on green band and only now is he confident with them, initially I had the problem that the school books were a little hard.
I have read posts on mumsnet that make me thankful for ds's reception teacher. I just hope they are as good further up the school!

[Cat98]

Agree with making full use of the library - I get books for ds for him to read me so I can assess the level and I usually go for slightly easier ones than he gets from school tbh. I also get longer books for me to read him (current faves include jill Tomlinson, 'my naughty little sister', the gaskitt books and bloody batman!)
So it doesn't really matter to me what level his reading book from school is (within reason, I'd be concerned if the level was wildly incorrect obviously) as its just another of the many books to read.

[projectsrus]

Well I have many years experience through one ofsted outstanding school and would say that differentiation has been very patchy, going from brilliant to virtually non-existant.

The book thing is a red herring, tbh it's easy for a teacher to give the right level book to a child. What is harder and more time consuming, is for example in Y3 making sure that the L4 children are being stretched and taught further, alongside the L2s, and L3s nd even some L1s..and anything in between, including all the huge range of needs and classes of 30+ - I don't envy those teachers at all, it is a nearly impossible job for a lay person like me and I am in awe of those who manage it.

So.........we have had teachers that have managed it brilliantly, especially with better cohorts, others that have done virtually no differentiation for the higher groups for things like maths especially. I don't know how they've got away with it with Ofsted. Equally one teacher especially was amazing and able to differentiate and motivate all children in her class, and I say this having had a number of children go through at different level of ability, so not the case of someone who things their pfb is a genius.

I still think if class numbers were much lower and there as more support in the classroom, even the weaker teachers would have a good chance, whilst in the current scenario they are set up to fail. Only my obervation though.

[BooksandaCuppa]

Mine wasn't a comment on whether wordless books are or are not a good thing, mrz (although I liked them - and they can be used at secondary, with high-ability cohorts, to extend comprehension); more on the idea that a teacher must be holding someone's pfb back and that there couldn't possibly be a good reason for the teacher doing something that they see a value in, even if the parent doesn't.

As with most things in life, it's good to take a balance view: sometimes differentiation isn't what it should be, and sometimes your child's teacher knows what's the right level for them. It's knowing when to query it that I'm sure is the most difficult thing.

[mrz]

I didn't send home wordless books when I taught reception BooksandaCuppa unless a child had language delay and them we used them to develop speech as a reading tool they aren't useful because there isn't anything to read.

[mrz]

then not them

[simpson]

Mrz - can I PM you?

DD had an assessment today and I want to ask you something if that's ok

[mrz]

of course