DCs starting a new school after half term...what do I take? Should I mention G&T?

[FishfingersAreOK]

Due to a move my DC (YR & Y2) are starting at a new primary school on Monday. When we left their old school on Friday I was given all of their work/folders/old reading records etc.

Not so worried about YR stuff but should I take Y2 literacy/numeracy/handwriting stuff in with us for the first day for the new school. Or would that look...er....I don't know...unnecessary? Would it be useful or just a pain?

Also, Y2 is on the Gifted and Talented register for her reading. Not sure how this has actually benefitted her tbh. She doesn't know she is on the register. We are not that bothered in many ways. We were happy she was being stretched at her old school - and she was happy and thriving. So again, is there any need to mention it? The new school is bigger, and one of the appeals of it is there will be more peers for DD (Y2) of a similar academic ability - rather than her being pulled into Y3/Y4 classes. If I don't mention it will it seem odd? If I do will I seem pushy? Does the G&T transfer to a new school IYSWIM or will it just be dependent on the others in her year.

These are probably all questions I should have asked the school(s) last week but we only found out they had places on Thursday and everyone agreed beginning of the half term was the sensible time to start....but has left me with very little time to get my head around it!

Not sure if posting in correct area....Oh....blasted half term

I agree, freetrait, I do need to speak to her, but only when she's in the process of relinquishing my daughter!

So you've just written passive aggressive notes in 'the child's' reading diary? I don't understand why you haven't spoken to the teacher about it OR why you're forcing 'the child' to read blue level books when they're obviously so far beneath her. I'd have abandoned the reading scheme months ago if I were you

I pushed the YR teacher quite near the end of the year to get DS onto a Stage 10 book, partly so I could show the new Y1 teacher that that's what his YR teacher had given him (rather than me!). If I was in your position, never mind what has happened up to now, I would be talking to the teacher now and getting the right level reading book now rather than waiting/getting blue books for another half a term.

Not really, bob. When we had to read yellow books we read an odd mishmash and had almmost no Boff & Chopper (I remember two).

When we went onto blue we got the standard fare and my daughter started acting up with the Boff & Chopper ones. I don't force her to read, or even look at them.

Yes, precisely, freetrait, that's what I'm planning to do for those exact reasons.

Can you ask for non fiction books if they insist on plodding through the reading scheme?

So that, say you get a basic book on spiders, you can do more at home? Look up facts on the Internet etc...

Does your DD know how to use an index, glossary, contents page etc?

Just thinking aloud of how you could extend her with pants easy books...

Talking, face to face and at a booked time, is always the best option. No possibility for misinterpretation, the ability to look at your dd's assessment records and even hear her read.

If the entire school staff insist on ploughing through the scheme book by book then I'll ignore school books and "just do my own thing."

But for lots of reasons I think the chances of that happening are minimal. I expect this book by book approach to end at the latest at the end of the school year.

Good luck!

Why not try her on some scheme books on Oxfordowl or something so you can pitch it right? Otherwise it's a bit vague- ie my DD can read these blue books very easily and reads x,y,z (real books) at home, is a good starting point but still vague. But, if you have a scheme book or two that she can read well then I think that's easier for some teachers to get their head round where she's at.

For example:
www.oxfordowl.co.uk/Library/Index/?AgeGroup=5

With DS I had noticed the neighbour's (Y1) Stage 10 book, had a flip through and thought, oh DS could read that easily- so suggested that one and that series to the teacher .

I agree, teacher. But as a prelude to going into Y1. The teacher made it clear she wanted a scheme level book by book approach in Reception irrespective of what my daughter could do (or not do.)

Thanks, freetrait, much appreciated. My house is full of proper books that my daughter has read. I'll just pick a few for our after school discussion.

I agree with freetrait, if the teacher is so obsessed with reading scheme books it might be worth trying to level her yourself...they might listen more if you can say she has read stage 110 etc

The teacher will probably want to try your daughter on a book she hasn't seen before ... I would.

I'd be the same as mrz, if you brought a book in from home and told your child to read it I'd assume you'd trained her

I doubt they would want to put her from blue books to free reader, so it's worth finding a level you can agree on as an interim measure. Maybe she could jump to orange, then purple, then white before the end of term if she is able. Say a week or two on each? Then she won't have "missed" out if the teacher is worried about this. . I could send you some scheme books of each band if you like (serious suggestion, just message me).

What I'll do at first is take a selection of books from stage 9 to treetops in and explain to the teacher that my daughter read them almost nine months ago. The teacher will be free to test her on any of them. Then I'll explain that my daughter is reading Andersen and Dahl at the moment (which she'd have known if we could write in the diary.) Then (if still necessary) I'll invite her to select a suitable book of her choice from schoolbooks which my daughter hasn't seen before and get my daughter to read it to her. If, after that, the teacher doesn't put her on the correct level I'll start looking at my options. But I expect it'll be enough.

I don't think it would have worked earlier before my daughter was leaving YR.

I can't understand why you haven't raised it in 6 months, if I was so frustrated I'd have seen the lit coordinator and the head by now!!
And for the record - ds in reception was put on g&t while reading pink (just)... Because it was based on his comprehension, questioning, prediction... Not just decoding skills. He was skipped along and jumped areas of the scheme. Both my dts are at end of blue level at school but capable of more, eg they can read mr men books and others that the school marks as level 9. Unlike you I don't feel they are wasting their time with easy books, it has developed expression, spelling, knowledge if punctuation, 'reading' of pictures/ emotions... Also unlike your case they haven't complained or questioned it, they are enthusiastic about everything and I have faked enthusiasm for dull plot lines as they follow my cues in everything else. The end result is I feel they are both more than ready for y1 and have self esteem regarding their reading at a level I never anticipated!!

Fish fingers - hope the day goes well, you sound prepared, I'm sure the kids will have a great time and unless your dd is desperately shy the school will soon have a measure of her!

L&S, I have only one comment, which is please STOP with the " Boff and Chopper" and other "comedy" names for the books. It's really not funny, it makes you look like a dick and it makes your post look stupid.

Oh, and if your dd picks up on even a fraction of your disdain for the books, it's no wonder she doesn't like them!

That sounds very elaborate, L&S.

A simpler approach would be to say "would you mind checking my dd's reading please? She's reading books by Roald Dahl at home and I wonder if her current book band is right for her?"

If you don't agree with the teacher's assessment, ask her to explain it.

Be nice- easier to get dialogue if you are nice . Saying that she read them 9 months ago ain't that nice .

I would find something new that she can read now, pretty faultlessly, maybe one or two tricky words in several pages, now. Also, be prepared to compromise and remember that you and the school have your DD's best interests at heart. Perhaps they have a different perspective. DS's year one teacher was keen his reading didn't get ahead of his comprehension/higher level skills and she had a point. He spent a term in Y1 reading books of the level he had read 6-9 months previously, but this was right for him at the time. Once you get to a certain level it's not just a question of going up the numbers all the time.

Good luck!

DD was like babies DC, was put in G&T at the beginning of reception (blue level books).

Funnily enough that is DD's school reading book for the holidays (Mr Men books - 2 of them).

LandS - at drop off time tomorrow, ask for a quick meeting/chat with the teacher and do it whilst its fresh in your mind....

My DS1 is on G&T register and also SEN register.

Funny, I missed out blue and green books with DS . Mind you, he was doing RWI phonics books that I guess probably covered these levels, then he jumped to orange.

DD did jolly phonics books which finish at blue (although i think they are harder than ORT blue) she then jumped to stage 9...

I remember buying the odd blue/green scheme book (not phonics ones) and thinking that DS couldn't read them as he didn't know the sounds, so taught him them then jumped to orange where we met the good old Magic Key .