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'm with Christina - you aren't trying to score points, you are trying to ensure that your DD is reading books that are appropriate for her - either for her decoding or for other higher-level skills and preferably for both.

Just ask, not aggressively, if it would be possible to have a chat about your DD's reading books - and ask whether it would be best to bring DD so you can all do some reading together, or whether she would prefer a parent / teacher chat.

Then use exactly the words Christina has, in a totally non-accusatory way...which may be difficult if you have been making comments in the reading diary in a very different tone, but try to set a new, positive tone for this particular conversation.

I can certainly try the "can you check my daughter's reading, she's reading treetops unaided" approach. But from the teacher's past responses to what my daughter has read given the lists I've written, the teacher doesn't care. I can't see why she would care now if she didn't before.

My blow by blow examination of my daughter's reading abilities is more to show in live detail that she can do it in the manner witnessed and that she should have completely different reading books. So, in a manner of speaking it is a kind of point-scoring.

But she must care, she is a teacher. It's her job to care. There must be a communication breakdown somewhere. But I would approach cautiously, with respect to the teacher, or not at all .

simpson blue Jolly Phonics books are roughly Turquoise ORT

jollylearning.co.uk/gallery/jolly-phonics-readers-and-book-bands/

Thanks mrz, makes the jump to gold level not so unrealistic then (although she coped with it fine). Tbh I think she was pleased to be off the JP books (as was I!!)

freetrait, I'm not intending to give the teacher any sort of grilling, but just to examine the child's reading abilities. Ultimately if she doesn't help I've not lost anything. Next year it will be a new teacher.

Ok, but I would still put your gun down before you go in .

I'll give myself a refresher on Dale Carnegie's Win Friends before I open my mouth. He was always the best at these things.

But L&S, you've just said that you've only had one discussion with your dd's teacher about her reading this year. That's not many 'past responses' to go on.

I wonder if the disparity between the amount of time you spend on MN pitching battle with reading schemes/school policy/your dd's teacher and the number of times you have actually done something constructive like speak to her teacher is because you're completely aware that you have a different definition of 'reading' to that of your daughter's teacher, and your previous discussion didn't go the way you wanted it to?

Just a thought. Happy to be corrected.

Sorry OP, also meant to say you sound pretty sorted and hope that it goes well tomorrow.

Take your DD with you! Then not only can she demonstrate 'live', but also, since you no doubt always model respect for, politeness to and happiness about your DD's teacher in front of her, it will keep you in the right 'mode' IYSWIM?

At my daughter's school they read every book at every level. I did find this frustrating to start with, but DD (now yr 1) is such a good reader that I've started to think they might have a point. It has been a very smooth, stress-free process, which is what we want isn't it? Even if it is extreme reading every book in the series, I can't say it has held her back. She reads loads of other books of varying levels, according to interest. I feel like she is thriving in the school.

I do find your posts strange learnandsay. Reading is not a competition or a race. If you are lucky it is a lifelong joy. Your disdain for your child's teacher and the reading scheme books is bound to be obvious to your daughter. You seem determined to undermine them. Why do that?

Yes, teacher, thanks, I will.

christi, I don't think so. The teacher made it clear pretty early on how she wanted to do things. I don't think all the speaking in the world would have changed that. But now we're near the end of her involvement and what I'm hoping is that she can see that and is willing to re-evaluate in the light of the fact that next year my daughter will have a new teacher.

Patsy, I don't say the things that I type on mumsnet to my daughter!

Well if my daughter had to read every book on the reading scheme in order to progress I would be pretty pissed off and yes I would think it would be holding her back.

If your child is coming home with blue level books but reading Roald Dahl at home surely you would question the difference?

Yes you should question the difference but also trust the teacher if they say your child isn't ready to move up a level. It's not just about reading the words, there is so much more to reading than that and pushing them beyond their limit is only going to cause problems when they're older

blue is not her limit

We would need to find her limit before worrying about going beyond it.

According to you. Blue is still a year ahead of where she should be at this stage. Why isn't that good enough for you? Google reading descriptors and see if you still think your DD is ahead of that level

Even using the five mistakes per page test she goes way beyond blue.

Agree with finding her limit (which is why I do think you should check out Oxford owl to level her) having said that I don't know my DD's level any more as she has not had a "proper" school reading book in months (thank goodness).

Blue is pretty bloody basic if a child is understanding Fantastic Mr Fox...

Just because she can read the words it doesn't mean she comprehends it bangs head against wall

I don't know my DD's level either Simpson

I thought blue was mid yr1 so 6 months ahead....

No, ORT has a general pattern of at what ages children should be reading which banded books. It does not specify which ability children should read which book. There is a big difference.