Bit disappointed about the phonics test

[Campaspe]

Have read with DD religiously just about every day, and we've spent plenty of time at home going over phonics. She came home today and told me she struggled with a lot of the words, and the teacher had a list of the ones she got wrong. So, it sounds as if in spite of her best efforts, DD didn't pass the check.

We read every night. We sound out words. She likes books and stories. She knows her sounds really well, but gets muddled when putting them back into words. We've worked together on this, but it just hasn't clicked yet. In class, she reads purple books and her teacher hasn't mentioned any concerns.

I feel disappointed that after all DD's (and mine!) work, it just hasn't clicked yet. What more can I do? Will it just sort itself out? Does it really matter?

[FairyJen]

• tears not terms

[RikeBider]

Wow, I would complain about that teacher! What is she playing at?

[HarumScarum]

I think it's awful that they described it as a test. As far as DD and her friends were concerned, they were just doing some 1 to 1 work with a teacher which happens often anyway. And then they got a jelly bean. Some of these children are not yet 6 - they don't need to know they are being tested.

[maizieD]

She was very stressed leading up to it as they were told you need to pass it to get into year 2.

Unbelievable....

[AlienAttack]

fairyjen that sounds awful. But surely it isn't the test which is at fault, it is the teacher who chose to describe it in these ridiculous and stressful terms to your DD? I think we have to separate concerns about the test itself from how it was delivered by certain schools.

[mrz]

and of course all those words are 2 syllable words learnandsay so too dificult for the check apparently.

[mrz]

FairyJen you can't blame the screening check for the stupidity of your child's teacher/school.

[Elibean]

I am very happy to say that dd2 didn't even know she'd taken the test. They certainly didn't use the word 'test', they just "went into Mrs X's little room and read some silly made up words" and dd really enjoyed herself.

If it had been remotely like Fairy's dd's experience, I would be furious too. As it is, I'm relieved and pleased that the school kept it as it should be - utterly low-key.

Oh - and the parents weren't aware it was happening either. It was just part of their day.