Does this sound right? Year one reading

[Northlondonma]

My daughter is in year one and they read in groups once a week. She brings home her book and tells me that she gets to read one sentence out of the book each week. Does that sound right to you? She doesn't seem to do any one on one reading only in weekly group. Parents evening next week so didn't know whether to bring it up or is this just normal?

'Children can often read with an adult who can read at home. Schools should be providing something more.'

Something more than reading? What do you think has a higher priority than reading?

By the way my comments on dress up days were sarcastic. There are not many people who think that theme days are more important than reading. They can have dress up and theme days and all that at home. Instead they have all the fun stuff at school and the parents then have to buckle down with the reading and tables at home, when the children are tired! It's very topsy turvy.

Frustrated my 'more' referred to more specialist expertise (as in professionally trained) in assessing and extending a child's progress.

I did wonder whether you were being sarcastic with regard to dress up days. However sarcasm can be hard to judge from posts, so I erred on the side of caution and assumed you were being serious.

I agree with you, it does seem rather topsy turvy to me too.

And I do think teachers should be accepting more responsibility for the teaching of reading, not just trying to push this responsibility onto parents.

They are accountable, in that they are paid to do their work.

They are professionally trained in educating children.

Of course parents can help their child to read. My DC first began to read at 2 years. Was fluent by Reception age. However when children come across any difficulties and many do, an expert eye can be of great value to encouraging their progress.

I could have done with some ideas from an expert on how to extend my own DC's reading, whose decoding was fluent (no matter what was put in front of them) but whose understanding was age appropriate. Instead the class teacher struggled trying to find the correct level of ORT to supply us with! Which was difficult because ORT assumes a certain amount of life experience (needed to understand themes etc) at a certain reading / decoding ability.

Capsium, we probably agree on a lot. But I've learned it's unrealistic to expect more reading from teachers. All sorts of reasons will be found why it's not manageable, even though it is THE most important academic skill. It's easier to put your hands up and go quietly, accept it won't happen, and organise parents to do it themselves. As I say, a rota does raise the bar of the class.

Frustrated

I'm not sure a parent rota does raise standards in all cases. Especially where parents read with children anyway. It might appear to, everybody being very positive regarding what is happening and this being very encouraging, but if it is not backed up by sound teaching I wonder whether these children do any better in the phonics screening. Are there any figures to suggest this is the case?

My fear is that, if parents continue to provide this service, teachers begin to rely on it and not all parents in all schools in every year group are able to. If there were no such volunteer service, children not reading in school would be starkly apparent.

Added to this teachers need to actually see individual children read to assess them well. The more they do this, the more accurate their assessment is. If reading 1 to 1 is effectively outsourced, it is all to easy for a teacher to neglect reading regularly, in person, 1 to 1 with each pupil.

Yes, it really does capsicum. It's all practice, practice, practice. I don't know about figures? But the teachers won't do it, and they rely on the parents already. I would give up hope all that front.

My experience is that classes with reading rotas have 'higher' readers than classes without. Really helps with classes where there are a lot of EFL children too.

Sorry, I got your name wrong.

This:
I don't do guided reading with my Y1 class and do hear every child read a book at least once a week in addition to reading in class.

is unusual.

And that's only once a week! Trust me, it's not going to happen with a teacher.

Frustrated I'm not the sort to give up hope very easily!

I have been told to, on too many numerous occasions and have been absolutely right not to give up hope, because what I have hoped for has only gone and happened!

'higher readers' in class, if not backed up by official assessment results, could be the result of the positivity I mentioned. Plus children will get through more of the books in a linear scheme, if used, which IME one usually is.

How do you mean, it has happened? Have you persuaded a teacher to read with the class one on one every day? I'm impressed!

I'd like to see the stats that show that a child who's read with more often does less well at reading. My own experience, of children who have a wider reading range and ability when they are read with more often, is not I am sure, unique.

How do you mean, it has happened? Have you persuaded a teacher to read with the class one on one every day? I'm impressed!

No, but I have been involved in other changes which have happened within my DC's school, which other's have thought would never happen.

I don't dispute the case of reading often. However I am concerned when this covers up a child not reading 1 to 1 with their teacher, very often, or at all.

How do you mean, covers up. You mean if the child progresses without the teacher, it's covering up the teacher's failure to read with the child? I think the progression is more important that the battle with the teacher.

Congratulations on the other changes. But if you ever persuade a teacher to read one on one with each child in the class every day please come and find me and tell me. I will eat my hat. !

If the progression is genuine, great. However some schools have been very shocked at the results of the phonic screening. Why? The results should not come as a shock, if children are regularly reading to the teacher and continually assessed.

Thankfully, convincing teachers to read 1 to 1 with my DC is no longer a battle I have to fight personally (older DC). However, if I can help facilitate a culture change, amongst teaching professionals and parents, I will.

Capsium I truly doubt you will. This is what's behind the awful drop in social mobility I think. If children don't have achieving parents, who will do all that reading etc at home, then they won't achieve themselves. Teachers won't do it, they resent the idea they should do it, they resent that parents think they can come in and do it 'even when they're not trained' (blah blah) and the result is - it doesn't happen, and children leave primary school without learning to read. It's been going on for years and years.

Doesn't mean you shouldn't keep carrying on though. Things do change in society, eventually. Little by little sometimes, but it does happen.

Every power to your elbow. I hope you succeed. I definitely think your principle is quite correct and you are definitely right on the value of it. I suppose I'm more pragmatic and battle-worn!

Ah, I've had to be warrior like in my time too. It's part of the reason things like this move me, I probably spend a bit too much time thinking about it all, sometimes.

It's nice, I liked talking to you. At least you'll know you did your bit.

Thanks, I've enjoyed it too Frustrated.

But if you ever persuade a teacher to read one on one with each child in the class every day please come and find me and tell me. I will eat my hat. !

frustrated did you see my post upthread?

My DC read 1:1 to a teacher or TA every single day they're in school. In their school it applies from nursery class, all the way through to Y6. Small class sizes help.

I read one to one with my Y1 class ... No guided reading or groups