Need advice about Y2 DS

[Smoodle]

Hello!

Have a meeting with DS's class teacher and SENCO next week and would really appreciate some help in understanding how behind he is and what interventions they should have in place.

He is in Y2 now, July birthday. At the end of Y1 he was 1a in maths but 1c in reading and writing. He failed the Y1 phonics test with a score of 19/40. He ended Y1 on blue books and is still on that level and not showing signs of being able to move up. I don't know what his NC levels are now as they will tell me next week, but the improvement in his reading and writing is so slight that I would be surprised if they've changed. His maths is definitely better though.

How far behind is he based on that info? We are getting really worried about him but his teacher is adamant that it's just a maturity thing and it will all just click at some point. Problem is that we have been waiting for this magic click to happen for ages now. He is otherwise a bright, articulate, bouncy little boy in fact he was put on the G&T list at the end of YR for his amazing understanding and interest in science. A year or so later and he is in the SEN register and we are really really worried. The big difference between where he is verbally and his progress in written work and reading is a huge red flag for us that there is an underlying problem that hasn't been picked up (dyslexia?) and we can't understand why the school aren't as concerned (it is a school recently rated "good" btw). They have very begrudgingly agreed to run some screening tests.

Would really appreciate some advice. How behind is he? What interventions should be in place? Are the school right and we are just fussing? Can some children just take ages for it all to click? What would you be asking the school to do in our shoes?

Thanks. Sorry for essay.

Has he had his eyesight checked?

Yes, he is very mildly long sighted but we only found out at the end of Y1. He wears glasses now. Also has a problem with eye tracking & we have exercises to do with him to help.

So that could be part of the problem the,especially with reading?

Wanted to recommend the Jelly and bean reading scheme to use at home, it is fantastic. I used it for both of my girls along with jolly phonic finger phonics and jingle when they were younger. Perhaps going right back to basics on reading at home?

I have a yr 2 at home now and reading regularly at home has REALLY helped. We do three mini sessions a day! The difference this has made is incredible really. I'll try and find link for Jelly and Bean books.

the eyesight issues will affect reading and writing greatly. How is he with individual phonics. ie if he only had to look at sh or ae etc would he know what they were? he is more likely to be able to pick them out even with eyesight problems if they are short but in the phonics test if the words are longer, more letters to mix up if his eyes aren't reading from left to right.

I agree with you, if there is a big difference between his verbal intellect and his written/reading/academic you know what I mean erm demonstrated intellect I suppose then it would indicate that something is wrong, it might just be the eyes or there could be more there but don't be fobbed off with 'it will click'.

He's badly behind. You're right to be concerned.

A year behind when you've only been at school 2 years is very behind.

School aren't concerned. He's your child, not theirs. How schools work is their concern extends to putting him in an intervention. And that's it. Then they can claim 'they did everything they could'

If he has eye tracking problems he almost certainly has convergence problems as well. This needs to be addressed before eye tracking. Check out engaging eyes for how to improve his convergence.

Sorry I don't think a 1a is two years behind at the end of year one. Me he expected levels for end of year one is 1b. So in fact he is one sub level above expectations.

Reading and writing being one sub level below is understandable is there is tracking issues. Now that the exercises and glass are in place this should help.

Not me he!? The!

RTFT, gallbladder.

Four children came to me in Sept Y2 reading blue books at a 1B/C. All received rapid phonics intervention immediately and are now working at 1A/B and reading orange books.

The lack of progress and intervention is very worrying here.

Thanks for getting back to me! Will have a look at the eye website.
I am quite confused with NC levels.
He was at a 1c level at the end of Y1. If he was making "normal" progress, where should he be now?
And if he was at an average level in Y2 what level would he be on at this point in the year? I.e. How far off is he from where he should be.
He loves books and being read to. I have tried doing more reading with him at home but he is VERY resistant to the idea, despite copious amounts of cajoling and bribery. The only thing that has worked slightly is doing paired reading on one of his science books.
He is getting extra phonics lessons at school and doing more reading with the TA.

"He's badly behind" - as a Year 2 teacher I wouldn't say that as 100% true fact and a little scare-mongering. Yes, he's behind, but as a summer-born I would assume he entered year one still working on EYFS curriculum, so has progressed onto National Curriculum during Year 1. At the moment he is not a year behind. The assumption is 3 sub-levels in year 2, so that would take him to a 2C, which is a single sub-level below the expected level of 2B. What you need to check the school is monitoring is that he is not falling further behind and is actually moving forwards at a rapid pace.

He didn't reach the expected level in the Year One Phonics Check, so you need to ask what support he is receiving to close that gap - we've had a lot of success with Dancing Bears. Improving phonetic skills will improve both reading and writing, but I would also expect some classroom support with writing. But none of that automatically indicates a child that should be on the SEN register to me. It is a child (like many others in various ways) that needs some form of targeted intervention.

I think, from reading your posts, that the issue with eye tracking is the biggest concern; now he has glasses and as he hopefully improves with the exercises there should be progress with reading and writing. Not seeing properly makes reading and writing really challenging and until that was addressed it isn't surprising your poor son had difficulties, but that means there is some catching up to do now.

By Y2 reading at home needs to be non-negotiable - it's vital that he gets 10 minutes practice every day. Expected level at the end of Year 2 is level 2 - an average child would be well on their way towards a 2c at the moment.

I think that was a bit harsh at me Feenie. I was going off this: www.greetlandacademy.org.uk/calderdale/primary/greetland/web/levels(5).pdf which would agree that he is not two years behind which is the point I was contesting.

Yes with tracking issues you would expect to be behind, and hopefully the glasses and exercises will help this.

I also agree there should be interventions in place to help with the phonics as he failed the test and is not on track to make the end of year two expected level.

You haven't read the OP properly, gallbladder - you misread the sublevels. Op's son is a 1c, not a 1a; you read the Maths level, not the reading and writing one.

The op said her son was a 1c at THE END OF YEAR ONE. That's only one sub level below expected levels isn't it?

However, if he hasn't made ANY progress this year then I supposed I would be a bit concerned. Although there may have been some slight regression over the summer which he's only just catching up with?

A year behind when you've only been at school 2 years is very behind

How is he a year behind exactly?

Thanks again for all the advice. I think I understand all the levels stuff more now and it will really help to be armed with that knowledge when going into the meeting next week.
I guess my next question is about what help he should be getting. He has extra phonics lessons and is reading daily (most of the time) with the TA. What interventions would you suggest in his case?

The issue is if he has not made progress - he is still reading blue books so that would suggest he has not. Op can't see any real progress in writing either. A child working at expected levels in Year 1 would be a 1c now.

If his reading hasn't progressed with intervention, and he remains on blue band books, then I would first of all ask about both the quality of the intervention and the delivery.

I would recommend either Phonics International or Dancing Bears.

Also the reading scheme - is the school using decodable books?

He's been bringing home Folly Foot Farm books which are part of the Jelly and Bean series I think.

I apologise again for not being clearer. The first paragraph was about maths and the second about reading and writing.

And I've just checked the book we've just read and the guidance on their website says it equates to blue and 1c, which means as I suspected, he hasn't progressed in reading at all :0(

I don't think it is as simple as to equate nc levels with reading bands.

That said this rings some alarm bells for me - he is above average in maths, has natural ability in science. All this 'boys read later and like numeracy, summer-born child nonsense' needs to be ignored imo - he is below the rest of his development in literacy the school need to work out what the issue is. Perhaps its the way it's taught, perhaps there is an issue that's causing this disparity. Get the right support in place and it will all click into place I'm sure.