Suppose you had just found out that the other kids in DS' Y1 Class

[TwigTwoolett]

all had reading books and records that they brought home every week ... that teacher wrote notes on how they read in class in, and parents wrote notes on how they read at home

and they'd had them for 4 or 5 WEEKS

and your child didn't have one (hadn't had one since Reception last year)

What would you think /do?

Now you are all beginning to worry me. It is the policy at our school that in Y1 they do not read to the teacher at all. It is all guided reading in groups. He reads to DH or me daily though.

She is 2nd year in the job and no she didn't show me her records .. when I asked in the meeting about if other kids were affected she said she'd have to check (which shocked me as I assumed she would have checked all her records right after our phone conversation)

DH and I feel we have put too much faith in educators as professionals .. we thought people were exaggerating / interfering when they felt they had to push for their children and bug the teachers .. we are both graduates but not educators so what do I know?

Fortunately our school has an open door policy

I am about to use it .. A lot

am very grateful for support and continued advice as am slightly out of my depth

Ours is a definite policy I went to a class parents meeting (at 3pm on a Weds so half a day holiday) and the teacher explained it as such.

Apologies twig for hijacking. Although your comments about putting too much faith in educators has also given me food for thought.

Bozza, I think that that is different: schools do have different ethos/strategies etc. your school has explained its strategy, and I'm assuming that in general you are satisified with the aims/ethos of the school. To a certain degree one has to trust thatthe school strategy will work. In Twig's case so far I'm not sure that there is a strategy, or at least one that has been clearly set out so that parents can understand it.

When I looked at local schools they were all very different in approach, and I do believe that a variety of approaches can work (and think that it is great of parents can choose the school ehtos which suits their family). But there is an element of trust in all of this, as frankly I don't really understand how it all works for each child.

I often take MIL's name in vain on here - but she was an excellent teacher and she prided herself on making sure all her charges in Reception could read confidently by the end of the year. Daily reading with parent helpers and/or TA the norm, she heard them all at least once a week in person.
I think you are right to be concerned Twiglett, I would be very, very anxious and upset about this as the seeming full facts of the matter emerge. And I am a Mner who is basically disposed to trust and respect my children's teachers until I have incontrovertible evidence to the contrary.
Good luck with sorting this out and to you too pamina for all that extra childcare cover!

It's the fact that the teacher doesn't seem to have an organised approach to reading that would worry me, as others have said. Like Bozz and Pamina3, in DS2's Y1 class they never read their individual reading book to the teacher, after an initial assessment - they just read in groups. This doesn't bother me because DS2 is a fluent reader. But it would bother me if my child was one of the the half the class not really reading much yet.

Good luck at your meeting, Twiglett - let us know how you get on.

Yes singersgirl I think that. DS is reading OK (not really fluently but improving) and we do insist on his reading book everyday. But my friend's DS (July birthday and round here they don't start until January) is not reading at all - so what good is guided reading to him? Apparently though they have a catch up scheme next term.

But twig has mentioned that her DS is a reluctant reader so presumably does need the teacher input that he has not been receiving.

Well done for standing up for your child!! BTW Do they go on a different floor to their class room for the toilet on their own??

It has taken me until a fortnight ago to realise it is up to us to tell our son when to change his book. SO far this term his reading record only has 2 instances of him reading to a teacher. Personally I think this isn't enough. It bugs me that the teacher just says she is happy with his progress and won't say where he is in class in relation to abilty at reading.

Twig -- Just for your reference on Yr1 reading. My DD does MIN 1 group reading and 1 individual reading with teacher each week. She also reads with a parent helper most weeks. Every reading session is noted in her reading record with comments on how she read! This is on top of the literacy hour they have every day. She is also brings home her book and reading record for us to read with her every day as well. BTW my DD is in a class of 30. In reception she was read with more often (also a class of 30) more like 3x a week.

Doesn't sound as if your teacher is keeping up!

Am just (again) catching up with this thread as both DD and I have been ill I don't know much about schooling yet (DD only 17 mo) but what I do know is she is lieing to you and you do right to take it further and speak to Head of Literacy.

I don't think you are out of your depth - you seem to know exactly what to say/ask and you are entitled to as a Mother - you are putting your trust in them ffs! Reading is a fundamental skill!

Glad to hear your friend is a governor and so is watching closely but I still think, post meeting with HOL if you don't get anywhere/feel better, I'd speak to the Head. I think the situation warrants it - not like you stomp off and speak to him/her at every opportunity.

I am really pleased you noticed it though otherwise it could have gone on for ages. She needs her socks pulled up big style (teacher that is).

still waiting for phone call from Head of Literacy

Just to warn you Twig, I reckon it'll be the end of the day now - she'll have finished her lunch and be back in the classroom. Unless they have assembly at the end of the day or she has PPA time it'll be 4ish before you hear anything.

Texted a couple of teaching friends earlier and it seems that once a week in Y1 is not unusual to hear them read. If the class teacher is listening to them once a half term and during literacy guided reading it seems normal ish. Both my friends said that they personally don't have time to do it more than that but their TA or parent helper will do it every week. FWIW, as a teacher I felt I had to hear them read individually because guided reading is a) a very short session, b) doesn't suit every child and c) isn't a realistic impression of their reading abilty as the text is meant to challenge them. She can't possibly have a true picture of every child's reading ability if she never listens to them.

I also wanted to say, don't let this one bad teacher put you off all teachers - PLEASE!! I think you are right to trust them and most teachers don't need to kept on top of. This one sounds particularly awful, though - hopefully this will encourage her to be a bit more professional.

Oh, is there any way you could become a parent helper in the class? Then you'll have a much better idea of what's going on and what she's like!!! It might put the wind up her too!!!

Have just missed call from Head of Literacy .. as I had to pick up DS from Football club .. you were right it came at 4.45

Anyhoo .. DS now has reading record and a book about owls .. how funny is that .. (check out my halloween name)

Teacher has written in book already "XX, I am very impressed with the way you have read the beginning of the book to me. I like the way you are carefully sounding out each letter to help you say the word"

so that's a huge improvement straight away

oh and by the by DS chose to read a book to DD this morning in my bed which has never happened before so I'm very happy

Oh, can you imagine the essays she will start to write for you Twig:

"You were exceptional today, mini Twig. The way you read the word 'disambiguation,' pronouncing every letter then every syllable and then finally the whole word. I was moved. Astounded even. For one who has only had a Reading Book for four days you are doing very well indeed. You should be proud. As should your mother, who we all know is a hideous interfering old bat with a desire to secure 'private quality' at 'comprehensive prices' when we all know that that is a sad impossibility when you consider that nigh on half your class has SEN, ESL, Statements-a-plenty and only one (frightfully unpredicatble TA). I was at my mother's last weekend (she lives in Bournemouth) and I read aloud to her. You see it never stops, mini Twig. It never stops."

Glad that at least the immediate problem is sorted out, and that DS wanted to read this morning. Keep us updated on what Head of Literacy says.

I hope they grovel suitably!

Good to hear ds is sorted and everything that should have been in place, now is.

Can you imagine a child who parent doesn't take much interest?

oh twig just seen this thread....how awful, but i think you can rest assured that your ds will be heard over and above the other children in the class now .! some teachers need a kick up the ass and i am speaking from experience. (as one). it is true that with the format of the national literacy strategy, group reading is all that is required, once a week! its disgusting tbh and any competent, conscientious teacher would MAKE time to hear individual readers. i used to do mine at lunchtime which was pants but absolutely necessary and aimed to hear each child at least once a week. it is no good to simply send the kids a book home then take your word for it that they have read it fine and then change it. they have to TEACH reading fgs. if there is a fulltime TA then she could hear children read individually at times like carpet-time. its not ideal, but this is really the only time available in an already overpacked timetable. it would be rubbish if you were told that she couldnt do this. there's loads of carpet-time/storytime, expecially in year one.

anyway, hope things improve. she does sound a bit lazy and an excuse maker to me.

If anyone's interested I would like to present :-

A day in the life of a Yr1 TA - 12th October 2006

8.50 (even though I officially start at 9.00) Get fruit washed for break time,
unload dishwasher in staffroom,
check timetable for today,
quick word with teacher.

9.00 - 9.20
clean dog shit off a shoe,
calm two crying children,
clear up leaky drinks bottle from floor and child and dry books, bag etc,
supervise group of children doing handwriting task,
settle argument,
go and find register as not arrived,
clear away tables of equipment ready for setting up new stuff for literacy hour.

9.20 - 10.20
literacy hour.
start changing reading books,
assist two children during carpet time,
take a group for literacy activity, record progress,
tend to two children who bumped heads (ice packs, accident book and letters for home),
clear up after literacy (water all over floor , sand and washing up liquid disaster (don't ask)),

10.20
20 mins TEABREAK!! ha! ha!
just time to get fruit and milk out for kids,
refill paper towel dispenser,
raid stationery cupboard for glue sticks,
photocopy sheets for numeracy,
quick chat in staff room, tea in one hand and preparing sheets for laminating with the other.

10.40 - 11.00
playground duty. 20 mins of 'he punched me first', 'they won't let me play', and overflowing toilets to sort out.

11.00 - 12.00
numeracy hour.
clear up squashed fruit and milk spillages,
try to squeeze in a couple of reading book changes while everyone settling down,
sit with two children on carpet for mental starter,
take them aside for some catch up activities,
take group for numeracy activity, record progress,
clear away activities,
check what needs to be set out for later.

12.00 - 1.00
Lunch but first need to spend time with teacher to discuss morning's progress, incident at playtime that needs talking through, strategies and schemes we will be using after half term to help low achievers, focus for this afternoon's topic work.

1.00 - 3.00
a blur involving lots of paint and mess, laminating, finishing changing reading books, backing work for display, more photocopying.

3.00 - 3.30 (unpaid)
doing all the jobs I didn't get around to during the day!

Sorry to go on but I just can't see in our school where we would fit in listening to readers on a regular basis. I would love to but apart from group guided reading once a week we rely on parents to listen to the children read.
No parent helpers in our class I'm afraid.

By the way, the point of listing my day was so you could see how the hours are filled, not me trying to tell you how hard done by I was, I love my job!

.

I would love to go into DS's class and listen to the children read but I have got DD.

Egypt DS was read with his reception teacher on a lunchtime but nothing at all this year.

Where's the hamster: that really sums up why I love working in a school - I always wonder what a truly honest job description for a TA would be like! It's probably why I never actually got one until I started working with the computers - and even then I had to write it myself.

Twig - pleased that she is spending some time on your DH . At least that has improved!