Really fussy marking with otherwise good work

[BinkyandFlip]

I'm not sure how to manage this. Ds is in Y4 and is pretty good at school work, not struggling particularly, but his teachers seem to be picking him up on every little tiny thing in his work.

For example we did some comprehension last weekend, together, which wasn't actually comprehension - there was a paragraph about caring for dogs, but the questions were not directly from the text therefore it was more about dog-related general knowledge or common sense I suppose.

Anyway we answered the questions as best we could and he wrote the answers. First off he's being told to do full sentences instead of just answering the question, which is printed alongside anyway, but that's Ok, I understand it.
Then he is being pulled up on the use of 'because', as in '...because dogs need to eat meat...' and asked to find another word instead? As?

There is one question which asks what would happen if you forgot to feed your dog.

He didn't know what was expected and so he wrote 'It would starve to death'. This was met with 'Why?'

Neither ds nor I understands what his teacher wants him to put for this. It seems totally bonkers, very obvious, nothing to do with comprehension and really for a child who has never owned a dog, I'm not sure how he's meant to know where to get a marrow bone from, or why you need to change the water every day.

None of this is explained in the paragraph.

Can anyone help?

But ho can a child infer from the text where you might find a marrow bone, or what might happen to an unfed animal, when the text contains no reference to either thing?

There was a similar comp a week or two ago about a girl writing a letter about her pet rabbit. From her description, you could infer that it was a rabbit, though it didn't say it was. It was just fairly obvious from the clues but still required careful reading and thought.

This one didn't contain clues and thus nothing could be inferred.

Also, (sorry), without being able to see the text, I would guess that being able to work out what a marrow bone is might be possible by reading round the phrase and making a good guess. Or alternatively, as others have suggested, looking it up.

What did you think we did, Narp? From those statements? Did you think we sat down and I told him what to write?

Possibly. But you've explained that's not what you did

Its copied from Scholastic literacy skills if anyone wants to look it up. Comprehension pupils book 1. (reading from bottom of worksheet)

I'm off now. This is getting unnecessarily combative. Not my intention

Ok.

Page 65.

Perhaps this thread has got too long and boring, I am sorry for that - I just wanted to moan I suppose. Thank you for your thoughts and input.

Onwards and upwards.

In science he will have been taught what living things need in order to grow and survive. However your answer is extreme. It's unlikely that the dog would die if he forgot to feed it once (which is probably why the teacher is looking for greater clarification) and would be hungry which you son can infer from experience (Lunch is late I feel hungry).

The comp exercise was terrible and we all know it . A marrow bone ffs - in y4

The questions sound like they'd be OK if it had been made clear that at this level the teacher expected a full sentence for every answer and to go beyond the text to make answers using general knowledge not in the text (in which case calling it "comprehension" is misleading!) - if she wants different questions answered to the ones written, why not just ask the questions clearly in the first place?

Have you seen the actual text?

Sounds like another example of how bonkers and over complicated teaching as become.

It sounds like the marking is more about the teacher having to demonstrate that she is meeting her targets to set targets for your DS.

I would expect a full sentence in reception never mind in Y4

But they don't expect a full sentence in a Y6 SAT.

shebird the whole of education has become exactly as you describe - it's more about the teacher having to demonstrate in written form to SLT/Ofsted that they are meeting their targets. The child here is simply a by-product.

In a marking 'workshop' last year, I was told that it was pointless to write 'Good' or 'Well done' on any work, ever. Every comment should be constructive praise ('You chose some great adjectives for this') or a target.

Personally, I think every child would value a 'You tried your best on this, well done, it was a pleasure to read' every now and then.

I have since left teaching.

A time limited test is very different to day to day expectations.

leccybill [confused}

I have seen it yes. It's next to me.

I think scholastic is probably to blame for this. The teacher might have used a better one, but maybe she didn't take much notice of what it said and how dodgy the questions were.

It didn't occur to us that the 'what happens if you forget to feed it' q meant just the once. That's not something anyone can really answer though is it? I mean presumably it would bark a bit or whimper and someone else might pity it and feed it instead.

It's a stupid question.

i can't believe people are justifying a dodgy comprehension exercise.

I think that asking teachers to give constructive feedback is a good development.
It can still be positive eg 'you used some really great adjectives'

I was a bright kid and I pretty much never had any feedback at all. All my work had a tick and well done or good work. I don't recall anything else ever certainly not at primary and not really until later stages of secondary.

I think that my DC are so much better taught than I was. I find some of their homework really interesting and the comments are helpful and constructive and show the teacher has actually read it. I often used to think that my teachers didn't because the comments were so generic.

DD (y4) has such a good understanding of what she is learning and where she needs to get to. She can tell you her targets. I genuinely think that is a positive development.

I hope it is OK to discuss homework with DC in Y4? I do because I like to! I never tell her the answer but I do ask questions to help her understand more or suggest where she can look it up.

actuallu mamadoc you sound great.

*actually

she can tell you her targets. I genuinely think that is a positive development.

I genuinely think this is a stupid pointless waste of time. Just imagine all the hours that have gone into writing her targets, recording her targets, teaching her her targets, assessing her targets, recording the assessment of her targets, statistical analysis of her targets.... and that is for just one child! never mind the rest of the class.

Is this actually what you want her teacher to spend her life doing? Is this what you want your DD to be doing?

I can guarantee all that crap about targets will not improve her eventual grades one single iota.

Obviously I disn't have the text in front of me but from what you've posted there is nothing dodgy about the questions or the expectation.

That's not something anyone can really answer though is it?

Of course someone (even an 8 year old) can answer "what might happen if you forget to feed a dog"

I also think specific praise is better and more valuable than "well done".