Yr 6 listening to younger children read

[Fruitflylady]

I'm not sure what to think about this. My DS, in yr 6, was asked recently to hear a yr5 boy read a few times a week. I'm fine with this as it's a nice thing to do, shows the school thinks well of him, and he's helping this lad out etc.
However, last week he was asked to also listen to some yr3 kids reading and it seems he is now doing this every day of the week for about half an hour at a time.
It seems to me that the school are now taking advantage of him and he is at risk of missing out on his own education,, which is especially important in the run up to SATs.
What do you guys make of this? Should I approach the school and what should I say?

Paired/peer reading is quite common. What lessons is he missing to do this & did he volunteer or was he asked to do it?

Ours Year 6's have always done it. I think it's lovely. Great for building self esteem for all involved.

Every day for half an hour seems a lot. When does he do this? When he is meant to be in lessons with his own class, or when he is meant to be playing?

I think this is a really good thing. You understand a concept much better when you have had to articulate your reasoning to someone else. It's also, as the other posters said, really good for the children's self-esteem. It can be hard in school to find time to stretch high-achievers. This is a really positive tactic.

He misses various lessons; ict, drama, science, pe, depending on when they need him. He doesn't mind doing it; he was asked and said yes so he's not being forced, it's just that I think every day seems a bit excessive.

Every day is excessive. And he shouldn't be missing his own lessons. Ds1 did this at primary but it wasn't regular and it was whole class so no children were missing out on their own education.

And someone in a position of responsibility asking a child to do something isn't often something children feel comfortable saying no to. Nor are children likely to be able to assess the impact on their own education to make an informed decision anyway.

And depending on when they need him isn't right! They shouldn't ever need him to randomly miss his own lessons.

I would certainly speak to the school.

That's rediculous. I agree it is a good experience, but DS shouldn't need to miss his own lessons. Maybe 1 session a week which fitted into break time would be find.

Half an hour per day - piss take imo. Using him as a TA.

Our year 4, 5 and 6 all read with a year 1, 2 or 3 every day but only for 15 minutes straight after lunch. I wouldn't be happy with him missing his own lessons to do it though

It's a good thing to do but half an hour a day is too much imo

He really cannot do 30 minutes a day and miss his own lessons! Is he ahead of his class so the school has decided he doesn't need teaching? Or his mind expanding with science and drama? It is excessive and wrong. If it was a reading club at lunch time, say twice a week, then ok. It is good to help other children but not this much! Can you charge him out???? (Joke!)

Thanks for your responses guys, I agree I think they are taking the piss and I will have a chat with his teacher next week.
Antiquitty, yes I agree that it would be hard for him to say no to a teacher asking him to do something, so I don't think they've given him much choice really.
I may have to ask how much they are planning to pay him!!

I think you also need to make sure you have the correct facts.
Its common in lots of good schools, but structured and planned and controlled

We do this from time to time. They're not necessarily "missing" anything. Sometimes it is volunteers, sometimes it is whole class.

Its no different to having ' play leaders' in the playground during break, really. It's something that is taken seriously and requires a degree of commitment, makes the older ones feel more grown up. In no way is it being a T A !
I can't see how that would be detrimental to the OPs son. It was his choice to do it, so presumably he likes doing it. It's about enough time to hear 2 or 3 readers.
Not all lessons to be learned have to be academic. I'm quite sure if there was something he needs to be in on, in class, they would not send him to do it. Maybe it is for a fixed time, not all term.
I think it is sad you want to make a fuss about it tbh.

It is very different to having play leaders in the playground! That is play time! This is lesson time! He is giving up his education in large amounts. It is great to help and obviously a kind child would do this. That is not to say he should have been asked to do this much. Lunchtime reading club - great! Like a play leader!

Thats why I suggested checking facts about what he's 'missing' as I cant imagine his own education is being sacraficed

It wasn't necessarily his choice if he was asked to do it. At ds's school those roles are all voluntary.

Our upper school has a slightly different break time to lower school and different playgrounds. The children go through training to be playleaders.
The reading is generally voluntary (occasionally done as a whole class, when everyone has to do it), children are asked, like the playleader roles, whether they would like to do it. Ours actually do it for about 20 minutes, usually straight after afternoon break. It is a not a whole year job.

When I was at primary we used to do this, I missed PE (which I wasn't allowed to do anyway) and the 15 minutes after lunch where everyone else was doing quiet reading. I quite enjoyed it, but then by year 6 I had decided I wanted to be a teacher.

Missing half an hour a day seems extreme though, how good are DS' time keeping skills? Could he actually be arriving back in the classroom as lessons are starting? I know my DC have no concept of time and DS (yr8) often tells he how he's been waiting half an hour for x when actually he means about 3 minutes.

Our DS in Yr2 sometimes had a Yr6 'reading buddy' - the only problem, sometimes he was reading better than her!