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[katepol]

dd1 has just turned 6. She is a happy, confident, well behaved, relatively quiet girl. She faffs with work, but generally just gets on with stuff, usually day dreaming for a while before rushing to finish the task.

Her reading is very good. She has been reading those delightful rainbow fairy books for ages, plus magic kitten, ponies, dr who comics/annuals etc. Her most favourite recent read is 'Sleepover' by Jacqueline Wilson.

Now, my issue is that school seem not interested in her reading. She is still on a readng scheme (purple level) despite being a free reader. Her books from school are about 20 pages with loads of pictures, compared with 100+ text-heavy pages from books at home. They just seem so easy.

Her comprehension is on a par with her reading ability. She can summarise her books, quote from the from memory, talk about what she likes and dislikes, how people are feelig in them etc.

Should I expect the school to be giving her something more challenging? TBH, she is happy just coasting (in all areas!), but it worries me that this skill is ignored and in doing so, she feels like her reading isn't especially good, when I think she should be feeling proud about it (school have not given her any certs/stickers for reading), even when other children get them for achieving a much lower standard...

So, should I say something? We mentioned this to her teacher, and she just said it was 'very nice' dd was enjoying books outside school .

Out our school they read in groups, so they can only advance as quickly as the quickest group IYSWIM.

It did frustrate me to start as DTDs were both confident readers (but not that confident) of some ORT books before they started school.

What worries you - that the school hasn't got the measure of her or that she isn't being extended in her reading. The latter you can tackle yourself. The former - well it's a thorny one. Unless you feel she really is not having her needs met and that it is affecting her learning she will be seen as a no problem child and therefore not warranting extra attention (IME).

Thanks ladies - Sprindora, I think it is both really. I asked the teacher for a reading list of suitable authors (as I was wary about books being the right level but content too old for her iykwim). Teacher was vague and said she couldn't help really. I thus would prefer the school was having some input into what would be 'good' for her to read - in terms of level, interest, building stamina, being exposed to different writing styles etc.

I also am not happy that dd seems to be overlooked for stuff because she is able but quiet. I don't like that itself (last yr dd took in one of her swimming certs so she could get given it in achievement assembly as the school hadn't given her anything, while her peers all had about 3 certs each (for 'good listening' or 'writing a sentence independently' - which of course she was already doing), but it also worries me for other areas. I know her reading is good, and I can help her with that. I have no idea how she is with other areas, and the school really just seem focussed on bringin the 'weaker' children up to standard, rather than helping every child reach their potential.

I am just being idealistic about this, or should I be expecting more from the school?

TIA

IME you will get limited support especially in a big school as their resources are stretched and those who are under target will get the most support. I share your frustration! If you think the resources are there, then plug away. If not, can you offer to volunteer in class yourself - might get your daughter a little more attention may be?

KAtepol it sounds as if yr DD is doing very well.

Yes, the thing is in a primary school the teachers have to concentrate on bringing the less able children up to a certain level - tho at the same time they should be stretching the more able ones.

It's a shame that yr DD has not had any certificates at achievement assembly - of course you realise that "trying really hard with his maths" really measns "he's not that good at maths but we want him to be encouraged".

Yr DD maybe doesn't need this but it's still a shame not to praise herhard work now and then. I wouldn't worry too much about the reading scheme books and just keep getting her to read what she wants.

If you have other concerns, maybe ask the teacher for another meeting and raise questions about how you can help her in maths or whatever.

I have my third child in primary school, and I have very few expectations of the education system. If a child is bright, coping and not causing a problem or being disruptive, they are unlikely to get any attention in a class of upwards of 30 children.
Dd gets fed up with the general level of bad behaviour in the class, and occasionally wishes she had somewhere peaceful to work, but on balance she just gets on with it. There are so many children with serious difficulties that teachers just seem to have too much to do.

Ta again.

I have started helping out in dd's class once a week, and it has made me feel worse about the class! It seems very chaotic, and the brighter ones really are left to just get on. Class of 30, lots of summer born boys, it isn't great...

I am wary about trying to tackle it again as I don't want to p*ss off the teacher (who is vey experienced, but a bit too nicey nicely for my taste). I know another parent in the school (diff class) with the same issue has, but had to go above the teacher to get anything done.

Does it matter? I can keep bolstering dd's self estem by telling her she is doing well, and she knows that she is by comparing herself, it is just that the school don't want to recognise it... She can always read 'proper' books at home and we can talk about them...

It will be interesting when dd2 goes to the same school, she is (I think) brighter than dd1, but temperamentally very different. If she isn't given what she thinks she needs, the teacher will know about it - will be interesting to see how that is handled

I'm getting similar problems with my dd the same age and I also have a similar dd2 who will start there next year-I'm sure she will get a little more attention but at the end of the day most of what the school has to do is remedial as far as I can see. If they are able, then 99% of the time they are left. Also the areas that she ISN'T so great at (I.E has to work at it to get it), gave my dd1 the impression that she is no good at that, because she is really good at another thing!!!

Our local library runs summer schemes with little prizes and certs doled out at school in Sept-sign up for that if poss.

There are lots of nice books though that don't have to be about boys and makeup that are challenging. Old-fashioned books-Enid Blyton, Stuart Little and Charlotte's Web, and Little House in the Big Woods and on the Prairie have been hits with us, and now I've got my eye on some others (?secret Garden ?Waterbabies. House at Pooh corner and Alice in Wonderland. DD2 is enjoying me reading the "Sophie" books by Dick King-Smith, not my fave but they like them and dd1 could read those.

I'm not sure it's such a bad thing though to also carefully read a short book from school with you-apparently it's the parent interest with what they are doing in school that makes a difference to kid's learning.

Yes the same happens in my daughter's school. The ones who need help get it, the very top are given extension work (and I think left to get on with it), the middle, upper/middle ones just coast. The only answers are to give the child harder work yourself (ie Bond books etc), send them to groups such as Explore Learning, or Kumon -- or if you can afford it, consider independent school. They do stretch children of all abilities far more, from my own personal experience. But then you're paying for that!

I wish I knew - I have the same problem!

I think it's very much up to you, and how important it is to you. And also depends on the character of your child if she's focused and gets on with work herself anyway, without getting distracted doesn't matter so much; she will do well whatever the environment ... Mine doesn't - I have to nag her to do anything, or she just takes the easiest route! She needs to be somewhere where she is extended and encouraged to focus!

I think the school should be doing more for your daughter, especially as she has a talent for reading.

He who shouts loudest gets heard. Ok, you might piss the teacher off, what is the worst that could happen? she could talk about you in the staff romm - do you care, try and avoid you when she see yous - be forthright and she will soon get the message.

It sounds as though you have tried the nicey nicey approach.

Make a list of your concerns arrange a meeting and go through them with her. If things still do not happen as you wish them to take it further. This is your dd education you have a right for her to be educated and to have an input into that. The way I see it with some teachers is, they are all for parental input to a certain point then they want you to back off at their point.

Do what you feel is best

I've come to the unhappy conclusion that the state system is buckling under the strain and that realistically the teachers can only do so much with the resources they are given. My children have just moved to a much much smaller school as we have relocated and therefore the school is better resourced. (I am playing a waiting game a the moment to see how well they have read my kids). If you have that option, perhaps you could consider moving your daughter to a smaller primary school.

Similar problems with DS, he is in year 1 and is reading the year 2 books but still very easy, have spoken to teacher and she says if he reads the harder year 2 books now what will he read when he reaches year 2. He only missed being in year 2 by a few days so I can't see the problem.

That sounds like a rather short sighted teacher! I know it must be easier to have them all the same stage together but it soo doesn't reflect reality. Is she very inexperienced? I'd be a little more assertive about that one as it surely isn't a resource issue.

Have been there before with older DS, sometimes it seems that the more you complain the more they dig their heels in. At the moment just going with the flow, he reads the school book, I fill in the home/school diary then we get on with a decent book.

She seems experienced enough but still fairly young. I do worry that if he is not sufficiently stretched in school he will begin to behave badly (I feel a bored boy can become a naughty boy)

And if you feel like I do there is the issue of what is school for if they are not extending them?

They do not want to extend them too much as KS1 is limited by a glass ceiling to level 3 at end of year 2 so they try to hold back so there is some value added for KS2 to give (also a glass ceiling at level 5)

But what a sad reflection on our schools then -- if they don't want to extend our children too much, just incase they break through the glass ceiling of a level 3 at the end of year 2! Would that really be soo terrible?

It would be terrible for the school-their "value added" score on the published league tables will be lower.

so they deliberately down grade the ks1 children so the junior value added (which is the one in the league tables) looks better