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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

I start voluntary work at a primary school next week.

27 replies

celineblue · 08/11/2018 17:51

I start next week at a primary school. My main task to begin with is to read with a group of children who are struggling. (Mainly year 1 and 2's.) I am very nervous but excited to start. I have done work experience at the same school and wanted to do more. I've never worked with younger children before only the older ones. Is there any do's and don'ts when it comes to teaching children to learn how to read, or maybe some helpful tips to know about before I start? The only feedback I got the last time I was there was that I was very helpful, but the negative thing was that I allowed some children to get too attached to me. (I'm afraid that I am too nice at times and it was something which I really struggled with when I was there. I didn't think it would be a bad thing to be kind but I need advice on that too.) If I could get some advice and tips I would be very grateful. I really want to be a teaching assistant one day so I'm trying to get as much experience as I can. All comments will be appreciated, thank you so much! :)

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EdwardScissorskills · 08/11/2018 18:31

The school should be telling you what they want! I would say though in general that you shouldn’t be “teaching them to read”, you are essentially doing what a parent should do (but not all do) - listening and encouraging them to have a go at sounding out. Hopefully the books are phonically decodeable... and I hope they are giving you safeguarding training?

admission · 08/11/2018 21:00

You should be getting some kind of induction on your work because schools will have slightly different approaches to how they do reading practice but the induction should be wider than just what to do.
Part of the induction process is that you should both receive child protection training and have a DBS certificate.
If school have not asked you to complete the form for DBS then I would be very concerned about the school's safeguarding processes. Doing reading with year 1 and 2 would clearly come within the parameter for needing a DBS in most instances.
As well as this the school should be getting you to do some safeguarding training, especially around the potential for a child to disclose something to you. If you do not know what to do with a child discloses something that you are unhappy with about the headteacher then the safeguarding training is not up to scratch. I would say that doubly applies when you say that previously a weakness for you was in getting too close to the pupils.

Original poster

celineblue · 08/11/2018 23:51

@admission The school is extremely good in terms of their safe guarding so I’m not worried about that at all. I also do have a DBS check but I just haven’t got much experience with working with children yet which is my main worry. I’m sure that I will learn and if I’m unsure of anything I’ll just ask. I just don’t know how to make reading fun for the younger ones. ://

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Original poster

celineblue · 08/11/2018 23:54

@EdwardScissorskills thank you for the reply! This is some really good advice, it’s very much appreciated! And nope, no training I’m afraid which is why I’m extremely nervous!! I think I will be okay and learn as I go! Although I wish that learning from mistakes and experiences isn’t the way it should be. Thanks again :)

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PurpleDaisies · 08/11/2018 23:58

I agree with the above post, you shouldn’t be teaching them to read. You’re an untrained volunteer. You should be reading with able readers so the teacher can focus on strugglers.

I’d ask to meet with the school’s reading coordinator for some more details on what they want you to do before you start properly.

I’m surprised they’re not having you read one to one with children-that’s what our volunteers do.

What did you do when you volunteered before?

Menolly · 08/11/2018 23:59

Make sure you know how to handle a disclosure. Some children get little to no attention at home, in class they are 1 of 30, that 10 minutes reading may well be the most adult attention they get all week, so it may well be the time they feel able to talk.

Don't be tempted to wander off somewhere too private, even though the quiet makes the reading easier, not just coz of safeguarding but because you don't want to open yourself up to accusations either.

Wait a bit longer than it feels like you need to before helping a child sound out a word, obviously do help if they are genuinely stuck but be careful not to help too soon.

Watch the being too kind, little ones are very easily distracted and very good at telling you a whole long story about nothing and then you will get no reading done at all, you need to be a little bit firm to keep them on track.

Be prepared for the huge range in reading abilities, my year 2s range from still strugging with cvc words right up to reading Harry Potter and understanding it! its a very odd feeling going from one extreme to the other.

PurpleDaisies · 09/11/2018 00:00

Sorry, that sounds really negative.

I’m sure the children will love working with you and you’ll do a good job. It’s a real big bear of mine that children who need the most experienced and trained adult working with them get passed over to TAs and volunteers.

PurpleDaisies · 09/11/2018 00:02

Lots of reading volunteers forget to focus on comprehension and just concentrate on decoding. There are some nice bookmarks with helpful questions at different levels. I’ll see if I can find it...

Singlenotsingle · 09/11/2018 00:04

I do this too, and really you don't need training. The teacher will tell you what to do and how to do it. I work with Year 2 (5-6 year olds). The teacher gives me a list of the children's names and each child has a learning log and their book. They read for about 5 minutes each as they have a short attention span, and I don't want them to see it as a chore. They're very funny and cute, and I get a hello from them when I arrive. You'll be fine, don't worry!

Thestral · 09/11/2018 00:06

Are you completely up to speed with phonics?

Make sure that you know terminology (phoneme, digraph, schwar etc) as well as all of the 44 sounds.

PurpleDaisies · 09/11/2018 00:07

Reading one to one is quite different to leading a focus group, especially if it’s childten that are struggling single

Original poster

celineblue · 09/11/2018 00:10

@Menolly this is brilliant advice thank you very much!

I totally understand what you mean! This was what I had a big problem with during my first week of work expirence I was way too kind and patient and ended up knowing save child’s whole life story. I will make sure I am firm and keep your advice imprinted in my mind! Thank you again, you also sound like a wonderful teacher btw :)

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BackforGood · 09/11/2018 00:14

Each teacher will be wanting you to do different things. Can you speak to the teacher beforehand - maybe go in at the end of the day for 5mins, or ask if it is OK if you come in before school for a few mins before you start, so she can tell you what it is se would like you to do and what it is she doesn't want you to do?

PurpleDaisies · 09/11/2018 00:17

This was what I had a big problem with during my first week of work expirence I was way too kind and patient and ended up knowing save child’s whole life story

I don’t necessarily think that’s a bad thing. The better your relationship with them, the more progress they’ll make.

You sound like you’d make a great TA.

Original poster

celineblue · 09/11/2018 00:18

You don’t sound negative at all you’re just being honest which I really appreciate! I do totally understand what you mean! When I was there last time I was told to sit with the ones who were quiet and struggled a bit which gave me a lot of responsibility and anxiety! This was very terrifying since I had no experience but I managed it and got through it! I think this is why I’m getting mistaken with ‘teaching them how to read’ and everyone is right I shouldn’t be doing that all. I need to just guide them so I’m sure I will be fine. :) again thank you so much for you’re help !!

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Original poster

celineblue · 09/11/2018 00:23

@PurpleDaisies Awh thank you so much! I love building good relationships with students but last time I was there I felt like I was being extremely judged about it! I just really loved getting to know a student one to one and to be able to help them learn with so much excitement and positivity! This is why I mainly wanted to be a TA rather than a teacher. :)

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bloated1977 · 09/11/2018 00:23

Don't let them drag you into becoming an unpaid TA which is what happens to all our volunteers where I work. They've scrapped all the TA jobs and just now rely on parents and volunteers who are unpaid! Sorry if that sounds negative but it's happening more and more. Good luck x.

Original poster

celineblue · 09/11/2018 00:25

@BackforGood this is some really good advice! I will be sure to do that! Thank you so much :)

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Original poster

celineblue · 09/11/2018 00:28

@bloated1977 yes I couldn’t agree with you more! I am trying to find an apprenticeship or a course that will help me become a TA too, but I’m just trying to get some experience to put down on my CV for now :) However, it has been extremely difficult trying to find some paid work that I can do where I work with children which is why I have resulted to volunteering :(

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Original poster

celineblue · 09/11/2018 00:32

@Thestral no I have no idea what all of this is :/ I will have to do some research about it! The headteacher did mention a little bit about it but I didn’t want to look like an idiot by asking her what she was talking about! Especially about year 1 & 2 work! Thank you so much for commenting too! I better do some research before I start !! Again, thank you :)

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Original poster

celineblue · 09/11/2018 00:35

@Singlenotsingle phew! That puts me more at ease thank you so much! How did you make a good bond with the children especially because they’re so young ? :)

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BackforGood · 09/11/2018 00:37

If you are there, volunteering to give some less confident children extra reading practice, you won't need to, or be expected to know all that terminology celineblue

Singlenotsingle · 09/11/2018 08:56

Quite right, Backforgood. We're not teachers, we just go in and listen to the children read. Some are better than others. Sometimes I have to stop the child in full flow and say "ok, so do you know what that word means?" ( Or that phrase, or whatever) and I have to explain.

But I don't know that terminology, and I don't need to. Neither do the kids. And Celine it's easy to bond with the kids just because they're so young!

Doobydoobeedoo · 09/11/2018 11:05

The teacher should tell you what they are looking for. Some will have a tick sheet that they will want you to fill in for each reader. They may also, for example, give you a list of common exception words and ask you to tick any that might come up in the child's book as they read to you.

Some will focus on children who don't appear to be listened to much at home, regardless of their ability. Some will focus on those who may need a confidence boost or a little extra support. Others will focus on making sure that every child in the class reads to an adult in school at least once a week.

Some children will read through an entire book fairly quickly. Others will struggle a bit and may still need to sound out a lot of the words. The trick is to try to find an appropriate stopping point so that the child still gets to read but doesn't reach the point where it's too much of a chore. The idea is to help them see that reading can be a fun thing to do and make them feel as though they want to do it more often.

Good luck.

Thestral · 09/11/2018 20:13

Ok, well these are a good start, if only to make sure that you are sounding out properly:

m.youtube.com/watch?v=KCMvsQho4ZE

Please don't be afraid to sound silly by asking questions. Honestly, it's much better if you admit that you don't know something but want to learn than to stay quiet.

It's very hard to teach a child to 'unlearn' something that they have been taught incorrectly.

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