Reading groups/levels, question on what to do

[Linnet]

DD1 has just gone into primary 6. She came home today a bit upset because the teacher has told her that she's to be moved out of her reading group and into another one. The new group is the second bottom reading group, the previous group was the third reading group and there are 5 groups in the class. She's not happy about the fact that she's dropping from level 9 down to level 8 and she'll have to do a reading book which she did last year in primary 5, so is now going to have to do it all over again.

Dh and I calmed her down and explained that since she'd already read this reading book last year she'd be able to sail through it this time around, but I don't think she's buying it.

I'm not about to go haring up the school and demand that the teacher put her back in the other reading group, but I would have thought that the teacher would know which books she read last year and so would know that this was one she's already done.

Dd loves to read, she always has a book on the go at home and has been doing the reading challenge through the library for years now.

Would the teacher be annoyed if I wrote in her reading record book, once she comes home with the old book, that she's already read this one?

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Definitely write in her record book that she has already read this book and can she have a different one please. Your DD shouldn't be expected to reread previously read books, espeically with no explanation first.

This has happened to my ds too. I would definitely tell the teacher that she's already read the book and also how upset she is about it.

This has happened to my dd on several occasions! Definitely write in her reading diary that she has read it already and can she please be given another book

Do the teachers not pass on a list of which books the children have read when they move up to the next year?

I would have thought if they were changing teachers the old teacher would let the new teacher know which stage they were at etc.

this is the first new teacher she's had since primary 3, had the same one for primary 4 and 5.

Thanks for you advice, I'll write in the book that she's already read it.

This has just happened to my son today as well. He's been put back a stage from level 4 to level 3 without any explanation, or any warning from last year's teacher at parent's night.

I appreciate that sometimes it has to be done, but I know that in my school, we always consult parent's to let them know why and make sure that it is different books that are being read, not simply repeating what's been done previosly.

I've just written a note and put it into ds's reading folder asking to be contacted tomorrow( how to make yourself unpopular in one easy lesson!!!)

Definitely write a note. It may be that the group she was in had done level C or something just before the holiday, and the ones who didn't get enough have dropped down and then just slotted in to the same reading list that they have already done IYSWIM. It happened to ds once. Very irritating, but I can see how it might happen.

Sammac, we had no warning either. At the last parents evening last school year, her teacher said she was getting on really well and how she was making really good progress with her reading.

I'll wait until she comes home with the book, then leave note. I wonder what the teacher will say. I don't know this teacher, don't even know what she looks like, she sounds young by the way dd describes her and dd has been singing her praises since she started back at school two weeks ago, until today and now she doesn't like her very much, lol

I think she's also a bit upset about the fact that she's the only girl that's been moved down, all the others that were moved down were boys.

def write the note in the book - i would imagine that the teacher would be slightly embarrassed - she should have checked. Write the note and I think it will all calm down soon enough when they get into the flow of the term

My update- I got a call at lunchtime from the school. Ds's teacher from last year(who is out of class this year) will get back to me tomorrow. Don't know what this means, but at least they're doing something!

Dd didn't come home with a different book tonight, maybe she'll get it tomorrow. I was talking to her tonight about the books that she read last year. I've realised that it's going to be a substantial drop. Last year she was on level 8 and did the book that the teacher wants to move her back to, which is the last book in level 8. After finishing that book she was moved onto level 9. There are 5 books in level 9 and we were looking at the titles tonight and she's done books 1-4 on level 9 and now has the 5th book which the teacher wants to take her off and move her down.

I'm a bit cross with myself because we were tidying dd's room during the holidays and we threw out last years reading diary. Normally it lies around the house for months before we throw it out but we were gutting the room and it went. Now I really wish I'd kept it so I could say look she's read this one.

I'll definitely write a note when she gets the book.

Linnet I was looking for the reading record too last night. Could only find the worksheet book with ds's work, so at least I know what he's done.

I don't think it's unreasonable for children to read a book twice. there is always something else to gain from reading it again. As an adult I often read a book more than once. Teachers are also constrained by the number of titles they have in school for guided reading, if a child isn't ready for the next level they may need to revisit a title.

However, it doesn't sound as if it has been very well handled. The child and the parents should be told what is happening and why. If a child is revisiting a book there should also be ample opportunity provided for them to choose their own books from the bookcorner or library to read alongside the guided book.

I would arrange to have an informal chat with the teacher.

Agree with rapunzelle, sometimes due to resource/budget constraints there are no books to move a group "sideways" to when they are not ready to move up.

But also agree that there should be something else to supplement, and also that you should have been told.

Re knowing what books a group has had before, the teacher SHOULD get the info passed on, but that depends on the previous teacher - if their record keeping was poor it is very hard for the new teacher to fathom out where groups are.

Just re-read your posts and saw that the P3&4 teacher was the same - it may well be that having the same class for 2 years SHE knew exactly where they all were, so maybe didn't record it as clearly as she should have for passing on? It's easy to forget that your own style of record keeping may be crystal clear to you, but gibberish to someone else. Depends on school's recording policy too.

Nothing that can be done re the boy/girl issue. But I'd say it's quite early in the term for the new teacher to have assessed her properly and make the decision to move her?