So ... do Reception children get 'streamed' or not?

[imaginaryfriend]

Dd's reception teacher doesn't speak about why they're in the groups they're in. But the mums say that they're being 'streamed' according to ability.

What do you guys think?

CS dd's teacher is definitely doing guided reading in small groups although I'm not entirely sure what that is. Do you happen to know? (sorry, it's all very new to me)

I asked her about putting a comment in the reading books but she said it was better not to and to be honest having had 3 out of the 6 unable to read a word I would be pressed to know what to say. Personally I would want to know how dd had done if someone else was listening to her read but I don't think everyone else might feel the same.

no idea what guided reading actually is - sorry. Google will probably tell you though.
I think I just want to know if someone has listened to him read, he says not (apart from the twice) and there are only 2 comments in his reading record (no capacity to tick off). But I suppose comments by parent helpers might not be as helpful, as to a non-reader's parent ds would be good, but that doesn't mean he is (at that point) reading his best, or that specific issues shouldn't be noted.

My DD has a reading record book and comes home every week with a new reading book and a library book. I use the term "new" loosely as today is the second time she has come home with a reading book she's had before! I write in the book when we have read it together and I believe it's the teaching assistant who writes her comments when DD has read to her in school - todays v interesting as she called my daughter "Reece" and referred to a completely different book....
I'm quite concerned about this and plan to speak to the teacher tomorrow - at pre-school (at a different primary) she never brought the same book home in a year.
There are currently only 16 in the class - rising to 30 in Jan.
To get back to IF's original streaming thread .. All Reception Mum's spent the first morning with their children to settle them in, talk to the teaching staff and familiarise themselves with the classroom and the work the children would be doing. It was quite easy to spot the children from pre-schools from those who had never been to nursery and couldn't even hold a pencil. I would hate to think my DD is being held back while they catch up....

I'm impressed you know what's going on!! I wouldn't have a clue whether they are even in groups for anything, (although I was told one day that 'I'm in Mrs Teaching Assnt's class all the people at the back are' have also once been told the name of a couple of people at their table). I'm told nothing we're weirdly not allowed anywhere near the school (another thread) and I neither drop off or pick up at the moment. You must have very communicative dcs!

Just went to my dd2's reading meeting in reception yesterday - she is youngest of 4 (showing willing). Teacher said they didn't talk about ability in reception, but readiness. So they do put them in groups, according to what they're ready for - so some children can read words, while others are not yet at the stage of identifying that letters make certain sounds. She stressed that at thsi stage they all develop differently and at different rates.

I thought this was a very good way of putting it and very true. My ds1 struggled in reception really but was well away with reading by y2 and is now absolutely fine in all areas. My dd1 was more the steady progress type and ds2 was a bit of a mix of the two, fantastic at maths in reception but a bit slower to get reading fluently than the other two.

So I would try not to get hung up about it - I think it's actually better if they split them up for some work and most reception teachers should be sensitive to moving children up and down ability groups as needed.I would do other things at home, playing with them , making things, cooking, etc and just support school with stuff like reading books and spellings later on.In my experience getting fixated on what group your child is in(as I did when ds1 was small) is counterproductive.

I think usually now (at least in our school)children don't do one to one reading in school, they do guided reading in an "ability" group. This is a big change from how it used to be when ds/dd1 were small, apparently it works as well? They do sometimes read with helpers and so on but not with the teacher.

FWIW we think we believe that the children have been put in class based loosely around whether they speak English or not so we're hoping he'll acquire some languages if nothing else
(although despite everything I've said which makes the school look really weird so far I trust it!)

Although I've yet to be convinced about guided reading I'm too scared to ask the teacher in case she works out I mumsnet

loobyloo - don't assume that it's only children who go to nursery who know how to hold a pencil!!!

As for guided reading. In ds's school it's quite unusual for a child to read on to one with a teacher. They do read one to one with a TA or a parent helper, and are expected to read every day at home. They do guided reading with the teacher. This involves a small group of similar ability children each with the same book working together. Sometimes they read in unison, sometimes they take turns - a page each - sometimes they read a little play with them all taking parts. It's a very effective way of the teacher monitoring the children's progress and picking up on any difficulties. At our school, it's also how the teacher decides if they are ready to move up a reading level for their home books.

It's a bit like learning to drive. The guided reading is like the driving lesson, the one to one reading with parents, helpers and TAs is the driving practice you do between lessons to reinforce the learning.

And in all this, remember that in most other countries in the world, children don't even stary formal school til they are 6 or even 7. Let them play - and remember that school isn't just - or even mostly about academic learning at this stage. And they learn tons from the playing with sand, "mucking about" and painting.

Sorry about the essay - nobody pushed me off my hobby horse!

Well put seeker

IF - in Sheffield state schools there is two tier entry - born before end Jan you start in September, born after Feb start January. TBh though that was one of the things that finally pushed us further over to choosing private for DD - she was more than ready to start in the September and would have been the only child from her academic year group left in nursery/group of other friends. She'd have been mortified at being left with the babies as she had seen it!

I am sure two tier entry works for some children, but there are some who are ready to start straight away too. We need schools to have a much more flexible arrpoach to starting Reception IMO - one which lets parents and teachers make ecisions based on individual children, not just on when their brthday is.

I couldn't agree more hulababy. My dd is an October birthday and all her friends started Reception the year before her (all had birthdays in August) and she was easily at the same stage as them if not more equipped in some areas. So she made a brand new set of friends in the school nursery, most of them born after February and just as able as she is only now she's separated from them too as they won't start Reception til January. I know this is just how it is and the cut off points have to be somewhere or other but when you have a very shy child like dd it's a continual uphill struggle to get her settled in with new people all the time. She's now made a few new friends in Reception and when they go into Yr 1 they'll be all split up again into two new groups. Grrrr!!

Anyhow, back to the reading thing. I'm doing the reading help again today with a totally different group so I'll be interested to see how that goes.

And thanks for the description of guided reading I honestly didn't have a clue what it was about. I wish those teachers would tell us a bit more.

I only know what guided reading is because I asked!

Well I wish they'd just give out a printed sheet with various bits of information on for new parents. That was we wouldn't have to keep asking questions and feel like a nuisance. Or worse, the endless speculation at the school gates!

Anyhow today I did reading with 'green' group who the teacher told me would need 'a lot of support' so I guess that means the groups are according to ability! The difference between them and yesterdays group was so striking. The group today were half non-English speakers and couldn't understand what I was saying let alone attempt to read. The other half were just nowhere near even grasping how to put their finger under a word to try to read it.

It made me realise what hard work it must be for the teacher. And I'm amazed that they don't just constantly prioritise the children with, say, no English.