I don't WANT a parent helper to write comments about dd1's reading in her reading book!

[pilote]

Is she a teacher? NO! Am I being totally unreasonable to ask her teacher who this person is and what her qualifications are? The TA already does most of the reading and handwriting practice with dd1, what is her bloody teacher doing all day fgs.

on board.

what else are they supposed to do if not teaching reading?

Well, teaching writing, and spelling, and maths, and PHSE, and circle time, and project work, and science and PE.....

so go on, tell us the comments then....
would you be so angry if they were all good?

wtf not? Teachers could not possibly listen to every child read every day. In our school the younger children are partnered by children from the year three above them, they come and listen to the younger children read for 20 minutes 3 times a week- it works brilliantly to help younger ones learn to read, older ones learn to help,ad everybody to socialise cross-age group. You don't need qualifications to listen and help a young child to read - at leat I'm presuming taht you manage quite well when you do reaing practice with your dd?

Instead of complaining why don't you volunteer to do it yourself. You wouldn't be placed in your dd's class but you would be able to see how benificial parent helpers can be to children

I feel sorry for the poor parent. She is giving up her time and effort to give your child more time to practise her reading. She doesn't have to do this. She is volunteering, not being paid to be there.

Presumably, as she is writing comments, the teacher and/or TA has explained how things work, the types of things to look out for and the the types of comments to write down - to help the next person listening to the child read to monitor progress and help your child progress further.

screaminghousewife - yes she may have some teaching experience - although I wouldnt know as i have absolutely no idea who she is, however well meaning it would be better if a) the parents knew who it was and b) if she listened only

If you don't know the person in question , how do you know she isn't very experienced, we have a few parents employed by the school who float ? Us volunteers all had a session as to how to help kids read before starting to hear reading in class,. wer your teacher to do it herself your dd would inevitably get less teaching time and/or be heard less frequently . Sounds like the school can't win. What year is your dd ? I fear you may have plenty more issues like this to come if she is young and you really have to pick your battles and be realistic.

I go in and listen to the kids in dd's class read twice a week - the teacher really can't do every child in the class every day - she hears every child read at least once a week but that is really the best she can do. I don't write comments in their books, though, simply that they've read, and fill in their chart at the back of their books.

I do think you can expect her teacher to hear her read on a regular basis, though. A teacher can pick up whether there are problems (ie. dyslexia) better than I can. Most of the kids in my dd's class just need practice, and I'm afraid I think I am as good a person to practice reading with as anyone. Unless you have concerns over your dd's reading, I think you'd be reasonable to ask the teacher to hear her read once a week.

generally lots of mums and dads out there listen and help their child to read, v small percentage would have qualifications
pmsl

If you have NO IDEA who she is, and you're unhappy about any aspect of what she is doing, then go and ask the teacher.

Ask about going in and observing the class. Enquire about helping out yourself, if you are in a position to do so.

My lads are all older, but I never had a problem with parent helpers doing this when they were younger.

All the TAs in my sons' school started out as parent helpers and are now quite well qualified and/or experienced to work in and around the school.

All began by giving up their own time freely to help other people's children.

I am curious to the school type. Why is there two teachers and a TA for 25 children? And what year group are we talking about?

hana of course they are not good. And that is where alarm bells start to ring as I don't think they are judgements that I want anyone except her teacher and myself to make.

So, who should make the comments other than the person who hears her read? Somebody who has not heard her read? Would that be better?

I'm sorry but if this is how you feel about the teaching process now, then as your child progresses through school, you are in for one hell of a shock.

But surely Pilote, if you read with her at home, then you know what level her reading is at?

ok - to me it is the same as if dd1 was reading aloud on a train to me and the woman sitting behind tapped me on the shoulder and told me how she should work on sounding out words and read more clearly

that's a good point lizs - I'm a parent helper and no one would know how (oh how very!) qualified I am - not that it matters

you need to go in and have a chat with the teacher then, talking about it on mn isn't going to help you deal with your issues about this - and it might make you feel better about it

What type of comments is this person making? Other than pointing out the odd word DD struggled with, or comments like "good decoding/sounding out", etc. then we don't really have much more comments int he reading record book.

screaminghousewife - I dont think it is unreasonable to expect the teachers, who you have met and been introduced to, who see dd1 every day, to make negative comments that we can work on, rather than a random unknown person who parents cannot meet and talk to. I dont believe for a second that the education process relies on unpaid unqualified parents.

Sorry but I think you are completely over the top here. You seem to expect the school to inform you of all the details of whoever has kindly volunteered time (because they are interested in hearing other people's children read, unlike yourself), when usually schools are pathetically grateful for help???
It's not as if the teacher has given over the teaching of reading to a parent helper!!! So much of learning to read is about practice. Really can't see why you would object to helpful comments being recorded in a reading log?

Don't wish to upset anyone here but-and i have to admit i was very annoyed;suspicious;etc.-my daughter benefited greatly from having "1 to 1" with an unknown person. I wish now i'd bothered to find out more about this person cos she absolutely got my daughter on the right track...!

I think you're being unreasonable, tbh.

If you're really that bothered though, take time out to chat to the teacher.

don't look upon them as 'negative comments' though, it's a great help to know where someone is going wrong and looking at strategies to support them