"Your child can only recognise 2 of his letters from the Jolly Phonics"

[OrmIrian]

Apparently. First message I've actually got back from teacher in DS#2's homework record book. And it's wrong. He knows all 9 - perfectly well. Do I say so? Or leave it?

Feeling a little sore as we've been practising like mad, I went to the phonics workshop as they asked us to, and I was pleased with his progress.

Send letter back:

Deer techur

You iz ded rong innit coz DS is proper ded gud at reedin n shit.

Luv

OrmIrian xxxxx

If it was me I would have a chat with his teacher. If they are saying that's all he knows and you know he knows more he won't progress at school. Do you get on with his teacher? What was this assessment based on? Do you know why they might have come up with this statement? Is he shy for example?

Sorry there are a lot of questions there!!!

PMSL Iklboo!

I'd send a note back saying something like "that's strange, he's perfectly happy with all 9 when we do it at home" (and then give an example) I'd then probably ask to see her for 10 minutes to discuss (if you do the drop-off / pick up that is)

Perhaps she doesn't know which child she's talking about? I wouldn't put it passed her. I once had my dd's report home and she called her Ryan in several parts!

Funny you should say that ikiboo! DS took home Cuddles the school bear yesterday and I had to fill in a diary entry. I don't write long-hand at all these days and when I was at school my hand-writing was of the 'flowing and artistic' type shall we say, rather than the neat and legible . Perfect grammar and spelling naturally, but illegible.

I think she may assume that I'm more or less illiterate anyway.

ryan, maureen? Your DD?

lol!!

Sorry when I say 'Cuddles the school bear' I should give him his full title which is Cuddles 'that poxy bl*dy bear' as in 'FFS where's that poxy bl*dy bear' when we lost him (again)this morning . What a cock-eyed idea that is! Nearly left him at my parents house, then left him in the car when we got home, they lost him when he fell out of DS's bed and rolled underneath, had to rescue him for DS#1's pet rats who, quite understandably, wanted to make a nest out of him, and, inevitably, left him at home and had to reverse all the way back up the street to rush in and get him!!

Poxy, blardy bear!!

I would comment that he seems to know them all when you do them at home. It might indicate that he is being less forthcoming/shy/distracted in class. Which might, in itself, be useful info for the teacher. And at least it makes it clear to her that you have been practising them (which might be the hidden agenda behind her message).

Don't worry too much about it. Though feel relieved that my DS teacher acknowledges that each time a child practices different results can happen!, e.g they may be tired, less/more motivated for different people. My ds is fine with me and the TA when he practices but not so hot with Daddy or the teacher.

I would be tempted to write something back in the book.

I did speak to her. And she told me that he has to know them without using the phonics cards - ie so that he can't recognise the pictures. Which is what struck me as a potential problem when we first got them. Actually we had been practising without the pictures too....but he isn't so good on them like that, he still knows more than 2!

And she took the opportunity to tell me again that he's disorganised. Hmmm... he's 4 and he's a boy.

Oh how ridiculous! show me a 4 year old that is organised. Does she actually understand 4 year olds. Bet she hasn't got any dcs of her own!(And I pity them if she has!)RANT RANT!

My dd has a similar proble with her reading at school, she is 6 and I had to fight for the teacher to put her to the next level of reading book, as she can do it at home but goes to pieces at school. They have now given me a set of flash cards for her to learn as they have realised I can get better results at home. She is very prone to day dreaming though. . Even now though I feel she should have harder reading books but they seem to hate advancing the child on the parents say so.

Oh no worst thing you can do is dare to challenge a teacher on reading book levels!

I just went to the library and found stuff in the young reader section for dd2 to read when this happened to us a few years ago.

Real books are often more interesting anyway (better than Jennifer bloody Yellow Hat and Roger f*ing Red Hat which both my dds had to endure!)

We were stuck on chip and flopper reading tree books but on such a baby level she was not being pushed, but every time I mentioned it they tested her on the words they should know and she would go to peices, in the end I think they got fed up with me and put her up a level, she is reading really well because they are better stories and given me flash cards of all the words she should know to practise. when tested at school she got 43 wrong at home she got 20 wrong and thats only because she has to know them instently without sounding them out. b stupid!

sorry not chip and flopper,its biff and chip!

My dd2 had similar reading issues. She is now 10 and her spelling is atrocious (both her parents are teachers and both parents and big sis devour books). Anyway she got stuck on the Biff books and other such. She refused to read them. Said they were boring so we started getting her some fairy stories - she started reading to herself and ended up skipping a reading level at school. (Still can't spell).

Sounds like she is beginning to associate reading at school with a stressful experience and failure. I say get her fun books and read with her. You read and she points to the words she wants to read. This sounds cumbersome, but it got my dd2 interested. No pressure and still a challenge. She can do the reading scheme at school. But I see no reason you can't broaden her experience at home..Good luck.

Thanks firefly I will give that a go. She so wants to read but the school books are soooo boring even I struggle not to yawn when shes reading
I shall have a look for a nice princess book