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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

Grrr. Yr 1 teacher told DD to slow down with her reading to let others catch up!

51 replies

Chuffinnora · 07/02/2008 21:09

DD's teacher thinks DD should slow down because she is reading ORT levels too far ahead from the rest of the class. She's not, there are at least 3 children on the same level as her. What do you think? Does it seem mad to tell a child not to progress in something they obviously enjoy or does she have a point? (And what would it be?)

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choccypig · 07/02/2008 21:13

I am lost for words.. some teachers think their role in life is to take kids down a peg or two

Did teacher say this to DD or to you? Are you sure she didn't mean read slower when she's reading aloud. My DS teacher puts a lot of emphasis on reading with expression etc.

Hulababy · 07/02/2008 21:15

Did DD tell you this or her teacher?

I would be concerned if this has come from her teacher and would want a word about it. I would not want my child's progress hampered by such a policy.

A teacher should be able to differentiate sufficiently so all children can work at their own pace and progress further. That is what she has been trained to do; that is teaching after all. I would be concerned about a teacher who is unable to do this.

In the mean time let your DD read what she wants at home.

cazzybabs · 07/02/2008 21:17

Maybe the teacher wants her to practise expression or prediciting the story etc or prehaps read a wider range of books. I would polietly questions whaty she meant because this doesn't sound right to me...

Original poster

Chuffinnora · 07/02/2008 21:17

That's what I thought, but DD said "Miss XX doesn't want me to bring this book back tomorrow because I have to give the others a chance to catch up".
I think it boils down to the level 8 books she is on are kept in a different classroom in another part of the school and she finds it difficult to find time to change the books.

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Hulababy · 07/02/2008 21:19

As it is coming via DD I think I would go into the class and speak to the teaher, but in a non confrontational and a calm manner. You need to ascertain that this is exactly what the teacher said and meant.

No child is held back in their reading in DD's class and they have children reading way beyond the normal teaching schemes.

choccypig · 07/02/2008 21:22

What a useless lazy teacher.

In DS class last year lots of them were on the next level (not DS ) and the teacher was thrilled to bits at having to borrow books from the yR2 library, and praising up the kids, I heard her saying to some of them , "we'll have to tell Miss X to get some different ones at this level, as you will have read them all by the time you get into YR2"
Not doing them down.

IT MAKES ME SO CROSS.

Original poster

Chuffinnora · 07/02/2008 21:24

Yes I am planning to ask but thought I would ask here first to find out if it is common or if someone knew of a good reason why she might have said this. I don't have much faith in this teacher and had to see the head to get books sent out in November after waiting from Sept.

DD is not that far ahead she was 6 in Oct and only just on level 8. Think the teacher is struggling and of course it will be easier for her if most of the kids are doing the same thing. I

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Hulababy · 07/02/2008 21:25

Before flaming the teacher do find out what was actually said and in what context. Y1 children don't always remember the exact words - which can make all the difference - or the exact tone/way something was meant.

AbbyLou · 07/02/2008 21:26

Chuffinora I wish your dd was in my class. I teach Year 1 and would love to have more children who can read fluently. All the 'others' need a role model anyway.

choccypig · 07/02/2008 21:27

You've hit the nail on the head Chuffinora. It is easier short-term for the teacher if they all do the same thing, but before long there will be a class full of bored and resentful children and then see how she copes.

Original poster

Chuffinnora · 07/02/2008 21:28

Abbylou I wish DD was in your class too!

DD said tonight "J and D are better than me at sums and they don't have to wait for me do they? And J and F are faster runners but I don't make them run slow." Bless.

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Original poster

Chuffinnora · 07/02/2008 21:30

No flaming from me Hulababy. Think I will just return the book and ask for 3 to read over the hols and see if she makes any comments to me. If not we can just carry on at the pace DD is happy with.

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choccypig · 07/02/2008 21:32

This is raising my blood pressure.
So I'll try to be calm.... the thing is if a child is forging ahead in literacy, it is really not difficult to provide them with some more challenging texts, to ask them to write more detailed, or longer "stories" or whatever.

Not a lot to ask IMHO

Hulababy · 07/02/2008 21:33

And if there is a reason why your DD can't bring home a book every night - and I know that some state schools do not change books daily, some only weekly, anyway, the I would recommend having a selectin of books at home/ibrary to read instead.

Let's face it school reading schemes are not exactly thrilling reads aftr all.

But there are some fab new reader book's out there.

DD loves holidays re. reading as it meansthat she gets just one school book for th week, and she gets to read a lot more of her own more interesting books.

Hulababy · 07/02/2008 21:35

choccypig - we don't know exactly what was said or in what context yet so no point in getting worked up about it. May have been a totally innocent comment taken out of context and tone, or the comment may have een misheard/mis-repeated.

ChasingSquirrels · 07/02/2008 21:38

ds gets books from the next class - they change them at the end of school, so I just take him into that class, although I am now starting to send him in on his own sometimes (he knows which basket to choose from). Would it be possible for you dd to change her own books rather than having the teacher do it?
He used to get them changed by the teacher on a monday and he changed them on a thursday - that happens less frequently now, we just get 2 or 3 and change them when he has read them.

Original poster

Chuffinnora · 07/02/2008 21:39

DD is slightly odd though Hulababy - she really seems to love the ORT??!
She has a lot of books at home and she loves to read magazines etc. I'm not worried because I know she is doing well. Just wanted to see others thoughts on the situation.

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ChasingSquirrels · 07/02/2008 21:42

ds loves ORT aswell, they won't let him have any (they have loads of different books in the different level boxes, not just a scheme) because he apparently needs some breadth. Which would be fine if it was all he had read - but he has only had 2 since October!

ChasingSquirrels · 07/02/2008 21:43

I would definitly talk to the teacher and find out the actual position.

cazzybabs · 07/02/2008 21:43

most children love the ort scheme..but the stories aren'[t brilliant. dd1 (year 1) not as good reader as yours enjoys reading picture books such as charlie and lola and the happy family series. Some of my year 1s last year were also starting to read simple chapter books (the fairy books, horris henry etc) to further develop their reading as well as reading scheme books.

choccypig · 07/02/2008 21:47

You're right Hulababy, I am probably getting worked up more than I should.
As I was typing my lsat comment I thought well, if it's not much to ask, we can do it ourselves really can't we? I mean reading is something we can do at home, doesn't have to be the official school books.

My DS (Y2) just will not read the books from school, but will happily read the back of the cereal packet, various innapropriate newspaper headlines. Teachers say not to worry too much, and then go on at me about how important it is for boys to read fiction.

I think why I get so cross, is that DS had similar situation with numeracy, and still does. He just whizzes through and the last teacher used to get him to help the ones who were struggling. Which I felt made him lazy and arrogant. (or praps he was just born that way..runs in the family actually). The current teacher has got wise to him and gives him more challengig stuff.

seeker · 08/02/2008 00:30

Be careful it wasn't a joke - or something your dd misunderstood in some way. Not the most reliable witnesses, year 1 people!

RosaLuxOnTheBrightSideOfLife · 08/02/2008 00:37

No indeed Seeker. My Yr1 DD3 and her friend solemnly assured me last week that they were learning about safety in the classroom that day and the teacher had explained to them that no more than three children should stand on a chair at the same time!
The teacher, who is a friend, was gobsmacked when I complimented her on her innovative H&S policy and racked her brains for ANYTHING she might have said that could have been fashioned into this particular stricture, but drew an utter blank.

CalifrauQuoteoftheWeek · 08/02/2008 00:37

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

shabster · 08/02/2008 00:49

I HATE THE NATIONAL CIRRICULUM!! My 4th DS is a very bright little lad (he is now 10 yrs old)

He started to recognise words at about 13 months. He is a bookworm but an all rounder and just loves school.

He hasn't gained anything through school except social skills. We work with him every day but try to disguise it as just having fun.

In the National Cirriculum there is no allowance for very bright children or children who are struggling to keep up with the class. In about 10 yrs time we will have all medium ability children. No manual skilled workers - carpenters, plumbers, chefs, etc and certainly no inventors, scientists, doctors, teachers. We are following the 'American way' - everybody has to have the same handwriting and be an average pupil

My DS is in his last year of primary school - frustrated and fed up with lack of challenge. God help us all xx

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