Phonics taught exclusively by TA

[bucketfull]

My dc is in Year 1. They use RWI. They study in groups and he's always been in a group with TA doing all of his phonics learning. I knew they'd often read with a TA but thought the teaching of new sounds, grammar, spelling would be done by a teacher. In reality, the class teacher has no idea where he is with his reading, which group or level, if he's struggling, etc.

Just wondering how usual this set up is and how would other parents feel about it.

Totally normal. In RWI children are split into groups by ability and have a small group session led by the same adult every day.

This is quite common. TAs are more highly trained than they're given credit for and if she's teaching phonics then she's probably done CPD in how to deliver it.

Normal. Just because it's a TA doesn't mean they're bad. When schools take on RWI, teachers and TAs usually do the training together as they're expected to run some of the small groups. The scheme doesn't work without TAs.
I don't want to disregard the training teachers have done, they're incredible, but you do realise your child's teacher potentially just has a completely unrelated degree with a 12 month training course on top? This isn't to bad mouth teachers, but a TA with experience is worth their weight in gold.

TAs in our school teach the lower groups phonics session whilst the teacher teaches the rest of the class. Our year 2 TA is amazing! We've just implemented new phonics programme and teacher and TAs were trained together.

What makes you think his teacher isn’t aware of where he is with his reading and spelling? You don’t think the TA has to report fairly frequently on how their group is getting on? A half hour phonics session will not be all the reading, writing or spelling work that your child does. His teacher will see him doing all these things on a daily basis in his English, topic and science lessons.
The group he’s in a will also have been decided by what level he is at.

Normal.
Us TAs are very often used for teaching nowadays.
It’s a skilled job that is under appreciated. I think parents think we just stick things in or something but my job is teaching small groups, delivering interventions (targeted teaching to help those struggling in a particular area) and covering classes. Also I take out those children the teacher can’t handle.

The TAs will most likely have undergone the same RWI training as the teachers and the phonics lead will be observing/supporting/monitoring closely as well as the class teacher.

Have you got concerns about your child’s reading and phonics progress e.g. not pronouncing the sounds correctly as pure sounds? If so, please raise it with the class teacher. I don’t have experience with RWI specifically but perhaps they rotate who teaches the groups periodically so that it varies between teachers and TAs.

Im sure this is just one portion of the day. Ask his teacher and she will explain how they structure the learning. .

Totally normal. Teachers and TAs go on the training together. When I did it it was a full 2 days training. RWI can only work with TAs because you need so many adults to cater for all the ability groups. Children are routinely assessed to see which group they are in. Records are kept to see which sounds have been covered and which children can read and write them. It’s quite an in depth scheme. Boring as hell to teach but it does seem to work.

In reality, the class teacher has no idea where he is with his reading, which group or level, if he's struggling, etc.

What gives you this idea? The TA works under the direction of the teacher. So the teacher assesses the children, decides what they need to learn and assesses what they have learned and plans the next steps. The TA then deliveries the RWI program.

Also phonics is only a small part of the day.

Also Year 1 do the Phonics Screening Check so their phonics progress is monitored and given higher priority than absolutely anything else!

I asked his teacher a question about his phonics learning and she literally shrugged and said she didn't know and she's not the one teaching his group.
Yes, I thought she'd be the one assessing them as it's her class but not the case.

Thank you for your responses, everyone.

In RWI they'll be assessed by a leader every ten weeks and regrouped accordingly

Thank you!
Can I ask how they are assessed - reading book from current band/ next band, reading some other text, reading separate words..?

Both my DCs were in TA led phonics group with one DC being in the top group and, two years later, the other DC being in the bottom group. It never occurred to me that it was something to be concerned about. Dividing the year group into smaller, distinct ability based groups for such core skills made complete sense to me and I understood they'd all been on the same training course.

That’s a very odd and unsatisfactory response from his teacher.
I’d want that clarifying.
They should know the level all their children are at. Even if they’re just reading it off a list!

And this is why I left!

I had 15 more years experience that the newly qualified staff - I have taught children to read, write and do maths, supported their emotional and physical growth, looked after them when sick,
I have been on loads of training courses for disabilities, and medical conditions, but obviously I don’t do a degree in geography, and gain a teaching qualification -
But yeah - TAs and just some ransoms listening to kids read!

She did find out for me later although it took several conversations over several days. Lol.

She's lovely and I'm sure the TA is too - I've never met her though and can't ask my questions directly (different year TA).

@bucketfull
Im always amazed how poor some schools are. You have met the teacher though. You should have been told of your DS’s progress and attainment. Does the school not give homework? Good schools tell parents how to help. Is there no explanation of the curriculum? Ask for this info. What do they put on their web site? How do the school report how well Dc are doing regularly. I’ve never met a teacher who didn’t know assessment and attainment for all Dc in the class at a parents evening.

RWI lessons are delivered in a very set way, so there will be no difference between how a TA and teacher will do it. In my DCs school, they have a group for each level, with the class teachers taking the biggest groups.
The levels have criteria that have to be passed before they can move on. They need to be able to read and write certain graphemes, plus some other things like meeting a particular reading speed at the higher levels.

@bucketfull
I meant to add that schools can have their own assessment policies. So what others do isn’t entirely relevant. Every 10 weeks is fairly usual but, again, your individual school should be able to tell you what they do and how often. Some schools have parents evenings to tell parents what they do and how they have a partnership with parents. You build up trust with the school staff and see them as professionals. These are the best schools!

OP, the assessment sheets are assessment of how well they can read the pure sounds in isolation, the each set of sounds within words, the they do a words per minute fluency tests. If you look online you'll be able to find them.

They are prescribed tests from the RWI company.

This is quite common. In most cases where this happens it is the TAs who are qualified and experienced teachers - but for various reasons can’t commit to a proper teaching position.

@redbigbananafeet
That is not what a school should do. Tell parents to look at the scheme on line. Schools have a duty to engage with parents.

The school isn't telling the parent to look online. She asked the form the assessment takes and I'm telling her there will be examples online.