Reading .... what's usual?

[fedupandisolated]

My DS has just gone into Year 1. He's left handed and so struggles with writing and has a very immature palmer grip with pencils which affects how much control he has on paper.

In addition I am noticing that he is struggling with reading. He seems to have some basics of letter sounds but cannot seem to blend the sounds into words.

Having said that - he enjoys tappung words out on the computer like C-A-T and F-O-X.

If I put a book in front of him thou8gh he can't seem to manage it.

I noticed in the playground the other day that one of the other Mums was looking through her DS's school book and it was really advanced. T give an idea he is on the Level 10 books while DS is struggling with Level One.
What is normal?

I went up to the school's open evening last Wednesday and they went through what DS's class will be doing this year. I was amazed that the teacher only listens to each child read once a week (although the teaching assistant also listens to them once a week too),

I realise that the teacher is coping with a whole classful and not just DS so am not surprised that she doesn't have much time to devote to reading.

Is my DS behind though? Any Year One teachers out there?

Am going to make an appointment to speak to teacher and SENCO this week (DS has Sensory Processing problems) so will ask further about his reading ability. But has anyone else got a non reading Year One child.

think that will be interesting.

The Yr1 teacher does hear the class read individually but not at all regularly (maybe once a half term it seems???).
There is a lot riding on the guided / group reading work.....

Am at what some of you say about how often your child is heard reading. Have just looked back through ds's school diary and he has done one-to-one reading on ten days since the start of term - a mixture of class teacher and TA.

Even so, he's not on level 10, fedup!

Think DS's school is just too large (the same old story) and the teachers struggle to give the time they can. However, I am well up for the challenge of supporting my DS and will do anything I can to support him.

Glad my son is not the only one who hasn't reached the giddy heights of Level 10

Very few children are at stage 10 at the start of year 2, yet alone year 1. My son has a friend who was at stage 10 at the start of year 1, but he is hyperlexic and has recently been diagnosed with autism.

I think that a lot of teachers don't have enough training on how to teach reading. The fact that 20% of kids have poor literacy levels on leaving primary school is a national scandel.

This is a good website to find out more about the teaching of reading.

www.dyslexics.org.uk/

Getting a bit annoyed with everyone basically insinuating that teachers do not know what they are doing. How about the fact, like I mentioned before, that there is very little time available to help children with difficulties. If help is given outside the classroom, it is not enough. This combined with the fact that many parents do not give a monkeys and offer no support at home is probably what results in 20% of kids having poor literacy levels.

As always, teachers get the blame for everything...

I agree with you pudding that there is too little time available for teachers to help children with difficulties.

My DS's teacher has a class of 27 and one TA. Although in my OP I said I was amazed that the children only read to the teacher or TA twice a week in total I am not in all honesty that surprised given the numbers of children in the class. How on earth is she expected to target those with difficulties and make sure that they get the help they need.

Even trying to get funding for extra help is difficult (well it is in this area anyway).

Thanks fedup. It is virtually impossible to get extra funding for most things. It is a bit of a joke really. I would like anyone who complains about teachers to spend a month in our shoes and see how much they manage to get done.

At my dd's school, the teacher does not often hear the children read. Reading (aside from those who need extra support) is all guided reading in groups, and children are heard by the TA about once a fortnight, maybe once a half term by the teacher (in their guided reading group).
Results are excellent - twice the national average of Level 3's for reading SATs in Yr 2.
The class does a lot of work on phonics, and it is this that helps. Literacy skills are included in many other aspects of their learning.
I know that people feel the need for the teacher to hear their child read, but I personally am not sure it is a great use of the teacher's time.
Children also only get one book a week to take home, none at half terms or holidays or at the start of term, or if they are on a trip on book change day.
However, as I said, the results are fab. In my dd's year 1 class, there are about 6 on level 8+, another 6 on level 4, most on level 3 and only 4 on level 1. They must be doing something right!
I reckon at this stage if parents want to do something, they should do phonics reinforcement, and practice segmenting and blending at home. I think that has more impact than a 5 min session with a teacher who knows she has another 29 to go before she is done for the week...
I have every confidence in my school's teachers that they know what they are doing, although I appreciate that not every can...

fedup, I wouldn't worry about your ds being on Level One - it seems there is a huge range in reception and Year One. There are a handful of children in ds's class on Level 10 - all girls, all among the oldest in the year (September or October birthdays). The children on Level 1 are boys.

When we were little (assuming you are more than 20!) these children would only just have started school. I suspect this madness of shoving kids into school when they are barely four means everyone is getting worried about what is, in fact, perfectly normal achievement for a 5yo.

For instance, one of my friends is worried about her boy, who is on Level One - yet he was only five at the end of August. If his birthday was a week later, he'd just be starting school now.

Reading is one of those things that just clicks. Its developmental and bit like learning to use the potty or riding a bike.

Children can move from being level one standard to level 10 standard fairly swiftly you would be surprised.

Have you tried your son with the starfall website.

'Reading is one of those things that just clicks. Its developmental and bit like learning to use the potty or riding a bike.'

Not in the case of kids who are struggling it aint.

Of course it isn't always just developmental- but it often is. Not in the sense that everybody who struggles is not developmentally ready, but in the sense that even the best teacher can only do so much for a child who is not ready.

I remember being dismayed when I compared dd's reading book (Yr 1) with that of my friend's dd; dd seemed sooo far behind; yet by junior school she was top in literacy.

Ds took even longer to click; he really only "got" reading during the summer holidays between Yr 3 and Yr 4- and he was very well taught by excellent teacher.

moondog how old/young can you start them on the headsprout programme? my dd is 3.2 and would perhaps have liked her to have done it before she starts school age 4.2? so would 3.6 be too soon? she is prob fairly average developmentally- not particularly forward or anything but i am a bit worried about her being the youngest in her class. if she can do some of the basics already it might give her a bit of a confidence boost which for a shy young thing i think might help

I wouldn't do it before 4 myself. My ds is 4 and I will wait until he has mastered reading in Welsh before doing it (slightly different scenario I know).

I wouldn't do it before 4 myself. My ds is 4 and I will wait until he has mastered reading in Welsh before doing it (slightly different scenario I know).

I have to say that I worry about a child getting bored at school if they can read before they start....
What do you think?

Dd1 did the first two (at her insistence) trial Headsprout lessons today and loved them though it was obv stuff she already knew.
If I thought she was a struggling reader I would be very keen on the scheme.
I have also printed off some of the parental guidance for my benefit.

DD2 is 3.3 yo and sat next to dd1 (5.6) while she was doing the lessons today. Dd2 grasped none of it, but enjoyed the pictures, but then she is definitely not ready for reading yet.

I think if you got a good reception teacher that the child won't get bored. My son started reception able to read and loved every minute of it.

It starts assuming a child knows nothing, and takes them to the level of a 7/8 year old. It isn't a bad idea to start from the beginning (actually you have to) even if your child can read some, as meeting things they know already inspires confidence and reviewing acquired material is always a good idea.

The child cannot move on an episode until he has grasped the concepts. The programme will adjust to his errors and deliver more and more practice until he gets there.

As it is online, the company have ongoing data on every participant and can tweak the programme accordingly.

Get me. I should work for Headsprout.

That is encouraging Reallytired.
I made no attempt to teach my dd1 any more than some of the letter sounds and her name as I was worried about what she would do while the others were learning the basics.
I worry sometimes though that I am too laid back about the whole thing......

That sounds a really clever programme Moondog. Prehaps I'll have a look at in a few years time when my bump is older.

I think its a great idea that the child is not allowed to move forward until ready. I think a big problem in state schools is that children are sometimes forced to move on to new material before they are ready.

Does anyone remember the programme "Lost for Words" with Monteagle Primary. They grouped children by reading level instead of age. Instead of class groups. As it meant instruction could be at a level that matched the children's knowledge.

I thought it was cruel and unnecessary putting illiterate 10 year olds with 5 year olds, but it makes sense grouping children of similar ablity across say year 1/ reception or maybe year 1/ year 2.