Is there any teachers here who can tell me if I'm being a fussy Mum or not?

[philmassive]

My DS is in year one. He is shy and a bit of a worrier so isn't much of a one for speaking out in class, although I'm told that he's much better in smaller groups.

His year group has just been 'streamed' (for want of a better word) in their spelling tests. He has been put in the lowest group. His birthday is in March and he is in with the children who have SEN help and the younger children in the year. My friend's DD is in the same group and she is well behind him reading-wise and has extra help with reading.

Prior to the streaming taking place he had only got one spelling wrong of the 20 or more that he had been given. He is doing very nicely in his reading and is at least at the expected level for his age and a bit more if I've understood things right! Generally there seems to be no problems with his work, or if there is I haven't been told.

This afternoon I mentioned it to his teacher and she said that they had been streamed according to their ability level reported when they came up from reception and that they would be re-checked after Christmas.

My question is this... does this seem likely? That his reading is good but his spelling might be a bit ropey? And does it seem fair to you that he had been doing well in spellings (doing quiz, feel, fair easily) and now he is on bus and bin?

I know I sound like an obsessed Mother but because he isn't the most outgoing in the class I don't want him to be left behind.

Your thoughts would be appreciated.

Feenie, I feel no need to apologise for my remark. I did not say the whole profession was not a bright one. I said primary school teachers are not always that bright. Having spent over 2 years being told that my DD was lazy (she has now been diagnosed as severly dyslexic), I have found the UK primary school system and its teachers generally so unsupportive and obsessed with their targets, that as parents of dyslexic children we are packing up and moving home to Sweden where the school system is very different.

That's interesting FairyMum. I have thought about Sweden too - for schools.

I'm sorry to hear of your problems, Fairymum, and I'm sorry that your experiences and those of your dd have been so negative. However, on a forum full of primary teachers, often SEN specialists, your comment regarding at entire profession is at best inflammatory and at worst downright rude. You cannot expect to make a comment like this and not have your opinions challenged, particularly when you choose to back up your opinions with evidence to the contrary, and then insist you are more intelligent than 'some' primary teachers.

I have made my point - I don't wish to discuss anything further with you, since you clearly can't debate anything weightier than your own experiences without resorting to sweeping generilisation.

I have a dyslexic DS who spells really badly but now reads well.
He used to do well in spelling tests but it never translated to his writing. He had lots of help in primary so my experience is not the same as Fairymums.

FairyMum
Have you been to Sweden to see some of their schools? Why not go for a week or so (if you haven't already)?
Property is relatively cheap out there too.

Very likely... my ds is in year 3, he is an excellent reader and always gets spelling tests right however in regular written work his spelling is dreadful. He's not dyslexic - he wasn't taught phonics in reception so has no real concept of what sounds in words look like. The tests are fine because he has an excellent memory so just learns what the word looks like. I wouldn't worry about it for now but ask again after Christmas. HTH

Fairymum - the least bright teacher I've ever worked with was in fact...... Swedish!

Some people should home ed FGS!

Is it me who should home ed madamecastafiore? Am I not allowed to have some understanding of my son's education?

critterjitter, I am Swedish.

Littlefish, your point is? My point is that I see the British school system as selecting and streaming children from a very early age. Even at the age of 10 and 11 when children win places in grammer schools, you might miss really bright children because they are late developers or they just take to the curriculum in a different way.

I don't think I have said Swedish teachers are brighter than Brits, although if someone asked me..... My point is the Scandinavian school system would not leave it so open to an individual teacher to select the children they thought better able.

isnt spelling somethign to do with hearing as well?
didnt i read somewhere that if your hearing wasnt so good your spelling would be the same?
perhpas it was a load of poppycock.

I'm not really making a point FairyMum - simply an observation.

Not everything about the Swedish system is better. Obviously, there are teachers who trained in Sweden who are not as bright as others! No, you didn't say that Swedish teachers were brighter than Brits. However, I didn't say that all Swedish teachers were dense. Just the one I happened to be working with

Fairymum - are your judgements and experience based on the one Primary School your dd attended, or do you have wider, more balanced and informed professional and personal experience of the education system as a whole?

Fairymum
Some of my in-laws are Swedish, and I have heard their comments on the UK education system (as compared to the Swedish one). Seems to be that they too will be packing up and going back to Sweden when their first child reaches primary school age.