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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

dd still struggling in yr 1

36 replies

paddingtonbear1 · 18/01/2009 17:15

My dd is in yr 1. She won't be 6 until July. She has struggled ever since starting school. She is OK socially, and her behaviour is fine, but her school work is well behind most of her peers. I guess it's the reading that concerns me the most - she's interested in it, but has low confidence - tells herself she can't do it, and whatever dh and I try to do gets nowhere. This weekend she has an ORT book (level 3 I think it is), but although she seems to know the story from the pictures she won't read the words! dh and I are at a loss. We try and get her to read other things, to help her see the point eg. things on menus, lists etc but it doesn't seem to make much difference. I suspect at school they have given up slightly as she hasn't really progressed this year at all. Should I be worried or will it just happen? she does know her phonic alphabet and can blend.

OP posts:

Earlybird · 18/01/2009 17:48

Have you spoken to her teacher? Think that would be the place to start.

CarGirl · 18/01/2009 17:56

she's only 5, stop worrying, ease up on the reading she will catch up when her brain is ready. Remember in most european countries they start teaching reading at school at 7 for this reason.

Original poster

paddingtonbear1 · 18/01/2009 18:01

I have spoken to her teacher on a few occasions - she basically says dd isn't 'getting it' yet, and made it sound like it was a problem. School moved her onto a different reading scheme which was better, more 'phonic' and with lots of repetition, but this week she's gone back to ORT which I don't think suits her. I don't always do school run as I work, but I might put comments on her reading log. It doesn't help dd that when her friends see her books (they go to after school club), they say 'oh I did that ages ago'!

OP posts:

Original poster

paddingtonbear1 · 18/01/2009 18:02

cargirl yes I see what you mean, I think she is young for her age as well. She would have been better starting in reception this year!

OP posts:

CarGirl · 18/01/2009 18:45

From your dd point of view would you want to do something that you find hard and keep "failing" at every day? I would concentrate on making reading/books fun even if that means you reading to her and not her doing any at home. If you are stressed about it she will pick up on it. My August born dd has only just got off the first level and she loves her reading! Think we will be on this level for quite some time as it doesn't seem to have clicked yet.

SniffyHock · 18/01/2009 18:49

I would echo the sentiment of others - try to ease off totally. If she brings a book home from school offer to do a page each, if she's still not keen then just read it to her or let her choose one of her stories.

Do you know anyone with a 2/3 year old that your DD could read to?

Reallytired · 18/01/2009 18:59

Poor thing, my son was on about stage 3 at her age, but the difference is that he had a winter birthday. Somehow being on stage 3 in the summer term of reception is less humilating than a summer born child being on stage 3 in the first term of year one.

Its great that she can blend and knows her letter sounds. Prehaps you should get some decodable books. These books are great jelly and bean

They start of very simple and every word is decodable. She would not have any tricky words or words that break the rules. These books might appear a bit artifical but it would boost her confidence no end to experience a bit of sucess.

As she makes progress then you can introduce tricky words and more complex phonics at a pace she can cope with.

Original poster

paddingtonbear1 · 18/01/2009 19:05

sniffy that is a good idea, she does a page then I do one, I will try that!
cargirl I guess your dd's teacher doesn't try to push her, or see it as a problem? Is your dd in reception?
The last time I saw dd's teacher (before xmas), she made an issue out of the fact that dd doesn't change her school books so often as the others (teacher marks in the register when books are changed).
dd liked the look of her current school book from the pictures, and could understand what it was about from them - she got put off when she didn't know half the words!

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Hotcrossbunny · 18/01/2009 19:08

My dd is also 6 in July. I'd say things are beginning to 'click' for her, but only in the last week or two. The thing we've found is the more we press her to do things, the less likely she is to want to. She really enjoys CBeebies website and other websites and suddenly wants to read at night to us. I think it's a developmental stage - when they're ready they take off!

Hotcrossbunny · 18/01/2009 19:11

Surely if your dd isn't changing her books regularly, someone at school should be helping her? She is still very little to understand the routines of school life, and maybe just needs a wee bit of support. It sounds like they are being quite tough on her (and you!)

Littlefish · 18/01/2009 19:13

If you're talking about the ordinary core books, then ORT is crap to be honest! It's a "look and say" scheme which is no good for children who are just beginning to become confident with phonics. Can your dd be moved back onto the more phonic based books?

I would also agree with all the suggestions to back off from reading the ORT books at home. Maybe do some phonic stuff instead to increase her confidence in things that she can do. I'm a teacher and also wholeheartedly support the "support your child to love reading by reading to her!

Hulababy · 18/01/2009 19:13

Please don't worry. Reading I think is one of those things that just suddenly clicks. For mow concentrate on the love of books. Look at the books together. Let her use the pictures to talk about the story. Read the words together - point to them as you go. Maybe get her to fill in just the odd familiar decodeable one.

I now work as a TA in a Y1 class. I am working with children who are still learning letter sounds and who are able to identify individual letters, and are still a way from putting sounds together to make words.

Level 3 at this stage is definitely fine.

Hulababy · 18/01/2009 19:18

ORT Stage 3 is within the normal range for this age/level see here

Original poster

paddingtonbear1 · 18/01/2009 19:30

thanks everyone. I think I will ask for dd to be put on the more phonic based scheme again, as I'm not too sure why they put her back on ORT - it is more look and say, and dd's not good at that yet, she tends to clam up. Her teacher did say though that she should 'zip' through the more phonic books, and she wanted her back on ORT asap. Don't know why! Except that she did say that she thought dd had some ability, but wasn't always using it and in her words 'has a lot of growing up to do'. Her teacher waned to 'get tougher' with her. Not sure that is working though tbh.

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Reallytired · 18/01/2009 19:52

Her teacher sounds horrible. Reading should be fun and saying a five year old child should grow up is silly. As for "getting tough" I fail to see what that would achieve other than making everyone miserable. She needs to feel confident to try.

I would get her some phonics books if the school aren't prepared to give her any. Other good phonics books include Ruth Miskin books and you can get a good price on amazon. The Ruth Miskin books have the tricky words in red so that your child knows not to attempt to sound them out.

annaje · 18/01/2009 19:57

My son was on Stage 3 in year one and he is a winter baby. But he is now in year 3 and reads very well. They all catch up and I have seen some very slow starters storm ahead by the time they get to year 2 - so don't worry, she will catch up. There will always be some exceptional children in each class and some that will always be at the bottom of the class - I'm sure your daughter will zoom ahead soon.

MillyR · 18/01/2009 20:33

My daughter didn't 'get' reading at school. I don't know why that was, as my son did get it. I taught her at home after school, first with Jolly phonics and then with the ladybird read it yourself books, which have different levels and cover a range of abilities. I also used a flashcard set, but using phonics to spell them out, rather than memorising the whole word.

To get my daughter to do this and get her out of the 'I can't do it' frame of mind, I got her to read to a glove puppet animal who would always claim to be able to read but get things wrong, and my daughter was keen to correct the mistakes! We tried to get lots of book about the animal for her to read. I know this sounds like a mad method, but it worked for us, so I thought I'd mention it.

She went from being a bit behind to very advanced in reading, and I think that can happen a lot in key stage 1. Now I just need to sort out her maths!

VanillaPumpkin · 18/01/2009 21:34

My dd is in year 1 and I have been helping with her class reading since reception. There are a lot of them still on stage three and some lower than that. I think my dd is doing brilliantly to be on stage four. There are a handful on stage five but that is the highest. This is at fairly high achieving school. Your daughter is doing fine if she can blend and knows phonic alphabet. I am more concerned about the teachers attitude tbh. And her friends comments . That is a shame.
Give her a bit of a breather, or perhaps read to her following the words together?
I felt my dd plateaued the second half of last term. She started off so well but then nothing, and like your dd was not at all interested. I mentioned it to her teacher when I was in and she said it was totally normal and that she would pick up again. She is beginning to a bit now.
Plus she is summer born. Imagine how amazingly you would think she was doing if she had just started reception in September ...
Good Luck.

Original poster

paddingtonbear1 · 18/01/2009 22:26

thanks all - dh and I have just been having a discussion, and we both feel dd hasn't really progressed at all (and not just with reading) since reception. She started reception not being able to do much (her speech was behind, she was young for age, didn't know her letters etc). She had glue ear which has since improved. Her reception teacher was fab and really brought her on, but since then it has been downhill! dh and I are thinking maybe we should do as you did MillyR, which is what my mum did for me (she was a teacher but is sadly no longer with us). I may hold off for a bit though and just read with her for a while, so she gets to enjoy it again first.
dd's is a high achieving school. They get threatened with lines if they do wrong - thankfully dd hasnt had any yet, she'd be there all week!

OP posts:

seeker · 19/01/2009 05:26

"threatened with lines if they do it wrong?" At 5 years old? That's awful!

I would back off completely and just read to her for a while. Don't expect her to read at all.

And make an appointment to see the teacher. Don't stand for any of this "she's got a lot of growing up to do" rubbish. Of course she has - she's 5!

petrovia · 19/01/2009 06:48

Poor dd
Fwiw ds is the same and not remotely interested in trying to read - well he will 'sound out' maybe one or two short words on a sign we see, perhaps - but books, no way. He's too discouraged. I really think pushing a child who just doesn't have those particular neural pathways in place yet, is counterproductive - I try and subtly let the school know I'm not too concerned, and I don't push him - but they still seem to be keen to reach a certain level.

She will be fine in her own time, I really wouldn't worry - I'd be more concerned about the school making a big deal of it and trying to 'get tough'. Kids in most other countries don't start formal literacy till they are 6 or 7.

Reallytired · 19/01/2009 17:27

"threatened with lines if they do it wrong?"

I would change her school then. No young child should be put under that level of pressure. Prehaps the teachers need to be given lines for making mistakes in their teaching.

It should be OK to make mistakes and get things wrong, otherwise its quite understandable if a child does not want to try.

Phonics can work with a child who has a mild hearing impairment. However it requries a lot of one to one attention in a really quiet room. It also requires a lot of patience.

Next time your daughter has a hearing test I suggest that you ask for a copy of her audiogram. The national deaf children's society has information on understanding audiograms and you will be able to see what sounds she can hear and what she can't. I would get her to blend words with letter souns that she can hear easily and then move on to letter sounds that she will struggle to hear.

picture of speech bananna on an audiogram

My little boy had a mild to moderate hearing loss due to glue during years R and 1. Infact he had hearing aids for 18 months as his glue ear was so severe. (The grommets fell out within weeks)

Now he can hear everything except f, th, s. He can read well for his age. He is coping well without hearing aids.

Hulababy · 19/01/2009 17:43

Lines? at 5y?!

TBH that alone with have alarm bells ringing for me.

morningsun · 19/01/2009 17:51

I did what millyr did and it worked well for me.If my ds was reluctant or not getting a word i read it straight away for him,and i put my finger under the word being read by him or me[still do ]I also did flashcards with pictures on that go with the ladybird read with me scheme.I used to pretend i'd forgotten words and made it a game. With the flashcards i also laid some out face up in lines on the floor,and asked him to find a word,when he found it[by the starting letter often]it went on a pile,and he could do it in dribs and drabs in the day and get a treat at the end[just start with 5 at first]
He loved it and it might give you an idea what she is finding hard.I think the main thing is do easy things for a while to get her confidence up.

NINALL · 19/01/2009 17:52

DS is in yr 1 and on stage 3 ORT, has April birthday.......I thought he was doing ok

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