How often does your rec child read at school?

[haagendazs]

My ds only gets to read once a week or even less with the teacher/ assistant but brings home a book each day. I dont think its enough imput from the teachers, what do you think?
I feel as if its down to me to teach him to read........

Did you know there is no time allocated at all in the primary school curriculum for reading 1 to 1 with a teacher?

It has to be done at home and I am fine with that.

If parents just took the time to do what was asked by the school then most children would be reading fluently by the end of Y1 or Y2.

Do the sounds, practise the letters, listen every night to them read, read to them at bedtime - it aint rocket science!

The parents who are moaning about this should take some time to go and help in school and see just what the teacher is expected to achieve in one day. It is sooo much and there is just no time for one to one reading which is why it has to be done at home.

what about the poor kids whose parents don't do that?

what about the children whose parents can't spell?

shall we just abandon htem to their fate?

them of course

I'm glad you are fine with that Gossip -- but that's a bit I'm alright Jack it seems to me.

Which is why we ask parents to read every night with their child, to help them practise.
Their reading is improved even more when they are taught new skills, every day, either as a class or in a small group. This is much more effective than sitting with one child and listening solely to them, both in terms of time and acquiring new skills.

The TA should do it with the help of a parents' reading rota. Ideally, every day for five minutes.

Not meant like that at all Stuffit.

I just mean that there is no time in the curriculum for the teachers to read on a one to one so it is hardly their fault that they cant do it all.

Who has really not got the time to listen to their child read for 5 or 10 mins?

what if they can't do it at home??

shall we just not bother with them?

nonsense about reading in a group being better than one to one

that's just been made up because one to one is not possible by a teacher

"what about the poor kids whose parents don't do that?"
Most teachers have to build in extra opportunities for those children, and will grab any volunteer available to 'hear' those children, letting them practise their skills.

Plenty of people. Plenty.

If the child does not read at home then the TA does it at school and some are flagged up to the teacher so she can monitor them and move them to a higher level if they need to.

Have you been a parent/teacher helper at all Stuffit?

It is non-stop all day. Literally.

Why can't the TA do it with the help of a parents' rota?

Is EVERYTHING so much more important than reading that each child can't be taken aside for five minutes to be listened to?

Often though Stuffit because they dont make time for their children.

Sad but true.

I don't blame the teachers.. I blame the priorities of the curriculum. I suppose class sizes too.

Not every class has a TA dedicated to supporting the whole class. I have 2 TAs - both work with children that have very specific (and severe) SEN needs.

Yes I have. I have participated in and organised many school reading rotas. There is no pressure on the children, they learn that reading is a priority, they enjoy the one to one, and reading levels fly.

One particular benefit it seemed to me is that children who would not respond to a teacher or their own parent, due to pressure of not wanting to disappoint, could often respond very well to another mother.

At our school there are 27 children in our class with a teacher and 2 TAs. (Y1)

We do sound books on Tuesday and then we both work with the two lower levels while the teacher works with the two top levels in the class.

On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays reading books are changed and those who have not read at home will be listened too. We often take children out of assembly so they can read but this is not always possible.

Often it is because the parents are illiterate, under pressure at work, have new babies, are disorganised -- or think they are doing it right when they actually can't spell or read properly themselves.

Yes it is sad but true -- do we punish the children for the parents' failings?

....which is why it is so important to have parent/teacher helpers to listen to readers.

I am a TA and atm I work from 9-12 while ds2 is at nursery and I am also a parent teacher helper in Y2 for ds1 when I can get childcare for ds2. I often listen to readers in Y2 but it is the same children who do not have the support at home to do homework and reading.

The problem is the curriculum and class sizes but the teacher should certainly not be blamed.

.....of course we dont blame the children for the failings of the parents.

What do you suggest we do?

"do we punish the children for the parents' failings?"

Nope - as we have all patiently explained, we identify which children don't get extra practice, and build in extra opportunities for those children. Somehow.

Gossip that sounds sound, iyswim.

We used to operate a system where there would be two parents going in every day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.

The children would be doing an activity that was not either maths or messy work.

The parent would go in, pull the first child out, listen to them read, give them a smiley face or something in their book and then send them back in for the next child.

There would be a register for those who'd read, and in the afternoon, the others would be read with.

We weren't allowed to read with the children who had specific difficulties in case we undermined the strategies being used with them.

It seemed to work very well. It WAS a full on day for the teacher and TA. And to be honest there do seem to be more children these days who have those "specific difficulties" so I can imagine the pressure on them is even greater.

Twice a week, sometimes only once if they are busy doing other things. Dd would be happy to read most days.

Feenie - we often do it as soon as the children come in, after the register, while they are on the carpet and grab some to read.

It literally takes 5 mins and then they get a sticker which they love.

There are a couple of children who I know could read at home and if they do, they get a sticker on their jumper and a sticker in their reading book and it reminds them to ask parents to help. Only a small thing but it is working.

Then there is the mother who has missed 4 party invites, a football certificate and didnt take some dirty pants out of the schoolbag for 3 days because she hadnt bothered to check his bag!

I think what is getting my goat is that because reading one on one is not possible by a teacher, the merits of one on one are being downgraded, as if it's not desirable, or effective.

It truly is most effective and most desirable.

The problem should not be: how many reasons can we find for not doing this? but how can we make this in any way possible?

Feenie I'm sorry to try your patience. God forbid someone should have a different but entirely cogent idea about reading strategies.