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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.

Flip

Original poster

Think I need advice re dd's reading, please?

19 replies

FlappyTheBat · 18/10/2009 16:30

Dd is 4 and as we live in Scotland, she will not start school until next year.

From the age of 2, she began to pick out words books and is now reading basic books by herself.

I haven't done anything to encourage this and I'm a bit shocked by her ability tbh.

My friend is a HV and she came over this weekend and saw/heard dd reading. She said she would be concerned about her becoming bored at school because she is already above the level that would be expected for primary one.

She has suggested that I get her tested but she doesn't exactly know who I should contact.
Does anyone know if such tests actually exist?

Has anyone else got a child who has done the same? And also, how do they cope at school when they are able to read?

TIA

OP posts:

Goblinchild · 18/10/2009 16:36

So when she gets to school, let them know what she's reading and then they will try her out and see if you're right. And then she'll be given books at her level, and activities to match.
My daughter was the same, went to school at 4 1/2 able to read Hairy Maclary, Dr Seuss and such. She was reading Roald Dahl by Y1, the big fat ones.
I was more worried that people would think I'd been cramming her, but it was just the way she was.
What evidence did your friend offer that the school would not match her needs as an able pupil?

Original poster

FlappyTheBat · 18/10/2009 16:45

The school she is due to go to is not a good school at all, very poor reports and a lot of effort has to go into pupils who have serious issues out with school.

I just don't think the teachers will have the time to spend encouraging pupils unfortunately.
I live near people who haven't sent their children to this school because of it's reputation/reports but we aren't in the same situation so it looks inevitable that she will have to go.

OP posts:

Goblinchild · 18/10/2009 16:48

Not good then, send her with a book of her own in her book bag, so she can read that as well as her school one.
The teachers should still be looking to meet the needs of everyone in the class, so you can demand ask if she seems to be getting bored.

mrz · 18/10/2009 17:02

My son could read fluently before he was two and by three would read the stocks and share prices in his grandfather's newspaper. He was never bored at the local village primary school but it did become an issue when he transferred to secondary.

katiestar · 19/10/2009 13:34

My DD learned to read in utero , midwifery textbooks were her favourite and she was able to deliver herself completely unaided.However her writing is not as good and she did make some fundamental errors completing her medical notes.

YummyMummy21 · 19/10/2009 16:06

I understand your concerns, I shared similar concers to you. DD is 4.9 and has just started reception. She is advancced compared to 'average' school age in counting, number awareness, reading etc. However, she is not alone in her class of 30. One little boy can free read and write joined up all letters same size etc while DD is not doing this yet, she is more able with numbers.

The first years of school are not all about reading levels. It more about building friendship groups, learning how to behave at school. Assembly and classroom etiquette etc.

You must be very pleased with your DD and very proud of her ability. I am not trying to take that away from you.

If you feel that your DD is having her needs met then bring this up at the time with her teacher, or just provide her with correct raeding material at home.

As of yet DD has done very little 'learning' at school. She has been there for 5 weeks. So far all focus has been settling them into school life, and I think this is pretty much the main focus for 1st year of formal ed. I think that teachers are pretty well equipped to deal with the vast range of levels they have to deal with in early ed years. Also if her classroom is like my DD's there will be all level of books for her to read at her own will.

Take Care and good luck to your DD for her first year of school

Goblinchild · 19/10/2009 23:41

So it's not OK to try and help another poster by sharing experiences, in case someone thinks you're boasting?
My daughter's almost 19 now, so any fuss about her reading skills is long past Katiestar.

alwayslookingforanswers · 19/10/2009 23:49

isn't it funny how a pre-schooler/young child can be good at numeracy.........but no-one takes the piss. If someone says that their pre-schooler/young child is reading.......well that's an open invitation to take the p*ss

DuelingFANGo · 19/10/2009 23:53

I could read before 4 and in my first year at school I finished most reading levels before most of the other children, though as time went on most of the other kids 'caught up'. I don't think it did me any harm and I wasn't bored because the teachers let me read the higher levels and I was given loads of books to read at home. On the other hand I do know that I wasn't always aware of the meanings of a lot of the words I was reading and I didn't always get the help to understand what the words meant or with the pronunciation as the teachers didn't have the time to teach me one to one while dealing with the rest of the class. So as I got older I embarrassingly mis-pronounced words all the time. Plus my spelling was awful.

I think you just need to be prepared to give her extra help if she needs it and to talk to the teachers about allowing her to read above her age level.

labyrinthine · 19/10/2009 23:56

funny though katiestar and not nasty

Original poster

FlappyTheBat · 20/10/2009 10:13

thanks katiestar really helpful

bet you thought you were so clever posting that didn't you?

we live in a bad area with no hope of being able to move or as other parents do, send our children to private school.

so, I'm faced with the prospect of sending my children to a failing school that has massive problems.

ok so my dd can read but I came here to ask for advice about how to support her when she starts at a school where the teachers attention is taken up by disruptive pupils and pupils who have more serious issues to contend with than having the ability to read.

OP posts:

Piffle · 20/10/2009 10:26

My son started reading aged 2 and was on chronicles of narnia by reception.
He did the reading scheme but was Bored with it, he started in a failing school too. They allowed him free reading from the off
He is now 15 and has coped fine with school and is an avid reader still

Piffle · 20/10/2009 10:28

and when tacher is discpling the disruptive kids, your DD can get stuck into her boooks

smee · 20/10/2009 20:26

Flappy is the school really that bad? Only asking, as sometimes schools get bad reputations, but they're actually okay. It's hard for a school to look good if they've got a challenging intake as results are always going to be bad, but if the kids are happy and the atmosphere's good, I'd say the chances are she'll be fine regardless. Really hope that's the case.

missmapp · 20/10/2009 20:37

I agree about working on her understanding of what she can read. We do a reading journal where children read a book, discuss it in a group and write about it in their journals, describing their favourite part of thes tory, draeing a character etc. \this may be a good next step for your dd and will help her reading comprehension aswell as her 'mechanical' reading.

Lilyloooohhhh · 20/10/2009 20:39

Flappy i think you need to be careful of completely dismissing the schools ability to support your dd before she even starts.
I have worked in a challenging school and yes it is true some children do take up an inordinate amount of time on 'other' issues but that doesn't always mean that teachers are completely unable to support pupils who do have a desire to learn.
Yes be prepared to support her at home , send in books , push for support if she isn't getting it but also be prepared to be surprised it may just not be as terrible as you are expecting.

Original poster

FlappyTheBat · 21/10/2009 10:32

Yes, the school is that bad.

I don't want to put too many details on here but I have been given information from another source as to how bad things are at this school and I'm sure if everyone here knew the full facts, then you would not want your child to attend this school either.

OP posts:

smee · 21/10/2009 13:03

Oh dear that's sad. If it's that bad though, are they going to go into special measures, etc. That can make massive improvements - not sure it's the same in Scotland though.

Gracie123 · 21/10/2009 13:11

Some schools are very bad, unfortunately that's just the way it is.

I really feel for you flappy. I would be really upset if I had to send DS to a school that I felt was particularly poor (may still happen, he's only 22 months!)

I think it's really important to get involved with your DCs school as much as possible. Parental support can turn around even the worst school.

I cringed at the time, because my mom insisted on coming in to help with reading and play times and putting on drama clubs at lunch time etc... in my primary school. Once we moved up to secondary school she got involved there (in a less public way - think governor). Is there anyway you could volunteer your services to the school? I bet they would be really grateful. It sounds like they are struggling.

Even if you just spent one afternoon a week listening to children read, you would be giving those children an opportunity they might not otherwise get, and probably get to help your DC out a bit too.

Flip