and my posts are more about how one particular school affects me, my child and now it would seem friends children.Another big thank you btw to all of you and especially Debbie for the PI help and John for the amazing S-W opportunity. My daughter loves to read, she still does some of the things the mixed method school recommends, but infrequently, and can always correct with guidance.
Anyhow, back to my worries for today.
A few weeks ago I went to a talk run by the Headteacher who was talking about the new NC. I was a bit concerned when he said that the school would be pragmatic about using it, and would stick with what worked. I said nothing at the meeting, as I was also being pragmatic thinking I've done my bit to try and change things and at least I can changed things for my daughter.
However there is also a growing band of parents who can see my child can read, and enjoys it and have been talking to me about it as their children hate reading and can't do it. I couldn't not tell them what I know, so shared websites and knowledge. I didn't think it was fair for them to go along with the view that " your 6 year old is probably mildly dyslexic; youv'e got a son, they read late, your child is summer born, they will catch up."
Last week all the parents were invited to a talk about helping your child to learn to read. I was in two minds about going, as I didn't want to be in the position of not agreeing with the teacher. However against my better judgment, and with much encouragement from one member of staff ( who no doubt now has my number, and won't ask me again!) I went. I was half hoping it would be a talk on how the school have changed its methods inflight of the new NC. It wasn't. It was a RR teacher telling parents all the same old mixed methods. I kept quiet through the
.Children just have to learn words by sight
.There is no way to decode some wordds such as the word head, or said.
.Children must use picture clues, some parents cover the pictures over but you musn't do this.
. It's really important children guess words from the initial letter
. It's good to teach children to learn the alphabet names and tell you what letter name is missing in list ( I really wanted to ask about this but I kept quiet.)
I kept quiet through it all until she said
. Some people think that phonics is everything but that isn't true because English isn't a phonetic language so it's really important we don't place too much emphasis on it.
At this point I put up my hand to talk. I told the room that this wasn't true, that English of course phonetic and anyone who is taught the English Alphabetic Code would be able to decode "head" and "said" easily, and I talked her through how I'd do it with my child. I think I might have said she obviously didn't understand phonics if this was her view
. The discussion went on with a lot of sniggering at the back of the class and it culminated in me saying "what you are doing is now illegal".It was awful, I was shaken, the RR teacher seemed furious and was shaken. We had a discussion afterwards which went as badly as could be expected. She was angry I had questioned her professionalism.
Afterwards one parent I didn't knowcame up to me and asked if I'd explain what I was talking about, so I've had an email dialogue with her.
Anyhow, I've just been called in to a meeting with her and the head- I don't know if you remember but I've already had meetings with the head that went badly. I'm angry and upset that I was called into this meeting at drop off time, in front of all the other parents and children but espesacially in front of my daughter who looked absolutely distraught. It was handled in a really confrontational way, actually blocking my exit from the classroom and stopping me saying goodbye to my child, who is going through a clingy stage and hates drop-off. I told her I would attend a meeting but I would want to know what it was about and I would not attend alone. The teacher got really annoyed and just said its about last week and why do you feel the need to bring someone?
Anyhow, my partner and I will attend a meeting on Wednesday. I'm really worried that they are going to tell me I can't drop my daughter off at school anymore. They have a policy document about "difficult parents" and that's one of the things that's suggested. In fact the policy really annoys me, it's all worded as if the school is always right and the "difficult" parent always wrong. I've asked a friend who was at the meeting and she said I wasn't rude, I was really worried I had been but it seems I didn't raise my voice and just explained things.
So, what I would like to know is;
The school used 24k in a year to fund one to one RR intervention. Woul this have been enough money to train and equip a one form primary school in phonics? Something like PI or Sounds-write? As this money was Pupil Premium money, could it have even been used in this way?
If phonics is statutory, is it illegal for a school to use other methods. I assumed it was, but maybe I am wrong. As the RR teacher said, it's not as if anyone is going to throw her into prison.
Why do schools use RR? I am aware there was some issue over funding? Is there somewhere I can find out information about this?
Is the Institute Of Education Linked to mixed methods teaching? If so, how are they getting away with it?
What links does the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education have to mixed methods and RR?
Finally, is there any usefulness in guided reading?
( edited to ask the following) is it true that children with autism can't learn phonics and have to use mixed methods, maybe because of auditory problems? I am pretty sure this doesn't make sense, but I don't have any evidence.
Thanks for listening.
