I received my sons school report today and I am concerned that my son has fallen behind. Most of the subjects are ticked either Not yet able or Developing skills. This makes me think he is not at the level he should be. However when I have been to the parent-teacher evenings and asked at what level he is working the teacher will only say he is in line with the national curriculum. I know he is easily distracted at school and does not complete all the work set for him and have raised the subject with the teacher but I feel nothing is being done. I know they can't concentrate on him soley but feel they just leave him to sit at the table and get on with it knowing that at the end of the lesson he will have done no more than write his name, date and a couple of lines.
are there any primary school teachers who can explain the school report and tell me whether my concerns are justified
2007-07-06 11:28:10 · 6 answers · asked by rachel 2 in Education & Reference ➔ Teaching
Serious cause for concern I would say. You are being fobbed off with jargon and that is not fair.
Working towards, developing skills, in line with National Curriculum is all jargon and has no place when speaking to parents.
If I was you I would ask for a meeting with both the class teacher and the Head. ask for his work to be present and then go through his books with both of them. You need to ask where he is within the class, don't allow them to tell you they don't work like that, all children are grouped by ability. They may then work in mixed ability groups but the teacher knows exactly where he is within the class.
Once it is realised you are serious about knowing the state of his education you should have co-operation from the school.
2007-07-08 05:34:53 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Maybe this is not his intellect but his behavior problem. What would be a good idea is if you spend much more time monitoring his homework and start controlling him a bit more. Like even if he doesnt have homework you set some and start forcing additional school work over the weekend for a few hours to ensure he a) gets in line and b) studies well. If he knows you are keeping tabs on him he may start to get in line also go to the school, talk to the teacher to pressure him a bit and in front of him after you have spoken to the teacher go and tell your boy. "Look I've told your teacher any problems from you, even a word out of line and it will get back to me".
With clear moral and authorative support for the teacher in front of his mates and him he should get back in line and probably go quiet for a while.
2007-07-09 03:15:57 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Racer is wrong. "Developing..." or "Working towards...." are teacher code for seriously behind. School reports do not normally grade or assess things that haven't yet been covered.
The best advice is that given by another contributor - get a good private tutor. I would add, do your own bit by telling your child stories, reading together, having lots of conversation to wake his mind up and get him interested.
It would also help to go and see the teacher and seriously question her - what are the exact weak points, etc. Don't be too hard on the kid; if you cross-question him every evening about his schoolwork, he might sulk. Just do your bit & hire a good teacher on a one - to one basis.
2007-07-07 06:48:17 · answer #3 · answered by Michael B 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well it's pretty obvious that he is not keeping up with the rest of the class, and the national average is a very low standard which most children should be performing above. I would recommend tutoring services such as Sylvan Learning Center, or just paying more attention to your childs diligency and work habit. If you know your child does not complete the work he is assigned, you should be the first one to do something about it.
2007-07-06 18:33:44 · answer #4 · answered by Neil Dave 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
in our area they don't use that method of grading in regular classes. it's usually reserved for speech therapy or specialized reading programs. however, just b/c it says"developing skills" doesn't mean he's behind. it may mean that they haven't touched much on that subject yet. i would have another conference with the teacher and maybe the principal. have them explain it thouroughly to you and don't leave until you're comfortable with the answer. if he is falling behind, i'd ask why you weren't notified sooner and what extra help they are going to give him. remember, you're his advocate. don't let them blow you off.
2007-07-06 18:41:04 · answer #5 · answered by racer 51 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
hey im having the same problem my sons 12 and hes a year behind...i have not got the patience with him so i got a private teacher for him ! and hes doing really well..
2007-07-06 18:41:57 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋