Pronoun, determiner garbage. SPaG garbage.

My son came back from a mock SPaG test today saying that a 'pronoun can't be a determiner'.

This is precisely the kind of garbage that I was objecting to a couple of months ago in my column in the Guardian.

Why garbage? Because some people who draw up lists of grammatical terms say that 'my' in the phrase 'my hat' is a 'possessive pronoun' (some call it a 'possessive adjective', I don't give a damn either way). Some people also call it a 'determiner' because it 'determines' 'hat'. Some don't. I don't give a damn either way.)

Clearly, it is possible in this morass, that a 'determiner', according to some, could be a 'pronoun'.

This is clearly also not my son's fault, not his teacher's fault, not the school's fault but the fault of a useless 'naming-of-parts' test which is much more about right and wrong than helping children think about language and how we put it together, use it and understand and enjoy how it works.

Nightmare.

"We have been discouraged from using the library by the school improvement adviser because it is not promoting progress."

Teacher:

"Reading for pleasure is something which we have been discouraged from doing as it does not promote progress, and yet we are told it needs to happen more. More and more it is expected that children read for pleasure at home, but our children are so demotivated by school reading and their parents not reading for pleasure we are really struggling to get them reading, especially further up KS2. 

 We have also been discouraged from using the library by the school improvement adviser because it is not promoting progress. 

What about those vital research skills she asks about though? When do they get to learn those in a relaxed and enjoyable manner? As a lover of reading it's a real struggle to see so many children discouraged in this way. My year 4s love nothing more than having a story read to them, but we are confined to reading 2 pages at home time amidst the noise and bustle of the other classes packing up so teachers can get them out on time so they can start the next 4 hours of work. How do we promote reading in such a busy environment?"

Ofsted: "We can't see the learning going on in silent reading time"

Teacher:

"I am a high school English teacher and have been teaching for eight years. Firstly I want to thank you for all the work and awareness you are raising about the way reading for pleasure is being forced out of schools.

I am really terrified about what this means for the students and future generations of students.

Seven years ago, OFSTED came to our school and saw silent reading in form time. In their feed back they said that this wasn't a good use of time as they couldn't "see the learning". As a result leadership decided that silent reading wasn't a good use of time and it was outlawed. Instead we were told to do activities in the library, like discussing books or doing a review of a book that had already been read. Someone made a box of activities on bits of paper. I was very angry and argued with leadership but they just keep coming back the the fact that they can't "see" progress or "see" learning when children read (I pointed out that learning and progress are abstract nouns but this didn't change their minds")

I still let my classes read in silence in the library but I am aware that if I am discovered I am doing something I am not supposed to be doing: reading in a library. I still find it ridiculous. I encourage reading for pleasure in every way I can, as do my colleagues and all KS3 students have to read at home for at least an hour every week. I just think that reading in a library with others is a really special experience.

I am also concerned about the way novels are being taught in high schools, recently in an English teacher meeting someone said: "There's no point teaching whole novels anymore, the exams are all unseen extracts, we only need to teach extracts from year 7 upwards". There is one Shakespeare text and one 19th Century novel on the syllabus, every other exam is unseen extracts. Of course I challenged the reading of extracts, but I am concerned that this is something that could be happening in schools everywhere.

So we are left with this situation: children are forced to read two difficult books that are not accessible for many of them, everything else they read is just fragmented extracts they have to analyse and they never get to read anything they want to read for pleasure. The result will be a generation of people who hate reading and have never had any pleasure from it. It is terribly sad.

I felt compelled to write to you, I'm not sure what you can do. Often I feel like I'm not doing enough; the government changes are really stifling teachers."

Teacher:

"I'm a Primary School teacher and our 2-form entry school has a lovely, well-stocked, colourful library with shed loads of cushions, brightly-coloured bean bags, cosy corners, the lot. Sadly, it's never used though because, according to the head, "There's just not enough time in the teaching timetable." The children never visit it, never spend time in it (unless they have a broken thumb so can't go outside at playtime and so have to choose a friend with whom they can play chess or noughts and crosses), never browse books, choose books, borrow books, return books. Nope, it's literally there to just look pretty. "

Teacher:

"At my last school we were a 'read write inc' school. This took an hour every day, then we had to teach handwriting, spelling and guided reading daily on top of that, as well as hear every child read once a week. We had such a restricted timetable that anything ‘extra’ was squeezed out. We were then told that if we taught 'read write inc' properly, it would cover story time sessions. Have you ever looked at those books? I think not."

"...new management banned silent reading."

Teacher:


"In my school, in response to an Ofsted where we were told that reading had to feed more into writing, silent reading was changed so that teachers would do guided reading with one group, while the rest of the children worked on doing some work related to the book they were reading, so Instead of reading for pleasure, it was turned into another piece of work, which could never be marked as marking workload is tough enough.


At one point, struggling readers were all in the same group so I tended to avoid free reading due to poor quality of texts and dull, age-inappropriate reading schemes that didn't exactly foster a love of reading. I was told to use a very prescriptive phonics scheme with these children but instead rebelled a little and did lots of whole class reciprocal reading using higher quality texts instead, and worked our phonics into this. I did always find it tricky to encourage a love of reading for struggling readers with such poor resources available, so I used to give free reading choice once a week using comics, annuals and copies of children's newspapers I got my hands on and encouraged children to read in pairs for support


However, there is time once a week for reading buddies, where younger children read their book to year 6 children, which always works well.


I suppose a way round a learning objective may be to create one such as: to read independently a text I have chosen... Very contrived though!"




Teacher:


"I work in Y5 in large primary school.

We are allowed to do free reading once a week during 'early morning work' (10-20mins). In guided reading sessions we can allow children to read but when I was observed, I was told I needed to give them a focus (a sheet to write stuff on whilst they read basically - looking for adjectives - that sort of thing). I don't do that I still let them read freely and they love it. They pore over books in pairs, they bring in books from home to put in the book corner to share. Recently a couple of boys in my class redesigned our reading corner - making it really inviting, sorted all the non-fiction books into categories and labelling them, organising collections of magazines for children to enjoy. It's a joy to see. Sadly, if I am observed again, I imagine I will give them a sheet to do.

When I started here just over two years ago - the school was just introduction 'story time' - 15 minutes at the end of every day dedicated to reading stories to the class. I love the idea and did it most days with my class - getting through a good number of books. The problem is that to do the 15 mins- you have to steal time from your afternoon lessons. We only have 1hr45 in the afternoon (realistically a bit less once you have done the register) - because our mornings are completely full with English and Maths (including Guided Reading and Guided Maths). This means we have to fit all of our other subjects into the afternoons, including assemblies, two PE sessions, one computing session, science, topic, PSHE and all foundation subjects (art, history etc.) So we have to make a really hard call - do we prioritise science or stories? I want to do both!

Over time, the profile of story time has diminished - and this year when we were given timetables it wasn't mentioned. I asked about how we were meant to fit so many sessions into such short afternoons and was told nothing is statutory apart from RE. In my opinion the relentless push for results has narrowed the curriculum so much to the point where all we really place any importance on is English and Maths. We don't even assess science or computing at my school, but the maths and English assessments are relentless.

I hope my experiences may contribute something to the debate - not unusual I am sure!"

Here are some more teachers talking specifically about silent reading being frowned on or banned in schools. I am also receiving other messages about schools which encourage silent reading and I can post those and others on another day. One thing at a time!

Teacher:

" In response to your Facebook post asking for teachers to contact you if they have been asked to suspend 'free reading' activities. Unfortunately, I can say that we have. We used to do a guided reading carousel and one day would be a group's turn to choose what they wanted to read (magazines, non- fiction on any topic, comics, books of any reading level) and sit in the book corner (comfy chairs, cushions etc). It was deemed that there was no obvious learning objective and progress was not measurable.

We also have a brand new library stocked with thousands of pounds worth of books. Not a single class in the school has any timetabled time to use it and teachers find it impossible to find time in the week to visit it. We used to have a library slot once a week where the children had time to explore books, loan them and then would choose one book to share and read together. They loved it.

I am so bored of guided reading. Why can't we just read a book together and enjoy it? I am constantly finding tedious links in texts to a list of 40 reading criteria used to assess. 

I've been teaching 5 years in one school and each year I've had to learn a new way to assess reading and writing. "

Teacher:

"I teach year 2 and I just wanted to add another story to all the messages you've had in response to your Facebook post about reading in schools.

For the past two years I worked in a new academy in [-----]. My class used to come in and read silently (or with a friend) for 10 minutes each morning, until new management banned silent reading. We had to replace it with something 'constructive' like responding to marking comments in books. I ended up complying because they used to come round and check up on us and I didn't want to get told off. Reading time certainly wasn't allowed during our carefully pre-made, pre-rehearsed Ofsted lessons (when headteachers from other academies were shipped in for two days to pretend to be class teachers and TAs because they were so desperate to secure their outstanding judgement). "

"Don't simply let them read, because what are they learning?"

In my encounters with teachers I have sometimes come across teachers who've told me that either school management or Ofsted have said things which indicated that it was a waste of time to let children do silent reading in school time and/or to do open-ended story-telling or poetry reading if there are no questions for the children to do. Some of this, they told me, was to do with making 'learning objectives' and 'learning outcomes' explicit.

Anyway, I put out some feelers this morning to see if anyone could or would confirm my encounters.

What you read below came from teachers. 

Just to be clear:

1. I am not knocking teachers. Teachers have to do what they're told to do. If they don't, they risk getting the sack, or not getting a bonus.

2. I am not saying that what you read below is going on in all schools. I don't know how widespread or how exceptional it is. I have no idea. 

3. I am not saying that many schools are not doing precisely the opposite; and believe in giving children time to do 'free reading' or 'silent reading' or 'choosing books' or 'listening to stories and poems' galore. 

4. I am not going to write out here and now why I think this kind of free reading is important. I'm going to guess that most people  reading this know that, and anyway, I've written about it many times elsewhere, including on this blog. 

5. If you would like to contribute your version of the quotes below coming from your experience, please let me know. You can write to my email. It's on the top right hand corner of my website. 

Teacher:

"Many of the children had little or no access to books at home. Silent reading (so, having scheduled time to just sit quietly and read) was removed from the timetable because "there is nothing to assess" and "you can't show progress".

I was asked to teach a Year 5 literacy unit on Michael Morpurgo's War Horse, but there were no copies of the book available. I queried this and the Head said, "Use the DVD. Nobody reads books any more. They just wait for the film to come out"."


Teacher:

"Was told explicitly not to simply 'let them read' because 'what are they learning?'"


Teacher:

"I was told by my head that I shouldn't do story time in my year 1 class when ofsted was there the next day. That day, they had observed my colleague in the other year 1 class and couldn't see the 'learning' during story time. Ridiculous!

Since then, I've worked more in junior settings. We were told the same about silent reading and had to chop it from the curriculum. It appears that unless children have a learning objective (and can explain why they're doing what they're doing and how to be successful at it) that we are seen as not doing our jobs correctly."


Teacher:

"Silent reading and other chances to read are going on but it’s almost a clandestine affair. As teachers, we know and understand the value of reading but it’s almost like we feel guilty doing it. As you say there are no specific learning objectives for reading. If a teacher is being observed there is NO WAY they would let the kids read as the teacher would be unable to ‘show progress in learning’ which would automatically give that teacher an needs improvement/inadequate teaching observation result, which then has a knock-on effect to any pay progression that teacher might get."


Teacher (re told not to do silent reading):

"I've also been told this. They said it was because I couldn't be sure they were actually reading & not day-dreaming!

During guided read, 1 group a day had a 'read for pleasure' activity. Teachers provided a lovely box of comics, football programmes, recipe books, catalogues, anything to grab their interest. The children loved it when it was their turn. When our school got an academy 'principal' I was observed and told I needed to give the children a focus, something like 'choose a non-fiction book and write 5 facts'. Yet more writing, and it certainly got rid of the 'pleasure' bit....æ

Agony and the Ecstasy - with and without Radio News

I've been taking a holiday from all Radio News programmes. It was beginning to get to me. I've been holidaying in Radio 3. Even when it's music I don't like, even when people are talking in ways I don't like, it's so preferable to the Radio News stuff, that I love them all. I am brimming over with love for it all.

Then I got into the car, switched on the radio which was set to a certain radio channel. They were reporting on the rail strike in Wales. The news announcer reported that it was happening. Then there was a statement from the rail company. That was the news item. That was how it was reported. That was the news. That was the meaning of the strike. That was the totality of that strike for me in the car. The strike was happening. And there's the rail company. Just the rail company. The rail company who apologised for the fact that there was disruption because of the unions. No one to point out that all other kinds of disruption are taking place because of anything experienced by the working people on the railways, in the past, now or might be in the future. And if two sides work in a rail company - management and workers - then it was the breakdown between the two that 'caused' the strike, not just one side?

But that wasn't what I was allowed to hear. My sole source of information in that one single moment I switched on the radio was what the rail company wanted us to hear. That's it.

I rushed my hand towards the off button. Slammed my hand down on it. The radio went silent. I experienced an immense sense of relief. Pleasure almost. I had stopped this stuff from getting to me. I drove on in silence. I thought of traffic. Trees. Clouds. Houses, Shops. Cars.

I got home. Switched on Radio 3.

There was some music I didn't like. It was wonderful. I let it flow over me in all its not-really-like-ness.

Retired headteacher talks re: collaboration between schools - before and after

Response to my column in the Guardian today:

"I was Head of a school in one of the most disadvantaged areas of the country. We formed a group of ten schools who agreed to collaborate. We met regularly and looked at the good ideas happening in each school. I took a number of good ideas from my colleagues and they did the same. These covered a range of initiatives such as better reading standards, increasing the quality of experiences for children and getting parents involved. There were a number of other initiatives that made a dramatic difference.

At the beginning of this collaboration we had two schools out of ten that were deemed outstanding by Ofsted. After five years all ten schools were judged as outstanding.

Another five years down the line all ten Head teachers have now retired. The LA Education department no longer exists and the whole collaboration has stopped. Over the last five years now only one of the ten is outstanding.

Government policy is taking things backwards."