[senco-forum] was Standards Site-now literacy again

Hi Helen,

Welcome to the forum.

"In  particular, how many parents read/tell stories to their children from as 
soon  as they can sit up, and model 'literate activities' in the home? How 
many  parents are supportive of the school, and ready to take a few minutes a 
day to  help their children? How many parents are unable to do so, because they 
are  illiterate, or do not speak English - and are illiterate in their mother  
tongue too? 
Please do not put all the blame on teachers - there are enough  non teachers 
who are only too ready to do that."

And all too many teachers that just blame the parents... a child's  education 
is ultimately the rersponsibility of ther parent, but if, as the  majority 
do, they choose to hand that education over to a school, they expect  the school 
to teach their child.

You are right -you have stepped into the middle of a very contentious  
issue...perhaps it might help you to read the recent threads on literacy to  
understand what is being discussed and where we are coming from.

How many parents have been told not to teach their child to read before  they 
go to school because the method used in schools may be different to that  
used at home? I know I was...

Also if parents have reading difficulties themselves, as is often the case  
as 2 of the main underlying causes of dyslexia, namely auditory and visul  
processing issues which can exist alone or together,  tend to be  hereditary, many 
children who fail to read cannot acess the
sort of support you cite at home.

Also if reading and other difficulties were picked up earlier by schools,  
many more children wouldn't be failing...

So please don't put all the blame on parents.  Illiteracy is not 
fundamentally their fault and playing the blame game doesn't  help anyone.

Best wishes,
Aly

Chair Auditory Processing Disorder in  the UK/APDUK
www.lacewingmultimedia.com/APD.htm 
www.apduk.org