General Chat

This post was a response to a post that has been deleted

This post was a response to a post that has been deleted

My daughter has been teaching for 9 years in a school wheer the numbers going through at 11 with basis skills were pitiful 9 years ago.

She is an excellent teacher and almost every child emerges from her classes with those skills. Some of her colleagues have also done well for years now. When I first started teaching, it was in a commercail environment. But the first thing I learned was that "if the learner has not been taught, it is fault of teacher not learner." Another expression was "if you can't poo, get off the potty"

Daughter and I are in total agreement. Teaching is for the very gifted few, not those who drift in because they have the qualifications and have been through a year of Dip Ed.

When I started teaching in adult education almost thirty years ago one day a week I helped with adult literacy and numeracy. I discovered the reasons why people from all ages struggle with their literacy are manifold, ranging from severe educational needs to a disaffection from learning and low aspirations . Family background and many other factors may be outside the control of a student. However, what matters is that for many addressing literacy and numeracy skills is a key first step in beginning to address low aspirations and helping to overcome other related factors that lock individuals into a cycle of disadvantage.
My business life took me away from teaching adult literacy and numeracy, but it was always a part the culture of the my company, to help people improve these skills to enhance their personal development and career prospects Since retirement I have become a volunteer reading mentor working with children who need extra support I can see the same factors that affected my students years ago still exist today. In my opinion reading for pleasure is the most important indicator of the future success of a child.

Paula, and reading for pleasure is not something a lot of children and teenagers do these days because they find it easier to find their pleasure on Xboxes etc. That is my feeling anyway. Am I right with those you meet. Is reading like too much hard work for them?

I agree Ann, it drives me crazy when our little ones come with these Xboxes etc., even our two year old will become absorbed in his Daddies mobile phone with apps on for children. I only buy books, or educational (and fun) toys, and funnily enough at our house, they soon forget the electronic toys. I brought the five little ones a Christmas Annual each, OH son said he always loved getting an annual and Christmas and according to the Mom’s & Dads little ones loved them too. I have had some children in my reading group who have told me that they do not have any books at home, but have all the latest electronic gadgets, now how very sad is that.

I am so pleased that both my children loved books as do their spouses, therefore all five Grandchildren were brought up surrounded by books and liked to be read to then to read themselves. I suspect they don't read as much now because of computer games but they do still read.

My sister started her youngest grandchild on enid Blyton when she was 9 - she had not had access to books until then. She devoured them and, to my knowledge, aged 11 still loves them. A bit of a disturbed childhood, my niece is not well and her youngest went to live with her Dad who is great on looking after her, great with computers but not a book person. Luckily she moved close to my sister who has kept an eye on her with her reading.

You've touched on another of my niggles with the reading. Older children in state schools don't seem to study a complete book or play, but just do excerpts or shortened versions of everything. So they don't get a lot of encouragement to read for enjoyment.

I know my daughter is quite concerned about her 15 year old, who is a bright, intelligent girl with several top grade GCSEs already and more being taken at the moment. She has grown up surrounded by books and was reading fluently by the time she was 5 yet she never reads for pleasure. I just hope she will go back to books as she matures.

Strange that those of us who grew up without all the technology have absorbed the technology and retained the ability to lose ourselves in books whether they be printed or e books (technology again.) Yet those who have grown up with technology and access to books have abandoned the books seeming unable to enjoy both. You would think that e readers might have encouraged them to read more wouldn't you?

Do students no longer get a reading list each year?
As I recall, all through senior school we were given a list every year on which was a good selection of titles. The idea was that you chose one book per term, and you HAD to read it, because at the end of each term you were given a written test .
I remember reading such books as Anne Frank's Diary, Pride & Prejudice, Rebecca, Animal Farm, 1984....I read them because I had to then , but now I just love reading <3 and have gladly read them all again since schooldays.

Karen

:-D :-D Stephen

I pay my car insurance monthly (yes, I know I pay loads more that way :-()

So I have a finance agreement with a company called Close Premium Finance of Tolworth, Surrey. And am just about to renew my car insurance and will look for monthly payments again.

They phoned me today. "This is Tony. Before we speak to you about your policy, we need to ask you a few security questions John". "Not before I have asked you a few first, Tony".

He put the phone down :-D So my beef - security questions when you have no idea who you are speaking to. :-(

Deletions in this thread have made a nonsense of replies.

So I have deleted my replies also.

******* infuriating when you take time to make a considered response.

And downright rude.

It was my postings that were deleted........I do have specific reasons for doing so.

A PM of apology was sent to Guin early this morning.

And the apology was accepted. :-)

I try really hard to avoid apathy threads. Yet the one here started by Errol is really interesting. Had never thought about waiting for snow to slide down off a roof till Bobtarian mentioned it.

I am cross I am so interested :-| :-|

I would love to watch the programme on stately homes - but I can't abide Julian Fellowes :-| :-|

Likewise, any programme with Julia Bradbury. She's soooo patronising.

There is a poster on here who is self-opinionated, boorish, boring, hogs the limelight, a done everything know-all. Urggghhhh :-| :-| :-|