General Chat

I have just read the piece,.... several times because I couldn't make sense of it on the first reading......does that say something about my reading level or their communication skills.

Who uses the word 'lexicon' in general conversation as opposed to 'vocabulary'. To me it is the game we played as a child, before the days of the television, similar to Scrab*le with cards.

I don't know who Mr Gove is,( horror of horrors), and is that rhyming with 'Hove', 'move' or not 'love'.

When I learnt to read, (pushing 60 years ago),we were given the easy words which followed the phonetic route as in dog and cat. Later there were special lessons given to groups of words, in particular- bough-cough-rough-dough etc. But in the words of Dame Edna......call me old fashioned .....but when we were young we had assemblies where we had hymn books which contained words. If you couldn't read you could always listen to the others singing. Then the next time the hymn was sung and the unfamiliar word appeared again, the chances are you knew what it was. Not rocket science but a subtle way to absorb words.

I might add that I never read as a child as I have always had a short concentration span but I really do like words even if they are simple ones which can be understood by everyone. -jle

Make me a 'kup' of tea with one 'koob' of sugar and 'zort' out this government please :)

I've said it before and I'll say it again, if you can read you can learn anything at any time in your life.

Reading must come before any other subject in school right from the word go. The books MUST be interesting, in the broadest range to suit individuals and must be treated as something to be enjoyed not a chore to be got through.

And absolutely pre-school converation must be encouraged ( stop making push chairs that face away from mum or dad would be a start in encouraging face to face speech from an early age imo).

As you talk to a child you inevitably 'name' things, they will recognise the word in books when they see the object eg chair...I am not sure phonics were really around when I started reading? but I can't imagine how 'chair' could be learned that way lol.

Many children live in homes where books are not around. They don't have stories read to them, so books aren't valued as part of their life. This sometimes means that books are seen as just for school time and not as a basis for enjoyment and discovery.

It is obvious at the beginning of a new term in some primary schools, that many children have not looked at a book since the holiday began.

With busy lifestyles, day to day learning at home is sometimes missed.
My son soon used to spot the letters of his name on cereal boxes, food labels and shop signs and we talked about them. This 'incidental' learning goes a long way to reinforcing the idea that reading is part of our everyday life, not just for bookish people at school.

Pleasant conversation is not encouraged in some homes, where family time has given way to children going off to play in their own room on their various 'gadgets' while parents are engrossed in TV.

A better balance would help alot.
Without a built-up vocabulary, reading seems more 'alien'. If the child doesn't understand what he / she is reading, it makes it harder to have a go at the reading skills.

EDIT
I see IGP has written along the same lines..........

Gwyn

I strongly believe a lot is down to not enough conversation at home and pre-school.

We talked to our grandson all the time, from the day he was born. He started speaking in sentences aged 2 and now at age 4 can hold a sensible conversation with any adult. The extent of his vocabulary is quite frightening, and he places quite complicated words in exactly the correct context too. He can also recognise many written words. He had his own library ticket when he was 3 and has always had books around him.

I do wonder what the underlying problem is. At our local junior school half of the intake this year have communication difficulties of one level or another. Is it down to not enough conversation at home? Diet? Being sat in front of TV/DVD for hours at a stretch? What is it?

And whatever it is it must impact on their concentration levels or simple ability to understand language? I don't know I'm not an expert - but I learnt to read 50 years ago and I don't remember it being a struggle ...

Jill

Well, something needs to change - the present system isn't working, that's for sure.

More than half of the pupils at our local secondary school arrive with a reading age of around 7.....!

Thanks for your comments.

Most children learn to read by a mixture of methods.I'm old enough to remember a few of the reading schemes, which must have cost a fortune to plan, but have died a death.
i.t.a. comes to mind.

I wonder how the Government 'thinkers' would teach the word PEOPLE ?

Gwyn

Oh gosh, easy really, Fiona
'Koob' and 'Zort' are the leaders of the current government.
Their names explain just how alien they are us 'normal' folks.!

Edit: .....just googled these words - both are internet worms/viruses - I stand by my comment about them being the leaders of the current government!! LOL

I'm struggling with this. Can you help me put the words 'koob' and 'zort' into a sentence please?

Oh my gosh !

I must be getting ancient !

As Maggie said ( not that you are ancient Maggie:) I agree with the critics and you.

My children had no problem with non words.. try the Welsh !

What a load of bull shite !

I like this bit:

"President of the UK Literacy Association David Reedy ... [said] that it might be useful for the Department for Education to explain why the Secretary of State's surname, 'Gove', did not rhyme with 'love'."

I'd like the DfE to explain why Gove does not rhyme with move - as in move towards the exit sunshine - don't stop to clear your desk ...

Jill

The people running the government all went to public schools -average number of pupils in a class- 12. (teacher plus LSA - going to a public school doesn't mean a child or two doesn't need help)
They are dictating how state schools-average number of pupils in a class- 30 (thanks to them) (plus LSA -but of course the reason these children need help is 'different') )should be run!!

I feel a few heads in government should be removed from backsides and placatory patronising should be stamped on!!!

I really hate the way they talk about 'the poor' as if we were aliens - but I supose we are- they have no concept or empathy- and have no real desire to see the world from the 'average' point of view. After all, if they realised we were as sentient/intelligent as they are - they may have to look again at their way of life and regard us as human!

What sort of people are running the Government when the propose/ introduce such stupid ideas.
How I agree with Maggie and a big Thank You to Gwyn for bringing it to our attention.

Hi Gwyn, I fully agree with the critics.
The phrase:
'Non-words were being included to check that children were not just regurgitating memorised words, a spokesman for the Department for Education said.'
Sums up the ignorance of the D of E.
Surely spelling tests are for the child to memorise words?

Different children use different tactics to understand reading.

How will mild Dyslexics cope? I know my eldest learnt to read - at the ageof 3 - because she had memorised the words in nursery rhymes.
Perhaps she shouldn't have been allowed to 'regurgitated these memorised words',and struggled with the way proscribed by the government - then she could be 30 years old with the reading ageof an 8 year old, and missed out,not only on reading some fantastic books over the years, but also struggled through the hellof 11 years in the education system!!

Wouldn't it be nice if at least someof the current government lived in the 'real' world and learnt how not to talk through their backsides!! LOL

Hmmm.
What do you think of this?


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-12509477

Gwyn