Hello all.
SATS testing of primary school kids
Welcome to a new dyslexia blog from myself
Before I became an inclusion and dyslexia specialist I wanted to become a primary school teacher.
Before I became an inclusion and dyslexia specialist I wanted to become a primary school teacher.
Whilst I was at university I became a volunteer mentor with the East London Connection for a couple of years. I basically went into primary schools to mentor and support struggling kids. It was such a positive experience I decided to become a primary school teacher.
So after I past my 4 year Hons degree I decided to take a one year full time teacher training course in inclusive education. I totally loved the course and the teachers and all the others on the course.
As part of the course you have to go into a couple of school for work experience and to put what you have learned on the course into practise.
On the second work experience I was told to sit with a six year old girl when she was doing her SATS test. The girl was sat in a room by herself.
So after I past my 4 year Hons degree I decided to take a one year full time teacher training course in inclusive education. I totally loved the course and the teachers and all the others on the course.
As part of the course you have to go into a couple of school for work experience and to put what you have learned on the course into practise.
On the second work experience I was told to sit with a six year old girl when she was doing her SATS test. The girl was sat in a room by herself.
I could see just from looking at her she was in distress even before the test was taken. As soon as she started the test even I could see, even as a trainee teacher, that she was going to really struggle with this. For example she was mirror writing, she was really struggling with her spelling and writing and everything just took her a long time to do.
By the end of about half an hour the child was in deep distress. She was in tears and I just wanted to cry myself. It put me off of primary school teaching as a career completely.
Now as an inclusion and dyslexia specialist I would have been better prepared to work with this child. But back then, as a trainee novice teacher, I was put into a situation I was totally unprepared for. It was after this experience I decided I didn't want to be a primary school teacher.
By the end of about half an hour the child was in deep distress. She was in tears and I just wanted to cry myself. It put me off of primary school teaching as a career completely.
Now as an inclusion and dyslexia specialist I would have been better prepared to work with this child. But back then, as a trainee novice teacher, I was put into a situation I was totally unprepared for. It was after this experience I decided I didn't want to be a primary school teacher.
I went to on take, and pass, a PGCE in Inclusive Education. PCGE Post Graduate Certificate in Education.
Today I work with dyslexic young people and adults, for many school was a nightmare. All the testing did for many was to prove to them as kids that they were stupid and educational failures. I, like many other dyslexia specialist, are left to pick up the pieces.
For me there has to be a better way to find out how well kids are doing at school.
School should be a fun place to be. It should be about encouraging kids to learn. About enabling and supporting kids to achieve according to their abilities. The main focus of any school should be on the children and about doing the best for them.
I read somewhere that primary school kids are tested 14 times between the ages of 6 and 11. School has become a place where teachers are forced to drill kids for tests so a school can get a high place on a league table.
Were you aware that kids are now cheating to pass these tests. Over 40% of kids have sleepless night worrying about these tests. Nobody knows how many dyslexic kids are failing at these tests and at school because they have not been assessed as being dyslexic and are not receiving any support for their dyslexia.
They used to say school days were the best of your life.Today, for many to many kids they are not. Were they ever?
That's it for this blog.
#PeaceLoveGrooveyness from me
Steve #UniqueDyslexic McCue
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