teachers

[shell]

steven came home with a new reading book last week an we have had no end of problems i was just after some advice please.

the book he has been given is over the rainbow the judy garland story.

 

we had only got about 6 pages in when it tells you all about how her mum used to lock her in a hotel room and leave her there for a few hours on her own as a punishment.

this was then followed by when she landed the role as dotrothy she was as they have put in the book put on slimming pills sleeping pills and pep up pills and how she became addicted and the problems it caused her in later life.

 

steven was so upset by this he refused to take his medication saying he did not whant to end up like her when i told his teacher she said well what would you like me to do about it he has to read it and he will not get a new book till this one is finished and can't see a problem anywhere i should add that steven is in year 2 and only 7 he has now finished the book but is still refusing to take his medication

[lizzie]

Hi Shell, I havent actually read this book, but, from the way you have described it, it doesnt sound as though it is appropriate for a seven year old, a book discussing drug addiction (slimming pills) and child abuse( locking a child in a room!!) would be enough to scare any 7ry old silly!! If I were in your shoes I would tell the school that I would prefer if they provided reading material more appropriate for 7yr olds, I wouldnt want my son reading about those subjects at that tender age. I hope you sort it out Shell, I wish I could be of more help to you. Good luck. xxLizziexx

[oracle]

when i told his teacher she said well what would you like me to do about it he has to read it and he will not get a new book till this one is finished and can't see a problem anywhere

 

The problem is that this teacher has NO understanding of this condition or she would realise that your son has a very 'literal' understanding of the world around him - spoken AND written. Her actions have severely traumatised him and I would tell her this and also tell her that in the Disability Discrimination Act it states that 'she' must be making reasonable adjustments to enable your son to 'enjoy and achive' which is also one of the five aims in the new legislation Every Child Matters. This means it's the law. There are people who would be only to happy to listen to you about this and I think that I would be informing this Teacher and the Head of this fact. If your son is trauamatised he can not enjoy and achieve.

 

What you are asking 'IS' reasonable and I feel that not only that, but this woman should be helping to un-do the damage she is causing. There is no way that my child would have read any more of this book at all and he could probably do with some social stories now to try and help him understand that this book is not real.

 

I would tell her if she does not read up about his condition - go onto the NAS site and print out some info for her about 'literal' thinking and how it affects our children, that you will have no alternative but to contact the Disability Discrimination people and then do it. Seeriously she should not be allowed to get away with this. This is a BIG issue.

 

If you wish then pm me.

 

Oracle

[annie]

I agree with everything that has been said. What I would add is, who and why did they deem the book appropriate reading for any child, let alone a 7 year old?? Judy Garland had a troubled life and ultimately died of a drugs overdose. What, for heavens sake, would a child gain from reading that kind of material?

 

To be told that my child could not have a new book until they had finished reading this one is disgusting .

 

Annie

xx

[Canopus]

Is the book part of the National Curriculum? If not, then why did the teacher choose it? I consider the storyline to be very inappropriate for a 7 year old. The book has traumatised your son and the teacher must be made to realise this. Have all the other kids in the class got to read the book as well?

[barefoot wend]

What a ridiculous book to expect any seven year old to read.

[phasmid]

I Would be horrified if one of my 13yr olds came home with this never mind my youngest...and he's 11! This book SHOULD NOT be available to him. I would return the book, in person, to the head with a letter stating how unsuitable it is first thing Monday morning.

[jomica]

I Would be horrified if one of my 13yr olds came home with this never mind my youngest...and he's 11! This book SHOULD NOT be available to him. I would return the book, in person, to the head with a letter stating how unsuitable it is first thing Monday morning.

 

.... and I'd be asking for a copy of the school's complaints procedure on the way out, just in case the headteacher doesn't agree with your point of view.

 

Definitely not suitable for ANY seven year old, let alone one of our children.

 

[Kathryn]

I'm a bit stunned and agree with everyone here. It's a bizarre choice of reading book for a 7 year old boy and the teacher's inability to see this is alarming. I certainly wouldn't like my 8 year old son to read this and it's not the kind of thing he'd remotely enjoy anyway - he's still into the Beano and Dandy! There are so many good books available for children - if they are to enjoy reading they should be fully involved in choosing the books that interest them.

[stressedmumto2]

That is disguisting of the teacher giving him that kind of book.

 

A letter of complaint would be on it's way if it were given to any of my children.

 

I hope your son soon recovers from this <'>

[Mummy21]

I feel an echo in my post but here goes....... there is NO WAY this book is suitable, and I am sitting here open mouthed that the teacher thinks this is suitable material for a child.

 

Definately hand it back to the head.

 

Joanne xxx

[Bagpuss]

Shell,

 

Can only reiterate what everyone else has said. I wouldn't be happy about my 8 year old reading a book like this. She is far too immature to even comprehend addiction and abuse. Plus unless Judy Garland miraclously morphed into Pikachu she wouldn't even pick it up I'm shocked at the teachers response, and would be interested to know why she felt this book was of any benefit. Surely it can't be part of the cirriculum? Hope you get a postive outcome from this.

 

Debs x

[shell]

hi thanks for all your replies have spent most of the weekend on the net trying to find out about this book and yes it is on the crulicum it is suposed to be for children in years 5/6 so 10 and 11 years olds i have also booked an appointment with the head and the senco for monday to discusse this will keep you informed as to how things go

[phasmid]

What also concerns me, apart from the subject, is the teachers adamant atnce that the book 'must be finished'. What a perfect strategy to put a child off reading - give them a book they don't like and insist they read it. Any child, ASD or not, is likely to become very wary of selecting their reading material if this is going to be the reaction if they pick a bad one.

[oracle]

The book is certainly an issue and in my opinion inappropriate reading matter even for year 5/6. However the bigger issue, again in my opinion, is that it would not matter if the book had been Peter Pan - if the contents had in any way traumatized the child reading it because of their literal interpretation, then reasonable adjustments needed to made to enable the child to progress and achieve. Does this make sense? I think there is a much bigger picture than the book there is the whole level of understanding of ASD that the teacher appears not to have. The title of the book should not side track the bigger issue here, although the choice of reading matter is highly suspect.

 

Oracle

Edited May 14, 2006 by oracle

[barefoot wend]

My son was also expected to read books which he found very 'difficult' due to their content matter. In this scenario I would generally write a note to the teacher explaining that he was unable to read it because of his disability, but that we had been reading another book at home - giving title and author, and ensuring it was age appropriate. They were generally okay with his.

 

If you are offering a suitable alternative they really should accept this.

 

Barefoot

[gladysmay]

this sounds all too familiar and I feel you are right to be concerned and they need to know what they have done and to correct it, I still struggle to just get people involved with him, personal advisers, learning support staff etc to be aware of literal language and be more careful as I am constantly having to undo the harm they cause, I generously assume they dont mean to do it but it is their failure to understand the complexity and the sublety of the disability that seems to be the problem, I agree with what has been said, good luck

[av16]

As a yr 3 teacher no way would I consider giving this to a child in my class and if any parent says their child dislikes their book for whatever reason I change it.

When I read things like this it makes me ashamed of my profession- I agree with everyone complain and get the teacher to realise the effect this book has had on your child.

Good luck