How to deal with this?

[butisthismyname]

This is going to sound like bragging - it really isn't, I am genuinely concerned. dd6 is pretty smart - and I am sick to death with her coming home from school fed up and miserable with the 'easy' work they are doing in year 2. She came home today with a book she had, in her words 'sneaked out to read' - it's a treetops level 14 book and she has just finished it. There is no gitted and talented register at her school - all groups are mixed ability and her homework is along the lines of 'recite to a family member the 5 times table up to 100' I have posted before that we are putting her in for a prep school exam - she took the pre test last week and we have been advised that she will have no problem passing it...but at the moment, she is getting more and more miserable and sick of going in to school and being, sorry to use the word, bored.

I just wondered if anyone had any advice on how I can help her. I have spoken to her teacher but she just tuts and repeats the 'mixed ability' policy. I want to help, so please don;t flame me :(

[simpson]

Does she definitely understand and comprehend what she is reading???

How long till the exam?? Can you play the waiting game till then??

[birthdaypanic]

As simpson says does she comprehend what she is reading I have many children in my class that are fluent readers can read anything you give them but have no comprehension for this reason they are given easier books to read.

[butisthismyname]

Totally - she's just told me the plot, the characters and the ending of the story! The exam is in jan, so I guess we will wait - I just don't want her to get despondant and give up! She is constantly asking questions and telling us things we didn't know (or had forgotten!) so we do or best to keep her going as it were, I cold just do with a bit more input and support from her teacher i guess.

[kilmuir]

Mixed ability does not mean all on the same work though, well it should n't
I would have thought the teacher would have assessedthe correct level for each child

[simpson]

To me understanding the story means stopping half way through the book and asking her what is going to happen next, what might this character do etc etc not just re-telling the story to you when she has finished it(not saying your DD cannot do this btw but that might be something to work on).

Also looking at hidden messages within the text rather than just what is obviously written iyswim....

[alcofrolic]

Even if a child finds academic work straightforward, there should be far more going on at school than that! Does you child know about all the history/geography/science being covered? Is it all about reading and times tables? Do they paint, do drama, PE, music, ICT..... fun stuff?

It baffles me how a Y2 child can be 'bored'. It really does. I'm teaching it, and I don't get bored (and I know my 5x table). I learn loads of new things.

[butisthismyname]

It annoys me beyond belief that she comes home fed up because she's bored and I hate using that word. She does do all the other subjects as quickliy and easily and is a really talented artist too. The 'mixed ability' thing in her class means that even in their small groups, they are mixed. In her end of year one SATS level she got 2b's in all three. I know, just know, this sounds like bragging and I don't want it to come across like that - she isn't pfb by the way - but number 3!! What I really am asking I guess, is how do I raise this with the teacher again without sounding like a pushy parent from hell, and what more can we do at home to keep her going??

[Doodlekitty]

I thought a gifted and talented register was a legal requirement

[mrz]

I would expect more from a stage 14 reader that plot, character and ending. I would be looking for inference, interpreting author's intention and use of language plus much more.

[PropositionJoe]

Go to the library every week. Buy her sudoku books. Teach her piano. Go to art galleries and museums. It's not hard at this age.

[butisthismyname]

I will check re: the gifted and talented register, however, I was informed by her teacher that this did not exist at the school - she just made me feel about two inches high. Thanks for all your input - we do go to the library regularly and she is wierdly starting piano lessons next week as we've just been left a piano! Hopefully these things will help if the school continues to be not very helpful.

[RillaBlythe]

I thought G&T registers are optional now?

[Doodlekitty]

Maybe I'm wrong, been out of the classroom a while

[zipzap]

Have you told the teacher that she is routinely bored at school or was it just in terms of reading?

If you tell the teacher again and get the same response - there's no way a bright child should be bored every day in y2, everybody can have the odd thing that they are bored by but to never come home and say they have learnt something interesting or new is bad - then I would escalate it to the head and if she's not bothered then I'd go to ofsted and see if they can advise on how to approach the school and make lessons interesting (at least some of the time!) for your dd.

[butisthismyname]

In year one, her teacher was lovely and very understanding - she would set her some extra things to do and dd would come home happy. The year two teacher is extremely 'off' each time I approach her, which I have now three times. It's not just reading, it's most things. DD picks it all up really quickly, comes home, wanting to find out more about the subject, whatever it is, so we do that - she will go into school the next day and brightly tell the teacher some extras she has learnt to which the teacher will respond along the lines of, yes we're covering that today, you need to stay quiet and let the others find out (I heard her say this about some information dd had learned at home about the great fire of London) Subsequently, dd comes home that evening really fed up as she had to sit through what she had found out herself at home. Perhaps i should stop her doing it and make her wait until the next day?? I may take it to the SENCO - just hate making a fuss, but on the other hand want dd to be happy!

[simpson]

What level reading books is she getting at school???

Can you set her some project work at home ie making her own book using photos/pictures and writing etc....

It is a good way to teach her what the contents page is for the index and the blurb etc etc....

[butisthismyname]

she's on 'white' level at school. Yesterday, we did just that - she 'made' a book and drew the title page and wrote the information on the back. I don't mind doing things like this at all, in fact i really enjoy it (!) but I then worry that by doing extra work, she'll be in the postion again, of sitting quietly listening to what she already knows.

[PropositionJoe]

Do something completely different then. Get some really complicated Lego and let her take the lead. Research one of the countries of the world and make a folder about it. Teach her how to play scrabble and bananagrams. Learn origami.

[Silibilimili]

I agree with the poster previous to me. Sounds like a sound plan. Exactly what I am doing with my dd.

[PropositionJoe]

It worked for my two. Most state primaries will never stretch the very brightest, but when they are small children it's not hard to do it at home.

[mrz]

How many state primaries have you personally investigated to come up with that statement PropositionJoe?

[Emandlu]

Have you thought about getting her to learn a language or music or similar? My mum bought me a recorder and a recorder book when I was little and I taught myself to read music and play it.
The BBC websites do various language bits for kids that might stretch her a bit.

If you want her to stay in school then you may have to look at moving schools if the one she is in wont help. I ended up home educating when in this position.

[butisthismyname]

It's funny - most of the things everyone is suggesting, I do pretty much do! She is learning German from me and did French at nursery so we are trying to keep her up with that. She is starting piano lessons next week and she tends to do her own little 'projects', for example she researched planets one week and made a 'book' all about them. As I said, though i sometimes think we shouldn't be doing too much at home in case it makes her even more fed up at school. Origami sounds like a good plan

[Nishky]

Perhaps you are doing too much at home and she can not cope without constant stimulus? Just a thought.

[butisthismyname]

Interesting point.