Numeracy...

[wethreekingsofORINOCOare]

Ok. don't know really why I'm posting this - I guess I'm just after comments.

DD1 has always been a bright child - but at a recent parents evening the teacher said she was struggling with numeracy. I was really surprised by this, she's always been happy around numbers, adding and taking away whilst still quite little, and as maths was always my best subject at school and I now dwork in finance, and dh is perfectly happy with numbers, I kind of assumed dd1 would be the same. So I've been trying to help her as best I can, just general kind of "how many pieces do we need to cut it into, how many would be left over" kind of way in everyday life. The teacher said she specifically couldn't grasp the concept of tens and units and often wrote numbers the wrong way around.

But I was talking to another couple of mums who mentioned that the teacher had said that these two also were struggling with numeracy. These two are also bright kids, and one of the other mums had also expressed surprise that her ds was struggling.

Could it be that the teacher struggles to teach it? Presumable being primary teachers they must have strong areas and weak areas? Or do I just need reminding that dd's are not a carbon copy of me and she can be different....

If it is that it's the teacher's weak point, how can I help dd bearing in mind that she's got this teacher for the whole three years of infants (she's in yr1 at the moment). I've tried to explain the tens and units as groups of ten and so many left over, which she seemed to understand, so perhaps it's just never been explained clearly to her?...

[Hallgerda]

I'd try to find out exactly what's going on. See what your daughter knows and understands, and ask the teacher in precisely what way she is struggling. It sounds as if you are already doing that.

I was told DS3 was struggling with numeracy in Year 1 (couldn't add up a collection of 1p and 2p pieces) but he seems to be doing really well in Year 3 (knows his tables and is starting to do long multiplication); it's amazing what can happen in a couple of years.

[cazzybabs]

I agree with the OP - ask what exactly she is struggling with and what she suggests that you at home. Whay happened last year?

TBH I wouldn't think the teacher is struggling, esp year 1 maths.

She needs to know addition and subtraction facts to 10, I would expect her to count forwards and backwards to at least 20 (most of my year 1 class could do to 50 and the top ones to 100). Does she form all her numbers correctly? Can she count in 2s to 20? Can she add and take away money to 20p? Does she know 2D and some 3D shapes? Can she apply these things to solving simple words problems, such as if I have 12 apples and I take 3 away how many do I have left? Oh and they can tell the time to the hour and most of them to half past the hour. This is what my average abailty children can mostly do. But some of it is practical and if they want to use equipment to help with sums then that is fine.

HTH?????

[KathG]

cazzybabs: thanks for that list - really reassuring, off topic but could you do a simple summary for their literacy expectations?

[cazzybabs]

Literacy is harder,but:
knows all sounds (we use Jolly phonics)
Match capitals/lower cases
Forms letters correctly
Has correct pencil grip
Can read tricky words (things like - the, you are, I etc etc) and can spell between 10-20 of them correctly
Is starting use expression when reading
Can predict what might happen next
Is starting to read more complex books (have no idea what scheme you use - we use a mixture so reading is difficult for me to explain)
Is starting to use capital letters and full stops (I would like to see some in the right place but not all), but would use a captial letter for their name
Is starting to use and in writing
Most words are phonetically spelled and definatly end and start should be phonetic (a lot of mine miss out out some middle sounds).
Is starting to use some adjectives (colour, size)
has finger spaces

I do teach in a school where the children are above average so when I say this is my middle it could well be somewhere elses top!

But hopefully it is a guide!

[cazzybabs]

Oh and I wouldn't expect all of this all the time, esp if we are writing a story - they all have indiviual literacy targets so I might say to them finish off the story and look at your target of using an adjective in your writing (and then I would only expect them to have an adjective and not be to worried about full stops and capitals).

[wethreekingsofORINOCOare]

Thank for all that (sorry my power supply blew up last night!)

Those summaries are really helpful Cazzybabs. Looking at those, I'd say she can do most of it, except perhaps the money. She can certainly count to 100, backwards from about 20, count in 2's, 5's and 10's, and do the 1/2 past and hourly clock. I think she'd be OK with the apples thing, and she definitely can do 2d & 3d shapes as she proudly announces cylinders etc when she sees them!

Perhaps I need to have another chat with the teacher....

[KathG]

Thanks for that - she can do all that except the sentence writing. She stops because as a perfectionist she doesn't like guessing the spellings, any tips? We have been told to work on it but not sure how, other than making her spelling more confident. They use a mix of schemes but on rigby star she is orange now (whatever that means).
She has had an awful time at school due to SERIOUS class behaviour problems, but this appears to have been fixed.
And another quick question if you have time: how much is the age profile still visible? (She is a late summer birthday).