What are Yr1 children likely to have been told about reproduction?

[MrsBrollyhook]

My DD's school have been learning about reproduction this week. She's come home during the week and mentioned a little of what they learned - eg about vaginas, wombs etc. - she's asked lots of questions at home in the past and I've always been keen to answer her questions and give her as much info as she'd needed for her age, so she said she knew most of what was covered this week at school already, ie. she knew that the special 'seed' comes from the daddy's penis and meets with the egg inside the mummy, but she'd not asked how it got inside the mummy.

Anyway, this weekend's homework is to talk to parents about what they learned. From everything she's said and what she already knew it seemed she's been told about sex, but when I put 2 and 2 together and mentioned a penis going inside a vagina, she seemed upset and told me she was too young to learn about that!!

I feel bad for saying too much and upsetting her, but also now annoyed with the school, for not telling parents what was going to be dicussed beforehand.

So what are they likely to have covered in school and should they have told us first?

[Collision]

I work in Y1 and we have done ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about reproduction of babies! and I am really that they have discussed so much at your dd's school without informing you.

[thisisyesterday]

omg! ds1 is in year 1 and he is SO not ready to know all that.
he has asked basic questions like where does the baby come out, but hasn't asked how it gets there
he knows the differences between boys and girls, and that girls have a vagina that the baby comes out of

that's about it, and i am keen for him to learn when he is ready too... i think he'd have asked more questions when we'd talked about it before if he was ready to know

i am quite surprised they've gone into that sort of detail for 5/6yr olds!

[MrsBrollyhook]

Glad I'm not over-reacting Collision. She already knew a fair bit from her questions, but it's a subject I think better left to parents at this age!

[MrsBrollyhook]

Yes - Thisisyesterday - she's only 5, so I think this is too much in school. DD knows more than my friends children of the same age, so I'm sure lots of her classmates won't be ready!

[Collision]

DS1 who's 9 has just found out the nittygritty of it all and was cool about it but DS2 aged 6 is just not ready for that yet.

I really am shocked that a school is teaching so much at that age.

[MrsBrollyhook]

I think I'm going to have to leave the "homework" discussion and am probably going to have to have a word with the school about what they've told them!

[hobbgoblin]

Is it even on the curriculum at this age?

We had to sign consent forms for DD in Y6!

I'm all for learning early but from home not school until they are KS2

[MrsBrollyhook]

I'm pretty sure that it's not on the curriculum at KS1 and is down to the school. I don't mind her knowing, just not from school, without parents knowing!

[MrsBrollyhook]

Thanks BeerTricksPotter useful to know what I should be asking for from school.

[MrsBrollyhook]

Yr 5/6 - that's more when I'd have expected it, or at least Yr 3 or 4. Just seems so odd at this age, totally over most of their heads.

[UnSerpentQuiCourt]

Quite sure that that level of detail is very unusual in ks1. My HT warned me to steer clear of that in y4, unless I had consent forms and a meeting with parents.

[Hannah31]

I teach Yr 1, and our policy at school is to answer questions about sex in an age appropriate manner (nicely vague and wishy washy). No need for that much detail at that age (definately up to parent's at that stage no matter what teacher believes). Usually say something about needing a seed from a daddy and an egg from mummy and that's about it!

[Hannah31]

BUt only if a child asks something about it!

[MrsBrollyhook]

Thanks Hannah31, good to get a Yr1 teacher's input.

[MrsBrollyhook]

UnSerpentQuiCourt - yes I'd expect forms, or a least to be told!

[newportstateofmind]

In Year 2 I teach the human life cycle but only in very general terms of the baby being born, developing into an adult, who is then able to have a baby of her own. Nothing whatsoever about the whys and wherefores of it all!!

I did once have a Year 2 child ask me (with a glint in his eye) how exactly Mary fed Baby Jesus if there weren't bottles then. He had a baby cousin at the time and I am sure was totally familiar with bf!! I just told him that Baby Jesus would have had his mother's milk!