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Consequences for doing miserably on Maths Assessment (9 yr old)?

33 replies

mumintroll · 27/06/2011 18:22

My 9-yr old is bright and has no problems with maths - in the autumn she got the best score in the maths assessments. This term she did miserably on the assessment - in large part because she did not really revise (even her teacher noticed this and pointed it out). I tried to nag her into revising more, but she is reaching a pre-teen independence phase where she resents being micro-managed.

She does genuinely feel bad about her results - and maybe this is enough to get her to apply herself next time. But I can't help but wonder if we should also make there be some more tangible consequences - such as removing some privilege? Anyone have experience with this?

OP posts:
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scurryfunge · 27/06/2011 18:24

If you want to turn her off learning forever, then go right ahead. She is 9.

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CairyHunt · 27/06/2011 18:25

wtf?? consequences???

Biscuit

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AbigailS · 27/06/2011 18:30

The consequence of doing badly in one test? Nothing. The test will only be part of the ongoing teacher assessment that takes place day in, day out in the classroom. If other assessments identify your DC understands and can use certain maths skills... fine, if not then the teacher will use this information to plan future learning.

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basingstoke · 27/06/2011 18:33

My DS is 9 and I don't remember him ever revising for a maths, or any other, assessment. Do 9 years olds revise?

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AbigailS · 27/06/2011 18:35

Hope not, or I'm failing my DC badly. (PS I'm a teacher!)

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wordsonapage · 27/06/2011 18:35

Why on earth would a 9 year old be revising?

OP you're not one of those parents who beg for past test papers are you?

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basingstoke · 27/06/2011 18:39

I'm a teacher too...

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Asinine · 27/06/2011 18:39

Mumintroll. Is your name relevant?

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hockeyforjockeys · 27/06/2011 18:41

I teach nine year olds and I wouldn't expect any to revise (apart from learning their blinking tables). Consequences? Probably feeling unecessarily crap about herself will do.

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piprabbit · 27/06/2011 18:46

If she seems to be feeling bad about the assessment, talk to her about how she feels and why she thinks she is feeling that way. Ask her how she could do things differently next time, in order to get a better result.

Then...nothing...leave her to mull it over and learn the lessons for herself.

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MoreCrackThanHarlem · 27/06/2011 18:48

I assume that the tests you are referring to are the Y5 optional SATS?

Expecting a 9yo to revise is ridiculous.
Ime the tests are a tool used by Senior Management to ensure teachers have enough children making 3 point progress.
I would be far more interested in the levels given through teacher assessment.

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teacherwith2kids · 27/06/2011 18:56

Is this a private school (heard lots of little private school girls at ballet comparing end of year exam percentages the other day - state school educated DD looked politely baffled and said 'well, my teacher knows how well I'm doing. She tells me what to do next to get even better, too')?

Or alternatively a benighted school that does something like Abacus as the matsh scheme with its half-termly assessment sheets?

Or a school that's wholly missed the point of optional SATs??? Without teacher assessment?? No 9 year old should be 'revising' maths, the reinforcement and revisiting she should be doing is part of the normal maths framework so she should be regularly revisiting topics (adding a bit more each time) as part of normal teaching.

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pointythings · 27/06/2011 18:58

DD1 did these tests in May - no revision was demanded at all and so she enjoyed them. Teachers are using them to monitor progress alongside ongoing assessment and it was absolutely fine.

OP if your DD did poorly then it's because not all of the teaching has stuck and not all of the skills have been learned - she doesn't need punishment, she needs support improving her maths!

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wordsonapage · 27/06/2011 19:00

You are missing the point.
The child is bright and has no problem with maths.

[goes round in pentagrams]

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coccyx · 27/06/2011 19:19

oh dear. thought you were going to say she was 13/14. leave her be.

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pointythings · 27/06/2011 19:26

wordsonapage the child is bright and did well in the autumn. That is no guarantee she is still going to do well the following summer. They learn a lot of new stuff in a school year, obviously some of it hasn't stuck!

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seeker · 27/06/2011 19:28

You are, i presume, joking, OP?

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wordsonapage · 27/06/2011 19:39

Pointy: I jest.

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teacherwith2kids · 27/06/2011 19:50

From previous posts by the OP, I suspect that we are talking private school here - in which cases the assessments will not be optional sats but internal school exams, and some (however spurious) importance will be attached to the results because most private schools don't have the well-developed processes for teacher assessment that state schools have.

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fuzzpig · 27/06/2011 19:53

Depressing OP if it's true!

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pointythings · 27/06/2011 19:58

Sorry, words. Am too hot to recognise irony Smile

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RoadArt · 27/06/2011 20:45

sometimes kids deliberately do badly on tests if mum is pressurising them, which you presumably are.

if she failed test, and is upset herself, this will be her own motivation to do better next time. Pressure, aggro, disappointment or whatever from you will turn her off.

How does she feel about it?

There are lots of fun ways to help children revise without them actually sitting down doing papers, maybe a different approach might be better?

Punishment and removing privileges is a big no no - although at times very tempting when you get the constant defiance.

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LIZS · 27/06/2011 20:51

It doesn't matter ! dd did similar last year with Science. It was out of step with her other results. She just learnt to concentrate a bit harder and did better this year.

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Bronte · 27/06/2011 21:04

teacherwith2kids...can you expand on your comment about the benighted school using Abacus as its maths scheme. We introduced Abacus this year. would like to hear more about your views. Oh.. and what does anyone think of Rising Stars maths and/or english assessment. Personally I think they're s*e !

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IndigoBell · 27/06/2011 21:20

You mean your child can fail a test even if you pay for their education? Confused

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