Probably stupid question re Year 1 levels

[PackingALunchBox]

We got DS's report yesterday, and he got 1B for reading, 1B for writing and 1A for maths. School said expected level for end of Year 1 was 1A.

DS has only just turned 6, and has spent a lot of time in Year 1 getting used to sitting and concentrating iyswim, and I am wondering whether younger children like him might make more progress in Year 2 as they are bit more mature - ie he might not stay below average, but speed up a bit? What do you think? School says that children that are 1A now are likely to be 2A at the end of Year 2, which is their expected level (and obviously where I would like him to be).

I guess I am asking, when do younger children 'catch up' with their older peers - I look at some of the demure girls in his class and think that if he could be as still as them in class, he might learn more lol.

[redskyatnight]

My experience of DS's Y2 class is exactly what you said - some of the children that were speeding ahead in Y1 have been caught up (and sometimes passed) and some of the children that started more slowly have really made good progress in Y2.

I don't believe there is necessarily a great deal of difference between a 1B and 1A anyway - sounds like your DS is doing fine.

[Elibean]

I would say the same. Loads of kids in dd's Y2 class were lagging behind with reading and writing, and loads of them have caught up - especially with reading.

Sounds fine, especially for a summer born

[pinkteaset]

I thought 1B was average end of year 1 score????

[crazygracieuk]

My children's progress hasn't been linear.

For example Ds1 (March birthday) left Y1 a 1C, left Y2 a 2A, left Year 3 a 3c, left Y4 a 3a and Y5 a 5c.

Between Y1 and Y2 he really "got" reading and writing and his school results suggest the same. Personally I think that in R and Y1 there was no point in my Ds learning reading and writing and that if he had started at age 6/7 he would be at the same level as he was today.

[TheClaw]

I've heard that Y2 is when a lot of children get going! Am hoping this is the case with one of my DT's as I feel that she is only just getting the hang of reading and writing while her sister marches on!

Reports soon although not sure if we get given levels.

Oh and I would also like to add that it isn't always the younger ones as my DT's are Autumn born but very different to one another - one of my girls was ready for learning and sitting still at about 3 and the other will be almost 7 by the time I think she knuckles down!!

[PackingALunchBox]

Lovely - thank for all the reassurance.

DS is happy at school (though wishes there was more playtime lol!), and is getting there. He just doesn't feel that ready for formal learning - he gets the idea, can do it, then forgets it again. It doesn't stay in unless he does it a lot.

I don't want to put him off, so we don't do school work outside school, except read together, but I wonder when it will be that he actually retains more of what he is learning! On the plus side, he does ask very clever questions, so i know he's not daft .

[daisymaybe]

I wouldn't worry about a 1B at this stage, I'm sure that reading to him at home and generally being interested in him will make sure that he moves up through the levels in year 2.

[mrscolour]

I teach year 1. 1b is fine - and at one stage was considered average but government/LEAs like to move goalposts to make us all (including parents) work harder. Not a great deal of difference between 1b and 1a anyway.

[dietcokeandwine]

Packing my DS (also late summer born) got very similar results at the end of Y1 - 1A for reading, 1B for writing, 1B for numeracy. And we got similar messages about it being below the 'expected' level.

He is now finishing Y2 on a 2A for reading, 2B for writing, 2A for numeracy. Am really pleased with his progress this year - he is definitely a summer born child for whom things have just started to 'click' this year. Obviously only one example,

In answer to your question as to when summerborns catch up - I think it really does depend on the child. I've read anything from Y2 to Y5/6 for some children in terms of when things can level out. And as someone else has said it's not just summerborns, it's all children - they will all progress at different rates.

[lovecheese]

Agreeing with the others re; the pace of learning picking up in year 2 and how a lot of progress can be made. FWIW DD2 was a 1a for numeracy at the end of year 1 but she has come on loads this year and will end as a level 3. Who knows with the reading, she was a level 3 at the end of year 1, so it will be interesting to see how they level her now, bearing in mnnd they don't want to cock-up their CVA .

[smee]

My DS sounds like dietcoke's. He's just finishing Yr2. he's summer born too. At end of Yr1 he was v.similar to your son, so at 1B for Maths and Reading, but was a 1C at writing. By Easter this year, he was 2A for Maths and Reading and 2B for writing. We haven't had his final levels yet, but the teacher was predicting a 3 for Maths and 2A for everything else. I think lots of his class clicked this year. Also interestingly the kids who were strong readers in reception/ Yr1 have started to level out, so DS has caught up with quite a lot of them.