catching up during primary

[Duvetduvet]

How does/can, a very young school starter, behind peers, catch up during primary? For example, they start reception and aren't interested in and unable to recognise or write letters/numbers/ sounds, can snip but not cut out shapes, not drawing or interested in scribbling, can colour in a little if asked, can't name colours, can't count to ten. They will miss some class time due to napping. They've had a high quality preschool.
What happens and how do they cope in year one, and onwards?

[mrz]

Every child is different some very young August birth children will fly from day one others may need support further up the school in order to "catch up"

[Duvetduvet]

Yes, some are already making lovely pictures and writing a bit. The ones as above though, are probably going to be the ones needing support?

[mrz]

It's really too early to know ... Providing opportunities to develop skills like cutting and counting now will help in the long term and often surprise how quickly even the youngest develop.

[spanieleyes]

My August born son simply wasn't interested in formal learning in Reception, he spent all his time in the water tray. He also has Asperger's and you would think would be one needing support. However in Year 1 he simply flew! Whilst he had not directly learnt much in Reception, he had clearly absorbed some of it by osmosis! When he was ready, off he went! ( Mind you, he has never learnt to cut-he has dyspraxia too!)

[Duvetduvet]

That's good he caught up, spanieleyes.

[orangeblosssom]

My August born struggled in reception and would have been better suited to starting school at at least 5 or even 6.
He fell asleep regularly in reception and homework was a struggle. Writing was very hard at the beginning as boys often lag behind girls with fine motor skills at this age.
He is the smallest in class in terms of size which he is very aware of. Other boys in his class do make a point of saying he is shorter, younger and that he still has all his milk teeth.
He is just starting year 2 now. Academically I think he'll catch up by year 3 I hope.

[catkind]

My DS fits a lot of those, except for the napping one. Got excellent marks for his KS1 SATs recently. Handwriting/fine motor is still a bit of a problem but he's more than caught up I'd say. Still can't colour in though.
They do have plenty of chance to catch up, the primary curriculum sort of spirals so if they're not ready for a topic the first time around they get plenty more chances. Too many according to DS, he now groans every time place value comes up. I think learning isn't linear, they usually have times when something just clicks and they're suddenly going up a reading level a week.

[Sleeperandthespindle]

My August born DD hasn't 'caught up' and is now in year 3, struggling a lot.

This is because ALL her difficulties have been put down to 'she's little, she's August, she's shy, she's tired, she'll catch up' and no additional support has been provided.

I'm sure this won't be your situation, but just monitor it.

Incidentally, she has great fine motor skills and did have when she started school, so that was never a problem.

[Duvetduvet]

Sleeperandtgespindle
Do you attribute her struggling to being younger, as in she probably wouldn't have needed additional support at all if she'd been older at starting age?

Or do you think she may have needed support anyway but being younger means this was missed? Sorry she hasn't been given support.

[WhiteDraig]

I've had similar experiences to Sleeperandthespindle - the explanation was they were youngest in year so interventions were delay and delayed and alternative explanations weren't investigated or even given any thought till much later.

Learning difficulties linked with winter conception - there is some evidence summer born might have slightly more problems - but then I'm winter born and dyslexic so causes for my summer borns aren't clear.

It's also hard to know how teaching and expectations play into everything else.

From what I've observed most children seem to have caught up by year 2 possible year 3.

I'm surprised about the napping. One of mine is literally days before cut off never napped at school though at end of first term it was pick up feed and get to bed as quick as possible so she could sleep till morning.

[loz12345]

My ds is Aug born, he struggled with reception no interest in reading and writing same in year 1 but he realised Taft he wasn't doing as well as some of the others In his class. He has started year 2 and seems to have caught up in size and has started to show an interest in leaning and his reading seems to be coming on a treat. I think they do take everything on and will develop as and when they are ready. I just wish this had been his first year at school then we would have had 2 years of I'm the smallest I'm not as clever as everyone else he just didn't understand that some of the kids in his class are almost a year older it's really hard x x

[Sleeperandthespindle]

duvet, I don't attribute it to being August born, no. She has difficulties, they haven't been picked up and have been almost excused because of her age.

She would still have needed the support (that she's not getting) if she'd been older when she started.

[Naty1]

Dd is june born started reception this week. So summer born but not aug.
She cant write and wont hold pencil correctly.
However has been reading CVC words for 6m+.
Cant cut out of colour. This is partly lack of interest and possibly that i have a 1yo who grabs things like crayons.
Dd could name colours at 2yo and count to 10 correspondently maybe around then.
I think there will be a huge range of abilities within say the summerborns.
I could be wrong but i thought counting and colours was expected at 3 or so?
How was he measured under the eyfs age ranges?

Dd was still in only 30-50 at end of preschool. Probably most of that is her behaviour though as that i would agree is below age expected. She gets very tired and misbehaves.

Bear in mind though that not only are winter borns older but they may well have had 5 terms of preschool rather than 3. And the way the age ranges are set summer borns arent expected to be in the 40-60 until they start school, though then its like they are suddenly behind.