Tutoring yr2

[shouldwestayorshouldwego]

Just realised that about a quarter of ds's class are having tutors/ Kumon etc. It is a grammar area but even so it's not normal is it? I am talking about top table cohort not specialist dyslexia, efl etc. Ds does lots of activities (beavers, swimming etc) but none of them 'educational'. Wondering if I am out of touch with the norm.

[Toomanycats99]

We are grammar area. I am not aware of any tutoring in y2 for anything other than specific needs.

[nuttyknitter]

Poor poor kids. Sounds like you've got the balance exactly right.

[MrsJamin]

That's so sad. Poor kids.

[user789653241]

Children who are doing Kumon, they maybe good at quick mental maths, but that's it, no logical thinking etc. It wasn't so clear in KS1, they appear to be ahead because they are quick, but not so much in ks2.

[shouldwestayorshouldwego]

Phew!! He does the odd maths workbook here and there if he is in the mood and he reads and does coding, board games etc but those aren't scheduled in any way, he just chooses what to do and when. He might go for weeks not bothering about maths and then want to do loads. He is quite conscious that there are some who are faster in maths -now I know why! Will try not to be panicked into keeping up with them!

[user789653241]

Imo, doing something like these occasionally when he feels like is far better than doing something like kumon everyday in terms of stretching maths ability.

nrich.maths.org/primary-lower

wild.maths.org/

[Ginmummy1]

We’re in a grammar area, but DD’s primary is not particularly high achieving (5-8 children out of 30 typically get to grammar), and my impression is that there is not a high percentage of ambitious/pushy parents in her school. DD is in Y1.

Anecdotally I know of one parent whose children go to a Saturday morning tutoring school (which has got them from low-middle of class to top group), one parent who is starting to do workbooks at home with his son (Y4) and is expecting his daughter (Y1) to do a bit at the same time (she is already top group), and a couple of parents who got a tutor for their children in Y4-Y5. Additionally a parent of a current Y1 child is planning to get her tutored next year, but that is because she’s the youngest in the class and struggling academically.

Of course there is bound to be a bit more going on than this, but my impression is that it’s generally not until Y4 at least.

OP, my DD does similar to yours – does occasional workbooks when she gets ‘into’ something, and reads widely for fun, but otherwise does music, dancing etc. as hobbies. FWIW we would hope she’ll have a good chance of getting into grammar and recognise that the school alone will not prepare her (especially in maths), but I don’t think we’ll be doing anything special to prepare her until Y4.

[OpalTree]

We are in Surrey which is comps, but some people try for the South London grammars which have super selective entry. Only the naturally very intelligent seem to get in regardless of tutoring as they are hard to get into. One girl was tutored since year 2 for them but didn't get in.

[Greenleave]

Doesnt matter how much tutoring and how early, the most importance is how much parents are involving/supervising/encouraging/helping. These days in London, tutoring only isnt enough to get into super selectives. It depends on how much parents want it and what is the philosophy that parents pursue for their children. For parents who dont have time(us), its getting very challenging as the competition is fierce.

[Didiplanthis]

Hmm. My yr 2 dd is top table but also dyslexic. Very bright but sometimes loses confidence and doesnt always get things the normal way and also very quiet. She has a tutor and it really helps her - she has a quiet space 1:1 with someone who gets how she thinks to look at things she has found a bit harder or needs to look at in a different way due to her dyslexia. No one at school ( other than teachers ) know she's dyslexic and would be horrified she has a tutor but she loves it and it has massively boosted her confidence in school. There may be things you don't know.

[Didiplanthis]

Oh and we aren't in a grammar area or doing 11+ either.

[smellyboot]

I have never heard of Yr2 infants being tutored. Awful idea. Focus on extra curriclular stuff that develops the whole child and offers life skills or just chill with your DC

[shouldwestayorshouldwego]

I am not judging Didi and as I said in my post as far as I am aware they are not being tutored due to something like dyslexia. I wish your daughter all the best I know how hard it is when they struggle with reading. I think it is unlikely though that they all have SpLD, it is the number going rather than the fact that some yr2s are having tutoring iyswim.

It is just concerning when basically all his peers on the top table are being tutored. I have seen the impact in year 5 where because 'everyone' is being tutored - well the half the class wanting to do the 11+, those not doing the 11 plus appear further behind than they would otherwise be. I also saw it with one of dd's friends who had a tutor from yr2 and did state till 8(ish) - dd thought she was incredibly clever, now back in the same class and the tutoring has stopped she isn't head and shoulders above the rest.

Ds is very, very lucky to have natural talent and we haven't done much with him other than send him to school, read with him and give him engaging opportunities. I was just wondering whether we need to rethink that if his peers and friends are all seeing concepts and ideas before they are taught it in school. I know that they are being tutored ahead of the curriculum (from discussions with parents).

We don't have space in our life for tutoring for him at the moment! A large part of me also thinks that in terms of development I would far rather he was outside on the swing than sitting inside learning long division in his spare time. He likes strong boundaries between school work and home and I am not sure he would welcome tutoring on top of school.

In terms of actually being in a grammar school I know it isn't easy for children who get there after years of tutoring (unless they would have got in anyway - which I suspect many of these would).

...might do some times tables in half term and then forget about it!

[jamdonut]

In my opinion your approach is just right.

Being on 'top table' means nothing...you could have a whole class of the same ability, and they'd still be sorted into 'tables' . In our school it is fluid. Just because you are on 'top table ' ( or table 4 in our class) for one thing (say place value) does not guarantee you will be on top table for fractions. The children move quite regularly, till they have 'got' whatever concept they are working on.

Hate to see children tutored, unless they have a specific problem that needs some help.
It is also like no confidence in the school or teachers. If you chose your child's school, you must have been happy with it?
But then, I don't live in an area with selective schools...so no need for the extra pressure.

[Mary21]

Where we are it was quite the norm. Parents were enrolling kids in Kumon and finding half the class there. At one point ds2 asked if he could do Kumon as it made you clever. We did not embark down this route. The primary teachers were suggesting to parents that their kids might benefit from tutoring. This was not in year 5/6 but years 1-3.
State primary, affluent MC area. But not so affluent could afford private. About 20% went private or grammar for secondary. (Close to super selective). Some of it might have been parental guilt that they couldn't,t afford private but they could afford tutors and every extracurricular known to man.

[user1483972886]

We have lost confidence in our school so our yr 2 is being tutored. Means I can relax! DC1 really enjoys the 1:1 time. The teacher is a family friend so it's regarded as a treat rather than torture. We want DCs to move to competitive indie at 11+.

[refusetobeasheep]

I heard about this for the first time last week and was flabbergasted. A mother at one primary said she'd just realised her child was about the only one in Y2 who did not have a tutor for SATs. I was 😮 - surely SATs are for ranking the school, not child? Response was if you're behind at end of Y2 very unlikely to catch up ..... This primary is a stones throw from a super selective so can only assume that's having an effect ....

[smellyboot]

We are in a comp area and very relieved that I have never heard of yr 2 tutoring. I suspect over the LA border in the land of super selectives, it might be different ! Everyone I know just sees SATs as a way of benchmarking schools and not some thing the kids are even aware of really.

[LornaMumsnet]

Hi everyone,

We're just sweeping this thread into tutoring, OP please do get in touch if this is a problem.