Would your Y5 child know this?

[Bunnyislost]

It’s exam week at DC1’s school this week. She is also dyslexic. She was asked in an (Atom-style) exam to identify the words “inure” and “fjord” and was also expected to know how they were spelt. She’d not heard of either of them so had no idea that they were words nor how they were spelt, dyslexia or not.

I’m wondering whether lots of kids her age would know this sort of thing?

Fjord yes, if they had been doing coastal geography, because it's a word that sticks in your mind, but inure definitely not. Not in a billion years. I can't remember the last time I used it in a sentence and I'm in a fairly "written word"-heavy industry.

Fjord maybe but I've got decades on her and never heard of the word inure?

He'd know from sound Fjord. But not written and no, he wouldn't know inure. He'd not be able to spell them either. He is dyslexic too.

But when my kids did Atom style testing for their school, I seem to remember that the tests seemed to go beond what they could possibly be expected to know, as a way of seeing where exactly on the scale they sort of fell off, if you see what I mean? There's not much point in an aptitude test where a good percentage of the kids will get 100% because then you're not seeing their limits. So you have questions that let you see where those kids start to trail off.

My son is 11, also dsylexic and couldnt spell or know either of those. His spelling is terrible and still on 4 letter rhyming words

Fjord yes, although may spell it fiord.

Agree with @UneTasse that if it was adaptive testing they will just ask harder and harder questions until the student starts getting them wrong to figure out their level. If your DD got as far as fjord and inure, she must have been doing pretty well.

The downside is that every kid feels like they've failed adaptive tests as they test them "to failure" and all come out feeling they've bombed!

Inure, no. Fjord, perhaps but only if they'd covered it at school.

My son is year 7 and wouldn’t know what these words mean or how to spell them

Mine has just done Yr6 SATs... the spelling test for that was explained as having to know the spelling rules, but not necessarily the word... so an unfamiliar word might be on the test, but it would follow the spelling riles they do know.

Fjord certainly. Inure, probably not.

No. Atom is crazy.

My DD is yr 4, she would probably know fjord but not inure! Also don't think she would spell either correctly

I just asked two year 5s (at a well regarded prep, if it matters) and they didn't know either.

Just asked my year 5er. It’s a no and a second no from him. But Roblox is having an event called The Classic in 13 minutes, he’s just told me. Mum of the year, right here! 😆

"Fjord" probably, because I think it had come up in a topic (geography mix Viking?)

I doubt they would have come across "inure" but would have a shot at it and may well get it right because it's spelling uses common parts of the phonic code (unlike "fjord" which, as a foreign import word really doesn't, so only those who've come across it and learned its scandi usage would have a chance)

Just asked a year 4, he knew what a Fjord was and spelt it correctly but no clue with inure. To be fair I’m much older than that and had to look up the meaning of inure 😂

What is Atom, please? Trued Google but it went into atomic design and my brain is already fried today. TIA.

I don't know much about Atom style testing but a quick google seemed to indicate that they're adaptive?

Which means she's not expected to know those words. They just keep getting harder and harder until they start getting them wrong. In theory if it was adaptive enough to cover a wide enough range, we could all take the test and eventually reach a point we were getting them wrong too.

It sounds like your child is quite advanced and it can be a bit off putting if they aren't used to this style of test but personally I like them. I used to be a teacher and always thought that if a child gets basically everything right then the exam is too easy for them. If fjord and inure are the level we start going wrong then I think you can safely say things are going well.

My y4 dd wouldn’t know, and she’s very academic. In Wales though so different curriculum and language. She would likely know it if it had been covered.

@Allthehorsesintheworld Atom Learning - it's an online platform that helps kids prepare for things like the 11+, ISEB, Cats and Sats too I think. Our school uses it for classwork and homework sometimes too.

My DC has very advanced vocabulary and no dyslexia and I doubt would have known those in Y5 or now in Y6.

We had the same issue with Atom - doing well on a couple of tests means you get w stupidly obscure stuff.

I asked my dd. Fjord yes. Inure no.

I was today years old when I first heard the word ‘inure’ - what does it even mean???!!!

What on earth is inure 🤣