To be fed up with my DD having to prop up the less able children

[endlesschatonthecarpet]

OK, I know I probably am being unreasonable and await a flaming! My daughter (in year 1) is very quick, very clever but not blessed with much patience! Because she is one of the top in the class she always seems to be paired with a talk partner who is finding the work more of a struggle. I completely understand that this can be useful sometimes, but it seems to happen every day and some days my DD comes hope very fed up and grumpy because she's had to "waste time". She gets what the task is once the teacher has done the initial set up and is keen to get going. This endless sitting on the carpet with whiteboards talking to another child who is not working at the same level is doing her head in! Now, I fully accept that the teacher has to consider the needs of all the children - not just my precious DD, but couldn't she at least sometimes just send the more able children off to get started while she does a bit more work with the others or pair up the bright children so they can really develop their ideas?

Obviously I've said to my DD that she needs to get on with whatever the teacher asks her to do and haven't given her any indication that I share her feelings about this practice but I do feel really frustrated on my daughter's behalf.
Anyone else feel the same or am I alone in my unreasonableness?

"Sunscorch, sigh it's a 'one size fits all' approach that fails a significant minority IMO."

Differentiated learning is the exact opposite of "one-size-fits-all"...

Each child will have differentiated learning in that they'll have individual targets but all will be at the same approximate NC level within each ability group. There was an article I read recently which set out the different expectations for high, middle and low ability children going forward from KS1 to KS2.

All want children to make progress but the two sub levels a year can make it difficult for a child at a lower entry point to end up at a 4c at the end of Y3 for example. IMO this system also punishes those at the margins. The system means that it's very easy to label children and never quite recognise the potential of child that doesn't fit the mould. Teachers do use the terminology high, middle and low ability/attainers and largely see the classroom through that lens. For the majority of children that may not be a problem.

I'm surprised it's an issue in year 1.

I was a late bloomer, later at University dx with dyslexia ,and yes in later middle school I hated having to help less able people and trouble makers while having to cope and find ways round my issues because despite being a very poor speller and inaccurate reader I was bright and did well. It was a relief to be streamed at secondary.

But at year 1 its surely not as apparent. My DC, yr2 and reception, work with many different DC at many different levels with many different strengths and weaknesses and seem to be happy doing so and get a lot from it.

I would have thought a quick conversation with the teacher would help clarify things - perhaps its more a moan that she doesn't get to pick her 'friends', or her working with other skills need work or perhaps she is bit too worried about work and achieving - either way a quick ' my DD is getting upset by this pair work can you have a word with her or change her partners so she is a bit happier '.

Well said lequeen! Whenever I was grouped with smarter kids my ideas were alwYs dissmissed and they just went ahead and did what they wanted. When it came to doing individual pieces on the work we had covered in pairs or a group I missed an entire pe lesson o ce cos I hadn't done the work as didn't understand it :( and when I was the one showing the other kid I was unable to complete my own work. Surely if someone was a terrible speller grouping them together with a teacher being taught how to use a dictionary , going over the sounds setting the words they struggled with as spelling homework woulda helped the girl much more than just being sat next to me having to constantly ask questions :(

Hamish, are you saying that teachers should plan individual learning tasks for every child in every lesson every day?

"told to go and participate in easier work"

Can you really not see the difference in task between "Complete this exercise" and "Explain this exercise"?

"The problem is a lot of 'bright children' are given a get out of jail free card to be unpleasant/impatient to 'less able' children because they are bright and feel they shouldn't have to tolerate it."

It works both ways though. Some children at the middle/lower end of the spectrum resent the brighter ones and bully anyone who achieves well or appears to actually enjoy learning. Patience, kindness and valuing others different from oneself should of course be priorities for all children, not just the high-ability ones.

The school year is nearly over so presumably next year is year 2 with bit more actual formal work and probably a different teacher with a different way of doing things.

Surely best you can do is a quick word with this years teacher, who may have a completely different take on the situation, which may change who she works with for remaining weeks or may not and a close eye on next year and voice any concerns early keeping an eye on progress and attainment.

If OP really feels her DD isn't being stretched then focusing and voicing those concerns with her DD teacher is surely the first step in dealing with that and the whole who she is paired with is a distraction to that.

Sunscorch - ideally yes, the curriculum will be tailored to each individual child (I have seen it happen this way in some Preps). I realise this is generally unworkable and impractical. Personally I think the system has its weaknesses & punishes certain children (as I explained in PP). Maybe that's one reason why NC levels are potentially on the way out?

"Sunscorch - ideally yes, the curriculum will be tailored to each individual child (I have seen it happen this way in some Preps). I realise this is generally unworkable and impractical."

It's not impractical, it's impossible. Certainly with a class size of at least 30. Blaming teachers for not doing this is insane.

Sunscorch, just to be clear I am not blaming the teachers.

It is possible to roll the curriculum out to each individual child but IME you need very small class sizes to do so.

'she could forgo the mingling and mixing for a wee while, and be challenged and stretched as fast and far as she wants to go.'

It's a nice idea, not sure how feasible in cash strapped 30+ child schools though.

but in the same way ds1 simply couldn't have the help we wanted for him in a mainstream setting, it's quite possible the most gifted children will, like my ds1, have to get the extra input at home too.

Works all ways I think.

Olive that is true, I suspect that comes from a mix of parents who devalue education and children who feel bad about not meeting what they perceive to be the grade, low self esteem.

Hamish yes you do; ds1 and ds3 attend schools where the children have an individualised curriculum but the maximum class size this can be done with is 12. And you wouldn't believe how many staff- 2 teachers and 3 TA's minimum.
(These are children who are academically able but with SN, locally that sort of class is a desirable option and it's shame it is not available elsewhere)

Imaginate

you are talking to yourself (and me). Most of the others are on flights of fancy not related in the least to what the OP is talking about

Jamie - I know! It is quite extraordinary.

I'm listening too Imaginate. Most of the posts seem to imply that 'brighter' children are forced to spend their entire day with the class thickos, holding them back, stifling their development and their intelligence.

It's five minutes. Christ.

LeQueen, I still think a lot of my major confidence problems now are rooted from this...

No one listened to the fact that it was a problem for me. It was always "Suck it up". No one gives a shit about the brighter kids as they are doing well enough academically. Doesn't matter about anything else. And it doesn't matter than given the chance they could do better too.

I wasn't the brightest in the class, always second best, so I didn't even get the praise for doing well. I ended up completely without motivation and doing enough to get by. I never had any pride in what I did, and I never enjoyed it.

The brighter kids need attention just as much as the average or failing ones. Anyone who says differently really doesn't appreciate that there are issues that are as important as basic academic achievement.

Of course that's wrong LeQ. But that isn't what the OP is talking about.

For fucks sake.

Is it so hard for you all to comprehend all kids are bloody bullied? It's not about who has it 'worse..' No one has it worse! To each individual child, their hurt is worst.

I was teased mercilessly for being the nerd.
DP was teased mercilessly for his extremely, extremely, extremely severe dyslexia.

I was also teased for having freckles across my nose, rosy cheeks, coming from a very poor family, eating 'funny food' etc etc.

Can't we just have compassion for all kids? Because maybe I'm alone here but I happen to think no child should be bullied, or put in a situation that facilitates bullying.

Are we seriously saying 'only the super smart kids pick on the disabled' or 'only the lower ability kids pick on the higher ability kids?' Because I thought the point was all kids can excel if given the chance, and no kid should be pigeon holed based on their academic ability. Bright kids should actually be challenged, and lower ability kids should be getting advice and also being challenged.

Seriously.