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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

This is a test for 6 year olds. How would you score? DD (aged 6) got a D.

160 replies

Greythorne · 09/02/2014 22:42

This is the question:

  1. Rewrite the correct sentences.

a) Mum goes to work on the train.
b) what lovely weather!
c) We're singing in the rain

OP posts:
hackmum · 10/02/2014 09:34

I agree that the question is extremely badly worded. The teacher needs lessons in how to express herself correctly in English.

Original poster
Greythorne · 10/02/2014 09:36

endlesstidying
The teacher did actually want the DC to write out ONLY sentence A.

That's partially why my DC did do badly....she spent the whole twenty minutes carefully rewriting three sentences and never even reached the second and final question.

OP posts:
Original poster
Greythorne · 10/02/2014 09:36

To, too and two are homophones in my regional accent.

OP posts:
FunkyBoldRibena · 10/02/2014 09:37

Technically they are all correct so she did right.

ZingSweetApple · 10/02/2014 09:41

rewrite the correct sentences

I don't know what that sentence means.

all the examples are fine.
stupid question

mouldyironingboard · 10/02/2014 10:18

Your DD is clearly doing well at school. My EDD (now an adult) couldn't read or write at all until she was 7!

I would send a note of complaint into the school about this test. It was very unfair to expect a group of 6 year olds to understand those instructions.

ComposHat · 10/02/2014 10:21

Greythorne I am struggling to think of an accent where to too and two aren't homophones.

waterlego6064 · 10/02/2014 10:34

I'm a southerner. In my accent, 'to' in the middle of a sentence is more like 't'. 'I'm going t bed'. Actually the 't' would be followed by a short schwa sound but I don't have a phonetic keyboard. If it was at the end of a sentence (which ideally I don't think it should be, as it's a preposition), it would have the longer oo sound. 'Where's he off to?'

If someone asked me to read the three words in isolation, they'd all sound the same. (Long oo).

Poppylovescheese · 10/02/2014 10:36

The teacher is a twat.

HollyMiamiFLA · 10/02/2014 10:37

I did a good homophone thread a while ago. The Lancashire accent is particularly interesting with "their" Grin

Rewrite the correct sentences.
Rewrite these sentences correctly.

A difference - but at age 6, that's a stupid thing to do.

composhat I have done the read the instructions bit on my class - and the last one was "Do not answer the questions. Put your pen down"

But that was with 10 year olds. It was quite funny to see what happened. Those who read the instructions were finding it hard not to giggle. Grin

HollyMiamiFLA · 10/02/2014 10:42

I would love to know the "learning objective" of the question.

Is it to know how to write a sentence correctly?
Or to be able to interpret a question correctly?

And a "D" for a 6yr old!!

Ev1lEdna · 10/02/2014 10:48

Is there really anything to be achieved by grading a 6 year old? I think the whole concept is counter productive. In addition the question was clumsily worded which isn't the fault of the child.

I have to admit I would be irritated by this - in particular I would be annoyed by the grading of my 6 year old child for no particular reason.

Coumarin · 10/02/2014 10:49

Such badly worded instructions. I think the teacher needs to start writing correct sentences first.

HollyMiamiFLA · 10/02/2014 10:52

At that age, you want to encourage success and make a child feel positive. That probably sounds liberal wooly minded child centred teaching that Gove hates.

So the child has gone to a lot of effort and written the sentences correctly. Teacher says - sorry, wrong. You didn't follow my smart arse instructions. I'm going to give you a D.

What has the pupil learnt?

MrsGoslingWannabe · 10/02/2014 10:53

Are you supposed to just pick the correct sentences and write them out again?!

Coumarin · 10/02/2014 10:54

HerRoyal I think your son's response shows good insight particularly for a 6 year old.

MrsGoslingWannabe · 10/02/2014 10:59

If she only needed to rewrite 1 sentence then why was the instruction "Rewrite the correct sentences"?! I hate thick teachers!

HollyMiamiFLA · 10/02/2014 11:23

herroyal
How did the story make you feel?

Standard answer up to year 3 is "sad" or "happy" Grin

You can guarantee that if you ask that question!!

justtoomessy · 10/02/2014 11:34

I had no idea what the teacher wanted and if she only wanted them to write one sentence then should probably should have wrote 'rewrite the correct sentence' rather than sentences. By writing sentences she makes it look like she wants all 3 rewritten.

Donut teacher!

Caboodle · 10/02/2014 11:43

Dear Dd's teacher..I see DD got A grade D on her test; this is below her target. I feel we need to address this. Please can we take the time to discuss, in detail, the strategies you are implementing to ensure this doesn't happen again'.

20 minutes of pointless meeting later, teacher will learn to word her questions CAREFULLY.

Muppet.

OwlCapone · 10/02/2014 12:04

To and too/two are pronounced quite differently

No they aren't.

But to answer the OP, the teacher needs to word her questions more carefully.

Iamavapernow · 10/02/2014 12:09

I think the lesson here is for children to READ THE QUESTIONS PROPERLY in future.

Many silly mistakes are made by not reading the questions properly. This is merely a lesson in that.

Get over it.

Gileswithachainsaw · 10/02/2014 12:11

iam they are six. Just getting started on the road to reading writing spelling and punctuation.

It was not phrased in a way that would allow a child to fully understand!!

FrenchJunebug · 10/02/2014 12:15

why is sentence three not correct?

and first one is correct if the mother's work in on the train otherwise it is going to work by train.

AuntieStella · 10/02/2014 12:20

Sentence 3 is missing a full stop.