Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

How old is the child who done this work?

168 replies

Shadowbanned · 05/02/2018 17:47

Homework task:

Create a scene for a show set in a school in script format. Show emotion, direction and punctuation.

Photo of work attached.

Will explain after a few responses.

How old is the child who done this work?
OP posts:
SinceWhenDid · 05/02/2018 18:41

9 or 10?

PerfectlySymmetricalButtocks · 05/02/2018 18:43

falsepriest I used to work for a company that made spectacles, opticians' writing's even worse! 😂

StayAChild · 05/02/2018 18:43

I would compare it with other pieces of the child's written work. This may be the first time he has had to write in this format. Often all writing rules go through the window when a child is being creative and marks would normally be for understanding the task in hand, not the neatness or spelling. He has used punctuation quite well, if not consistently.

I would have guessed at 11/12. I'm always amazed at the ages guessed on MN.

MissMouseMcPhee · 05/02/2018 18:44

Ok so there are a couple of issues here.

  • you don't feel like the quality of his work is at an age-appropriate level.
  • it took your son a week and a lot of emotional stress to complete the task.

I would be focussing on the second issue and asking school to support him in finding strategies to help him with focus and motivation. If they can help him with this the quality of the work may improve. It could be that what has been produced here is a result of boredom, frustration and lack of interest in the task rather than an intellectual inability to do the work.

caroline161 · 05/02/2018 18:44

I think it looks like he couldn't be bothered. It didn't interest him so "that will do" he's not going to read english at Oxford but he will be ok. I honestly know some adults who couldn't write what he has done there.

Aeroflotgirl · 05/02/2018 18:46

The writing is fine, some adults, even professional's writing is worse than that. My writing was bad at that age, its only when I got older that it improved and my grammar.

SinceWhenDid · 05/02/2018 18:46

Oops thought there was only one page so hadn't read the thread.

I was going to say 11/12 but then thought maybe my low ability 11 year old was skewing my view.

rocketgirl22 · 05/02/2018 18:46

A week is a very very long time to produce this. Was he on his phone? Distracted?

Ask for an assessment immediately and take this thread with you. They are allowing him to fail.

In the meantime you can work with him over the half term and see what is happening, where is he struggling. Make notes.

You can sit with him for a few hours and see where he is struggling the most.

If addressed now you still have plenty of time to work on this.

ShutYoFace · 05/02/2018 18:46

I can’t believe some people are suggesting a child of 6 wrote thisHmm
Well its similar to my 7 year olds work, so six isn't that much of a stretch. Why do you find that impossible to believe?

TaggieOHara · 05/02/2018 18:46

In terms of handwriting and spelling, it is better than my DS1 would produce. He is 12 and very high ability - but dyspraxic. If motivated and interested, DS1 might have made the dialogue more vivid (or maybe not). Depends on his mood!

It is, however, somewhat weaker than my 9yo would produce. He is pretty high ability and a keen reader, but no literary genius!

No teacher ever has expressed concern for either of them. I had to organise assessments for DS1 myself. It is reassuring that a similar level 12yo mentioned by a pp went on to GCSE success!

ShutYoFace · 05/02/2018 18:47

Ask for an assessment immediately and take this thread with you

Don't do that! You'd look an awful fool rocking up to a serious assessment of your childs needs brandishing an aibu thread!

Jenna43 · 05/02/2018 18:49

Well its similar to my 7 year olds work, so six isn't that much of a stretch. Why do you find that impossible to believe?

Yeah course it is.

OP I would have guessed 11-12yo.

TheCowWentMoo · 05/02/2018 18:49

I wouldn't have been too concerned if this was a one off peice by a 12 yr old, many year 7 pupils would write something like this. However after your update I definitely think you should speak to the school, if this took him that long to write then I would be worried. To me it seemed like a year 4 or 5 child maybe a lower ability year 6.

Ellie56 · 05/02/2018 18:50

If this was a piece of homework, it may be that as children with ASD struggle with transferring skills, the work done at home was not of the same standard as that of work he would have produced at school.

We used to have huge issues with homework. My son's school used to let him do his homework in school at lunchtime. If homework is an issue, maybe you could ask for a similar arrangement?

If you feel the school is not being helpful, you may like to remind them that your son has a disability under the Equality Act 2010, and the school is required by law to make reasonable adjustments.

Does your son have a lot of meltdowns relating to school? Does he have an EHCP?

ShutYoFace · 05/02/2018 18:51

Yeah course it is

It is. What's your issue?

OP I would have guessed 11-12yo

i find that hard to believe. It's well below high school level, by a long shot. If your 12 year old is at that level, aren't you a little worried?

Reallycantbebothered · 05/02/2018 18:52

I'd certainly push for an Ed Psych report, and OT assessment if this hasn't already been done , and certainly before he goes up to secondary school and ask for a laptop to help with written work
I have 3 dcs all with varying SEN and have been disgusted and upset at how quick many teachers were to dismiss their difficulties in writing, reading and maths
Eldest now has MA and MSc and teaches English abroad despite being told she'd be lucky to get a few GCSEs ...
Middle daughter hated school but excelled at college and is due to graduate next year with a BA in business
Ds had ( and still has ) appalling writing at this age...however uses his laptop for all Uni course work
You may need to pay for a private ed psych report as many schools seem to be cutting back on this provision certainly where I live

delilahbucket · 05/02/2018 18:52

Looking at the actual handwriting I would say this is an early secondary school child, however the content doesn't suggest this.

Jenna43 · 05/02/2018 19:03

OP I would have guessed 11-12yo

i find that hard to believe. It's well below high school level, by a long shot. If your 12 year old is at that level, aren't you a little worried?

I don't have a 12yo. I'm not the only one who guessed this age. The people saying 6 or 7 are being totally ridiculous.

YouTheCat · 05/02/2018 19:04

Would school allow him to complete work at school? For some children, they see school work as something that should be done at school and it can be a massive battle.

They should definitely be stepping up and making reasonable adjustments for him to achieve what he is capable of.

Aeroflotgirl · 05/02/2018 19:04

I can see on here are are some stealth boasts, eyeroll.

BlueMirror · 05/02/2018 19:06

So you think I'm being ridiculous because I have worked for years in primary education and seen a few children in yr 1 produce work of this standard? It would be an extremely advanced child but it certainly happens.
How many year 1 classrooms have you worked in out of interest?

loobyloo1234 · 05/02/2018 19:06

Why do people keep writing did like the OP didn't already apologise for that?

Great stealth boasting from some though. 'Well my child writes like this and he is 18 months old' Hmm

ShutYoFace · 05/02/2018 19:07

I can see on here are are some stealth boasts, eyeroll

It's not a stealth boast when its the plain truth. And I think you mean Hmm

caroline161 · 05/02/2018 19:07

**Well its similar to my 7 year olds work, so six isn't that much of a stretch. Why do you find that impossible to believe?

They have arrived as predicted Smile

YouTheCat · 05/02/2018 19:07

Also guessing 6/7 isn't totally ridiculous at all. My year 1 phonics group could manage something like this, possibly without the speech marks though as I'm not sure they've been covered yet. I had one produce two sentences, with connectives, adverbs and correct punctuation, last week and that was in about 5 minutes. It is possible.