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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Reception age DCs. How many of yours are having to do timed maths tests?

65 replies

Laiste · 04/03/2019 08:31

Mine is. They give them 30 seconds to do 11 addition questions. Marked and the results sent home.

DD just turned 5. She got 1 out of 11 in her last one.

She's got her 40 sight words which we practice every day, and we read a book every day, and fill in the daily record for these. and there's sponsored reading this week and bloody world book day.

AIBU to think maths tests and notes home about them at this age is bit full on? Maybe i am. I don't remember my older ones doing this.

OP posts:
Original poster
Laiste · 04/03/2019 10:44

Sorry - someone asked if her teacher is new. Yes, she is. Mid 30s with a baby, but this is her first year. Lovely lady.

OP posts:
CecilyP · 04/03/2019 13:58

^Mine is. They give them 30 seconds to do 11 addition questions. Marked and the results sent home.
DD just turned 5. She got 1 out of 11 in her last one.^

I'd be tempted to email back and say, 'what's gone wrong with your teaching, that she is only getting 1 out of 11'. Although I would probably restrain myself in case they couldn't understand the sarcasm!

If sound's crazy, full stop, but even crazier to test a child on something they should already know she can't do!.

CecilyP · 04/03/2019 14:02

InDubiousBattle - we have long term food homework too. I'd forgotten that. This time it's over 3 weeks and involves producing written work at home about nutrition, favorite recipes, researching the origin of a particular vegetable, and making notes about family food traditions. At the end of the allotted time for this sort of homework the children's work is all displayed on tables one morning for all the parents to walk around and look at. I'm not sure about it.

Sounds like a project for secondary school home economics not for a 5 year old. That is definitely homework for parents!

Smoggle · 04/03/2019 14:22

My Reception child has only just told me he's learned the number 11 Grin

LibbyLily · 04/03/2019 14:28

Mine did when they were in reception - they had 3 or 4 minutes though to do a similar number of sums.

It was a selective private primary, so that might have had something to do with it - is your dc’s school academically selective?

Stompythedinosaur · 04/03/2019 14:57

Our school do something that sounds like this, it's part of a bought in maths system called Big Maths. They get the same sums each week and the focus is on rote learning rather than being able to work the sum out. I absolutely hate it!

Original poster
Laiste · 04/03/2019 15:01

@LibbyLily - no, just normal catchment criteria. Average selection of DCs.

@CecilyP - you know i thought that too. Tempting to mention that normally a score of 1 out of 11 isn't a great reflection on the teaching staff Grin But as you say given the fact that they're all 4 or just 5 years old that isn't the point. And yes, definitely 'parent homework'.

It's nice to see children being pushed to reach their full potential (school moto ect) - but this thread has reassured me that i'm right to be a bit Hmm about the maths test aspect.

I'll try and speak to teacher tomorrow am.

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CecilyP · 04/03/2019 15:02

Having it against the clock would seem to be an incentive for kids to guess any old answer, rather than trying to work out the correct answer. Apart from all the other negatives, it doesn't really inform the teacher what a child is or isn't capable of.

Original poster
Laiste · 04/03/2019 15:02

x posted stompy, that's interesting.

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Oliversmumsarmy · 05/03/2019 19:37

.DD (bear in mind this is in Y1) was to find out about an explorer and write about 6 sentences about him/her

And for those that can’t read and write an evening of melt downs as they try to trace basic sentences written by a dp to try and do the homework that if it isn’t done the dc miss their playtime

dootball · 05/03/2019 19:49

It seems pretty reasonable to me that they test key mathematics in the say way they test key spellings, so if the spelling have started then I would say that's fine, if not then it seems unreasonable.

TabbyMumz · 05/03/2019 20:27

Our Junior school does them in year 5 and 6. It's a sort of competition and the child who does consistently well at them gets an accolade and prize off the headmaster in the year 6 leaving assembly.

BitchQueen90 · 05/03/2019 20:51

Mine is in Year One and they don't do anything like this yet! Seems ridiculous to me.

HomeMadeMadness · 05/03/2019 20:55

Bloody hell, no way did my DC have that. I would have been livid. Eldest probably wouldn't have cared (although would have still found it dull and would have put him off school a bit) but youngest would have been very anxious.

Soubriquet · 05/03/2019 20:57

Jeez!

My dd is in year one. She gets homework once a week, part of which is a set of 8 spellings. They are then tested on those the following the Friday.

No timed maths tests or anything

squashedgrape · 05/03/2019 21:00

Is this Big maths beat that?
Mine have done this for the last 8 years or so I think. They learn a couple of the sums every week or so and then we practice at home. My daughter is 5 and can get about 6- 8 correct in the 30 seconds so far. Its a fun thing and not serious. They are competing against themselves to beat their last score.
When they get up to the later primary years it goes to 72 questions in 90 seconds I think.

Original poster
Laiste · 05/03/2019 21:09

The don't do spellings yet. We know she can count up to 50 and beyond easily out loud, but we went through DDs written numbers to 10 earlier and she can (just about) write 1, 2, 6, 7 and sort of 10.

Oliversmumsarmy Flowers You're right. It's taking over precious time. She's got sponsored reading, this food homework, the usual reading, the sight words and now this maths. She has to be in bed by 6 otherwise she can't cope with a whole day at school. But those 3 hours between end of school and bed time today was spent showering her,
10 mins seeing what her written numbers looked like,
feeding her,
a right bloody tussel over fitting the swan costume i'm trying to make for world frigging book day tomorrow,
a bed time book and a snuggle.

No real down time or play time. NO TIME!! Arggh.

OP posts:
Original poster
Laiste · 05/03/2019 21:11

When they get up to the later primary years it goes to 72 questions in 90 seconds I think.

Eeek.

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RicStar · 05/03/2019 21:11

Ds can't write - so no clue how he would do this. I guess they are rote learning number bonds which may have some value to some kids.

Youngandfree · 05/03/2019 21:11

Jesus Christ!! Can they just let them be kids!! As a teacher I am APPALLED at that!! It has actually just made me feel sick!! Over here at that age they are still doing play based learning!!ffs!!

RandomMess · 05/03/2019 21:16

None of mine could read at this stage in reception Confused it's just bonkers what happened to the learning through play?

Original poster
Laiste · 05/03/2019 21:21

RicStar - yes, number bonds is the basis for the tests.

It's not that i disagree with them learning their numbers obvs. It's just that this style is too full on for 4 and 5 year olds IMO.

I chatted very briefly with a couple of the other mums this morning. The second i mentioned 'the maths tests things' eyes rolled all over the place and i'm obviously not the only one feeling this way. I'm torn between waiting and seeing what happens and having an official moan straight away.

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VeraVinegarTits · 05/03/2019 21:23

YANBU. In Reception, neither of my children had timed tests in any way shape or form. My youngest is in Y1 and has eight spellings a week for a weekly spelling test (they have either 4, 6 or 8 spellings to learn). No maths test. Maths tests started in Y3 for my eldest who is, incidentally, in the top band for maths, but in all likelihood wouldn't have passed any test in Reception.

Original poster
Laiste · 05/03/2019 21:27

@RandomMess yes! Today I actually looked up some of the old reports for my older DCs (reception at same school 15 years ago).

Genuinely for DD2 her glowing report at this stage is summerised with:

''Mini Laiste 2 loves to paint, can hop on one leg and get one arm in her coat! Hooray, well done''.

And that is how it should be!

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ThereWillBeAdequateFood · 05/03/2019 21:28

Oh good lord no. There’s no way ds could do a timed maths test and apparently he’s quite good at maths.
His teacher did tell me his writing was “behind”, in the first week of September Hmm

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