To ask why children will be 'distressed' by the Reception Baseline Test?

[Eastie77]

I completely disagree with this ridiculous test. However after reading an article in today's Guardian I'm wondering if there some parents are over-reacting slightly about the effect it will have on children..

According to parents in the article and solictors representing famililies, children are likely to be 'distressed' and 'damaged' by it. I'm wondering how a 20 min chat and check of language of ability to count will really impact a 4 year old personally when they have no idea they are being tested?

I do understand concerns over the longer term impact such as early streaming which some parents think will be the end result of this test - I happen to agree with this which is one of the reasons I'm opposed to it. I think that should be the emphasis of the protests against the test rather than claiminng that children will end up psychologically damaged by it. Getting lawyers involved to prevent children being asked if they can count to 20 really seems a little dramatic

I can’t find too much information on the content of the tests but one source says they are asked to count to 20. Surely all 4/5 year olds can do this? My DS is 2 and has been able to do it for about 6 months, but if a stranger or someone he had only known 6 weeks asked him to do it he would refuse to speak. He is so shy and I’m hoping he comes out of it a little before he starts school.

My 4 YO is starting in September and she can count to about 40 but she nearly always misses out 17, and says “20 10” instead of 30 (very French ) so I suspect that comes under not being able to count to 20?

To be honest I don’t see the problem with testing, I think lots of 4 year olds love that sort of thing, it’s that wonderful age where they often think they’re brilliant at everything.

However, I don’t fully trust schools to honestly report their results because wouldn’t it be easy to make them look worse, then the progress which can be attributed solely to your teaching looks brilliant.

Much like the way so many primary ofsted reports begin “from starting points that are often below average students make significant progress” chinny chin.

A test is not a traumatic event. Some children go through ACTUAL trauma for crying out loud.

See DS would happily count in front of anyone (well he counts 1-14 then shouts 100!) and then probably start talking about something completely unrelated like "Ooh I like your pen, I have spiderman pens, do you like spiderman"...etc etc

I agree with everyone who says its really artificial and in-class "assessments" probably give much better info about the DCs abilities.

I don't think my 4 year old will be distressed. I feel most sorry for the teachers who are skilled professionals who constantly assess their pupil's abilities and progress anyway, and probably don't need another unique test added to their workload.

My DD couldn't count to 20 at the start of Reception but at the end she can.

My assumption is most schools will try to make this as laid back an experience as possible since it’s their own interests not to worry or scare children.

DS is 4 this year but October born so won’t be in Reception until next year and while I disagree with the test I just can’t imagine he or any of his friends will be terrified or traumatised by it. I hope that doesn’t sound like a ‘I’m ok jack’ response but as a PP pointed out, surely this isn’t massively different from the informal sit-down’s teachers currently do with children where they ask them to read a few words or count.

There are children who will be upset at having to sit with a stranger and do this but I can’t see it having a long lasting impact on their mental health. If this is the kind of experience that will provoke panic or a MH crisis in your child then it must be possible to prevent them from taking the test.

I think some of the parents who are whipping up hysteria over this have been misinformed by teachers.

And yes, I also feel sorry for the teachers who have to facilitate this nonsense - 30 x 20mins sessions must be a nightmare.

DC did it and it was fine. Didn’t even realise it was being done. How else are schools supposed to monitor progress if they don’t have a baseline?

Some parents just have to hear the word ‘test’ and are triggered. If it’s managed properly and the parents, who are often the source of the stress, drama and trauma calmed the fuck down, the kids would be fine.

My DD is 5 in November so starts in September and she can't count to 20, she can only go to 12 so no, not all reception starters can.

@Bugsymalonemumof2 ah right, I didn’t release some children couldn’t. DS is my eldest so I only have him to go by. He can count to 30 and recognises the digits to 20, but only because it interests him. He isn’t good at drawing, can’t form any letters or shapes.

@WhenZogateSuperworm

When they start they all have hugely different skills. My dd can't do 20 but she can form letters and is fairly good with shapes. On our open day there were a.few kids who could recite the alphabet but not phonetically and others who were counting by rote but couldn't pick out the number of objects and so on.

Must be a nightmare to get everyone somewhat together when they first start

Must be a nightmare to get everyone somewhat together when they first start

indeed...its almost like it might be better to teach kids in groups that are the same level rather than groups that are the same age...

Or maybe, just maybe, if class sizes were smaller the educational outcome for all would be better?

DS can count to 20. However his speech is a bit behind other children his age in my (unprofessional) opinion. But he's 3 so I really can't get too exercised about any of this.

Kids get taken out 121 in reception all the time - for reading, getting to know you chats, extra help, doing a job, even going to the loo! As always, the children will know nothing. It’s the over anxious parents who will project their fears onto their kids and fuck them up.

I don’t agree with the ridiculous level of child testing that goes on. But this very short simple assessment will not damage kids because they will be utterly oblivious to it. The only way they will know is if the parents choose to share their own fears with r child which frankly is bloody selfish. And then it’s not the test that’s at issue, it’s the parenting.

My 4 year old started reception last year. She came home a couple of weeks in and said 'Miss H is so silly, she forgot how to spell my name and asked me to write it. She also forgot how to count to 20 and I had to tell her!' Of course the teacher was doing a baseline assessment for her own teaching but there was no way she knew she was being assessed.

Reception teachers won't be making it like a 'test' for the children.

I wasn't distressed by reading sessions, my many hearing tests or sats at age 6. I don't really get the problem.. don't tell them it's a test just say it's a game?