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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Kids not meeting expectations

319 replies

followthenoise · 11/02/2022 19:33

Feeling like we may be failing our DC5 and 7 (yr 1 and yr3) Both have received mid year reports indicating they are below expectations. This is despite us doing around 45 mins of homework /reading with them a day. Both are (early) summer born, and both DH and I are in professional roles with masters level qualifications. We try to foster learning in all activities / aim for a growth mindset, but they both appear to be falling behind. I'm not a pushy parent and would be happy with whatever they want to do, but I am at my wits end on how to support them. Eldest DC likely has ADHD and some sensory issues, but we're told this shouldn't impact her academically particularly , youngest seems fine (apart from academics!). School feedback is that need to write more at home, need to improve - but it seems beyond them when I sit down and do it with them!

OP posts:
Tiredmum12389 · 11/02/2022 20:21

My son at aged 5 would even pick up a pencil. His writing was terrible compared to his peers, worst in class. He had no interest whatsoever. He's now 8 and excelling. Top in class at English reading writing and maths. Encourage them, and provide opportunity's for learning. Reading regularly really does help, but equally enjoy the lack of homework you have now.

firstimemamma · 11/02/2022 20:23

"I was a massive overachiever which isn't helping, I just can't quite get my head around just not meeting the basics "

Primary education is much harder than it was back when you were at school (former teacher here). The curriculum is so different. Children of today have also had covid to deal with.

I agree with others on easing off on the homework. You could ask their teachers on how best to approach things.

Threeboysandadog · 11/02/2022 20:23

At age 5 ds2 spent most of his school day sitting under a desk or under the coats in the cloakroom. He would whisper his reading to the classroom teacher but didn’t speak to anyone else. He went to speech therapy but wouldn’t speak and I kept being asked why I wasn’t engaging with them Confused. He really didn’t ‘get’ school until he was in P4 age 9.

Fast forward 19 years He has a degree in computer science and works in app development. He is still not the chattiest of young men but has friends and a job he enjoys and earns more than his dad and I. I think it’s too soon to worry. They are so young. I bet they come into their own as they get older but do try to get an ADHD assessment as that will affect learning. I have 2 with ADHD.

MrsSkylerWhite · 11/02/2022 20:24

Oh for god’s sake, give them a break. Your kids have been through two years of disrupted education. It will settle and all will be well.

Maybe just appreciate them for who they are?

Our youngest, now 19, is an extremely clever person. The last two years have knocked the stuffing out of them, emotionally, intellectually and socially. Only now in the second half of first year university are they finding their mojo again. Can’t imagine what it must have been like for young ones in primary.

Please don’t let them know that they’re not “meeting your expectations”.

Happymum12345 · 11/02/2022 20:25

You sound like you’re doing all the write things with them. My ds was born right at the end of august and struggled for years. He is now doing his a levels and will hopefully be off to uni this year. I was told when he was in Y1 that he was “too bad to put in a phonics catch up group” by his teacher.

Littlebluebird123 · 11/02/2022 20:33

I'm a little unsure where your information has come from in regards to them being behind. It sounds like you've decided this based on what's app and conversations with your children.
I used to hear a parent at the school gate talking about her daughter's accomplishments and how she was academically gifted. (It was lies or a total misunderstanding of why the teachers had said.) I worked in the school doing support groups and the little girl was struggling in everything. I never said anything as I wasn't sure if the mum was insecure about it so made things up.
All I mean is, people don't always tell the truth about their children and children themselves don't always have the full picture.

Academic achievement is a creation of the government and even if they are 'behind' doesn't mean they can't/won't achieve.

Also, definitely go for ADHD assessment now. The wait list here is two years for NHS minimum. 😟

PreschoolMum4 · 11/02/2022 20:36

One of my daughters is in year 2 and had a parents evening at the beginning of the year where she was working just below her expectation so I asked what needed improvement. One of the things for example was spelling so we have worked on them a little at a time for the last few months. On average I would say we spend about 45 minutes a week on homework overall! Just had a recent parents evening and she is now working within expected levels and her teacher noticed she is doing particularly well with spellings I was pleased to know. So that might help to focus on what might need improvement but a little at the a time without pressure and as others have said lots of play too 🙂

Xtraincome · 11/02/2022 20:40

Please remember your eldest has only had 3/4 of their school years as "normal" and your youngest has had no years as "normal" due to Covid.

Regarding your 45 minutes learning time, maybe do 45 minutes on the weekend instead. Their brains will be more relaxed. You'd be amazed how little kids take in after a long day; it's the equivalent of you being at work all day at a bank and someone insisting you play monopoly when home- or a better anecdote I can't think of right now Smile

They will be fine OP. You're doing an ace job!

Saffy321 · 11/02/2022 20:41

I think school should be offering learning support if they say there is a problem - is it a particularly academic/hothouse type of private school they are at? because it might be the case that an all round school would suit better.

My DD's reception teacher wouldn't tell any of the parents what levels the kids were on at reading, she believed it was more important that the kids thought of themselves as 'readers' and gained confidence, if your yr 1 child is worried about still being on yellow then that's not good.

Duracellbunnywannabe · 11/02/2022 20:44

Are they not meeting expectations for this point of the year or are they not meeting expectations for the end of the year? There is a big difference.

RandomMess · 11/02/2022 20:45

Honestly if one has ADD/ADHD then yes it will cause an issue!

Goldilocks99 · 11/02/2022 20:46

First of all op, don't panic.

I'm going to bore you now but I hope some of what I say might be helpful.

About ten years ago, we used sub levels to assess children. So you had level 123 etc and within that sub levels so a 1a was better than a 1c, as it was nearly a 2. This meant in parents evening you could tell a parent while their child is not yet expected they were very close. Eg. A 2A is expected and as your child is 2b we're doing xyz and you can do ABC and they'll probably catch up. It also meant you could give an idea if the child was really behind and would help explain why we might do further assessment, strategies, Sen etc.

Anyway, that's all gone now(I clung to it like Rose to the door in Titanic, but the powers that be know best)

So what your left is a system that lacks nuance, so you need to ask specifically what's missing/needed to know how far behind and how much you need to push(the school, not the children).

It's wonderful that you are invested in your children's learning but 45 minutes of writing is way too much. At home, with your younger child, a wet paint brush(just water) outside, chalks or child led writing is fine. Phonics games and reading fine.

For your older child really try and find their niche in reading. Comics, internet encyclopedia, fiction. Whatever. If they are inspired by writing they are more likely to want to write and children pick up a huge amount of vocabulary from reading.

And that can be shared reading too, you can enjoy books together and it's still more honestly valuable than educational games.

And just to finish my little monologue, when I saw this post I immediately thought of every single child who I've had to speak to about progress. If the parents were engaged, I have no doubt that those children went on to flourish. In fact, I can recall those children's strengths so vividly and even though they may not have turned out academic, I'd be surprised if they weren't happy and successful.

But a lot of them caught up anyway, so don't write them off as non academic either.

I know it is worrying, but seek clarity and practical advice. X

MrsSkylerWhite · 11/02/2022 20:50

RandomMess

Honestly if one has ADD/ADHD then yes it will cause an issue!“

Was reluctant to comment because of lack of experience but that did seem likely to me.

Ohhelpicantthinkofaname · 11/02/2022 20:50

They’re only little, try not to worry too much about what they are achieving at this young age.

DD2s best friend was always behind in primary. Perfectly bright kid, but a bit dyslexic and some slow processing. Her mum hasn’t really done anything special with her. Never really made her do anything beyond what is required by the school. She’s now doing fine in secondary. Age and maturity (she is also summer born) have helped and she’s set to get perfectly good gcse grades.

2bazookas · 11/02/2022 20:51

I recommend you play games and share activities to extend their attention span and focus their visual and listening concentration.

Cooking together, following recipes from childrens recipe book
Word games
Singing songs (with their own copies of the words)
Board games like snakes and ladders, draughts
Card games

Dominos
Colouring-in
Arrange for family to write and post letters to the children, then encourage them to write back.
Reading aloud to them

Edit screen time; many TV cartoons and computer games produce high-speed sensory overload of attention.

When they do watch TV, make it the sole focus of attention ( don't have TV/music/radio on as a constant background to meals, conversation, playing games ).

NeverEnoughCake2 · 11/02/2022 20:52

I just wanted to pick up on the point you made about thinking your DC are behind based on what you've seen on WhatsApp. Is that some kind of parents' WhatsApp group for your DC's classes? If so, take anything you see on there with a massive pinch of salt - you have no idea how much parents have "helped" their DC with what they're posting. Even if it is a genuine piece of a child's work, it's very unlikely any parents whose kids are having similar difficulties to yours will be posting examples of their kids' work, so you end up with a very biased comparison.

Whichcatthatcat · 11/02/2022 20:53

Dial right back on the writing practice.

If they struggle with this, there are things you can do to help stamina and hand strength

Before they get finger strength, the need to properly develop arm strength, and before that, shoulder strength.
So you can try games such as wheelbarrows, throwing balls, swimming, sweeping the floor, to get the arm strength, then play dough, pegging washing, threading pasta to make necklaces etc, to help with finger strength.

Goldilocks99 · 11/02/2022 20:54

Also feel free to message me for any further clarity. Hope something on this thread helps, lots of valuable points re: summer born, ADHD, Ofsted grade inflation.(which will be worse generally in a junior school than a primary, due to the infants sending them up high)

Ohhelpicantthinkofaname · 11/02/2022 20:54

Though if you suspect that one of your dds has adhd I would get it formally assessed.

I probably have adhd, never been formally assessed, but I have so many traits.

I was actually fine and quite high achieving in primary, if a little hyperactive and naughty. But at secondary I really did struggle to apply myself and massively underachieved. So basically. They may well just pick up, with age, especially the younger one. But if you suspect one has adhd it would be good for that to be recognised.

lumpofcomfort · 11/02/2022 20:55

I teach Year 2. Kids in this age group (Y1-3) have been badly affected by Covid. Speak to the teachers but it could be that they are behind where expected would be for a normal year because of things they have missed rather than that they aren't capable. Did the report say below expected or working towards?

SallyWD · 11/02/2022 20:55

Both my children are very bright, I can see that, but throughout primary school they've both failed to meet expectations in many subjects. Now they're approaching the end of primary school they're finally meeting expectations. They certainly weren't in years 1 and 3. Honestly relax. I think 45 mins a night is way too much. We do less than that a week. I think many, many bright kids don't meet expectations during those early years and then catch up around years 5 and 6. You're not failing them in any way, just stop stressing. They're still babies.

1AngelicFruitCake · 11/02/2022 20:57

Hi OP
I’m a teacher with children the same age. It’s the usual thing of quality over quantity. If I did shopping list, games etc only with my Year 3 child it wouldn’t be enough. I try shorter bursts e.g. 10/15 mins twice in an evening rather than one longer stint, although for my older child I’m trying to get her working and concentrating for longer.

Typical week
Year 1 child
Reading book/reading activity 4/5 times a week
Read a bedtime story every night
Practise number skills 2/3 times a week
Homework once a week
As well as mental maths questions now and again in the car, writing for fun or a purpose e.g. a letter or writing names of toys etc

Year 3 child
Reads to herself every night 20 minutes (only recently started doing this, used to take turns to read to each other)
Times tables few minutes most days
Quick recap of maths/phonics 2/3 times a week
Homework
Writing if I can manage it, some weeks I just don’t want to push it!

This might seem a lot to some, not much to others but both my children were doing fine but not as well as I think they’re capable of. I also ask their teachers what they think I should focus on but I feel I have a fairly good idea.

Finally, if something isn’t working, try something else. My year 1 child doesn’t like writing sums down or answering them on paper so got her doing it on an App.

Theworldisfullofgs · 11/02/2022 20:58

Try not to worry. My August boy was below expectations in ks1, average in ks2 and on track to do v well at gcse.

Covid has made a difference to ks1 children, they will catch up but it will take time. The key now is not to put them off with too much pressure. Reward effort not achievement and try and build learning into every day life as much as possible.

Goldilocks99 · 11/02/2022 20:59

Oh and if your child finds yellow band boring please feel free to supplement reading with your own books.

Or he might do what I did (stuck on little red hen series and stole chapter books from the school library)

It didn't do me too much harm. Good degree, teaching qualifications. And a good knowledge of stolen children's literature haha.

canary1 · 11/02/2022 21:00

It’s all quite ridiculous that the reports are given in accordance with what they should achieve by end of the year. Why on earth are schools required to do this? Where is basic common sense here?
Summer born kids are disadvantaged, and parents made to feel there’s something wrong because their kid just needs to mature/ the school year needs to actually be completed!
Sounds like you are doing a great job, learning but in a fun way!