How will they catch up

[Puddleduck42]

If our kids are off school now until September how are they going to catch back up? For example my daughter is 5 and in reception. she's not one of the confident kids and it's taking a long time to get settled ins and started. She loves going to school and like all other 4-5 year olds they love their little routine in the classroom. She is always telling me what she has been doing. She's got her little friends now and gets invited to birthdays every month.

From Friday there is a chance she won't ever be in this class again. She won't see her teacher again (she's covering maternity until June then leaves) she also won't get to go back to that routine she has finally learned to keep up with.

I know nobody has the answers. But can they put our kids up into the next year in September if they have missed half of this year. I'm guessing they will as other children will be starting. I just don't think my DD and many other I'm sure will be ready to cope in a year 1/2 class after loosing 5 months of the first year.

I know many parents will have different worries. I am not meaning to focus on my child as we are all stuck. I also understand whole heartedly why this is happening.

We cant ignore how damaging five months away from the norm will be for kids. They won't be able to do clubs or activities like normal either. Days out will be shut down. Birthdays won't be able to happen in a sociable way. Not seeing kids their own age for months would be isolating and lonely.

Whilst I will do everything in my power to help my DD learn and carry on reading etc it's never going to be the same quality as going to school. My toddler interupts for a start. I have the house work. She will be bored after a week of not being allowed to leave the house.

I am honestly worried how this affects our kids. They will be missing out on so much and how do you explain to them that for weeks on end we won't be going out or seeing anyone. How do I tell her she can't go to school and have her lunch and see her friends. I am finding this incredibly daunting and upsetting. Her first year of school. We've survived winter. Got all her summer dresses last week for school. I weve already had to tell her we can't go on holiday next month.

Do you think the kids will return this school year? I literally feel heartbroken that her first year of school is potientally over.

Nobody knows, OP- that is the worst thing. I suppose if we knew this would be over in 2/3/whatever months we could grit our teeth and count down the days. It's the uncertainty, isn't it?

Honestly, she will be fine. Young children learn so much through play and everyday activities- cooking, building, sorting, creative play, crafts, art, board games, reading, Mark making,play dough, sensory play.
A term doing your own thing is not going to harm her education. If it reassures you, ds was home educated until year 5, never followed a school curriculum and entered school ahead of expectations in year 6.

Please feel reassured, OP, it won’t have any negative impact at all and all children will be in the same boat. So who would she need to ‘catch up’ with?

She is not missing half of the school year, she is missing - at most - a term, or about 12 weeks.

Educationally, she will barely feel the impact across her school career and will learn a lot from loving, 1:1 study with you. Far worse for those children who will be sitting GCSE or A level exams next year, for example.

Socially yes, of course, she will miss playing with other children and returning in sept will be a big shock to her and every other child; teachers will be acutely aware and put plans in place I'm sure.

I think it is ok to feel a bit sad, but heartbroken is a bit hyperbolic. People have died and lost jobs. Weddings, holidays, family events will be cancelled. People can't visit elderly parents. Care homes are virtually locked down. I know it is not competitive misery, but she really will be fine in the long run, both you and her new teacher will make sure of it.

I missed over a year of school travelling around Europe with my grandmother...made no difference..I learnt much more than being stuck in boring class room learning about kings and queens of England etc !!

Honestly, she'll be fine. Missing part of reception is absolutely going to be okay, long-term.

She’s 5 she will cope.

She is missing a bit of school at a very young age. In the mean time people are loosing their lives, loved family members, their livelihoods, their way of life. Get it in proportion.

Meh, I have a 5 and 7 year old. I suspect we will do more work at home than they would in school, I know what they are interested in and what they need to work on. I also have a 3 and 1 year old who I think will watch a bit more tv than usual though.

OP, a huge number of children in several countries around the world are in the same boat...and every child in her year group across the UK will miss the same period of schooling...

We teach responsively and to the needs of the learners in our class. Teachers will catch children up, fill in the gaps etc. when they return to school.

I suspect some children will return further ahead and some very far behind. We’ll work it out. In the meantime, do they best you can to keep her busy and productive.

I literally feel heartbroken that her first year of school is potientally over.

Honestly OP, this seems like a huge overreaction. I'm really not one of those people that usually thinks one person's issues or misfortunes are any less valid because another person is suffering more, but even I'm struggling to have sympathy for the fact your daughter might not get to wear her summer dresses for school this year when people are DYING across the world from this illness I'd suggest trying to get some perspective

She’s 5. It won’t matter. Think of gcse, and a-level candidates. And college students. They suffer, not 5 year olds who are at home in most other countries of the world anyway.

I'm awake at the moment, because I'm going through a 'how will we all survive moment' - and clearly MN is the place to come for some comfort!!

The one thing I would say is that your DD will follow your lead, so for her sake, try and put your feelings to one side and make this into a big adventure for her. I know it's easier said.......

My dd is doing GCSEs next year, she is seeing it as an opportunity because she knows many of her peers will do nothing which gives her an opportunity to be ahead. The whole year group will be in the same position. Some much worse off though because their parents are not as concerned as you.

I would

1. Make sure you get contact details for your child's friends. You can Skype them or similar.
2. Get some craft materials in. This is great for developing muscles for handwriting.
3. Maybe get a few age appropriate workbooks or download them. There are also online activities- BBC bitesize is a good starting point.
4. Try to spend a little longer than usual 1:2:1 with her - or get the toddler to join in- she can read to them for example, she can be the teacher and teach them something from school.
5. Try to get into a little routine, maybe ask the school for a run down of their usual routine- have a (very short) registration- used to love it when my three did that when playing school. Have a story time etc.
6. Consider relaxing screen time with some educational apps for both children.
7. (I definitely won't be doing this as for me it is a silver lining) Get her to put her school uniform on if you think it will help to mark the days and keep her connections with school.
8. Pop out now and buy some stamps - apparently prices go up on Monday so a good investment. Get her involved with making some cards, writing letters etc. to friends/ family. Maybe even find her a penpal from another country (though more tricky with postage).
9. Make sure you have a few bits in for Easter so you all know it is the holiday. Get some small eggs and do a treasure hunt. Make the clues words she can read out.

Hopefully that will give you a few ideas. You need far less time with her to keep her up to speed than she actually spends in school. Something like an hour a day of active teaching is enough because a teacher has 30 children to teach, you just have two.

The alternative is that hundreds of thousands of people die before their time, maybe people that you know.

My DS1 is doing his GCSE’s next year and is beside himself. The government will make sure that this years students get fair grades (apparently) but what about the Year 10’s who are missing a huge chunk of the syllabus?

ihearttc your ds cares about his grades, get him to see it as an advantage- revise all his work so far. Do the work set by his school. Go ahead a little using online resources- Khan Academy, BBC bitesize etc. They will be keen for his year group to not be affected by the break and that the system has supported them through it so grade boundaries might be more flexible. He could seriously use this to his advantage. Many yr10s will see it as a chance to lay in bed all day and play on x box. He can probably name a few. Encourage him to see them as the competition not some 'unmoveable' grade boundary.

If we are lucky we might be out of this by May half term- that is only 7 school weeks.

Some brilliant ideas from TW2013. I'm worried about DS who is 7 and an only child. The class facebook group were chatting last night and we will try to come up with ideas to maintain contact between the children.

One idea we had was doing quizzes via skype, so one of us would read out questions and both kids have to try and answer first. Get them to make a weird buzzer noise before the answer and it will be a good way of them having fun together and seeing eachother being silly.

I love the idea of writing to friends too. We are going to buy a few postcards from our town, and I have some blank ones that could be used to draw a picture, so we are planning to send one every couple of weeks to friends and family who we won't be able to visit.

Or, as she is a bit younger, what about if her and her friend made one of those drawings of crazy monsters/people/animals where she draws the hair then folds the paper over; post it to her friend and she draws the face and posts it back; your DD draws the top of the body and posts it to friend, and so on.

I'm not worried about the academic side of things as there are so many resources out there, just trying to think of lots of ways to keep the social side of things going.

Sorry, didn't mean to sound flippant about the work being missed for those with older kids. I realise that's a totally different ball game and I am lucky that having a 7 year old at home is so much less of a worry.

I was fine until yesterday. I’m a TA so assumed we’d shut Friday until the end of April then reassess. The fact that they have cancelled all exams implies to me that the schools will be shut until September.

He does hugely care about his grades-he desperately wants to be a pilot. However he is also 15 and getting him to work (whilst also helping my Y4 son to do work) is not going to be easy.
I’m the biggest stresshead ever but was completely calm up until now. I’m just sad for all of them. I’m also sad for my class of children as well.

These aren't normal circumstances.
She will be fine.

She's 5 and at that age it really doesn't matter.

Mine are year 9 and have started GCSE coursework.
I am worried year 10s and 9s will miss vast chunks and hope they will be graded fairly too.

But in the grand scheme of things.....

OP, I get it. Yes people are dying. Yes our economy is about to collapse. But I am genuinely heartbroken for my 4.5 year old that she is going to miss the rest of Reception. She loves it, she loves her teacher and obviously her friends.

My 6 year old also adores her teacher, so will be gutted too.

Obviously there are more important things people are worrying about. You don't need to tell the OP that, I'm sure she knows! Everyone is vulnerable and sensitive at the moment. This is a sad time for the children too.

I have a 4 year old daughter and I teach year 11. With my parent hat on I have the same worries because my daughter has SEN and will find it harder than everyone else to catch up. However other posters are right, they are young and it will affect all children so teachers will adjust schemes of work and plans. Please don't worry. I am far more worried about my year 11s. Some won't bother turn up today and will give up. Some will turn up begging for reassurance from me and I just cannot give it. We will have meetings before school I imagine so hopefully I will know more later.