Are your summer born children under achievers or high flyers?

[whoknowswho]

An article in the telegraph suggests August born children struggle at school by the age of seven and are more likely to take vocational quals than go to a top uni . My very late august born DD is thriving at school (Y2) top of the class and loving it but she's still very young so this could all change I guess. What are your summer born children like?www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/8860219/Summer-born-children-less-likely-to-attend-top-universities.html#

Here's another bit - some countries allow parents to defer entry, other countries don't, and have the same end of the month vs start of next month cut off. There seems to be no difference in educational attainment - and certainly in a couple of Asian countries where there is no deferment allowed, I know of many high achieving pupils (in the top 10 in their year) who actually have birthdays towards the end of the academic year. Either you could argue that they can't achieve on the sports field (because they are younger and slower/weaker) so they concentrate on academics, or you could say it really makes no difference in the long run. (Nothing to do with size either - one was the tallest girl in her glass throughout and her birthday was the third last month of the academic year).

So just to say to everyone who is worrying about their toddler or infant like I was some time ago, don't worry. Pick a school that fits your child, is all I would say. Don't just pick the one that everyone else says is the best. Visit the primary or infant school before deciding.

PrinceRogers - I thought sometimes that my DS is in the wrong year. He is an immature April birthday now in Y2 and I could not defer him a year. Academically, he is average but refused to read or do maths until middle of Y1. Socially, he is very chatty and loves company, but he lost his confidence in R and in his Y1/2 class. He said no-one likes him. Now in his Y1/2 class he is one of the older ones and suddenly his teacher says that he is happy and fully integrated, playing with lots of different children.

He still has an 'I probably can't do that attitude' but I hope that will get better.

That was a lovely letter from the Headmaster and also nearly made me cry. At my DDs school they have extended nursery-style learning to Year 1 which was not in place when DS started but was for DD and she seems to suffer less from lack of confidence as a result even though she is younger in the year. The Head has been to schools in sweden and Australia and boycotted SATs believing children should learn to enjoy school and learn to take risks such as climb trees etc. An example in Year 6, they visited the Houses of Parliament to learn about Politics in a real environment. They start sex education at a younger age than many of the schools around and this is a catholic school. In Year 1 they introduced Forest School which helped particularly younger boys learn in an active and natural environment. The result is their school is one of the most high-achieving in the borough with a real mixed intake. In later years they offer extended provision for the brighter kids so I do not believe making provision for younger learners makes any difference to a dumbing down of standards. Without the Head and the wonderful teachers along the way, my DCs would not have flourished in the way they have. The moral is if you have a younger child, pick a school that has good methods for dealing with these children and can push them as they get older. In my opinion the school is so important and makes more of a difference than just the parents although parental influence is also important.

I actively told my kids that they were younger than many others in the class and that is why they did not find it as easy as some of the older ones. Both have gone through the phase of 'I'm stupid' and 'I will never learn to read'. I found it useful to use examples with them although not probably correct but with DS I used Einstein who supposedly learnt to read very late. I was an early ready and my spelling is shocking whereas both kids are really good spellers and I tell them that was because I learnt to read earlier but not properly. I also tell them that I was lazy because I was one of the oldest and everybody who had to work harder took over me. Basically I told them anything I could to keep their confidence up in the early years. My DS was a good swimmer and I told him that he was much better than other children at that. My DD had her first acting job at 6 and I played on that to give her confidence a boost to take away from the reading and writing issue. I tried to get them to think about their strength and encouraged outside interests that they did well in. My DD is good at speaking out in assemblies, acting and art. Very nice to be able to do these things and more difficult to learn.

Obviously mine are still young. Eldest Year 7 and now he knows he has great ability in many subjects including English despite being one of the last kids in his class to learn to read (now being asked to study Charles Dickens because he is so advanced) although still thinks he is bad at Maths despite the fact he is 5b, the average for the end of KS3 but this comes from his lack of confidence. I did get him five sessions of tutoring over the summer holiday before Year 6 and this boosted his confidence a bit. Both me and his form tutor explained to him that he was actually above average on Tuesday at Parents Evening and I do believe his lack of confidence boils down to being so young in the early years.

I am not writing this to boast about my DCs although of course I think they are wonderful but just to explain that you did not to use the fact they are younger to encourage them not to give up and to pick the right schools that know how to encourage younger children without limiting the upside for all children in the class. There is no shame in being the bottom in Year 1 and just accept any help because two to three years make a huge difference to children and their development. Incidentally some of the older children were also in the bottom group and have also come on a lot because of the school's approach. They also have a higher than normal proportion of male teachers which both DS and DD responded to well. One male teacher in particular had a huge influence on DS and got him to adore reading.

You see I disagree about deferred entry. My DS was deferred until January. Last year of it for my LA.
I don't think it helped him at all. It simply meant that his already natural disadvantage of being young was made worse by missing a term of reception and he was even further behind. He is still trying to make up that lost term.

If he is going to be the youngest he can at least have the same education as the eldest.

however I can understand that other parents of young ones would disagree.

Gabid - I think it is his attitude I worry about. But I am working on that. Activities outside of school where he is not the youngest, is naturally good at the activity etc. School must not be his only childhood memory of achievement.

I have to say I have been lucky enought to work in some good schools that have made allowances for younger children in a good and helpful way.

My DS is Sept born, making him one of the eldest, and i worry about the expectations of him, having worked in schools and DH is a teacher, as he has verbal dyspraxia and COULD end up struggling to read etc. He has just started school nursery and I opted for the 2 and a half days, mainly so it wasn't a complete shock to his system next Sept, having not attended nursery at all and only being with me. He aslo has some "traits" and quirkyness and would benefit from realising he stays for lunch and understands the whole day. I am lucky in that he is loving it albeit he is very very tired. But like I say I worry they will think he is a bit dim being a sept boy

But y nephew is Oct born and my Niece Nov born, he is very clever, racing through (almost 16 now) he is 13 and struggling beyond belief in many ways, if no one knew, one would say he is was a summer born.

So it does vary by child, BUT, you can often spot the summer borns and they DO (mostly) need a good school with a caring relaxed atmosphere that can help support this.

sorry SHE is very clever that should say

The research seems to suggest the august thing is to do with some children being 3 to 6 months older than their classmates. It would prejudice you in the sports area. And maybe in the confidence.

Have the schools solved the problem?