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Original poster

Split into ability groups at age 5?

55 replies

misdee · 22/02/2006 09:53

dd1 class has had a rearrangment of groups over half term. they have been split into ability groups for phonics. now dd1 has an IEP as she is struggling with her phonics and has extra small group sessions with a different teacher. i feel a bit miffed, and others parents are saying they hope their kids are in the higher groups. i just feel like shite for dd1 as i feel that at the age of 5 they are all devoping at slightly different rates and to split the class is IMO wrong.

OP posts:
cece · 22/02/2006 12:28

dd is in a group for literacy things (I think) She doesn't appear to have any idea that they are ability grouped. However, from persistant questioning from her mother I am certain they are. They are pretty fluid though as they had a bit of a change around a few weeks ago.

I have never heard any comments about groups/readijng levels etc in the playground but then I don't hang around in the cliques so maybe I've just got my head int the clouds and am not paying enough attention...lol

corblimeymadam · 22/02/2006 12:31

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Twiglett · 22/02/2006 12:40

But isn't this how your DD gets the help she needs?

Blandmum · 22/02/2006 12:44

belgianbun.....we should all move to Lake Wobegone, 'Where all the children are above average'

Some of do see that setting is essential

I do, and I am also a teacher

But I know how you feel. I spend September on MN rather twitchy and gun shy as it does seem sometimes that we can't do anything right. It was the source of my only 'flounce' on MN

Original poster
misdee · 22/02/2006 12:47

FGS i am, not havign a go at the teacher. i am just saddened and uspet tha tthe competativness has set in at the age of 5! makes me cross. i dont know if the children are aware. i knew my dd1 would be in smal lgroup sessions for extra help for phonics anyway, just wasnt aware the whole class would be split up into ability groups.

if i cant voice my opinions on here and my worries then i'll go elsewhere. i rarely post on education topic for this very reason.

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Twiglett · 22/02/2006 12:50

but she'll get the help she needs .. and they are fluid groups surely .. so that she will always be with people at the same pace as her and won't feel bored or thick

you're entitled to get cross misdee .. but really I don't see the problem

Enif · 22/02/2006 12:53

ours arent fluid

Original poster
misdee · 22/02/2006 12:54

I AM GLAD SHE IS GETTING THE HELP SHE NEEDS!

i just wasnt aware at the age opf 5 this would be an issue.

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Twiglett · 22/02/2006 12:57

right .. I'm not trying to get you cross .. I just truly don't get this because I've heard similar from parents in DS's reception classs ... complaining about 'streaming'

Now DS ain't the quickest at learning to read and write .. so I want him to be with people who don't make him feel stupid .. and I want him to get the extra help he needs because being confident reading and writing is so imporant later on (not now, in a few years) ..

they aren't labelling the kids IMHO they are giving them what they need to learn .. why get narked?

Enif · 22/02/2006 12:57

dont worry misdee

i felt exactly the same as you

was really gutted tbh

but its fine now and I never think about it

in fact she is never bored at school and always learning something so how fab is that?

Original poster
misdee · 22/02/2006 13:01

its more to do with other peoipoles attitiudes 'oh * is in such and such froup as they are opn pink books so must be in the top group'

they are 5years old! was never streamed AFAIK in primary school, was in secondry. I dont want dd1 to struggle, i am pleased she is getting the help she needs, I just hate the competativeness of it. as someone said furthwer down they checked to see if apple was higher than banana/orange.

splitting the groups up has also upset dd1 and she has started getting 'tummy aches' again and not wanting to go to school.

OP posts:
Twiglett · 22/02/2006 13:02

ok something we can agree on at last

other parents are just stupid

FairyMum · 22/02/2006 13:03

I think 5 is too early to divide. I think it's fine to create a small group of really good pupils, but then have the large majority together. Children can get inspiration from other children who are better than them too. SoI feel the same as Misdee.

madmarchhare · 22/02/2006 13:08

foxinsocks - you have reminded me of the bands we were put in at high school....blue, green, red, yellow and magenta. Guess which one was the lowest band?

Blandmum · 22/02/2006 13:09

I think the most important thing is that all the kids in the class get the level of work that they need to keep them interested and stimulated and get them to make progress.

I had quite a shocjk with ds, as dd had always been at the top end of the class. Naturaly I was upset that he was finding things hard. But once he was in the right set he began to improve.

If he had been left in with the rest of the class he would have been forever feeling a failure, as he struggoled more and more with the stuff that the other kids were doing. He is about 2 levels behind the bulk of the class in the ORT. How could he possibly cope with the rest of the class?

As it is, he his happy and is making progress. He wrote a sentence today, it saud 'I can read' I almost cried.

This isn;'t stigmatising him, this is giving him what he needs.

FWIW, i do understand how it feels Misdee, I felt like that at first, but I have come to see the advantages.

Original poster
misdee · 22/02/2006 13:15

our groups at secondry spelt out the name of the school N E W S (O) M

Guess which was high and low? (no O as not enough kids)

OP posts:
sparklymieow · 22/02/2006 13:50

my ds and dd1 are in a school in the same area as misdee' dd1. DS is in the top set in his class, and dd1 is in the bottom one, but at least I know they are both being catered for their needs.

grumpyfrumpy · 22/02/2006 14:58

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Celia2 · 22/02/2006 19:21

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auriel · 22/02/2006 19:54

YOU didn't say how old your child is in the class... my ds3(5) is a summer baby in a mixed yr group so he is 18 months younger than some of the others in the class. he is in a phonics group which initially surprised us but actually his fluency has rocketed since it began. i 'd rather any emergent issues were spotted early and given support...
I love to play dumb with the nosey people at school and shock them by not having made my children do all there homework outin rough 10 times before the final version for submission...
my dh is a teacher and he finds the discrepancy between class and homework in some kids most entertaining... ( what clever Mums and Dads there are)

nikkie · 22/02/2006 20:50

My dd1s class is split like this ( she explained it to me-shows how obvious it is)
they are split into 4 groups and staff split he same.Problem in the 'lowest' group is you get the keen kids with probs and the kids who have no discipline which can cause more probs for the keen kids.

corblimeymadam · 22/02/2006 21:55

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Original poster
misdee · 24/09/2008 21:20

2.5years on, i am back searching for ruth miskin read write inc threads, and come across this one of mine oh i was so PFB! lol.

anyway, was searching to see how this system works fully, as the school were midway through switching when i started this thread, and tbh i even struggle with phonics.

dd2 is now in year one, and is group according to ability, which is fine for now, as we are now at the other end of the learning spectrum with dd2 than dd1 was when i started this thread.

i stil ldont like competativness at this stage/age, but its there and i know people will always try and find out what stage otherkdis are on (if dd2 goes for playdates, i will take her bookbag off her before she goes lol).

am going to google more about this scheme and how it works, as it looks good, but i just wasnt taught this way.

OP posts:
peanutbutterkid · 25/09/2008 10:08

Oh misdee!, I'm very interested in your experience (all experiences of RWInc), as our school is starting it. We are getting a talk abut it (to parents) this pm, in fact. Yesterday, DD (y2) went into a mixed y3-4 class, DS (y4) was coy, but I think he went into a mixed y4-y5 class. I can't read too much in about how these movements reflect their actual abilities, as their usual literacy partners went into other classes. I didn't realise RWInc had been around for so long. Our Head Teacher said that the National Literacy Strategy had been "a disaster" (her exact words).

Good you can laugh about your PFB-itis. I have 2 high achievers and a just-started-reception-child (summer-born boy) who still hasn't a clue why he's in school and what's going on.

Just have kids who very rarely get invited for playdates and you won't have any worries about bookbag snooping.

Original poster
misdee · 25/09/2008 10:33

yes, we had a meeting last night which went over the scheme more, and i have more of an idea of how it works, so am a bit more relaxed about it. it makes sense and dd2 is progressing well.

dd1 still doesnt get phonics, and struggles a bit, but is getting there slowly. is roughly on the right reading ability for her age, but not for her year group (is a midyear birthday child) iyswim.

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