Letts Workbooks - Key Stage One

[Wallace]

I sent off for the Letts workbooks that were on special offer on the Tesco's Weetabix. I got the Maths and English Key Stage 1 workbooks, they say age 5 - 6.
Ds has just turned 5, I think he could manage the Maths one quite easily, but I was quite shocked at how tricky the English one looks. It starts off with getting the child to say where capital letters, full stops and commas should be...surely this is quite hard stuff? Or is this how English is taught now?
He can't read yet, but knows all his letter sounds, and can sound out simple words for himself, and I reckon he could learn to read if I gave it a try. Are these workbooks meant for children who can already read, or is it pre-reading skills?
BTW we are in Scotland, so ds will start school in August.

Blimey. We're in Scotland aswell, and my ds only started that sort of thing in about P3. Dd has just finished P1 and doesn't have a clue about grammar like that yet (and I mean a clue ). Doesn't sound like pre-reading to me.

Wallace, I think age 5-6 means it's for children in Y1 in England. Some of those will be 6 very soon after the beginning of Y1, so will be a year older than your DS, and also all of them will have been at school for most of the previous year, unlike in Scotland.

He will easily catch up in the next year, but as he hasn't started school yet the equivalent for Scotland would be for age 4-5 I think. Hang on to the 5-6 books until he has been at school for a while.

Phew! Its not just my ds then!

I think you're right, I'll save the English book for a while . I might give the maths one a try though, he can already add and subtract a bit (brag!), and is always interested in all sorts off mathematical things.

Age 5-6 is Year 1 in England, which is what my DS1 is completing this month.

They do cover Capital letters, full stops, commas etc during this year.

Just been looking on the back cover, there are also Key Stage 1 (age 5-6)workbooks on Phonics & Spelling, and Handwriting. I think these are probably more what ds needs.
Thanks

I got one (admittenly from a remainder bookshop) by Parragon the other day, aimed at 3-4 year olds. Jeepers, there's no way dd 1 (nearly 5) could manage that!

Wallace, if your ds has just turned 5, then he's only coming to the end of his reception year in England. Key Stage 1 doesn't start until Year 1, so these books are definately not meant for children who haven't been to school, or who haven't been through a reception class. I'd say that no child in year 1 is really ready to learn about commas until the second half of the summer term - bloody awful literacy strategy!! Too much, too soon!