5 year old tracking behind - advice please

[Cherryblossom200]

Hi there,

My 5 year old who has just entered year 1 is tracking slightly behind the national average in reading, writing and maths. I'm understandably upset, and a bit worried. The assessments took place at the start of term, and to be fair my dd has improved massively since then but I'm still concerned.

My dd has never been the type to want to sit down and colour in, practice reading and writing etc up until now. She simply wasn't interested. In lock down I tried home schooling and gave up after a week. She literally walked off after 5 minutes. Instead we did bug hunts and tally charts.

My little girl has no issues with interaction with other kids. In fact all I hear from the teacher is she is a joy to teach, always happy and makes friends easily. However she tends to prefer to have fun, adventure and explore.

So we are behind onthe education side. I have no idea if we can catch up. But she is pretty much reading now, hand writing is improving daily and she can do basic adding and subtracting.

What should a child of her age in year 1 be doing?

Her teacher is working with me to get her up to speed, but I can't help feel I've let her down 😢 of course it doesn't help that almost half her reception time was taken away from her. Does this sound like she has a learning issue?

I have no idea if we are able to catch up to where we are supposed to be.

Honestly, she's 5... she's reading, she's doing basic maths and writing. In most parts of the world she wouldn't even be at school yet.

That's what I was thinking. I feel the English education system expects to much from such young children.

Slightly behind doesn’t equal a learning issue op! Focus on the fact that she enjoys learning through play and school for now. She’s got plenty of time for the rest

She loves learning and is improving. But I had my phone call today and just felt a bit crap about it. She's my only child so this is my first time going through the whole school system.

Calm down, she's only just started school. Plenty of time for her to catch up, not that being slightly below average is particularly awful anyhow.

She’s five. Plenty of time for her to “catch up”. As long as she enjoys learning, that’s a good thing.

Some of these replies underestimate the impact of the last 6 months on your thinking about her education. As parents, none of us has experienced it before. I have a 5 year old too. She seems to be where she should be but I understand your anxiety and echo the message that in Yr 1, they have plenty of time to catch up. I have an older one too. Try not to worry. The school seems pleasingly engaged for Covid ridden 2020!

Thanks Resipa, I'm angry about the effect Covid has had on my DD's education. It HAS put her behind, and I'm worrying that this will always put her at a disadvantage. She does so much better at school than with me.

I have no idea how it works, if kids who under achieve always stay in this spot or move up over time.

As I said my dd is reading basic books now without having to sound out words so I find it strange she is marked as behind.

It sounds like the school is 'on it'. The teachers will want the best for her so if I were you, all you can do is stay engaged and support her at home. It's a hard time but you sound great in terms of having her interests at heart so all should be fine.

If you did no - or very little - reading, writing or maths with her while the schools were closed, then she is unlikely to be at the same level as children who were at a similar stage then, but who did keep up with the home-schooling.
Yet she was only a little behind when she started this year, and you say she has already made visible progress over this half term.
It sounds as if the school is doing a good job in catching her up. If you can read with her, that would help, but otherwise lots of talk on your bug hunts etc. If you wanted to do more to help her, you could maybe get her a 'Bug Hunt Book' or something so she can draw and write about what she finds.

You could try some fun apps - maybe that reading eggs thing? And there are some maths ones like purple mash

Thanks everyone. I read with her every night, and we practice her writing and do basic maths at home now. But it's the maths side I struggle with, so I may try the apps!

It's not easy!

Good idea! Don’t forget she’s got a loving mum who’s really motivated for her to reach her potential and that is the most important thing of all. And that she’s happy!

If it is only a little behind average, there is only a little to “catch up”. Does not sound like a learning issue.

I think if they are improving and happy, fantastic.

I’d read to her regularly and otherwise do what you are doing and not worry.

When does she turn 6?

At this age a lot of the maths can be practised out and about in normal life.
Count going up or down the stairs, then only count aloud on the right foot ( 2, 4, 6...). Read house numbers out as you walk to/ from the shops and try challenges - add 1to the number, now can you add 3? What number will the next house be? Can you share these 12 sweets fairly between the three of us? Etc.

If she did nothing over lockdown, then it’s not surprising she is a bit behind now - that doesn’t suggest a big problem though.
I would concentrate on reading every day and lots of maths during your every day interactions - counting up and down, pointing out numbers and shapes in the environment, counting in 2s,5s, 10s (eg counting money).

I think in the next 13 years you can probably catch up. I've got 4, a mixture of very early readers, average readers and a late reader which is probably about right statistically. The late reader was the one who did A level English Lit, he got a first from a Russell Group uni. I think he was behind till he was 8 or 9 and then he just took off.

Try not to worry.

Honestly, don't worry to much. In my experience, a lot of the children behind in ks1 have caught up or taken over some who were ahead by ks2.
Do regular reading, some practical play to help strengthen fine/gross motor skills for writing, and incorporate numbers, shapes, and time telling in daily life.

She can easily catch up! The main thing is she doesn't get any vibe from you that she is lagging. Everything you are doing sounds great

Get her to measure ingredients out when you cook, write shopping lists, make her own Xmas cards, write to Santa, read to her as well as get her to read to you, play games (you can get loads Used on Ebay) - my DD had a good one called Sum Swamp and she liked Junior Scrabble too. She needs to love learning and enjoy her adventures. No need to worry yet.

In lock down I tried home schooling and gave up after a week.

If other kids did school work for 4 Months and your DD did one week that would explain why she’s behind.

Thanks everyone. I feel a lot less worried now. She's 6 in Feb.

Over lockdown I wanted to concentrate on letting her just enjoy herself and have fun, hence why we're a bit behind!

When I came off the phone from the teacher, I just gave her praise which is what I always do. I definitely don't want her to feel she is behind. Currently she is so happy and enthusiastic to learn that I don't want that to change.

My main concern was that she just didn't want to sit and do any form of work, even colouring in. So naturally I thought perhaps she had a learning issue. But now it seems to have finally clicked in.

Umm she is 5.
#my dd is reading basic books now without having to sound out words #

So really relax and stop worrying
Maybed she doesnt read at school
Maybe they testing something else

And
The assessments took place at the start of term

So probably already out of date

I have similar age DC and we did zero homeschooling over lockdown as we're both key workers and they were in childcare hubs playing and painting throughout lockdown. I'm honestly just very grateful that they are happy and doing well at school, even though they are a bit behind . I can't beat myself up about it. We were in survival mode.

School have been very helpful about ways we can help them catch up. They can read ok but comprehension and handwriting need a bit of a push, so that's what we're focusing on 3 nights a week, no more. We're all knackered as we're still key workers doing mad shifts