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Original poster

Are we a bit naive?

61 replies

unicorn · 21/10/2004 20:38

Just had dd parents' evening (yr 1) and me and dh have come away rather chastised.
I don't think we have been adequately prepared for the work involved in yr 1 (let alone dd- who's 5!)
Eg. didn't expect the mathematics knowledge to be quite so.. advanced.. really I guess.
So, the long and short of it is, we now know dd isn't quite as briliant as we otherwise thought!!

But it would have helped if we she/and we parents had been prepared a little better for the work of yr 1.. either via something at the end of reception, or a curriculum meeting at beginning of yr 1.

I guess we are supposed to find this out for oourselves though?

OP posts:
Lonelymum · 21/10/2004 20:42

Yr 1 is a big jump from Reception. I remember my oldest son having trouble adjusting. It wasn't so much that he couldn't cope with the work but he was very tired for the first half term and very emotional too.
Your school could provide a welcome evening like our school does at the start of each new year. It is just a short informal meeting with the teachers during which they explain what they will be doing that year, give basic rules of the class, etc. Perhaps you could suggest it to your school?

roisin · 21/10/2004 20:43

Unicorn, I think it might be worthwhile passing on your comments to the school. For the past few years our school have run a brief session at the start of term for parents of yr1 children just generally informing them of the way they teach literacy and numeracy these days, the support that is welcomed/expected from home, and the topics to be covered; and also stressing what a big step it is from reception to yr1.

I'm sure you're not alone in feeling the way you do, and maybe other parents would benefit from an introductory session.

Original poster
unicorn · 21/10/2004 20:47

lm, and roisin (have you been a teacher btw?)

I will try and pass on thoughts, but the school is not exactly very good on the communication/suggestions from parents front.

Seems to be this very silly idea that every parent has an older one in the school and therefore automatically knows what the system is. IYSWIM.

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yoyo · 21/10/2004 20:51

My DD2 in Yr1 and we had to miss her parents' evening (car in garage - was it you Unicorn who was interested in the Peugeot 307SW? Don't do it!!!). Her homework seems ridiculously easy (counting in twos, identifying shapes, using coins to make different amounts) is this the sort of thing your DD has? Asked her teacher this morning if there were any problems and she said "none at all. She would have a glowing report". Feel rather concerned as DD1 was definitely doing much more at this stage in the school she went to before we moved.

This school has no meetings to discuss work in advance either.

Lonelymum · 21/10/2004 20:54

I was a teacher, hence I feel your school is failing a bit in not providing you with an introductory meeting each year. A lot of other schools do.
At our school, they like you to turn up even if you have an older child who has already attended that year. It is afterall a chance to meet the teachers who may not be the same as in previous years. Also allows you a brief chance to voice any concerns you may have.

Original poster
unicorn · 21/10/2004 20:55

yoyo.. yes it was me re peugeot.. haven't decided yet.. but am heeding the warnings!!

DD hardly has any homework, so I really was very surprised at the in class 'test' results.. she scored 57 per cent.. some of her pals were around 90 per cent..
I had been thinking that she was doing ok with maths..but it seems she needs more work.

OP posts:
roisin · 21/10/2004 20:58

When's their next Ofsted due? Communication with parents is something they 'get points on' for Ofsted!

We also get a little booklet every term with details of the topics they will be studying, their targetted author and artist, work to be covered in literacy, numeracy, etc. It is really helpful.

We also get leaflets about 'how to read with children at home' every time they move up a stage on the reading scheme.

PS I haven't ever been a teacher.

Original poster
unicorn · 21/10/2004 21:02

your school sounds top roisin!
LM, I think the lack of out of school time meetings is something to so with keeping the teachers workload down.

ofsted is probably not for another 2 years.. (was in 2000) I had hoped it was due up... (as communication was an issue last time around)...

Nothing has changed.

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yoyo · 21/10/2004 21:06

Were you told that they had tests? Don't think mine does. My DD is one of the oldest in her class (6 mid-Sept) and still gets her numbers around the wrong way at times. I would say she has a good understanding of the ideas but don't know if these would show on paper.
We are given an info leaflet at the start of term but there seems so little on it that I refuse to believe that's all they do. I may well be wrong...

What about reading and writing? Do you also have concerns in these areas? When you mention others in her class are they the older ones?

roisin · 21/10/2004 21:08

Have you any idea in what areas she is struggling a bit with Maths? There is a recent thread on here somewhere with some suggestions of basic Maths games and fun activities. Hang on, I'll see if I can locate it for you.

Lonelymum · 21/10/2004 21:08

Roisin, we get a booklet at the start of the year summarising the welcome meeting, half termly sheets showing the curriculum plans and occasional booklets on a core curriculum subject, eg maths , showing what a Yr1 child (say) should be able to do in Maths and how you can help them achieve those targets. To be honest Unicorn, I think the school has to provide a bit more information that your school does.

roisin · 21/10/2004 21:10

Whoops - just realised that was your thread, so you've probably read it!

Original poster
unicorn · 21/10/2004 21:50

!!! lol roisin... and to think I thought she was actually quite good at maths!!!..

her friends who are doing 'well' are a lot more emotionally mature than her iyswim, and I do think that contributes.

she has a basic understanding of maths, but was getting things like 17, and 71 mixed up...
this 'test' did seem rather hard to us.. given that all we have ever really done is encouraged her to count, and very rudimentary adding...

so I don't know if the others have been 'coached' in some way, nevertheles, we are a bit downhearted, as we have always seen her as a bit of a 'bright' spark.

OP posts:
roisin · 21/10/2004 22:02

Don't be downhearted Unicorn - 17 and 71 is a tricky concept to get. There is loads of yr1 Maths stuff which is just concerned with numbers 1-10, and getting really solid concepts of numbers, and number bonds (pairs of numbers that add up to 10).

Does she enjoy school? That's the main thing at this age.

Original poster
unicorn · 21/10/2004 22:26

she does enjoy school... and her reading IS very good... but we just worry now, as a result of this test, that she may be put on another table ('average') her pals are on ('top').. although of course it is colour coded)...

and her interest may begin to dwindle.

I feel a bit stupid really, as I have just expected she would be fine.. so it really is a wake up call.

thanks for listening!!!

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yoyo · 21/10/2004 23:12

Please don't see it as a wake-up call and try and resist bombarding her with maths related problems (been there , done that and boy do they cotton on fast!). She will only develop at her own pace and if she is put on another table does it realy matter? She may actually fel happier there. If other children find the same things difficult they may learn from each other. You know she is bright so perhaps certain areas just need time to catch up.

Original poster
unicorn · 22/10/2004 07:49

Thanks all..

Another Q,(I didn't sleep well last night!)
which is the best web site etc to get an overview of the curriculum at this stage (is it ks1?)

Also, DD is left handed, and her teacher commented along the lines of it being 'a nuisance'...Thought about this afterwards and wasn't overly happy...surely these are outdated attitudes re lefthanders?

OP posts:
mumbojumbo · 22/10/2004 08:02

Hi Unicorn
Found a couple of links which you might find useful (ds1 is soon to start pre-school so I'm trawling the internet for info on education).

National Curriculum online

ParentCentre - part of Dept of Education

Both sites are searchable for the various stages of education, so there might be information about ks1 and the content.

HTH

zebra · 22/10/2004 09:08

Out of curiousity, what are typical maths homework exercises at the start of Yr 1?

mumbojumbo · 22/10/2004 09:15

Oops

Forgot to add these links:

Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA)

Learning Journey KS1
HTH

Original poster
unicorn · 22/10/2004 11:31

thanks mumboj...very helpful.
zebra.. dd doesn't have any maths homework... all she has at the moment is her reading books, and a word/spell page..
so tbqh I had no idea what was expected.
now I am aware, we have some 'catching up' to do.

But I just think it may have been more helpful for the school to prepare us all.

OP posts:
Dingle · 22/10/2004 12:00

My ds was 5 (end of Aug), and the youngest in Y1, he started Reception in Jan. We had Parents evening last night and fingers crossed he seems to be coping OK (it's at home the tiredness kicks in and we have the tantrums!
Out of interest he has only really had 2 lots of homework so far, all they do is put it up on the classroom door, they don't seem that bothered whether they do it or not.After discussing this last night, together with the tantrum problems, his teacher pointed out the vast jump from R to Y1 and said that because ds was coping in class, not to enforce homework onto him. DS does seem to enjoy the homework though so we though it a good idea to "prepare" the activity so if/when he does feel like doing it, it's there ready for him.
I know everyones situation is slightly different and it is so worrying not knowing what exactly you should be doing for the best, but at the end of the day they still seem so young.

The homework that has been assigned;
Recognising all the different coins,adding up different coins.
Recognising 2D and 3D shapes.

We have invested in a few KS1 CD-ROMs which ds enjoys,just another way of doing "homework" and I have also printed off various worksheet from the net and put in his own "homework folder" when he wants to he just goes up to the table with his little folder and does a little bit at a time.

Sorry for my worthless waffle- I hope it all comes together soon for you. It shouldn't be stressful for you, it SHOULD BE fun surely.

Original poster
unicorn · 22/10/2004 12:17

Dingle, I think it was the fact that at parents evening, we were confronted first of all with her 'test' results (didn't even know she was due to have that sort of assessment).. and it appears that that particular 'test' is being used as a kind of marker...(and now all the parents are being competitive.. iyswim!)

The teacher didn't focus on any positives, all negatives... and we left feeling quite downhearted...(particularly as dd had appeared to be doing SO well in reception)

OP posts:
Dingle · 22/10/2004 12:25

I can see your concerns, we weren't given any test result, don't even know if they have been carried out. I was glad to come away knowing that ds was even settled at this stage, let alone be bombarded with worries.
Were you given any targets to work on with your dd?

yoyo · 22/10/2004 12:53

Unicorn - what did this test actually involve? Did you see it or were you just told the mark?