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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:

Original poster

unicorn · 22/10/2004 12:59

Dingle - targets were a bit vague... ie spending 10 minutes a night with her working on handwriting... but nothing concrete as regards the maths stuff.

Yoyo.. teacher briefly showed us the paper.. and muggins here thought she had got 17/20...( it was out of 30!! .. some of her pals scored 26/27) there seemed to be lots of number orders, additions and subtractions, with blanks to fill in etc... didn't really get long enough to see it... maybe I will request a copy so I can see exactly where she is getting confused etc.

OP posts:

yoyo · 22/10/2004 13:19

Unicorn - I really wouldn't worry too much. I'm sure my DD wouldn't be able to do subtractions either. I know they have done things like adding on one, i.e. 2+1,etc. and seem to be doing a bit of number doubling at the moment. If the age ranges within the class are large might the teacher have been seeing what they are capable of rather than testing what they have been taught?

Do you have a reasonable relationship with the Head as you could possibly speak more easily to him/her?

I would definitely ignore the playground competitiveness with other parents. It's so easy to get sucked into it and it achieves nothing (and people often tell porkies just to wind other parents up!).

Right I have braved my filing cabinet to find Maths targets given by school (didn't know I had this).There are 10 things:

Say one, two....hundred 2.Count up to ten objects 3.Recognise written numbers 1 to 30
Use words such as more, less, greater, smaller, heavier, lighter to compare things 5.Find 1 more or 1 less than any number from 1 to 10
Add two small groups of objects (total 12 or less)
Count how many are left when some objects are taken away
Make simple patterns and talk aboutthem
Name shapes such as a circle, square , triangle, rectangle, cube, cone and sphere
Use words such as over, under, below, on, etc. to describe where things are.

Don't know if this is in line with other schools...

PuffTheMagicDragon · 22/10/2004 13:19

Unicorn, sorry you had such a deflating parents evening.

Yes, as others have said, you should really be informed beforehand about the curriculum in Y1.

As a left handed teacher, I am speechless frankly at the "nuisance" comment about your daughter being left handed. .

Will have a look for any other helpful info/websites and post on here later.

One of the things that can happen in Y1, is that children do less practical maths and more paper based activities. This isn't necessarily a good thing, because children may have not fully grasped the concepts they are trying to express on paper.

Did the teacher say which areas she would be focusing on with your dd to help her?

yoyo · 22/10/2004 13:22

PTMD - as you teach are the targets I've listed below realistic for Yr1?

Dingle · 22/10/2004 13:30

unicorn, honestly, you're not alone. DS's targets were really bacis too. In reading-to continue using his phonic knowledge,blending sounds to recognise words. In literacy- to encourage the use of finger spacing between writing words. In numeracy-to know 1 more than and 1 less than all numbers between 1-20.

PuffTheMagicDragon · 22/10/2004 13:30

They sound about right yo yo - haven't been teaching for a couple of years (sahm at the mo) but yes, they are all familiar Y1 targets.

Dingle · 22/10/2004 13:32

yoyo!! Are those targets to be completed by the end of Y1? Do I need to go into panic mode too?

PuffTheMagicDragon · 22/10/2004 13:35

Sorry unicorn, didn't see your last message. The "test" sounds pretty tough - I wouldn't have expected a lot of a Y1 class at this stage, to complete it properly tbh, mainly because this kind of "form filling" is a tough skill in itself.

Maybe a current teacher will come on later and offer more info.

yoyo · 22/10/2004 13:36

Dingle - I think they must be as they are all I've got. Didn't want to send anyone into panic mode though.

Dingle · 22/10/2004 13:36

thanks...phew...

Original poster

unicorn · 22/10/2004 13:42

thanks all.. you're helping cheer me up a bit

yoyo.. I thought dd could do most of those targets.. but the number recognition bit of the test included putting in order 17 and 71 which as the teacher pointed out dd got wrong.

She also mentioned about counting backwards (and this isn't just from 10)

puff.. I think you may be right.. the paper based learning may be the problem... think dd is fine when she is actually working with something real.. so you may have hit the nail on the head there... (lightbulb icon!)

OP posts:

PuffTheMagicDragon · 22/10/2004 13:49

Your dd is only at the beginning of Y1 too.

Putting 17 and 71 in the right order - VERY FEW children in a y1 class would get this right at this point in the school year. Same with counting backwards.

yoyo · 22/10/2004 13:52

This test seems really unfair. Make another appointment to see the teacher and ask her to go through it with you - you could tell her that you are rather concerned whereas you were quite happy until the parents' evening. Was anything ever discussed in reception?

Dingle · 22/10/2004 13:56

Yes unicorn, after looking at those targets again, they really aren't that bad. I am sure if you sat down with your dd, she would know a good proportion of them.
What are you going to be doing over half term then?
I was talking to one of the other mums and we are thinking of trying to get together to do a sort of fun homework session. Try to bring in games and fun learning activities based around their school work. If you incorporate tea round a friends house it may go down quite well.I hope it works out, it's nice to know that you're not alone in this and can support each other.

Original poster

unicorn · 22/10/2004 13:59

Reception was very positive, dd seemed to be doing very well, (more concerned with settling in etc) but the teacher was generally more +++++.

This teacher seems to want to highlight the --(she only mentioned her reading, in relation to the fact that her writing wasn't AS good!!!!)

I guess I have taken it all to heart a bit much, and need to relax a bit. Just a bit of a surprise really. (dh feels the same)

OP posts:

yoyo · 22/10/2004 14:02

Unicorn - try not to let it spoil your half-term. Your daughter sounds fine! At least you didn't buy the Peugeot (still in garage!).

Batters · 22/10/2004 14:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

PuffTheMagicDragon · 22/10/2004 16:14

This is the National Numeracy Strategy

All schools should be following this.

Click on the link and under NNS framework on the left hand side, click on Y1 - this tells you what is being covered specifically in Y1 and what children should be able to do BY THE END OF THE YEAR, NOT NOW NECESSARILY!

Original poster

unicorn · 22/10/2004 16:17

thanks puff, and everyone...
just chatting to a few other mums... seems the teacher had something negative to say about nearly all of them.

(think she has been quite stressed out by this class- for some peculiar reason... 20 girls/10 boys.. maybe that's it!!!)

OP posts:

Original poster

unicorn · 22/10/2004 23:33

OK - after due consideration, I don't think it is a case of 'out of touch/naive mum/dad'.

So.. .... I plan to write to the headteacher, just, mildly reminding her of her last ofsted report (or is that blckmail?)... and the fact that the school is supposedly a relationship betwixt parent/teacher!!

When I sort out the letter- will you sensible people please take a look and edit (my emotions!) for me please,?

thanks in advance.. you've been brill!!

OP posts:

Original poster

unicorn · 24/10/2004 15:21

ok.. here's letter... please let me know what you think !

Dear xxxxxx,

We are writing to you as concerned parents following the year 1 open evening at the end of last half term.

dd had been developing well throughout her nursery and reception years, so we were rather taken aback to discover that she is now ?slipping?, specifically in relation to her maths work.

Very little positive progress was reported, and we left the meeting feeling quite downhearted. I don?t believe this was justified.

I don?t feel dd had been prepared for the leap from reception to year 1, and neither had we.

You have previously acknowledged parents as the ?first educators? of our children.

If we had been given an idea of the key stage 1 curriculum in advance then we could have laid some basic foundations, and ultimately helped in the teaching process.

We are fully aware that children develop at different rates, and believe that Amy will be able to catch up, but feel it is important to raise our concerns now.

Yours Sincerely

Unicorn!!!!

OP posts:

pixiefish · 24/10/2004 15:23

Personally I'd leave this out

I don?t believe this was justified

Don't want to get anyone's backs up

Original poster

unicorn · 24/10/2004 17:29

ta, take the point pixiefish..

It is just I am rather annoyed with the teacher's manner (but best not get on the wrong side this early in the school year!!)

OP posts:

hana · 25/10/2004 16:43

outrageous that the teacher would say your dd being lefthanded was a nuisance!!

from another left handed teacher!!

Ailsa · 26/10/2004 13:37

I know all children develop at different rate, but my dd1 at the start of Y1 still couldn't count to 10 confidently, by the end of Y2 she'd improved so much that when she did her KS1 SATs she got level 2. She is now in Y6 and has just been moved into the top group for numeracy. I just wanted to let you know that there is hope and as long as your dd is keen to learn, then she will be fine and may turn out to be as brilliant as you had though.

I think you're right to write to the school. Don't forget if you don't get a satisfactory response from the Headteacher, you can also write to the governors.

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