NOT G & T - just bright but coasting

[kaphc]

Might seem a bit odd posting a thread with "NOT G & T" in the title on the G&T forum. Bear with me.

DD1 has just turned 7 so is in Y2. Her literacy skills have always, and still are well above average - she is a bright child who likes learning and picks things up easily. E.g. she was off the reading levels and onto free reading in Y1, she works with Y4 and 5 children for phonics etc. Her maths is above average, not mega brill, just good, but she's still in the top 2 in the class and is predicted to be on level 3.

So we had parents evening today and I asked for some spellings which include some for her to learn each week and some homework which is at the right level for her and actually gets marked. Teachers response to spellings was "children at her level in literacy don't actually need spellings" and not a lot on the homework. If this is what I see from activities sent home, then it's starting to worry about what she is doing in class.

Have written down feedback (they'll love me) on how I feel DD1 is getting complacent and coasting because she is not being challenged. The issue seems to be KS1 SATs - her school is really hot on these and wants them to do well so seems to be putting all effort in this direction. Anything else which includes learning actually seems to take second place.

Am a bit fed up with educational values going on - wish it was different and children could just learn. Any ideas on how I can stop her coasting while the school does it's SATs palaver?

Books at home. Her spelling will improve at her level by reading.

Must be frustrating for you, but school will be concerned with getting average levels in SATS if they are so hot on them.

Thanks, we do loads of reading at home and trips to the library, so sounds like that's on the right track - incidentally I hadn't made the link between reading words and spelling them correctly so thanks!

I ought to add that although I don't consider her "gifted", she is prob on the G&T register at school, but I've just never bothered to ask as it doesn't mean much to me at this age!

Schonnell's spelling lists are good resource to use at home.

she attends y4/5 classes for some work but you don't believe she is being stretched because she doesn't get spellings h/w?

i think her literacy is being well taken care of without the spellings h/w tbh, unless this is an area you feel she is struggling in? fwiw ds1 has always had challenger spellings, but it's pretty much a waste of time - i'd rather his education was appropriately differentiated during school hours, which at least your dd's is!

for numeracy she will be working in a l3 group towards l3 papers, whilst the children not sitting l3 will be working towards their l2 papers. i think your school sounds as though it has a reasonably good g&t/ above average/ whatever policy in place tbh.

h/w is pretty much irrelevant until yr 3.

that said, ds has been coasting since yr r He's yr3 now), and no teacher has worked out how to deal with him yet, so i can understand you not wanting to encourage it.

@mrsdennisleary - thanks, will take a look

@madwoman - the spellings themselves aren't going to stretch her I know ... I guess I'm questioning the point of school sending her home with things to learn that don't need any learning ... and then questioning the attitude that brings when put with "easy" homework too.

I worry that when she does come up against something that she can't work out in the blink of an eye, she will be so disheartened because she hasn't learned the art of trying again.

The yr4/5 stuff is for phonics sessions and Read Write Inc sessions, so yes, I've always been reassured that this is aimed at the right level for her to make progress - and I am pleased with it.

Some children just do coast don't they, wonder if any of your ds's sons will get a handle on him in future ?

This sounds a little like my dd (6) Her teacher seems unhappy that she can read so well. Apparently "the important thing is not to let her get ahead of herself" and I've not to worry because "the other children will soon catch up!" Yeah- because we are to hold her back until they do!

I let her read what she wants at home, she reads books that she enjoys, and I read with her too, so she can question any words she doesn't know. Does your dd like the computer? Mine has found all sorts of games and challenges online- at the momnet she is into the times spelling bee page and making loads of mistakes (like you, the school don't seem to really teach spelling etc!) but the website shows them the correction and asks them words they have got wrong again at a later time. She was a bit put out to begin with that she couldn't get everything right, but she is now enjoying getting better at it! She has also found other sites which deal with numbers etc, and seems to enjoy the challenges. only bummer is, we can't get on the computer ourselves!

kaphc - i was your daughter! ( I was years ahead with literacy/spelling/history - anything general knowledge based; however only ever slightly better than average at numeracy.)

When something came along (algebra) that I found difficult, I did initially really struggle as I was mortified that I just didn't 'get' it straight away. However after the initial period of this, I was determined to prove that I could do it, and worked REALLY hard at it. This was much later in life btw. I got straight 1s at O Grades (you know, when exams were properly hard ) except for maths where I got a 2. That '2' cost nearly as much work as all the other results put together! In Scotland Maths was seperate subject to arithmetic, and was entirely algebra/dfferentiation and calculus based. It was nails hard compared to arithmetic, and from what I have seen of exams papers recently, more like some of the A level maths syllabus today.

Anyway, I digress. Please dont worry about this too much. You will probably find that after the initial shock of not finding something easy that she will focus well on the tricky stuff because of the mortification of finding out that she is naturally great at everything!

My DS1 is Yr1 and is an excellent reader and about to go onto free reading but it doesn't seem to affect his spelling ability i.e. I don't think his spelling is much better than everyone else just because he can read well.

I had similar concerns as you with regards homework etc. and raised this at parents evening last week and was told he didn't need it and it was generally only given when children needed the extra practice. I was also told that he was one of 4 children with greater literacy ability that was getting additional tuition every week in extended phonics, comprehension, punctuation and expression and had been doing this all term. I am really pleased to hear about this as I thought he wasn't being stretched and no-one had advised us this was happening - including my son!

My point is that we shouldn't assume that nothing is being done to stretch them, perhaps we just don't get told!

BTW he is also top set maths and doing very well in all subjects but is not on any special register. Just interested in learning.

Justmoon - can you tell me what free reading means at your childs school?? My DD2 is in yr1 and is on stage 10 (white banded books) of the national coding system thingy. I know different schools approach the free reading thing differently, just interested as to how she compares? What books does he come home from school with? OP - sorry to hijack your thread BTW

DS is on white band and he reads one every day. At parents evening we were told he would be free reading next which would mean he would be able to just read any book of his choice i.e from the library or from home etc. I think she also said that he wouldn't need to log it like they do now.

I have noticed there is a big difference in the white books though both in content and length so am not sure how they decide on the banding of a book. One last week had some fantastically challenging words in (was an older book) and then the next day he came home with something that he barely needed to glance at IYKWIM?

My DD would love to be able to take her own books into school, she reads non-stop at home books of her choice eg long Enid Blytons, Mr Gum, R.Dahl, non-fiction books and biographies too and sees her school books as a chore, but I have to explain that she wont be able to take her own in TILL SHES READ ALL 22 FRIGGIN LEVELS!!!DD1 (Yr4) only has one or two to go - I have promised her a party when she finishes them all!!

22 levels?? As far as I am aware white is the last one?

No no, wish it was! After white its lime, Black?, brown, grey, cream, pea green, ruby and several more that I cant remember, let alone what order they come in.

I don't get it! Perhaps they have different levels/banding in different authorities? I can't understand why they would let him free read if there are another 12 bands of school books. Now I am just but she definately told me free reading was next.

Youre right in that different schools approach it differently, Im sure shes right in what she tells you; just pity us in ours plodding through all 22...

just googled and found this which seems to correspond to what DS has done.

and this

Hi JustMoon, lovecheese here; just wondering if you had asked your Ds's teacher about the number of levels/free reading etc? presumably your ds will still do guided reading with an ability-appropriate group even if he will be allowed to bring in books from home? I do find it a little strange if a school does have the 10 levels and then you can read your own books rule as there is more to reading than being able to "read" the words ie sound comprehension, which develops over a period of time; How will his teacher keep tabs on this with non-reading scheme books IYKWIM? sorry Im rambling, but do you see my point?

I do see your point lovecheese but I don't have the answers - perhaps I didn't take everything in? Teacher / parent evening can be a bit nerve wracking - always worried about what you'll hear!

Maybe it's because he is in a first school rather than a modern primary (where first and junior schools are all in one) so their reading books only go up to end of Year 2? She definately said he wouldn't do anymore school books. He is doing a separate class as mentioned in my earlier post so perhaps that is their way of monitoring them?

You know, I would love to go in and have a proper talk with them about all this but reading some of these threads it appears you are considered pushy if you want to discuss your childs progress!

Any good teacher should find 10 minutes for you. I know what you mean about feeling bamboozled at parents evening, I ve thought about taking a dictaphone with me next time!

Can you imagine their face though if you really did that