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Parenting

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Original poster

Is this maths level typical for senior infants, or needs differentiating?

54 replies

Noramcf · 30/04/2026 21:17

Hey all! Trying to get a sense check on this- I’m trying to get my son (senior infants) differentiated maths work and the school is pushing back, saying he doesn’t need it. In this age group, how ‘normal’ would it be for a kid to be comfortable with the problem:
2x + y= 10. What could x and y equal? Give three examples, including both positive and negative numbers
my argument is that they’re holding him back based on comfort with problems like this, they’re saying he’s very happy with the standard maths work… is this within the normal range of senior infants? Am I being a tiger mum in pushing for differentiated work, or am I right to make a thing of it? (He can also do multi-step word problems and arithmetic 3 years ahead)

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SparkyBlue · Yesterday 14:22

OP just work with him at home if he is ahead. I know in our school they did take some children in first and second class for more advanced maths . In the same way my dd did extra work with a book club as she was very ahead with English. To be fair the resources really are for those who are struggling and those who are ahead do get ignored a bit at times. There are camps in DCU (I think) and UL for children who are very gifted . I know one of the school mums had a child who attended them.

arethereanyleftatall · Yesterday 15:34

in many other areas where a child is years ahead of their peers, (happens fairly often) a parent would never expect the school to accommodate it, they would seek it outside of school. Sports, music, drama, etc for example, I can’t imagine in a year 1 recorder lesson, a parent expecting their child to be given a grade 8 piano lesson or a child who does the 5km parkrun expecting the pe lesson to change so that he can get his 5km in.

CoffeeTime4583922 · Yesterday 17:48

arethereanyleftatall · Yesterday 07:54

In every subject, you will get a kid that’s miles ahead of the others. It’s unlikely to be your kid for all of them. With 30 kids in one class, you obviously can’t have individual teaching. So for the subject they are miles ahead in, my approach would be to let them coast as that age as it will do wonders for their confidence. It makes absolutely no difference long term if a person learns more advanced maths at 4 or 8.

i would let him explore at home, though not on YouTube, that should not be allowed at 6.

what I see happening with some tiger parents is that they are utterly oblivious to how far behind socially their child is. The parent didn’t realise how important that was until the wheels come off in year 8, the child doesn’t have any friends, and doesn’t want to go to school. Missing year 8-13 is far more important than jumping ahead in maths at age 4. The teachers however, do know this, so let them do their job.

I disagree. I was way ahead of my peers around age 7 because I was coming from a different school system and "coasting" meant I completely lost interest and started low level misbehaving. It took my parents a whole year before acting on it, after some parent teacher meetings I got some additional more in depth work, enrolled into a few clubs and also got a tutor in my favourite subject.

I agree with other posters that just giving more advanced work won't cut it. More in depth work and possibly some clubs/tutor will help.

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Dimms · Yesterday 17:52

Noramcf · 30/04/2026 21:38

We don’t push him- he learns maths on his own, he loves it, we haven’t really taught him anything. he learns it from watching YouTube videos (we don’t expose him to these, he finds them himself)

Why on earth is he online searching for things himself?

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