Can you please help me support my year 3 DD?

[sleepwouldbenice]

Hello all

I am looking for ideas that we can use to help my DD at home (by practising little and often). She does seem to struggle with both numeracy and literacy ? she has had recent tests at school and has said that she struggled to answer the questions in time

I really don?t want to overload her ? she already has spellings, handwriting, daily reading and once a week homework from school to deal with and I don?t want her life to be all about school work and learning, want to try to keep it fun. So maybe looking to do one thing a day with her on top of her normal school work

However I am aware that we already do a few things with her, but she still seems to struggle to keep up with most of the rest of the class. So I guess I am also trying to look at what we currently practise to see if its appropriate, at the right level etc

Numeracy

We currently do say 3 of these a week total for about 15 mins each:
? time ? to the nearest 5 mins, digital and clock face, some questions about how long until X or what time will it be in Y
? number bonds to 20
? addition and subtraction of 2 digit numbers ? she knows how to do this but struggles to do in her head, and not within the 10 secs time limit for school tests
? times tables ? 2,3,4,5,6 & 10, an understanding of division, and trying to use everyday language so she has to think of the number sentence
? talking about basic fractions (they have only just done in school, ?I think!) and how this applies to numbers (ie is just like division)
? playing brain trainer on her DS
? general number sentences eg ?difference?, ?how many more? etc

Literacy
Similar although I do struggle to ?practice? literacy. I think she is there with basic punctuation. Her weekly spellings are good but she does seem to throw lots of this out of the window when writing generally. I am trying to get her to expand her general vocabulary / comprehension and to use exciting describing (it all very ?and then / big / nice / etc? at the moment)

? reading to herself. I try to let her choose her own books. Pippi Longstocking etc. Although take sharp intake of breath when realise many kids her age are reading Harry potter etc as this is way out of her league. Got her National Geographic for kids etc. Not sure how much she absorbs though
? obviously reading to her ? probably about 5 times a week ? currently Roald Dahl ? do you think this is the right level?
? sometimes discuss how things are sounded eg different ways of making the ?a? sound
? ask her to describe something (event, something she?s seen, whatever) then try to pick exciting alternative words etc
? encourage her to write stories etc and when reading them with her (with praise!) talk about how she could have spelt something or chosen exciting words
? when we are out and about generally trying to talk to her about life, universe, news etc! Can get a bit restricted as have younger DD (aged 4) to deal with as well

thanks for taking the time to read, suggestions welcome and much appreciated

I have no idea why all my punctuation has all changed to ? looked ok in the preview screen!

Hopefully you still get my gist!!!

It's not clear from your post exactly what your concerns are. Do you know her current levels? Can she read fluently? Reding Roald Dahl and Pippi Longstocking in Y3 is fine.

If your basic concern that you think she has 'slow cognitive processing', ie she thinks slowly? If so this is really hard to improve. Possible. But hard and expensive and time consuming.

The first thing to do for slow processing is to start her on Omega Fish Oils. This may help, and is relatively cheap. Don't get one of the sweetie type multivitamins, they don't have nearly enough fish oil in them.

FWIW, if you are doing the things you list above with her already, then I don't know what else you could do. If she is able to do those things, albeit slowly or inconsitently, then I wouldn't say she was 'behind' at all. Does she attend a private or state schol? Do they have concerns?
Certainly the children that are 'stuggling' (not SEN) in my Yr 3's class are no way near able to read Pippi Longstocking or do more than count up in 2/5/10's, let alone know their 6 times tables and do 2 digit sums in their heads in less than 10 secs.

Thanks for your comments.

We have not been told her current levels, I am just going from the fact that (a) last week they had string of tests on various numeracy topics and she was getting say 5/6 out of 14/15 which I assume means she could do with some sort of help to keep her going (b) seeing other childrens writing etc around the class for literacy (and she was graded 2c last year). We wont get any formal feedback until later on in June with the school report

Its hard for me to know whether she is slow at processing. On something like the 2 digit maths she certainly knows what to do but she cant do it without writing it down (eg 25 + 36 you would add the 10's first so she would want to write down the sum, then write down 55, then add the 6, but she cant do this in 10 secs). Other topics such as time she seems to "get" sometimes and then look at me blankly on the same issue - as you say inconsistent

I think overall you would just say shes behind - not incapable of learning the work just slower to grasp the concepts and in need of repetiton and re inforcement which is what I try to do. I am concerned that if we hadnt done anything with her outside of class then she would fall behind considerably. But I dont want her life to be taken over be practising

In terms of the reading - Pippi Longstocking books were my idea and hoping she will like them, as I say not really sure how much she absorbs. I do try to get her to tell me about the book but feedback is limited

she is at state school

Thanks again

Is she on an IEP? Does school have concerns? Does she get any extra support at school?

In some schools all kids entering Y3 on a 2C would get extra support, in other schools they would need to be a level 1 to qualify.....

I really think your next step should be to talk things through with school first. Make an appt to see the teacher......

Thanks

sorry whats an IEP?

No she doesn't get any extra help that I am aware of. I guess she is above the group of about 5 children in her class who are further behind so they will get that type of focus and I will be told there is nothing to worry about as she is not in that group

But as I say my concern is that we do already provide help at home and her results are low. Just dont want her to fall behind further so looking to help as much as we can

An IEP is an Individual Education Plan, and is for kids who the school are concerned about.....

Thanks no not aware she has one of these!

ok do you think I am being a worrier / should just carry on as is / am right to worry?

No, I don't think you're being a worrier.

But what I don't know yet is what her problems are.

Are her problems academic or slow cognitive processing.

Unfortunately I know about both of them. But you might not like my advice :)

so do you think the teachers (she has two) are the next step? as I say they dont seem concerned but appreciate they can only juggle so many issues at once

sleep - yes, talk to the teachers :)

Make an appointment with them so they have time and ask them what they think.

Ask for her levels. By this stage in Y3 she should be at least a 2a in reading, writing and maths.

If she is less than that, then she is having some academic problems.

If she is at least a 2a, then you need to find out whether they think she is particularly slow or not......

And then you will know whether you should be worried start to take some action, or if everything is fine.

Thanks lots again

half term next week. Will try the week they are back - can be tricky to get boh teachers but will try to get the time of the one who seems to be the main contact for the class. Bit worried she may try to put me off until reports are issued but hopefully can see her seperately