Hi, I was hoping to get some advice from both Primary Teachers and any parents who have experienced this.
My DS is 6, and in Year 2. He is a late Aug baby.
He is an 'able mathematician' according to his teacher and an average reader/ writer.
Problem is he doesn't demostrate his skills as he rushes everything. This is the same at his swimming lessons too.
His teacher has indicated that he should be able to complete and get a level 3 at SATS (in maths). (I am LSA in SN school and understand levels etc). We had a rather long discussion about whether DS would be better completeing the level 2 or 3 paper and I felt the 2 because he would likely find it easier = more confidence.
DS gets 'homework' tasks set on education city and has just completed a maths quiz. He got 60% which says below level 3.
I noticed he was answering the first thing that came into his head so got him to redo it and before enetering the answer asked him why he had put that. He then self corrected where he'd made mistakes or only selected 1 answer when there could have been 3 iyswim? I at no time gave him any answers as I don't think this is beneficial.
He got 87% which was rated at a NC level 3.
We have the same with reading. He'll sound out the fist phoneme or grapheme and just guess the word - and they are not contextual or grammatical guesses. 
If you tell him to do it properly he can get it right. He is a PITA with reading and reads deliberatly awfully but the other day I'd had enough and got pen and paper in the pretence of writing a comment about it to the teacher and he sat behind me and read the book both fluently and abley. 
DS teacher thinks he will be a 2B at end of Yr 2 so is doing OK - but I think he could have made more progress if he actually applied himself. 
I use the lines until I'm repeating them in my sleep it's not about being the fastest/ finishing first etc but about getting it right - but it is just not becomming something he does. I also always tell him I'll be proud if he tries his best, if he can't do something but is trying then thats what counts.
I am concerned he will not reach his full potential educationally and wonder if anyone else has any advice about how I get him to slow down - think and actually answer questions correctly that is he able to do.
TIA