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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Should a 5 year old know the months of the year?

33 replies

mymumdom · 04/09/2011 16:19

A discussion with our 5 year old today has proved to us that she has no idea of the order of the months in the year. She starts year 1 tomorrow. We've talked about what months certain things happen in, but not the order as such IYSWIM. Are they taught this at school specifically? Or has she already been taught it and just forgotten?
Does your 5 year old know the months of the year?

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MayDayChild · 04/09/2011 16:31

My 4.5 only knows which month her birthday is in!!

LynetteScavo · 04/09/2011 16:32

I don't think they are taught it specifically at school.

I just taught them at home.

LynetteScavo · 04/09/2011 16:32

My 6 year old could rattle of the moths of the year...but if I said which month is Christmas in, she wouldn't know.

cat64 · 04/09/2011 16:34

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HerdOfTinyElephants · 04/09/2011 16:35

DS is 6, going into Y2, and knows them except that he tends to go blank over March. I suspect he'd have been pretty lost this time last year.

eaglewings · 04/09/2011 16:39

Dd knew them aged about 7 when we repeated them on a long car journey and then made a game up when we were on holiday.

DS still doesn't get them right aged 12 but can name the order of the solar system. But then that's ASD for you

Panzee · 04/09/2011 16:43

They're often taught as part of Time. I have taught them in Year 2, but most knew them by then.

mrz · 04/09/2011 16:47

Time is a very difficult concept for small children. In reception they do days of the week. The expectation to know months of the year comes in KS1.

IndigoBell · 04/09/2011 17:05

My 10 year old doesn't know them!

And of course my 8 year old doesn't.

But my 7 year old does.....

They do get taught them in Y1 and Y2.

purpleturtle · 04/09/2011 17:09

I realised this morning that DS2 (youngest in his Y1 class) has no idea of the order of the days of the week! A couple of months ago somebody asked him when he would be 5 (expecting a month, if not the date as well) and he replied, "on my birthday".

sjuperwolef · 04/09/2011 17:18

i just asked dd she hasnt a clue of the months of the year never mind the order or even when her birthday is, admittedly its never came up she has no reason to know at her age.

Runoutofideas · 04/09/2011 17:46

My 6 yr old knows them - my 4 year old doesn't.

Saracen · 04/09/2011 18:53

They taught them to my dd's class in Y5. She reported that she and most of her classmates knew most of the months and their order but were rather hazy on a few months and not many could get them all.

Saracen · 04/09/2011 18:54

They taught them to my dd's class in Y5. She reported that she and most of her classmates knew most of the months and their order but were rather hazy on a few months and not many could get them all.

hocuspontas · 04/09/2011 18:58

We do them briefly in Yr 2 maths. Reciting, ordering and using positional language. Most get to name most of the months but not necessarily in completely the correct order!

Mum2be79 · 04/09/2011 21:34

We cover them in Y1 and it gets covered in Y2. By the time children enter Y3, most know the months of the year in order. It's not something we stress about as much as being able to tell the time!

Eveiebaby · 04/09/2011 21:42

DD could recite them at some point in reception and over the summer I realized she knew what month certain things happen in eg she knows christmas is in December and which month her birthday is in. She is 5.3. We do have one of those velcro type calendars at home which you change the Day, Date, Month, Year, Weather and Season on and I noticed the same calendar in her classroom at school so I suppose you could say she has had a lot of practice!!

Hulababy · 04/09/2011 21:45

I work in a Y1 class. IME most children are just learning the the months of the year, how they fit together in what order and what special events occur in each. It's something we do cover in Y1. I wouldn't expect many of our new y1 starters tomorrow to already know this, a few might, but ime most won't yet. I know many won't know which month their birthday is in either.

Original poster

mymumdom · 04/09/2011 21:51

Thanks everyone. She knows what months certain things happen in; her birthday, other family member's b'days, Xmas, school holidays, halloween! but is unable to recite January, February, March.... etc. I'm not stressing about it at all, just a bit startled by this gap in her general knowledge!

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blackeyedsusan · 04/09/2011 21:51

my four year old did, i think she knew them when 3, they did a calendar at nursery everyday and she learnt to read the months as well (eek) h taught her the order. she forgot them in reception for a bit but learnt them again when I bought her a calendar for home.

ceebeegeebies · 04/09/2011 21:56

My DS1 does know them (he has just turned 5). I haven't taught him them so I assume school did in Reception.

He could tell us which month all our birthdays are in but not sure he would know which month Halloween/Christmas are in etc. so I think he has just learnt how to recite them rather than actually understanding the concept of time.

iggly2 · 04/09/2011 22:06

I would not worry about it. However if it concerns you then maybe teach them to her! It is quite a nice sounding list that you could sing through, then I'm sure they will be learnt soon.

LawrieMarlow · 04/09/2011 22:13

DD starts Year 1 tomorrow and is nearly 6. Not sure whether she knows the months in order or not - I expect she would start and then get lost around September or October. She could tell you how many days to her birthday (16 now ) and that it is in September.

DS starts year 3 tomorrow and am pretty sure he knows the months in order. I'm sure he learned how to spell them last year although shouldn't think they arw totally secure in his mind.

Do other people get the urge on this sort of thread to go and wake their children up to find out what they know? Or is that just me?

blackeyedsusan · 04/09/2011 22:36

not just you lawrie. although dd knew the order, she has no concept of how long away things are.

kennythekangaroo · 04/09/2011 22:40

Taught my Y1 class the months with a last year, goes to the tune of the macerana.

We also did days of the week to the

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