What can your year 2 dc do now?

[bounceyball]

What sort of things are they writing? What are they doing in maths? What are they reading? Quite rightly, this is something we mums never discuss at school, but i am quite interested.

My ds is currently writing instructions with appropriate language in literacy, doing phonics ph, wh, ew i think. He has neat joined up handwriting (really improved recently), normally spells things correctly. In numeracy he knows 2,5 and 10 x tables back to front and can do 3,4,9 and 11. He can add and subtract 2 digit numbers together mentally adds easier than subtract. Round up and down to neareast 10. Can't think what else.
He is reading relly well. Loves Jeremy Strong, Dick King Smith anything he can get his hands on really.

If you are asking because you would like to calibrate versus average, then you would be much better off looking at National Curriculum info on levels and assessments because on MN you will get skewed answers. Most people who answer this thread will have brighter children.

If you google level 2 objectives or the like + national curriculum you should get some info. Someone else will come along hopefully with some links.

ooo hark at you.

(sorry Lulworth, x-posted - was replying to K1e2)

Yes Lulworth. I am really concerned about my dds teacher this year but not quite sure what they are supposed to be able to do in year 2. Lots of people who had her last year say their dc are behind now they are in year 3.

My ds obviously a thickie compared to k1e2's ds.
2,5 and 10 x tables I think. Not sure about backwards though! Some adding and subtracting and halving. Certainly no joined up writing. Phonics sounds similar. Got hang of capitals, finger spaces and full stops when concentrating. Does occasional comma, question mark and exclamation mark. Writes as little as possible but knows about connectives.
Loves reading and also a Jeremy Strong fan.

k1e2's child is working beyond normal expectations for year 2 if he has neat handwriting and knows those times tables etc.
Don't let that in itself worry you bouncey. Not dismissing your concerns overall.

Um well she can't do most of the stuff k1e2's can do and she was considered above average when she left Y1. She is starting to get to grips with the simpler times tables like 1,2, 5 and 10. She can't do joined up handwriting yet but they teach that at her school in Y2 (some teach it from the start). She can add and subtract single and two digit numbers quite easily now. She read very well and can read chapter books with relative ease.

I think k1e2 just posted to wind you up bb.

My new yr2 class (mostly) are very sketchy on tables, some know 2x a little bit. Most are secure on basic addition but not confident on subtraction. Most can write a basic sentence with punctuation but have no idea what speech marks or commas are for. In science we have done a little bit on pushes and pulls, and in topic we have done continent and ocean names, although retaining anything for longer than 5 mins is proving a challenge...

HTH?

oh and we're anything from stage 4 to stage 9 ORT...

DS is Y3 now but at the beginning of Y2 I don't think he knew any times tables, wasn;t that keen on reading, could do joined up handwriting but messily but was OK at basic maths I think. Learned an awful lot in Y2 and had a great year (and did v well in his SATs). Is seemingly above average in a high performing class.

I think that you could get such a wide range of responses here!

DS is Y2 but was only 6 in August. His writing is very poor, although his spelling isn't bad. He could write a basic sentence, but there might be bigger spaces within the words than between them!

He gets very stressed about Maths and will initially say that he can't do anything at all (!) although this has only been this term. He adds 1 digit numbers ok but I think he would panic if asked to add 2 digit numbers. He can count in 10s but doesn't know any times tables.

He reads really well though, with fluency and expression.

Is another Jeremy Strong fan!

My 6 year old is in year 2.

He knows no times tables. I don't think he knows they exist.

He doesn't do joined up writing, though it is noticeably much neater than at the end of year 1.

Reading is coming along. He couldn't read a Jeremy Strong but he hates pages with lots of text on. He can do the words fine and ace at sounding unknown words out. Just hates large amounts of text.

And he's apparently above average in his class....

Bouncyball

Are you worried about your dc, or just curious? It's especially hard to discuss with other parents if your dc is doing well.

IME there's a wide variation, and being 'ahead' this early is not necessarily indicative of being in top sets, say in secondary. if your dd is happy and has a positive attitude to learning, that is the most important thing at this age.

Dd1 was not a great reader at all at start of Y2, but by y4 had reading age of 13. She also did not 'get' what times tables were at that age and learnt them by rote (fantastic memory). Once she 'got' multiplication, maybe y4 she could multiply large numbers in her head (dh does this,too!).

Dd2 Y2 is similar, she will read famous five or Roald Dahl ( have not come across Jeremy Strong, probably similar level) but struggles to write neatly (leftie). She knows 2,5 and 10 times tables but definitely not 3 or 4. She'll catch up in time, because she asks great questions about life, which to me shows she is thinking creatively, which is a hard thing to teach.

My DD is 6 and just started year 2. She can run around playing the fighting game with her brother, shake her hips whilst singing 'shakey shakey' and is desperate for her stick insect eggs to hatch.

If I ask her what she did at school, she 'can't remember'.

However, she is level 6 in the reading scheme, can write but many letters are backwards or capitalised and are not joined up, can do her 2 and 10 times table, understands that 3D drawing is created by subtle shading, can draw a surprisingly detailed eyeball and can answer most questions on the back of a smarties minibox.

I'm guessing they're all a bit 'unique' at this age

DS (Aug born) knows 2,5 & 10 times tables and can write in joined up writing (just)

Spellings seem to be going as far as I know!!

On ORT level 10 ish I think although had no reading book this yr yet

Seems to be enjoying yr2 so far although has complained that there is lots of writing and no playing

oops spellings going well