Yr2 DD struggling, and me too!

[themagicno4]

Please can anyone give me some pointers.
DD1 is in Yr2, this weekend I have finally realised she is struggling along with her maths and reading.
She has support with her maths in a group of 5 now, but still she can't manage number bonds to 10 yet without a number line, and if she is asked the same bond again she doesn't know.
Also can't remember how to tell the time or as I found out tonight add two coins together. There is so much more but I want the basic advice.

With reading she is on books with a blue sticker??!! (I really don't understand this system). She has gained confidence with reading these, but is fairly slow in speed. However she is massively interested in reading. The delay seems to be in her memory, and remembering the sounds.

Her spelling is fairly good, but she will not attempt to write anything without having the correct spelling, perfectionist tendency.

Good news is she likes school, but recently her friends have made comments about which table she sits on.

Anyway what I really want advice on is understanding the terminology (sats levels, book bands etc) of all the levels, and what is expected against the curriculum. Ive read other threads on here and everyone seems well informed. I now feel like an absolute dunce.
I need to speak to the school, class teacher but am unsure what to say as they sugarcoat everything.
Can she catch up?
Am I expected to do it at home?
Do I need a tutor do you think? What do I concentrate on first with her?

Do I just accept some children find academic life hard?
Time to stop burying my head in the sand.

All pointers gratefully taken.

I'm not sure I can be of much help and I'm sure there will be an expert along soon but I didn't want your post to go unanswered.

I am a mum of three boys and they have all made very different starts to school life. Ds's 1 and 3 have taken to it like a duck to water. They seem to pick things up very quickly and easily and ds3 who started in August reads really well already. Ds2 however was very slow to get started. He didn't "get" Maths at all. He was really in primary 4 before he got to grips with school and here he was the oldest in a composite 3/4 class and I think it was an increase in his confidence that helped him on his way. He is now 14, a hard worker and doing really well.

The other thing is we are in Scotland so all my boys were nearly 5 (and ds3 was 5) before they started school. I really think this makes a difference.

She sounds as if she is getting some help but if I were you I would speak to the teacher and find out what other help you can get for her even if it means helping at home. I had every ELC educational toy/book I could get for ds2. Hopefully with a bit of support she will find herself.

I don't know anything about SAT's I'm afraid.

I think you need to start with booking an appointment with the teacher and finding out where she is in the teachers opinion. You can stress that you would value a clear, realistic assessment so you can support DD best at home.

In terms of the reading, most schools seem to use the Oxford Reading Tree (but not all!) and will also classify all their books into 'book band'. The link here shows roughly what book bands children might be expected to be on at various ages. Blue/ORT level 4 would usually be done in Year 1 - but some children might start reception reading fluently above this level, and some will struggle to reach a blue book band in year two. It is hugely variable. It is great that she is still enjoying school and I really think you are doing the right thing by trying to support her before she gets downhearted or discouraged by the fact that she is not achieving what some of her class mates are.

Good luck and I am sure there will be some more qualified people along to advise soon.

I just wanted to add my experience with DS. He is also in y2 and has just started green ORT level. He too struggles with reading. At home I read his school book with him but I have also started finding books that interest him - he is not really in to fiction and would much rather read about animals, dinosaurs, bugs, reptiles and all forms of transport.

I have also bought this and we have started at the beginning so when he struggles with his school book and says he can't read we read a lower level home reader to boost his confidence and prove he can read. I have also started Reading Lesson with him which he really enjoys as it's not all about reading words off the page, theirs activities he needs to do too. Again we have started right from the beginning so he is really capable of the sounds we are currently on, another boost to his confidence.

Progress is slow but we are getting there and he is a determined little chap but when I see my DD in Y4 taking everything in her stride (she was a free reader at DS's age) I do feel for him. He really has to work hard for everything he achieves.

DH says he was very much like this at school and university. Any exam he took he feels he had to work much harder than some of his peers but with a few retakes along the way and a spirit of determination he did well and is now an experienced and capable Dr which he says at school he could only dream of achieving.

There's - seems I might need to go back to basics too

kellamity was interested in your links but theyre not working for me ?

Learning isn't all about school. You can buy packs of sums on pretty cards from Poundland and do them on the livingroom floor with your child using blocks of Lego as counters. I do. The world, the library, charity stores are full of books. You can buy them, borrow them, get them and read them to your children, with your children. I do.

If you think your daughter isn't doing something that you think she ought to be able to do, then teach her how to do it. I do.

Sorry I'll try again

The Reading Lesson

Read At Home

Op, I have just started a thread on my dd who is not keen on Maths. I would second the advice of speaking to her teacher first and seeing if he / she feels your dd would benefit in a particular area to begin with.
My own dd's teacher suggested games - to help with "counting on" and maybe even junior monolopy for the money aspect.
hth

Thanks for the replies, jubilee10 that really cheered me up and Kellamity ( wish i had a crystal ball) and that link to ORT is a good start. These are the things I wish I knew.

I'm going to get a handle on where her teacher thinks she is, and progress from there.

I often feel like a teacher with the amount of ' work' we do or prepare or practice at home. If you struggle to read in yr 2 or with maths, I am finding for her that all other subjects suffer, science, the topics as they spend so much of their time 'being investigators' and having to find stuff out, rather than just sitting down being taught. She isn't even confident enough to do choir ( loves singing) as she can't read the song words.

The practical teaching is now what I feel like I am having to pick up at home.

We have a mountains worth of helpful bits, ( thanks for suggestions) Some of it sinks in a lot doesn't.
DD2, loves it (yr1) and is overtaking her so I have a comparison.

From school collection 4pm- 6.30pm, my kids play together. along with DS (2) and DD (6 months), they have a great time. But it's very limited for additional learning from me.
Even the school says no more than 20 mins a week.
I read to them every night. They read to me 4 times a week.

But I will keep going.

I think you are doing amazingly well to get anything done with 4 little ones. I struggle with 2 teenagers and a 5 year old! And the teenagers are no bother!!!

Tried to organise a meeting with teacher, but can't get to see her for two weeks for a proper chat.
Am going to jot down what I feel I need to know so it runs smoothly for the meeting.
I'm going to organise some timetabled maths help though at home from a neighbour to get going ASAP.

Will follow other threads to pick up more of the lingo.