Academic Competition

[ScarletTiger]

Okay I am just going to come out and say this. I am a competitive mum when it comes to my children's education and I am frustrated that my children's school is so uncompetitive.

I can understand that you want to reward children for participating and embrace the idea of 'its not the winning, it's the taking part' but PLEASE really kids are getting awards for turning up in the correct uniform or for not being late.

Before the holidays, my year 2, 6 year old DS did a phonics test with the juniors and came 2nd and was only beaten by an 11 year old - they didn't want to reward him as it would make the juniors feel bad.

The reason for the post was to find out if any other parents out there know a website or links to academic competitions that are independent of schools. When ever there are local competitions for writing or painting and my children enter they seem to achieve more than things organised by the school.

What position is she in the family mrz? Are they close in age? Surely she has siblings at the school too - do they all seem neglected?

at the idea that people think that the type of child mrz is describing is a case to be removed by social, or even particularly unusual. (I mean in terms of the lack of family support, not the fact that she's so determined to learn- that is great).

EBDteacher learnandsay is all for "getting rid of horrible, nasty, smelly, disruptive children." She doesn't want them taught next to her children.

If you are not part of the solution you are part of the problem.

EBD I'm not one of those people. My own children have more than six siblings each. mrz implied that the largeness of the family per se meant that insufficient attention was being given to each, which is rather unfair.

"biscuit at the idea that people think that the type of child mrz is describing is a case to be removed by social, or even particularly unusual. (I mean in terms of the lack of family support, not the fact that she's so determined to learn- that is great)."

Thanks EBDTeacher, for putting so succinctly what I was thinking. As I have several children like this (in terms of deprivation, not motivation) in my class each year, social services would be even more over-stretched than they are at the moment....

I won't speak for her, but I doubt mrz was implying the size of the family was causing welfare issues. I suspect it would make any difference how many children there were.

Actually in situations where there is a lack of parental support it can often help the younger children as the older ones provide some degree of care.

I really don't think mrz was making a comparison with your own family Yellowtip.

I got the impression that mrz was making the point that if this child was beiung considered for social services intervention / removal from her family (as a poster just before had mentioned) then there were 6 other children to be considered... a little bit like EBD's point that children like this are (sadly) not uncommon and that sheer numbers make the suggestion that all should be removed by social services ludicrous.

There are, of course, deprived children who are 'at risk', and where intervention is appropriate. There are also children who do not present as 'deprived' or 'neglected' who are most horribly at risk.

Of course she wasn't making a comparison with my own family EBD !!!!

But I can't think what the ellipsis after the mention of numerous siblings can have meant other than that mrz perceives it to have a negative impact on the child.

I would think a large family would help in this situation. Hence my questions about position in family etc.

I thought the mention of the six siblings followed straight on from the mention a couple of minutes before of the child being desperate for someone to notice her. It didn't seem to respond to what learnandsay said.

Anyhow, not important and rather off thread.

If you are a neglected disadvantaged child with no prental support, and whose parents are really struggling, then having 6 siblings is not going to help. It's not hving 6 siblings per se that's the issue. It's having 6 siblings in those circumstances.

Yellowtip I in no way see being one of seven children as a negative thing my point was that if LearnandSay thought the solution was to put a child into foster care what did she think should happen to the other six ... does she think it is better for the family to be split up rather than supported?

It doesn't seem ideal that an able Y2 should be tested with less able Y6s. Nothing like rubbing in just how far behind the older children are.

That's how it sounds to me from the information provided santac.
CecilyP I would imagine that the able Y2s and working at the same level as the less able Y6s which is how RWI organises teaching groups (one of the reasons I don't like RWI personally) and the "test" would be a normal part of the regular assessment programme (actually sounds like a spelling test from the there /their error mentioned)

Sorry Yellowtip I didn't answer your earlier question she is 6 years old and 3rd in the family and has 5 siblings in school.

Six all in primary! Gosh no wonder the parents are struggling.

Dad works long hours and mum has two jobs and cares for disabled grandmother.

Come on op what you really want is for everybody to say "isn't your child bright".

I think the better approach is to be realistic about what your child is capable of and help them to reach their capabilities. It doesn't matter if kid a, b or c is better or not as good as your child. It is about what your child can achieve. The world is a bigger place than his school population.

Competition is a natural thing but you don't need to compete by putting others down (by wanting the recognition of "isn't my child great"). Did your ds do his best in the competition is a better approach to take rather than where he was placed. Compete with yourself rather than at the expense of others! In other words set your own goals (or that of your child) and aim for them.

Still think he should have got a certificate if the others did though.

It depends what the certificates were for. I'm not convinced the OP has a clear story of the circumstances.

Me neither, actually. I suspect a 6 year old's account being taken as gospel. And we all know how dangerous that is!