Going into Year 5 - work in the holidays or not?

[Dancergirl]

Dd2 is going into Year 5 next term. She's v bright and will probably be sitting for a couple of grammars. I really want to know how much, if any, work your similarly aged dc will be doing this summer.

I really believe dc should have a break but part of me says, under the new system, the exams are just over a year away and I want to make sure she's prepared. Don't they say children suffer a 'learning dip' over the summer?

I don't want too much pressure for her but I do want to give her the best chance when the time comes.

Yes exactly books and I believe in giving your dc the very best chance if they are sitting for grammar schools.

I think it's about balance. Dd certainly won't be doing an hour every day; nor will she be doing nothing. But a bit of Maths and English combined with the odd practice paper 3 or 4 times a week just to keep her ticking over is fine.

My daughter will be doing the maths factor most days (15 mins or so) and I will encourage her to read and write a holiday diary. It isn't to hot house her for a selective school but to just keep her on track. She was way behind in maths and I've found the maths factor excellent for catching up.

What is the Maths factor?

Agree Dancer, We're not going into grammar, but a top comp. Although the plan is an hour a day, just so he's prepared for doing something, today will be just reading, for example, which we're lucky that he loves doing anyway. But certainly like you, four times a week is hardly child abuse. He self taught himself algebra leading up to the Level 6 sats and with a brain like a sieve, I'd hate for all that hard work he did to evaporate into the wilderness.

Agree too vjg13, just to keep the wee brain ticking over. Of course there will be the cultural trips to museums and the like, but not having the pennies to do that everyday for six weeks, a wee bit of work beats playing computer games all day everyday (which he can also take or leave - thank God).

The maths factor is Carol Voderman's online maths programme. There are lots of similar. It has worked well or my daughter and taken her from the bottom of the class to above average. She does have a total hatred of Carol now though .

@Books since DD1 didn't do any work in the summer holidays of going into year 5 (or indeed the summer holidays before Y6) and then sailed into arguably the best grammar school in the country I don't think that following the same approach with her even more able sister is being 'airy fairy' actually. Just sensible. I don't want to foster resentment or precipitate burnout.

I'm sorry, but I must agree with elliepac - even if your DCs are behind, they deserve a break and/or learning by alternative methods.

I'm not smug at all, just pointing out that as adults we would not expect to do work over the holidays so why should our children?

I don't think anyone has suggested anything that kids will find particularly arduous.

As a teacher I would say not necessarily 'work', but encourage your child to read books (fiction and non fiction), magazines, papers etc..., then talk to you about them, go on visits to interesting places, do interesting things, make things etc... Also get them using Maths in real life, so weighing out ingredients to cook, estimating/calculating when out shopping etc...

I would then in the last week of the holidays do a bit of more formal work to get them back into the swing of things, some basic Maths etc, maybe an hour or so.

Metabillis3 Honestly, I think that's wonderful. Enviable in fact. I'm simply giving opinion on what I believe the majority are doing, based on who the op's ds could be up against. Like I said, pop over to the 11+ forum and you'll find there's a whole load a kids doing a whole load more. Who's to say, your own ds may well have been particularly gifted in one area and so therefore, only had to master one aspect. Or just generally gifted. You've been blessed too if both your dc are gifted. I personally know of parents who did considerably more two to three years prior to get their kids into grammar, More so if you want to keep tutor costs to a minimum. Amongst the Asian population for example, where education is a huge part of their culture, so who as a result, get a high proportion of their children into grammars, you try telling them it's fine to float through two summer holidays, especially the one preceding the exam! Certainly in my part of town, the competition is stiff. Very smart kids, who have been coached to work smart too. The child has only shot and based on that, I feel 'float through' is a pretty high risk strategy.

vjg13 - Absolutely, even a little gentle VR and Non VR imo, something my own ds found fun, is gradually building a great foundation for later on. Still everyone to their own.

@books well, we're going to carry on the way we've been going. :)

OMG. DS is going into Y6 and it has never occurred to me to get him to do any "work" over the summer. I can see the point for DC catching up, as it's easier on them than trying to fit in extra during term, but other than that

the odd practice paper 3 or 4 times a week

I'd save those for next summer TBH. Esp maths, surely she won't have covered everything yet so could be frustrating? Trinity's advice sounds good to me.

DH used to want DD to 'work' during the hols - she really didn't want to, and therefore didn't (IMO) particularly benefit from it. Until the summer before yr6 when she set to it with a will, did her timed papers happily. (and got her out-of-area GS place)

Hi dancergirl:

I'd start with trying to work out where your DD is at. How would she do if she sat the 11+ today? Not just what the school has told you but how does she do in a test situation.

My eldest is entering Y5 in Sept and several of her friends (who have older siblings so are more clued up) were already talking about the 11+ at the end of Y4. Our State school will not offer advice/ guidance regarding the 11+ - so I bought 'The Parents' Guide to the 11+' from Bond (available amazon & most book shops/ good newsagents). OK they're selling something - but the useful thing is that it explains what the tests involve, helps you to structure your plans about the 11+ in relation to your own child and has some assessment tests to help guide you about how your DC actually is doing.

Going through this process helped me to decide what next and what to focus on - especially areas of weakness.

I think the advice on reading is critical here. Think through what your DD has been reading - if it's been pretty 'low brow' (lots of Horrid Henry, Diary of a wimpy kid, Ben 10, Rainbow Magic Fairies, etc...) but not a lot of children's classics - then use the summer to get her reading from these. This isn't being snobby - the use of language and the more complicated vocabulary really helps here.

A few Classic reading lists here for some ideas:

www.lovereading4kids.co.uk/genre/ess/Bookshelf-Essentials.html

www.guardian.co.uk/books/2000/mar/24/childrens.library

www.commonsensemedia.org/book-lists/summer-reading-list

We're doing longer assessment practice papers, but this is partly because DD1 needs to build up writing strength (the test at our local grammar schools will be 2 sessions of 45 minutes each with a 15-20 minute break between - so I wanted DD1 to build up her writing stamina, which when we started was very bad - as in DD1 close to tears about her hand hurting after 10 minutes writing.

We have a friend who's soon to be Y6 daughter will be sitting the 11+ in September, and she's having her DD work through 10 minute practice papers (one in each English/ Maths/ Verbal Reasoning/ Non-Verbal Reasoning) each day this summer (however there was little or no practice in Y5 or summer before hand). Interestingly, she's taken the attitude that it's up to her DD when, in what order and for how long this DD does her practice. She's bought her a 10 minute egg timer and said 'on your head be it' more or less. The choice locally is very stark - State secondaries typically around 40% (often lower) 5 A-C GCSE versus grammar schools with 97% A - C GCSE or better. She's brought her to the various schools' Open Days - including the state school she'll go to if she does't pass the 11+ - she says that was the single most motivating factor - as her DD strongly does not want to go to the state school having visited the grammar schools and seen the difference in quality, opporutnities and equipment.

HTH

Hmm - an interesting point and one I have had internal debates with myself over the years.
We are already in our 3rd week of holidays and spent the first 2 on away on holiday. DD1 has just finished Yr 10 and will be spending some time (when and how much up to her) ensuring that all her notes are upto date and highlighting any areas of difficulty (particularly in maths) and working on those. From being an avid reader when younger she now hardly picks up a book so she will also be making her way through an agreed (between her and I) reading list plus reading newspapers regularly. BUT she is taking her IGCSE's next year!

Now DD2 is another issue...she has just finished Yr 6. She is behind in maths and english. She was diagnosed in May with an eye problem which I believe has contributed to this. So we do need to do some things but as I work 4 days a week for the rest of the hols (with the exception of another week we are away) it gets difficult to fit it in. I have identified 3 areas of maths she has issues with and in an ideal world I would like to go through these with her and then set her on MyMaths to practise. She will also be reading (reluctant reader) and I would love to go through some comprehension with her - will just have to see how it all goes.

Mine will be doing no formal work but take any learning opportunities when they arrive. It is Summer!!

I've never understood this assumption that just because a school only gets an x% of pupils getting A-C GCSEs it must therefore be a poor school. Our local school is not brilliant in terms of % A-C GCSEs - it is the only secondary in the nearby towns and has an enormously diverse intake, including cohorts from areas troubled by serious social and economic deprivation and crime. The intake reflects the outcomes - teachers are not parents, they can only do what is possible while they have the children in their class. If the parents cannot or will not be supportive at home, it's harsh to blame the school.

However, this school gets excellent A-level results, because those children going on to do A-levels are the ones who either overcome their difficulties, or the ones who have supportive parents (and yes, many of them will be middle class).

My DD1 is going to this school come September - I have every confidence that she will do well there, because she has the backup at home and the good teaching at school.

my DS is doing about an hour a day, including his reading. But he doesn't read for fun, so if he is to do any reading, it has to be presented to him as home work.

Ds1 is going into yr5 and has no homework for the holidays and I won't be looking for any.