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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

Feeling I failed my child

41 replies

Yogurthoney · 10/07/2013 14:59

I am a quite pushy parent. Been doing english reading and maths with my oldest one since she was year 1 on daily basis. For english, we have almost done all books for her stage in the local library. For maths, since I never have known what she leant in school, I have been teaching her long addition,long subtraction, all up to 4 digits with regrouping, all time tables, two digits times by one digit, or division. She can do all the above comfortably. But she came back home with 2b in maths ks1 sats. It seems that we have gone a completely wrong direction! I feel very sorry for my poor child and just hate myself! I don't know what I should do next.

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Picturesinthefirelight · 10/07/2013 15:02

I have no idea what 2b means but perhaps you shouldn't be do pushy. There is an emphasis on understanding, working out and using different methods. I feel quite sorry for a year 1 child having to submit to all those boring maths problems when in school they are probably cutting up pieces of cake for fractions, estimating, and solving fun problems.

GooseyLoosey · 10/07/2013 15:03

You don't say how old she is, but I am assuming Yr 3?

Be gentle on yourself and on her. ThereEase off and let her learn at her own pace. Help her with the things she needs help with. Pursue the things with her that she enjoys.

What were you hoping the achieve by going outside and beyond the curriculum?

BlueSkySunnyDay · 10/07/2013 15:07

Have you done a workshop on how the primary teach maths? We did one and it was completely different to the way I was taught at school - perhaps doing things your way rather than the schools way meant that she could not show the working out in the way they wanted.

To be honest without knowing how old she is I don't have a clue whether 2b is acceptable or not.

Picturesinthefirelight · 10/07/2013 15:08

I think this is a post. I've just googled SATS levels. (My dc don't do them). 2b is just fine and means rhe child is working well within the expected level fir KS1 sats. Poor kid at you not thinking it's good enough.

Picturesinthefirelight · 10/07/2013 15:09

The OP says its KS 1 SATS so Year 2.

BeehavingBaby · 10/07/2013 15:12

Has she had opportunities to demonstrate those things? Dd1 has been given level 3 work at school and for homework for a few months ( which is too hard for her bit that's another thread!) and it is much more conceptual in terms of difficulty - manipulating the real world and identifiying the problem they need to tackle themselves, but still easy sums rather than the bigger numbers you describe in the op. imagine your dd will be in good stead for year 3 though, certainly not failed!

TreesAndFlowers · 10/07/2013 15:16

Guessing she may be strong on the methods, but perhaps not so strong on working out what method she uses when? IIRC Level 3 is more about problem solving techniques and being able to apply what they know to real world problems.

Original poster

Yogurthoney · 10/07/2013 15:34

You are quite right, TreesAndFlowers. Until their sats I started to give her some practical questions but very simple in numbers,such as A has 12p, B has 8p, how much more does A have than B? She got stuck! Did she learn it at school in year2 at all?

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MrsMelons · 10/07/2013 15:36

The maths questions are wordy questions mainly where the child has to pick out the calculations within the question. Not lots of long division etc.

If this is for real I feel really sorry for your child having to do all that extra work at such a young age and for the fact you feel sorry for her 'only' achieving a 2b as 2b is the expected level for Y2 so she is fine. The children who achieve well later are those who have a rounded experience ie doing sports etc, not those who are pushed and pushed academically at home. There are plenty of stats to confirm this.

We had one sheet of questions home before the SATs which was about 6 maths questions in 'SATS' style, that was it and about the sum of what DS did before SATs at home. He got weekly homework and did that most of the time but that is it. He is having fun being a 7 YO and playing sports, music and generally having fun.

I am not sure why you are doing extra stuff with your DD that is not within the curriculum.

MrsMelons · 10/07/2013 15:37

Have you spoken to the teacher about it?

Original poster

Yogurthoney · 10/07/2013 16:26

I talked to the teacher two times altogether, being told she is doing fine. She got homework once a week always maps diagrams stuff, never seen maths at all. I always have been trying to find out what they actually teach in year 2,never able to get it from the teacher or school. Until recently I managed to find some info from the web.

I feel I am like the proud rabbit in the race, being so arrogant on teaching my own child, then suddenly found out I am the loser.

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Badvoc · 10/07/2013 16:29

I genuinely don't know what to say.
Your dd is meeting expected targets for he age?
She is happy?
So your problem is?

Picturesinthefirelight · 10/07/2013 16:30

The teacher is telling the truth - she is doing fine.

It reminds me of a line from the Matilda musical sung by the teacher.

Specialness is de regeur
Above average is average - go figure

MrsMelons · 10/07/2013 16:36

Why are you wanting to teach your child so much so young? Are you unhappy with the school? IMO at this age they should be working at their natural level with help if they are falling behind. If you are feeling like this then it will rub off on your DD and she will feel like she is below average, which she is not.

twentyten · 10/07/2013 16:36

Don't feel bad.Your dd is doing fine.As others say,have some fun-its about inspiring a love of learning and curiosity at 7-what intersts her?dinosaurs?Stars?Art? Encourage her passions and build her confidence to try stuff.
(There are also MILLIONS of workbooks etc available and cirriculums(?)on the net for you to understand how maths is taught.)
Good luck

Original poster

Yogurthoney · 10/07/2013 16:39

My problem is I am blaming myself on the extra work I have asked her to do, if I knew it didn't help her at all, i wouldn't have done it!I do feel we have lost lots of quality time together as mum and daughter,rather than tutor and tutee,although it only takes us 20 minutes everyday. I am sorry but I just can't get rid of the idea that my child is in the bottom 1/3 in her class.

OP posts:

Badvoc · 10/07/2013 16:45

But she isn't is she?
And even if she were, why is that an issue for you?
Is she happy?

MrsMelons · 10/07/2013 16:52

I would be surprised if she is the bottom 1/3 in the class, probably somewhere in the middle which at 7 YO is surely ok.

My DS2 (5) is probably middle to bottom at school but I still don't do anything extra with him, DS1 (7) is top and I don't do anything extra with him either. I am equally proud of what they have achieved and bizarrely sometimes more so with DS2 as it doesn't come as easy to him as DS1. I don't feel like I have failed DS2 as he may be achieving slightly more if I pushed him but I would rather he enjoy it and find his natural level then if need be later on closer to senior school push him a bit more.

Oblomov · 10/07/2013 16:53

You know you are pushing too hard. And you know this. And now this has, unfortunately, come back to bite you , on the bum!!

You need to ease off. And deep down, you know this.
BUT, this is not all wasted.
The wordy questions, test the higher skilled children. Applying what you know, techniques, to long wordy questions, is very tricky. And even for bright children, it is quite a leap. She obviously hasn't quite got there yet. But she will. And your work this year, can not, has not, done any harm.

2b is NOT bottom 1/3rd.

Original poster

Yogurthoney · 10/07/2013 16:55

I have never mentioned anything about her assessment to her, actually she is very happy talking about helping her classmates with timetable in school. But I have been thinking and rethinking for several days, what can I do to help her? Maybe follow the national curriculum or do more practical problems? I feel as her mother because my strategy was wrong, and she is the one to suffer. One minute, I decided to give up,just let it be and the next minute I think if I am able to help her to improve, why not, better than not doing anything.

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LynetteScavo · 10/07/2013 16:55

Maybe she isn't particularly able, and all the work you've been doing with her means she has managed to achieve a 2b.

Oblomov · 10/07/2013 16:56

I am the same as Mrs Melons.
I do not do any extra.
Ds is very bright. Ds2 not quite so. I certainly am not bothered by this.

titchy · 10/07/2013 17:11

Stop thinking about what you can do to help her. Learn from this and just enjoy your child. She is not a project to be done as best you can. Be her mum and let her teachers do the teaching.

Original poster

Yogurthoney · 10/07/2013 17:13

Oblomov, I should print your last message out and stick it by my bed. It is biting my bum!

OP posts:

Oblomov · 10/07/2013 17:15

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