Any parents of summer borns in YR Y1 experiencing unfairness in access to curriculum?

[BromCavMum]

I would like to know if there are other parents out there whose summer born children are in YR or Y1 or even Y2 and are struggling a bit or put at a disadvantage by the pace/level of the curriculum? My DD turned 5 at the end of August. She started school last January with a brilliant attitude toward learning and I have seen her attitude become more and more deflated over the last several months.

She picked up on reading quickly but was only assessed as 'emerging' in literacy for YR. Today, she had 2 quizzes in school (yes--2 in one day). A 10 word spelling test and a math test. She had 20 seconds to complete 7 different equations. She got 4 out of 7 and was disappointed in herself. Although these equations were supplied to us a week ahead it seems to me to be a tough test for a 5 year old. The school is big on testing and streaming. But at this age, when development is a huge variable is this wise? When most of these kids in her class were her age they were not doing math at all and were barely reading. I feel my daughter is expected to work twice as hard to be considered half as good.

If there are other parents out there who have experienced this type of what I consider bordering on discrimination I would truly like to hear your experiences and maybe we can pool some advice on how to approach the schools with this problem.

It is very hard to constantly read on the news how summer born children are 20% less likely to go to university, be well adjusted at school, etc. I think we parents need to discuss how to look out for our young children, because the British education system does not seem up to the task (or interested in the problem).

I eagerly await hearing from you.

mrz - yes of course you can find examples of struggling autumn borns and high achieving summer borns in every class. But isn't there an overall statistical effect which shows that summer borns are at an educational disadvantage, and that the older children are overall more likely to be in the top sets early on, which affects self-esteem etc?

OP: "maybe we can pool some advice on how to approach the schools with this problem."

So, you don't think that the education establishment are already aware of the issue of Summer-borns? Thank goodness you've come along.

Schools nowadays differentiate, not discriminate. We don't "judge" children about their stage of development, but construct a learning environment for the stage they're at, regardless of their birth-month.

"I feel my daughter is expected to work twice as hard to be considered half as good." I think that is more likely to be "your stuff," rather than the school's belief.

perhaps AquaCouldron that is in part due to the fact that historically summer borns started school one or two terms after their older peers so were playing catch up from their first day in school and teachers expected less especially if the summer born was also male.

Not sure what the answer is btw. I assume some differentiation has to take place for learning to be effective, it's just a shame if the system includes such overt elitism as 'gifted and talented', especially for primary age children.

mrz - By streaming I don't mean whole class streaming for everything (if such a thing exists at primary) - I suppose I mean things like differentiated reading and numeracy groups, do you mean that these have been proven to be ineffective? Whilst I suppose these also risk 'labelling' children they can at least be fluid and not made too overt.

Clam - mrz is saying that the summer-born effect doesn't exist, isn't she?

But if there is an effect, then I would have thought that the issue is more with the child's own self-esteem, not that teachers are 'judging' the younger children (I'm sure they don't).

However isn't it true that NC levels don't compensate for any difference in age within a given year group?

I'm saying, as the mum of two summer borns that there are other factors that have historically impacted upon "summer born effect" which make it unreliable to attribute difficulties wholly to month of birth.

Mrz - that rings a bell (72 questions) I do remember him bringing home the year 5 one to do at the end of yr3.

DS is very quick and gets all of his correct but has not yet managed to do all 72.

Both classes in my DC school have ability tables (4 in DD's yr1 class, not sure about DS) and each child is given appropriate work for where they are. The top table is given extension work to be getting on with when they have finished the class work.

No, it's not just a historical effect of later start to full days of school or fewer preschool yrs, and it happens across cultures and even when kids start at older ages (so in countries where they start after 6th or even 7th birthday, being the youngest still puts you at a likely disadvantage).

I can find the good quality studies to cite for that (multitudes).

I don't think it really matters (yes that mean that seriously!). Because other disadvantages or advantages in background matter more, as do other things like personality or innate talents or emotional weakness, and most of those factors parents have huge influence over or they are hardwired regardless of age or arise because of other circumstances. Life was never fair to any of us, either. Just... get over it. Do what you can and be satisfied with that.

"judging" I wish I had a pound for every time I've heard a teacher say "don't worry he is summer born boy"

lljkk did I say it was?

simpson we find most Y5/6s can complete the 72 in under the 100 seconds when their challenge becomes a personal best time

Good pop science type article about why being youngest in the class may be much better than oldest.

Mrz - yep, I was told that about DS in reception!

As the mother of a 31st Aug boy (if born 20 mins later would have started school a year later and born 2 weeks early) I do think that summer born children find school tougher early on. DS struggled all through reception till about June.

However, they do/can catch up and by KS2 onwards there does not seem to be a lot of difference academically (3 summer born boys are in the top group for numeracy including DS).

I must ask DS if he finishes them now, maths questions, not asked him for a while. He does love doing them though

OP, I do sympathise with you and your DD because I agree summer borns may be at a disadvantage. My DD is in year 1, and I believe all the children on the top table have a Sept/Oct/Nov/Dec birthday.

However, I'm not sure exactly what you're suggesting. You say The school is big on testing and streaming. But at this age, when development is a huge variable is this wise? - this seems to imply that you don't agree with streaming and think everyone should be given the same work.

But then you say I think cognitively she is not quite ready for maths at this level - so what about the children who are ready (maybe because they are older)? Should be held back until everyone is at that level?

I think grouping by ability is an effective way of teaching, providing it is recognised that some children will develop later (either summer borns or just because they have a knowledge spurt) and the groups must be flexible to accommodate this, with easy movement between the groups, and without labelling children as "bright" or "backward" at a young age.

good pop science type article that is only looking at month of birth not other possible contributory factors... which is part of the problem lljkk AFAIK there is no comparisons studies
Month of birth seems to be more of a factor in secondary according to research simpson but that doesn't mean they won't excell

A study carried out by the Institute of Education concluded that "Ability grouping in primary school may reinforce disadvantage of summer-born children, study finds"

and Effective classroom organisation in primary schools concludes that there is no evidence that lower Key Stage 2 pupils learn more effectively in sets for mathematics at any level. In fact, the study tentatively suggests that children of all levels of attainment do better when taught in mixed ability classes. The author also recommends mixed ability teaching because of its social and equitable benefits, and suggests that setting is usually adopted in order to make the teacher’s job of whole class teaching more manageable

OP, you think your Dc might not be ready for this kind of "instant recall" maths questions.
Is that because she needs more time getting to grips with what the numbers actually mean; counting physical items, combining two piles and counting again; taking one away and counting again.

And a queston for Mrz is there a risk that these rapid recall sums could be disguising some childrens number problems, a bit like "whole word reading" can disguise phonic problems which come to light later?

choccypig the "rapid recall" of 7 sums is the product of a whole years teaching input. So children will have lots of practical experience of working with objects and finding totals. In the first term children are learning 1+1 & 2+2 so it can be 1 teddy and 1 more how many have you got now? or 2 buttons plus 2 more how many altogether? or 1 thumb and another thumb how many? but like times tables knowing number bonds frees the brain to carry out more complex operations just as knowing how to combine sounds to read words frees the brain to extract meaning.

I'm assuming the OPs daughter is in Y1 rather than reception (so has been in school for a year?) but she is still working on the reception Learn It's which suggests the teacher is differentiating work/targets appropriately.

mrz - you said: "August borns are just as likely to be high achievers and September borns strugglers". This is completely false--read the news.

And then you doubt LLjkk who says 2 seconds is not enough time for DS to write a single number. If you have nothing to contribute and are going to mock and disbelieve people who are discussing their real issues, then please spare us and drop out of this discussion.

Clam, there is no need for your hostility. Why so much venom? Do you think you can be more constructive and less hostile? If not, please do not post any further comments.

BromCavMum rather than relying on the news (do you believe everything you see on TV or in the papers because I don't) I prefer to base my opinions on 20 years experience as a teacher and the mum of two summer borns.

I teach 5 year olds so I have some knowledge of how long it takes a child to form a single digit and 2 seconds is quite a long time even for a perfectionist.

If you don't like the message that your child is being "positively discriminated" against (ie given work suitable for a younger child) then sorry but facts are facts!

OP - My dd is a summer born. She, and the rest of the summer borns, were pretty much all in the "bottom" groups until the end of Year 2. The autumn borns much dominated the "top" sets until the end of Year 2 as well. After that, it began to even out much more. It's crap but it does get better. The main thing is try to keep your dd feeling OK about work. Tell her one of the reasons it is hard for her at the moment is because she is younger. Tell her, it will get easier. Don't let her see you are worried.

My DD is in Y2 and there seems to be a big mix in the birth dates of the children who are being given extension work (to my certain knowledge, early Sept to late June). It is certainly true that the older ones seemed a lot more grown up in Reception but at this stage any differences seem to have evened out a lot.