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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

helping late summer dd prepare for school

23 replies

dollybird · 16/10/2006 22:53

dd is a 31/8 birthday and starts school next year (I know it's early but ds has just started school and all of a sudden conscious that the time will fly by and it'll be her turn). Whilst I think she's developmentally normal for her age, just wondered if in people's experience there are certain things which the younger children need extra help with in starting school?

OP posts:

marymoocow · 17/10/2006 11:09

my dd is a july birthday. She found it very tiring to begin with ( as do a lot of them), but also found the emotional side difficult.
Wasn't too bad in reception, but when she went into yr1 she was put in a split yr1/2 class, so that when she had only just turned 5 she was trying to make friends with some who were about to be 7. In girls especially, i have found that is a big age gap, and she found those first few months tough going.
Now she is in yr2 she seems to be finding her own level and the gap isn't as noticable, although it does annoy me when people mention how bright their yr1 child is who was 6 in Sept, when she is doing far harder things in yr2 and only a few weeks older than them. Still thats life

LIZS · 17/10/2006 11:23

dd is a 27/8 b'day and was a particularly clingy baby/toddler/preschooler. However she settled in well, went full-time straight away and a year on is happy and doing very well. Practical skills were the most important - so dressing, toileting, shoes etc.

The playground was a daunting place at first. She is physically quite small and tends to get babied by the older girls but has had to learn to tell them when she doesn't want to play their games and stick up for herself without getting upset. That has been helped by her gaining several boy friends who will protect her !

Gem13 · 17/10/2006 11:39

DS is a July birthday and started Reception this year. He has been absolutely fine. We made sure he was ok with going to the loo by himself and getting dressed over the summer. Plus I bought him some pull-on boots for school shoes so he can get them on and off by himself. That was a real confidence boost - likewise his coat which has poppers rather than a zip.

portonovo · 17/10/2006 13:30

My experience is that the younger children have fared no differently to the older ones - I have Feb, Mar and July children.

As long as she can do simple things for herself - going to the loo, putting coat on, perhaps dressing herself after P.E. - she'll be fine. Being able to sit still for a while and follow simple instructions is great.

Does your school do any sort of gradual start? Half-days for a while or something like that, mine all benefitted from that.

singersgirl · 17/10/2006 14:47

DS2 is 31st August too, and has just gone into Y1; DS1 is also August-born and is now in Y4.

I would echo the advice to concentrate on practical things - going to the loo, buttons and zips, shoes and socks, handwashing, opening packets in packed lunches.

Reception is very much an extension of nursery school, I found, with short periods of focused work and lots of playing and crafts etc.

Academically, they don't really expect them to know anything when they start school (that's what school is for!), though recognising numbers up to 10 and their name, and perhaps writing their name, is helpful.

Original poster

dollybird · 19/10/2006 22:05

Thanks everyone. I'm probably worrying about nothing. She just seems so young as she's only just turned three - doesn't seem possible that she's starting school next year. DS has come on loads in this first half term (half days only), so I expect she will be the same and she's already picking loads of stuff up. She's a lot syer than he is though (and he's quite shy).

OP posts:

anniebear · 22/10/2006 11:04

Mine were 31/8 babies also.

if they had been born 5 hours later they would have started reception a month and a half ago instead they are now in yr 1!!

Have had no problems at all. She is doing well at school. was a little tired when she first started but aren't they all?

she was one of the first to walk in to the classroom on her own whilst the others all had their parents going right in with them to help them take off coats , put bags away etc

I wouldn't worry. I don't think age comes into it. It depends on the individual child, what they are like

The oldest child in the class is 3 weeks off being a yr older than my 2! He is certainly not the brightest child in the class and took a long timne to settle in to schol with a lot of crying

Hope that helps!

willowcatkin · 22/10/2006 23:55

This whole age thig is sohard isn't it. I do wish England had a system like the Scottish one where you ahve the choice when to send them.

I am sure your dd will be fine, as the others say, it is the practicilties hat matter most, velcro shoes, toiletting confidently, using a knife and fork etc. As she has an older sibling so close i am sure she will be fine emotioanlly too - you may even find her picking up a lot from him, my ds has done from dd

alexsCURSEDMUMMY · 22/10/2006 23:59

my ds is an august birthday and has just turned three. he too is supposed to start school next septembe rand i am pretty certain that he will not be ready.
so i am not sending him.
am keeping him back until the following year.

jajas · 23/10/2006 00:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

alexsCURSEDMUMMY · 23/10/2006 10:17

jaja's- my older ds goes to the school that ds2 will be going to so just made an appointment to go and talk to the headteacher. she was very sympathetic and advised me to give it a couple of months and see how he goes.we have a meeting in november to make a final decision.
she wants him to start next september but says i know my child best etc.
the law says that they do not legally have to be in full time education until the term following their fifth birthday.if you think they are too young at just 4 then negotiate.
why on earth we think as a nation that our children should start school when they are still babies i don't know.

LIZS · 23/10/2006 10:21

but alexsCURSEDMUMMY would n't he then have to start in Year 1 rather than make a transiton through Reception ?

alexsCURSEDMUMMY · 23/10/2006 10:22

no!!! this is why i say negotiate!!! he will be starting in reception ( she says confidently!!)

Clary · 23/10/2006 10:28

well done alexmum, a friend of mine managed to negotiate a Yr R start for her august born DS but he was slightly developmentallly delayed which helped.
dollybird, I agree with others that the housekeeping things are most important, gettign dressed after PE, putting her coat on, opening her lunchbox etc. Also makign sure she is totally confident on the loo (a major trauma new starters).

jajas · 23/10/2006 10:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

alexsCURSEDMUMMY · 23/10/2006 10:34

i wonder why we have this system? just 4 is incredibly young!
evryone says that eception is just play but when ds1 was in reception, he did lots of work too. he had 2 reading books a week, phonics worksheets and key words to learn at home .he was doing year one words in reception.
he was ok being that bit older and being more mature too but ds2 is so young in every way. while he might manage if he started next year, i think he would benefit from starting later.

alexsCURSEDMUMMY · 23/10/2006 10:38

jajas-what a nightmare!
it's ridiculous! poor little things and poor you.
i hope i don't end up having trouble. the headteacher came up with lots of ideas like him satrting in the january, but i didn't want that as noone else would be starting in the jan and friendship groups would be established etc.
i stated that i wanted him treated as if his birthday was 2 weeks later than it was.

is the school your catchment area school?

jajas · 23/10/2006 10:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

alexsCURSEDMUMMY · 23/10/2006 10:46

absolutely.
ds1 used to come home exhausted from reception and he was good six months older than ds2 will be.
they have lots of rules to learn and abide by and the playground to cope with etc.

anniebear · 23/10/2006 13:56

our Paed suggested holding one of my DD'S back a year as she has SN. But she said the problems start when they are due to go to High School. She said they ahve to go to High School at the correct age and that would mean missing out the last year of juniors

anniebear · 23/10/2006 13:57

Mine are in yr one now and all the children from the youngest to the oldest are fine

Only one child has some problems coping as he has SN and doesn't have a carer/helper

jajas · 23/10/2006 23:50

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Peridot30 · 25/10/2006 23:15

my ds started school in august (scotland) his birthday is december. (scotland birthday entry's are march-feb) making him one of the youngest and he has settled in really well. Teacher says he is very confident, working well and coping with allwork given to him.

Dont worry about her im sure that she will be fine remember kids adapt to changes better than us mums.

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