What happens if your child already can do next year's work?

[SomethingFunny]

My son is in reception moving to year one in September. We had his report recently and he was exceeding expectations in lots of areas. The report also lists the things he can do in each area.

We have also had a meeting at school which told us what they would be covering in year one. In maths and literacy, the areas they will be covering in year one are indentical to the things his report listed he could already do. For example, "counting in 2s,5s and 10s."

My question is: if he can already do these things (ie counting in 2s, 5s and 10s), then what will he, and all the others who can do these things (I am sure he is not unique!) be doing when the class covers this? Will they learn their 9s, 3s and 4s for example? Or do lots of extra 2s, 5s and 10s practice? Or will they use the time to learn something completely different.

I expect that each school differs, so I was wanting generally what schools do. I don't want to go in to my school and ask as that sounds really pushy and I do trust the school not to just leave them bored! I was just being curious really and I am sure someone on MN knows!

I think he will still have to listen to the general instruction about counting in twos but his work should be extended for him.

Eg kids will be started 2,4 what's next

He might have 90,?,94 what's between

I help out at school and any child that can do more is usually taken off to do extended work or given 'more' to do such as work sheets. good teachers stretch all children in the class.

Does the school have a parent meeting when they go back mine is 10 days after they go back to meet teacher and talk through any issues we may have then.

They will have just been giving you a general idea of what the children will do.

He will be differentiated for; given work that extends his current knowledge rather than pushing him on straight away to the work for the following year.

For example, often they know how to count in those steps but don't know why or what it relates to. He'll be asked to do questions that involve using the knowledge that he has. Probably some investigations and problem solving.

I'm sure there will be plenty to challenge him

The teachers will be differentiating for him. For example, half the class may be learning to count in 2's, some more able ones will extend to looking at the patterns the numbers make, and the very brightest ones will start on halving and quartering - all based around multiples of 2 but different activities.

Thank you all very much! That is exactly what I wanted to know. I think I've read about this somewhere- they call it sideways knowledge or something like that.

You need to be wary of the difference between "more of the same thing" and "more, as in different" with regard to extension work.

If the child has picked it up sooner than the rest of the class, (s)he doesn't need to practice more than the others. However, there are still some schools that overlook this.

If he can count in 2s 5s and 10s he will be using this to solve multiplication and division problems and applying it in different contexts

Ours spent the first term of y1 basically telling me it wasn't really the done thing for a child to already be capable of the class work because dd wasn't old enough to be doing x,yz, because she hadn't taught her, therefore dd shouldn't have done that and beyond off her own bat. However that was one term in a brilliant school.
Usually she's had the work differentiated and/or gone on to the next concept