Year two and really struggling

[Santander1]

Hi Folks.

My DD is 6. She's in the easiest group in class but is finding the reading and number bonds incredibly difficult. She is so demoralised that she is now getting upset when I ask her to read with me. I end up just reading the books to her.

In her spellings and number bonds she's getting no more than 20% correct.

My feeling is that she should be having easier work or more attention at school, or both. I have 3 children and also work so time is limited, even if she would do her homework, which at the moment she will not.

It is breaking my heart to send her to school each morning. I'm going to make an appointment to see her teacher, but I don't hold out much hope of a solution as when I chatted to her at the door about it she was very enthusiastic but kept asserting 'she needs to practise practise practise'.

And I'm afraid I'm rather of the persuasion that when she comes home, she should relax a little, not get stressed about school!

Can anybody hold my hand?

I don't know what the answer is but just wanted to say that I agree with you about the needing to relax after school. You could try a bit of practice on the weekends when she is fresher. But if the work is too hard for her practice will do her no favours. I think it would be better to build her confidence with work she understands. You don't want to put her off school so early on.

I don't know if it works for your dc, but what worked for my ds for learning spelling was turning on subtitles when he is watching TV.

I always watched it with subtitles since I'm foreign, and my ds wanted it on as well. It isn't quick fix, but he recognize a lot words without realizing it because I think it is buried in his head. I don't think he thinks he is learning anything, but I think it's the only reason he was able to read and spell.

For maths, if you allow your dc on computer, there are a lot of website she can practice maths. If you don't force your dc, but just let her play some maths games if she enjoys it, it might make her confident.

www.khanacademy.org/

www.mathplayground.com/

www.arcademics.com/

www.mathgames.com/

Good luck!

You may need to go back to basics if the teacher hasn't. Have you checked she recognises the letters of the alphabet and their phonic single sounds? Then the compound sounds? Does she understand blending and decoding? Similarly with the numbers does she recognise the figures? My YR is quite good at bluffing and I have accidentally discovered interesting gaps so it is worth checking all that before trying anything else.

I agree that kids should relax but at the same time spending 10 mins a day can really help with rapid progress. Could you get her on the teachyourmonster to read website? It is free and my kids love playing. They don't notice they are learning so no stress involved ;)

Good luck

NUMERACY : This is my standard information for Numeracy, and the most important thing is that the child is helped to UNDERSTAND it, not just learn it by heart:

Practical things are best for grasping number concepts - bricks, Lego, beads, counters, money, shapes, weights, measuring, cooking.

Do adding, taking away, multiplication (repeated addition), division (sharing), using REAL OBJECTS as just 'numbers' can be too abstract for some children.

Number Bonds of Ten forms the basis of much maths, so try to learn them. Using Lego or something similar, use a LOT of bricks (of just TWO colours, if you have enough) lay them out so the pattern can be seen of one colour INCREASING while the other colour DECREASES. Lay them down, or build up like steps.

So:
ten of one colour none of other
nine of one colour one of other
eight of one colour two of other
seven of one colour three of other
etc,
then of course, the sides are equal at 5 and 5; after which the colours 'swap over' as to increasing/decreasing.

To learn TABLES, do them in groups that have a relationship, thus:

x2, x4, x8

x3, x6, x12

5 and 10 are easy

7 and 9 are rather harder.

Starting with TWO times TABLE, I always say: "Imagine the class is lining up in pairs; each child will have a partner, if there is an EVEN number in the class. If one child is left without a partner, then the number is ODD, because an odd one is left out."

Use Lego bricks again, lay them out in a column of 2 wide to learn 2x table. Go half way down the column, and move half the bricks up, so that now the column is 4 bricks wide. That gives the start of 4x table.

Then do similar things with 3x and 6x.

With 5x, try and count in 'fives', and notice the relationship with 'ten' - they will alternate, ending in 5 then 10.

It is important to try and UNDERSTAND the relationships between numbers, and not just learn them 'by rote'.

An inexpensive solar powered calculator (no battery to run out!) can help learn tables by 'repeated addition'. So: enter 2+2 and press = to give 4. KEEP PRESSING = and it should add on 2 each time, giving 2 times table.

There are good web sites, which can be fun to use :

www.ictgames.com/

www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/page/default.asp?title=Woodlands%20Junior%20School&pid=1

READING & PHONICS:
An inexpensive and easy to use book, that can encourage children with reading, spelling and writing, and really help them to understand Phonics, is reviewed in the MN Book Reviews section. Just search ‘Phonics’ and my name.

Great info

I also have a 6yo DD. Mine is top groups, but also comes home absolutely shattered and there is no way she'd be able to do much in the way of homework so you really have my sympathy - practice is difficult.

We've found that the little things all add up - a couple of minutes here, a quick numeracy task there. When DD was learning to read, we found that reading in the morning whilst I was brushing/plaiting her hair was a really effective use of time. She was stuck anyway so happy to do something to pass the time, but also she was much more able than in the evenings, when I read to her. I don't know what level your DD is currently, but we also found that breaking up the reading - either doing alternate lines with her, or DD reading direct speech (in silly voices!) helped quite a lot to maintain focus and give her a break.

Re numeracy, again, start small. DD's maths improved significantly if she was allowed to keep the smarties if she worked out the answer to "4 red smarties plus three green ones" or "I have 12 smarties, I'm going to eat three, how many are left for you?". I'd also ask her to set the table and ask how many pieces of cutlery total for four people, or point out that there were x toys left on the floor, so how many should each child and/or parent put away... Little things like helping to cut potatoes for dinner and working out how many for each person.

Bribery is also good. DD was rewarded for reading a whole level x book by herself by being allowed to buy a book of her choice at the weekend .

Can you ask one of her siblings to play games with her? Are they older or younger? DD loves to 'teach' her younger brother and explaining it is a really good way of learning.

Numeracy has gone from the National Curriculum and we are back to Mathematics and knowing number bonds and times tables - instant recall!
There will be an "Arithmetic" test this year as well as a Maths test and children will not be allowed number lines, 100 squares or other apparatus.

Which is ridiculous, especially when you consider that one of the Year 2 objectives is 'solve problems with addition and subtraction:
using concrete objects and pictorial representations'.

Just remembered - we also have a times table songs CD which DD likes listening to (strange child). That may help too?

Is she finding the school books daunting? What if you take her to the library and let her choose some books so they're not school books?
Choose really easy books to boost her confidence.
Read them to her first if that helps then get her to read them.

With the maths, I bought a Letts maths workbook with witches and sorcerers in them. They were quite basic and ds enjoyed doing the 'puzzle' book. They're very good.

Thank you for your generosity in providing such incredibly useful information. I have taken it all on board and I'm working on a plan of action. I will let you know how I get on x

We read in the mornings too. Only ten minutes