Y6 - Survived SATs, onwards to Secondary

[TeenAndTween]

So, having survived SATs with DD2, I'm making a list of what she needs to be better at / be able to do before September:

• walking around town on her own, (in preparation for walking to school)
• wearing a watch and telling the time
• looking after her possessions
• tie a tie

• how to react to potential scenarios at school

• walking downstairs (this is very specific to us I guess)

• handwriting
• keep up the maths

I've had one child all the way through secondary already, so we are familiar with the system, but DD2 is very different from DD1.

Anything you still feel needs work?

Tie shoe laces (DS is hopeless!) but will need to for football boots.

Looking after stuff - phone keys etc

Doing their own hair

Not need reminding about teeth

Getting themselves organised -

Having a sense of urgency/timekeeping/getting where she is meant to be vaguely when she is meant to be there...

Thought of another one:

unlocking the front door
(she has her own key but can't get the knack of combining twisting, handle, push)

Tip: locklaces if they don't want to tie laces.
Don't most kids use a phone to tell the time? Wearing watches is rare nowadays.

Yes lljkk you are probably right that they mainly use a phone.

But: DD2 still struggles to read an analogue clock, and most clocks in schools are analogue. She still struggles to calculate how long it is from 2:50 to 3:15 and how long that is in reality iyswim. Plus phones have to be away in lesson times. i.e. I want her to be able to tell how long it is until the end of lunch, or until the end of an Art lesson.

(Plus I personally don't like people/kids being tied to phones)

cody I like the not needing to be reminded about brushing teeth, we are still working on that one at times too.

Has she got any additional needs that would make it difficult for her to tell the time? I just wondered as you said she finds coming downstairs difficult. If so then maybe one of her friends would be able to help her with what time it is.

DS1 is also in Y6 and will be starting secondary in september. He needs to work on improving his attitude before he gets there...a lot!! Apart from that is quite self sufficient :-)

You can program a phone to show both clocks - it will click -

DD2 needs to learn to remember where she put things down, in order that my hair doesn't go even more grey once she has her own for key

Also if her current attitude to getting ready in the morning continues, she's going to be late roughly every single day, which will not go down well!

Good thread - I'm definitely in the mood to look ahead now!

Umm - maybe you are over thinking this and micromanaging? Because 2 of m DC are post GCSE and neither can read analogue clocks, or have much sense of time, they also were not necessarily great at going to town before year 7, but coped with going to school by themselves just fine.

Duh! "Door" key - have no idea what a for key is.

Doing own hair
Tieing tie

Are the main ones but general thinking ahead/planning, asking self "what will I need/can I organise it myself/do I need help to organise(e.g specific clothing item/food tech ingredients)? But having a 15 year old dd who STILL doesn't think ahead despite repeatedly facing negative consequences, I fear this will be a long term project . Tbf, dd2 already displays a bit more forethought than dd1 so hopefully this will be an easier passage!

Great thread! DS hates wearing a watch, I hadn't really thought about this. Maybe when he starts high school he might decide for himself - usually better that way...

I have been getting him to practice unlocking the door though. There's a bit of a knack to it :)

I'm not sure I would consider being able to tell the time as micromanaging! It may be that even if we have another push on this DD can't retain it, but I'm definitely going to have a go.

iheart DD has some coordination/balance issues. She can do stairs with a bannister, or two feet per step. I'm just a bit concerned she'll get run over by the bigger kids. But she will get a lot of practice at school so may crack it quite quickly.
In my experience looking at y6s over the years, the attitude gets worse at primary after SATs - so watch out!

Another one for the list: writing homework down carefully & legibly so she can actually read what she is being asked to do.

Don't most kids use a phone to tell the time?

And then they find themselves in an exam hall.

The problem with telling the time could be very closely liked to her co-ordination problems. And I would be very worried about introducing more stress about starting secondary school, the anxiety levels seem to be bad enough anyway. And anxiety is often the underlying cause of bolshy behaviour.

OP how many clicks do you have in the house? Any with really numbers in? Do you speak in time?

Quarters halves - in 3 and 1/2 minuets - 27 minuets past etc ?

Language is a real barrier to telling the time

DS has had a rocky Y7 but has made great progress.

If you are worried about your DD, I would offer a few tips

-Show how to slide tie knot so don't need to re tie
-DS has a rucksack with a little phone pocket in the top and a key clip. His door key is solidly tied to this clip with an old lanyard - i.e. thicker than string and impossible to break, when he had a bus pass it was in a plastic badge holder and tied in as well.

-If they don't want to wear a coat,don't make them, one less thing to lose!
-Make friends with tutor/head of year and pastoral team and perhaps have a little pre-meeting so you know what daily support is available and can remind your DD "remember you can always go and see Mrs X in the year office if you are worried"
-Possessions - not much hope, name EVERY THING, we have just bought a 50 pack of pens and pencils as DS can't keep them more than a day.
Is she going with friends? If so that will help a lot with just getting around.

• Watch can be a good idea, digital or analogue.

It will soon become obvious if the writing is an issue, if by first parents evening there are concerns then chase up school for extra support. Find out how you can contact teachers - ours don't mind being emailed with "DS has forgotten homework/lost sheet/can't read own writing" and will often send another sheet or clarify what was needed. DS is being assessed for writing problems, does nearly all homework on computer.

Raising has really good list there.

Luckily having had DD1 go through the system I know the school is excellent with pastoral care and email contact with teachers. I think DD2 is on her school's SEN list so she'll be flagged from the start.

sally lots of 'clicks', including still an ELC one proudly on display . Sadly this isn't something we have never bothered with, it seems to be one of the collection of random things she struggles with (which so far I've been unable to find a pattern for)

Having been through the transition fairly recently l would say learning to be organised and as a parent learning to step back is key.

Allow them to take responsibility for packing their bag, remembering homework, lunch and PE kit from now on
Put a planner with their timetable including activities like football, swimming etc. on the wall
Get into the habit of getting everything ready the night before using planner
Do some trial runs of journey to the new school especially if this involves taking public transport.

My DD is also in yr6 and all your DCs sound just like her - phew!!!

She's usually away with the fairies and I too worry about her writing homework down, listening carefully and just generally knowing what she's supposed to be doing!
She seems too little for secondary school

Yes to all the above brilliant advice, especially packing the night before and having a timetable on the wall.

I'd also add a couple of hard-learnt lessons.

Plastic A4 envelopes - a friend told me to buy these, which I did, but unfortunately I didn't impress upon my ds that he should actually use them. All homework comes back in scrunched little balls of ugliness, including really important bits that are going towards his end of year assessments.

Snacks. He'd grown out of having to have a snack at primary school and generally I'm a bit anti them as I worry they take away appetite for meals. However, the combination of an earlier breakfast (due to longer school journey) and later lunch means that he was getting almost ill having a six hour gap with no food.

This is so useful. I think we've sheltered our DD a bit because of where we live and her anxiety, so although we have been doing baby steps, it's time to ramp it up! Thanks. Great thread.

DS is also terrible at telling the time.
And needs to learn how to tie a tie.
And be reminded to brush teeth, flush toilet, wash hands.... Gaaah!

My main worry is getting him out the house on his own having eaten and brushed his teeth. ATM we leave the house at 7am and he gets dropped at Grandparents. Secondary school is opposite our house but I will still have to leave at 7am for work. I'll be ringing him every 15 mins from a packed commuter train to make sure he's dressed and ready to go.