How can I help DD catch up?

[JemandScout]

DD is in year 5, young for her age but well behaved. Her teacher approached me yesterday to say she is behind the other children and can I come in next week for a chat with a possibility of a SENCO referral. I am not an expert but I don't think this is a SEN (happy for tests to be done though). I think it's confidence and just being immature. I want to help her at home. Has anyone managed to get their child to catch up and if so, how?

I will add she has always been bumping along the bottom to middle of the class. At both parents evening last year we were told all was well but that didn't seem to be the case when we got her report back, but the teacher left soon after so no chance to discuss. I am a bit surprised by the mention of SENCO. I have observed her inability to be organised (but she's 9!), she seems to forget things when she needs to use then and gets muddled (still struggles with her 2 x tables despite us going over them and can't deal with puzzles. Fine with sums but not where she had to work something out that's written. We read everyday and she often misses lines or words.

I think it's good that the school are looking at some extra help for your daughter. Too often, kids who are doing ok, but maybe not quite as well as they could, get ignored...

I am not a teacher, but I loved helping my kids when they were little.

My gut instinct about maths teaching is that it becomes too abstract too soon for some children. If I were you, I would get her to do addition and multiplication with concrete objects, (rather than doing x tables) so she gets more of a feeling for what multiplying actually is. I have been surprised by how children often don't really understand what "times" means, even when they are quite old. With my kids I used to say "piles of" for "times", as in "2 piles of 12 smarties". I also used Cuisinaire rods, very old fashioned, but still good!!
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Doesn't sound like a confidence or maturity issue tbh. I'd go to the senco meeting with an open mind. If she hasn't grasped the basics such as 2 x tables then she may well be more behind the others than you realise and there may be a reason for it where some specific help tailored to that could be beneficial

If it turns out to be a SEN, that may actually be a relief for your daughter to understand why the rest of the class learns differently from her.

The school will likely have suggestions for you on how to support your daughter. Definitely go in with an open mind, and if you're at a good school, the school isn't interested in blaming you or your child but in finding a good way to help your child more easily find her way to the middle of the class.

Agree with pp - year 5 and not yet mastered 2 times tables is very far behind, not a bit behind or a bit immature. There must be a learning disability at play here and you and her need strategies to deal with it.

I'm a teacher.

If I had a child in my class who was below national average then I would have to be explaining to my head what I was doing to ensure they were progressing. This would include booster classes, speaking to parents, accessing support from SENDCO, offering children additional support in lunchtimes etc.
If a parent turned down any of that support then they would be asked to attend a meeting with the head of year/phase to talk about why they aren't accessing all the support available for their child (sometimes this happens because of parents language barriers or their own experiences of education).

With SATS happening when she is in year 6, year 5 will be a lot of ensuring the basics are there and the teacher planning in catch up. Basics at that age will be all the times tables up to 10, so if she is struggling with the 2x then the school will want to do things now so she has a better chance in her SATS too.

Obviously all schools are different but many are very focused on attainment and hitting the correct goals.

Gosh I’d jump at the SEN offer, they’re a great source of information and support.

Hi it's fantastic the school have noticed and are talking about a SEN referral, as others have said it sounds like she could be substantially behind in some areas. An assessment will find all this out but will also look at strengths as well.

It's a scary time and everyone will fill your heads with advice and opinion very often without having a child with a learning difference.

My son has ADHD (inattentive), dyslexia & poor executive function your daughter sounds similar.

No I don't think she is bottom of middle ability, not at least in maths, in her class if she struggles with 2 times table.
Requirement of new NC, I believe is for children to know all the times tables up to 12x at the end of Yr4. And at my ds's school they spent most of yr4 doing that.
With reading, missing line or words used to happen when my ds was just starting getting used to reading aloud fluently,.
It's good that school acknowledged her difficulty now, than when she started in secondary.
My ds doesn't have diagnosis, but I pretty much think he has some sen. It's nothing scary. It could be borderline like my ds, but knowing about tendencies and characteristics would help you help your dd.
Just take onboard the advice fro senco and read/research about it. It will benefit your child, and help you help her succeed in her life.

ok - organisational skills and times tables confusion - have you ever looked at dyspraxia?
I think I would jumo at any help offered, At the least they may do a plan with specific things on it that you can work at at home.
In year 5 she could easily do 10 minutes a day with you on something and much better to be targetting the same thing with her as school is working on.

There are loads of good maths games you can print off to practice various maths things se needs help with.

I agree with others though, not having 2x tables, that is a real concern - that is a year 1 or 2 goal.

I was also posting to say have you looked at possible dyspraxia a few things you mention fit.
I'd speak to school and take it from there, they will be able to suggest how best to support at home. Also good to start now so wheels in motion for maybe extra time/support with Sats and for high school transfer.

Thanks all. I am going to look up dyslexia. I am open to any help, including SENCO. It's just a gut feeling. The weird thing is she can reel off 6 times and 7 times tables.

I meant dyspraxia

Maybe she can reel off 6 and 7 times tables because they are rote-learning them in school, and she struggles with the 2s because they rote-learned them years ago and she has forgotten.

Some kids don't understand what times tables actually mean, even though they can reel them off. Does she understand the concept of multiplication?

Definitely jump at the chance. They might have an insight into the way she might learn the best. For example little point in chanting tables at him if she would benefit more from getting out some Lego and seeing the times tables as the numbers increase.

My daughter is very articulate yet has Irlens syndrome which means that she has visual disturbance and will miss out letters/ words/ lines if not wearing her glasses. She had similar issues with maths the sum might be 35+25 but the numbers would move around and become 35+52 so she would get 87 instead of 60. Verbally she could do it but as soon as it was written down it would go.

They may not be worried about a global delay in everything, but in specific areas which make it hard for her to access the curriculum. Far better to work on it now so she is set up with a solid base for secondary. At secondary the teachers will be busy teaching the secondary curriculum not going over the two times tables again.

Extra work at home will help but I would get the referral so at least you know what you are dealing with.

I'd jump at any help. It's not about attaching a label to her, it should be more about looking at strategies to help her learn.