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Original poster

SATS KS1 Maths in particular

107 replies

Jim999 · 14/02/2018 01:53

TEST

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user789653241 · 04/04/2018 18:12

Steppe, we already told op to ask his dd's school for policy. He doesn't seems to want to. It's just going in circles.

Original poster
Jim999 · 04/04/2018 18:13

Hi, previous posts indicate that teachers have advised parents not to teach them that which I can only assume is so that that the whole class is 'on the same page'........ which page? The one they should be on? or the on that the teacher or slowest pupil is on? Again look up 'Waiting for Superman', I am not prepared to let my grandchildren just be the 'norm'. How do I even know that they are 'doing OK' if we just take that as read?

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Original poster
Jim999 · 04/04/2018 18:16

p.s. thee previous post may seem to have contained an offensive word so just to clarify it wasn't B*s*t it was intended to be B*xt......:-)

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Original poster
Jim999 · 04/04/2018 18:33

Don't need a 'policy' on what they should be being taught, just need to know that they are, that's pretty much the attitude that most people take. Fortunately I am in a position to actually be able to check what level my granddaughter is at against the National Curriculum -- specifically....... She's here at the weekend and just have a few more things to go over just to make sure that when the teacher says 'She doesn't need to do any extra practice' she really means it because from what I can see she hasn't really achieved 'mastery' yet......she is very good but still not where she is capable of being at. She is here maybe 2 or 3 times a month and an hour or so each time has made a huge difference ............. I'll just take a chance on doing it my way rather than just accepting that everything is tickety boo

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user789653241 · 04/04/2018 18:37

No, it doesn't work like that. At least not at my dc's school. They tends to introduce methods which promote understanding rather than just pure calculation first. And move them on to next method, ultimately enabling each child to choose their preferred method to use in the end.

Original poster
Jim999 · 04/04/2018 18:43

Just to maybe put things in perspective.....

When I was in primary school I took, and passed,the 11+ exam......

so did 2 other boys in my class.......

the 3 of us went to a grammar school.......

so what did the teacher tell the parents of the other 29 kids for the 4 years that they were there?

Don't worry they're doing fine.........?????

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steppemum · 04/04/2018 18:45

Jim, there are several reasons why teachers ask parents not to teach stuff.

  1. because many parents don't do a good job of teaching it, and cause more confusion.
  2. because there are steps to teaching stuff, so you make sure a child has a good grounding in the concepts around addition, before you teach them the quick column method. There is an expanded column method that most parents haven't come across, and it is much more logical in terms of explaining how it works, but slower. It is good for a child's concepts to teach the expanded version first.
  3. because for most children it is really confusing to get one method at home and one at school, most kids do better with one method at a time.
  4. because racing ahead with the written side of maths is really not the goal. Yes of course your DGD may be fine/capable etc of learning the column method, but actually at her age the most valuable thing is not racing ahead to the written format, but ensuring that she has really good grasp of addition in a conceptual way, and we mostly do that through practical maths and problem solving. The written method in maths should always come after the concept. Deepening her understanding of how numbers work together is what the new mastery curriculum is all about.

Just to give you an example (which is easier than the level she is on) You can teach a child that 8+2 =10, but the deepening level of understanding means that they then grasp that 8 + 2 will always take them to the next 10. so 18+2=20 and 28+2-30.
Then they understand that also means that 80+20=100 and 800+200 = 1,000.

Original poster
Jim999 · 04/04/2018 18:47

Your assumption is that every child has a preferred method so by definition....

how many different methods?

how many children in the class?

how many different lessons per day teaching those different methods?

when the teacher is teaching the ones they don't like what are they doing?

presumably wasted education time......

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Original poster
Jim999 · 04/04/2018 18:53

Hi, thanks for the comment but I an fully aware of how to understand and do basic arithmetic. Just because I am a grandfather doesn't mean that somehow I have lost the ability to do simple maths calculations, but thanks any way for the tips........

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Original poster
Jim999 · 04/04/2018 18:55

Look up 'Waiting for Superman' then tell me you trust your child's teacher......just because they're nice doesn't mean they are capable of teaching

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user789653241 · 04/04/2018 18:57

IXL is a great site, and my ds has been using it for years. But I think its method is similar to KUMON, which is very controversial. They promote answering question right by repetition. I think it's fine if the child has proper/deep understanding of concept. But if not, he/she will encounter problems in the future.

Original poster
Jim999 · 04/04/2018 18:59

Are you a teacher by any chance?

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Original poster
Jim999 · 04/04/2018 19:01

Are they stating that 1+1 doesn't equal 2 or something?

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Original poster
Jim999 · 04/04/2018 19:04

From what I've seen that is not what IXL is for....it's purely a computer based site.....deeper understanding is your responsibility

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user789653241 · 04/04/2018 19:05

No, I am not a teacher. I am just a parent who has been struggling to find the way to help a child who happens to be mathematically gifted.

Original poster
Jim999 · 04/04/2018 19:06

and if you think it's not correct why are you still using it?

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Original poster
Jim999 · 04/04/2018 19:08

then join the club....your posts come across as very negative so tell more.... how old? male? female?

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Original poster
Jim999 · 04/04/2018 19:09

My 2 were 2 boys, one now 35, one 33 one very gifted at maths the other gifted in other ways

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Original poster
Jim999 · 04/04/2018 19:12

ps the teacher question was not directed at you seems to have gone astray, was directed at Steppemeum

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Original poster
Jim999 · 04/04/2018 19:14

Sorry may have got this one wrong earlier,,,,are you a teacher

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Original poster
Jim999 · 04/04/2018 19:16

I've still not got the hang of this but I think Irvingwhatever has finally got the point let me know

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user789653241 · 04/04/2018 19:17

My child just use ixl to follow national curriculum, so there are no gaps in knowledge. He will learn nothing from it. It's not negative. It's a great site. But for a learning tool, I just don't recommend it since there is no teaching of concept etc.

Original poster
Jim999 · 04/04/2018 19:19

Steppemum - you are very trusting.......

unfortunately I am not......

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Original poster
Jim999 · 04/04/2018 19:26

I'm a bit puzzled about this. I could offer more suggestions but I fail to see why someone would sign up to an educational website then expect it to teach their kids maths .........that's your job, this is just to help you

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Original poster
Jim999 · 04/04/2018 19:34

Please tell me that you are absolutely confident all our young people leave school with a firm understanding of basic mathematics
.
let alone being able to write or spell?

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