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Primary education

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Original poster

SATS pressure - how to assist little ones to handle it??

41 replies

MrMariella · 07/05/2007 19:40

7 y.o. dd has had SATS, and it has been disturbing.

Her mum tells me that she found her crying as she thought she was 'thick' because she couldn't answer some of the questions. The head DID let us know that she had 'scored' a 2b, and that is what is expected as a norm.

I have dd every Monday, and alternative Wednesdays in the week, and we do whatever homework is set. She breezes through it, as she wants to play "Travel the World" or watch Drake and Josh. ( think she has an early years crush on Drake).

My point is that SATS appear to have reduced a happy, clever, confident little girl into a wreck, doubting her own ability and causing her emotional distress.

It looks like SATS are here to stay. Sooo, would anyone have good tips to offer on how best to assist dd in dealing with all of this?? I try to do all of the motivational stuff, praising and helping her whenever I can. Are there any particular gambits/techniques/philosophies to share that are shown to work, or just should work as it is consistent good parenting??

Any ideas very gratefully received. Thanks.

OP posts:
cece · 07/05/2007 19:46

At her age she is not supposed to know she is doing them so something is going on here...

Original poster
MrMariella · 07/05/2007 19:48

Didn't know that, thanks.

She did know. She told mum about it. Odd.

OP posts:
Saturn74 · 07/05/2007 19:49

I agree with cece.
And SATS are optional of course, so that is perhaps something to consider for the future.

MaureenMLove · 07/05/2007 19:55

Try to explain to her that the stats in year two are purely for the teachers to find out where they need help. Its not a test, its an assessment. Trouble is, it may be that parents of other kids are taking them too seriously and in turn this is being discussed in the playground. Its a very difficult one to make them understand tbh. My dd was exactly the same, she's a happy, studious kid, no problems with school at all, breezed through it all, but when it came down to stats, she fell apart. I think all you can do, is listen to her. Not much help, but good luck.

ArcticRoll · 07/05/2007 19:57

At my ds's school they kept it very low key.
He didn't know anything about it.

Original poster
MrMariella · 07/05/2007 20:14

crumbs! Optional and discreet?? Neither notions seem to be applicable here, but thank you very much for this. I think I need to check out with dd's mum exactly what has happened, without making any more of a fuss.

The other day we were playing word games - I say a word, she writes it down and says a sentence with it in, showing proper usage...

Me: "Well"

dd:> "That was well good!"...,and a big grin.....

we live too close to Manchester...

OP posts:
tigi · 07/05/2007 20:35

my ds having his at mo. I've not said a word. we did have a meeting at school to tell us about them, but it really is a check on what the teachers have taught them, there is no benefit to the child except it measures ther progress as they go through school years. At the meeting, I think 5 parents turned up! I certainly haven't done a thing at home to prepare him.

kookaburra · 08/05/2007 17:18

Think DS2 is doing this week or next, but there is no pressure that I have heard, certainly not at home. Aren't the SATS for the school's benefit - ie league tables - rather than the child's?

squidette · 08/05/2007 17:26

My son must have done SATs last year, but i never knew. Afterwards, he told me that they had some some tests to see how well the teacher could explain things to them.

Perhaps explaining that the tests are for the teachers to see areas that they need to practise on or change the way they explain things will help?

FAR too much emphasis given on the tests and the results. Let her know that the tests are NOT important and talk to her about her day and the stuff that SHE found interesting and fun. In the car on the way back from school we have best-bits and worst-bits - we all get to say what the favourite and unfavourite parts of our day were. It takes the emphasis off expectations and put it back onto each person's experiences. Maybe that would help?

roisin · 08/05/2007 18:48

At our school my boys have not been aware of KS1 SATs at the time; and I do not think children should be under such pressure.

In terms of what you describe though I would say to your dd that she shouldn't expect to always be able to do everything easily, and to complete it within the time allowed and to get top marks.
One of my favourite phrases is "if you don't get anything wrong, you're not learning, you're just practising."

One of my gripes with current education system in this country is that it doesn't always challenge and stretch all children, to the extent that they get used to finding work easy, and they do not learn the techniques of persevering with a difficult problem, trying different approaches, and sometimes just accepting that they won't get 100% all the time.

NoodleStroodle · 08/05/2007 18:57

We have these looming for DD and school have sent home a revision list!! Urm...I think not. We ignore - don't think they take into account learning issues etc. I am only really interested in how children do compared to peers. Narrow minded perahps but I will not stress out my 9 year old.

roisin · 08/05/2007 18:59

Why is she doing SATs at 9?

I must admit the fact that the independent school does not do KS3 SATs weighs heavily in their favour as far as we are concerned.

NoodleStroodle · 08/05/2007 19:03

Urm - I don't know - is there something wrong with that?

roisin · 08/05/2007 19:08

Well they do KS2 SATs in yr6 (aged 10-11) next week, I think. Most schools do 'optional SATs' with yrs3-5 at the same time to monitor progress. But revision lists for optional SATs is ridiculous.

I presume ds1 will do optional SATs next week. This week they are all spending up at a YHA in the Lake District, doing walking, pond dipping, swimming, etc. They certainly won't be cramming for optional SATs.

Tbh I wish they did that the week before SATs in yr6 actually

NoodleStroodle · 08/05/2007 19:17

We must be opting into some opetion SATs. Anyway we don't take them seriously in this house - like many other govt initiatives...

Enid · 08/05/2007 19:27

I think dd1 (year 2) may be doing sats at the moment

she said she did some quizzes at school

she seems undisturbed, they don't make a big thing of it, I am pretty sure we dont get the results either

Original poster
MrMariella · 08/05/2007 19:55

yes Enid, it is YR2 SATS that dd (aged 7) was upset about.

IT does seem to be fairly inconsistent as to how things are managed, school to school?

I don't expect, or even wish her to get everything right all of the time..it was the degree of upset over something that I am learning is optional, and supposed to be discreet that led me to post.

I have picked up one or two tips/aproaches from this thread, so thank you very much for posting.

OP posts:
MrsWho · 08/05/2007 21:42

Dd1 has been talking bout them for a couple of weeks she seems to like them but she hasn't actually mentioned doing them differently (ie the REAL thing as opposed to the practice one they have been doing)

Roisin- are you considering the private school?

cece · 08/05/2007 22:56

Enid you will be given their results.

roisin · 09/05/2007 07:48

MrsWho - yes, C highly probable for ds1.

Enid · 09/05/2007 09:48

oh really? well am confidently expecting them to be dufferish but it doesn't actually MATTER does it?

Enid · 09/05/2007 09:48

oh really? well am confidently expecting them to be dufferish but it doesn't actually MATTER does it?

RosaLuxembourg · 09/05/2007 11:41

DD2 has her maths paper today - she says if she does well enough she will have to do a harder one tomorrow (the level three one). I have explained that they are testing how much the teacher has taught them. I don't think she is nervous, but she is worried that she won't do well enough to sit the level three. (Teacher says she is on course for 2A but might get a three with a bit of luck so I expect she will have to sit it).

fennel · 09/05/2007 11:44

My yr 2 dd doesn't know she's about to do them, I only know cos I quizzed the teacher after reading about them on Mumsnet.

It is possible the rest of the class knows, dd1 is a bit scatty.

but as Enid says, it doesn't actually matter anyway, what they get. their future isn't going to depend on it.

motherinferior · 09/05/2007 11:47

Poor little love. If you look round MN you will find some parents getting their knickers frightfully twisted about SATS and even doing practice papers but I'm hoping DD1's school maintains a magnificent vagueness about them next year. (I suspect it will, somehow. VG on magnificent vagueness, DD1's school .)

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