Summer-born children starting school in Sept 2006. How did they do?

[expeLYRAmus]

DS1 started reception just a couple of weeks after he turned four, which I thought was way too young but there wasn't much choice.
But he's adapted to it nicely, absolutely loves his school, teacher and friends and has had a lot of fun.
He's reading reasonably well and his writing is just about legible but he does some letters back to front. He can add up but isn't too good at taking away yet.
Anyone else's little one in the same boat?

My DS1 is exactly the same as yours - started school 2 weeks after he turned four. He has also adapted really well. He had some behavioural issues in the autumn term: basically, he was just too darn silly at times! But in terms of school work he's doing really well. He's on blue level reading books and his handwriting, although not great, is certainly legible. I think what has helped him though (apart from being at a fabbo school) is that there are quite a few summer babies in his class so possibly his lack of maturity didn't stand out too much.

Mine's also been pretty silly at times. I've tried not to put too much pressure on him because he is still so little. Some in his class are a whole year older than him, give or take a few weeks.

.

DS2 started in Sept 06 - and he's an Aug baby.

Has been fine and is doing OK, although the difference between the eldest and youngest (him!) is very marked.

I think one issue was that he was taught all the Phonic sounds in the first term, when he was only half days, and I'm not sure all of it 'sank in'. We had to do a lot of reinforcing, and I'd say he is only just getting the hang of reading now.

The class teacher is happy with his progress though, and I'm pretty sure he'll begin to catch up over the next couple of years.

Glad he's doing well, Legacy. I don't think they expect as much from the tiny ones in reception because they're still babies really.

Although not a Sept 06 starter, my dd is a summer baby (her birthday was yesterday ). She is finishing Y2 and we have just had her SAT's results and she got 3 3's, a 2a and a 2b. So what i am trying to say is that on the whole i think they do and can keep up with their peers academically. I agree it is the emotional stuff that makes them stand out a bit more on occasions.

I'm sure they will all do fine. Have fun in the holidays and look foward to Y1

Thnaks .
I don't understand SATs results. Are those grades very good? Average?

Sorry, a 2b is supposed to be average, so a 2a is a bit above average, and a 3 is the highest they can get.
Wasn't telling you to blow my/dd own trumpet, but just to give you hope that they can keep up with the work.
She has had lots of emotional difficulties (trying to be older than she is), but that wasn't helped by the fact that last year when she went into Y1, she was put into a mixed Y1/Y2 class. This meant that although she had only just turned 5 she was with children that potentially could be turning 7. She did struggle with that 2 year gap, but overcame it. Trouble is she is quite tall for her age ( or at least as tall as those born in the November etc.), and so i think that the teachers sometimes forgot how old she was iyswim.
This year has been totally different because she has again been in a Y1/Y2 class but is obviously not the youngest, and has thrived.

Sorry for long ramble.

DD is 31st July birthday and she had no problems at all, although she has been in ft childcare since 10 weeks.

No, it's very interesting.
Come to think of it, my friend's DD is two days younger than my DS and she's in the top sets for maths and English. So they don't necessarily have to lag behind because of their age, do they.
I haven't done much work with DS outside school because he's so little and was very tired after school after going full time in January. I'll put a bit more effort in when he starts year 1.

My DS has really struggled at school being one of the youngest. He is the smallest in the class and quite immature. He is now year 2 and got all 2s in his SATs which is average nationally but low for the school. He did not seem to make any real progress academically in RY and Y1 but now appears to be catching up rapidly. With the girls, it did not seem to make any difference with the exception of one but all of the ones struggling were the younger boys. I don't know why. My DD (3) will also be one of the youngest but at least I know how to help her now. It was a learning curve for us with DS.

Dd is also an August baby who started in September 2006. She settled in brilliantly from a social pov but we were told by the teacher, about half-way through the year, that she would avoid settling down to work - by which they mean written work - whenever possible. However with a little extra encouragement from home, this seems to have been resolved and her reading can really blow me away sometimes . All in all, I reckon she's been much better off starting school when she did. Can't imagine how it would have been waiting another 11 months, had she been born in September.

Hi,

I guess it all depends on what your kid is like really.

My DD is a June baby and she just had her KS1 results and got all levels 3s, so starting reception as one of the youngest didn't affect her. She was always in on the top table with the two eldest in the class. She did go to nursery though from the age of 4 months and so I do believe this helped her as they covered a lot of reception work in pre-school.

My son (July) is due to start school September 2008 and I am not so sure he will do as well he still seams like a baby to us compared to when DD was 3. Hope he will be fine though.

my dd is a june baby too. She started school in Jan. I asked if she had caught up with the september intake and the teacher looked surprised and said 'well yes, in fact she is ahead of most of them'

she can read books from yr1, do adding, subtraction, and knows most of the tables. She has a go at writing sentences though spelling very dodgy!

so all is not lost for summer babies!