What support can I realistically expect for Reception child who is 1-2 years ahead in maths?

[Mrscog]

DS has settled into school pretty well, but I am concerned that his thirst for learning has gone. Before reception he was at a brilliant nursery which was so well resourced that each child had genuinely well set goals tailored to them. DS is pretty much at ELG stage for everything already, and in most areas it's not a problem, but he is super ahead in maths. His nursery said that they had never had a child so young so able at maths, and I sort of brushed it off, but having done a bit of research myself he can easily do everything outlined not just for the ELG but also year 1 and in some areas year 2.

I get that reception is a play based year, and I have no problem with that, but he is expressing disappointment with learning to count to 10 etc. At home he's adding and subtracting simple fractions and asking about negative numbers.

Anyway, it's parents evening soon, and I want to know if I should mention anything with school. It is a small school and he's in a mixed Yr R/year 1 class, so there might be an opportunity to at least do some of the yr1 maths activities.

Parents - what would you do?
Teachers - how should I approach this?

[forkfun]

My son's primary was brilliant with my son, who at reception was also very ahead in maths. The teacher brought it up with me (he was my first, so I didn't really know that he was so ahead). The school had lots of breakout areas and a TA would work with him and a few Year 1 and 2 kids. He really thrived - he was so into numbers.
Now he's in year 8, in top set but by no means ahead of anyone.
Anyway, point is, I think a good school should stretch your child. It's no good for young minds to be bored when they want to learn. I understand there's a whole class to think of, but having taught myself (not maths) it's really not that difficult to provide different activities/materials/questions to keep bright kids engaged.
For those saying your child should focus on writing numbers - well, yes, that's part of learning, but it really won't satisfy a child who is keen to explore numbers further. It's handwriting, rather than maths.

[ritzbiscuits]

My DS is exceptionally good at maths, and we are now Year 1 in a state school.

Now I've seen the shift to a Year 1 more formal classroom environment, it has really cemented to me how Reception is solely play based, exploratory learning and an introduction to school really. Settling socially and gaining independence (looking after all your things and being able to manage the school day) are as important as any learning.

We had such a conversation with the (excellent) reception teacher and she pushed him as much as boundaries allowed. He was calculating 2 digit sums while others were doing 1, he was given the Numicon teachers resource set to play with, as the standard set was too small for him. She encouraged me to buy that set and gave us some additional activities to do at home. She said the key at this stage was to full make sure he understood what the physical values actually were, as well as being able to do the sum. I must say, I don't think I needed to have had that conversation, as he would have been identified anyway, but that's not the case with every teacher/school.

To add to this, at home I've taught him the time, play extensively with money, bought time tables flash cards which he's pretty much learnt too. No pressure, just added these in as games for him to try. Also look up the app Scratch Jr, as I've started to teach him to 'code' his own animations. Another area to explore that's mathematically related.

In Year 1, he is much happier in the more formal room setting, and is being set maths worksheets offering different levels of difficulty. At this stage he's doing +1/-1 and I think counting in 2s/5s/10s will be coming soon. He can already do all of this, but I don't really see the massive need to be pushing him excessively ahead of others in the school environment.

I'll be talking to the new teacher at parents evening about this in a couple of weeks, but most likely expect to be doing additional maths work/games at home rather than expecting the school to bump him up a year or two.

In the meantime, I've bought a Letts 6-7 maths book to do with him at home. This is as much to practice his writing of numbers, as he can do the maths but is still struggling to write certain numbers the right way around (left handed issue!)

Personally, I think the suggestion of getting a tutor at this stage is completely unnecessary. Let him enjoy his introduction to the school environment, add some additional maths play at home and also consider focusing on other areas that he may not be as strong in (reading/handwriting were two for us).

[Ceara]

I would say don't expect too much, if our experience is any guide. At year R parents evening last November we were told DS's next step was learning numbers to ten and to count on or back one. I raised an eyebrow, and got a condescending spiel about the difference between reciting numbers by rote, and understanding one to one correspondence. (At home he was using money confidently, and telling the time, and asking questions about big numbers and infinity.) Turned out he'd totally tuned out of the maths activities at school, so they hadn't observed him jumping through the hoops. They've now seen he can do what the curriculum requires, but he still finds maths tedious and boring at school and does the minimum necessary - and nobody looks to see what he can do beyond the standard curriculum for his year. So we do the fun maths (and science) at home, and I know he puts his energy at school into other things - like reading, which is much harder for him, and playing with his mates.

[cabbageking]

If the initial assessment is high, school will ensure progress is relative to this.
A higher start level means the child's target levels will be just as high.
If they don't cater for high achievers their data will highlight this gap and prompt questions. The aim is not to get all children to the same ARE but to a level in line with their starting level. This is how progress is measured.

The starting level in Reception will also be compared to KS1 and KS2 outcomes as a measure of progress. To not cater for a bright child disadvantages the school and is lazy teaching.

[Embracelife]

Brining in music outside school eg piano could be a great idea

[CoastalWave]

Realistically, not much. Unless your child is actually gifted (and by this I mean sitting A level Maths at age 9 - yes, I've had that child in my Year 4 class), we class them as 'bright' hence we will differentiate accordingly. However, most schools will not want children digging too far into the next year's curriculum if I'm honest. It can be very frustrating from a teacher's point of view too.

I might just add though that I've had a few children described as you have above. They may well have been bright academically, but all of them lacked social skills and the ability to mix well with their peers. Personally, if it were my child , I would allow them to chance to enjoy school. It makes zero difference at primary how bright academically they are. As stated above, unless exceptionally gifted, they will still follow the same path as their peers.

If you're desperate to give them more thirst for learning so to speak, just engage them at weekends with trips to museums etc. You could always get a tutor in to work with them on their grammar and writing. Pointless to push them too far ahead in maths as they will then become incredibly bored in school.

[shoebedobedobedobedoo]

Talk to the maths lead and your teacher to try and get him more suitable work

I know this wasn’t directed at me, but my DS’s teacher IS the maths lead.

[BubblesBuddy]

Schools must have a maths lead teacher. I know YR in some schools isn’t play based for all. My DD was in an exceptional year group and learned at lot! Her state school definitely stretched brighter children so they were not bored and recognised them too.

DD2 went to a prep where many DC got scholarships to senior schools. They certainly knew an excelling child when they saw one. Not all schools fail to recognise or teach gifted children.

Talk to the maths lead and your teacher to try and get him more suitable work.

[shoebedobedobedobedoo]

IME none. DS in yr 2 at 3rd school. We moved him from state to private because of this. Private school 1 did nothing. We unexpected had to relocate. Private school 2 have been actively obstructive. As far as I’m concerned they think they have a bright kid and don’t need to do anything with his skills. I’ve had 3 meetings with his teacher this 1/2 term. He is bored. Might as well talk to the wall.

[cabbageking]

You just ask if he has settled in and how is he doing.
Be led by the teachers response.
You might only get a 10 minute slot so let the teacher inform you.

[Mrscog]

Has anyone got any advice about what exactly to say to the teacher - given that everyone thinks their child is god's gift, without making her think I'm being overly pushy etc? All I really want is for it to be borne in mind that he is pretty capable and interested in certain things. I've just had a 30 minute conversation with him about photosynthesis - he has an older sibling and listens in and just picks it up and asks for more and more.

[Feenie]

The school should be able to share data with you (Quantitative Score - through GL Assessments) which should enable both you and them to monitor progress over the year.

No, they shouldn't - not through GL assessments, anyway. They're in no way statutory and unlikely to be used.

[cabbageking]

They can move the child to work in year 1 in appropriate subjects or in small groups of children of the same ability. This is normal practice based on the childs development.
They already do double digits in Reception class for some children.
The work will be based upon the childs starting level assessment and this is often at odds with information from nursery.
Parents evening would be about establishing his starting level and if any interventions are planed.

[LordProfFekkoThePenguinPhD]

Maybe try Kumon? The thing about kids who are good at maths is that early arithmetic can be done quickly and easily in their head but they really need to learn how to write down their sums, show working out, checking their work, etc.

[Mrscog]

Thank you everyone for your thoughtful responses, they're really helpful. He's 4.5 so middle of year in terms of age.

I'm not really after wanting to 'push' him at all - I don't really see the point, he's in the state sector and there is no chance of private where I think there might be more to gain through going 'ahead' because they're more geared up for it. However, I have noticed a change between nursery and school - after nursery he'd be brimming with joy and always have new things to tell me, whereas although he enjoys school and has friends he seems to find it just a bit underwhelming and I think it's because of the levelling the playing field, which I understand and support as an approach - it's one that suited my other DS very well.

There are some ideas here for me with things I can do more of at home too - money and time. He can do the basics of both, but actually I can think of lots of brilliant game type things we could do that he'd enjoy.

I've already added in some extra curricular 'stretch' with taekwondo and drama and he really enjoys both of those.

I agree with the sentiment about reception being about another year of play and exploring things deeply - I just think they're probably not going deep enough for DS. And yes, I would agree it's too early to know whether he's gifted or just ahead of the curve for now, but equally I would like him to remain as enthusastic about learning things as he has been up until now.

@Happyspud I had wondered about tutoring, but I wasn't sure if I'd get someone who would be able to just provide fun exploration at the right level rather than pushing ahead. Is it something you've had any experience of?

[Kathy11]

Hi

Definitely raise at Parent's Evening. Play based is great - but outstanding schools foster a love of learning and should encourage every child in their areas of interest.

The school should be able to share data with you (Quantitative Score - through GL Assessments) which should enable both you and them to monitor progress over the year.

Hope this helps :)

[Siddalee]

In schools now harder maths isn't about bigger numbers but about reasoning and problem solving leading to a deep understanding (mastery).

For example a Y1 child who can add together two single digit numbers won't be moved onto two digit numbers. Instead they'll be directed to deepen their understanding (mastery) through reasoning -for example if the calculation 6 +7 they will explore the many different ways this calculation could be completed

e.g
Bridging through ten 6+4+3
Near doubles 7 +7 -1
Doubles 6+6+1
looking for patterns- I know 5+5 = 10 so its 10 +1+2

In the same way a child asked to divide a square into quarters may explore

• four triangles
  

-four squares
-four rectangles
-two squares and two rectangles

• divide the shape into16 smaller squares and cut out four irregular shapes each one containing 4 of the smaller squares

[FinnMcMissile]

My 5 year old is in Y1 and also very good at maths. His reception teacher said he was a strong mathematician, but I'm not aware that they gave him any different work, or that they do now in Y1. To be fair, we have never asked either. He rarely talks about maths he has learnt at school, yet at home, particularly if left to his own devices e.g. over the summer holidays, he has done things like work out all the prime numbers up to, say, 30, and figure out all the different ways you can split up a give number evenly. He did a lot of this with blocks, and with very little input from us.

I have bought him a couple of maths related things for home, e.g. a bingo game where the bingo card has numbers expressed as e.g. 22 x 2 or 38 + 6 etc

[cometothinkofit]

In my experience, none whatever.

[Onatreebyariver]

It isn’t about pushing a child, or school being about so much more than maths. Those are both correct but it’s also about a child not being bored.

In reception they usually need to learn to write the numbers correctly. So he may be great at mental maths but can he write a 5 neatly and the right way?

I think (going by my experience which I posted above) that year 1 is when they will really start differentiating more fully.

Reception is so play based. Think of it as another nursery year really.

[InspireMyHoliday]

Is he nearly 5 or just turned 4? How old he is makes a big difference. Can he tell the time and use money?

[mumderland]

My DS is advanced in maths too, much on the same level as your DS. He even corrects my maths sometimes!
When he was in reception his teacher was brilliant and did a separate lesson plan for him pulling work from ks1 and this has continued now he's in year 1. The teacher lets him use his "own" numbers rather than just 1-20 that the rest of the class are on.
Do you play number games/do maths work at home with him as you know what he's capable of?

[brilliotic]

Tbh, I don't think you can expect much, but you can always hope!

Getting Y1 work would be quite the opposite of what you'd want, I think. Reception stuff tends to be much more open-ended, allowing the child to pursue it as widely and deeply as they care for. For example DD in reception used to bring home sheets of blank paper on which she had worked out number bonds to 100. Now in Y1 she gets worksheets where she has to find 'one more' or 'one less' than a number, and there is a lot less scope to go anywhere beyond the specific (usually very simple) task set.

What you can hope for, IMO, is that the reception teacher provides resources and time for the children to explore maths things deeply. You can also hope that as it is a mixed class, they might use this kind of 'reception' approach also in Y1!

Once we had started on the NC from Y1, we found that occasionally DS would get 'challenge' problems that were interesting and fun, but generally he just learned to make sure he got things right at school, and that fun maths would have to wait for at home. Now in Y5 though we may have struck lucky with a teacher who is going beyond the expected to engage and challenge him.

[Lolakath19]

What can your son do concretely? can he add/substranct 2 digits numbers together (with carry over), can he read time, knows time table?
I am sure teacher are assessing children regularly (maybe that is a question you can ask at the next parents meeting)

[ScatteredMama82]

School is about more than doing sums though. I wouldn't be keen to be 'pushing' a child that young. By all means do things to keep him interested but I'd be wary of basing your assessment on some googling and what the nursery worker said. Sorry, I know everyone wants to think of their child as gifted, and maybe he is, but if he is gifted he's not suddenly going to become 'ungifted'. Through his school work his abilities will still be obvious.
Your son attended a nursery where it sounds like they started the EYFS curriculum early. He's obviously a bright child who picked it up quickly. Maybe the kid next to him in class didn't go to nursery, maybe he spent his days with Grandma making cakes and finger painting. Based on what times tables your son can do compared to his little friend, he may well appear gifted. That doesn't mean his friend isn't. What will happen now, throughout reception is that they will level off. Reception kids are a blank canvas. Some are nearly 5 when they start (like my sons) or some are only just 4. That makes for a huge variety of ability too, and again it tends to level off by the time they are in Yr 2.

Just let your son enjoy school. Telling him he is gifted and pushing him at this young age won't really do him any favours IMO.