will she ever catch up or is she doomed????

[ratclare]

In brief my dd is an august birthday and started school last year ,when she had just turned four. She spent reception colouring in and being told she wasnt ready to learn yet ,as a result when the new teacher started in september ,my dd didnt recognise all the alphabet ,couldnt read and in the words of the teacher 'is the most switched off child she had ever met at that age '. I knew there was a problem last year but as the teacher was leaving i didnt see much point in pushing the issue. Now my dd is doing the same homework as the reception kids and is miles behind. My mum is giving her extra lessons ( 30 years primary experience ) but im so worried she will never catch up and that the old teacher has basically ruined her for good ,i know im probably being melodramatic but i feel so sorry for my dd

She is still little, and it will take time for her to catch up, but she will. In Europe a lot of children do not start school until seven.

It has to be remembered that your dd is about the same age as the reception kids.

It sounds like that your dd teacher is useless as a chocolate teapot. There is no point in saying that a child is the most switched off child they have ever met. It is the teacher's job to switch her on and get her interested.

If she is so behind then the school should provide some one to one help to help catch up. A teacher insulting a child is pathetic rather than sympathetic.

Hi. Could have written your message today also about my dd 5.5, who started at 4 as well and now we are paying the price. Your dd's teacher sounds

My dd is receiving learning support and is extremely shy and unforthcoming in class. I am also at the end of my tether and feel the same way as you do. The teacher in my case is in her last year of teaching before retirement, has no children of her own and is about as nurturing as my little toe..

So just bumping this up rather than being of any help. Just wanted to let you know that you are not alone and I am experiencing similar feelings of despair on whether dd will ever catch up etc.

Reallytired, I hope you're right about them catching up....

There is an immense difference between 5.3 and 6.2 (ages across the year group). Your dd is of course not ruined for life and she will catch up. Don't forget that they make allowances for the age difference within a year group even at 11.

My brother was born on 6th September, but he went into the year above as the youngest rather than the year below as the oldest. He went on to become Head Boy and graduated from Oxford.

No she isn't ruined for life. DS#1 wasn't reading at all when he went into yr 1, his writing, such as it was, was illegible and his interest was non-existent. By the end of yr 1 he was reading reasonably well and his whole attitude had changed. Now, in Yr 6 he is on the top set for literacy and maths and flying along in science. House points all over the place. It took time if I'm honest but the most important thing is that she doesn't get switched off school. DD was more of a slow burn, she didn't get the light bulb moment, she just learned slowly and surely and is doing very well in Yr4.

It is so easy to get caught up in the ridiculous gallop that reception seems to have become. I'm just a guilty of it and this is my thrid time round...

Don't worry. She is still very little and she will catch up. And as she is a bit older know she is probably more likely to pick it up quickly and make fast progress now.

thanks everyone for your helpful comments ,just to say that the teacher who said she was switched off ,was actually drawing attention to the fact that dd had had no input in the previous year and so had switched off to learning ,i have to say that this new teacher is really on the ball ,obviousley likes and enjoys her job and is great with the kids .

ratclare, my DS1 was born end of August but was actually due 2nd October so if he hadn't been premature he would have been in year below.

When he started reception he really struggled but by the end of Year 1 he was flying.

Good luck!