My son’s academics…

[PinkPavlova]

My son, 8, has just come home today and said at school they’re doing a writing project, but no one checked his work. He is very good at English and loves it, so I told my husband and he thinks because our son’s so good at English they don’t want to check his work. Is that common issue, and any advice?

This is a section of MN for university employees. Best to post in the primary school section.

Although I'd guess your DH is wrong.

I don't understand. So he did some writing today and no adult looked at it yet?

Our children are completing writing assessments this week, so they write " independently" and no one checks their work until after it is completed, it is then assessed and levelled. But the children wouldn't know that! Something similar may have been happening at your child's school.

He did it today? Teacher hasn’t had time to mark anything properly.
Your DH is incorrect. All work will be marked, it doesn’t matter how good you are. At 8 it can always be improved.

I'm so confused? He's done some writing and no grown up has marked it yet? That's totally normal? Surely his teacher doesn't mark his writing during the lesson normally?

Sorry for posting in the wrong column!!!! Next time I’ll use ‘Primary School’. Yes, my son did some writing and nobody checked it. At all. Plus, my son says lots of people got theirs checked and marked as the teacher was going round and openly checking everyone’s. Also, I misinterpreted what my husband said. He said,”The teacher might not want to check our son’s work as he is really good at English, maybe they want to focus on the other kids.”

Yes, your husband is likely to be roughly correct.

Your son is doing well, so he won't be top priority for the teacher to check on on during a lesson. But all children of 8 years old should be expected to write independently sometimes, unless they have additional needs.

On this occasion, your son's work might be read when it's done and written or verbal feedback given then. Or perhaps if they're continuing tomorrow, he will have some feedback then.

It's odd you've just come across this idea. In a class of 30 children, the teacher can't possibly give meaningful feedback on every individual's writing every lesson. And all children need to develop independence as writers.