DS emerging in year 2

[Elephantofsurprise]

I had DS’s parents evening this week. He is in a mixed year 1 year 2 class. His teacher says he is quite well behaved and tries hard but he is emerging at all areas of learning in year 2. Google suggests that he is a year behind.

His teacher thinks he knows more than she sees because he is anxious in class. He panics when they do maths and now he goes out with the TA in a small group.

We do home reading with him he is on the grey read write inc books which I don’t think is too bad for his age.

I think he is autistic because of his sensory differences and social differences. He masks a lot in school and is keen to please but his teacher also sees this.

How bad is this? What can I do to help him. He is bright. He can build Lego sets for 9 year olds.

What are your expectations for your child ? What are you doing towards those expectations ?

Oh ... bloody schools and their stupid assessments and labels!

"Emerging" ... FFS!

He is just a child developing at his own rate and in his own way. He does not need a label borne of artificial and pointless assessment criteria.

My main worry would be that he is anxious in class ... ask not what is wrong with the child (likely absolutely nothing), but what is wrong with the setting in which he finds himself, day in day out with no escape. It must be torture for him.

Our schools have become like factories tied to the whims of the curriculum/assessment gods. And if a child does not fit in they get pathologised and labelled. It is appalling frankly.

This is why so many parents are moving over to home education as they cannot bear to see their children suffering.

I would forget the labels and start standing up for your child who is enduring each day rather than enjoying his childhood ... a precious time that cannot be regained ... once it is gone, it is gone ...

He says he is happy in school. He has nice friends who he plays with and he likes his teacher.

He is shy and lacks confidence. He has started music lessons which he loves.

I help him learn his spellings and do his reading book. He does well with spelling and is ok with reading.

I don’t really know what they mean by emerging. I don’t want him to struggle in school.

To me,it sounds like you are doing the right things. Listening to him read, helping with spellings etc. I’d want to know more about why he’s feeling anxious at school? It is because he’s aware he’s not where he should be? Is it because he’s not understanding what he’s being taught and so he’s uncomfortable in learning time?

It might be that it all clicks in as he’s still very young. In the meantime I’d be doing as much old fashioned activities as possible. Baking, counting things, playing games, doing puzzles because it all helps.

Oh ... bloody schools and their stupid assessments and labels!

"Emerging" ... FFS!

Do you think those 'bloody schools' enjoy using those labels? It's the (previous) government who coined the term. It's simply the terminology schools are forced to use, currently. They don't choose to use those terms.

OP, I really wouldn't get too hung up on the term 'emerging', nor would I assume Google to be correct that he's working a whole year behind if his teacher didn't say that. You need to find out what school are doing to support him, in addition to the small group they told you about, and what they would like you to do to help support him at home (it already sounds like you're doing the basics, which is great). If you don't know the answers to these questions, ask for another meeting to clarify, rather than rely on opinions from people online, who do not know your child.

Have you shared your concerns about autism with the school? Have they discussed with you the pathway to diagnosis, and how you go about that? These are the questions I would be asking.

'Emerging' now (ie working towards the end of year expectations for that year group) doesn't necessarily mean emerging forever. Some children just take longer to 'bloom'. Anxiety can play a big part in stopping children from reaching their true potential. That's what you need to tackle the most, the root cause of the anxiety, in order to support him with academic success (as you acknowledge yourself that he is a bight boy). His confidence is holding him back. Is there and pastoral support the school can offer to help build his self-esteem? You can but ask.

His teacher agrees that he might have autism or some other social difference and she is going to set up a meeting with the learning support person to find out how we can get some help with anxiety and possibly see about an autism assessment.

I think he does have a big potential.

Oh I absolutely know the teachers don't want this crap either, believe me. I really do and my heart bleeds for them. They just want to teach ......

Teachers must assess what dc can do or they don’t set the correct level of work. It doesn’t matter what it’s called but it just means he’s not as far forward as some dc. We just label it with a word now. Before it was levels. Makes no odds - some are high achievers and some aren’t. However all teachers need to set appropriate work based on DCs secure knowledge. That knowledge varies from Dc to Dc. You can call it what you want!!

Politicians came up with categories that define what level a child should be at for the end of each school year. Teachers assess kids based on what kids demonstrate in class without help. This obviously benefits the more extrovert kids who are happy and relaxed enough to show what they know and don’t know.

It sounds like based on what ds shows at school he’s “emerging” but the teacher is smart and sensitive enough to see that actually your son knows more but can’t show it at school because he’s anxious and lacks confidence. It’s good that he gets a chance to practice maths in a small group because he might find the classroom environment too chaotic and anxiety inducing as many children with autism do.

I hope that you’re able to get an assessment so that a professional can advise on tips for the school to make the environment less stressful for your ds. 💐

For decades teachers in primary schools have known their pupils and known what each needs. No need to shoehorn this concept into artificial categories - it is just what teachers are there to do and what they do best. The categories are for the bean-counters, not for the teachers, nor indeed for the benefit of the pupils.

Thank you this is makes sense. His teacher says she thinks he can do more than what she can mark him as.

I don’t think he is behind having look at the year 2 curriculum and what he is doing but he is not confident.