My 7 year old has been assessed as Level 1 for KS1 in English - should I be worried?

[Mytholmroyd]

DD3 who is seven next month is apparently working barely at level 1 in English. She came home delighted a few weeks ago because she got to play while everyone else did a test - I am guessing she was pulled out of her KS1 tests. She hates reading and writing, bursts into tears when made to do it (even does this all the time at school with no apparent embarrassment) and just says "I cant I cant". She just isnt interested.

I dont know if I should start worrying or not by now. The thing is, she has a huge vocabulary, can hold an eminently sensible conversation with any adult (in fact, I think she thinks she is one), loves to sing and dance (although refused to continue at dancing class because she "had to stand in a line with everyone else and do what the teacher said and couldnt do any twirling or leaping and anyway, didnt need to be taught because she already knew how to do it"). She carries out her own "scientific experiments" at home and can sing virtually the whole score of Calamity Jane and loads of other musicals.

Her teachers say she is lacking in confidence and immature but thats not how I see her - I think she is a drama queen and simply thinks learning stuff she doesnt see the point of is simply not worth bothering with. When I watch her with her class mates she doesnt relate to them very well at all, in fact, she gets on much better with the teachers - she doesnt seem to understand how 6 year olds interact and spends all her time being indignant at their behaviour or crying because they have pushed her or called her names. When she goes to swimming lessons all she wants to do is spend the lesson talking to the teacher (a constantly open mouth is not the best approach when learning to swim!!).

But she HAS to learn to read - she is still sounding out individual letters in a tortuous manner and just doesnt "get it". How long should I leave her before I seek extra help? I am beginning to think she would be better off in a Steiner or Montessori school but I cant afford it.

I have two older girls plus a 3 year old DS who were average at primary (although are expecting good A levels and GCSE's this year) but they could both read and write by the age of 7!

Any suggestions would be gratefully recieved - I just dont know what to do with her - I seem to have tried every tack and gotten absolutely nowhere.

What a lovely update. Thank you. This has helped me more than you can possibly imagine.

What an amazing update, and a lovely thread!
Until I read "nine years ago" I didn't realise it was a zombie thread from 2008!
congratulations to your wonderful DD (and you for supporting her) on achieving those great results!

Thank you everyone!

And very pleased Lindy2 it helps in some way.

Oh Mytholmroyd I cannot even begin to express how much hope your 9 years later update has give me. Your OP I could have about my youngest DD, though she's 8. Thank you a thousand times for posting all the way down the line, and huge congratulations to your DD3 on her results.

And thank you also for the second update. We have been doing writing practice and maths etc etc at home, to no particular effect I think except to extend the reach of his unhappiness about school into our home! Here is to my new resolution for this school year to focus not on homework but on the things he loves doing, and to help him find more of them.

Very best of luck frogsoup - it wasn't easy to say enough is enough and find a different way with so many doomsayers who think grades and homework are the be all and end all of childhood and imply it is somehow neglectful not to follow the party line. That's why I posted the update to say even though we ditched the homework and took all the pressure off DD she STILL got very acceptable GCSE results in the end - her learning and development wasn't linear. I am sure your DS will be absolutely fine too!

Education is a lifelong endeavour - it is not all over by the time you are 18! I do have huge sympathy though for teachers and schools who are being pushed to get ever better results with their jobs on the line when nobody is measuring what really matters - confidence, social skills, resilience, self-reliance, curiosity and plain old love of life - then they can learn anything they want for themselves.

Thanks LackBladder - am surprised it has touched a nerve with other parents - you always feel isolated with stuff like this! All the very best wishes to your DD - hope she keeps on twirling and leaping!

Thanks so much Mythol we are in s similar situation with Dd. She will be starting secondary school this week. She struggles with the work at school for various reasons and narrowly missed out on reaching the expected levels in SATS this year. I'm hoping she may find her "thing" in secondary. There is so much much more to her than her academic ability.

This is one of the best threads ever. Well done to your DD and well done you for being such an amazing, supportive Mum.

Well done to you and your daughter.
There is far too much pressure put on children from a young age and too much talk of grades and so on. I live in another European country and it is the same here. I teach two musical instruments and I have children coming to me at 8 years old saying they can't practise because they have to get good grades at school to get a job to have enough money to live.
There is something wrong with a society which has 8 year olds worrying about whether they will have enough money to live in the future.
Obviously we do need to prepare children for a future working life - they will need to do something - but it shouldn't be the main focus.

Thanks for sharing this wonderful update and I wish your daughter all the best for the future.

Best thread ever, thankyou OP!!

Huge congratulations to your dd for her brilliant achievements and having such strength of character to achieve in her own rhythm.

It certainly sounds like she has classic case of dyslexic advantage.

She sounds an awful lot like my 8 yr old dd (with the exception my dd's confidence is at an all time low). This summer I've made her do 20mins of Nessy a day, had her assessed for Irlens and generally worried and worried (as usual) about her future. Your thread was the wake up call I needed to chill the eff up!! Thankyou!!!

Thanks again everyone - I am genuinely overwhelmed by your generous responses - don't want to leave them unacknowledged as they mean a lot to me! Always a bit hesitant about posting on mumsnet in case I get abuse and vitriol so it's lovely to be met with warmth and support .

I wish all the best to all your offspring!

And yes I agree children are put under way too much pressure to succeed academically at a ridiculously young age when it shouldn't even be a thing.

I see too many stressed and fragile university students for whom the degree certificate is the only reason they are there and anything less than a first is failure.