saw dd's teacher yesterday, at the time I thought it was fine, but now not sure?

[paddingtonbear1]

dd has been having problems settling into yr 1. (I did have another thread earlier). She also had problems in reception, but started getting going in the last term - then came the summer hols, and now she's gone backwards again. Basically her problem is poor concentration, and lack of confidence. She's gone right back to level 1 (Ginn) with reading, and in school when she's asked to do anything (eg copying down words), she goes 'away with the fairies' (as her teacher puts it) and does nothing until she's badgered. The teacher ends up sitting her on her own until she does it. Teacher showed me one of her books yesterday, where dd had written a full page of words during the lesson - in joined up writing too - the teacher was . dd had to be sat on her own to do it though. I had no idea either that dd could do that much writing at all!! Getting her to do it here is like pulling teeth, she would rather play, is unimpressed with the sit down and work aspect of yr 1. She is immature for age and summer birthday.
Anyway, in a nutshell her teacher says I should use 'tough love' and train her into doing it, make her focus and repeat any instructions back to me. At the time I thought this sounded OK, sounds fairly sensible. I am too lax at home and tend to let dd play.
she gets a fair bit of homework too... apart from reading this week we have english writing, maths worksheet and also spellings to learn. argh! not sure what to make of it all. dd is my only one, I am sure the teacher thinks I am clueless!!

tbh I can see it from both sides.

In an era where children will learn to type and text and email from a fairly early age, and will have built in spell checkers etc, I think that it's very important for them to learn to read and write and spell quite young. That doesn't mean that I think that they should be chained to their desks at school and then be brought home to be chained to desks at home, but I do think there can be middle ground between all work and no play, and all play and no work. And I also think that it is not just the school's responsibility to have an input into the education of our children, but that parents should play a part as well.

And there are plenty of ways to practice things like writing/spelling/maths which don't have to be formal - get your dd to write you a shopping list to go to the supermarket, or a list of ingredients to make a cake. It is important they practice their writing because once they hit juniors they will be expected to write a lot, and if they've got the practice in they won't find it such a struggle when they have to do it.

Ours get spelling home on a Monday which they have to practice - they don't have to hand it in or anything they just have to know the spellings, and then they have a spelling test on a Friday and it's between 3/5 words so no big deal imo. Then they get maths on a Friday - we haven't had any yet but teacher says it should take between 5/15 mins to complete so by no means all work. And they do of course tet their reading books.

Reading and writing shouldn't just be something children do at school - reading and writing should become a part of a child's every day life, but there should of course still be room for playing too.

Anngeree 3 hrs a week that's worse than dd's!
I do think children are pushed into formal education too soon these days, in places like Belgium they have the right idea.

pb it does sound as if your dd's school is way ott.

Anngeree comprehension tests sounds a bit ott as well, although it does depend on what form these take ie whether it is a formal written test or whether children are just asked about the book. Comprehension is as important as reading, because without comprehension, reading means nothing. I know of children who can read the most complicated texts fluently, but ask them what they've been reading about and they couldn't tell you.

yes I think it's the 'middle ground' that is difficult - dd's school seem to be swinging too much towards the 'all work'.
We don't do comprehension tests though, not formal anyway - I do discuss dd's book with her through the pictures, and she likes doing this.

Myredcardigan.
The integrated day is not a new concept.
I trained to be a teacher over 20 years ago and remember observing infant classes (year 1) that used this method (pre National curriculum)

It all looked a bit chaotic to me but when I went to visit the same school later in the school year the children had made the most amazing progress and not at the expense of their childhoods.

It all sounds a bit much to me. It's quite reasonable for young 5 year olds to be immature - hell, they are immature.

It might reassure you to know that DS1, 10 in August and in Y6, had real concentration difficulties right up to Y4. Last year (Y5) was the first year that his report didn't say that he had distractiblity problems. He's taken longer to mature than some of his friends - he is of course younger than most of his friends anyway - but he is getting there.

He now dashes off his school homework without moaning in 5 minutes flat. And he's doing really well at school. But the story homework he got in Y2 once a fortnight was like pulling teeth.

Incidentally, I'm amazed at the amounts of homework given by schools on here. Ours get nothing but reading until term 3 of Y1, when they get spellings as well. In Y2 from October half-term they get weekly spelling and fortnightly story writing. In Y3 they get spelling and one piece of homework a week - one week literacy, one week numeracy.

Our school is way above national averages for KS2 results.

I agree comprehension is important wannabe up until now all I've had to do when reading with ds is ask about the pictures what do you think is happening, what do you think will happen next etc but on Thu he got a exercise book sent home with a sheet of 6 questions about the story he's reading. Ds can answer all the questions verbally & with help managed to write answers. It's just the fact that we have to do this as well as all the other work he's getting sent home.

Smartie, yes, you are correct I know it isn't new. Perhaps just unfashionable. Yes it did seem a little chaotic and I imagine a nightmare to plan, but, all the kids were enthusiasticaly on task and both the KS1 & KS2 results are outstanding.

PB,The school if you are interested is MH and just to be clear I have no personal agenda here as my kids do not live close enough nor do I teach there.

Gosh, both my spelling and my grammar are shockingly bad today for an English grad teacher!

myredcardigan...I am ill-informed am I? Well thanks for that put-down.

I am in fact a teacher and I have a child who was diagnosed with dyspraxia from his inability to concentrate...at age 5. As you should know as a teacher, SEN aim to spot children who need extra help in the infants to prevent them from losing their confidence and starting to dislike school. If you teach lots of children that age you can spot the ones that in your professional opinion need help..

While OPs school sounds like it pushes the kids somewhat, you shouldn't automatically assume that their teachers don't know what they are talking about (as is of course the usual MN stance!!)

TSS, I do teach lots of children that age. Whilst your son may have been diagnosed with a SLD age just 5, an inability to concentrate does not in itself suggest such a thing. Your post implied that it did and it was that implication I took issue with (indeed I was not the only one)Of course it is possible that an inability to concentrate can be masking a specific problem.

Perhaps that was not your intention but was IMO the suggestion of your post. Something I thought the OP could do without. I apologise if I was curt.

I didn't intend to scare the OP, just to balance all the advice here which has been saying, its nomral don't worry about it! No-one here knows if she will grow out of it or not, but the teachers suggestion of asking her to focus and repeat instructions etc sounds spot on either way, surely!

I think most MNs here are shocked at her homework regime and maybe that is colouring their view of the teachers suggestion. As a teacher though, wouldn't it frustrate you if you gave professional advice to a parent and they completely ignored and took unknown mumsnetters instead

From pb's posts I gather that her dd has no problems focussing or concentrating when its something she is interested in. So with that info I'm not sure that her dd "teachers suggestion of asking her to focus and repeat instructions etc sounds spot on either way, " is spot on.

PB have you told the teacher that your dd doesn't seem to have any problem concentrating or focussing on other things?

juuule yes I did - that's when she said I should try and get her to focus more on her actual writing, and her numbers. I am hoping that dd's concentration will improve as she matures. I know she's immature for her age, but part of me is in no hurry for her to grow up - she's my only one.
Just saw a video from another thread about the system in Sweden, think that would have suited dd down to the ground!

Yes, I remember looking at the Swedish system at uni. Kids in wellies learning through discovery in amazing outdoor spaces. They think we are mad not only to formally educate so young but to provide primary schools children with outdoor space made of concrete rather than garden areas, trees and ponds.
The school I was talking about (M.H) was closer to that than most things I've seen. Shame I'm so far out of catchment!