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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Is it normal to stream Yr1 children in maths?

37 replies

MoonTheLoon · 15/09/2009 13:58

Seems to me they did very little maths last year and this year they are planning to stream into three groups, I think this is very early, have I got it wrong?

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Hulababy · 15/09/2009 13:59

Is this within the class or within the year group?

mmrsceptic · 15/09/2009 14:00

there was always "an able table" for maths in our school, even at reception

they all learn the same stuff though

Original poster

MoonTheLoon · 15/09/2009 14:00

Only two classes in the year which they are planning to mix up into three maths groups dependant on ability.

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holdingittogether · 15/09/2009 14:02

At our school they are in ability groups for various things from yr 1. It is very informal and they are not called top, middle and bottom or anything. I think it is the only way to meet the individual needs of all children. They are still all in the same room just sat at tables with their group and are given slightly different work to meet their learning goals.

GooseyLoosey · 15/09/2009 14:03

They do it at out school. Dd is in Yr 1 and ds was there last year. It is not overt. They have tables called things like "blue", "green" and "red". It is utterly apparent that the tables are be reference to ability.

I asked about this and was told that when the children are doing group work, it is more helpful to do it with children who have the same level of understanding of the subject. Other time they deliberately mix it up so the children who have "got it" can help those who have not.

As I understand it, the groups are fairly fluid so children move up and down according to how they are doing at a particular point in time.

Original poster

MoonTheLoon · 15/09/2009 14:05

Oh OK, it was just that the teacher made a point of saying it to all the parents and specifically about maths. Reception did have tables as you describe but this seemed more formal IYKWIM?

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GooseyLoosey · 15/09/2009 14:11

In our school it wasn't more formal, but it was more obvious. There were/are lists up on the wall showing which children are in each group and I know that some of the groups do different work to other groups.

Its worrying isn't it. I hated the idea of such young children being grouped according to perceived ability. But I guess, I can see the reason why.

sundew · 15/09/2009 14:11

I agree with goosey - my dds school also works in this way. In recption the tables are age related - so a very simple way of putting very young children in some sort of grouping.

At dds school it isn't until keystage 2 that the streaming becomes more apparent - or the kids realise!

stepaway · 15/09/2009 14:13

in our school, they do group by maths ability. they don't say they are doing it but it is pretty obvious. the children are pretty clued up about it too.

brimfull · 15/09/2009 14:16

seems entirely sensible to me

ds's school does it but they are names after animals beginning with the letter 'p'

streamed in class for numeracy

whole yr streamed for literacy

Hulababy · 15/09/2009 14:16

It is more unusal to mention it to parents. I wonder if the schools focus is Numeracy this year. I know our school's main focus is.

It is very common IME to mix children, by ability, from the year group into Phonics groups, and also Literacy. I can see why they would choose to do this for Numeracy also.

I work in a Y1 class and we have ability based Literacy and Numeracy groups within the class - 4 per class. Our phonics groups (have 6 of those) are ability based throughout the Y1 year group.

These groups don't all do the same work. They do work that is appropriate for their abilities, based on previous sessions. Sometimes the WALT (learning objectives) are the same, but the work is differentiated, but sometimes the WALT is entirely different.

Hulababy · 15/09/2009 14:17

Our groups are named after insects/bugs.

brimfull · 15/09/2009 14:18

can just imagine the teachers tring to think of new themes each yr

Hulababy · 15/09/2009 14:19

ggirl - we have same theme for our groups each year. The children move into a new year and join new groups.

We have ladybirds, spiders, caterpillars and butterflies.

Anyone know which order they go in?

mmrsceptic · 15/09/2009 14:36

ask your children in a couple of weeks

they will all know what the "top" table is

may not be on stage 50 million of ort but they are not stupid

notanidea · 15/09/2009 14:37

My dds school had this theme in year 2 - mansion,bungalow,house, flat which clearly reflected on their abitiy and no one moved from one group to another as far as I am aware. As far as I am concerned it was a poor choice and children started telling that they are in mansion and she is only in a flat

southernbelle77 · 15/09/2009 14:38

DD in year one is in a 'work group' which seems based on ability somewhat. In reception they were colours ( I did wonder if these went in the same order as the reading books) and this year we have insects, although the only two I know are ladybirds and spiders as dd hasn't told me what the others are! Last year at least, they were in the same work group of literacy and maths but a different one for phonics. Not sure how it works this year yet as only in the second week and the work groups haven't changed since last year.

mrsruffallo · 15/09/2009 14:38

I agree sceptic. By yr 1 the children know which is the silly table and which is the top.

They stream from foundation unit ime

mmrsceptic · 15/09/2009 14:40

notanidea those are the most trite and stupidest streaming names I have ever heard

cece · 15/09/2009 14:44

My DC school stream for maths from Year 1. There are three classes and they mix them all up into three ability groups. I am more than happy with this arrangement as it is flexible and children can move between groups as the need arises.

hocuspontas · 15/09/2009 16:23

We mix the 2 yr1 classes into 2 sets for maths from January and both yr1 TAs go and assist in the lower set. I wouldn't like 2 classes being divided into 3 as it sounds like one set will not have a proper teacher!

Although you say they have done very little maths (they have probably done maths every day without you knowing!) the teachers will know the numerate ones and the ones that are still struggling with the basics.

hocuspontas · 15/09/2009 16:25

Hulababy - from the lowest - butterflies, ladybirds, spiders, caterpillars?

We do the boring circles, triangles, squares, pentagons, hexagons here

Original poster

MoonTheLoon · 15/09/2009 17:34

Hocuspontas I hadn't thought of that but you're right it is a bit worrying. And you're probably right about them doing maths and me not knowing- it's like pulling teeth trying to find out what they do at school!

I'm not worried about which group he'll be in I just thought it was a bit young to have them knowing who's 'on the silly table' as someone put it earlier.

So I guess this is normal from now on in so I had better get used to it!

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Hulababy · 15/09/2009 17:55

hocuspocas - no, 'friad not. Spiders are bottom; butterflies are top.

Oblomov · 15/09/2009 17:58

streamed in reception for reading and maths. some children knew, others didn't have a clue.
The parents knew. Saying that, I was one of the last to 'click'.
And they have just started yr 1 and are on different tables for maths etc.
Are you bothered by this ?

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