DD has just started Reception but want her moved up to YR 1!

[rinol]

She's the oldest in reception being 5 already and is sooooooo bored!Would the school move her up?!or is this asking too much!I know its early days but she's so disillusioned!what do i do?

[sarararararah]

Sorry. I was being a little too flippant probably. People sometimes don't understand my sense of humour! Didn't mean to be rude.

I agree with cory, hulababy and lilybolero. They have put in to words what I didn't have the energy to say. If you look at the other very similar threads you will see I can give sensible advice!

[FabBakerGirlIsBack]

"dissilusioned?"

at 5?

o m g

[Northernlurker]

I would like to know if the op's child independently said she was bored or if she asked her 'are you bored'?

I agree that a lot of parents have a very narrow idea of what school is for. Popel talking about children being held back or going backwards - come on we are talking about babies here. Yes. maybe if coached and guided they could be doing a GCSE in a few months but is that a good thing? Is it healthy? Is it a childhood?

[Plonker]

Totally agree with mrz

[1dilemma]

What singer and Hula and others say sounds great trouble is for my dc reception thus far has been about good sitting, learning to write a couple of letters which they can do allready and failing to understand how to get a sticker. (I totally support someone who says they need to learn to do it right BTW)

If it moves on into anything approaching a ILP or being able to calculate the size of the ceiling/numbers of apples/use adjectives fantastic however the experience we have had wiht older sibs suggests that pigs are more likely to fly!

[Clary]

Yes I agree with others that it's worrying that she is bored.

Bored of playing and making friends and learning to do what she's asked? Sounds odd for a 5yo. Is she really bored or just unhappy for some other reason?

YY as others ask, can she already read and write etc? There's a big gap between expectations in FS2 and Yr1 as some yr1s discover about this time. If yr DD is doing really well, that will be a great Foundation (hence the name) for the future.

Speak to the teacher about how she is - and her about why she is bored.

Honestly I cannot believe that every year there is a rash of threads on the lines of "my DC is toooo young for school at just turned 4" (which may well be a fair point) and then suddenly people are saying their just 5yo shd be in yr 1...

I don't personally and after seeing a lot of FS2 children think that ability in reading and writing is the only measure; a very good reader and writer I know (incidentally v young in yr) was still not ready for yr 1 early; he needed to learn to do what he was told not what he wanted among other things!

[Clary]

1dilemnma, the sitting and learning a letter she already knows will be about 20 mins of the day.

Then she can go off and choose - choose to do some independent writing if she wants - as others suggest, take some scrap paper and write a shopping list etc.

It's all about independence and getting use to that which is a big step for some children. If they are waiting to be handed it/told what to do then they may struggle (or get bored?)

Notice the OP has not been back...

[mrz]

Probably the simplest way of explaining is that schools (and society) need children to be active rather than passive learners, children with the ability to think for themselves.
The new primary curriculum adopts this approach across all year groups.

[FabBakerGirlIsBack]

My 4 year old has said he is bored at school but I know he isn't. He has just learnt a new word and like lots of kids when they learn new words, wants to use it whenever he can.

[thegrammerpolicesic]

Slightly off thread but an interesting point (I think so anyway)....someone said this "he needed to learn to do what he was told not what he wanted among other things!"

But then in adjacent posts it has all been about child-led learning.

can someone explain how this isn't confusing for children as one minute their expect to learn to be compliant with the teacher and the next they're expected to learn to do what they want rather than being told what to do?

[mrz]

thegrammerpolicesic we all learn there are rules that we must live with whether it is in society at large or the school society but we don't I hope all wait around for someone to think for us.

[cory]

1dilemma, do you really imagine that the children are spending 6+ hours a day practising sitting correctly and practising a couple of letters?

Of course they are doing all sorts of other things that your dd isn't telling you about, either because she is being a typical 5yo, or because she thinks it's not what you are asking about.

If I had listened to what my dcs said about school, I would have had to conclude that they did nothing at all for the best part of the day.

[Miggsie]

My DD turned 5 two days after starting reception.

She was never bored, and in fact read the entire Oxford reading tree by the end of reception and learned sums.
She also made lots of friends and made huge emotional leaps (like not crying at the drop of a hat).

However, listening to some of the classmates you would have thought the children did almost nothing all day "what did you do?", "nothing" etc etc.

If you move your child into year 1 she will not be bored...she will be out of her depth and have no friends.

[VulpusinaWilfsuit]

Oh for fuck's sake!

I have a reception child, 5 before he started. I also have a Y6 child, amongst the highest achieving in his group.

Now. If the Y6 kid comes home saying he's bored by school, I (now) know to say: so what are you doing about your targets to listen and take account of others? And to not assume everyone else knows what you know and shout out all the time? And then I say, if you're bored, how can you make it more interesting yourself?

This week I went to a brilliant session for parents run at the school about the way maths is taught. It was extremely helpful and mostly it taught me a lot about the professionalism of primary teachers and how much they know about the way children learn. You underestimate them at your peril. If it is a shit school, you may need to act, but not now. If it is in anyway a good school, the reception teacher will be working out who can do what and what their strengths are.

Knowledge and intelligence and excitement ARE important at school; but so is being able to know how to manage yourself. And if your daughter carries on being a stellar intellect, then she's going to spend her life either being disappointed by what other people put in front of her because she's bored, or she's going to adapt to it and work out what she can contribute as well as take...

[singersgirl]

My point about calculating the area of the ceiling was that if she's academically very advanced and keen that's the sort of thing she can do in her 'child-led time'; my mum remembers my brother making up maths puzzles for himself. I used to write stories.

Honestly, unless it is a very traditional private school which doesn't follow Foundation Stage guidelines, there will be very little sitting time. There'll be assembly and story time. There'll be a bit of whole class phonics and number work, probably, and even then the teacher will tailor the questions to the ability of the children; there'll be some small group activities that the teacher or TA will supervise, which will probably take 10 - 20 minutes. There'll be a book corner and a role play area and a writing area and a number area and various changing small world or construction type activities. There'll be a well-resourced outdoor area etc etc.

[1dilemma]

of course not cory
I have older children too

I was using it as an example of how the school can have one priority which is totally at the wrong level for a particular child, and indeed can underestimate/lead to underachievement or even boredom (might only be bored for that particular carpet time but will still be bored-the general confusion surrounding stickers for sitting-when dc considers themselves to be the perfect sitter etc etc doesn't help either TBH!)
The examples described by others about individual plans, measuring the ceiling etc etc are so far from my reality I sometimes think we're in a completely different system!I have posted previously about a year 2 spelling test you might find interesting (only a couple of weeks ago!)
I can tell you about all the other things said and what I see out to do when I pick up but it doesn't illustrate my point nor does it add anything to the discussion as to why one child might find one part of school boring
I certainly know my dc is not going to be the brightest but happens to be very 'good' behaviour wise so anything in that direction is just lost

Sorry for scrabbled reply doing dinner!
(oh and sitting seems to be the focus of the week not the day!)

[1dilemma]

to clarify I can't recall dc saying they are bored (in the 2 weeks since starting) nor do I advocate/wish for them to be moved up

the contrast for us (and them) between a truely outstanding nursery (I have mentioned some of the things they were doing allready) and the school is chalk and cheese

(but I have big school angst anyway as frequently comes accross in other posts/topics/threads despite the schools excellent OFSTED report!)

[rinol]

Thankyou for all your replies and have decided that i will complement what she is doing at school at home as well....now DD is saying that all they do is play!....

[mrz]

"Play Is The Work of the Child"
Maria Montessori

Play activities are essential to healthy development for children and adolescents. Research shows that 75% of brain development occurs after birth. The activities engaged in by children both stimulate and influence the pattern of the connections made between the nerve cells. This process influences the development of fine and gross motor skills, language, socialization, personal awareness, emotional well-being, creativity, problem solving and learning ability.

The most important role that play can have is to help children to be active, make choices and practice actions to mastery. "

It is through play that children explore their world, take risks, make mistakes and achieve success. Play helps children learn to use their imaginations, develop creative thinking and learn to express themselves. Through play children build relationships with each other and the adults who play along side them. Play offers choice, control and freedom within reasonable boundaries and thus helps children develop emotionally, physically and intellectually.

THE IMPORTANCE OF PLAY

and finally a bit sickly but

Just Playing

"When I'm building in the block room,
Please don't say I'm "just playing."
For, you see, I'm learning as I play.
About balance and shapes.
When I'm getting all dressed up,
Setting the table, caring for the babies.
Don't get the idea I'm "just playing."
For, you see, I'm learning as I play.
When you see me up to my elbows in paint,
Or standing at an easel, or molding and shaping clay,
Please don't let me hear you say "he's just playing."
For, you see, I'm learning as I play.
I'm expressing myself and being creative.
I may be an artist or an inventor someday.
When you see me sitting in a chair
"Reading" to an imaginary audience,
Please don't laugh and think I'm "just playing."
For, you see, I'm learning as I play.
I may be a teacher someday.
When you see me combing the bushes for bugs,
Or packing my pockets with choice things I find,
Don't pass it off as "just playing."
For, you see, I'm learning as I play.
I may be a scientist someday.
When you see me engrossed in a puzzle,
Or some "plaything" at my school,
Please don't feel the time is wasted in "play"
For, you see, I'm learning as I play.
I'm learning to solve problems and concentrate.
I may be in business someday.
When you see me cooking or tasting foods,
Please don't think that because I enjoy it, it is just "play.
I'm learning to follow directions and see differences.'
I may be a chef someday.
When you see me learning to skip, hop, run and move my body,
Please don't say I'm "just playing."
For, you see, I'm learning as I play.
I'm learning how my body works.
I may be a doctor, nurse or athlete someday.
When you ask me what I've done at school today,
And I say, "I played."
Please don't misunderstand me.
For, you see, I'm learning as I play.
I'm learning to enjoy and be successful in work.
I'm preparing for tomorrow.
Today, I'm a child and my work is play.

• Anita Wadley

[sassy]

I was a very bright child and was moved up a year aged 6 (think I skipped yr 2). It worked ok while I was still in my very small primary but caused no end of problems (socially, rather than academic) for me at secondary level. And I WILL NOT countenance the same happening with either of my dds. I deliberately didn't teach them to read before school so they would learn those skills with the other children.

Their social confidence and play is so much more valuable at this age - and you are storing up problems for her difficult teenage years if she moves now.

[LynetteScavo]

for kindergarten, read Reception

[clam]

Oh for goodness' sake everyone. Can't you spot a wind-up when you see one?

Although it seems to have prompted another lively debate, with loads of us popping up to tell everyone else how bright our DCs are.

[FabBakerGirlIsBack]

Well, playing is what they should be doing.

[cory]

just wondering quietly why this country seems to be so full of children who are too bright to enjoy playing at the age of 4 or 5

don't seem to hear much of that when I go abroad

[FabBakerGirlIsBack]

Seems mad doesn't it.

DD is exceptionally bright fro 2 1/2 but still loved playing.

It is so sweet listening to her telling her just started school brother "it is all about playing."