Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Primary education

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

Original poster

Why can't children be average anymore ?

16 replies

lisbey · 21/10/2009 20:37

AKA "normal"

According to the school, DS2 is special needs for reading and writing (yr2 knows all but 5 of the 100 key words). School say possibly dyslexic, but too early to say for sure but, gifted and talented for science - shows, to me, a normal boy's interest in how things work.

DS1 is apparently gifted and talented for reading, but special needs for writing.

Why do they need these labels?

OP posts:
AMumInScotland · 21/10/2009 20:40

Um, because they're not average? Many children are average, some are not. If the label means that the school gives them the attention they need to achieve well in all subjects, surely that's better than pretending they are all the same?

trickerg · 21/10/2009 20:42

lol - put that on the G+T thread!

Original poster
lisbey · 21/10/2009 20:54

OK, maybe average was the wrong word, but my DSs aren't "gifted" and they aren't "slow" or whatever the PC word is (sorry if caused offence) They have strengths and weaknesses like everyone else. Perhaps these labels will get them help to fulfil their potential, but surely "average" children should get that too?

OP posts:
bruffin · 21/10/2009 21:42

DS 14 has similar strengths and weakness. He got extra help because he is obviously very bright but his writing will stop him reaching his full potential. He is an abstract thinker, with excellent comprehension skills and ideas, but he can't always get them down on paper.

A child that is all round average is probably meeting their full potential without extra help.

ABetaDad · 21/10/2009 21:48

No one is average at everything.

It is mathematically impossible. All of us have special talents and rubbish at other things.

It is a good thing that talents and weaknesses are recognsed in children not just lumped in a single bin called average.

bruffin · 21/10/2009 21:49

Actually what I am trying to say there are children like my DS and probably your dss that have big differences between their strengths and weaknesses ie my DS got a 5b in his year 6 Sats for reading and only scraped a 4c by one mark for writing. Most children won't have this big a differential between the two.

piscesmoon · 21/10/2009 22:15

To find an average many DCs are going to be above or below. It is quite common for a DC to be above average for one subject and below for another Maths and English spring to mind. They may be average in academic subjects but excel in sport.
I should think it is very difficult to find a DC who is average at everything.

bruffin · 21/10/2009 22:34

I would also probably say that majority of children won't have a label of either g&t or sen or both.

Clary · 22/10/2009 00:17

Wonder what you would be saying if your DC weren't being offered the extra help (along with the label)?

A child who is achieving well without extra help, but not finding all the work too easy so needing a stretch, is probably average. In that subject.

cory · 22/10/2009 07:35

bruffin and clary are right:

a)the majority of children do not get one of these labels, so it is quite likely that your ds actually does need a bit of extra help in a way that the other children in his class do not

b) if he does need help, it's not a bad idea that he's getting it, is it?

I am very happy that my ds is getting the help with writing that he will need to develop his other talents- otherwise, they might go to waste. In modern society, it is very difficult to make anything of your other talents if you haven't got good reading and writing skills - the world has changed in that respect, so I think it's a good thing that schools are open to that.

LB29 · 22/10/2009 07:41

My DD is a good reading and seems to be very good at maths but has no 'label'. Her school don't seem to do the G&T thing and to be honest I'm glad, normal or average is perfectly okay with us. It would be nice if she received the same level of attention as all of the other kids though.

Goblinchild · 22/10/2009 07:50

That's also why lessons are differentiated, mine are to three 'levels' with extra or different for SEN and G&T. They work in 5 groups and support is rotated so that everyone gets what they need as much as practically possible.
LB29, what are you basing your opinion that she's not getting as much attention as the others on? Not being snippy, curious a a teacher to find out a parent's perspective and sources in case one of mine feels the same.

Kelloggs36 · 22/10/2009 22:44

Apparently Government aren't allowing children to be better in one subject than another - like most children actually are!!! Questions are being asked why children who are achieving well in (say) maths are not achieving the same in Literacy and the push in schools is to get them to the same levels, regardless of whether it can actually be achieved.

Wandaaa · 22/10/2009 23:32

I have attended 4 parent evenings since nursery for DD now in year1, at each one I've been told she doing fine with no problems. I don't know whether that means she is 'average' or 'good' [hmmm]

Wandaaa · 22/10/2009 23:34

oops too many mmms

fernie3 · 24/10/2009 08:23

My daughter has recently started in recpetion and no one has mentioned anything about her yet.
well apart from asking if she asks as many questions at home!

We have a parents evening in November but I dont think she is either gifted or particularly behind so I suppose she is average.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page