been told my 6 yr old will never be academic

[lilandbill2009]

hi
i would really like some advice please dd is in yr 2 and has been struggling with reaing spelling and writing since yr1.
when she started in yr 2 in september 6 weeks later she had parents evening and i was told that she was behind the other children.and if she didnt sort of catch up by christmas they were going to bring the educational women in to test her for dyslexia

well cut a long story short i have been told today that my daughter has a memory problem she does not have dyslexia but trouble remembering the words which is holding her back when i asked could they put her in the reading group i was told shes too old when i asked why another child was in the group she told me its to do with ages and she missed it by 2 months
she then went on to tell me that she will never be academic.......... i am at a total loss as what to do the teacher said that she is a bright child and cant understand why the penny hasnt dropped regarding the reading
i am so worried now and i think a couple of times a week extra reading with the ta is goning to help any ideas on what i can do

thanks in advance

[Ivykaty44]

forty plus - did these adults and your brother ever tell the teacher they were worng in there predication?

[pagwatch]

Verity

I know chicken - I did preface with the observation that the teacher is being ridiculous...
Assuming what people will be when they are pre-teen is ridiculous, and pretty dubious after that.
My brother was not academic and trainned as a car machanic. When he hit 38 he did an OU degree and now helps design ejector seats.

When I was at school I remember being top ofthe class at maths and my maths teacher berating the boy behind me for being inattentive and saying he wouldn't amount to much..... professional footballer, captain of premiership side, england stalwart etc etc

I just get that we now see being clever, being academic as vital for our childrens well being. It isn't. Most talented people are not academic.

[Bonsoir]

I agree with others on this thread - being academic is no guarantee of material success or happiness in life. The trouble with school and teachers is that they all too often look at life through their own narrow prism of academic skills, and value pure academia above all else in a hierarchy of values that has little to do with the hierarchy of values of the real world.

[messymissy]

got to echo belgo comments that many countries don't even start to teach children to read till 6 or 7.

I think your DD's teacher has made sweeping statements and I think you should seek more specific and specialised help before the teacher writes your DD off and to put your mind at rest.

Can you talk to the head about this and gether into the reading group as the age criteria seems rather arbitary.

Can you do anything at home to make reading more fun?

[Aviendha]

My parents were told the same, then the teachers gave up on me. No problems tho, I still got a first at uni They really cant predict how a child will turn out in the future. I agree with the advice here tho, the specific problems she has now need to be addressed, it is irrelevent how she will perform in later years.

[zozzle]

Have you thought of local Kumon extra lessons - not sure if this would help in your situation or not - but may be worth exploring...

[giveitago]

I was told I would never be academic (not to do with reading as I was very advance in that - and that only) - my parents were told I shouldn't bother with the 11+. Well I bloomed at secondary and went to university blah blah and when I bumped into my old primary school teacher when I graduated and told him my good news he nearly dropped on the spot - he still sticks by his notion that I couldn't cut.

Get her all the help she needs and ensure that she is confident enough to ride through what teachers think of her.

[estland]

I agree with previous person (belgo). I am from Estonia. Estonia ranks higher than UK in Pisa international rankings on How 15-year-old pupils compared in Reading and Maths.
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7126388.stm
In fact, you should all look where UK is

We start education at the age of 7. Most children go to kindergartens from the age of 2 (full day). But they don't start learning letters or numbers until they're 5 or 6 year old. They start learning to read at the age of 7 (at school). If parents wish - they can teach them everything beforehand but in general it is considered damaging (early reading & writing). I myself started to read at the age of 6 and I have Master's Degree from a very prestigious foreign university (it ranks a bit higher than Cambridge). I am fluent in 5 languages. Food for thought