Starting Primary School..Level of a child's development

[BettyBooHoo! 10]

Wow! We were invited into a meeting at my son's soon to be Primary School the other day to give us a bit more info into the new starting options, as well as to have a look around and get insite into an average school day.

I must say, the school is as wonderful as I hoped it would be and I am over the moon that my little boy will be going there. It's really eased my nerves over 'letting him go'!

 

Anyway, that's by the by, here's what my thread is about: They gave us a few suggestions of things we could do to better prepare your children for starting school and I must say, I was AMAZED at what we were being told.

 

* Try and get your child competent with toilet sanitary

* Try and get your child used to getting dressed and undressed

* Start to teach your child to write their name

* Start to recognise numbers and letters

And my personal favourite...

* Try to get your child used to holding a pencil!

 

OMG! At 4 and 5 years old can people's children really not already do these things??? Have I got some super intellegent Einstein child? I doubt it! Some parents really must not do anything with their children.

 

And I was concerned that he keeps getting the M and L of the alphabet muddled up, thinking to myself he should have this by now! Worry no more!

[go4it 10]

Wow! We were invited into a meeting at my son's soon to be Primary School the other day to give us a bit more info into the new starting options, as well as to have a look around and get insite into an average school day.

I must say, the school is as wonderful as I hoped it would be and I am over the moon that my little boy will be going there. It's really eased my nerves over 'letting him go'!

 

Anyway, that's by the by, here's what my thread is about: They gave us a few suggestions of things we could do to better prepare your children for starting school and I must say, I was AMAZED at what we were being told.

 

* Try and get your child competent with toilet sanitary

* Try and get your child used to getting dressed and undressed

* Start to teach your child to write their name

* Start to recognise numbers and letters

And my personal favourite...

* Try to get your child used to holding a pencil!

 

OMG! At 4 and 5 years old can people's children really not already do these things??? Have I got some super intellegent Einstein child? I doubt it! Some parents really must not do anything with their children.

 

And I was concerned that he keeps getting the M and L of the alphabet muddled up, thinking to myself he should have this by now! Worry no more!

 

And your child will have to spend the first 3 years of school waiting for all the other kids to catch up with the above. They'll suffer for you being a good parent.

 

Better start the University fund!

[BettyBooHoo! 10]

And your child will have to spend the first 3 years of school waiting for all the other kids to catch up with the above. They'll suffer for you being a good parent.

 

Better start the University fund!

 

Seriously though, surely these things are a common practice at that age for the average child?

[nernard 10]

And your child will have to spend the first 3 years of school waiting for all the other kids to catch up with the above. They'll suffer for you being a good parent.

 

Better start the University fund!

 

I totally agree with you. I was amazed at what the school expected when our daughter started. Our daughter could do this and more, like many other children.

We did however have a shock when her ICT results came as really poor at the end of her first year. She had her own email address and could surf the net when she was 4+ with restrictions might I add. It turned out that she was bored in class when the teacher was showing the class computer skills and did not join in.

She is now working at an average level in some subjects, others are above which is fine by us. She does her best and that is all we expect of her.

She started her ICT diploma a year before she should have so it just goes to show that the education system does not always get it right.

Believe in yourself as a parent, you know what your child can, can not do and it will be right.

[mary70 10]

You would be amazed how many children start school and cant do any of the above, it amazes me how many children start school and cant use a knife and folk

[bothered 10]

I could not quite beieve it when I saw a child on his way to school in uniform the other day with a DUMMY in his mouth! I do hope the parent took it off him before he got into school!

[BettyBooHoo! 10]

I could not quite beieve it when I saw a child on his way to school in uniform the other day with a DUMMY in his mouth! I do hope the parent took it off him before he got into school!

 

No way!

[bothered 10]

No way!

 

I know! I know it must be really hard trying to wean a child off a dummy (mine both suck their thumbs - so I don't know which is worse!) but you'd think by 5 they might have managed it!

[BettyBooHoo! 10]

I know! I know it must be really hard trying to wean a child off a dummy (mine both suck their thumbs - so I don't know which is worse!) but you'd think by 5 they might have managed it!

 

It's not easy but how long do you let it go on?! I think any older than two is a bit weird for a dummy. A lot of the time it's probably down to laziness of the parent or the attitude of anything for an easy life!

[Bludragonfly 10]

Wow! We were invited into a meeting at my son's soon to be Primary School the other day to give us a bit more info into the new starting options, as well as to have a look around and get insite into an average school day.

I must say, the school is as wonderful as I hoped it would be and I am over the moon that my little boy will be going there. It's really eased my nerves over 'letting him go'!

 

Anyway, that's by the by, here's what my thread is about: They gave us a few suggestions of things we could do to better prepare your children for starting school and I must say, I was AMAZED at what we were being told.

 

* Try and get your child competent with toilet sanitary

* Try and get your child used to getting dressed and undressed

* Start to teach your child to write their name

* Start to recognise numbers and letters

And my personal favourite...

* Try to get your child used to holding a pencil!

 

OMG! At 4 and 5 years old can people's children really not already do these things??? Have I got some super intellegent Einstein child? I doubt it! Some parents really must not do anything with their children.

 

And I was concerned that he keeps getting the M and L of the alphabet muddled up, thinking to myself he should have this by now! Worry no more!

 

 

 

Sadly, in some areas of Sheffield many children starting school at 4/5 cannot do any of these things. This is why the league tables etc are so unfair - eg

 

- average child starts school with 5 points (made up system for demo purposes) and this is what will happen in many schools esp in 'advantaged' areas (although they will have a few that will be below average)

 

- many children from disadvantaged areas enter school with 0,1,2 points - well below 'average' (although, of course, some will enter at average or above but the numbers will be very low)

 

- by end of Infant stage average child should get,say, 11 points (2 points development per year).

 

This means that a teacher in a school in an 'advantaged' area can be an 'average' teacher but most of the children will still reach the target of 11 points - start off with bright students and students will leave with expected results, whether they have good or bad teaching.

 

However, it also means that many teachers in 'disadvantaged' areas have to be excellent teachers to give the children any chance of getting anywhere near the targets as they have to move the children on 6-11 points to reach targets - this is why some of the best teachers can be found in these schools

 

Rant over, and no, I don't work in a school but have friends that do - working in both 'advantaged' and 'disadvantaged areas (and they agree with what I have said)

[SchMilner 10]

Well i apologise in advance if any of your children are in my sons class in September holding your little darlings back!!! He may not be able to write his name or recite the alphabet but he is a sociable and lovable little boy who would talk the hind legs off a donkey.Not all children develop at the same rate and as a parent of two totally different children who developed at different rates i feel quite insulted that you would pre judge children and their parents .

[go4it 10]

 

However, it also means that many teachers in 'disadvantaged' areas have to be excellent teachers to give the children any chance of getting anywhere near the targets as they have to move the children on 6-11 points to reach targets - this is why some of the best teachers can be found in these schools

 

Rant over, and no, I don't work in a school but have friends that do - working in both 'advantaged' and 'disadvantaged areas (and they agree with what I have said)

 

Quite simply teachers in these areas need to be teachers and social workers, and be paid accordingly on a 'super wage'. Bright kids in these areas need to be shipped out to other schools in better areas. No other way.