Educating little ones ......

I have three grandchildren who were all born within 16 months, but are in three separate year groups. The five year old (July ‘17 birthday) is in Year 1 and the two four year olds (May ‘18 and November ‘18 birthdays) are in Reception and Pre-school (private school). They all enjoy imaginative play, have good social skills and they like school. All three are very different in their approach to learning. The youngest loves reading and writing and is constantly pushing to ‘learn’, she is naturally curious and asks questions all the time. The middle child is very kind and wants to be helpful, so he follows instructions and is very compliant in school. The eldest is bi-lingual and has a vivid imagination, so often is daydreaming at school and distracted from the lessons, but loves reading and story time.

With only 16 months between them they demonstrate how impossible it is to expect them all to be progressing at the same rate in all things. And yet, somehow, they are all achieving or exceeding their targets.

I like the primary schools here and I don’t recognise what is described at all. They are great places and so are our kinders. Things change in some of the secondary schools ,though,so parents need to really check them out before they send their children. This is getting harder with stricter zoning unfortunately.

The differences between the September born child and the July born child in any year group has always been an issue. I agree about the over labelling and finding a reason, medical or otherwise, why a child is unable to do exactly the same as others. They all mature differently at that age. Parents put the pressure on for sure especially those who are high achievers themselves.

The differences in developmental speed are more marked when children are small, You can have one child of 6 for whom sitting still and getting absorbed in a task is a joy; but for others it will be hell. They are just not ready - and they get put off learning because they get labelled as troublesome and spend their school days being nagged at one way or another.

It is even more worrying that many parents, exasperated by the child's inability to concentrate, press for the child to be assessed for some pathology or another, so that they can explain away their child's reluctance to fit in at school. These labels follow them through their school career; when maybe they were simply not yet ready for it all at the time the label was attached.

And the parental pressure on teachers to "give more homework" and to compare their child with others are quite worrying. The plethora of outside activities is also getting out of hand in some families: gym, ballet, football, karate, etc. etc.

Patr of this is because it has become unsafe to play out alone - we used to wander the streets of our little town, calling on friends, going to the "rec" etc. We learned resilience (one of the latest buzz words), how to get on with people, independence.

I got out I couldn't stand what was expected of the teachers or the children.
Learning through play was the mantra when I trained and give me a child until they are 7 and they are mine for life. That child from 0 to 7 has to be happy and encouraged to be confident and try what they want to do. Be interested in the world around them. Not sitting at a table with other children all day constantly being observed and assessed.
My GS had the screaming habjabs yesterday his school had put him into completion with a group and some of the subjects the questions were based on they had not even been taught. No child should be tortured and made to feel small.He even said I used to like my teacher, what can you say in that situation?

My DGS's school is a good one. Very high standards of literacy and numeracy. But as others on here have said, they do sit behind their desks for a lot of the time and he's only in reception.

He hates school already, which is very sad. He's doing really well, but given that he's an only child, he should really love being with all his friends. But because he struggles to concentrate, it's not a place he enjoys being. Poor little lad.

Joseanne

I've always thought it totally unnatural that little children should all be expected to be working at the same level and achieving specific targets when they are still developing as little human beings.
And isn't there that well known expression about weighing the pig? Over-assessment is pointless.

Totally agree 👍

I've always thought it totally unnatural that little children should all be expected to be working at the same level and achieving specific targets when they are still developing as little human beings.
And isn't there that well known expression about weighing the pig? Over-assessment is pointless.

The two primary schools that two of our GC are attending (two of our AC attended them also, one at each) are fairly relaxed until Year 3.

One is half the size of the other less than 1/2 mile away from each other on the same road.

There are two other primary schools within walking distance which are more as you describe, one of which another GC attended, they were more worried if they didn’t go up a reading level, got all spellings correct etc., and their school experience totally different from the other GC.

I think those countries who delay formal education until 6 or 7 have got it cracked.