Does the national curriculum hold back the bright ones?

[KoalaSar]

My daughter is in reception and has been identified as gifted and talented.

at 4 year 5 months she is on ORT levels 7-8, which I'm sure is not completley unusual, but all the same, she's obviously a good reader (and yes, she understands what she reads).

Recently she brought home five "high frequency word" spelling lists. We were told that the children would be learning to write and spell these words as their homework for the next few weeks.

She had completed lists 1-5 for reading and according to the school, she could write all on lists 1-3 plus a few from list 4 and none from list 5.

So earlier this week I set about teaching her to spell some of these words. It turned out she could spell most of them already. I probably taught her five new words.

By yesterday she was clearly able to spell all of the words on list 5 so I asked the school for more work and they have refused this because they have not personally seen her write these words.

I have seen her write all of them and she can also spell them aloud on request.

I'm a bit puzzled and not sure what to think.

Any ideas/opinions?

[Cyb]

Of course the school needs proof she can write the words.

Otherwise evry parent could go in claimimg talents their child has .

however I think it is fine if you speak to the teacher about your daughters reading and spelling levels and whether the work can reflect this.

[welshandproud]

The teacher will assess her soon I'm sure and then IME your daughter will be given the next set of sight words to read and spell. I think you have to appreciate that teachers cant always take parents word for it that their child can read or write certain words. Don't take it personally some parents might give their LOs too much help when testing/checking them. The teacher will use the same consistent methods with all children. I think its very early days to feel your child isnt being stretched.
Explain to teacher that your DD knows the words and ask what happens next. That will inform the teacher that you have practised at home and give her the oportunity to explain her strategy.

[KoalaSar]

I can see your points.

I suppose I just don't know when they will give her the right work. This is supposed to be the work for the rest of the term.

We were dubious about the state system because you read so many things about the national curriculum catering to the middle of the road type kids.

We considered private school but decided she'd be better to make friends locally> I'm wondering whether it would have been the same in a private school as they don't have to follow the curriculum so closely.

TBH the note from school was a bit snotty. I had simply said she was coming to the end of the work and could we have whatever was next. The reply didn't really reflect the tone in which I'd asked.

There are a few of us who walk the children to and from school and the other mums are always complaining about the school and about having to do work with the kids at home. They often just don't do the homework at all. It's frustrating to be trying to support what the school are doing and yet to feel you've been "told off" for doing it.

[Cyb]

Its not the 'national curriculum' that is teaching your children,. It is the teachers who differentiate work according to ability, both high and low.

[welshandproud]

I personally wouldn't lose faith in the state school system at this point. In some schools children in reception are not given high frequency words to learn and spell anymore.

I've always found that a personal word with the teacher at the end of the day is more personal than a note.

If you really are intent on pushing on with more worfds before the teacher carries out her assessment you should be able to find a list of the old reception high frequency words somewhere on the net...i say 'old' as i think the foundation stage means these lists may well be obselete.

[KoalaSar]

You have to appreciate this is my first experience of sending a child to school.

I've always heard the national curriculum criticised for holding children back. My friend's daughter, for example, was bored rigid by having to go over work that was way too easy for her.

I actually rate the school highly and think the teacher is great. I've seen the range of ability in the class and I think it must be so hard to differentiate work for the top and bottom of that range.

BOth my husband and I were the brightest in our respective classes. We both came from very average (actually, disadvantaged) backgrounds where there were no books in the house and where nobody took an interest in our education. We both went to good universities despite this.

Obviously, we now take an active interest in our child's learning, though we're not pushy and demand nothing of the school. I just want to know I'm on the right track with the homework and when the homework has run out before it's begun, naturally, I would like a bit extra.

[cory]

Don't forget- there are millions of ways you can support your dd's love of learning at home which do not rely on these spelling lists. Find her interesting things to read (not ORT books but real books), talk to her, take her to museums or nature walks. Don't feel the whole of her education will hinge on this one matter of spelling lists.

I always knew all the words on my spelling lists at school before the term even started: this does not mean that I was disillusioned by school or held back or lost interest. Spelling was one small part of all we did. There was so much else, so many new exciting things the school taught me to see and learn. And even with spellings, having to wait and go to through the test to show what I knew didn't actually feel that onerous: I think even as a young child I understood why that had to be done.

It does sound a bit like you are looking for signs that something is wrong because of your general concerns about the state system.

[KoalaSar]

She reads the Mr Men and Little Misses at home. Last weekend we went to the science museum. We paint and draw and do collage and she writes letters and posts them. In terms of "talking to her", I have no idea where to begin to tell you how many hours she sits discussing things with us.

I know it's about more than a list of words. I'm just looking for school to add something and teach her something she finds challenging. Kids need to play and socialise and feel challenged in many ways, including academically.

[welshandproud]

I would have to disagree, my eldest DD(11) is very bright and has not only done incredibly well at 3 different primary schools but has learnt a huge amount of information, has well developed problem solving skills, is articulate and has loved virtually every minute of topic based learning. She'd say she has weaker subjects but I'm actually thrilled with the Primary Education that she has received thanks to a number of excellent teachers and a very broad and balanced curriculum.

FWIW i didn't teach her to read before she started school but I did teach her to love and respect books. I know how to teach 'reading' and i also know how to support a child in 'decoding' a text but instead we looked at the beautiful illustrations and tried to guess what might happen next. She started in Reception unable to read. She finished Reception still unable to read. By Christmas in Y1 she was reading chapter books. She dictated the pace and her school and I facilitated her by providing a wide range of interesting and stimulating books. I now have myself a real reader..torch under the covers type. She doesnt just 'read' the text, she devours it. She now has a reading age of 14+ and is in Y6.

I think you need to chill a little and have some faith in the teacher who you think is great and the school that you rate.

[cory]

Yes of course you want school to add something and teach her something challenging. So what you need to ask yourself is: is there any evidence that the school is not doing this? A set of spelling lists is really not enough evidence, as that is such a tiny part of the all the things the school can (and should) be teaching her and challenging her with.

Does she never seem excited about things she has done at school? Has she never asked you things or started a new train of thought because of something that was mentioned at school? Have you not seen any signs that she is developing socially and learning new things about classroom interaction? Has she never shown you art work or told you something that the teacher told her and that she found interesting?

If you answer no to the above, then yes, you're probably right about the school (unless she is merely being uncommunicative in a 4yo way).

But judging a school on merely its spellings would seem to me like judging your parenting on your bedtime routine- yes, it's important but it's only a small part of all the parenting you do.

Some schools are bad and deserve to be judged. But first I would try to find out a bit more about what is actually going on inside the school, what they are learning during the time when they are not doing spellings, how they work, what they find important.

[threetimemummy]

Koala - just for my own interest - what are some of the words on her lists? Thanks!

[KoalaSar]

Funny you should ask.

Tonight she brought home some art work. When I said it was lovely, she shrugged and said it wasn't her work. She couldn't really get excited because the teacher has mixed up the work and she knew this one wasn't hers.

I see some progress socially in terms of confidence. I hear her mimicking some of the things the teacher says.

She rolls her eyes at the rest of the stuff and says it's easy peasy.

[KoalaSar]

some of the words on list 5 are "people" and "about"

[YoMoJo]

OK I assume the word lists that your daughter is working from are taken from here (pdf file)

Your DD school has probably split them into smaller lists to aid learning.

Actually you may find that website useful with regards to what you can do with dd at home.

The Early Years Foundation Stage Framework, National Curriculum & Primary Strategies are just starting points for the teacher. It is then down to the Teacher to implement these in such a way that all children are able to make adequate progress.

You sound dissapointed with your child's education so far.

"But judging a school on merely its spellings would seem to me like judging your parenting on your bedtime routine- yes, it's important but it's only a small part of all the parenting you do" Hits the nail on the head!

Have you open evening soon? That would be the best time to discuss your concerns. I would then give it to the end of the School Year & re-assess the situation.

[ihearttc]

Is your daughter being asked to spell them or learn them? My DS is in reception also and is now finishing his list of tricky words (there are 100 that they've got to do by the end of reception).

He can read them and recognise them very well but don't think he'd be able to spell all of them.

Obviously no help at all to your question but just curious.

And thank you YoMoJo for that list because his teacher has said today that she's going to review all of them with him and then move him on to the Y1 words which Im assuming ae the next ones on the list so at least I know whats coming up!!

[moffat]

My ds was like this in YR - he could read all the sight words before he started school and was on the G/T register. But, TBH I did not really dwell on these things - the main thing for me was to see developments in his language, thinking and problem-solving skills.

The teacher tried to cater for his abilities - and mostly succeeded - and did admit that sometimes he was bored but I felt that that, realistically and with the available resources, that was the best that a state education could provide and we at home tried to make sure that he was being challenged and exposed to different ideas.