Appropriate Y1 Maths extension work

[Devexity]

Last parent's evening, PFB's teacher said she was giving his numeracy group 'sideways extension' within the Y1 curriculum. No accessing the Y2 curriculum, let alone beyond.

At school, PFB has been proving he knows place value for numbers up to 50. At home, he likes hunting for prime numbers, using minus numbers to create number bonds, creating number palindromes, etc.

Is the school's stance usual? Sensible? I have no idea about maths and KS1.

Cheers in advance for any insight you may have!

[rainbowinthesky]

I am unconvinced that dd's school give her appropriate maths work so I have bought ks2 maths and spelling books recently and she works on these at home. She really enjoys doing them.

[Marne]

Dd1 is in year 1, was moved up to class 2 which is a mixture of year 1's (6 of them) and year 2's (12 of them), i have been told her maths and english/reading is at the level of a 7-8 year old but in September she has to stay in class 2 at Ks1 as they can't put her up with the year 2's as she's too young (which is fair) but they have also said she will have to repeat some of the work that she has done this year (as she has been working with the year 2's in the class).

I'm not sure if all schools work like this?

Dd's school is very small (hence the mixed classes). I worry that she won't be getting the correct work next year.

[spudmasher]

Y1 children should have access to the Y2 maths curriculum. It is not hard to differentiate by one year group. In fact, in year one you can have anything between P levels and level 2A really, so the teacher should be differentiating anyway. Just because you are in year one it does not mean you can't go on to other stuff.

[Marne]

Spud- dd1 has had access to year 2 curriculum (this year) but i have been told she may have limited access to year 3 curriculum (next year). Hopefully i am wrong.

[spudmasher]

Hopefully you are wrong. Presuming you live in UK then the curriculum is not really accessed according to age. Teachers should start from where the children are and move them on. If the child is way out of range in either direction then they should receive support.

[Devexity]

So there's no prescriptive national strategy demanding lateral enrichment only? Thought not, but good to know.

Marne: I'd advise you to resist the curriculum repeat. Strenuously.

Thank you all!

[suecy]

Children should be taught to their ability levels rather than their class year.

My son is also in Y1 and obviously a bright thing. My - also small - school (15 per year, mixed class), have been exposing him to Y2 work all school year as he's in a mixed Y1/2 class.

However, they recently called a mtg with me to discuss what they're doing with him as they've found he has finished KS1 and is 'somewhere in KS2 but we don't know where because if he hasn't been taught the skills he can't do the work'. So they're currently giving him 1 2 1 for 20 mins a day, when the class activities aren't appropriate, and leading him into KS2 work so they can find his level and tailor his needs accordingly.

They are committed to getting his needs addressed, and have basically admitted that running his education plan according to his peers is stopping his needs being met.

I'm in no way saying this to crow about my own son - I'm trying to say in a similar situation my school have pro-actively and at great cost to themselves resource wise, identified a need and done something about it.

Your school's suggestion about doing sideways Y1 activities is laughable - if your child is way ahead of Y1, then doing the basic Y1 work will bore him silly, never mind giving him more of the same! Long term this may well lead to him becoming maths-phobic and actually stopping learning.

What my sons teacher has done though, is give him some early KS2 level-type work which is 'off curriculum' - sudoku, logic problems, shape work which is outside the norm - THAT in my view is 'sideways stretching' - work at the RIGHT level which doesn't race them on and on through KS2 so he spends the last 2 years twiddling his thumbs.

I guess my very long winded post is saying - you are currently being fobbed off because, in my opininon, the teacher can't be bothered to differentiate or think outside the box. Your son has the right for his education to meet his needs as much as any other child. If she ain't offering to do it, you need to fight for it.

[shockers]

I would say the best thing you could do for any child is to make sure they learn their times tables.

[Devexity]

Shockers: Absolutely.

Suecy: Thank you! Am envious of your situation and agree wholeheartedly with your last paragraph. I think the school culture is, as a whole, very underconfident with maths. Last October, DS's reception teacher told me - in front of him - "I don't know anything about maths or science so I can't help him with that!" She's now the head.

Like your suggestions. Will try.