Extra help for my 6 yo? Returned from UK should be in SInfants but now in JInfants.

[samanthajane]

For the first 2 terms of this school year my daughter was is England. And had come on leaps and bounds.

She should be in senior infants but because there was no room left in the class has had to be put back to junior infants, and she is totally bored out of her head.

We might have the option of pushing her forward this september to 2nd class, so instead of being a year behind she would be a year ahead.

She does get some extra homework to do every night but in her words "it's too easy i want harder homework"

Her teacher is very good and does try to do other things with her in class, and i totally understand that she has 30 odd other children to teach as well so she cant spend time planning out extra different work to what the rest of the class is doing.

Is it a good idea to get extra help for her so we could push her forward a class or am i better off keeping her the year behind.

I try to do extra work with her at home as well, i give her new spellings every day and on a friday we have have a test, and i'm keeping up her reading as well, but i'm not a teacher and i dont know if i'm actually helping her or making things harder for her. I remember a few years ago helping my son and the teacher had to tell me to stop because i was confusing him with his reading because i was trying to teach him a different way to what she was.

She's so eager to learn and i dont want to hold her back, but i dont want to push her either. I think she would be well able to handle the work in second class it's just getting her up to that level from now to september, we couldn't just put her into second class in september with the level of work she is doing at the moment, she would need the extra lesons.

I'm not one of these mothers who thinks their child is a genious and wants to just push and push them, but she is a very bright young girl, loves school, homework and picks things up very quickly. Totally different to her brother who hates anything to do with school and it's a battle each and every night to get even half of his homework done.

So should i leave her where she is or try and get her into 2nd class in September?

 

[Red]

Re: should i get extra help for my 6 year old?

So am I correct here - your options are progress to senior infants next year or second class.
Have you an option to put her in first class??

Would not recommend a jump from infants to second class ? The rest of class will be ahead in terms of reading, spelling & maths. As it is a first communion yer not much room to catch up. She will also be the youngest!

What does the teacher suggest ?

 

[Smashbox]

Re: should i get extra help for my 6 year old?

You should talk to the teachers. As if she could use a book from her 'proper' senior infants class to keep up with work.

I know when I was in primary school (long long time ago!) I was given an additional English book because I was mad into English, the teacher sourced out a different book and so I was happy enough. When I finished that one, he would get me another and so on.

As for help Sam

 

[samanthajane]

Re: should i get extra help for my 6 year old?

Sorry if i wasn't clear.

She should be in senior infants at the moment going into 1st class in september, but was put back a year because no room in the class. So it's not an option for her to go into 1st class this september unless a few children dont come back to the school, because the senior infants class that is full at the moment will be the 1st class in september. So there will still be no places.

She may be the youngest if she goes into 2nd class, but she's the oldest in her class at the moment. She's 6 1/2 where as some of the other children are having their 5th birthdays at the moment.

Thats why i was thinking of getting her the extra help, so from now till september she would be doing the same kind of work as what the 1st class are doing at the moment so she would be around the same level as what they are going into 2nd class.

Have spoken to the head teacher who said the main focus would be to improve her irish ( she goes to a irish speaking school ) she cant go into 1st class now as being away for 2 terms her irish is not to the level it should be for her to be in first class. All the irish i speak i have kept it up but i've not been able to take her further.

In terms of reading, spelling and maths i've looked at some of the books for 1st class and they are not that much more advanced to the work she was doing in England. When she started school in England she was way behind the other pupils but she had extra help each day and her teacher even said she was amazed at how much she had advanced in just the 2 terms. When she left she was at the top of her class.

At the moment she isn't learning anything she doesn't already know, she would need to continue doing the same level of work she was doing. I cant give her that which is why i wanted to get her help to keep her at the same standard.

 

[gillarosa]

Re: should i get extra help for my 6 year old?

I wouldn't recommend it, unless the extra school or home work her Teacher has done with her is part of the Curriculum of 1st Class which isn't likely as she has a Class full of Junior Infants. The curriculum of 2nd Class is dependant on the Child's gained knowledge of the prior three years and there are some major new developments such as being required to write in Irish rather than reading or aural work. Also, if it is a Catholic School there can often be a huge chunk of the School year from after New Year until May where preparation for the Sacrament is given a huge amount of time and that may not assist her in catching up either.

 

[gipimann]

Re: should i get extra help for my 6 year old?

Just a couple of thoughts, based on my own experience (many years ago!) of being moved up a year (I did first and second class in one school year). May not be an issue nowadays, but here goes anyway.

If your daughter is going to be a year younger than her classmates in 2nd class, she will always be a year younger than her classmates right through primary and into secondary school. Might not make a difference now, but when the class is 14-15 and she's 13 it might be a different story.

I always felt I missed out on social development because I was with older children (who were a bit wary of this "smart one" coming into their class!). But that could just have been me

There used to be minimum age limits for the Inter/Junior Cert state exam - a child had to be 14 years old by 1st January in the year the exam was taken. I made the deadline by a few weeks but a classmate of mine (who'd also skipped a year) didn't make it and couldn't sit the exam. The school then had to get an exemption from the Dept of Education and Science to sit the Leaving Cert.

There was no transition year in my day, so I completed my secondary school education at age 16 - a bit young to be going to college if that's the proposed route (wasn't in my case, I went to work instead!).

 

[thedaras]

Re: should i get extra help for my 6 year old?

Also, She would be too young too make her communion,I believe children must be 8,but open to correction on that one.

I was in a similar position in that I had moved from one county to another ,in one area the child was to start school in the september of the year he was 4,so on advice from playschool teacher and principal ,he started when he was 4 in the august,however when we moved the new school would not take kids under 5,so he had to go back to playschool untill the following september,which meant he was 5 in the august.

He was totally bored in junior infants,bored in senior infants,bored in 1st, 2nd ,and 3rd,but now hes in 4th class and its begining to even out more.
During his "boring "times he was given extra work to do,so he wouldnt get too bored or disruptive!

It also gave him huge confidence ,as all through school he tended to be the brightest in the class,( more due to the fact that he was the oldest .).

If I had moved him up a couple of years or a year he would have been ok,but would not have gained that confidence.And could have gone from being the brightest in the class to being the one to struggle.

Its a pity she cant be moved up just one year as that would be perfect ,could you plead with the principal? It can happen that kids leave that year for various reasons and espically in this economy,you may find a lot of people moving or leaving the country.
Best of luck ..

 

[michaelm]

Re: should i get extra help for my 6 year old?

In my experience the expect work rate and ability ramps up quickly between 1st and 2nd class. To be 7 in 2nd class would seem young to me. Better bored than struggling. Keep in touch with the school, a place may well become available.

 

[thedaras]

Re: should i get extra help for my 6 year old?

Can I also tell you that I was moved from 5th class to 1st year in secondary school,that meant that I had to make my confirmation in secondary school!! Oh the slagging was fierce!! But altough there were valid reasons for my being put forward,I dont think it was the correct decision ,in my case anyway,as socially it has an effect when all around you are 2 years older.

 

[dereko1969]

Re: should i get extra help for my 6 year old?

I'm sorry I can't help the OP with advice on this one but could people generally refrain from the presumption included in a number of posts here that everyone in the country is a Roman Catholic?

 

[Smashbox]

Re: should i get extra help for my 6 year old?

I'm sorry I can't help the OP with advice on this one but could people generally refrain from the presumption included in a number of posts here that everyone in the country is a Roman Catholic?

Where was that?

 

[AlbacoreA]

Re: should i get extra help for my 6 year old?

Whats the rush anyway. When you are in college or other it won't matter a bit if you are a year or two older or younger than those around you.

Socially during school years it makes the most impact.

Can you move her to a school where she can be with others the same age?

 

[csirl]

Re: should i get extra help for my 6 year old?

Do you have the option of transferring her to another school in the area where she will be with the correct age group. It seems as this is an age thing due to there being no space in the class most appropriate to her age. If she stays where she is, she'll always be a bit more advanced. If she skips, she'll always be a bit too young. There are also social development issues - always better to be in the correct age group.

 

[dereko1969]

Re: should i get extra help for my 6 year old?

Where was that?

The references to Holy Communion taking up a lot the day in first class, can't do the multi-quoting, also most gaelscoilleana are multi-denominational i think so preparations for that may not actually be taking place during school hours.

 

[samanthajane]

Re: should i get extra help for my 6 year old?

I have a meeting with the head teachers tomorrow and we're going to have a chat.

About her being 13 when others are 14/15 i wouldn't mind her being kept in primary school for the extra year and then moving up, i'm open to correction as i did all my education in england but when you hit secondary school you are split into different levels of ability.

She is just so bored at the moment and her teachers knows that and even said it too me today, but she can only do so much in giving her extra work, she has 30 odd other children some of them are still only 4 going on 5.

For the communion and having to be 8 i dont think thats true.

My son was 1 of only two children that were in 2nd class last year. The other girl when she was in 1st class was the only one and she did her communion with the other pupils ( about 6 of them i think ) the school is only a few years old so the older classes would be no where near full. So she was only 7 when she did hers. They said because jack was the only child to do the communion they would leave him till the year after ( this year ) but since we were away for the first 2 terms it's too late for him to do it this year.

Either way the communions and conformations wont be an issue with me. I'm not religious at all, and i hate what they have become. I dont mean to offend or disrespect anyone with what i'm about to say but it's not about anything but the money. A few years ago a total stranger that lived down the road came knocking on the door to show be how beautiful her daughter looked ( and she did ) and they she held her hand out. I was like what!!!! I dont even know you. Was then told by a cocky 8 year old that i had to give her €20!!! Door was shut pronto!

I asked my son if he wanted to do his communnion and he replied " only if your going to let people give me money"

So it goes to show he only wants to do it because he thinks he will get money from it. If we were a religious family and went to church every week then yes there would be other reasons as well but were not so i dont see the point in either of them doing it.

Thedars...it would be perfect to move her back up but it's just not possible the class already has to many pupils as it is. She been away for 2 terms and she's tried to play with her old friends but they dont want to know her anymore. She's not really bothered by that anyway she has made other friends. I picked her up from school today and asked if she had a good day to which i got a sigh and " it was ok i was just bored... i dont need to learn how to write my m's mummy i already know"

Not sure i would want to move to move her to another school there is only the one irish speaking school in the area, and i'm not sure i would even get a place for her at another school. They had to open a new school as it was because there was about 20 children who couldn't get a place because all the schools in the area were full. This year the irish school as 2 junior infant classes as the demand was so high. The only reason i had no problem with my son getting back in is because they will only except children 1st class and above that already have a good understanding of irish so very few ( 2 i think ) new children started in his class. He's in 3rd class and is taught with other kids that are in 4th and 5th class, they couldn't just have 4 of them in one class so they are all put together.


Just to add on to the communnion issue, the only reason i had my son baptised was because at the time i was told that to get him into any local school he would need a baptisim certificate. Things have changed now, but 9 years ago i was told this by quite a few different people. When i went to see the priest i was totally honest with him about my reasons and he accepted that. ( my mother nearly killed me when i told her what i had said to him ) And i didn't want for him to be christened and my daughter not to be, so thats why she was as well.

 

[thedaras]

Re: should i get extra help for my 6 year old?

I have a meeting with the head teachers tomorrow and we're going to have a chat.

Absolutly the right thing to do.I had presumed you had already spoken with them about it.

About her being 13 when others are 14/15 i wouldn't mind her being kept in primary school for the extra year and then moving up, i'm open to correction as i did all my education in england but when you hit secondary school you are split into different levels of ability

.

What do you mean,kept in primary for the extra year?
Streaming does happen in some but all secondary schools.

She is just so bored at the moment and her teachers knows that and even said it too me today, but she can only do so much in giving her extra work, she has 30 odd other children some of them are still only 4 going on 5.

It seems crazy that a 6 yr old can be in the same class as 4 yr olds!
You could always provide extra work for her during school time by giving her books suitable for her age.Then tell her when she gets bored to read the book,with the teachers permission.

For the communion and having to be 8 i dont think thats trueFor Irish Catholics,

First Commu­nion is a major ceremony that takes place in second class, when commu­nicants are usually aged between seven and eight, and Confirmation takes place in sixth class, when pupils are aged around thirteen.

 

[thedaras]

Re: should i get extra help for my 6 year old?

opps incorrect info

 

[samanthajane]

Re: should i get extra help for my 6 year old?

Absolutly the right thing to do.I had presumed you had already spoken with them about it.

We had briefly discussed things but hadn't gone into it fully, it's be 2 weeks now that she's been in junior infants.


.

What do you mean,kept in primary for the extra year?
Streaming does happen in some but all secondary schools.

Well if she did get moved into 2nd class she would start secondary school a year early, i meant instead of her moving up to secondary school then she could stay in primary for an extra year so she would start secondary school at the same time as others her age. More going on what someone said about her being 12/13 when the other would be 13/14.


It seems crazy that a 6 yr old can be in the same class as 4 yr olds!
You could always provide extra work for her during school time by giving her books suitable for her age.Then tell her when she gets bored to read the book,with the teachers permission.

This is what i'm doing at the moment but if i keep doing this every year she's always going to be ahead of the rest of the class. ( i.e when she gets to 2nd class i would of already done that work with her the year before ) Then you could argue apart from the social aspects whats the point of her even going to school because she's only going to be going over what she has already learnt.

I've had a look at the books that 1st class are using at the moment and when you compare that to what work she was doing in england there's not that much difference between the two. I was thinking of going and buying the 1st class books for her to do at home but if the teachers says tomorrow that they wont move her up she still going to have the same problem as what she is having now, that she's bored in school. So i'm better off not giving her the extra work and just let her plod along untill she gets to 1st class ( in 18 months time ) with the rest of the class thats she's in at the moment. Just seems a waste to hold her back, when she is so eagar to learn.

 

[Complainer]

Re: should i get extra help for my 6 year old?

I have a meeting with the head teachers tomorrow and we're going to have a chat.

Hope the meeting went well. Can you push him to put you first on the waiting list for 1st class, in case another pupils drops out or moves from the area?

Not sure i would want to move to move her to another school there is only the one irish speaking school in the area

If this issue is having as big an impact as you suggest, I would think you seriously need to consider moving school, even if it means going for an English-speaking school.

Just to add on to the communnion issue, the only reason i had my son baptised was because at the time i was told that to get him into any local school he would need a baptisim certificate. Things have changed now

Not so much. Schools still discriminate based on religion, where demand for places exceeds the number of applicants.

 

[cleverclogs7]

Re: should i get extra help for my 6 year old?

same situation.my daughter should be in 3rd class but had to stay back a yr because she was new in the school and no room.she was bord stiff so i got her the english,maths and irish for 3rd class and i do a little with her every day .shes welll able for 3rd class in september 09 and it wont do any harm if shes a bit more advanced.