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

[samanthajane]

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

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?

There are already 4 children ahead of her. But these children just started school a year later ( parents didn't want to go to another school, so they decided to keep them back a year ) where as my daughter has been in school this past year learning. I'm also a bit peeved because when i informed them the children wouldn't be back at the start of the year because we would be in england but there was a chance i would be back, i was told their places would be kept open untill the start of the next year. I'm actually back a term early, i haven't mentioned this dont really see the point, whats done is done.


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.

it's not just about moving schools it's getting a place in another school. I live in balbriggan i think there's even a few posts on here about the kids that had no school place a year or so back, every school was full, and about 20 or so kids we left not going to school at the start of the term. And also another problem would be getting and collecting 2 children from different schools at the same time.


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

Good job i did get them christened then.

 

[samanthajane]

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

Also the meeting last friday never actually happened, the teacher was off sick and it was daddy that picked her up from school anyway i got stuck in work.

When i mentioned about her moving up if anyone did leave i was told there were children ahead of her and it never really dawned on me untill i wrote the last post she should be put ahead of the others and she was in school and at that level now if not a bit ahead of them, where as the other children were kept back a year. I think i will have to bring up that situation with her, cause i dont see how that would be fair. Unless i totally misunderstood what she told me.

 

[samanthajane]

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

Just an update..i finally had the meeting with the head teacher.

The children that are ahead of her are not children that are currently in her junior infants class, they are children waiting to be transfered into the school from other schools.

Also she said it's not possible for her to be moved up to 2nd class this September because it's not allowed ( in any school ) even if they are able for the work.

So i have my 6 1/2 if junior infants tracing her m's and f's and then coming home and doing extra work from 1st class books that i got her. Her teacher said to do other things with her like art and crafts and nature ect and to stop doing the 1st class books.

The first thing she did when she got home from school today was go and get her 1st class spellings and maths books and asked what pages she can do!!

I've never know a child that would prefer to do extra school work than go out and play with her friends or on the trampoline or swings.

I'll have to get her some paints/crayons and get her to do that instead, cause at the rates she's going she'll have finished all the 1st class books that i got her last week before this school term is even over.

 

[slightly]

Re: Extra help for my 6 yo? Returned from UK should be in SInfants but now in JInfant

Number one, regarding other children being prioritised ahead of your child for entry to First Class, you should ask for a copy of the school enrolment or admissions policy which should contain the criteria on which new admissions are given preference. This should include new entrants to the school entering Junior Infants and entrants to other classes. You are entitled to see this, as are all other parents so don't accept no for an answer. Read this carefully and see if their policy on paper matches their policy in practice. Should this not include existing students skipping classes bring this to their attention.
In a related matter, while the maximum maximum average as outlined by the Dept. is 30 students per class, while one class had 20 another could possibly have 40, and the average would still be 30. The Dept can force schools to enroll above this where they deem there is physical space for additional students. If there is not, then tough luck!
Number Two, should your child continue ahead to Senior Infants, outline your concerns with the class teacher at the start of the year, of course making an appointment to meet her at a mutually convenient time and not ambushing just before school. Outline her ability and her need for more challenging school work. As with students with special educational needs, he/she should differentiate instruction and learning for children with exceptional ability also. Ask for a copy of an I.E.P for your child. (Individual Educational Plan). He/she will probably be surprised at this.
Regarding spelling and reading, the teachers would probably prefer that you don't just use the next book in the scheme currently in use in the school as this makes things harder for them, instead ask for the names of similar or parallel schemes which would be similar in content and difficulty. Also ask is there a reading scheme in use in the class and what level or standard is being used. Your local library is a great resource for free reading material including audio books etc.

Ask him/her for the titles of suitable software and/or websites which you could use with your child at home. There are some very suitable titles available, including Irish titles which could help your child with regarding to Irish reading and vocab. As this is an English speaking school, Formal Irish reading instruction wil not start until Second Class, informal in First, this would be beneficial and maybe motivational to your child as she will have an extra challenge which other younger students in the class will not have.

If this does not suffice, you can check out what exactly is expected of children in each class level, for each subject by accessing the Primary School Curriculum, from the NCCA website.

Also, there are a number of online tools which you can use to access, download or create worksheets, exercises etc for FREE which you can use at home.
You can also download fonts which would allow you to create your own handwriting exercises to print off. If your child is bored with single letter formation, you could print off whole words, or the spellings you are doing with her.

Personally, I would encourage lots and lots and lots of reading with her as this will help to alleviate her boredom in the long run. Ask the teacher if she was finished her work early, if she could read a book quietly. This would help alleviate her boredom and minimise the risk of disruptive behaviour due to boredom, which the teacher would appreciate.

 

[samanthajane]

Re: Extra help for my 6 yo? Returned from UK should be in SInfants but now in JInfant

Number one, regarding other children being prioritised ahead of your child for entry to First Class, you should ask for a copy of the school enrolment or admissions policy which should contain the criteria on which new admissions are given preference. This should include new entrants to the school entering Junior Infants and entrants to other classes. You are entitled to see this, as are all other parents so don't accept no for an answer. Read this carefully and see if their policy on paper matches their policy in practice. Should this not include existing students skipping classes bring this to their attention.

Didn't know about that, i will ask when the school term starts again.
When she told me that the 4 others that were ahead of her arn't actually attending the school but awaiting places, it didn't seem right. Especially when i know someone 2 years ago that was refused a place for 1st class because her son had very little irish. That was the schools policy. My son started there in 2nd class but he had come from another irish speaking school. Could of also been that neither parents spoke irish. Speaking from someone that can only just about string a sentance together in irish, it is difficult.

In a related matter, while the maximum maximum average as outlined by the Dept. is 30 students per class, while one class had 20 another could possibly have 40, and the average would still be 30. The Dept can force schools to enroll above this where they deem there is physical space for additional students. If there is not, then tough luck!

There is only going to be one 1st class this year. Junior and senior infants both have 2 class because of demand. I did ask would they think about having 2 1st classes, but there's no hope of that. Unless anyone leaves i think there are 34 in the class at the moment.

Number Two, should your child continue ahead to Senior Infants, outline your concerns with the class teacher at the start of the year, of course making an appointment to meet her at a mutually convenient time and not ambushing just before school. Outline her ability and her need for more challenging school work. As with students with special educational needs, he/she should differentiate instruction and learning for children with exceptional ability also. Ask for a copy of an I.E.P for your child. (Individual Educational Plan). He/she will probably be surprised at this.

Regarding spelling and reading, the teachers would probably prefer that you don't just use the next book in the scheme currently in use in the school as this makes things harder for them, instead ask for the names of similar or parallel schemes which would be similar in content and difficulty. Also ask is there a reading scheme in use in the class and what level or standard is being used. Your local library is a great resource for free reading material including audio books etc.

She will be having a totally new teacher this year, i'm sure she'll have enough on her plate as it is, but i'll arrange a meeting. I doubt she's going to be very happy with me.....i was told not to continue with the 1st class books, but i have anyway.

Ask him/her for the titles of suitable software and/or websites which you could use with your child at home. There are some very suitable titles available, including Irish titles which could help your child with regarding to Irish reading and vocab. As this is an English speaking school, Formal Irish reading instruction wil not start until Second Class, informal in First, this would be beneficial and maybe motivational to your child as she will have an extra challenge which other younger students in the class will not have.


It's actually an irish speaking school, so she is already learning irish. She was determined to improve her irish speaking and she has. 3-4 months ago she could understand, but she would mainly reply in english. Herself my son and partner are now speaking mainly in irish and having a great laugh at my expense talking in irish and i have no clue what they are on about!!

If this does not suffice, you can check out what exactly is expected of children in each class level, for each subject by accessing the Primary School Curriculum, from the NCCA website.

Also, there are a number of online tools which you can use to access, download or create worksheets, exercises etc for FREE which you can use at home.
You can also download fonts which would allow you to create your own handwriting exercises to print off. If your child is bored with single letter formation, you could print off whole words, or the spellings you are doing with her.

Do you have a link for a website? Although 2nd thoughts maybe not, i dont want to annoy the school anymore. They are already going to know she has still been doing the workbooks. I got her the 1st class books in april and she not far off from finishing them. She probably not learnt everything that she would of done in 1st class if she was being taught by a teacher, but she's going into senior infants after completing 1st year books!

Personally, I would encourage lots and lots and lots of reading with her as this will help to alleviate her boredom in the long run. Ask the teacher if she was finished her work early, if she could read a book quietly. This would help alleviate her boredom and minimise the risk of disruptive behaviour due to boredom, which the teacher would appreciate.

We do reading every day together....wont be long and she'll know words that even i dont know! Thats one thing that her teacher will never have to worry about, she's never been bold once in school. She saves all of that for when she is home lol. I got her new books the other day while i was in town, there for an 8 year old, and she doesn't get stuck on many words.

I'm still at a total loss on what to do about her school. I know i shouldn't of let her carry on with the work books, but the other side of me doesn't want to stop her when it's something that she really enjoys doing.

I suppose the only thing i can do is wait and see how she gets on when she starts back school again, and have the meeting with the teacher.

 

[Liza]

Re: Extra help for my 6 yo? Returned from UK should be in SInfants but now in JInfant

It's a tough judgement call and you have to go with your gut feelings. A wishy washy answer, I know, but in my class, I had a little girl who was younger than the others in her class in 5th class and it did her no favours, at all.

She was always trying to keep up with the others, socially, and it meant she was not being herself, at all. Her mam told me that she still enjoyed playing with her dolls at home but when class mates visited, she simply followed their lead and pretended to be interested in whatever the others were interested in...I felt quite sad for her.

I noticed, in the classroom, also that she was frustrated as she didn't understand lots of what the others found interesting ie boy/girl... girl/boy. Believe it or not, it starts in Primary school!! I noticed she was forcing herself to act beyond her years. One year is a lot in the Primary school years. I found she got into trouble, sometimes as she, simply, did not understand what she was saying... using words and terms she didn't even want to.
SPHE (Sex Ed) is another area to be considered. You can, always, ask for your child to sit in with the class lower for this but I find this can be embarrassing for the child as it puts the spotlight on her at a, potentially, delicate time during class...

That little girl, I referred to, ended up staying an extra year with me, by request of the parents, and we had a great year together. Mum amd Dad agreed it was the year she re-gained her confidence to just be herself. A MUCH happier child (I can't stress that enough!) I still meet her from time to time and still feel it was the right decision for her.

As I say, it's YOUR gut feeeling that matters.

My brother was the youngest in his class and, thankfully, was a very studious pupil but he had to be to keep up. Even at leaving Cert level, my Mam still claims it was tough on him. I remember the older children in my class found everything less difficult, in general. Even if there are times when she may be bored, this, by far, beats a child with low self-esteem due to struggling with some or all class work, in my opinion.

I wish you the best of luck in your decision and hope it all works out. Good luck

I suppose it depends on you and your child. Maybe she is a confident and self-aware young lady who is well fit to deal with the level of work and social side of things or maybe she will always find it that bit harder than the older children?
No one knows their own child like a parent!