What are you doing with your year 4 child or what did you do
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What are you doing with your year 4 child or what did you do
Hi,
Apart from doing their school homework, do you (or did you ) do any extra work with your year 4 child?
I do help him with his homework when required, and that's it so far. I know this may not be enough for preparing for 11+ in 2014. Ok, I know it's a bit too early, but I like to put a firm foundation before year 5. But how? I don't know.
Can you give me some advice please?
Thanking you all in advance
LittleDippy.
Apart from doing their school homework, do you (or did you ) do any extra work with your year 4 child?
I do help him with his homework when required, and that's it so far. I know this may not be enough for preparing for 11+ in 2014. Ok, I know it's a bit too early, but I like to put a firm foundation before year 5. But how? I don't know.
Can you give me some advice please?
Thanking you all in advance
LittleDippy.
Re: What are you doing with your year 4 child or what did yo
DD2 has just gone into Y4. We are just keeping up with times tables / mental maths and facilitating her massive appetite for book-reading to help vocab. Also supplying puzzle books, which she asks for. DD1 is sitting 11+ this month, so want a break before starting with DD2, maybe next Sept!
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Re: What are you doing with your year 4 child or what did yo
gatleymum wrote:DD2 has just gone into Y4. We are just keeping up with times tables / mental maths and facilitating her massive appetite for book-reading to help vocab. Also supplying puzzle books, which she asks for. DD1 is sitting 11+ this month, so want a break before starting with DD2, maybe next Sept!
Good luck to your DD1.
I just got my first Mental Arithmetic book 2 and 3 today. I thought book 2 would be too easy for my year 4, but I have a feeling he is not going to fly through. He will have his first book waiting for him today.
Good luck again for your DD1.
Thank you.
Re: What are you doing with your year 4 child or what did yo
hi littledippy,
I have always found it quite frightening to leave it all to year 5 and believe that ‘little often’ was a good way to go.
You may find my approach a bit extreme but I got my DDs to do 10+ mock test in year 4, the first mock was in October of year 4. They subsequently did a couple more by the end of year 4.
Was I putting extra pressure on them? Maybe, maybe not. There was a remarkable difference in their approach from the first to the last mock. They were a bit apprehensive the first time, a by the last were full of confidence going into the hall. Wish was what I was partly aiming to achieve.
My justification, rightly or wrongly, was the need to have a way to independently check on their progress, as I could not really get that from the school nor from working with them at home.
Best of Luck
I have always found it quite frightening to leave it all to year 5 and believe that ‘little often’ was a good way to go.
You may find my approach a bit extreme but I got my DDs to do 10+ mock test in year 4, the first mock was in October of year 4. They subsequently did a couple more by the end of year 4.
Was I putting extra pressure on them? Maybe, maybe not. There was a remarkable difference in their approach from the first to the last mock. They were a bit apprehensive the first time, a by the last were full of confidence going into the hall. Wish was what I was partly aiming to achieve.
My justification, rightly or wrongly, was the need to have a way to independently check on their progress, as I could not really get that from the school nor from working with them at home.
Best of Luck
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Re: What are you doing with your year 4 child or what did yo
Hi fred
I was a bit apprehensive posting my question because I thought some might say I am starting too it early and kids will get bored. Thank you for your response and that gives me loads of confidence.
Wow, did the 10+ mock exams in year 4? That's does sound like a good idea. You never know, I might take the same route next year.. (I am not sure if my DD will be ready.. but there is always hope
I’ve taken the little and often approach from this week. We had a long conversation this weekend so we (me and DD) know we have to work as a team.
I am glad I found this forum and feel I am not alone in this journey...
LittleDippy
I was a bit apprehensive posting my question because I thought some might say I am starting too it early and kids will get bored. Thank you for your response and that gives me loads of confidence.
Wow, did the 10+ mock exams in year 4? That's does sound like a good idea. You never know, I might take the same route next year.. (I am not sure if my DD will be ready.. but there is always hope
I’ve taken the little and often approach from this week. We had a long conversation this weekend so we (me and DD) know we have to work as a team.
I am glad I found this forum and feel I am not alone in this journey...
LittleDippy
Re: What are you doing with your year 4 child or what did yo
Hi,
Just wanted to say my DS takes his first test this sat. We have been working through techniques over the last year but totally agree with starting early. Little and often so no pressure if they slack off at times. With my second DS i will be starting in year 4 to take the pressure off.
Remember you know your child best so know what they can cope with so do whatever fits in with you and your child.
Good luck with this journey as its a long one but hopefully it will open doors to our children.
Angie76
Just wanted to say my DS takes his first test this sat. We have been working through techniques over the last year but totally agree with starting early. Little and often so no pressure if they slack off at times. With my second DS i will be starting in year 4 to take the pressure off.
Remember you know your child best so know what they can cope with so do whatever fits in with you and your child.
Good luck with this journey as its a long one but hopefully it will open doors to our children.
Angie76
Re: What are you doing with your year 4 child or what did yo
Just by way of contrast in case anyone is lurking on here and panicking: I did nothing with any of mine in Year 4, including their school homework. Anyone who knows me on here will be aware that I don't agree with homework; happily the school seemed to take the same view so we had very little. Personally (and I say this as both a teacher and a parent) I think year 4 is the least important of any school year, and there was no way I was going to be putting my children to work preparing for exams. So all 3 of mine spent year 4 playing; in fact one of them didn't go to school for the whole year but that's another story.
All 3 are now at superselective grammar schools, though I have to confess to a slight hiccup getting there with one of them (moral: if you do no preparation at all, in the innocent belief that your child will manage on the day, you might not make it. But there is always another way in if it's the right school ). So my message is: you absolutely do not have to spend years preparing, or doing 'little and often" or trying to sneak advanced vocabulary into their brains from a tiny age. There is more than one way to skin a cat, as they say, and if, as I did, you hope for a particular outcome but without some of the conventional routes into it, trust your instincts. All children are different, and all parents too.
All 3 are now at superselective grammar schools, though I have to confess to a slight hiccup getting there with one of them (moral: if you do no preparation at all, in the innocent belief that your child will manage on the day, you might not make it. But there is always another way in if it's the right school ). So my message is: you absolutely do not have to spend years preparing, or doing 'little and often" or trying to sneak advanced vocabulary into their brains from a tiny age. There is more than one way to skin a cat, as they say, and if, as I did, you hope for a particular outcome but without some of the conventional routes into it, trust your instincts. All children are different, and all parents too.
Re: What are you doing with your year 4 child or what did yo
We did nothing in year 4 - tables as they were asked to learn them at school (actually, scrub that, DD never did manage to learn them - she has just gone into the 6th form at a GS). And reading - fortunately ours have always loved reading so that was no chore. If I had my time again I might do more mental arithmetic but I probably still wouldn't have time! We are in Bucks where the 11plus is VR with a few maths-type questions thrown in, so vocab and tables probably the most important thing.
scary mum
Re: What are you doing with your year 4 child or what did yo
Just thought i would pop back on this evening to see how people are?
Also just wanted to add that my DS has never felt he has missed out on playing because we have dripped information over the last 12 months which has meant no last minute rush and cramming necessary which can obviously put them under stress. I was talking with my DS before he went to bed about the test he taking tomorrow. I asked if he was feeling nervous and he said "not at all" as he feels very ready for it. That's not to say he will pass but at least he is confident. Going back to your original question about whether to prepare them before yr 5. Well you know your child and what there learning styles are. As a teacher myself in Special Educational Needs i can only say that the more children practise the easier it gets. That's not to say that you have to spend hours and hours doing work but 10mins here and there certainly makes it less stressful than panicking last minute and then spending hours and hours over the last few weeks before a test to then find that your child suffers melt down.
My DS on many occasions would not have even known he was doing 11+ work in the beginning and found some of it quite fun at times. He loved doing codes even when they were challenging.
Do what you feel is best and if you do start early and they are not keen at least then you can take a break and pick it up at a later stage.
I will try and switch off now though as i am stressed about his test tomorrow but fortunately he would never know as i have never let onto my DS that i am.
Good Luck whatever you decide
Also just wanted to add that my DS has never felt he has missed out on playing because we have dripped information over the last 12 months which has meant no last minute rush and cramming necessary which can obviously put them under stress. I was talking with my DS before he went to bed about the test he taking tomorrow. I asked if he was feeling nervous and he said "not at all" as he feels very ready for it. That's not to say he will pass but at least he is confident. Going back to your original question about whether to prepare them before yr 5. Well you know your child and what there learning styles are. As a teacher myself in Special Educational Needs i can only say that the more children practise the easier it gets. That's not to say that you have to spend hours and hours doing work but 10mins here and there certainly makes it less stressful than panicking last minute and then spending hours and hours over the last few weeks before a test to then find that your child suffers melt down.
My DS on many occasions would not have even known he was doing 11+ work in the beginning and found some of it quite fun at times. He loved doing codes even when they were challenging.
Do what you feel is best and if you do start early and they are not keen at least then you can take a break and pick it up at a later stage.
I will try and switch off now though as i am stressed about his test tomorrow but fortunately he would never know as i have never let onto my DS that i am.
Good Luck whatever you decide
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Re: What are you doing with your year 4 child or what did yo
I hope your son did well yesterday. Let us know how he got on.Angie76 wrote:Just thought i would pop back on this evening to see how people are?
I will try and switch off now though as i am stressed about his test tomorrow but fortunately he would never know as i have never let onto my DS that i am.
Good Luck whatever you decide
I am going to stick to my little and often approach. To be honest, I am already relaxed because I know I have enough time to prepare him. I am new to this 11+ so I also need time to learn a lot.
Little dippy