Level 6 Reading

[ToadMum]

Even if they are going to end up as boringly mediocre as the rest of humanity, what is really wrong with placing children at their current ability level at a given point in time? We have one child who has on the whole been happy with just being top of her own class (who went on to be at the top of year 7 in a comprehensive and now doing quite well in yr 8 at a GS), flanked by an older brother who spent half of year 5 happily (or at least, less unhappily than he had been in his own year) being top of a year 6 class before doing year six "properly" and a younger brother who has spent most of KS2 doing some maths and English lessons with a class two years ahead. Last year DS2 joined a year 7 class at a local girls' GS for maths and this year he is participating in the Junior Maths Challenge at the GS he will be joining in September. Today, he went off to school bizarrely happy because he was going to be doing a level 6 maths paper . He says he likes exams, so spending a couple of extra afternoons in May taking a few more is not something he or we are stressing over.

We didn't push for these things - admittedly, I sort-of accidentally got DS2 into the JMC thing and DS1 knew about the going up a year thing before we did - but with everything else it has been the school which has approached us to say, we would like to do this, is it okay with you?

If my DC were of significantly below average ability, I would have been very unimpressed had their primary school not recognised their needs and provided for them appropriately.

[kenyancowgirl]

To me, Toadmum, the key here is that he, or you, were not stressing about it. The Op clearly says her son is stressing about it - this indicates that he is not happy, as your ds is (or incidentally either of mine). If the child is taking it in their stride, not feeling the need to get you to download L6 papers for them to practice etc then they are either very capable or very chilled about the whole thing - or both. If they are getting stressed about something that they frankly do not have to do and holds very little sway in secondary school then perhaps they are not ready and would benefit far more from extension activities. Incidentally, our ds1 was moved up a year and topped the year above, at the schools suggestion, as they didn't know what else to do - it was never a viable solution to us - it didn't meet his social needs or solve the problem long term. We ended up flexi schooling him in Y6 as he had already covered the curriculum - the flexi schooling consisted of extension stuff which was far more useful than just continuing up the ladder, as it were, as a lot would then have been repeated in Y7 and Y8 and so on. There seems to be this theory that to challenge a bright child you have to keep putting them up levels - I know lots of very able mathematicians that when faced with a problem solving question, fall apart - they can do the maths but can't see past the problem. Or they can write an essay but can't debate an issue - these could form extension activities that would be just as useful longer term, couldn't they?

[mystery]

Yes - and those kind of things form part of all NC levels.

[WindowGlass]

Very interesting debate here.

Toadmum seems to have a remarkably flexible option available, but KenyanCowGirl may be right that upping levels might not be sustainable and possibly wreaks havoc with the child social and school operational side.

Personally, we have found it better now DS is in a (bigger) school with more peers of similar ability.
It's we who stress, as our childrens' academic ability challenges our own - they're learning things in primary that I didn't until latter secondary (pre-NC), if ever I did! In that situation a child could easily coast along if someone isn't on the ball. Other extreme of course might be to push too hard - but I think that situation is unlikely to continue unchecked for too long.

[mystery]

I am old so I find they are not learning as much in primary as I did! I can see the issue that starting work from years' ahead too soon could lead to boredom at a later stage. But at least at secondary school maths and English takes up a smaller proportion of the timetable than it seems to do at primary school. And in all likelihood the children will be in sets by year 8 at the latest in maths and English and good teaching should ensure there is challenge for each child.

[southbucks3]

Going to pop this in here to lighten the mood.

Kitty mum recommended "wonder" to me for my ds, who likes short chapters.

I read this nook this afternoon ...luxury I know...and loved it, and will enjoy sharing it with ds.

I did some background research and discovered the Carnegie site had questions to discuss with kids on this book, and several others. Brilliant stuff, and also book readings by the authors.

Here you go: this is the link to the site, just look at the shadowing site then resources pages:

http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/home/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Your level six readers can definitely find something to keep them happy on here.

[Brum Mum]

Going to pop this in here to lighten the mood.

Kitty mum recommended "wonder" to me for my ds, who likes short chapters.

I read this nook this afternoon ...luxury I know...and loved it, and will enjoy sharing it with ds.

I did some background research and discovered the Carnegie site had questions to discuss with kids on this book, and several others. Brilliant stuff, and also book readings by the authors.

Here you go: this is the link to the site, just look at the shadowing site then resources pages:

http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/home/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Your level six readers can definitely find something to keep them happy on here.

DS and I read this earlier this month and both loved it!

[kittymum]

Going to pop this in here to lighten the mood.

Kitty mum recommended "wonder" to me for my ds, who likes short chapters.

I read this nook this afternoon ...luxury I know...and loved it, and will enjoy sharing it with ds.

I did some background research and discovered the Carnegie site had questions to discuss with kids on this book, and several others. Brilliant stuff, and also book readings by the authors.

Here you go: this is the link to the site, just look at the shadowing site then resources pages:

http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/home/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Your level six readers can definitely find something to keep them happy on here.

Oooooooohhhhh so pleased you liked it! I cried at the end (happy crying!) as did ds. I think it's a book which gas something for everyone - dd (8) is reading it at the mo. Off to look at that link! Another book I read recently which I'm going to get ds to read is The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly - a lovely little book.

Ps Maggot Moon isn't as gorey as it might sound - ds and I loved it (although I wouldn't give it to my 8 year old dd yet). Ds has just read something about Bosnia - can't remember what it was but he said it was fab (but sad)