Is this just too hard for a 6yr old?

tanith

My granddaughter gets regular homework and each week is given a word she has to place into 5 sentences this weeks word is collaboration the children are year 2 she couldn't really grasp the meaning and no clue as to constructing a sentence using this word.

Is it me or does anyone else think that's a really difficult word for 6yr old?

I can't offhand remember the others but each week its been a word that most 6yr olds haven't heard or used before , my daughter is always intimidated by teaching staff and doesn't want to make a fuss but even her weekly spellings are words like dictionary, subtraction, multiply which although she is reasonably good with spelling she loses track in the middle of such long words.. I think she should say something to the teacher but am I just being an interfering granny and out of touch?

thanks for anyone who can put me straight

carolpinkdreamer

Gosh, I'd struggle with those words!

cleggie

Are they expected to be able to spell those words?
Maybe they are only expected to understand what they mean, and then place them acordingly into the sentence. I woud say they are far too young to be expected to spell them though as my son is almost 8 and wouldnt be able to spell collaboration!

tibawo

I have talked to my SIL comparing spellings for my nephew and my own girl who is two classes below as she was gobsmacked by how hard her spellings were as i know the school breaks them into levels according to their ability but some were hard even for me. With regards to your yes that seems very hard, a lot of spellings are taught in families so the odd hard word does come in that way so the school might argue the words are in the family e.g. the 'tion' part.
I was not happy about the amount of homework that you were supposed to do online but no hard copy for non IT users and the flipping learning log as the latter became MY homework as dd is at brownies, etc and in the end i went to see the head. My advise is to speak to the teacher or head. You could also voice your concerns to the parent governor who can address it annonymously for you.

cyclingyorkie

I could think of many 10/11 yearolds that would struggle with the word collaboration!

Could you or her mum/dad have a word with the teacher - if she struggles with the spellings ( and I would with those) maybe she needs to be in an easier group?

It might be worth finding out what other parents think - are her friends struggling too? Do their parents think that this is too much?

The school I work in operates an open door policy to parents, esp in KS1 - at our place staff would be happy to explain the rationale behind the homework that is given. Letters are sent home at the beginning of the year/term explaining what will be being covered. Do you have any such letters?

I know she's got SATS this year - but the education has to fit the child and not the other way round!

PS. Is the teacher very young/newly qualified? Or are they well experienced?

LandyAndy

I think you should help her to come up with the sentences and that the fifth one should be 'All these sentences are the result of a collaboration between me and my grandma'.

Mojisola

LandyAndy wrote: »

I think you should help her to come up with the sentences and that the fifth one should be 'All these sentences are the result of a collaboration between me and my grandma'.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Oldernotwiser

Personally I'd be pleased that my child had a teacher who wanted to stretch and challenge her rather than offering her work that's too easy.

I think that the fact that the words are new to them is the whole point of the exercise, surely?

Lotus-eater

My DD's class has different spellings for different level groups.

DD is in the top group, but even now at 8 would only be getting those words I think. Although she has got some that leave me looking for the dictionary!

If she's struggling, even a little, then talk to the teacher asap.

Nicki

I'm going to be in the minority I think!

I don't think it is too difficult for a Yr 2 child to be given words like dictionary, subtraction, etc as part of their weekly spellings. These are not completely strange words they have never seen before. They will be doing subtraction at school and using a dictionary, so they will have seen these written words day in day out for a long time and be very familiar with them. So it won't be a big leap to learn how to spell them. If they were being asked to spell quantum physics, that would be a different matter.

As for using "collaboration" in the context of a sentence, was that completely cold, or (more likely I should think) is it one of 5 words which came up in the context of a literacy lesson (maybe used in the text they are reading at the moment) and having been explained to them in school, they are now being asked at home to find a sentence to use it in context to cement that learning?

Whilst I don't think homework should be beyond the capabilities of the children, I do think it should stretch them a bit and get them to think. There is no point really in setting stuff which they already know backwards.

If your grandchild is genuinely struggling with the homework, you should of course let the teacher know, as she may need extra literacy support, and if a lot of parents do the same, then the teacher will know she is setting homework at the wrong level. But it is also quite possible that the teacher, who knows the ability of her whole class, is setting homework at the level she knows most of the class can cope with. I know that most of the kids in my eldest child's y2 class, who went on to do extremely well in KS1 and KS2 SATS would not have struggled in the slightest with what you have described.

poppyolivia

on and off we get things like that, I questioned it and was told they aren't actually bothered as such if the sentence makes sense its to get the parent and child talking and using their brains together..ie if the word was DOG then the 6 year old could just do things herself, this way its kind of like parent/child bonding...alot of kids don't get to sit and work things out with their parents so its an added bonus to a child.