Is this just too hard for a 6yr old?

the_pink_panther_2

I misread the initial post here and thought the initial question was if we thought these words were too difficult for a two year old!....

make_me_wise

I think it depends how much background work has gone on in the classroom. Many of the words you mention will be used regularly such as subtraction etc. It sounds as if this is another way of instilling the meaning of important words into the childs mind. If you have any concerns do make an appointment to see the childs teacher.

I am on maternity leave at the moment, but work as a year 3 teacher and would be mortified to think that any of the parents of a child in my class, felt unable to approach me. Teachers are just normal human beings who want to do the best by the kids in their care. Most welcome parent interaction and would want to know your views.

Sweet_Pea_2

My DD's are teen age now, but from what I can remember of primary school spellings I thought that each year group have a list of words which come from the national curriculum, therefore every school in the country should be teaching their year 2's the same words. It seemed to me to be a pretty big list of words, and obviously tailored to whatever level the children were working to. I do remember mine having to put the words into sentences too.

I think collaboration is quite a tough word for a year 2 child, however the child will either understand it or they wont. I was a big reader and had a big vocabulary when I was primary age, once I had a story I had written in class given back to me by the teacher because it contained the word bumptious which she said I had made up. I insisted I hadn't and later in the day she came back to me and apologized because she had looked it up in the dictionary. (She obviously wasn't an Enid Blyton fan like I was!) I think I may have struggled with collaboration when year 2 age though, and I'm sure my younger daughter at 13 would struggle with it now! (Actually, she has just returned from guides and have asked her, she knows what it means but she can't spell it.)

I don't think there's much to be gained by learning a word like that by rote when you are not ready for it because in a few weeks time it won't be remembered.

Lotus-eater

balletshoes wrote: »

not everyone has the internet at home though.

Most do and if you're going to say that the remaining parents can't afford a couple of quid for the 2 books, I don't believe it.
What are you planning to do? Give out thesauruses and dictionary's to everyone, when the money could be better spent on something else, or means test it, which means 3/4 of the books get shoved in a corner and not used.

They have the use of them at school, they have the means to borrow them from school, they're library's with books and free internet access.

You can't pander to everyone. While I agree with the tone and idea, it's just not practical.

balletshoes

no lotus eater, I agree with you totally. we've always had a dictionary at home, long before DD started school .

tanith

I am reading all the posts with great interest , thanks to all who've contributed.

meritaten

I posted this on another thread, but I think it may be relavant here.
my four year old DGS is in nursery and they got sent home the curriculum for the next term. the next day I was minding my 8 year old DGDs and they were given the exact same curriculum!
What is going on here? a couple of months ago my 4 yr old DGS was given a page of shapes to learn - no, not squares, triangles, circles or rectangles - but tetrahydrons and other shapes I never even heard of! is the curriculum not age related these days?
whats next? five year olds doing quantum physics?

LandyAndy

meritaten wrote: »

I posted this on another thread, but I think it may be relavant here.
my four year old DGS is in nursery and they got sent home the curriculum for the next term. the next day I was minding my 8 year old DGDs and they were given the exact same curriculum!
What is going on here? a couple of months ago my 4 yr old DGS was given a page of shapes to learn - no, not squares, triangles, circles or rectangles - but tetrahydrons and other shapes I never even heard of! is the curriculum not age related these days?
whats next? five year olds doing quantum physics?

I don't think anyone's heard of that one;).

Tetrahedron, the simplest Platonic solid. From what I recall Platonic solids are taught very early, they just aren't called that at that stage.

Gingham_R

Lotus-eater wrote: »

Most do and if you're going to say that the remaining parents can't afford a couple of quid for the 2 books, I don't believe it.
What are you planning to do? Give out thesauruses and dictionary's to everyone, when the money could be better spent on something else, or means test it, which means 3/4 of the books get shoved in a corner and not used.

They have the use of them at school, they have the means to borrow them from school, they're library's with books and free internet access.

You can't pander to everyone. While I agree with the tone and idea, it's just not practical.

I meant that I would like to gift every child with the books not that I think the government should buy them for everyone.

Google is fantastic. Best thing for learning ever. But picking up a dictionary and learning to find things in it is a skill in itself and it's fun. We play call my bluff using random words they've found in the dictionary.

JMW77

Way to advanced thats ridiculous in my opinion.