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Youngest child in year woes
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My sister and I are august born twins. We were 6 weeks early, so would have been in the year below if adjusted for due date. Although it's a bit of a sore subject with our mum, we both feel we weren't ready for school at age 4. We were fine academically but were both painfully shy, and would hardly speak whilst at school except to friends in the playground etc. We also used to have lots of accidents to start with, mainly I think 'cos we were too shy to ask to go to the toilet. My daughter is a June birthday, and I'm already concerned about the fact she'll have almost a year less at pre-school than my October born son. I've found that although there is supposed to be a choice, and you don't have to send your child to school until they're 5, in reality it's a lot more complicated. For example, if I held my daughter back then she'd most likely lose her place at our chosen school as it's over-subscribed. If she did get a place the year later, she'd go straight in to year 1 rather than reception, so would probably not be with any of her pre-school friends. I think the only real option in most cases is to hope that the school are understanding and will allow the child to start a term later, or go part-time for a term or two. Our son's school, which we hope our daughter will also go to, said they like all children to be full-time by the 1st half term otherwise they miss out on too much0
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I do think the very rigid UK system of year groups is not very helpful. There will always be bright summer born children, just as there will be academically challenged autumn born children. Sticking to age rather than ability really does not help long term.Truth always poses doubts & questions. Only lies are 100% believable, because they don't need to justify reality. - Carlos Ruiz Zafon, The Labyrinth of the Spirits0
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Reception and nursery are taught on the same curriculum-the early years foundation stage which is a play based system. The National curriculum and more formalised teaching doesn't begin until year 1 and in most schools is staggered to accommodate the jump from the early years. From that perspective it should make little difference whether the child is in Nursery or Reception apart from the length of the days.
Delaying starting school is an option, but the risk of a deferred start is the amount the child misses in social terms-friendships are already forged and routines are instilled. Starting terms later can be hugely detrimental from this perspective and can negatively impact confidence even further.
The sad fact is that there has to be a cut off point somewhere in order to stagger the years so some children will always be younger/older than others. These gaps do get smaller as the years go on though.
Speaking as the parent of late summer (current reception and year 11) babies and early autumn (Year 1 and year 9) ones I can honestly say that it doesn't seem to do them much harm. My youngest has bounced into reception and although he's tired-especially by Friday, he's no tireder than his older siblings were when they started full time school. He and his sisters would have hated being babied by their teachers and all have gone on to be bright confident and happy in school (eldest is August baby but is head girl and heading for 11 GCSEs all above a. Keep an eye on him, move bedtime earlier for a while and don't plan too much for during the week. Bide your time. He'll soon settle in-this is an exciting term with Christmas songs and plays and activities and he will be a different child by summer.
Hope things work out for you bothMarried the man of my dreams May 4th 2012
Wins 2012: 4 X 20E vouchers, multipack of crisps, Vampire T-shirt
Aiming for a holiday or the lottery0 -
It was the same for my little brother he was born end of July went to school full time straight away in the September.
It was ages before he started to enjoy it and he was always that little bit behind the rest of the class but he got thereFirst Date 08/11/2008, Moved In Together 01/06/2009, Engaged 01/01/10, Wedding Day 27/04/2013, Baby Moshie due 29/06/2019 :T0 -
My DS is august-born and second-youngest in his class. To be honest it has probably upset me more than him though. In reception his teacher was useless, had nothing nice or positive or encouraging to say about him other than 'well he is the youngest, he's where he should be for his age' I had problems by comparing him to others who were nearly a year older to him (plus I find the girls are even more ahead of the boys in terms of reading and handwriting whatever their age!)
It got so much better in year 1, I think not being the youngest year in the school and mixing with the older kids has given him so much confidence and his reading just took off, we are so proud of him. Now he is in year 2 things just get better and better, I am not comparing him to his friends and the gap in age does get less and less noticeable every year :-)
Try not to worry, help him at home to boost his confidence and I would say in most cases things adjust naturally as they move up the school.0 -
Thanks for the responses everyone, it's interesting to see how other kids have got on in the same circumstances.
I think the thing that is upsetting me most is that he is being compared unfavourably to older children in his class and as he falls short, he is getting less and less inclined to try and keep up :sad:
I'm looking forward to the difference in ages becoming less apparent as he grows up, it seems ridiculous to me that they are singling him out as possibly having learning difficulties when he is at the same level as the autumn children in year 1 (he is in year 2) I wonder if moving to Scotland would be a bit extreme, I think the cut off is February lol!
MBM x0 -
Mrs_Arcanum wrote: »I do think the very rigid UK system of year groups is not very helpful. There will always be bright summer born children, just as there will be academically challenged autumn born children. Sticking to age rather than ability really does not help long term.
I totally agree, the whole thing is ridiculous. My son had to start part-time being born 4 days after the cut-off (4/1), but because of number of pupils, was put into the full-time class (autumn birthdays). As a result, he was the only one with another boy to have to leave the class at 12pm to go to nursery (as working full-time), and he hated it. He was in the top set group so fine academically. The nursery had already insisted as he'd been ready midway through the previous year, let alone having to cope with him half days for another term.
I have four friends with children born in June-Aug who started reception this year. Three are coping brilliantly, no issues, one is really struggling. The reality is that at that age, there are going to be significant differences amongst pupils regardless of when they turn 5.0 -
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Thanks for the responses everyone, it's interesting to see how other kids have got on in the same circumstances.
I think the thing that is upsetting me most is that he is being compared unfavourably to older children in his class and as he falls short, he is getting less and less inclined to try and keep up :sad:
I'm looking forward to the difference in ages becoming less apparent as he grows up, it seems ridiculous to me that they are singling him out as possibly having learning difficulties when he is at the same level as the autumn children in year 1 (he is in year 2) I wonder if moving to Scotland would be a bit extreme, I think the cut off is February lol!
MBM x
Both mine are classed as summer children (May) and from my own experience they can catch up with your help. I did teach mine to write at home and kept them in Play Group rather than move them up to Nursery as the structure was better. Lots of reading and help at home has really made the difference. DD has just been put on the schools G&T register at 16 following her brilliant exam results.
A neighbours lad who is a youngest age for the year has always struggled because he never got help from his parents when he needed encouragement and one to one support. The Mother is absolutely brilliant with preschool age children but never pushed the youngest at all once he started full time schooling.Truth always poses doubts & questions. Only lies are 100% believable, because they don't need to justify reality. - Carlos Ruiz Zafon, The Labyrinth of the Spirits0
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