Hi,
I have a five year old daughter that has just started year one at school.
She is behind the others both in school work and developmentally. This doesn't worry me because she was only five on the 31st August so she is the youngest in the year. She has also had a severe speech disorder with limited expressive language - the speech therapist says that this wont affect her literacy long term but I am convinced that hasn't helped her progress with reading.
Her two new teachers (they are on a job share) seem to be making it their mission to bring her on developmentally and academically through any means possible. They are constantly telling her she is a big girl now and can do things herself now. Whilst some of this is true they are making her very downhearted as she is donig her work and they are rubbing it out saying it is wrong. She says she has tried her hardest and she doesn't seem to know what she has done wrong. She has asked for help and has been told ' no we can't help you with your work.' I tihnk they are going about things in the wrong way as she is working to her capacity. It seems like she is inconviencing them by being behind the others.
For the first time she doesn't want to go to school and is not enjoying it, This worries me because it is only year one and will get alot harder.
Does anyone have any advice including any flower remedies that could help her? She is still so young and will always be disadvantaged by her birthday, I really don't want the teachers to be constantly getting at her as well.
Thanks,
Eleanor
I'm sorry your daughter is having a hard time at school.
Please check out the Indigo Essences - they were made by children especially for children.
You can even ask your child to choose her own essences, they will help her during this time.
If you search for 'indigo essences' you'll get lots of hits.
I hope things improve for your daughter.
And remember that Home Education is legal in all parts of the UK (although the law regards de-registering a child from state school is different throughout the UK, with England being the easiest and most straightforward). We've been home educating our 12 year old dd for 7 years now, and it really isn't rocket science! Feel free to PM me if you would like more info. Joyce
I'm really sorry to hear this - it is such a worry when your child is unhappy - I've been there but in different circumstances.
I would urge you to go in and speak to the teachers. Let them know exactly how your daughter is feeling and how it is affecting her. Just go in and calmly voice your concerns - listen to what they have to say too. Hopfully, this will help - give it some time and then if your daughter is still suffering go and see the head teacher but hopefully it won't come to this.
I hope it all works out for your daughter.
Raya x
Does your child have a Statement of Special Needs and has she been asessed by an educational psychologist? If she has speech difficulties she may qualify for a learning support assistant to work with her in class.
You should definately speak to someone at the school if she is feeling unhappy there. Ask if they have a Special Educational Needs Coordinator at the school, voice your concerns about her and see if she can be given an asessment to see if she can get some extra help.
Kind wishes,
Elen
Hi
As your daughter has a severe speech disorder I'm assuming she has had speech therapy. My daughter had delayed speech and after some sessions with the Speech and Language Therapist also had a couple of terms of weekly sessions with a Speech and Language Schools Assistant which helped her enormously when she was in reception.
Year 1 seems to be a huge jump from reception and my daughter never settled and became very distressed. It was becoming very stressful for all of us and her dad and I feel she went backwards in the last months at school. She is now home educated and is much happier and more settled and keen to learn.
Obviously you have to do what you feel is right for your daughter and yourself as you know what would or would not work for you all. Elen has made some valid points and this could be the route to take. I'm not sure who can refer, you may be able to access this service without the school's input.
If you feel you are not getting any support from the teachers escalate things up. I must admit we did what we could within the school - there were other issues - and ultimately decided not to and to vote with out feet.
Thanks
Hi,
Thanks for the replies.
My daoghter had a severe speech disorder but she went to a specialist language nursery at the child development centre and did very well there so is now within the normal range speech and language wise. However I think that she tried so hard to learn how to speak that other parts of her development such as literacy have suffered abit. Plus she is the youngest in her year anyway. The Speech therapist has said that the speech problem that she had will not affect her literacy long term. She is very behind the others in her class and cann't do most of the work - they push them hard at this school anyway. I did think seriously about home schooling her - atleast for a number of years. However I had depression for along time when she was younger so I feel that it would have been too hard for me to cope. I greatly admire people who do home school and I will do it if things get too bad and can't be dealt with by the school. I begged the lea to make an exception and allow her to start school later but they said if I did that she would have to start year one straight away. Unless children are statemented they wont allow them to go down a year and they don't statement for language problems unless they are school age and it is still really severe. I am not sure how much help the school can give without her having a statement. I have no idea how bad her problems would have to be before they would think of statementing her.
Thanks again for the replies
Eleanor
Poor wee think being put through all that angst. And poor you as well. Its horrible when the school can't accomodate differences -especially so young! Hope it gets easier for her soon, and don't think that you need to be a saint to home educate!!
I hope things improve for your daughter Eleanor, but if she still seems very far behind by the second half of the school year then you should ask about the possibility of some extra support being put in place for her if it hasn't been, and/or ask if she has been tested for learning difficulties. There are many different reasons for the development of learning difficulties in children and they should be tested and assessed automatically if they are falling behind badly. If a statement is needed its good to get it in place at primary level so that help can continue into the secondary stage.
Anyway, all the very best to you both. Hope all goes well.
With kind thoughts,
Elen