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Thread: Maths at Primary Level

  1. #1
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    Jun 2005
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    Default Maths at Primary Level

    Sorry, I'm sure a lot of people will be sighing 'not another education thread', but this is more from a primary level than the other recent thread which was more about secondary education and the lack of respect kids had.

    I would just be really interested to hear what people think about the way their kids are being taught maths at primary level. I mentioned once before that when we arrived a year ago, my 8 year old, who was fairly average at maths in the UK, had been put into a year 7 maths group here, which was 3 years above her age group! With every other aspect of their education, I am very happy (their reading and writing has come on tremedously). However, they are barely being taught maths at all. They have been back for a week and have done no maths at all yet! Maths lessons are taught in the afternoon when the kids are tired and as they have daily swimming lessons for the next 5 weeks, which will clash with maths, they will be doing barely no maths until the end of March.

    What I need to know is if it's just this particular school, or do other people have any issues about how much maths they're getting.

    Thanks

    Kate

  2. #2
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    Default

    Hmmmmmmmm had a similar conversation today with another forumite about Maths!!!

    My middle son Mika said yesterday when I asked him if he liked the school he said yes but the work is too easy!! Ayrton did a maths test last week - 80 questions in 5 minutes and get them all right! Now they are bright kids, but they are certainly not genius level, so is it just that the levels the kids are at here are a lot lower than in the uk.

    I am leaving it for a month to see exactly what the boys get taught and what levels they are working at then if I'm not happy I will go in and speak to the teachers.

    Ayrton was in year 6 in the uk and would have been doing his SATs this summer - then had been doing some practice papers whcih I brought with us so at least I can show the teachers what type of work they were doing in the uk!

    I don't want the boys to get bored in school thats when trouble starts, they need to be challenged and pushed, otherwise as most people would do they will sit back and do the minimum expected with the least effort!!

    Watch this space I'll let you know in a month how things are going for us up here!

    Kate if I were in your situation, I'd wait a bit longer maybe a week, then go in and see what the teachers say - you have been here longer and your kids have had time to settle - mine are in a totally new environment so I'll give them a bit longer before I go shooting my mouth off!!

  3. #3
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    Hi Kate,
    same concern here, no mention of maths when we had the parents/teachers meeting the other night..My kids barely do any maths, when you come to thing of it. I appreciate reading and writing are important skills, but I would expect our 8 years old to be introduced to times tabels quicker and so on. Well, maybe I am still comparing to what they did in Ireland before we came (2005). But since then, he hasn`t improved much in maths.
    I don`t like it when the teacher seems to spend too much time (in my opinion) with computer skills and how to download homework and all that fancy stuff. I `d rather have a basic class environment but get the basics rigth too .
    Maybe Carol could help us on this one?
    Good luck
    (and yeah, outdoor swimming is back in Thorrington too..)
    Laura

  4. #4
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    oh.. spelling mistake., should read "when you come to think of it".. and here I was , talking about getting the basics right..
    Laura

  5. #5
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    This thread has been started at a very opportune time. Marcia and I were chatting about this very subject this morning.

    I can't talk for every other school in NZ but to be honest Kate I have the same opinion as you. The amount of maths my boys are being taught is minimal - to say the least - and yes, while they're now in 'swimming term' they too are spending 'heaps' of time in the pool and less and less in the classroom.

    This is the exact 'gripe' that I've been ranting on (and on) about for the last 18 months. It's the actual level/amount of academic (and yes, mainly maths) work that the boys are doing.

    The school they go to is VERY good as far as school 'life' goes .... but for the zillionth time I'll say that the quality/quantity of academic work is 'worrying'.

    We have started to send our boys for private tuition and already you can see the difference in them. The tutor (an ex-head master) echos our concerns regarding the level of maths being taught in NZ primary schools.

    We brought some UK curriculum maths work books back from the UK with us at Christmas, we showed the tutor these books and his jaw dropped. His exact words were 'this is just a completely different league'.

    I can feel another long rant coming on so I guess I'll just say 'yes', the amount/level of maths (plus other subjects) that my boys are being taught at primary level here in NZ is of a huge concern to us.

    Diny

  6. #6
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    Default

    Not to be nasty about this, but am I going to get upset because the cashiers can't do simple arithmetic in their heads? It makes me mental already and I'm still in a country where math is apparently of more importance.

  7. #7
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    This confirm my fear about our children's educations as i have spoken to my son's kindy teachers about writing and reading as he will be 4 in july...Oh no, no need yet till 5..eh???
    Well i will do teaching of writing and reading then....

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by SharpBlade View Post
    Maybe Carol could help us on this one?
    Laura
    http://www.tki.org.nz/r/assessment/e...hs/index_e.php

    These are "Exemplars" -
    What is expected of children at the various "Levels" as described in the NZ curriculum.

    While it is expected there is a broad band of children working at a similar level at a similar age - of course there are exceptions.
    Children should be working (and challengfed) at their ability level - not their "age" level.

    As a general guide, a teacher would expect Level 1 to be completed by approx Yr 2, Level 2 to be completed by Yr 4/5, Level 3 to be completed by Yr 6/7 and a Year 7 or 8 student to be working within Level 4.

    BUT - they are very general guidelines. As I say - within a class - there will be a number of different "levels" of operating - and the children should be grouped and taught as appropriate.


    This is the Literacy and Numeracy strategy - for all schools.
    I think you'll agree the "basics" are in place.
    http://www.tki.org.nz/r/literacy_numeracy/

    Swimming takes up a huge amount of curriculum time here - something I to have questioned in the past.
    The response is always the same.
    There are so many opportunities here for water sports - and saving your own life is paramount.
    Teachers can only work around the pools' timetables - hence some schools will need to go in the mornings - unfortunately - because that is "prime" learning time.

  9. #9
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    I am happy to see that the pre-school education is play based and that formal learning does not begin until after 5 years - all current research shows that young children learn far more through play. Countries which do not do any literacy work until 6 years (e.g. Scandinavian countries) have some of the best adult literacy levels. Better to concentrate on listening, attention and speaking before 6 I think.

    My children love their new school and Poppy (aged 10) reports that children are more focussed during the formal learning times - I have been wondering if this is because they are given so much opportunity for physical play as well.

    Both Sorrel (6) and Poppy (10) both appear to be doing the same amount of maths as before - today, Poppy did statistics, and Sorrel did counting in 5s.

  10. #10
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    In the first year of eldest's schooling his maths failed miserably, however in Term 4 there was a lot of emphasis on numeracy as it formed part of the main topics and he turned it around. He's now average to above average and really enjoying it now he's got the concept of it.

    I've taken it on myself also to teach my rising 5 year old to write, the alphabet, basic addition and counting to 20. She is very lucky also that the kindy has extended sessions two days a week and they teach her to write and the alphabet but no maths.

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