Top 3 Client 4+ Frustrations.
/I have been personally preparing children for the 4+ Assessments for over 16 years! That’s a very long time!
I adore teaching children at all ages but this age group is currently particularly fascinating to me as my own child is 30 months old right now.
At the age of two and three, students often start off with their guard up initially. They don’t know me. In the first few lessons, it’s all about warming up. After a few lessons, they transform and the relationship that we develop is something that I cherish long after our lessons are complete and they go to their ‘big’ schools. In fact, I keep in touch with most of my clients long after the lessons have completed and in fact most of my clients continue with tuition long after the assessments.
Each year, I speak with parents and each year I hear the same things come up that cause many of my clients a lot of frustrations. And it’s understandable!
So here are the top three 4+ frustrations that I hear from many clients and many potential new clients.
My neighbour/ My aunty/ My cousin told me not to have my child tutored for the 4+
This is a common one!
Parents feeling very frustrated because they put so much effort into preparing their children for their 4+, investing in tuition and investing their time and energy into actually coming to the lessons with their children and then completing the home learning tasks. Then they are told ‘You don’t need to prepare your child.’
First of all, let me say this…
If a child is sitting the 4+ Assessments they will have been ‘tutored’.
Hear me out.
In one way or another a child sitting the 4+ needs to be prepared, So whether you pay for formal tuition or you ‘tutor’ your child yourself, they are still being ‘tutored. Being ‘tutored’ just means that your child is being taught.
2. I thought my child would automatically get in because of the school’s sibling policy and they didn’t get in.
Schools may tell you that they have a sibling policy but I personally wouldn’t pay attention to this. Regardless of if they have one or not, please assume that there isn’t one. Your child still needs to pass the Assessment! Several parents have made the mistake of thinking that because there is a sibling policy that they don’t need to prepare their child. The result of this will always be that a child who is not prepared will not be successful. I’ve seen it happen countless times.
3. I thought my child’s date of birth would be taken into consideration.
Again, even if the schools tell you that your child will be grouped with children of the same age group (and this may be the case), please don’t take this to mean that your child will be assessed any differently to their autumn/winter born peers. Whether your child is August born or your child is December born, they need to still pass the Assessment. The criteria will not be different for summer born children compared to autumn/winter born children. It will be the same. It will be age adjusted up (slightly) if your child is summer born but that is about it.
I have taught children who are July/ August born who surpassed their peers who were born in September/November. Ok, you can argue with me that nearly one year makes a difference. And perhaps it does. But rather than put your energy into worrying about this, put your energy into ensuring that your child is appropriately prepared to be able to pass any Assessment!
So many parents that I speak to on a daily basis use their child’s age as an excuse for their progress (or lack of progress). My son is July born and I never factor in his date of birth. I’ve never uttered the words, ‘Oh but he’s July born.’ to anyone and I promise you that I never will.
Our results are out of this world yet again this year. I will be publishing them on Monday!
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