I commented on a thread where someone said she would be starting a thread for this and this was a while so decided to bite the bullet myself. .Sorry if the thread is so uk centric or british education based.And also for mentioning names its just i garnered from their posts that they have been there done that.

My daughter is 3 and some months and we very fortunately this week got her into a full time nursery place at a catholic primary schl in our area.I was so happy as i really wanted her to get into this school as a back upl.Its rated outstanding by ofsted and i have had quite good responses from some parents whose kids went there.I have also had some not quite so good reviews from some people.I have done quite alot of research on reading numeracy standards at 11 and there are quite good for a london state school.We were thinking of going the independent school route and maybe grammar sch at secondary level(working towards moving out of london in the next 3 to 4 yrs).But about to be made redudant at work still in consultation at the mo but preparing my mind for the worst so thinking of finances.My pt business is still in infancy and at the mo hubby wages alone cant pay for private sch and every other living expenses, savings investements etc.Dont want to insist on private sch and then we start sufferin just so we can pay fees.I have heard ofsted is not the be all and so dont always make decisions on ofsted ratings.I dont know how else cos i think parents might have subjective views though majority views sometimes paint a good picture.Already penned down another C of E school rated outstanding but with loads of complaints from like 4 out of 7 parents i have spoken to and am sure she might get into that as well as her dad worships at the sch and got glowing recomendations from the vicar. We are already putting the work in from home as i also believe parent have some work to do in a kids education.Its good timing as well so we can also save on private nursery though to be honest thats why we wanted to go down the indepedent sch route as it really would be about what we pay at the mo take a few hundred pounds per term against monthly nur fees.Pls i would appreciate ur experiences and what other things to look for.thank you.

Thank you CC for the fast response.I so understand the well rounded child thing and lil madam is already startin dance and drama school as even at her young age you can see she is the creative type.Always role playing,wanting to make stuff and fiercely if annoyingly independent .So looking to develop all areas and not just academics.Daddy is typical african man and concentrates more on the pure academic skills but thank God i am there to temper his views.We are definitely looking at the grammar sch route and also out if london.Me am even tired of this london bustle seriously counting down till we move out.23 a class is still ok as the catholic sch she got a place at is 28 a class with two TAs depending if there are any special needs kids.I heard that is good for london.May God make our plans come to light cos it seems moving out is one of the best things to do.

it was me that wanted to start the topic - apologies my princess has been under the weather and I have been crazy busy - private school and university has got to be paid for somehow abi!!

anyway back to topic - I am def seriously considering going down the private school route - me and my soon to be husband have already agreed upon this and I have been looking around for some very good ones or failing that we will move to an area that have an abundance of "outstanding/good" state schools.

My plan (God willing and if i progress with my career) is to start her in prep school/nursery next september (the academic year she turns 3), I also live outside london so the fees are pretty reasonable compared to what i have been told people pay in London - sacrifices will probably be made for this but with the way the world is going I think its something I have to consider.

You can also look into bursaries and scholarships - I read an article yesterday in the telegraph that many of these priavte schools have charitable trust status due to the fact they help families with the fees (means tested of course!)

If i find the link and article I will post it

anyway my daughter has to go to a private school so that in future when she has morning sickness her rich husband can take her to hospital to rest!!! LOL - sorry i had to get that in there


side issue - madam CC i have asked you a number of times on different threads about ur wedding shop - if you don't want to make me ur customer just come out and say it - na wah for u

@cotton yeah remember it was you o.Sorry about your princess its been goin round haf to keep my daughter home from nursery two weeks ago and now my baby has the nasty bug.Boy that has started sleeping thru now wakes like 5 times at night.What if i had gone back to work .

Abi o see how morning sickness is making world news lol.Not that i dont sympathise but abegi my friend who by the way had to drag herself to work is finding it hard to want to have another child due to what she suffered.Me sef nko with my son dont let me derail the thread.

We really really have to look at all options and my priority as CC already said is the good all round educational experience.All options need finances jare as even moving to good area sef is money because havent you noticed that the better the state schools the more expensive real estate is?Thanks for the heads up on bursaries cotton if you can find the link its worth looking into.This redundancy thing is just sand sand but fingers crossed i get the enhanced severance pay i am gunning for if redeployment does not work.I am actually enjoying the time with my kids with my daughter i was already back at work.Might be worth taking the less hectic career route jare.Let oga work his socks off jare make i dey tutor and monitor for scholarship and grammar sch lol.Abi one person has to be there and he makes more money before.Thanks for all the insights.

i read something as well about trying to get a job in the school you want your kids to go to apparently staff members (even the grounds man/caretaker) get substantial discounts from the fees.

let me look for those links - been busy wrapping christmas presents brb

Thanks cotton ur a sweetheart.Like you knew my career change plans.In the last two years been seriously thinking of packin in all this my proffessional certificates and goin down the human engagement route.Right from when i was lil everyone said i have that skill and even use it in my present role.One of the options i thought of was teaching or child psycology.I teach in sunday school at church and have some teenagers am mentoring at the moment.I also started volunteering at a local charity working with people looking to get back into employment for like 2 hrs a week ( just started this like 3 months ago since i was still on mat leave).So its like this redundancy thing is kind of like God telling me girl follow your passion and if i can get discount for my childrens education,bonus .So thanks again.All things really work together for the good of those that love God.

my dear its ok - was talking to a woman in my workplace that put her children in private school (she has grandchildren now) she basically said if you can't afford private school then top up a good state education with private tuition like kumon and things like that.

its good to share these links - we all want the same things for our children and if ur son goes to harvard and my daughter goes to yale - then we will be very pleased if they marry later on in life! ABI??

lol

abi o.Ivy league marrying each other .Yes o Kumon is quite good my sis in law son has that as well and its just like 100 pounds a month.So not that bad.Thread is really giving me the ideas on all the options and avenues one can take esp looking at financial aspect of it

damiso: abi o.Ivy league marrying each other .Yes o Kumon is quite good my sis in law son has that as well and its just like 100 pounds a month.So not that bad.Thread is really giving me the ideas on all the options and avenues one can take esp looking at financial aspect of it

we will our own barack and michelle's - lol.

anyway good night greys anatomy is finishing and i'm tired.

it is well!!

Good night.let me get some sleep before my night vigil.It really is well.

Hello Damiso, sorry only just seeing this thread.

You know something? I believe a parent can never be too prepared when it comes down to educating your kids and choosing what's best for them. You guys have practically covered everything but I'll just add my two cents worth...

Yep, lots of parents start off educating their kids via the state schools and then later opt for the private route if affordable. This is because at this stage, the child's education is really, really important..a lot at stake which could determine their future path in life (GCSC Exams and so on). Anyway, regarding the OFSTED reports for state primary school - I'll advice that you take that with a pinch of salt. My boys started off in a Catholic nursery and then Primary school. The OFSTED report for the last 5 consecutive years for the school was OUTSTANDING. So yes, that really looks good on the outside. You'll see the SAT results for Key Stage 2 (year 6) pupils looking really good, i.e: pupils achieving level 4 (National average) and level 5 (above national average).

But trust me, all isn't always what it seems to be. Those results weren't obtained through the "hard work" of the teachers. It's mostly from parents who get private tutors to boost their kid's performances. You get many parents at this stage preping their children for the 11 Plus grammar school exams, or the Entrance Exams for Independent schools. Most state schools DO NOT prepare the kids for the 11 Plus entrance exam. Infact, many of them actively discourage it. So as a result, many of these parents start tutoring their kids as early as year 3 and gradually increase the pace till the kids eventually take the grammar school exams. This is because they have grammar schools as their plan (A). But as CC mentioned, these are selective grammar schools that base their intake purely on merit. You'll find that typically for 120 available spaces, you'll have 1500 - 2000 applicants vying for one of the much coveted places. So obviously, they take the highest performers. A child could score say, as high as 98% overall but won't be given a place because 300 or more pupils scored 100%! Does this mean the child "failed"? Definitely not. Now of those 300 pupils, the school can only give out 120 places, so what do they do? They measure (via satellite) the distance between the child's home and the school's front door. So to get the best possible chance of securing a place in any of these grammar schools, (e.g: Tiffin's, Wallington, St. Olave's, Sutton, Queen Elizabeth's, etc) your child must be at the very top of their game AND live quite close to the school. The closer the better, even if it means you have to rent a flat above the nearby fish 'n chip shop. Incredible, isn't it?

Moving out of London isn't a bad idea. I think Kent has got the highest concentration of grammar schools for any county in the UK. 33 grammar schools I believe. At one stage, they had two sets of grammar schools there. Selective and Non-selective schools. Selective = kid takes entrance exam, Non selective = living in the catchment area as the topmost criteria.

The plan B at secondary school level, for many parents is going private (esp. if the child didn't secure a place in a grammar school). Now it's best to start laying the foundation for that for your daughter. When the time comes, if when she passes the Entrance Exam, she'll have to attend an interview with the school. At this point, the school would be looking for evidence that the child is heavily involved in extra-curricular activities, aside just academic work. So luckily in my case, (not that I planned it or was even aware of it) my sons had been attending swimming lessons at our local Fusion Lifestlye centre since they'd received all three sets of vaccinations as babies. I think I started them as early as 8 months / 1 year? I made sure I kept a signed and dated copy of their achievement certificates each time they moved up a class.

Same thing with Tae Kwon Do. Used to take them there 3 times a week when I worked part-time, but had to restrict it to just Saturday afternoons when I became full-time. Again, I filed and kept the signed and dated copy of their certificates each time they progressed to the next level (which was every 6 months) AND I stored away all their belts. My two older boys have been black belt holders now for 3 and 4 years respectively.

I also signed them up for music classes after school where they learnt how to play the keyboard. SoundSteps Music classes it's called. Once every 3 or 4 months during term time, they get to take the practical exam, they get scored and a certificate showing the breakdown of marks achieved were issued to them. I also encouraged them to sign up for the after school football club. That went on for a year or two, I think before the council made their infamous cut backs. Well, they did get the certificate and medals for participation, so not too bad.

Heck, I even signed them up for drama classes and my oldest absolutely hated it. His younger brothers weren't serious with it either (well, at least I tried na!). When that didn't work, I registered them for gymnastics. They absolutely loved it but I nearly collapsed from the stress jor. Gymnastics on a Sunday morning? So it was rush to church and then there? Abegi, I gave that up and yeah, dashed them my £90 a year registration fee per child.

Now why am I telling you all this? It's because all these certificates came in handy, as proof of being well rounded pupils, who were able to "stick" it out for years. If your daughter does well in any of these activities at primary school level (say, playing the piano for example), encourage her to take the graded exams. 1 exam per year. So hopefully, by the time she gets to year 5, she would have achieved grade 5 status and would be more than eligible to sit the school's music scholarship exam for entry into year 7. Same thing for Art and Sports too.

Plan C for many parents (if their child doesn't get a place in either the grammar school or Independent school) is to apply for a place in a religious faith school. So take the catholic secondary schools for example: The child must have been baptised before the age of 1. He / she must have also received their First Holy communion by the age of 7 (year 3). The parent(s) must be active Catholics who attend mass regularly. This would have to be supported by the parish priest...and they do know parents who only attend church just to get a place in the school.


Anyway, I hope this helps...

Hmmm... Interesting

Thank you so much efemena for your input.All these insights are really helpful and i am going to take all this onboard.The local council thankfully(if con dems no cut) still have some really good local activities that cost fairly reasonable amounts.She already does swimming and looking to start lil oga from january.He will be 10 months then.The drama and music one is also startin in january.Its good to rub minds with those who have been there done done that so will def start keeping all those cert.Already have a folder for madam prized artwork and medals .As you said Kent is where we are lookin to actually as we have family there and also researched into the no of grammar schools in the county.I used to look at my sis in law then driving like a mini cab driver from swimming to karate, from karate to kumon from kumon to football from football to piano and she used to say your turn is coming lol.Raising kids aint no childs play.Abeg hubby increase your money o me i dont think am strong like all these women here to work fulltime and do minicab as well.

As an aside dont u think its so annoying the way these private nurseries charge high rates and are 'supposed' to be early years foundation stage providers and kids never seem to do much academics.I know they learn social skills bla bla but haba counting and phonics for like a 2 and a half yr old.I practically taught my daughter numbers and alphabet/ phonics myself.I brought it up one time and the oyinbo nur manager looked at me like one pushy parent .She was like she is only two mum.Maybe am just being Nigerian but pouring sand lego and nursery rhymes is not enough for a 3 yr old lol.To be fair they seem to concentrate more on the artistic side and can begin to see my daughter's artistic flair always coming home with paintings etc.Anyways as it has been said on this threas learning does not end in school.Nursery to be fair also has made my daughter very vey confident and people keep asking are you sure she just clocked 3 in sept.

As an aside dont u think its so annoying the way these private nurseries charge high rates and are 'supposed' to be early years foundation stage providers and kids never seem to do much academics.I know they learn social skills bla bla but haba counting and phonics for like a 2 and a half yr old.I practically taught my daughter numbers and alphabet/ phonics myself.I brought it up one time and the oyinbo nur manager looked at me like one pushy parent .She was like she is only two mum.Maybe am just being Nigerian but pouring sand lego and nursery rhymes is not enough for a 3 yr old lol.To be fair they seem to concentrate more on the artistic side and can begin to see my daughter's artistic flair always coming home with paintings etc.Anyways as it has been said on this thread learning does not end in school.Nursery to be fair also has made my daughter very very confident and people keep asking are you sure she just clocked 3 in sept.

Lol!

To be honest, we didn't really do private nurseries as such for our kids. Okay, we did till the age of 3, then we put them in our local Catholic Nursery and then Primary school.

If you can afford it for your daughter at this stage, no problem. But don't despair though, the social and communication skills she's acquiring now are invaluable. Okay, let me let you on a secret which most parents keep to themselves (well, at least until their kids have passed that stage or level). Do you know that there are a couple of private primary schools that offer scholarships for bright children at age seven? It's called the 7+ exam and these kids sit the exam whilst at Year 2 in primary school. If they pass and are offered a place (on scholarship), then they start with the school from Year 3. I think James Alleyns Girls School (JAGGS) and a couple other schools do offer this. Maybe even St. Paul's? Sorry I don't know the names of the girls' schools that offer these. I'm more in tune with the Boy's schools.

So bottom line here is this: If your daughter's able to bag herself a place at any of these private primary schools through their scholarship programs, then you really are onto a good thing. That's because (as you know) the level / academic standard is so high, plus they actively prepare their pupils to take the 11 + Entrance / grammar school exams. I'm sorry to say this but kids in state primary schools, compared to their private counterparts are 3 years behind. That's why you see parents roping in tutors to give their kids a fighting chance. I've heard a lot about Kumon, but I've always preferred getting in a private tutor, come to my home to teach the kids (while I'm away at work) so something like 5 - 7pm or so.

You can get very good teachers from Fleet Tutors (at least that way, you know whoever is allocated to you has passed the CBR screening, has the right teaching qualifications AND is experienced & well versed in preparing kids for the 11+ exams). Once you get someone you can level with and your kid's comfortable with, then you can (ahem) una go gree runs naija style (you know what I mean)...cheaper that way.

There are a lot of gifted kids out there, but the truth is majority of those that make it into grammar schools come in from Independent / private primary schools.

Oh, I forgot to add this bit to my previous post last night. I guess I was too sleepy...

If plan A, B, or C don't work...then there's always plan D - schooling back home in Naija (that is, if your heart dey strong enough to leave your pikin there, while you're over here) That was no idle threat we used on our kids and boy! Did those boys sit up. I guess the thought of getting corporal punishment in schools back home under the hot sun, as opposed to Go stand by the wall...or, undertake a respect task to think about what you did wrong... blah blah soft touch punishment the schools give out here, made them sit up.

Anyway, best of luck girl!

Thanks again efemena.Loads of heads up,thank you all so much.Decided to accept the offer at the catholic pry sch will be taking her in for stay and play and meeting with the head teacher next wednesday.From all i can gather it seems there is alot of work to be done on our part too so na to brace myself.At the mo have small spare time so its to utilise it to the fullest.Thats why when me and hubby say we cant afford anymore(God willing as far as i know IUS is 98% effective) people think its just money ;.Its the time effort and encouragement sef that is even harder.I will definitely be exploring all the 'secrets' leaked on the thread lol.Money even saved sef from her startin at this catholic sch sef can even go towards the pot for the indepedent sch thing.Will hand in her notice at nur today when i go to pick her up even though we still have to pay for the full month.Everyone i have told cant believe she got a space as we are not catholic and once ur not 3 by aug 31st u miss out till next year.It really is Gods favour.Her start date is in January.My baby is excited as she can now wear 'niniform' like her cousins lol.May God make all our hearts desires for our kids come to pass ijn.

efemena - u are like my fairy God mother with all this information.

and some people where telling me to stay back in nigeria and sit in the village waiting for some people to come to their senses. (sorry side topic).

gosh - i don't think right now on my own I can be doing all these extra activities with my little one. I do agree wit the part about parents play a part in the learning. people laugh when I tell them that my daughter has lessons (at home with moi) every weekend to teach her 1, 2, 3 and ABC i just ignore them, state education in this country is a joke!! the society has low aspirations - when people from TOWIE and Kim K are put on some useless pedestal i depair for these children of today.

have to go now work calls

I think i will start madam on the piano in the new year and look into kumon for 2 year olds - I plan to visit some prep schools in the spring as they have already started taking applications for 2013/14 academinc year - oh yes efe i knew about the 7+ if you go to some of these private schoold websites u see they offer the scholarships for 7+ and 11+ even some offer six form.

another thing i forgot to mention I read on mums net is that some people use their 15 hours free nursery grant to subsidise private nursery/prep school fees.

really have to go now

@ Topic,

U could also check this out:

https://www.nairaland.com/249630/parental-guide-bringing-up-child/37#10739482

@cotton yeah read that as well and wanted to see if i could get a discount at my daughters nursery but they said i had to wait till she was three and a half.I guess that does not come into play now anyway as she is goin to 'big' school as she calls it.I guess she cant comprehend that its still nursery as she will be wearing uniform lol.
As u said efemena was really fairy god mother.Even CC sef.You know i used to be like yeah extra curricular activities are ok but why are people running round like headless chickens.But i now its a sacrifice one has to make cos i guess being a parent sometimes is about sacrifices.Its my brazilian,peruvian,cambodian or all other nationalities weave plus mulberry bag that might have to go .Majorca for dubai and camry for BMW
@tgirl will check out the thread.

Lol!

Glad to be of help, ladies

Our fairy god mothers one other question.I personally believe travelling and discovering new places cultures and people is a part of education(if one can afford it).I know its too early for my kids but just want your opinions in the issue.I have an older friend whose kids are teenagers and she is of the school of thought that kids learn more on school trips.Her kids go on most school trips and an talking verrrry expensive ones, florida, most of europe some costing as much as £1500 a trip.She would rather fork out on that and they go for cheaper continental budget holidays or Nigeria as a family.My SIL on the other hand hates school trips.She prefers they all go for the more expensive family hols together.Her rationale is she is better equipped to take care of her son than the school while on holiday besides why should holidays be part of school again?I can see both their points but wanted your take on the issue as i am sure you have been there done that.Me i still have pre schoolers so guess it does not apply for now

^^ Lol Damiso!

You sure you aren't a fly on the wall in my home?

I too am a sucker for school trips. I'm of the mindset that travel broadens the mind. My eldest son has been on a lot of school trips to places in Europe. Every year he goes on a one week skiing trip to either France or Italy. These trips cost just under £1K but by the time you purchase the full gear i.e Salopettes, Ski googles, glasses, jackets, thermals, etc then you go over the £1K mark. He's also been to Spain and would be going to Iceland later next year as part of their Geography trip. They'll go see some active volcanoes (I think). I was hoping he would want to go on the history trips to Portugal and Greece but he was adamant and said "NO." Can't tell you how disappointed I felt sha, but his dad thinks I'm over doing it...

Anyway, now his younger brother's joined him at the school, they both would be going on a ski trip to Italy just after the xmas for 1 week. This as you can guess cost 2K, minus the Euros we'll have to give them as spending money while there. My hubby isn't too keen on it, but he doesn't discourage them either. I just feel that if you've got the opportunity to do something great for your kids, then do it. Nobody knows what tomorrow holds in store.

Having said that, my eldest handed me a letter from the school informing parents (if interested) that they propose to have a trip to Madagascar in the summer of 2014 (gulp) and one (I think) to Gambia (gulp) . Don't ask how much each of those trips cost for the senior students. (double gulp)

Trips to Naija are good as they get to know where they come from, their origin and also gives them a sense of identity. My only concern is that travelling to Naija is only "enjoyable" if you get to spend 3 or 4 weeks there. This is only possible during the summer holidays - which happens to be at the height of the rainy season. Who wants to spend 4 weeks indoors battling with mosquitoes? Also, you'll be hard pressed explaining to the school why they have to be away for a couple of weeks missing lessons. Xmas and Easter breaks don't extend up to 4 weeks. And if you're paying an arm and a leg for their education, do you really want them to miss 2 weeks worth of lessons?

@ efemena No am not o just like to ask and ask .So i guess you are on the team school trips.What you are sayin makes sense if one wants them to take this trips as part of broadening the mind and not just holiday sha.Me am a typical naija gal dont think i would typically plan a skiing holiday to the swiss alps or safari in madagascar lol.So my kain holiday is better taken with hubby and no kids . Or naija and dump them with grandma.Guess if their school can organise it would be better as it would be more fact and educationally tailored.Hubby too is not really a fan but guess i can talk him round.

Lol! Damiso

No, you're okay. It's good to ask questions. If you don't ask, how else would you know?

Anyway, I think you're quite lucky, in the sense you've got all this information at your finger tips. The more you know, the more prepared you'll be and aware of what choices to make that's best for your kids. I just had to "plod" along and learn from experience.

Anyway, abeg make you, Cotton and CC come nominate your sister here naw: https://www.nairaland.com/1122309/official-literature-writing-section-poster/5

Wow ladies, I'm learning a lot here although my little man is just 8 months old. The knowledge will be useful.

Me I dont understand this NL spambot I cant for the life of me think of why my last post got hidden

Anyway I need the review to make an informed choice so reposting.


My egbons in this business (parenting).I need a sort of Kumon Review.Getting mixed reviews at the mo and just wanted to see if I could get a some other ones as I am just getting more confused. My daughter is 4 and I am thinking of enrolling her for Kumon (I hope this is not the word spambot is catching o) abeg NL filter or whatever its a worldwide study centre for kids .

My Sis In Law's Son attended Kumon for 3 years and she thinks it was an utter waste of money.She said the lady in her son's Kumon centre just kept recycling exercises and even when she told her that the boy needed to be challenged more there was still no improvement. Her advise was to get some Bond workbooks (we do those already for numbers, words and phonics) and continue teaching her myself. Then enrol her at KipMcGrath in Year 2 or 3 in prep for 11+.She thinks KipMcGrath is faar better even if more expensive.Another older friend echoed this same sentiments though her kids only went for a term.

A couple of other friends on the other hand gave really good reviews of Kumon.They said it helps with mental maths and cognitive reasoning. These people think that Kumon really helped their kids.And that we should give it a go.
Now am confused. So I need reviews from parents whose kids may have attended Kumon one time or the other.Thank you people.
Tgirl and RR I go vex if this one is hidden o.cos there is nothing offensive in this post

chaircover: Hi Dami, My kids didnt do any of these courses. To add salt to injury, my kids didnt have homework in primary school until year 5 and even then homework was once every 2 weeks and it was simple things such as draw an island and put whatever you like on it. So she drew and island and put on a palm tree and a box which she labeled treasure . . . I was like why dont you draw spongebob squarepants ontit's if you are going to put on a box of treasure and then she gave me a lecture on how spongebob lives in the sea and not on an island

This is my experience and what I found. I found that kids learn better when they dont know that they are learning.

Yesterday we sat and watched seconds from disaster and also a documentary on the Kennedys and I was on hand to explain and answer any question that they had. They wont learn that in maths or English and IMO, when a child is inquisitive and intelligent, other things fall into place.

There are also hundreds of educational games on the internet such as mathletics. Last year we found a game where the kid can work out what time a plane will land in another city based on flying time, distance from the take off city and the change in time zone. To make it more interesting I brought out the globe and we were pointing out the cities on the globe.

The kid will also benefit a lot from taking them to places such as museums, car shows, cadbury world etc and also buying them books that will incite their inquisitive nature, such as the Guinness book of world records and not just getting them to read fiction. The last time we flew, when we landed, I asked the crew if my daughter could go into the cockpit to have a look and they obliged.

Basically let then learn through play and dont just throw formal education at them. We want all rounded kids and not just kids who can recite their times tables in their sleep.

Hello CC very insightful post as usual.Your perspective is a bit like my husband I guess that's the difference between Briticos and we naija born and bred .He is always telling me to calm down that she is not doing too bad for her age but will I gree No esp as the other day on NL I read a 3 yr old could write, count and read 1 to 200 in naija .Me and her nursery teacher are always arguing cos I feel she should be challenged more and he thinks she is doing just fine.

I get the point about learning through play.3 letter word spellings that I almost cry when teaching her became a breeze with a couple of fun apps on the Ipad.So I get it.But maybe its cos the way I was brought up, academics was a very serious affair.The way learning is so laid back here is kinda strange and alien to me.Your method worked for you cos I remember you celebrating with us about your son's GCSSE results . Besides he went to grammar school so you must have done something right.But dont you think some kids benefit from being challenged more.
My daughter is very inqusitive and artsy.She is really interested in art, sculpting, dancing (she is starting ballet in jan) but I feel it's because that's where her school focuses more on at the Early Years Stage.You wont believe they have not started spelling and are still on phonics at school. I was reading by 4 you know.I will take your advice though CC and ease up a lil.

You sef remember that time tables ish just remembering how the strokes of cane I chopped at 7 times tables put me off maths for life