What is the 'progress' we are aiming for in each area of learning when preparing for the 4+?
/I received an exceptional question yesterday from a parent who did a Sample lesson with me last week.
Obviously, I will be taking time today to answer my client in depth but I wanted to share my thoughts about this with you too.
When I worked in schools as a full time teacher and as a senior leader, we would be set targets for our classes. Our students were expected to make a certain amount of progress. The more qualified we were, the higher the level of progress our classes were expected to make!
That’s ultimately what we were paid to do. We were first of all paid to look after our students and second of all we were paid to show their progress. A huge responsibility to have would you not agree?
Progress is very important.
We all want our children to make progress in the areas of learning that they (and we) are investing our time, energy and money on!
Progress is key.
As you might know, my 4+ Curriculum Programme is a 12 month programme. So it is obvious that if you have the full 12 months of the Curriculum Programme that your chid will be able to make way more progress than if they do the 3 month Programme.
Progress and time go hand in hand.
My students will never make as much progress in 3 months as they would in 12 months.
So let me share with you a very brief summary of the progress that I would expect a student of CMT to make after 12 months on my programme. Obviously each child is different and unique and the progress will be individual to them. Just to make that clear.
Communication and Language
To be able to answer L4 questions with ease, confidence and clarity. To have a broad and vast vocabulary.
Personal, Social and Emotional Development
To be able to go into the 4+ assessment happily and confidently. Do be able to engage well with adults and children. To know how to react in difficult situations. To show emotional maturity.
Physical Development
To be physically strong (gross and fine motor control)
Literacy
To know their phase 2/3 and 4 phonics (single sounds and digraphs). To be reading cvc words with confidence and ease. To be able to write numbers 1-20 with perfect formation. To be able to write letters a-z with perfect formation. To hold their pencil ‘correctly’. To have a love for reading books.
Maths
To be at mastery of the whole of my CMT Early Years mathematics curriculum.
(Place value, addition and subtraction, geometry, length, capacity, weight, position, direction and time)
Understanding of the World
Show a deep curiosity and knowledge for the world around them.
Art and design
Be able to draw with confidence and independence whatever they are asked to draw. Be able to create and design something and know how to use the tools needed with confidence and independence.
Does this overwhelm you?
This excites me!
And if you want support with helping your child to make the progress that they deserve to be making, join me.
Passing these 4+ assessments has never been my end goal.
Passing the 4+ assessments is just the cherry on top.
My end goal is for my students to love learning. To have a passion for learning. To want to learn more, more and more.
