should us parents worry about children sats papers?

[littlegodess]

My daughter is 7 yr old, she has been doing her sats papers. But i have concern on her grades, even though i know she in the top group. Her attitude has also started to change within the few weeks. Is this due to stress on my 7 old. She keeps asking me' what if i fail.

[I-say]

littlegodess, I tend not to worry about Sats papers, I tell my children to do their best. Your daughter sounds like a bright little girl, and she shouldnt be worrying. Give her a hug and tell her how clever she is.

[SaxyJag]

I think it is due to stress. The education system puts far too much emphasis on academic achievement these days, at the expense of true personal and individual development.

There are some children, just as there are some adults, who thrive on intellectual stress. Clearly you daughter isn't one. Her strengths, talents and preferred learning styles are different, and are to be celebrated.

Despite what the school want you both to believe, academic success, achievement, exams and qualifications are unimportant in the grand scheme of things. More adults become truly successful without them than with them and contrary to popular belief, many employers don't hold score by them, preferring to recruit on the basis of character and aptitude instead.

Tell your daughter if she scores low in her SATs, she will not have failed, and it won't stop her having a good life. She will have shown that she is an individual who doesn't need to conform to others' (possibly inappropriate) values in order to be a worthy person.

[MrsJo49155]

your daughters school have failed your daughter if at the age of 7 she is aware of the need to "perform" in her sats...as the school I work at they are kept very low key and treated as any other part of the term....

You will get feedback on the results but surely there is no need for your daughter to know if she failed/passed - just praise her whatever the outcome - kids progress through primary at different rates so they are no really a good indication of how they will fare by the time they get to secondary school...

Hopefully they will do away with these sats in the very near future and the teachers can merely assess children during their normal lessons in a more familiar setting where they can thrive!

[noxlumos]

Tell her she can't fail because even if she doesn't do as well as she hoped she's still wonderful and beautiful and will have different talents as she grows up. It's outrageous that kids this age are put under such horrifc pressure and one of the reasons that we home educate. Everyone has given excellent advice, exams etc don't matter a hoot long term, certainly not enough to warrant a 7 year old getting stressed over.

[jake-the-peg]

SATS test results are much more important to the future careers of 30 year old teachers and head teachers than they are to 7 year old girls!

Don't let the school put undue stress on your daughter

[Pippa68]

Everyone here is correct ~ even teachers hate the SATS! they are nothing to worry about..I know it can be hard making sure your daughter realises this but just reiterate that she is doing fine & to do her best is what is expected..that's all!

SaxyJag has made a very good point ~ there are so many people failing at interviews even though their qualifications are perfect. Aptitude tests for basic common sense (sadly lacking in quite a few academic types) & personality tests are high on the list.

Don't put undue pressure on her in the home ~ let her be a child!

[littlegodess]

i also just found out today' by one of the parents, its teachers trying to catch up on their own work' for the end of term.

[loopyc]

my daughter suffers from abdominal migraines and is sitting here sats at the moment this was causing her stress until i told her just to try her best it doesnt matter what the results are so long as she has tryed this seemed to help.

[unruliejulie]

i agree with jake-the-peg. she can only do her best, i have never put pressure on my son other than to tell him to try and do what he can! he has always done ok, infact he is 14 and took his a couple of weeks ago.

[MrsJo49155]

what doe you mean about teachers catching up on their own work littlegodess? The SATS arent school based they are required to be completed for the Government. Most teachers would jump at the chance not to have to do them I am sure.