HartleyHare

This has always been my daughter's problem - by the time they teach the next bit, she's forgotten the previous stuff! I must admit, I think she would get a better grasp the subject being taught the way that it is in the US v UK.

MarylandNed

The problem is that things change quite frequently. My 3rd and 4th kids are still in the public school system (the older 2 are at college) and things have been different to some degree for each kid.

By the way, it's not just us foreigners who are confused. If I ask questions of American parents, they often don't have much idea either. Many parents where I live come from other parts of the country where the school systems are different (e.g. "Oh, we didn't have middle school where I come from" etc.)

I still find it strange that my eldest daughter (a science major at college) did only 1 year of Physics, 1 year of Chemistry and 1 year of Biology during 4 years at high school. In Northern Ireland, I was at high school for 7 years and I did some Physics, Chemistry and Biology every single year for 7 years right up through 'A' Levels. I feel that I had a much better understanding of these when I went to college than she did. Then again, she will be in college for a 4 year degree while mine was a 3 year degree. So we often overlook the fact that that first year at college here is like my final year of high school back home.

transatlantic_chap

The district-to-district variations can be pretty huge in the US, I think. I guess for all the weaknesses with the British system, at least we're all in it together.

swoodforde

I've been reading through this thread and am worried. I am British with three kids all at school in LA. They are young and have only been educated here. We plan to move back to the UK and think I need a tutor to get them on track for schools in the UK. I think they will be at least a year behind when they start in the UK. Does anyone know where to find a tutor who can teach Kindergarten / first / second grade kids who is familiar with the UK system and can get them up to speed?

Should this be a new thread?

Thanks in advance .....

Bob

At age, I doubt you even need to worry about it.

LJSassy

Hello All

I'm a long term reader of the forum and finally joined.

Although I know everyones experience of USA v UK education system is very different, I just wanted to add my bit.

My family moved to Katy, Texas in August this year from Scotland. I have 2 sons, one aged 15 in 9th Grade and one aged 13 in 7th Grade. The difference in school system has taken a bit of getting used to, for all of us. I must say thought that the level of teaching and education here is far superior to what my children were receiving in Scotland - i have no complaints what so ever. They enjoy doing the same classes in the same order every day, it feels more organised. They have far more homework than they ever did back in the UK, which is their only complaint.

We chose to live in Katy due to the districts high performing school district, and it has not disappointed at all. I can go on line and check every mark the boys get for every piece of work either completed at home or in school - in Scotland we had to wait for a yearly report card to get an indication of how they were doing. Also, having to actively sporty boys, getting to have "soccer" class every day as opposed to PE twice a week is a huge winner.

Nearly 4 months in school year, so far so good x

swoodforde

If we move back in 2 years my son will be 9 and not far away from his 11+ entrance exam for UK Academy schools etc. I'm thinking a head a bit I know but those tests sort of matter.

Sally Redux

I think it could be confusing for them to be tutored in another system at the same time, then again many children in LA do go to weekend schools in their own language/culture.

I would think cramming for 11+ could easily be done when you get back, though.

Bob

Yeah, I really wouldn't worry the toss until they're GCSE/A-Level age.

SultanOfSwing

If the 11+ is the same as it was when I did it (though I'll assume it's probably easier now anyway) - it's a piece of piss anyway. Just logic problems, mental arithmetic and word 'games'.

A decent set of puzzle books and a few IQ tests, and it could be studied for on the plane trip there

Sally Redux

I didn't even know they still had it, but it was just IQ-type stuff before.

SultanOfSwing

Aye. Nice n' easy

HartleyHare

My daughter was at a UK Academy school in London - she did not sit an entrance exam. AFAIK, 11+ type exams are only sat for private/selective schools. All of my friends that managed to get their children into selective schools had private tutoring for at least 1-2 years beforehand - and these were very intelligent children to start with. I think that exams have increased in difficulty quite a bit in recent years due to the competition to get children into the few selective/grammar schools around (non-fee paying).

kodokan

I vote cramming - older kids skim through and learn material in a matter of months that would have taken their younger selves several years to master.

When we moved here (from Switzerland, with its later academic start, and with the kids in French-speaking schools), my then 7 yr old joined halfway through 2nd grade unable to read. My 11 yr old went into 6th grade having not written a single sentence in English since he was 8, never having done fractions or data analysis or geometry, knowing less than nothing about US history, etc.

My 9 yr old 4th grader is now effortlessly meeting grade goals; there's talk of considering testing her into the Gifted and Talented program for next year (she's neither gifted nor talented to my mind, just 'normal' bright). My 13 yr old 8th grader is in all honours classes, and his last report card was straight As.

I'm honestly not doing a brag post for fun, but just to illustrate that kids can be technically very, very behind, and still have it all come good in no time at all. If they have the aptitude and intelligence, the knowledge is easy to acquire.

The only tricky stage, like someone said, is around key exam ages. Other than that, stuff it all in their heads as and when the need arises.

lizzyq

Both our sons are at a state grammar school in Lancashire which selects by 11+. Both got in with no extra tuition. The younger brother of one of our younger son's friends had months of tutoring at a cost of thousands and failed to get in. Priority is given to those children closest to the school, so the further away you live, the better you have to be to get in! We are "out of area".

The papers were verbal reasoning, maths & English. VR & Maths were both multiple choice and the English a combination of a comprehension (multiple choice) and a short (15 mins) essay/creative writing. Most schools have some form of sample to download from their website. My view is that exam technique is more important than cramming, so make sure your kids know what they are going to be faced with and how quickly they have to work through the papers.