Teri

Does anybody have links or other information that could give us more detail on the Year 4 and Year 5 curriculums? Or more specifically for Maths and English.

I want to see what the Australian kids did in Year 4 and what they will be faced with in Year 5. My kiddie will be skipping year 4 so that he can be with kids his own age, but I want to be sure that he won't battle - its no fun starting in a new country and then still having to battle in class.

Thanks in advance!

goldcoastrealestate

Which state are you moving to?

Colin

ABCDiamond

I was about to ask the same

When we moved from NSW to QLD, we found that my daughter was way ahead in English, but behind in Maths, due to the differences in the State curriculums.

Here in QLD a good guide is the QLD Signpost Maths books, one for each year 1-7, each child has one at school, and we have a home copy, so we can see what she is learning.

goldcoastrealestate

My experience is having children educated in Victoria and then moving to Queensland, my daughters are the eldest in the class because in Queensland children go to school one year less - at present!

Our children are more capable (mature) of handling the challenges placed before them with homework workload, commitment to studies and so on.

At the other end, Year 12 they do not struggle as much and then when they go to uni - which is an adult learning environment, they are ready for that as well.

If you think your children may go to uni, then consider not putting them up a level at school as they may find uni too difficult being that bit younger. There is no-one at uni to wipe their nose!

The drop out rate is very high in the first year of uni and has recently been discussed on ABC Brisbane radio.

Another thing to consider. There are many kids at school in the older age group. Come Year 11 and 12, are you ready for your 15 or 16 year old to be attending parties with the older kids? Socially, will your child fit in with older kids in the class if they are the youngest? We see this time and time again, when a child is accelerated. Sure they can handle the work, but when it comes to friends, they have none. Will your children handle that?

I have not regretted keeping my daughters in the year level they would be, if going to school in Victoria.

Contact the principal of the school and ask for an assessment first, before making any decisions.


- Col
Father of six

spalen

Our children are in the local state school in QLD and they are using a book called sign post maths. My children have both gone from being the oldest in their classes to the youngest, regarding school years they are both in the same year they were in the UK...there is no year R here so son is now in yr2 here, he was in yr1 in the UK, daughter is in yr 4 here was in yr3 in the UK and in my opinion the work they face here in our local ss is more challenging than in the UK( they were in private school in the UK. They are also expected to be more independent here.

Mrs S

Teri

thanks so much. We are going to QLD.

Do you know where I could get that book? And whether I am able to purchase it online? Or else i can get a family member in QLD to pick it up and post to us if you could let me know which stores sell it.

Teri

Father of six... wow!

We are coming from South Africa to QLD. So school environment etc. is fairly different. In South Africa the kids also start a year later, so when determining which year he would go to, it was decided to put him with his age group... so he would be neither the youngest or oldest in his group - but smack in the middle. So he would socialise with his own age group.

Then - as it is, he is quite mature (as mature as boys that age can be ) and sporty - so at breaktime is found playing cricket or something with Year 7 boys. I wouldn't let him go home and socialise with the older kids, but I can't keep him from playing sport with them.

Then currently he is always in the top group of the class and very bright. So - my fears are two fold - I know that if he had to be with younger kids it would make him VERY unhappy and happiness is what we are striving for first and foremost. But then my other fear is that I have a feeling that South Africa's educational standards has dropped dramatically and afraid that he will go from doing well to battling, which can be very demotivating... so my solution was to find the work that they are doing and go through some of it to get him prepared for the new year.

Teri

Thanks. I had a feeling that the work is more challenging. This is the 2nd time I've heard about the sign post maths now, so going to have to get my hands on one!

ABCDiamond

Here is the web page for the publishers http://www.pascalpress.com.au/shop/p...p?SeriesId=229

It is available at most newsagents, especially those near schools here in QLD.

Year 4 are using Signpost Maths 4 at the moment, and I am reliably informed, by my year 4 daughter, and her classroom friend, that they go on to Signpost Maths 5 when in year 5

Another link to show everything that Pascal Press do: http://www.pascalpress.com.au/shop/ But getting the right QLD stuff is important.

If you have friends in QLD, they can ask in the newsagent which books relate to the correct year of your child.

vikk

Do they not have a set National or state Curriculum then? How do they determine what each child will learn and when they learn it? How do they ensure cohesion of curriculum throughout the state? What is curriculum 2010? Is this a curriculum that they are planning on implementing in the future or a range of targets? I've been trying to find a QLD curriculum for ages but have had no luck.

Teri

MANY THANKS for all the help. I have emailed the names to the folks and hopefully they can find and post to us.

In the meantime - any additional info that you can share on the work that your daughter is doing at the moment would be great (she must be the same age as my son then - turned 9 this year). Information like the different subjects under maths and an example of a sum/exercise??

But not to worry if you are strapped for time! I have caught a glimpse of what I think is the work they are doing - and if so - then it is a bit of a panick - appears my poor little guy will be very behind. So much for the private school fees we have been forking out all these years!!

ABCDiamond

Each State has its own Curriculum.

Here is a link to some info on the Curriculum 2010 http://education.qld.gov.au/public_m...lum-framework/
I'm really sure what it is, and hadn't even heard of it before.

There is talk of a National standard for all States so that they are the same.

ABCDiamond

This weeks homework includes working on Perimeters, measuring the outsides of shapes with a ruler.

Last week involved working out change.
eg: How much change from $20 if I spend: a: $2.00 b: $3.50 c: 4.95 d: $2.65 e: 3.25
&
What combination of coins can you use to make up:
a: 1.25 b: $5.55 c: $10.70 d: $14.85

About 40 questions like that for the week, with revision on 7 times table.

Then some spelling words to be copied out: gymnasium, industrial, government, geography, galvanised, hydrants, entertainment, facilities.

and about 10 sentences to be redone with correct quotation marks, and adjectives placed or replaced etc each week.

vikk

Thank you ABC. The link that you provided is about all that I have been able to find on a set curriculum. There just doesn't seem to be information on one that is up & running at present. You said that each state DID have it's own curriculum, and I 'm pretty certain that there must be 'something' providing current cohesion between the various schools. Is there one that is just not on the internet yet? Or is it just a secret curriculum?

Teri

Fantastic! Thanks for sharing your homework!!