So you have are a grade 4 kid?

Our A was in grade 4 last year. It is a year of change and almost a new start to your school career following on the foundation years. I have been asked by quite a few friends in the computer for tips etc on the transition. I have compiled them all for one of them and then thought I will share it here as surely more will benefit from it - seeing that tomorrow is back to school for most South African kids.

I am not claiming that this will make the year a success or even that this is what one should do. This is merely what we did and that worked for us. It may or may not work for you - take it as tips and work around it to fit you and your child. It may seem a lot of parent involvement but remember you are placing the foundation for the rest of their school years. Grade 5 they should be able to do a lot of this independently. We slowly moved from a lot of involvement to gradually less.

1. Keep a calendar - write all dates of tests, tasks etc down somewhere where the whole family can see them. Make sure that the family social calendar gives time and space when your grade 4 need it.

2. Try to get individual attention after school if you can - in whatever form - maybe your after care provides for it or there is a grandparent or whatever. We used and Au pair. One of the biggest issues with grade 4 is the bigger homework load and the orals, tests etc that comes with it. You simply can not do that amount of work after work when a child is tired

3. Teach them how to summarize and study - do a study course if possible. We had one presented at school that we paid for but it paid off that they knew how to draw mind maps etc.Buy the coloured pens and highlighters - make it fun. Think our funny rhymes etc.

4. Start with summarizing work every week as the year starts. Not only when the first test comes up. Sit with them and help them to do it for the first set of tests or exams. Just to get the hang of it. We did not do this as much as I wanted to last year - this year we will.

5. When a test series or exams come up - draw up a time table and plan out how much work must be done to go through everything a week or so before the dates start so that they can do details studying only before the event. This especially worked well for us.

6. No 5 help to teach them to manage their time - possibly the most important thing to do for grade 4. Because time becomes and issue if they have lots of other activities. So time management is crucial.

7. Do not immediately cut down on other activities - for her it was a huge goal to keep her marks up in order to be able to do all the things she wanted to. We made a deal that if marks slip she will have to make some choices - she choose to study hard enough not to have to choose between her activities. This may not work for everyone.

8. Projects and orals - when you get them give them immediate attention - even if just planning them. If a project is due only in a months time one easily slips up and let time go past. They are good and easy ways to improve marks. Most projects get done at school at our school but you can still do the prep work at home. Make a practice project for them to do that they can sort of copy at school if it has to be done there. If it is a do at home project there is in general an answer sheet at school to control the the child did the project (with help) and not just the parent. So half would be for the project and the other half of the marks for the answer sheet. So make sure they do it with you (if that is what the project called for) or under your guidance but now and understand everything.

9. If the school use a maths book that has work sheets in (ie we use Pracmaths) buy an extra copy of the book and with every test or exam mark one of each type for them to complete in pencil. This way you can easily see if there is a problem with a type of sum and then sort that problem out. This is a lot of work for mom (or the helper) but it does pay off very well. It is also grueling for the kids and take a lot of time - but it work so very well as maths basically can not be learned but has to be understood and practiced - which this method gives you 100%.

10. Get them reading - this is crucial - the faster you can read the faster you learn. Invest in books they will love and make time to read. Actually this one can start from grade 1.

11. Make sure that you and your child knows exactly what each test and exam covers. Our school sends out an exact itinerary that we need to sign. If you do not get that - insist on it. Not exactly knowing causes a lot of unnecessary stress.

12. Properly listening in class makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE. Teachers give tips and stress importance. Tell your kid that if they listen properly they have won half the race. Maybe test it in the first term or two - ask them each day and when tests and exams came up as to what was stressed by teachers

13. An the one that I think worked the best of all: Find a mom that had a grade 4 last year and beg copies of last years tests and exams from her. This is worth gold as one of the biggest issues is to learn how to read and answer a test, how questions are asked etc.

I hope this at least helps one person somewhere. Best of luck with grade 4

So have you passed grade 4 yet?

Well, I never did. I passed standard 2 though, back in the days and somehow I remember it being quite different than what grade 4 is. Grade 4 is the first year of the intermediary phase of school.

I can not remember that we had exams and tests and prepared quite as hard as our grade 4 seem to. I can remember projects - but simple thing like research and a poster about the Renaissance for instance - not designing and building structures.

I can not remember studying weekends for exams and tests, getting a roster for two weeks pre exam from the school to help you get through all the work. Do you?

We were warned that grade 4 is a BIG jump and I am thankful that our grade 4 seem to take it into her stride - maybe more than me. And that she takes getting good marks very seriously. The au pair and I help her plan, give tests , mark and correct, check summaries but mostly she carries on by herself. Even later into the evening than usual and with dedication that we are proud of. Last night found her doing maths revision in swimming costume at the poolside waiting for her swimming lesson. If you have a full afternoon of drama, ballet and then swimming you learn to plan your time and use those fill in minutes to the maximum. I am not quite sure I would have had the same dedication in standard 2.

But yes, we survived plenty of "do in class" projects where we had to do research at home, send her with information and decorations and the project gets completed in class. I love this because it helps them to work by themselves and gives a more equal footing for marks.

We also survived two projects that were structured with parent help. Survive is the wrong word because both of them had the whole family involved at times and was truly enjoyed by us all. Making things together binds us - a bonus I am not sure the teachers had in mind in the first place. What I am happy to say is that the physical project is half the marks and a project sheet they complete about the project (testing their own knowledge and involvement) counts the other half. So there is a fairness involved. Also it is not always the most perfect or beautiful projects that score the top marks, but those that showed creativity, understanding of the project and attention to details.

To give you an idea of what is waiting for those of you still in the foundation phase of school, may I present:

The Chicken coup: (A model to house 4 chickens - made mostly by dad and A - basic structure made at home but most of it build and completed in class according to the project sheet). It featured feeding tubes into bowls and a hatch to sweep the poop and use as fertilizer. Most of the materials were recycled as requested in the brief - the wood and hardboad were recovered from old bits in the garage the "wire" is plastic veggy bags.

The bridge: Here we had to build at home. We could use the following materials only: Paper, sosatie (kebab) sticks, popsickle sticks, drinking straws, paper, twine and glue. The bridge had to span 30cm and carry 1 kg. They had to use the principle of triangulation and weight transfer as taught in class (this btw I learned as a first year student in architecture!). We designed the concept of the bridge together on these principles which I did refine at the office - I guess most engineer and architect parents would do this. It carried 5 kg and earned all the bonus points it could for carrying extra weight and she then opted out to keep it and not test it until it breaks.

We are preparing for our first set of exams so I am not at all a knowledgeable person in this. But so far - my advice for grade 4:

Studying - help them with planning - it is the most important of it all. And get old tests to practice with.
For projects - keep a well stocked drawer with basic craft materials (it has saved us plenty of times with those do in class projects where they get a day or 2 notice) and buy a glue gun and cable ties.

Most of all - keep your sense of humour and let them work with some independence.