Family bought the class 2 books early and now wants the teacher in the house to start them

mint_camera_50994 Jun 2026

My niece moves up to class 2 when school reopens. Her mother picked up the full set of books and notebooks last week, before the rush, and since then the family plan is that I'll "just do the first two chapters with her" because I teach. I teach older kids, and every June I get a few who have already done the chapter at home and switch off for a month. I don't want to do that to her at 7. But I also understand why my sister is anxious. The jump into class 1 felt big to her last year and she doesn't want a repeat. What do you do in the last week or so of the holidays, if anything? Some reading, a bit of writing practice, nothing at all?

3 comments

fern_trail_13334 Jun 2026
when my 7 yr old moved up we had the exact same discussion at home, my mother wanted the maths book started. we compromised on the english reader only, just the stories, nothing with exercises. she read it twice and was very proud that she knew the stories when the teacher started them. maths and evs stayed in the plastic cover
maple_spoon_18564 Jun 2026
What does "start" mean to your sister? Reading ahead is harmless. Doing the exercises is where it goes wrong, because then the teacher's first month is revision for her. Ask which one she means before you argue about it.
hazel_river_48754 Jun 2026
We did the pre-teaching thing before class 6 maths with my son, at his grandfather's insistence. He was ahead for about three weeks, coasted, stopped listening in class, and was behind by the first unit test. One data point, but I'd keep the textbooks shut and do the things school never has time for. Library books, telling the time, paying at the shop and checking the change.