How My Child Feels About the Transition from First to Second Grade — In Their Own Words

The Silent Storm of Small Transitions

When we think about transitions in school, we often reserve our concern for the big ones: starting kindergarten, entering middle school, or leaving for high school. But for many children, the shift from first to second grade — from CP to CE1 in the French system — is its own kind of emotional terrain. It’s the moment when the school day stops feeling like play and starts to carry weight. “It's not fun-time school anymore,” one seven-year-old told his mom. “Now it’s real school.”

But how often do we take the time to sit with our children and truly explore how they feel about this moment in their life? In the quiet in-between of bedtime or during walks to school, their words can reveal a lot more than we expect.

“I Don’t Get It Anymore” — What Learning Feels Like Now

One parent, Marine, shared how her daughter Léna came home after her third week of CE1 and mumbled, “I don’t get it anymore.” It was math homework — simple subtractions — the kind she’d enjoyed just a few months ago. But something had shifted. The format was unfamiliar, there was more pressure, and the classroom was quieter, less forgiving of mid-lesson wiggling.

Academic expectations often ramp up in second grade. Children who once excelled with ease might hit a wall — and rather than say, “I need help with this new concept,” they say “I don’t get it,” or worse, “I’m not good at school.” These aren’t just words. They’re signals that our children are processing this leap through a filter of self-worth.

What can help? Sometimes, it’s not repeating the lesson again but changing how it’s approached. Léna’s mom began using small tools that aligned with how her daughter preferred to learn. Rather than reinforcing the worksheets, she tried turning lessons into audio stories that Léna could listen to during car rides. One night, Léna came running into the kitchen shouting, “I’m the queen of number lands!”—because she’d listened to a math concept woven into a personalized audio adventure that used her name and voice. It made her feel seen. Apps like Skuli (available on iOS and Android) offer these kinds of solutions in a quiet, thoughtful way.

When Confidence Wavers: “Everyone Is Better Than Me”

Confidence in CP can soar; kids still operate in play-leaning environments where collaboration is encouraged, and the teacher is more likely to orbit closely around each child. In CE1, the classroom environment typically becomes more structured. Some children blossom — they appreciate routine, crave challenge. For others, the change makes the room feel colder, the teacher more distant, and the tasks more intimidating.

When kids say things like “Everyone is better than me,” or “I’m the slowest,” it’s a reflection of internal comparison and the budding of academic anxiety. This is a rich time to talk, not with correction (“That’s not true!”), but with curiosity: “What does it feel like when that happens?”

If you find conversations like this challenging, you might want to explore how to open up about school without it feeling like an interrogation. Often, the kind of dialogue that helps our children most doesn’t begin with “How was school?” but with storytelling prompts like “Tell me something that made you laugh today.”

The Hushed Pressure of Growing Expectations

In CP, it’s okay to be learning. In CE1, some kids start to believe they’re supposed to already know. They’re told things like, “You should remember,” or “By now, you should be able to…” And while that’s understandable from an educational progression point of view, it can be internalized as pressure.

That silent pressure looks like:

• Procrastinating on homework not out of laziness but fear of failure
• Being unusually tired after school
• Tears over small things once safely home

As a parent, it helps to recalibrate our own expectations too. Some children thrive when they’re allowed to revisit material at their own learning pace. This doesn’t mean slowing down everything — sometimes it means adding layers that fit their strengths. For example, turning a photo of a written lesson into a fun 20-question quiz can make recall easier and more playful, especially after a long day at school.

“I Feel Invisible in Class” — The Emotional Side of the Shift

Beyond the academics, the emotional ecosystem of the classroom starts to change. CP is often more interactive, with songs, storytelling, and more movement. In CE1, structure and sitting take over. Some children quietly express that they don’t feel “seen” anymore. One parent, Farid, noted that his son Amine stopped talking about school altogether. When he finally opened up, he said, “Even when I raise my hand now, nobody calls me.”

This raises the critical question of whether our children's voices are truly heard in class. Being five versus seven might not seem so different to us — but to our children, that difference is seismic. It marks the beginning of self-awareness. They begin noticing whether they get attention, whether they belong, and whether what they feel matters.

Creating spaces at home where their voices are heard regularly — during calm times, not just moments of conflict — matters more than ever during this period.

Where Curiosity and Connection Light the Path

So how can we help our child through the CP to CE1 transition?

• Replace correction with connection. If they say “I’m bad at math,” try “Math has felt hard lately — tell me more.”
• Use their learning style to review lessons — through drawing, games, songs, or tools that turn knowledge into adventure.
• Cultivate their voice at home, so they regain confidence for the classroom.
• Explore their deeper thoughts about learning. If you haven’t already, consider reading what kids really feel about school assessments.

Most importantly, keep listening. Our children are full of unsaid stories. When we tune into the ones they’re just learning to tell, transitions like these become not just manageable, but meaningful.