Is this a valid reason from a teacher?

[knittedbreast]

My son is in reception class and since he left nursery he hardly ever brings anything home, no art work and many things hes made. I spoke to another couple of parents who have agreed that not much comes home. I think this may also have been braught to attention a the PTA meeting (every parent at our school is automatically on the PTA).

I spoke to the class teacher and she said, well yes but O dousnt really want to do pictures or making.

he does drawings at home, he is not adverse to art and hes quite good at it (by that i mean you can tell what it is, not that i think hes the next michael angelo).

isnt it their job to encourage him, he cant just say he dousnt want to do x and they say fine. i dont see any writing or maths hes done at school either.


i want him to be encouraged in every aspect, art maths english and science.
you cant just say O, do you fancy leanring how to read today? no? ok just go and play then.

hmm

[SarkyLady]

At our school most of the art stuff came home in a batch at the end of the year/term.

But it really wouldn't bother me in the slightest if less came home durign reception. IME all the 'proper' learning started in Year 1.

[coralpink]

In Foundation it is very child led so he may well be choosing not to do art or crafts and doing some of the other activities available.

He will do phonics and maths every day but it is very practical based.

[knittedbreast]

are there any reception teachers or assistants who can say how their day is structured?

i would secretly love to be able to just watch him at school for the day, particularly in pe. see how he interacts with his friends etc...

i hope the art is too come, i love seeing what hes made.

[trifling]

same here, nothing at all, but perhaps he is perfecting his social skills with 'free play'? Mine seems to spend most of the time chatting or rather arguing with his 'friends'. The girls do loads of art and are always toting crafty creations back and forth. I feel a bit sceptical about free play when they aren't proper opportunities to do stuff they are interested in. Have you asked him why he doesn't do it at school tho? Mine said he didn't want to as the big kids would knock it over.

[redskyatnight]

DS never did art work in Reception (except the stuff the whole class did). Reception is largely child led, so if he chooses to do something else, they will encourage him in that. I too used to feel sad about this.

DD brings home about 6 pieces of artwork a day. I now wish she was like DS .

The school "should" encourage a range of skills through what your child chooses to do. e.g. he may not be producing art work to bring home, but maybe he is drawing in the sand. He may not be bringing home wonderful "models", but perhaps he is building with the blocks?

[manfromCUK]

Yes its a vaild reason.

He is not averse to artwork. Adverse is a totally different word with a totally different meaning.

[VinegarTits]

He is not in nursery any more so they dont spend all day making stuff, the are learning stuff now, they are not there to make pictures for mummy anymore

and thank christ, i was sick of the endless amount of 'art' my ds used to bring home from nursery, if he scribbled on some paper they would send it home its a damn nusience, unless its a masterpiece of course

[knittedbreast]

im very sceptical of free play aswell.

does anyone know if they do science in reception?

thankyou man from cuk, maybe next time you could tell me the difference between the incorrect word used and what they meant rather than just telling me it was the wrong word? just sounds snipey otherwise ;)

[itsabiggywhatdoidonow]

im glad not much comes home with my dd, at nursey everything came home and I found this very tediouse and the vast majority got binned.

my dd has a book of quality work that gets filled through the year and I assume will come home at the end of school year.

I do think its pointless and to much to ask of the teacher to a) ensure you child does pictures, just for the sake of taking it home.

and

b) children are organising themselves at the end of the day to remember to take things home.

Your sone maybe doing different activitis to nursery in school alot of work is done on white boardes and so many end products on paper are possibly displayed in class or entered in learning journals.

I think this is a pointless and petty request from pta to the teachers.

[hanaka88]

Ok a day in our reception class
register, letters and sounds followed by an independant writing challenge - we do not wath them doing this but show the ones at the end and encourage them to do their challenge

while they are doing this we Do our 1:1 reads and observe the children in all the areas in class (evidence needs to be mainly child led actiities)

next maths input then maths challenges.

In the afternoon we have our topic- we teach KUW, PSED, Creative dev, Physical Development etc in the afternoons through topic. We have an input, a challenge and an adult led activity and a writing challenge.

[HappyMummyOfOne]

Ours came home at the end of the year. The reception class is mainly play based with some set sessions in phonics etc. In ther afternoon the children can choose their own activity so some do crafts but others do dress up or get the cars/dolls out etc.

[hanaka88]

By the way science is taught through knowledge and understanding of the world- do a quick google for 'EYFS profile points' to see an overview of assessment criteria

[itsabiggywhatdoidonow]

does anyone know if they do science in reception?

my dd does in a structured form, however, water and sand play is science, growing seeds, estimations, colour mixing natural history, crayon rubbings, construction..... need I go on, is all science

[Chaotica]

knittedbreast - I'd be sceptical (in fact I am, as I'm in the same situation).

Do not just assume there are other activities available and your son is doing those instead of art. Some schools are not well organized and do not have good facilities (even for play) so it's not a petty request to the teachers.

[knittedbreast]

what do you mean by maths challenges? you mean sums? writing challenge is spelling?

they have a special book aswell, with work in for the end of the year. i remember doing so much more art and always bringing it home. i suppose i just expected it.

also, really not happy about this. Homework! every week from now onwards to prepare him for YEAR 1. i did homework for 2 weeks in year 6 before secondary school. time at home is already precious, now they want homework.

hmm (again)

[pooka]

They learn through play. So yes, they will "do" science in as much as for example, they may be playing at the water table and be comparing objects that float/don't float. Or talking about bodies. Or growing plants. Or baking, and looking at a recipe, weighing and measuring and so on.

Basically in the most part they play and do fun activities, but their play is like work - children learn all the time and all it takes is the teacher to maybe prompt or ask pertinent questions to foster development of knowledge and skills.

In ds1's class free play is very much part of the learning environment. Kids will run the play shop. The teacher and TAs will encourage them to play with money, to talk about the different things they are selling and so on. DS1 tends to spend most of his freeplay time playing with lego. All good stuff. He loves lego, he's learning how to plan what he's going to make, to work out the design and what pieces he will need. THen uses what he's made in another game - like making a spaceship will mean at break he and friends will role play about space and planets and stuff.

[Suchffun]

DS did a lot of science in reception but he wouldn't have known it. But they hatched chicks, they built stuff, they investigated materials, all sorts of things.

[pooka]

Homework-wise, what kind of stuff will they be doing. DS1 writes a sentence about each book he reads. DD had a word box that had words in and maybe once a week we'd play a game involving the words, getting her to practice writing and reading them.
Mathwise once a week we're given a sheet saying, for example "play a game of dominos" or a dice based game. All about counting. Or telling the time games.
It isn't too onerous and is presented in a very play-based way. BUt if we don't do it, there's no criticism. I've occasionally written in contact book that we've been too busy to do the sentence writing for example, and there was no problem.
I also didn't have homework until secondary school. I very much take the view that if it's not a question of me having to make him do it (i.e. if he seems to be enjoying it), then we'll do it. But if we're busy or he is knackered, then we don't.

[hanaka88]

No not sums as such more linked to topic work takeaway ones may include a sheet with seeds printed on it and you mightsay to the children 'there are 10 seeds but mr sparrow ate 4, how many are left, they can work it out by crossing out seeds or using a number line etc and come back with an answer.

Writing challenges after phonics is to write words or sentences with the new sounds in e.g if we have been learning ee we would write 'seeds need soil'

In the afternoon challenges are linked to topic e.g. Write instructions on how to plant a seed.

The work has to be interesting for the children

[cottonreels]

i would secretly love to be able to just watch him at school for the day, particularly in pe. see how he interacts with his friends etc...

They should be gathering evidence( in case of Ofsted mostly) of what he can do and how hes improving. Any good school Ive worked in has lots of photographic evidence, so for example in little Johnnys maths book there might be a photo of him (or him and his friends) ordering little toy snakes into different lengths, small to large, or for PE there might be a photo of him doing a rolly polly (forward roll). If they arent doing this ask them to start, if they are, ask to see the photos.
There might even be video clips of work theyve done.
I always think class assemblies or award assemblies where parents are invited tell the parent a lot about their child. It will be farly obvious in a 20 - 30 min assembly which reception children stick out the most imho.

[hanaka88]

Also bear in mind that being creative doesn't have to mean putting pencil to paper or building something out of junk. He may build a fantastic tower or zoo in the construction area using blocks, chalk outside on the floor or even use large cardboard boxes to create a rocket! These things can't be taken home

[HRHUrsulaBuffay]

Sounds like the teacher is as usual damned if they do & damned if they don't.

[JamieAgain]

I would just comment that there's sometimes a big difference between what children like to do at home, alone with you or their siblings, and what they like to do when they are with their peers at school

[knittedbreast]

i dont know, the first homework was just handed in but i dont know if its an indication of what they will be doing. he had to draw a picutre of his favourite thing he did over the easter holidays and then write a couple of sentences about it below.

he drew me as a mouse next to a giant fake egg. then he wrote "i got an egg. It was a trick egg i used to trick daddy with". the egg was made of rubber and he left it in the sink. his father was shocked to see it when he was shaving and even more confused when he picke dit up and it was made of rubber.

[knittedbreast]

im not saying shes damned, shes a very good teacher and my son loves her. i didnt got to reception (straight to year1). i suppose im just confused, they are trying to teach them to write joined up and teaching them chinese, now giving homework too on the one hand and on the other there is less importance and evidence on the drawing and makinf etc...

just dousnt seem consistant. dont get me wrong i love his school, the standards are very high, good results amazing teachers. i just like his art :(

i know, sap