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Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

Primary education

What do children learn in reception?

43 replies

vickibee · 14/04/2011 11:07

Is it an extension of Pre-school? Is it play or formal learning?
when I looked round the village school I was shown the chickens, the allotment, the pond and the goats. All very nice but what about the 3R's?
Any Foundation teachers spread light on this?

OP posts:

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wilbur · 14/04/2011 11:11

I think it is supposed to be play-based learning. At the dcs school, they are definitely taught the alphabet and the phonic versions of their letters, as well as a bit of early maths with abacuses and so on, very low key. Some kids who are ready start to read well in Reception, some, like ds2 mainly learn how many sticklebricks they can fit up each nostril simultaneously.

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wilbur · 14/04/2011 11:12

Meant to say - either result is fine at this stage and ds2, who is now in Y1 has caught up with his classmates amazingly just since Christmas.

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Goblinchild · 14/04/2011 11:17

They cover the Early Learning goals.
www.lbcma.org.uk/newsArticles/ELGsummaries.asp

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Kevinia · 14/04/2011 13:22

they don't really do much maths IME. DS1 went into reception able to add, subtract, count in 2s, 5s, 10s etc and all the teacher could say at parents evening was that he was "secure in counting up to 10, which is all we're looking for at the moment". I would be a bit more but I'm sure they'll do more in Y1 and he is progressing with reading which I think is more important at this stage.

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iklboo · 14/04/2011 13:26

DS is in Reception. As well as phonics, reading & writing, some maths etc they're doing all sorts. They do Spanish on a Friday morning, they've learned about Chinese New Year (DS now says Kung Hey Fat Choi (sp) to anyone vaguely Chinese looking ), the human body. It's all play/songs/fun learning. He loves it.

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PaisleyLeaf · 14/04/2011 13:41

How do the 3'r's look in their SATS results at year 2?

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vickibee · 14/04/2011 14:27

He can write his name, count up to 20 and do some phonics already. His preschool is excellent and he loves learning letters etc. His reception school said they aim for children to write their own name by age 7. I would suggest that his is not a particularly challenging target for most pupils. Somw kids are going to be bored.....

OP posts:

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squidgy12 · 14/04/2011 14:59

This reply has been deleted

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neolara · 14/04/2011 15:13

My dd learned very little academic stuff but she learned that school was lots of fun and she ended the year with a very positive attitude towards learning. She also spent a lot of time making friends. Frankly, I thought this was bloody fantastic. She'd had a horrible time in nursery and it was wonderful for restoring her confidence. She was also only just 4 when she started school so the play based approach was great for her. She's now in year 2 and is doing just fine academically.

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midnightexpress · 14/04/2011 15:19

ds1 is in p1 (Scottish equivalent of YR) and, from not being able to do any sums/writing before he started, he's done addition (up to three numbers) and subtraction, lots of letter sounds and can write small sentences, understand simple reading comprehension questions, loads of stuff really. I'm rather amazed. They seem to do quite a lot of play as well, though am, frankly, rather of the goats and chickens and the allotment at yourvillage school.

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Susiewho · 14/04/2011 15:27

I've been wondering this to. At a recent open day, the Reception teacher said that they start to learn letters and numbers. Surely by the time they start school a high proportion of children count and read numbers and the letters, can't they? DD's no brainbox, but she's been able to do this for a while (will be three in a few weeks' time).

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Susiewho · 14/04/2011 15:27

Sorry -bad typing - one-handed!! I meant "too"

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Susiewho · 14/04/2011 15:28

Agh - sorry, another post. I think that DD is totally average, by the way. Many of her friends can certainly read all the letters. I don't think this is unusual at all.

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midnightexpress · 14/04/2011 15:29

Lots of children can recognise the letters and numbers, but 'learning' them doesn't mean just knowing what a letter/number is, but being able to use it, write it etc.

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Susiewho · 14/04/2011 15:31

Yes. But I mean that they can count objects and recognise that this is represented by the written number.

Letters - the same, phonetically.

Sorry about the bad phrasing!

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Susiewho · 14/04/2011 15:33

I suppose the teacher meant that they progress from that. Reading proper sentences, rather than just basic phonetic words.

Writing properly too, as you say.

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seeker · 14/04/2011 15:37

They learn LOADS!!!!!!!

If my child got bored of playing at the age of 4 I think i would be very worried.

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builder · 14/04/2011 16:45

They do lots of playing. Topic stuff. Outdoor stuff (very in at present). Getting used to school stuff - e.g. learning to get ready for PE.

Oh, and some - by the end of the year can read pretty well and do joined up writing!

Most schools do jolly phonics that seems to involve lots of singing. In conclusion, they have a good time of it!

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builder · 14/04/2011 16:46

I forgot to add that they have lots of accidents. My dds reception class managed 9 accidents one Friday afternoon!

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anonandlikeit · 14/04/2011 16:53

to play, to be happy in a crowd, to dress & undress for PE independantly, to share, to sit & listen at storytime. TO go happily in to assembly.To queue for their lunch & eat nicley.
To ask to go to the toilet before they wet themsleves.
To make friends, to negotiate with each other, to be kind & tolerant.

They learn about their environment, few basics to do with numbers & letters.They learn to be intersted in books.

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MigratingCoconuts · 14/04/2011 17:39

From what you mention in your Op, your reception class sounds fab! Its an exciting year for them...

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treas · 14/04/2011 18:06

vickibee - my dd was a free reader in reception and able to do a lot of the YR1 numeracy curriculum, however, her handwriting was appalling. Therefore, this was what she needed to develop during her reception year.

Also, because she was a free reader she got to develop her spelling skill as when the others were learning how to read keywords she was extended by learning to spell them.

However, learning in reception is not just about the 3R's. Children need to learn how to interact socially, to learn what behaviour is and is not acceptable, learn patience etc.

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Elibean · 14/04/2011 19:01

IME the range of what kids can do by the end of Reception year varies enormously - and proves not much. If you are worried about the 3Rs, look at results higher up the school - kids catch up in droves, others who start at a sprint slow down, its pretty random!
Do look at how happy and interested the kids are, though.

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crw1234 · 14/04/2011 19:13

MyDS is in reception - there is a lot of playing but lots of more formal learning too - they do about 1/2 hour letters and words formal teaching at day and about the same I think for numbers - he knew some letters when he started - now he can read simple sentances - his teacher seems to be good at getting them to learn while playing - which I think is the idea - for my DS its been a good transition between pre-school and I guess the more formal learning of Y1

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PatTheHammer · 14/04/2011 19:19

A good school will 'stretch' a child's special area of interest/talent whilst broadening their interests into hundreds of other areas.
DD was very forward with numbers, was telling the time aged 2 because she loved it so much (she taught herself by looking at the clock a lot and asking questions!). Her reception teacher has been brilliant, she has helped DD spend some time doing numeracy and problem solving with Y2 but also worked on all the basic things she needed. Particularly the social skills which is where she needed help as one of the younger ones in the year; not throwing a screaming tantrum when things didn't go her way etc.
She also knew her letters when she started but didn't really do any phonics at nursery so she has LOVED all the jolly phonics and learning to read. Her writing and drawing skills seem to improve weekly but not specifically by 'lessons' as such but just activities that incorporate these skills.
She spends lots of time outdoors and also lots of time working on story themes where they do cooking/maths/science/creative and writing activities based around a fairy-tale such as Jack and The Beanstalk.

I guess to an outsider it must all look like chaos in a reception class, it certainly looked like that when I looked around (I am a secondary teacher so used to formal lesson structure). However, I genuinely believe that DD has learnt so much this year whilst having great fun and she has never said anything about being bored, except maybe at the weekend when she can't wait to go back to school!