Progress in reception

[Greydiddi]

Hello

I was just wondering if anyone could give me a rough idea as to what progress my DS should be making in reception on reading/writing by this stage in the year.

The school he goes to is very relaxed (which I like!) but it is quite tricky to get to speak to the teachers about DS. I work so am often not there at pick up and have arranged after school meetings a couple of times but something has come up ( teacher absence/last minute teacher meeting/crisis with another child) I'm a bit worried I'm not going to manage to speak to someone until post Xmas.

I know he hasn't been there that long but he just doesn't seem to be making much progress from where he was at at pre- school. He can write his name and other letters and count to ten and beyond ( and usually write to ten) but doesn't recognise all letters yet. Can do all the letter sounds most of the time - so 'd d dog' type stuff. He can't do the basic words like 'i', 'he' that have been sent home from school.

He just seems behind his friends ( most of whom go to other schools), particularly on the reading and basic words and I don't know if this is because he is behind and there is stuff I should be doing more of? Or if it is ok?

He is in a big class as they do joint teaching the majority of the day ( so two classes of 26) and keeps telling me he finds school too loud and the teachers talk so loudly his head and ears hurt and he can't think properly.

Sorry this is so long . Any advice would be appreciated

[Coconut0il]

It's a long time since I've worked in reception but the number side sounds ok. Counting, recognising, writing numbers to 10.
I'd keep practising the letter sounds at home if he's not got all of them yet. Can he blend them together to read simple words like dog, cat, zip? Could he write those words? Flashcards of the tricky words can be useful, little and often till he gets it.
I know at the school I work in the children read as often as possible but do as much as you can at home too.

[Greydiddi]

Thanks coconut no he can't blend or recognise yet - that's what is worrying me a little bit. I think they do circle time reading and small group letters but only one to one reading once a week. I try to practice at home in the morning with flash cards but it is tricky as I work out the house three days a week and at home one and even leaving at 5 don't get back until 6 and he is too tired then. I'm finding working much harder now he is at school, as if I'm not in touch with the school and can't give him the time he need from me.

[catkind]

I'd be more worried by his comments about noise than about reading or writing at this stage. If he's not happy in the classroom then learning is going to be difficult. It does sound like a chat with the teacher would be helpful. I'd persist with that. Maybe you could ask for a phone call if that's easier than getting in?

With letters, if you spend time on anything at this stage the phonics is the key bit - recognising letters, writing letters, blending and segmenting simple words. Make it fun for him. For example you could have foam letters and make words on the side of the bath together, or magnetic letters on the fridge. Or DC liked Teach Your Monster to Read (still like it, even though they could read long ago!).
I'd ignore the flashcards for now.

[Mandzi34]

My DS is in Reception and from what you've described it doesn't like your DS would be behind in his class. Many of the children are still getting to grips with learning the tricky words, letters and attempting to blend words. I try and practice with my DS at home but he is often very tired so it's difficult.

[smellyboot]

Do you not have a parent eve this term?
He sounds within normal range to me.
Is he young for the year or old?
Maybe he's still adjusting to being at school as that can be exhausting for them never mind anything else lol

[Naty1]

Im trying to do a phonic book a day. So one from home a few days a week. School only send 2 books a week.
Not sure where he would be in dds class. I expect some cant blend still though.
I think lots of games/ sounding out what you are saying etc may help.
Her class are now up to digraphs.

However she cant really write (summer birthday), so i guess it can all vary.
I was teaching dd phonics before she started school. So she knew all the alphabet letter sounds. This may be the case for other kids so it may seem they are picking things up quickly when really they already knew it.

[christinarossetti]

When is parents' evening? I would also be more concerned about him finding the classroom environment noisy and overwhelming tbh.

My dd was very like this in reception. What helped was a TA who understood this and my dd knew she could go to if she was finding it a bit much. Maybe they could find/create a quieter place in the classroom for him? In such a large class, there should be provision for children who need more quiet and calm.

FWIW, my dd was much happier in Y1 than YR simply because the classroom was quieter and calmer.

[Tomorrowillbeachicken]

I really think it varies from child to child. My son is a September birthday and can read a little and has picked that up easily but is a reluctant writer and has only just learnt to use scissors. He still hates to get dirty so painting is particularly hard for him.

He also has sensory issues and is another child who can't deal with noise well.
There is such a huge range though and I think as long as they are making progress that is a good thing.

[Chrisinthemorning]

DS is summer birthday and in reception.
He struggles with pencil skills but can now write his name and form some other letters, not all as yet.
He knows basic phonic sounds and can sound out words eg cat. He can recognise some high frequency words like the and said.
He knows numbers to 20, can count and is starting to do simple addition.
I would think there is a wide range of abilities, don't worry. Lots of Autumn born girls in DS' class started the year reading and writing, DS couldn't write his name.

[theothersideoftheworld]

My ds is summer born. He can write his name and other words and is blending well. He can spell words like cat , mat , win wtc
I try to read or write with him every night but often he's so tired he doesn't want to do I don't push it

[theothersideoftheworld]

However he does struggle with tiredness and has fallen asleep twice at school

[ginsparkles]

It's easy to say but try not to compare with other schools. I spoke to many friends and was like you worried she wasn't blending etc.

We then had parents evening and the teacher told us they weren't even trying to get ours to blend yet, they were concentrating on making sure they really knew the letters first. They have now started blending just in the past week or two.

I would definitely try again to arrange a meeting with the teacher

[Greydiddi]

Thank you so much for all the replies - he is a late spring/early summer boy so quite young for his year. It does sound like there is a range, which is what logically I knew but it is hard to keep that in mind sometimes! I also know that sometimes they can suddenly get things, so he all of a sudden for his tripod grip and writing letters in a week or so. The parents evening was in the 6th week so the poor teachers hadn't really had much time with the kids, particularly as it was a staggered start so DS had only been there three weeks! I will try for a quick chat with the teacher again I think just to check in and to mention the loudness - they teach a lot outside which is great, but I think it is sometimes a bit much for him.

Many thanks again for replying everyone!

[mrz]

"We then had parents evening and the teacher told us they weren't even trying to get ours to blend yet, " now that would worry me hugely!

[smellyboot]

I wouldn't worry - they prob want to get them all to a base line then blend when they are ready. We only got 2 books a week in YrR and were told no more than 10 mins a day and let them rest and play. Other schools insist on a book a day very early. Our school is very high performing so I leave them to tell me what's best.the summer children in YrR are tiny and let them enjoy reception year without trying to worry about the speed they learn reading - it's not a term in yet. My DD was not great at most things in YrR but by Yr2 was in all top groups as she didn't really settle academically into school until yr1 although she loved yrR and had a ball haha

[theothersideoftheworld]

I agree. I'm just trying to go with the flow during reception. I just want him to enjoy school and have fun. That's my main aim this year. And to stop wetting himself. But that's another thread.

[squiz81]

Does he watch alphablocks? My ds loves it since starting school. I think it really helps reinforce all the sounds.

[Greydiddi]

squiz funnily enough I just ordered the series of DVD and he loved it this morning!

I know you are all correct and I should just relax! I was doing quite well on that front but he goes to a school that whilst rated 'good' has a difficult reputation in my area ( we are outliers in terms of intake). All but 1 of our other friends went private when they were offered this school ( and that one is being pulled out at the end of the year, mainly because of lack of out of school friendships due to cultural etc differences), so despite my best efforts I do find it hard not to question my choice from time to time! The school has quite a high level of children with behavioural problems (30%) which creates issues ( higher than usual levels of aggressive behaviour) so I do worry a bit.

Having said that my DS loves school and happily runs there every day, which I must remember!

[smellyboot]

to me that line at the bottom says it all - children who love school with thrive as long as supported by parents who are engaged with the school and their childs education.

[squiz81]

It's so hard isn't it.

We're fortunate that our local school is 'outstanding' if it helps for comparison, ds reads to either his teacher or a TA at least every other day. The only homework is books to read. Whereas a friend of mine with a daughter the same age is given words to learn and every night has to do an activity and draw a picture of it! I'm In my opinion that's a bit much.

I think at this age their abilities vary hugely but the gap generally closes once they are in y1.

I would keep pushing to speak to the teacher especially about him not liking the noise. In ds class they are split in to groups of 5 (these are worked out by ability and are reshuffled as necessary ) and the groups split off and do different things, like go in the computer suite or a session in the garden. So they are not always in a large noisy group. I assumed that was the norm, but maybe not!

[mrz]

"I wouldn't worry - they prob want to get them all to a base line then blend when they are ready" they should be blending from the very start ...phonics shouldn't be taught in isolation!

[smellyboot]

but if the school had an intake that includes a lot of children that are not familar with letters and or letter sounds, maybe they are doing that before belending surely? Maybe there are lots of children that dont have any books in their house or have english as a second language or no english.... thats no uncommon in some areas.

Anyway, its only a few weeks into reception and the OPs child is not long 4, so really not a time to be fretting too much as long as they are happy and engaged

[mrz]

None of our children know any letters when they start school.

Every phonics lesson should include
Revisit and review of previous teaching
Teaching new sound
Practising what has been taught
Applying - blending and segmenting words that include the sounds taught so far.

[squiz81]

but if the school had an intake that includes a lot of children that are not familar with letters and or letter sounds, maybe they are doing that before belending surely

My ds didn't know any letters, his pre school was play focused & he had no interest at home. He was taught blending pretty much straight after they had learnt SATPIN, and before he knew all of the sounds. It seems a good way to do it ( it's worked for him anyway)

[mrz]

That's exactly what they should be doing if following programmes such as Letters and Sounds, Jolly Phonics, RWI, Floppys phonics, Phonics International

Linguistic phonics programme teach sounds in the context of words from the very first lesson.

If schools are teaching isolated sounds I'd question teacher knowledge