Reception report underestimating ability

[Owletterocks]

I hope I don't come across as a pushy parent, I promise I am not. Dd's reception report said that he was expected in numbers which I would be happy about but it goes on to say he can count to 20 reliably and add and subtract single digit numbers. The thing is, he can do much more than that, he counted to 347 the other day (unprompted as there were 1000 stickers in a book and he wanted to check!) he can count to 100 in 2's 5's 10's and even 9's, again unprompted and usually on the way to school as a way to pass the time. He can add double digits so 22+25 etc in his head. I wasn't going to say anything as I suppose it doesn't really matter but it's just annoying me that I feel that they have assessed him so far behind what he can actually do. I am also worried that he will get bored in year one because he can do more than the teacher will think due to his reception levels. Just after some advice really, do I say nothing and just see how he goes in year one or bring it to their attention that his level was underestimated? If I do that will I be the annoying, pushy parent?

[LilyBolero]

Reception is all about ticking boxes I think; it's still part of EYFS.

So if the expectation is 'count to 20 reliably and subtract single digit numbers' then the report will say 'he can count to 20 reliably and subtract single digit number' as proof that that expectation is met, not a description of his actual ability. I'm sure Y1 will re-assess him and give him differentiated work for his abilities.

[ineedamoreadultieradult]

I don't know exactly how it works now but my son's reception report said he could count reliably to 6 when I knew fine we'll he could count much higher than that and do simple sums, count in 2s etc. When I queried it they said something along the lines of as they didn't have evidence of this in his books (I don't know why they wouldn't) they couldn't write it in his report.

[LilyBolero]

The other thing to remember is that they need to have seen a child do something in order to tick a box.

[umizoomi]

I thought that's how reports were now:

Below age related
Working towards
At age related (expected)

They have commented and reported on the targets for that age of child, the age related expectations and whether or not your child can do them or not.

They won't have assessed (formally) the other bits.

[PlaymobilPirate]

My ds is 'expexted' in areas I know he exceeds in (I'm a teacher)

He's also 'expected' in areas I know he's probably not ... I'm not too worried. He loves school and is happy. I've asked if he tells the teacher when he can already do something... he laughed and said 'noooo - they make you do more work and I like to go off and play'

He's not daft my lad 🤣

[DonkeyOaty]

School can only report on what he does there. I get your annoyance - one of mine had the 5 times table down pat but never did it at school til yr 4 or something (because they were all about securing up and down to twenty or whatever in reception).

We didn't say anything to teacher, just carried on at home with times-ing. They do loads of interesting stuff in yr1, no time to get bored. He'll be grand.

[Owletterocks]

Thanks for your replies, he has exceeding in a few areas so I know he can get that level. I have just read the exceeding levels and he can do all of that, maybe it is that they haven't seen that. Or don't have the pleasure of listening to him count to 347! Ha ha.

[DeanKoontz]

He might not be doing all that in school though because he has so much else to do. Friends to play with / toys he doesn't have at home / new activities he might not have done before etc.

Plus Reception still tend to do things in quite short blocks of time (say 10 mins for a maths activity before moving on to something else) whereas you're probably giving him as much time as he likes on one thing.

I would maybe collect some evidence - video / completed work books etc over the summer and take it in to the Yr 1 teacher if no one picks up on it soon.

[Qvar]

Cynically, I have noticed that under reporting in reception is rife because the child then has a nice chunky 'improvement' to report in y2 sats

[MsPassepartout]

We haven't got our Reception report yet, but we were told that the teachers need to observe stuff before they can tick it off.

They also said that it needs to be child led. So they can't ask the children to e.g. write a few sentences, the child has to choose to do writing in their free play time for it to count. Which sounded odd to me.

[GplanAddict]

My son can count to 347, can count in 2's, 5's, 10's, 100's etc. But he cannot consistently and quickly take one away from a number under 20. He has a good memory, but not a lot of logic (yet anyway!).

[user789653241]

Ime, it really doesn't matter. My ds's target for maths in reception was to do 2, 5, and 10 times tables. He was already doing it in nursery. In fact, he knew all his times tables.
Did it stop him progressing? No. Did it stop him getting assessment he deserved? No.
Just question the teacher if he didn't get exceeding expectations and don't get appropriate differentiation in class. Otherwise, not a big deal.

[Owletterocks]

I can appreciate that he may not have done it in school so maybe that's why and workbooks could be a good idea over the summer if that's what he wants to do. It is child led at home, believe me I don't want to listen to him count for ages etc! Ha ha. To be fair the rest of the report is spot on and the areas he got exceeding at I was expecting along with the areas he is less good at (writing and gross motor for example). I will keep an eye on things for now and let him guide what he does at home. You could have a report meeting if needed but he is doing well so I didn't want to waste the teachers time when there maybe children who need it more. Hopefully there will be teacher meetings in year one so I can explain what he does at home then

[GreenTulips]

I would maybe collect some evidence - video / completed work books etc over the summer and take it in to the Yr 1 teacher if no one picks up on it soon.

Please do not do that!

The teachers have to get ALL children through levels

There is no tick box for count to 347 - so he'll be ahead in that

How are his social and emotional skills? Can he catch a ball ride a bike - can he read well? Can the guess measurements or tie shoes laces

Stop over thinking it and let's him enjoy his childhood

[Owletterocks]

Green, believe me, I am not pushing him, what he does at home is all led by him and yes he can do all those things except tie shoelaces! He got exceeding in shapes and measures. I was just puzzled, I honestly don't do much with him at home beyond reading books. He doesn't have work books etc. He chats and counts and adds on the way to school, sitting around etc.

[DeanKoontz]

Green I'm not suggesting he doesn't enjoy his childhood at all, but he does sound like he's ahead of the game in Maths.

Don't do any extra work with him, just document some of what he can do.

Teachers don't have to get all children through all the levels at the same time. Nothing more stifling than having to go over stuff you find boring and easy when you could be enjoying a challenge.

[Owletterocks]

Dean that is why I posted this. He genuinely seems to enjoy maths and it seems to have not been picked up in school. I think that's a shame. I am not deluded, he is no genius, but he is bright

[user789653241]

He might enjoy these sites.

nrich.maths.org/primary-lower

wild.maths.org/

[GraceGrape]

I think teachers can often be discouraged from putting "exceeding" down in reception as there will be trouble down the line if they are not "exceeding" in Y2 and Y6.

It is the law in the Gove curriculum that all children must progress in a strictly linear fashion.

It's frustrating when you're the parent, but teachers will be aware through the school of what your DS is capable of.

[OkPedro]

Are reception children really expected to be able to read? Surely they are 5 at most. We don't have reception here. Children are still in preschool at 4. My ds started school last September, he's almost 6. He knows all the letter sounds and can blend but he's nowhere near reading same as his classmates

[MagicalMrsMistoffelees]

I'm a Reception teacher.

Yes most schools now insist that teachers lift statements direct from the EYFS curriculum (Development Matters) to go on reports. So instead of a personalised statement saying what your child can actually do (e.g. count to 100) you have to say the closest thing to it that appears in the curriculum (which is only counting to 20!). Take a look online at the description of the early learning goals - expected and exceeding

And whilst reading the statements please bask in the ambiguity of them! Some of the statements at 40-60 months are identical to those at ELG with no explanation of how they're different. Some make no sense. Some - like 'using technology to record a special event e.g. a trip on a steam train' which is the exceeding statement for UW technology is plain improbable and written by someone with one foot in the nineteenth century. Teachers across the land scratch their heads and wonder how on earth they can use Development Matters in any useful, logical and reasonable way.

Also yes children have to have done things independently without adult help or intervention to be assessed as able to do something. Which makes life very difficult when assessing a child in something like writing if they only ever want to play outside or understanding the world if they are shy and don't start conversations easily. So often what children can do at home isn't observed so easily at school.

Just three reasons why I'm leaving teaching this term!!

And to the person who asked - yes the majority of Reception children can read by the end of the academic year. They are taught single letter sounds, digraphs and trigraphs and how to blend them together as well as a range of tricky words (non phonetic words) and most can quickly use these to read simple sentences and more.

[OkPedro]

Thank you magical My ds can do that..
I suppose I took "reception children reading" as reading independently

[mrz]

"Or don't have the pleasure of listening to him count to 347" that's reciting numbers up to 347 not counting. Counting is accurately counting objects or actions .

[mrz]

"I suppose I took "reception children reading" as reading independently "

Yes reception children will be reading independently? There will be a huge variation in ability. Some will be reading simple books with one or two sentences per page while others will be reading short chapter books fluently and confidently.
All words are phonetic and in reception children are taught how to decode accurately (even tricky words!)

"They are taught single letter sounds, digraphs and trigraphs and how to blend them together as well as a range of tricky words (non phonetic words) and most can quickly use these to read simple sentences and more." What! I really hope that's not true of any other reception class.

[user1497480444]

I would maybe collect some evidence - video / completed work books etc over the summer and take it in to the Yr 1 teacher if no one picks up on it soon.

please don't do this! You will be a laughing stock.

What children can do in assessment conditions in a class room is totally different to what they can do with their mum at home.

Mums often don't realise this, and think children have been wrongly assessed, but actually they haven't, they have just been assessed at something different, how they work in school circumstances rather than home circumstances.

There would be something wrong if a child was NOT able to achieve more one to one with their own parent in their own time in their own home