Missed out on reception, but won't do anything with me!

[Sallyssss]

We lived abroad last year and my 5 (nearly 6) year old missed out on reception. So, this summer I've been trying to get him do some phonics/counting games/writing.....anything! The little darling will not do anything academic and quite honestly I am being driven mad by it. if I push it he has a massive melt down - so that doesn't work. He doesn't seem to care about his sticker chart - and quite honestly I haven't got a clue what to do. Can anyone help?

[NewIdeasToday]

Did he go to nursery where you've been living? If so he may not be so far behind anyway.

[LIZS]

Is he due to start year 1 in UK? I'm sure he will pick it up once term starts , there will be huge variation in development within the classroom. Just play games for now and read to him, Orchard Toys and usborne are good places to start. Visit the library as they may have parent/child sessions during holidays to encourage reading .

[StepAwayFromCake]

What he will need in Y1 is not literacy or numeracy, but self-care skills and the ability to sit still for a while and listen. And to then be able to turn go and do what he has been told.

Are there any groups you can attend, such as story circles or craft activities? Libraries and local museums often hold these sorts of events during the holidays. They will give him the opportunities to practice his listening skills.

For self-care, can he dress and undress, use the toilet, wash, cut up his food, and carry a small tray with food and a cup of water?

Academically he will catch up fine. There will be plenty of children who won't yet have mastered much academically. Though it would be very helpful if he can recognise his own name in print.

[Sallyssss]

Yes, he went to a montessori type nursery in Switzerland and of course the literacy table wasn't ever something he was interested in. He does know the sounds of all the letters - but thats about it, and can count to 20 (and above if you remind him - 30, and then remind him of 40 if you know what I mean.) He is great at listening and has really good attention and cooperation skills. His self management skills - dressing, feeding, loo are all fine. He just can't read or write!


Thank you all for replying. I am stressing about it as I know it's going to be such a change to what he is used to.

[QuirkyGoose]

Concentrate on the reading. Buy some phonics reading books from the Book People, and start with the really simple books. Discuss the story, rad I think for him. Then let him try. Forget about the rest. Reading is the foundation.

[mrz]

Can't recommend this enough

https://www.udemy.com/help-your-child-to-read-and-write/learn/v4/overview

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cXoNZoKWQu4

[bangingmyheadoffabrickwall]

From what you have said, I don't think he is as far behind as you think.

Lots of children catch up in Y1. TBH, I think it is the year when children 'take off' with their reading and writing. I always have children who cannot write a basic, simple, phonetically decodable sentence at the beginning of Y1 but can then write several sentences of narrative with punctuation mostly correct and that can be read easily by someone else at the end.

[lacebell10]

Our schools not hot on reading that much in reception. If he can do phonics and counting he'll catch up. Children are taught cursive letters from the start now lots of kids struggle with it.

[Tomorrowillbeachicken]

Depends on the school. DS5 hasn't done cursive in reception.

[BarbarianMum]

I wouldn't worry. It certainly doesn't sound like he was ready to read last year (lots aren't) so even if he had done reception then I expect he'd be exactly where he is - which is ready to start learning to read. Which is what you want in y1.

[dairymilkmonster]

Don't panic. My ds won't do anything at home with me either, despite two years of schooling thus far! He showed no interest in anything academic related at preschool. Claims sticker charts are pointless.
I have no real advice - but I feel for you. I'm sure it will work out okay! One of my friends went to Australia for 18mo, returning at easter of her ds' reception year. So he joined the class in May having not been in any educational/pre school setting prior to this. He caught up very very quickly. Now at the end of yr1 he is flying.

[AndNowItIsSeven]

StepAway I think you are confusing year one with reception.

[ZooeyAndFranny]

Academically he will catch up fine. There will be plenty of children who won't yet have mastered much academically. Though it would be very helpful if he can recognise his own name in print.

By the end of Reception, most kids are way ahead of recognizing their name in print.

[StepAwayFromCake]

I work in this field.

[AndNowItIsSeven]

StepAway but you have described reception.

[StepAwayFromCake]

And in a non-selective school there are likely to be a good number of children who are still at the pre-writing, pre-reading and pre-numeracy stages when they start Y1.

The most important thing children learn in YR is not reading and writing, but how to be at school.

Although we push academic learning at our children from a very early age, the children pick it up when they are ready. For some, that will begin before YR; for many, it will be during YR; and for some, it will not happen until Y1. So a child who misses YR and is not interested in academic learning needs to be ready to learn during Y1. Which they will miss out on if they do not know how to be at school.

[AndNowItIsSeven]

Well I would love it to be the case that year one is play based learning , in reality it isn't.
The children you have described if they have been through the English school system, i.e. already completed reception will only be at the level you described if they have Sen.
There are not " good numbers" of children starting year one at the pre reading , pre numeracy, pre writing level.

[mrz]

"And in a non-selective school there are likely to be a good number of children who are still at the pre-writing, pre-reading and pre-numeracy stages when they start Y1" most children are reading and writing at the end of reception in ordinary non-selective schools. It's very unusual IME for children to be at the pre writing /reading Stage. Of course there will be a huge variation in reading /writing ability across a class from those reading simple books with a sentence page and writing captions and labels to those reading chapter books and writing short stories. In maths some children will be working with numbers to ten while others will happily work with much larger numbers. You seem to be describing children just starting school not those after a year of full time education Step.

[StepAwayFromCake]

In last year's Y1, out of a year group of 60, we had 8 children who completed YR at a similar level to the OP's dc. 1/8th of the year is, to my mind, 'a good number of children'. Certainly enough for intervention groups.

None at that time had any SN diagnosis, though we had concerns. By the end of Y1 one child had diagnosed with autism, one was still in that process, and two had had grommets fitted.

By the end of Y1 all bar one were working at expected levels in at least one area, some in all areas.

And that's not even counting the children who began Y1 below expected levels in only some areas.

Bell curve distribution.

I work in a good/outstanding school, well-supported by engaged parents, governors and staff.

[BendydickCuminsnatch]

Though it would be very helpful if he can recognise his own name in print.

Really?? (genuine) My 2 year old has just put magnetic letters in order to spell his name. And he can count to 20. Not bragging but assume he is normal (haven't done any work with him and he's my first so I have no clue).

[mrz]

Your 2 year old is doing well Bendy some children his age won't be showing any interest in writing yet but others will be able to pick out familiar words and count things like stairs although make sometimes get mixed up. It's a great start for future learning.

[mrz]

Step I teach in an area of social and economic disadvantage some but definitely not all our parents are supportive or able to support their children and it's very unusual for children to leave reception at the ore reading/writing/maths Stage.

[RightOnTheEdge]

My DS will be starting reception in September and he can read/write his name he can also read easy words like dog, pig etc. He's not special most of his class can.

I would think he will soon catch up though OP. It's different doing it at home with your Mum and being in a classroom with teachers and learning with friends.