Is this normal for reception children?

[Feelslikealot]

My dc has just started in reception about a week or two ago. He is 4. The number of notifications I'm getting from the teacher is ridiculous. I feel sorry for her not just being able to get on and do her job. But I'm wondering if this is excessive because it feels like I'm constantly just reading the app.

This week, this is what we've been told to do: reading books to them every day (i already do this at bedtime anyway), recording the amount of minutes spent reading in their book bag. they've got a picture book where they describe the story to me. Practicing writing letters, this week we've been given three different letters to do with them and told to spend a few minutes writing out the letters every day. She wants a video of them putting their own outdoor clothes on and off. a picture collage to be done at home and brought in. She wants us practicing a different letter sound every other day. Instructed to go on an autumn walk and do a checklist of what he can see etc. I've had 10 notifications from the teacher over the last 2 days.

I haven't done any of it, aside from talking to him about the sounds that they wanted him to do. It feels like way too much, but is this just standard? I was expecting this kind of thing in year 2, not 2 weeks into reception!

The reading long and sounds seems normal. The rest is overkill. When are they supposed to relax?

That sounds quite full on.

We used to do writing/spelling practice at breakfast table and reading practice on sofa before school. Seemed a lot easier to achieve than when tired after school.

I like the idea of doing it before school.

The book with pictures is an early learning to read stage to work on comprehension if I remember correctly.

Logging how long you spend reading to him seems strange though...

That's a lot for reception imho.

Has she given any deadlines?

My DS is in Y2 but since starting reception, at the start of every half term they send out a list of about 8 things they need to do. This is over the course of the half term. Some things are often (maths, reading etc) and some are one-offs (go for a walk, paint a picture) etc.

If you have a few weeks to do them it isn't so bad I guess, but if this is on the weekly then way OTT.

Ha! Can’t they take their outdoor clothes off at school for the teacher to see? I would probably do the reading and not the rest. Surely they can’t insist on you doing a nature walk outside of school time? We walk a lot but if they want specific things to be covered I’d expect school to do it.

@samwitwicky

That's a lot for reception imho.

Has she given any deadlines?

My DS is in Y2 but since starting reception, at the start of every half term they send out a list of about 8 things they need to do. This is over the course of the half term. Some things are often (maths, reading etc) and some are one-offs (go for a walk, paint a picture) etc.

If you have a few weeks to do them it isn't so bad I guess, but if this is on the weekly then way OTT.

Sorry, meant to add that the homework at DS's school is optional so it's up to them (and us) on how much they do, IF ANY.

There's no pressure on the kids / parents.

I personally think 9-3 at school is enough for 4 year olds and I just let mine play after school:

Do you walk to school? There's a surprising amount of nature to be seen, even on suburban pavements.

The only thing that's got a deadline is the collage thing. That needs to be handed in in 2 weeks. Otherwise I'm assuming just get it done. She's got no way of knowing if I've done most of it with him other than if everyone else can do it and he can't. I thought reception was about playing!

No, that is completely over the top and so full on.
Most children (yes, even the ones who have been used to a longer day at Nursery) are exhausted for not only the first few weeks of Reception, but also for most of the Autumn Term.
Those expectations are ridiculous (spoken both as a working parent, and as a teacher who has taught in Reception).

Much more than my experience. DC1 is Yr 1 now, there was only an app in use during homeschooling last year. As soon as they were back in the classroom the app wasn't used anymore and it was back to one task being via the weekly newsletter. Only ever one a week with just general encouragement to read as often as possible too.

I'd do the reading, letters, sounds, collage and autumn walk from that list (assuming there's a reasonable deadline like half-term).

Just build the sounds and writing into your day:

• Sounds before breakfast and in the car/on the way to school.
• Get some bath crayons and practice writing letters in the bath.

Autumn walk and collage sound quite fun if they don't have to be done immediately.

I definitely wouldn't bother with the video or recording the amount of minutes spent reading - both of those are quite intrusive demands.

The video is probably to:
either
a) make parents practice with their child so they become more competent
and/or
b) enable the teacher to say 'yes Peter, you can do it on your own, your Mum sent a video'
Getting reception children in and out from outdoor play in winter can waste loads of time if too many need help.

That sounds way too full on. My Year 4 child only gets spellings, reading and one piece of either maths or English each week!

Thank you this thread has been really helpful for me to put into perspective. I think I'll just do a few bits here and there but dc needs his downtime after a whole day at school. I am working on the outdoor clothes thing - he can do everything except putting his coat on and doing the zip. But i really haven't got time to video him and upload it to an app as well as everything else i have to do in a day!

The autumn walk you'll be doing without even realising just when out and about. I would just be more mindful outside and point things out to your child. Pick a falling leaf off the ground, and a leaf off the tree. Use them both in the collage.

But yeah it seems a lot if it was all expected within a week, but the reading and the words are pretty standard. It seems like the collage is the only real homework thing. I wouldnt be doing no video though.

Is the teacher really going to view 30 kids putting their coats on , on video , when she can do it many times a day in class 😂

Wow that is a lot. Dd has just started reception and we haven’t been given anything yet. They normally get a keyring with their sounds on and a book for us to read and record (have to read 3 times a week) but 3 weeks in and nothing given to us yet.

It sounds way too much. Agree with @Calamityhuman - they’re already there 30 odd hours a week!! I did a bit of reading every eve and spellings when needed and nothing else. They’re 4 years old! I live overseas now and they don’t give out homework at primary level. My kids are MUCH happier, and I feel like they actually have a childhood.

That's insane. My daughter has just started reception too, and so far she's brought a couple of books home from the library (with no stipulation that we have to read them). They don't get any sort of 'homework' other than staged reading books once they're ready, and that's from an Ofsted judged outstanding school.

My reception age kid is at an outstanding ‘academic’ comp and hadn’t been given any homework. They’ve been 3 weeks and I don’t think they’ve done any ‘learning’ yet

This is just a bog standard school as well - it's not like it's a top private school or anything.. if it goes like this I'll have a chat with the teacher and just say i think it's too much for my child and go from there. It's just a lot more than i was expecting.

Ds2 is 4 and also just started. The notifications ive had have been a video of him digging at school, abd one if him talking about our caravan holiday to the rest of the class. That's it. I uploaded a video of him counting (while playing a game with dice)

No homework at all.