To ask what your child learnt in Reception this year?

[helipadded]

Hi, my eldest child has just completed Reception and I just can't seem to shake this feeling that the school aren't as good as I had thought.

Please tell me about what they should be learning in subjects like Maths and English, and how much PE they should be doing.

I looked at the National Curriculum but I find it quite overwhelming and difficult to understand in broad terms.

For example, is 1 or 2 sessions of PE a week enough?

Should they be reading fluently at the end of Reception?

How should handwriting be?

Should they understand adding, subtracting, multiplication (times tables), and division?

I'm also really questioning the end of year report. Should my child be coming home with a report that gives her a ranking or mark in each subject?

Thank you for your feedback and help. Wish I didn't feel so worried and concerned about school when my little one is still so young.

[helsbels03]

Have you looked at the schools website ? There might be information about topics on there, also about suggestions for websites, activities etc. try the Oxford owl website for reading ideas, phonics play site or Bbc schools sites. I am sure the teacher would have spoke to you if there was any concerns. Reception is primarily about learning how to learn and being ready for ks1

[toomanyfionas]

At the end of my child's first year in school, I felt she had learned next to nothing.

How ignorant I was!

The first year of school is huge for learning to listen, learning to manage in a big group, following instructions and routines, and learning to focus. If they can also learn to recognise alphabet letters and 100 high frequency words, to count forwards and backwards from 30, to write letters and gain confidence in forming words, say 3 sentences a day, then I would say that is a good year's learning.

[tiredmummy33]

my daughter can write short stories and read. she can do basic addition and her colouring, attention span, pencil control and co-ordination has imprived hugely. She has also loved school which is the most important thing.

[Balaboosta]

This year your child learned to go to school. End of. Chill out.

[RussianBlu]

If your child is expected in all areas then that is fantastic and you have nothing to worry about. Some children will leave reception reading sentences and writing some words/sentences, they will be able to have a detailed discussion with you about something and they will be well coordinated etc, some in he same class will struggle to count to 10 and find sitting still very difficult. It all depends on the child really when they are still in foundation stage, but judging from what you have said, you should be very pleased!

[Fillyjonk75]

DD1 learned the basics of everything she will need throughout her time at school. She learned to read, write, elementary maths, and science. She learned obedience and discipline through the routine of a school day: to sit still and listen to a teacher, when to put up her hand, when she could go to the toilet, when to eat her lunch, when to play out. She learned lots of new games and songs and she learned to use her body differently.

I think that's quite enough to be getting on with. Especially as her reception "year" was January to July.

[Fightlikeagirl]

What Balaboosta said ^
Reception is called Early Years Foundation Stage for a reason, that's exactly what it is to give your child a foundation that will help her in her future learning.
They start grading by levels in key stage 1 which is year 1 and 2. During these years is when I saw my two ds really start to click with reading, writing and maths.
Chill out and just enjoy the summer with your child.

[lljkk]

OP's expectations seem unrealistically high.
Most of the things described I would expect for end of y2 or end of y3, even.
Maybe it's different for other people's kids. Mine always learned a huge amount in reception (had plenty to learn).

[lottieandmia]

In what school do children do multiplication and division in reception??

[lottieandmia]

Reception is still learning through play. I'm trying to think back to when my dd was in reception 5 years ago. I think that at the end of the year she could read and write basic sentences and could also do basic addition. I have another one starting R in Sept. As others have said it's a year where they learn to be more independent and get used to a full school day, routines and playing with peers.

[MinimalistMommi]

Did you not get an end of year parent/teacher consultation?
For what it's worth, my DD just got 'expected' at everything and 'emerging' for numeracy/shapes. She can basically read phonetically and knows some 'tricky' words too. She can recognise some capitals and all lower case 'sounds'. I am working with her at home over the summer as I don't want her to 'forget' her sounds over the summer holidays. We are reading our way through the lower end of the 'Jelly and Bean' reading scheme which is FANTASTIC. www.jellyandbean.co.uk/
If you want to do any extra work with her at home you can't go wrong with this scheme, I used it with my recently turned eight year old who now has a reading age of 11 years 2 months and has matching reading comprehension.

I don't want to 'push' my daughter but I think it is unreasonable with a class with approx thirty children to expect each child to have as much one on one time as they need.

I also really recommend Jolly phonics, but having just finished Reception year she is probably a bit past needing that to be honest.

[thebody]

hi I am a reception class TA,

sit and listen,

follow instructions,

share and take turns,

mix with peer group and socialise,

independant toilet use and hand washing,( many cant)

dress and undress independently,(many cant)

deal with anger/ upset ap
everything else is a bonus.

chill.

[nokidshere]

I agree with balanoosta.

You need to chill. Reception is about basics and confidence. If you are already worrying about this stuff now both of you are going to have a very stressy school experience.

[MinimalistMommi]

I don't think it's unreasonable for the OP to wonder how her child is doing, I just don't understand why there appears to not have been a parent/teacher consultation? I don't know what that means about the communication in the school?

The OP had unreasonably high expectations of Reception Year though.

[waterlego6064]

Love the posts by Balabooster and thebody :)

My son has just finished his Reception year and has had a whale of a time. He has played outside a great deal, has made friends, has learned that there are times when you are expected to sit quietly on the carpet and listen to the teacher, has watched caterpillars metamorphosize (sp?) into butterflies, has made many 'sculptures' out of empty boxes, has done some really good drawings, enjoyed music and dance, played in sand and water trays, done some dressing up and role play and much more besides.

And somehow, alongside all this, he has finished the year being able to read some simple books (but perhaps more importantly, still loves being read to and can comment on and ask questions about the stories he hears) and can write some short sentences and 'stories' (mostly phonetically spelled). He can do some simple addition and subtraction.

I'm very pleased with all that.

[MinimalistMommi]

I disagree king. My oldest is such a bookworm and the reading scheme gave her so much confidence to go off reading what she chose too once she had mastered the basics. She reads for probably at least two hours a day outside of school. I don't think you can make a blanket statement like that.

And what is wrong with giving one on one time reading with your child for goodness sake?!

[firawla]

OP I know what you mean to an extent cos I have noticed some children finishing reception able to do a lot more! but then I have to remind myself there is almost a year in age between some of them, and they do things at their own time too.

My ds just finished reception, he cant read fluently - he can read simple books and i think they were sending yellow level, but to pick up any book and just read it, he still seems quite a while off that.
Report didn't say much here either just expecting for everything and a few comments (it did say good in maths) but it didnt seem a massively personal report, i think they do c&p a lot from the national curriculum or use phrase banks etc to write them!
Also my ds handwriting still needs a lot of work too. But he has learned a lot of topics like dinosaurs, gardens, and learned alot from being in a classroom environment.

I think they consolidate the academic stuff more by the end of y1?? will see!

[thebody]

watelego. and king, obviously UK here and I can say I was stunned and shocked at the relentless phonics and numeracy 4 year olds have to cover.

my list was what really matters real life.

but if I had known what my own kids were subjected to at such a young age we would seriously have considered moving away from Britain and the frankly ridiculous early year targets.

as a TA I felt often sorry for the 4 year olds.

we have it all so wrong here. our abysmal stats for teen happiness and achievements say it all really.

[JamieandtheMagicTorch]

OP

I agree with what others have said.

Please don't stress about numeracy and literacy.

Actually, try not to stress about ANYTHING yet

[MinimalistMommi]

thebody but I think teen happiness in Britain is linked to so much other stuff aswell as school targets. Too much screen time, social media etc etc is just breaking down family values and putting distances between people. Families are getting more disconnected = unhappy teens

[MinimalistMommi]

King my five year old loves the reading scheme I have bought and was in fits of giggles about the two characters she was reading this morning, I don't think it is fair to brand all schemes as boring. My oldest DD used to read the magic key reading scheme books by Oxford reading tree in school and used to really enjoy the characters Biff and Chip. I absolutely do not agree that they are a massive waste of time. They can give confidence to a child and are brilliant for learning key words. I learnt to read with Peter and Jane growing up and have happy memories of sitting on my Dad's lap reading them.

Maybe the reading schemes you've looked at are 'rigid and boring'?

[JamieandtheMagicTorch]

Reading Dr Seuss books with/to children this age is fun.