to think the expectations about children starting Reception are very low?

[mendimoo]

I look after my nephew a lot because his parents both work long hours (NHS.) Today he had a home visit from his teacher before he starts school next week. She bought some things with her as 'ice breakers' and, in her words, was 'absolutely amazed' by DN. She bought some five piece peg puzzles that my two year old has been able to do for months. DN showed her the 100 piece puzzle he'd completed that morning and she was gobsmacked. She asked some leading questions to see if he knew his colours and again was shocked that he did. Again, my DD can pick out colours and colour sort and she's two - DN has known his colours since around 18 months.

DN also demonstrated that he could read numbers 1-10 (he can read 1-20 but she didn't have the resources to stretch that far), read CVC words and use words like more, less, bigger, smaller, the same to compare objects and groups. She asked if he could recognise his name and was really shocked that he could read and write it.

I think reading the CVC words is a little ahead but don't most children know their colours and numbers by reception age? The teachers expectations seemed extremely low.

[BertrandRussell]

She was my shocked. She was being "reception teacher enthusiastic"

It's like children to television presenters. They get stuck into "isn't everything AMAZING!!" mode.

Very tedious for their friends and family.

[GoldFishFingerz]

The teacher was most likely surprised. Its not uncommon for kids to be able to read words/numbers but it's not the norm usually.

I have 4 kids. They Are all equally bright (all two or three years ahead of average) but started school in different ways. My bookworm could read very complicated words but no numbers, my creative child couldn't read words or numbers and created intensively (huge imagination!!), my engineering brained child couldn't read/write but could fix/build/design like nothing, my youngest could read cvc words but not numbers. IM
A huge believer in free play and not squeezing kids into ridgid learning too quickly.

[MoosLikeJagger]

OP - the activities the teacher brought round were probably meant to be easy.

The visit is about getting to know the dc, the dc getting to know the teacher, making school less scary and unknown, building their confidence.

The teacher wants to leave the dc with the impression of 'that was fun!' not 'that was hard'. It wasn't meant to be a rigorous academic assessment.

[GoldFishFingerz]

In our class of 30, 5 might be able to read. They won't necessarily be top set kids when later entering secondary.

[pudcat]

I used to do home visits and yes I was enthusiastic about all the things a future pupil could do, however simple the tasks were. I was looking for other things on my visit as well. Independence, attitude, speech, behaviour etc. The teacher can only carry so many resources with her, and they are used to break the ice. She will do a more in depth assessment in the first weeks at school.
For those who say they do not want a teacher in their house, you can refuse and ask for a meeting at school, but the teacher will be interested in your child and not your home.

[Skittlesss]

She probably had low expectations because the child's parents had left him with his aunt for her visit. I thought the home visits were for her to get to know the child and his parents?

[insancerre]

When you deal with young children you have to always make each parent or carer believe that their child is the best/ smartest/ funniest/ most amazing child in the whole wide world ever

Its a special skill and some of us are very good at it

Its saves a lot of time and hassle if you all start from the same position

[JemimaMuddledUp]

Definitely sounds like reception teacher enthusiasm.

I appreciate that your nephew's parents work long hours but it seems a shame one of them couldn't be home for this. I thought the purpose of the home visit was for the teacher, child and parent to meet in the home environment.

[WhooooAmI24601]

I work in a Reception class and am off next week doing 3 days of home visits. They're enormously helpful for us to get to know the child a little better. Parents are all different in what they expect of us and how they prepare their DCs for school; some push the educational side so we have them coming in able to read, write and do basic maths. We also have some who just aren't ready for those skills yet but whose self-care and social skills are outstanding and the contrasts can be quite huge. I think we have to show enthusiasm to all of the children we see purely to try and build a rapport and show them that we're interested, that we value them, that we're ready and willing to listen.

It's not about expectations. It's about what children are ready for. There's no expected level when they enter school and I don't set much store by what "most" can do, I just take them as they are and try and find out what they like/don't like doing, what their strengths are and how to make the provisions accessible for as many as I can.

A few years ago I had a 4 year old come in who could read at a Year 2 level (pushing Year 3). His Mum hadn't mentioned a thing at the home visit, she just thought all children could read that well by that age. She said "surely most are able to do this by this age?" and that showed me that what one person perceives as normal can be exceptional to another. I wouldn't want my DCs to be judged against anyone but themselves so try not to do it to other people's DCs.

[SolomanDaisy]

My DS was so excited by the home visit. The teacher was very enthusiastic while he showed her the attic and all the strange drawers and doors in the kitchen. Probably exactly the same enthusiasm as she's have shown if he'd counted and read for her.

[Lapinlapin]

I do understand what you're saying, but don't forget that there's a massive difference between base expectations and targets! Base expects are clearly the bare minimum they expect the child to be able to do. They will be given much higher targets once at school. My son has just finished Reception and I have been impressed how the school has tailored the learning to individual children and had really quite high expectations, imo.

But, you have to remember all children are different. What would be the point in setting the base expectations high, knowing that there are plenty of children (due to ability, parenting, illness, age etc) who are never going to meet them. What purpose would that serve? You'd just have lots of anxious, worried late parents thinking their children were failures before they had even started at school.

[Clankboing]

She was probably just being positive. The main reason she was coming to see the child was to be a familiar and comfortable face when the child comes into school. The resources were just something to do to support this. But yes, most nursery age (3-4) children could have done all of these things quite easily. They were activities to just get to know each other rather than stretch. That can happen later in the classroom.

[runslikethewind]

I think you should cut her some slackk, as others have said, polite and enthusiastic, hardly the worst trait you could show is it, may be there are other children not yet ready for those tasks an she was actually pleased to see he was able, why shouldn't she be encouraging to a child doing well? Again she could have been uninterested and blasé, but she wasn't.

The poster who wouldn't let a teacher In their house? The teacher meets all the kids at their home to make their first day less scary except yours, I would wonder why that would be and what your problem was. The home is everyone's private space and their business, it's not a concept unique to you, your child's enunciation and a good relationship with the teachers is your business as a parent, why would you obstruct that just to make a point it only would happen once which is to aid transition into school which can be terrifying for some kids even if they don't show it.

[Brokenbiscuit]

I agree with Skitt that she might have had lower expectations because neither parent had taken time off work to be at home for the visit.

A few years ago I had a 4 year old come in who could read at a Year 2 level (pushing Year 3). His Mum hadn't mentioned a thing at the home visit, she just thought all children could read that well by that age.

My dd was reading very competently before she started reception, too, but it didn't occur to me to mention it to the teacher. I knew plenty of other kids who were reading at the same sort of age, so it didn't strike me as particularly worthy of comment, and I figured that the teachers would work out what the kids could and couldn't do as they went along.

[Hulababy]

We never had a home visit from school for dd. They visited her at nursery.

However my school does do home visits and nursery visits. Nursery visits were last term. Home visits are this and next week. The EYFS staff claim they are really useful to get to know the child in their own setting and a chance to chat to parents, again in their own setting without lots of other people around listening in etc. And our parents seem to like then. The children often talk about it too 'I remember when you came to my house and we did xyz' when they start.

Re the expectations. Teachers aren't daft. They go in to these situations full of positivity and praise. They're making the first impressions for the child and they want that to be exciting and fun, and a really positive experience. So saying well done, giving praise is expected.

You also have to remember that there really are some children who cannot do lots of these things. Our catchment is incredibly varied. Whilst we have plenty at the top end of the scale we have many who are really just starting out in terms of these kinds of things. We have several who can't read their name, count very far, don't know colours, not really been read to, can't take themselves to the toilet, can't dress themselves, still in nappies, have limited fine motor (and gross) skills, etc. Our entry levels are, on average, lower than national expectations even though we do have some substantially higher. It's useful to have this information beforehand

[PansOnFire]

The teacher wasn't there to test him, she was there to put him at ease about starting school. It's hilarious that you think the school has low expectations just because the teacher brought simple activities for your DN. If the activities had been too hard then he wouldn't be confident about starting school, as it is, he could do everything she asked him so when he meets her in the classroom he'll remember that he can do the things she asks of him.

You sound like a bit of an idiot. His parents really should have been there.

[Meloncoley2]

Maybe the way this teacher structures her visits enables her to identify the children who will need additional help in school when they start?

[JudyCoolibar]

Of course it's her job to be enthusiastic and encouraging but the things she came armed with were more suited to my two year old than my nephew.

No teacher is doing a full assessment on these introductory visits. They're basically ice breakers and a chance to get a rough idea about the child and his family, and to find out about any possible problems. She's going to meet children with a wide range of abilities including those with SN, she's not going to come staggering into the house with a range of materials to cover every possibility from the child with major learning difficulties to the child genius.

[Badders123]

Is this a London/SE thing?
Because I have 2 DC, neither of whom had a home visit!

[toptoe]

She was praising him and building trust and confidence. Some children have undiagnosed sen and can't complete the tasks, but even if he couldn't complete some of the tasks she would have been 'amazed' at what he could do. She was just assessing his needs and keeping the mood positive and awarding effort.

Schools lead with the carrot and award effort as much as results these days. A child who loves to engage is the aim.

[toptoe]

It's sad these visits seem to invoke different feelings. Maybe teachers need to explain at the beginning to the adult 'I'm here to build trust, make the child at ease and get an idea of who they are before school starts'. I can see why it might be confusing if you haven't been in a school for some years.

[vdbfamily]

I think there is a temptation in life to assume that other people live pretty much like us. My daughter went with a friend to babysit her mums boyfriends kids and she wanted to read the youngest a bedtime story. The only book in the house was a childrens bible that had been given to them. There are 3 kids in that house and no books. Peoples lives are very different and if Primary teachers set the bar too high for the home visits it will not be a positive first experience for the new kids. In addition to that, I have 3 kids who are now 10,11 and 13 and pre-school, apart from read with them alot, I did not really encourage them to try and be reading and writing as I wanted them just to enjoy themselves. Obviously if they showed an interest or asked I would encourage. None of mine were writing their names pre starting school but are all quite bright kids.

[ReallyTired]

Dd had a home visit before starting school nursery. The nursery nurse just had puppets. It was a game rather than an assessment. The idea of a home visit was to make friends with the child. The home visit helps prevent seperation anxiety. A challenging activity might result in failure and make the child nervous about school.

Schools don't have low expectations in reception or even school nursery. The early years foundation stage is not about academics. Social skills, gross motor skills, fine motor skills and having fun are really important. Reception is a time for making friends and learning the routines of school.

I find it sad that no parent could be at home for the home visit. It might give the impression to the school that the parents do not see education/ or their child as important.

[BarbLives]

Oh bless you, of course the teacher was 'amazed' by how bright your nephew is She's a teacher in early years, her wow face is automatic!

She brought some toys with her, she wasn't doing a baseline assessment!

I also doubt she was shocked he could read CVC words - even in deprived areas, there will be a couple of children starting Reception reading every year.

There's a big range of ability in Reception children - some were 3 last week and are barely more than toddlers, so will be counting to 100+ and reading and writing sentences.

[phillipp]

Have you posted about him and how intelligent he is before. This whole thing sounds very familiar.