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AIBU?

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Original poster

Too ask if this is normal for a 4 year old?

58 replies

Georgieex · 26/03/2019 20:14

Hello :)

My daughter is 4 (5 in june) currently attends school and is in reception. I'm worried about her learning..mainly reading and writing ect..

she writes things that 'make sense' too herself but no one eles.. she does struggle with her sounds and putting them together sometimes.

Her school have given them homework books - they have too write words and pictures about the picture the teacher has glued in.. with no help apprently..

Im worrying as shes writing letters that are everywhere, jumbled and no sense too me but I ask her 'what does this say' she'll reply with 'firemen crew' ? Ive attached photos?

The school have set my anxiety off as they told me shes getting extra support as 'shes not where they want her too be at her age' but shes only 4.. are they expecting too much from her or?

Too ask if this is normal for a 4 year old?
Too ask if this is normal for a 4 year old?
OP posts:
Doobydoobeedoo · 26/03/2019 20:50

"My daughter is 4 (5 in june)"

I'm in England and my youngest DD hadn't even started school when she was your DD's age.

In the fire engine picture I can see where she's written 'firemen' and 'crew' trying to use her phonics. Crew seems to be written as "criw" which possibly reflects her accent?

It looks fine to me. The letter formation will improve as her fine motor skills develop more.

parrotonmyshoulder · 26/03/2019 20:50

Felt pen is much nicer and easier for some children to write with. They don’t have to exert as much pressure on the page. (They also think it’s special and like the colours. Which is a bonus when you’re ONLY FOUR).

BeautyWasTheBeast · 26/03/2019 20:50

Remember it's all phonics and write as it sounds. So fire crew would maybe be "f-igh-r c-r-oo "

From picture I think your DD has written it "f-I-y-er" which is good especially as she's a younger member of reception. Her letter formation is good.

Don't worry about the extra help, it will be just an extra play activity to help with letter sounds to help her keep up. In our school we have a few who need the extra support and they love word bingo... It's a fun game but helps them recognise the sounds and blend them together. Or snap (matching word to picture), etc. It's all a game to them and we even have others wanting to join in too.

UnderTheAntenna · 26/03/2019 20:52

The picture is of the ugly duckling and the first sentence is "it is a bird". Looks fine to me!

(havent deciphered the rest yet!)

Springwalk · 26/03/2019 20:54

My dd wrote reams and teams like this at four and laser, happily she has just been awarded a place at the most academic school in the country. Please don’t worry it will all come in good time.

Springwalk · 26/03/2019 20:54

Four and older

Babynut1 · 26/03/2019 20:57

I guess it’s normal. My 4 year old is writing very well and independently but when I went to parents evening she said very few are writing independently and coherently so I’m guessing it’s normal x

Original poster
Georgieex · 26/03/2019 20:59

Sigh of relif..thank you everyone!

Her teacher really made me feel worried and I thought she was pushing too much! my daughter tries her best she can and i am personally happy with that.

she's only 4 but her teacher seems a tad pushy, ill perhaps have a word with teacher!

OP posts:
HarveySchlumpfenburger · 26/03/2019 21:00

If you dictate a simple 3 letter word such as ‘cat’ ‘dog’ or ‘map’ would she be able to sound those out and spell them correctly? Can she sound out and read simple 3-4 letter words correctly?

I wouldn’t worry too much at this stage, but I think it’s worth keeping an eye on.

PurpleCrazyHorse · 26/03/2019 21:01

DS is 4 in June (so only nursery) and he will only write letters on a worksheet and when he writes stories, it's just squiggly lines!! Your DD's looks brilliant.

Just to say that my DD 'failed' the Y1 phonics test, was very slow at reading (refused to do phonics). She's in Y5 now and despite a stressful road to get there, she's reading above her age and really enjoys it. She only took off with her reading in Y4. So please try not to worry about your DD.

Weightsandmeasures · 26/03/2019 21:02

Speak to your daughter's teacher. You'll get a clearer idea as to whether your DD's writing is not where it should be when compared to other children her age in the same country, area, and nursery

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 26/03/2019 21:08

I think she’d be helped a lot if that paper had lines tbh. The whole writing process tends to be much easier if children have lines to aim for.

crazycrofter · 26/03/2019 21:11

Her writing is great! Good letter formation and some of the right letters too.

I clearly remember ds’ reception year as he was so far behind his older sister at the same age. He was an August born and he couldn’t sound out words at all until after Easter. The first time I really noticed him writing phonetically and in a way I could decipher was first term of year 1.

He’s doing fine now, Year 8 in a grammar school. His school were very laid back though so I didn’t worry.

lifetothefull · 26/03/2019 21:16

Absolutely fine. Just encourage her and don't correct her too much. I think the fact that she is attaching meaning to it and has pretty good letter formation is a really good start. Sounds like she has good ideas.

kayakingmum · 26/03/2019 21:19

The one with black writing really looks to me like she has written the sound a fire engine makes. I don't don't know how you would right it something like: nee-naw nee-naw nee-naw.

kayakingmum · 26/03/2019 21:19

Write not right

leeloo1 · 26/03/2019 21:38

I'd say that's standard/good for a young reception child. In the ugly duckling one, you can make out "it is a bird, this is its chick... grew to a beautiful bird...".

Its great she'll be getting extra help at school though, as it'll help her progress more.

How is her reading? It looks like she's writing a few letters backwards and/or mixing up b and d etc. and reading will help her to sort out which is which. You could also do a bit of focused work at home, where you concentrate on writing just one letter that she finds tricky correctly and really remind her "its a b-b-b for baby, b for bath, b for balloon".

Keewee27 · 26/03/2019 21:38

My ds is 4 and still at preschool as he's September born. He can write his name unaided but not much else. He will write a card to his gran but I have to show him how to form each letter. He can do most of these with some help.

I am a junior school teacher so don't have a lot of experience with reception kids, other than my own (ds1 is 7). I have had experience though with deciphering what kids write. She's definitely written 'it is a bird' on the first page. On the page about the fire engine, I'm sure she's written 'fire engine ' and 'nee naw'.

I think she's doing well. She forms letters well and I can see some spelling patterns emerging. She's so little for school anyway. She's only three months older than my ds who has that whole extra year at preschool.

I think the teacher needs to pull back a bit and give her a chance. With more time and as she gets older it will all fall into place. The beginnings are definitely there.
It is great she wants to write. Just keep encouraging her, OP.

Moonchild1987 · 26/03/2019 21:41

I really would not worry. I did not learn to read and write till in first grade so 6 years old and managed to get a degree in english literature. Right now she is just having fun practicing her letters

Apple23 · 26/03/2019 21:47

A clew (crew) in a row.

BettyBigBollocks · 26/03/2019 21:50

Absolutely fine OP! I wouldn’t be worrying at all, so much ridiculous pressure on little ones these days.

FWIW on the fire engine picture, I can make out “all crew in a row.” ‘Fire engine” and then the “nee-naw” sound. Pretty impressive understanding I think, she certainly knows what she’s talking about!

Scotinoz · 26/03/2019 21:53

I have a 5 year old in reception (so, maybe a good 7-8mths older than your daughter). She can spell well but writes everything backwards, and it's barely legible. Your daughters writing looks fine to me!

On the fire engine pic, she's written a really good 'neenawneenaw' 😀

ImNotTheDramaLlamaHere · 26/03/2019 21:58

Good god. My eldest is the same age and doesn't even know all the letters yet, he is normal for his age. Don't worry! She'll get there.

jellycatspyjamas · 26/03/2019 22:13

I really struggle with what seems to be expected of very small children in some schools. My DS had just started school at her age - Feb born child in Scotland so deferred entry in P1. Her writing and literacy are fine, she’s 4 years old - lots of time to get the hang of it. I’d be telling pushy teacher to back the hell off tbh.

BlankTimes · 26/03/2019 22:50

Also see It is a bird this is its chick
I love the picture of the duck, she has its head, eye and beak perfectly and its body to the waterline.
Then because the picture she was given shows it in the water and she can't see its legs, she's made the decision that it has four, to differentiate it's "animal" and not a person. That's brilliant.
I wonder if the third line is the noise the chick makes, peep peep?

I agree with Betty about the fire engine page. So descriptive especially the nee-naw sound.

Anyone who has a four year-old who can put so much relevant information into so few words on a page ought to be over the moon.
Bear and Star Star Star Star Star for your dd, she's amazing.