To be doing "homework" with my pre schooler?

[porpoisey]

Dd is due to start school in September, with it looking highly likely she won't go back to pre school before then, should I be doing some kind of school prep at home? Phonics/writing etc? Any advice that primary school teachers can give would be welcome!

I'm in a similar position, but from a childminder rather than preschool setting. I've downloaded resources from Twinkl and have a day 'plan' to check we do some PE, reading, writing and numbers. And more importantly playing, puzzles and getting outside (local walk or garden)! I'll go crazy without some kind of structure, never mind my 3.6yo!

Look at five minute mum website or instagram. She has loads of games for pre schoolers including phonics and numbers games

This comes up time and time again and the advice is always the same.
Don't teach them anything educational, just focus on independence- coat up themselves, shoes themselves, toilet themselves etc. And read, read, read.

I work in early years but can't say it better than the above by @arethereanyleftatall

This comes up time and time again and the advice is always the same.
Don't teach them anything educational, just focus on independence- coat up themselves, shoes themselves, toilet themselves etc. And read, read, read.

Not a teacher, but I agree, independence/self-care & enjoyment of books are far more important than doing phonics. Also turn taking.

Plus

• developing motor skills (fine and gross)
• understanding basic properties of water (eg wood floats etc) and sand etc
• some counting
• etc

are all useful.

If they are interested then some basic phonics, but it's not 'top of the list'.

you could start doing some phonics work with her at home. cbeebies website has a good guide on how to go about this. just do a little each day, maybe 5 minutes? fine motor skills are the most important things to work on before they start reception, eg: velcro up their own shoes, button their shirt, dress themselves, hold a pencil (with a pencil grip)

We’ve cracked dressing alone this week ! May start bottom wiping next week. We’re doing gardening, baking, puzzles, online music class, films, crafts, household jobs. So no academic prep for school. I did think about it, but with an 11month old baby tagging along its proved to be impossible so I’m embracing fun stuff.

limping

Ah, but does dressing include turning a polo shirt the right way round from inside out that they'll need after PE at school?

No. Don't be a dick.

Children shouldn't even be at school until they're seven. Let her be a kid ffs.

If you have a garden get some sand and water to play with and some things to climb and balance with. Explore the garden mini beasts. Do some baking and talk about numbers doing things like that. Read lots together. Let them do some drawing - so access to paper and pens etc. Get some puzzles and games for turn taking.

Don’t worry about the academic stuff such as writing and written maths, teachers will do this when they start school. And as above independence skills are a priority focus.

Oh fuck off we don't live in Sweden @user1494182820

Thanks for the comments everyone, she's actually pretty independent but I'll keep working on that.

Will try a few phonics games too, thanks.

I'm aiming for jolly phonics, some letter colouring and fridge magnets. A bit of reading and singing and quite a bit of sensory play. Along with school readiness like getting dressed washing hands etc.

In reality this may end up as glued to YouTube while I try to teach my other 2 children .

We're doing reading, writing practice, play dough, crafts etc and we're taking walks around our area but not going inside anywhere.

I was going to post something similar. I have downloaded the jolly phonics app and we are doing five minutes a day on my days off. We are also practising how to hold a pencil and get shoes on and off. Dd is 4 in a fortnight and won't actually start school till 5.5 years.

DD is at a school nursery. 'Work' for this week is practising writing your name, count objects to 10, read spring themed story and draw a picture. I will do some of it in games and leave it largely up to DD. I am not worried about her academics. We are also trying to replicate other things from nursery like random bits in garden to make an obstacle course.