Comment from Reception child's teacher

[secondtimelucky87]

My child started Reception in September. The school's policy is that we read their phonics books every day. Absolutely fine with that - I have been teaching English for 13 years and need no convincing. We are expected to write in the reading record to say we have read the books. I have done so every single day apart from last night because (despite doing the reading as always), I was pretty exhausted after a long day's work and all the various things that need to be done before bedtime. We have a WhatsApp group for my child's class to ask questions/receive reminders for the week. Today however, I received a direct message telling me off for not reading/recording we had done the reading. AIBU to have been slightly taken aback by this? No issue with the teacher herself - I am sure she's merely carrying out school policy but surely it's a bit much after 1 missed comment? I could understand if we'd skipped a whole week!

The context is that organisation has been fairly chaotic. Her reading books aren't changed for weeks at a time. My child is very bright, reading her books fluently and clearly bored of reading the same 2 phonics books daily but we do so anyway. Similarly, they are given quite time-consuming homework but at most, all we've ever received by way of acknowledgement is one tick and the last 3, not even that. Surely a little glittery sticker and a couple of words would make a 4 year old feel valued after working so hard on it when they're exhausted! Would be interested to hear from other EYFS teachers and parents with kids of this age. Thank you and please be kind as I don't really know what's normal. She's my only child so I'm new to this. I sent a polite reply clarifying I had in fact done the reading as always but just forgot to comment!

This doesn't sound right. Missing a day for whatever reason every so often is negligible and not something school should be commenting on. I would raise directly with the teacher that she may need to move up to the next reading level if you think that's right. Especially if you yourself are a qualified teacher

Write back and says "was this meant for me?"..

To be honest I’d be pretty impressed that got picked up on so quickly. You have an idea that they aren’t organised their end and are unjustly scrutinising your contribution. I get it, it’s a little bit annoying but I would just apologise for not recording the reading you did and move on.

Being a qualified teacher has no bearing in if know whether a child is ready to progress on a phonics scheme...

Oh...and don't do the extensive homework.

Waste of time!

This sounds so drastically different to my child's school and even previous school that my eldest went to. Is it private?
Ours are asked to read but we don't record it. Reception don't get any homework. There is zero pressure, just an encouragement to ask them to read. I would be really annoyed to have my hand slapped for forgetting one comment on one occasion. I don't think thats normal.
Although I would appreciate a school that did pay a bit more attention to what they are doing. My year 1 childs homework isn't mandatory but he does it (just spellings and putting them in a sentence) and no one's ever marked his homework book. So I guess there is a balance to be struck somewhere!

This sounds genuinely bonkers on all levels. Reading with your child daily if possible - great. Not possible for all families and the idea of being told off by a teacher for missing a single day would certainly get my back up. Plus sometimes kids are knackered/poorly/grouchy and there's no point forcing them to do homework when they'd benefit more from a rest.

To be honest I have never subscribed to the idea of completing reading records every day, it’s so depressingly functional. I don’t mind so much if they just have to keep a list of books read but it makes a chore out of something that should be enjoyable.

Thank you! I am secondary trained (though have taught from the ages of 8-18 throughout my career) so I'm probably not qualified to comment on the level of the books. But she really has had the same ones for ages so I guess it's more that she's a little fed up of the same books days in a row! I did find it a bit odd after just one missed comment. Everyone was a bit shattered and it was an honest mistake!

Yeah, that's entirely fair enough really! I certainly won't be forgetting again any time soon! 😂

Highly unusual. I’m assuming this is a private prep school? That intensity in term 1 of a state school would be extraordinary and very off-key.

I’d have replied “please don’t speak to me like that, I’m not in year 4”

Just to add my other son is in year 5 and it was so refreshing at his 'welcome to year 5' meeting when the teacher said that homework should be completed, but there are times when it can't be. If a child is too tired or has other family commitments, it's not the end of the world. He said please don't let homework cause an unnecessary argument and tension on the home. You know your child best, you are the expert on your child.
I think that's how it should be. If a child is never completing homework and falling behind then it's understandable to have a word with the parents but these are children and homework isn't the be all and end all. I'm amazed that a teacher would put that pressure on kids and parents who are only 4 years old!

Oh no, I couldn't afford private school! That's really interesting to have your perspective, thank you. It seems different schools do very different things! I'll try to see it as a positive that they want the best for the children. Though I am still annoyed most of her homework gets ignored. It is no mean feat getting a tired 4 year old to do it after a day at school! Genuinely even just a sticker would do and this is coming from someone who has marking coming out of their ears!

Correct. I'm a very experienced, qualified secondary teacher and wouldn't know this.

I'd be amazed they could pick up on this when they have 30 kids! We try and read everyday (not always succeeding) but we don't record everyday. No homework either apart from reading.

Yes - this is the thing! We had a workshop at the school and were clearly told: if your child is too tired to read, don't worry! But then they told me off for not recording one day of reading! I'm very confused...

Yes that's entirely fair. I was specifically talking about her having the same book to read several weeks in a row. Not the level. So absolutely stay on one level but if at all possible: give her a different one!

that is crazy! If your dd is ahead of the phonics work school should be providing stretch not holding her back at the basics.

Top tip for you: on day 1 of the reading week, fill it in “too easy, bored of this book so I let dd read {other book name} instead” in the comment box.On day 2 write the date and a ditto and do same day 3 to 7.

My dd had exactly the same problem as this, without the teacher’s snarky comments! It was brain death doing the reading homework so I’d say to dd “we read your schoolbook once so you know you can do it, then you can pick a fun book to read.”

Conversely my ds was not great at reading so he absolutely did need the daily reading discipline. For a brighter child, Primary schools are rigid and boring.

By year 5 my dd confessed she spent most of her time staring out of the window making plans for what she’d do in the event of a zombie apocalypse! She said she was rather hopeful to see a zombie, it would have broken up the monotony of sitting through the same old boring stuff again in a desperate attempt to drag the class closer to a passing SAT score!

Yeah many people have been surprised that she receives homework. She has to write several rows of letters, then draw pictures of things starting with that letter AND also label the pictures with the full words. Bless her, she absolutely loves doing it but it gets no acknowledgement!

Oh no, I couldn't afford private!

Our primary school is the same (my ds goes to a different and better primary than his older sister).

The reading and handwriting practice is a good build up of habits for later in school for an average ability child. If you are an average child and a third of your classmates have SEN, then your teacher won’t have time to get you all up the learning curve and mark homework!

I bought ds a roll of animal-themed “great job” or “awesome effort” or “amazing work” stickers which I award whenever he does his reading or spelling without a complaint.

My ds’s school start cursive by end of y1 so they have to be writing well formed letters and spelling fluently quite early !

What is the homework? I’m genuinely intrigued because I’ve never heard of reception children being given homework other than reading.

Also, do you know what phonics scheme they follow? Quite a few of them have termly assessments which will only be completed at that point and that’s when book bands will be changed, so if she’s a confident reader it may well seem that the books are too easy. However that doesn’t mean her book shouldn’t be changed weekly at a minimum, especially if they expect daily reading! They will be trying to encourage fluency by reading a familiar text but after two weeks children won’t be looking at the words they’ll just be remembering it.

We (the teachers) got rid of reading records at my school…waste of time!

The homework’s a waste of time, OP. I skip it if I don’t feel like it. Reading every night and times tables - that’s where it’s at. No need at all for the huge deluges of homework schools dole out. If your kid’s coasting on the books they’re sending, tell the teacher and ask about their policy for differentiation in learning.

This goes against everything that they should be doing in Early Years. If you (and your child) are happy with it, fine.
I’ll bet there are other parents who are not happy though. It is far too intense for 4 year olds.