To ask the Teacher the reasoning behind this?

[VineGruesomeTits]

Ds2(3) started nursery last month, this week he was sent home with homework, fine, we did it and sent it back

Then i got what looked like more homework, to be returned ASAP, but it was actually for me to read and fill in, it was called 'my learning story' it contained a story about ds2 and his friend playing with blocks and building a house together with a door, then asked me to fill in a section with the following questions:

'How did it make me feel?'
'Did ds2 discuss this with me at home?'
'Did i do anything to progess it?'

I am not sure what they are trying to gauge by asking me this, i have no problem filling it in but AIBU to ask the teacher the reasoning behind it first?

'

[luciemule]

The EYFS Learning Journey is supposed to be a record of the journey the child makes during preschool years and observations and adult focus activities are commented upon and photos used to complete this record. This is then shown to school(if I remember correctly)and you can make comments about how DS is doing at home (can he tie his laces/how he's potty training is going etc) if you want to. This seems very far fetched.
You can read about the EYFS at nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/earlyyears

[lilackaty]

There is a lot of emphasis being placed on child led learning so maybe this is a really cockeyed attempt at that.
I'm pleased you asked and YANBU to do so

[piscesmoon]

It sounds to me as if the teacher has to do it against her own convictions. There are much better ways.

[madamearcati]

Perhaps he was trying to build a walk-on roof terrace but they didn't have the right blocks

Seriously patronising and barking mad.I'd just ignore it

[Littlefish]

When I worked in a nursery, we used to send information home about what the children had been interested in. If there was a really strong theme to the playing, we also used to lend the parents a digital camera or disposable camera so they could photograph their children playing at home so we could see how the play developed. We would also lend cameras is we were struggling to engage with a child, and wanted ideas about the sort of thing they were interested in at home.

This gave us more information about the child so we could follow it up at the nursery and develop it further.

I suppose this questionnaire is the same sort of thing, but done in a pretty crap way . I'm at the teacher's explanation of the questions. That's really rubbish!

The "number 2" homework is completely inappropriate!

[Wonderstuff]

At DD's nursery when the new curriculum thingy was introduced they wanted to know all about what we did at home so they could 'build on it' If one child's parent said they did bricks at home the bricks came out at nursery, some kid went to the beach at the weekend so they built a beach scene and played with the sandpit etc. So I imagine that there is new emphasis on trying to get progression between home and nursery? I imagine someone in pre-school has recently been on some course about learning stories and how wonderful they are in developing links between home and school.

Does sound like patronizing bollocks, especially if the teacher isn't really convinced or has no idea what the thinking behind it is.

[VineGruesomeTits]

I spoke to the teacher and asked her the reasoning behind the odd questions and she couldn't give me a straight answer she said something along the lines of

'er, um, ah, well its really just to let you know how he is getting on and erm, arrr, well'

Then she changed the subject and said, its nothing to worrying about you dont have to fill it in if you dont want to

Rustybear i only just got that!

[hanaboo]

rusty bear, u were until u pointed it out... i'm now pmsl

[hanaboo]

oh whoooooooooo, u did make me laugh

[nighbynight]

Homework for a 3 year old???

thunk

[RustyBear]

"The homework he was set was to practice drawing a number 2"

Was I the only one to have an inappropriate giggle at this....?

[piscesmoon]

I think I would just put that it made me feel patronised, and no we didn't discuss it or progress it as we have lots of more interesting alternatives!

[mamas12]

omg How patronising. And a tad insulting.

[monkeypinkmonkey]

If it helps my ds is 3 and in his nursery we got letter today saying we are getting a note book to 'capture their develpoment at home' for their learning journal.
Just checked letter now and no mention about writing how we feel on anything

[fernie3]

we have these from my daughters reception class and also had one from her nursery until she left. We filled in what she was doing at home (was she starting to read anything or is there a subject she is interested in).

last week I put in her reception one that she had been asking about planets and space and the very next day they read a space story and drew picture of planets and answered all the questions she had been interested in! I was impressed the teacher took the time!

[claw3]

LOL very tempting, 'if Liam doesnt know the difference between a roof and a door, i will taking ds to another nursery'!

[VineGruesomeTits]

Just got home and re-read it, the more i read it the more i am

They have actually asked more questions about the 'learning story' but filled them in, e'g Q: 'what do you think about this story?' A: 'this story is wonderful because....blah blah', i find it extremely patronising tbh

There is a bit in the story though that goes: Liam points at the roof and teacher asks 'what is it?' Liam replies ' thats the massive door'

So i am tempted to fill it in and say 'It makes me me feel that Liam doesnt know the difference between a roof and a door!'

[stealthsquiggle]

whoooisasking would you like to come and fill in some of the more inane forms DD's nursery produces for me ?

Trouble is, this stuff stays with them for years (it gets passed to the school, I think) so you would be marked down as 'lunatic mother' (even worse than stroopy) for ever!

[VineGruesomeTits]

whoooisasking pmsl

thanks uphill, i dont mind be know as a stroppy mum, i find teachers a bit patronising anyway (they talk down to you, like your one of their students) so cant help being stroppy with them

[ImSoNotTelling]

Mines a private pre-school.

Maybe they have to do loads of extra documentation at the state ones?

[upahill]

Meant stroppy not stroopy which I imagine is something completly different

[VineGruesomeTits]

Possibly Claw, there was a section for me to add a story of a similar thing he has done at home

I will ask teacher about it this afternoon, mention that maybe they should add a little infomation about the reasoning behind these thing in future, and fill it in over half term

Will have to ask her for another copy though as i split water on it

I feel like she maybe think its the old 'dog ate my homeowrk' excuse

Thanks for your posts

[upahill]

When Ds 2 was at nursery we used to get a book sent home and he was to draw and say what he did at the weekend. He used to do a mad drawing and I'd write something like 'I went to Malham Cove on Saturday. I had an ice cream' that sort of thing.

Funny enough I found it about 2 weeks ago when I was chucking stuff out and I sat down and rememebered all the stuff we did when they were babies.

I'm not liking the questions they are asking you though. I really do think that our education system in the UK is a type of 'hothousing' for children.

Ask by all means what it is about and refuse to answer if it makes you uncomfortable (You'll be marked as a stroopy mum for ever though!!)

[whoooooisasking]

'How did it make me feel?'

Cold. Oh so very cold.

'Did ds2 discuss this with me at home?'

He wept, bitter tears of regret that the door opened outwardly instead of inwardly. DAMN THOSE BLOCKS, damn them to Hell.

'Did i do anything to progess it?'

I had some gin.

[claw3]

Learning stories are supposed to be built upon ie a little book. I have heard of these before, but not for you to comment on.

Ds got one, when he left nursery, it included photographs of him doing different things, with little captions 'ds making cakes', ds riding a scooter' etc.

Perhaps the nursery would like to add some input from you?