Home learning - reception

[Squashpocket]

The 'required' part of the home learning offering for my reception aged child has taken us 3 hours today, mainly achieved through a combination of threats and bribery. My 2.5 year old has cried throughout and wet himself twice.

I haven't even looked at the lovely, enriching optional extras.

I mean, it's fine (sort of) and we'll get through it, but my god I'm tired already and it's only day 2

How are you all finding it?

Tell them it’s upsetting your child and don’t do it anymore.

It's completely unachievable. I work 4 days a week in a client facing job and also have a 20 month old. DH working FT from hone and mostly on the phone.

My 4.5 year old just refuses to do most of the activities and I don't have skills to teach him. He can't read much really yet and struggles to do anything independently at all.

I will do my best but I'm not a miracle worker. My plan is to find a tutor in the summer holidays to help him catch up if he gets really behind.

Solidarity!

It's his baby brother that's upset, not the reception age child. DC1 is just a typical 4 year old boy - would rather be running around with his friends, than sitting down practising his letters. He will do it with encouragement.

Yeah, don't do it. That sounds terrible. My child was in Reception last lockdown and we did lots of playing with sneaky bits of reading, writing and maths added in (e.g. adding while playing shops, treasure hunts for tricky words on cards). We ignored the work from school because he didn't like doing it. If your child was in school they wouldn't do anywhere near 3 hours of structured adult-led time. Send them pictures of him doing enriching activities like baking, painting, water play etc so they know he is still learning (I am an Early Years teacher by the way).

I have 4 different aged children in primary from reception up to yr6 and I’m losing the will to live haha, I’ve been in the same room mostly for the last 3 days, yesterday we didn’t finish until 6, I’m so mentally drained but I suppose it’s better than playing catch up.

What was it they asked you to do? Is there a way you could do some of it or make it a bit easier in some way?

I'm a stay at home mum, so no excuses really. I have the time - but as you say, not the skills. I spent 1 hour this morning figuring out what was essential, what was optional, what exactly it was he was supposed to be gaining from each activity. I'm not a teacher, I have no idea about graphemes and digraphs and segmenting. God help me.

It's not anyone's fault - this is why there is school. The teachers know what they're doing and can get it done efficiently and effectively and they don't have to worry about the 2 year old in the background having a meltdown because he's being ignored.

Sorry that’s what I meant. Your other child is important too. At his age just do maybe 5 mins writing practice then lots of games.
Look at five minute mum on Instagram she has great ideas for younger kids writing, phonics and numbers.

I would ignore anything from the school and just do what works for you. It’s a long term thing so it’s got to be manageable and this clearly isn’t!

Its tough.

My youngest was reception last lockdown.

It did get a bit easier but took a lot longer than it should have.

Reading / writing were soul destroying, maths not as bad.

I've just sent his work from today and one of the lessons we gave up on.

You can only do so much.

FWIW I don't believe he's massively behind where his DS was even though he missed over 1/3 of his Reception year.

Also, have a look at the Oak National academy website, they have some lessons recorded for key stage 1/Early years that might help. I'm hoping to persuade DS1 to sit still long enough to watch one in a bit!

I'm telling myself that this week we're finding our feet, so giving myself some leeway. Yesterday we spent too much time playing and didn't get all the required activities done. So today I focussed on getting the school work done, but my 2 year old suffered me. Obviously not quite cracked it yet.

The 'required' part seems to be the phonics (they have a recorded lesson to watch, some writing practice to do and then a game to play) and the maths (a recorded lesson, a number blocks episode to watch and an activity sheet to do). I have to upload evidence that it's all been done. It all should be fairly manageable, but somehow seems to take absolutely ages with all the printing, technical issues and toddler meltdowns.

I shouldn't really complain, but I am anyway 😂

It does get easier, although i didn't have anl toddler at the time.

I remember the 1st day last time, and both my kids were being very trying with their lessons.

I was 9 - 4.30 with only a short lunch break as I was splitting my time between both of them. It was worse than a day st work. Absolutely shattered.

That was the worst day though. I am not saying it was easy, or I ever enjoyed it, but they did get more used to it.

Also if you have a partner, perhaps try and schedule the work at other times when he is home. We would often try & do work on the weekend to try and get ahead of ourselves or do more work than required on the days both of us were at home.

Mine was in reception last lockdown.

I ignored all the stuff from school after the first two days as it didn’t work. He hated it.

I made sure I read to him every day. If he wanted to read to me or with me great but no pressure (he hated reading)

Lots of paper/pens craft stuff around which he loves so without pressure he was drawing and writing in his play

He loves number blocks on iPlayer so that went on over lunch time.

Lots of time outdoors just playing (I realise this is harder now)

He wasn’t behind when he started year one in September at all. And he was happy in lockdown which is the most important thing.

My little one was in reception last year. She has a keyworker place but there was no teaching. (They were in sibling group and it was play and craft all day). I gave up catching up in the weekends and evenings.

My advice (been there, done that), was to concentrate on only phonics and reading. Ignore all the other stuff. You can get phonics apps or the school may already have subscription to web/apps. For reading there are some free books on oxfordowl, but I took out a subscription on www.readingchest.co.uk

Play and don't stress about the homework!

I feel your pain op!

I work 3 full days from home so we've got little bits done but not much, so today and tomorrow are catching up.
DD is Yr2 and the work is a lot more involved this year. Last year it was mainly Twinkl worksheets that I could send her away to do but this year it's researching and designing posters etc, stuff she needs my input for and I'm completely drained already! We only did two activities all day today from the 5 page list of suggested things to do this week.

DS4 is at home from nursery at the end of the week and like you I feel like I'm ignoring him most of the day - we did a bit of name writing and abc's but then his attention span is used up and it's constant mummy mummy mummy after that

I've decided with DD we'll do reading, timetable rock stars and an English task each day and anything else is a bonus.
We can only do so much.

Oh god, as I posted I just received home learning for DS from his school nursery ..wahhhh, I aren't even opening that just yet!! That's the last thing I need

Just play, playing is learning. If you catch them in a good mood, maybe suggest an 'activity' not 'homework'. Too many parents of children this age are more concerned about them missing out educationally and falling behind. The health and wellbeing of your family including younger children is more important during a global pandemic. I'm talking as a mother of a reception aged child and as a mental health practitioner.

Reception aged child here plus Yr8 secondary and I'm working (well trying to)
Secondary school aged child is generally self sufficient with the odd question, he chats to his mates online or on the phone at lunchtime.
reception is more hands on
Tues & weds were ok - planned out the day whilst eating breakfast
Did the get moving video teacher sent together
Spent an hour doing his work with him
Then went up to office started my work, he has a table next to me where he did some worksheets and drawing for another hour
When he got bored he went to watch alpha blocks for a bit & then played with Lego
Whilst I continued to work
Then lunch
More schoolwork together then he watched tv / played with Lego whilst I worked
However today they sent a whole load of videos for him to watch / do with his teacher for the whole day. I think it was supposed to make it easier but actually as I had to sit and help him with them all and he couldn't sit with me and do stuff whilst I did something else it wasn't that helpful
I really struggled with the yoga too, I'm not that flexible.
He also didn't do as much as he got bored watching her all day and the collective worship one went straight out the window and we went for a walk instead.
My work will continue into the night tonight.
I hope they go back to the original format or I might just did out some worksheets for online to balance out the videos.
Going to make cakes with them both tomorrow afternoon to break it all up a bit.
You can only do your best.

Yeah, this was clearly too much today. I've just tried an online maths game, which is 'optional but monitored' (what?) and pushed both kids over the edge. That's it for today. Tomorrow will have to be better.

I'm hoping we get more for my reception child. Wednesday we got links for a phonics and maths songs then suggestions to make gingerbread men. Today we got while on your walk in-1 all day do some bark rubbings... so I'm doing other bits that I found online at the moment until things hopefully pick up next week.
It does seem like one or the other some are getting way too much and others are not getting hardly anything.