What range of levels for numeracy and literacy should a child entering reception be expected to be at?

[StarlightMcKenzie]

I am having difficulty getting any information from ds' nursery placement about what he actually 'does' at nursery.

He is moving from a poorly performing school in a deprived area to a posh school in a middle class area.

I don't want him to start out way behind but I'm quite sure he is far in front in the school he is in.

The school won't tell me anything about his progress except that it is 'good' and I have no idea what he is doing. He never tells me.

Please can someone tell me what kind of literacy and numeracy skills he will be expected to have acheived, or the very least, where he is aiming for by the end of reception.

Many thanks.

[Lizcat]

I think you maybe actually very surprised by the range of abilities of children in the 'posh middle class' school. Literacy wise the most important thing for DD when she joined reception of a fairly academic prep school was to be able to recognise her own name so that she could find her peg and identify her own PE bag. I know this waiting for them to start school is a very worrying time.
If he struggles with other children I would concentrate on how to ask other children to play with you and understanding that you have to take turns at choosing the game to play. From my DDs experience some of the supposedly most academically advanced children still have difficultly with this in Year 2.

[StarlightMcKenzie]

Thanks mrz. That makes me feel better. Doubt there will be many grunting children in ds' class. Wouldn't be bothered about that normally but it is good that he will have good peer role models.

DS is very sociable and I have found that children can demand he tries harder than adults often expect of him and his motivation to do so is there more for children than for adults. (until they give up on him at least)

[mrz]

Even if his sentences aren't relevant he's way ahead of many children who have single words or grunts (and no SEN) when they arrive at my school. I'm sure he will be fine so please don't worry.

[StarlightMcKenzie]

mrz, his self-care skills are fine (he has problems with putting on jumpers and tops but we'll crack that by Sept). It is his social skills that are the real problem and general awareness of the world around him.

[StarlightMcKenzie]

Well he can't speak in sentences really, at least he can but not relevent ones.

mummytime Thank you. The SENCO is excellent at this school and often does outreach to other schools. Unfortunately she is not altogether keen on the idea of my ds beginning her school as its excellent reputation for SEN is turning it into a default special school and she alluded to resigning if we insisted he attend but I think once he is there they will do right by him. If not I have no problems moving him. As with Nursery I will monitor his happiness and confidence carefully. His current school are dire at meeting his educational needs but they have worked hard at keeping him happy and confident. For that I am extremely grateful and pleased it was his first experience of schooling.

[mrz]

As a parent I would suggest you focus on self care skills (as you have said he has difficulties in this area ) and not worry about literacy and numeracy no one is ticking you off just trying to say stop worrying school won't expect him to be reading writing and calculating before he gets through the door. If he can recognise his own name and speak in sentences he will do fine honestly.

[StarlightMcKenzie]

You might be interested to know that my ds Speech and Language Therapist has said that she can't do anything more for him until he can read as his language is disordered and reading will provide the visual supports.

If reading is a way to support communication development and talking skills as Total suggested it might be, then in ds' case, reading is probably one of the more important skills to teach.

[StarlightMcKenzie]

mrz, as I mentioned my ds has difficulties in the wonder skills you describe. I have no doubt that we need to work hard on those areas.

I was on this thread simply to try to establish where my ds was in the skills that I am not so worried about to make sure that I haven't missed something or got it wrong. If he can coast on his literacy and numeracy, I can make more time available to work on his deficit areas. If he appeared to be behind in his numeracy and literacy as well, I'd have to include them too.

I didn't come on this thread for a ticking off for getting things wrong. I am a parent with genuine cause for concern about my ds' development and trying to establish the most sensible and effective way forward.

[mrz]

As a teacher with many years experience of teaching reception children I would be more impressed with a child demonstrating the skills thighslapper lists than a child who knows how to read, write and count to infinity and lacking in basic self care skills.

[mrz]

Interestingly research from CREC ? Centre for Research in Early Childhood shows that at this stage PSE (in particular the Dispositions and Attitudes strand) is a far better indicator of future academic success than the Maths and Literacy strands (although the speaking and listening strand is equally important).

[mummytime]

Get to know the school SENCo. Keep a diary of your interactions with the school, especially your requests and any promises they make. Frequent the special needs board for lot of good advice. (Oh BTW have you heard about parent partnerships, there is one for each LEA and they can be useful.)

Good luck!

I would be more concerned that they can express clear and achievable targets which they see if he reaches, than absolute levels. Its a better sign of a good school.

[StarlightMcKenzie]

mummytime, thank you for your post. I realise that the posh school might not be right, but I know with certainty and a year of experience that the deprived one with high incidence of SEN is definately not right. They think they know everything and have policies to 'engage with parents' but it is all on their terms. When a parent wants to engage with them, they run a mile and slam the door. I was hoping that posh school would be a bit more used to parents wanting to know what their child was doing in school.

If I'm wrong then I'll reconsider. The one consistent thing about my ds is that he thrives in new environments as his peers start out treating him 'normally' with high expectations and he learns lots. Then they give up on him and compensate for him and it all gets a bit stale and he gets ignored and socially isolated. What I'm trying to say is that I'll weigh up each situation as it arises and move him again if it needs to happen, but for now he can't stay where he is.

[concretefeet]

Boolifooli that was uncalled for.Starlight specified her concerns and reasons.

[MoreBeta]

At most their mathematical and literacy skills should be able to count to 10 and write their first name. Absolutely no more than that.

Being able to dress themselves, go to the loo and well socialised if far far more important.

[StarlightMcKenzie]

Bullies target the vulnerable and those with lack of self worth. My ds has extreme social difficulties and his self worth is tied up in what he can do well. I can and do teach him social skills but he'll never be able to achieve them to the level of his peers.

I am keen that he doesn't have additional areas where he sticks out. And that includes being too far ahead as much as it does being behind.

[mummytime]

StarlightMcKenzie - I am sorry bt what thighslapper said is what most reception teachers would say is needed of children starting reception.

The other point I think you need to be careful about is assuming that a middle class/posh school will be better than a "rougher" one in a more deprived area. I have known people move their children from posher schools to ones in more deprived areas, and the latter school could cope much better with their bright/different children.

[boolifooli]

Bullies don't usually concern themselves with how well their 'target' can write a cursive 'h'. Children who can write well, read well, spell well in reception are not immune to bullying. If you're concerned about your child's vulnerability to bullying you'd be much better off worrying about his ability to know his own mind and his innate self worth than stressing about his numeracy skills.

[StarlightMcKenzie]

Thank you concretefeet, that was an exceptionally helpful post, unlike thighslappers. Not sure he/she has read the thread though. Perhaps he/she has only learnt to wipe his/her bum

[thighslapper]

VITAL SKILLS:

Wipe their own bums

Dress themselves for PE and back into uniform after PE

To be kind to others

To sit for short periods of time and listen

NO numerousy NO literacy

End of....

[concretefeet]

There will be a large variation in the attainment of the children in reception.

My dc's school is an 'outstanding' state one in a good area.DD2 is in reception but the youngest in her year - won't be 5 until she finishes reception!

I would say on the EYFS numeracy and literacy early learning goals my dd would be at about level 7/8 by now.She can read her own simple books by now but struggles on some words which are more irregular. At least 1/2 of the children would be sounding out/blending CVC words by the end of the first term .Some could read before school, but the minority. Their school follows letters and sounds and starts reception on the basis that they won't know any yet although most will.

The children do the ordering and writing of numbers fairly early on. They then do the number bonds to ten and adding and taking away small numbers and are now beginning to understand time and money.

Our school lets us know what they are doing each 1/2 term in reception in the EYFS areas and we have access to our child's record of attainment in these.

I did check my dd was forming her letters correctly before school because she was interested and bad habits can form quickly without the 1 to 1 checking you can do at home.There were children who could write sentences at the start of reception but lots only their name,mum,dad etc.

I'd do whatever he is interested in at home.I don't think he would be bored as our school seems good at stretching the higher attaining.

There is alot of emphasis on the other EYFS goals and making reception fun.

There will be pushy mums but most won't be although alot are interested and supportive at home.

[StarlightMcKenzie]

He has a difficulty that means he is at a high risk of bullying and low self-esteem. I don't want him to be 'far' ahead, but I want him to have the advantage of being good at somethings so that he can relax and work better with the things he is not so good at.

he is at a school with poor attainment levels and going to a school with high attainment levels. I want to make sure he is on the right track for as much as he is capable of.

Ruddy Thank you. That is helpful. The school thankfully are aware that he has excellent phonics skills despite being told by the EP that he will never learn phonetically and needs to be taught to sight read only . Never mind reading, he can actually write many words, - with blends, but he doesn't do this at school as he doesn't chose drawing ever.

[boolifooli]

If he's 'far In front' at the school he's at now why are you worrying? Do you want/need him to be in front at new school? Why?

[ruddynorah]

when he moves from nursery to school he continues at foundation stage and the nursery have a specific document to complete to 'transfer' him to the school. this is a detailed document with sub sections for all those headings given in that earlier link. the nursery have to have observational evidence for the levels he's at. if he hasn't had opportunity to demonstrate the skills he has at nursery then he won't be marked as being at that level.

dd is in reception now. i remember looking at the nursery to school document with the reception teacher at her settling in session and thinking well i know she can do that but i have to consider it may be a while before her teacher observes it.

[StarlightMcKenzie]

Ah you're probably right Total. If the new school are anything like the old school, they probably won't even notice that he can read and add and if I told them they wouldn't believe me anyway, and there is no way that he would show them off his own back and if by a miracle he did, then they'd say that he'd learnt it all wrong or something.

Yep, - I'm a bit bitter and haven't had a great experience so far of the education system so far. Hope posh school is better but it doesn't help that they have been fighting against ds' attendance. At least the kids will be a bit nicer perhaps...........

[TotalChaos]

I wouldn't be inclined to push for anything to be done at school re:what he's doing well at, but would just carry on at home with reading books, simple counting games, cooking, showing him money etc.