Moving back to UK - Reception class query

[salsa]

We are returning to the UK soon and ds will go straight into reception.
I would like to know at what stage you 4/5 year olds are at at the the moment. He is in a foreign school at the moment and they don't start to teach anything with regards to alphabet etc until they are 6.
I don't want ds to struggle.

At DS's school they went over the alphabet again at the beginning of Reception (although they'd done that too in Nursery).

My DS is in reception ATM and has at this stage mastered all his letters, he is reading very simple books, think the Cat sat on the mat, but more modern.

They are also doing numbers and from what I can see they have started on simple addition and subtraction.

If you would like, I could point you in the direction of some of the stuff that Ds does on the computer.

dd is in Reception atm at 4 1/2 . She is forming her letters (and just starting to join up {shock})and has done Jolly Phonics for letter sounds. Following Oxford Reading Tree and Rigby Star books but the level of the whole class is very variable form basic to quite advanced. Recognising numbers to twenty and corresponding qquantities and number "stories"/bonds (so far up to 7), simple addition and subtraction. They do a lesson of Maths and English each day. Also plenty of art, free and guided play, PE , dance, music, topic work, discussion, socialisation etc.

ds was in a similar position to yours and the work she is doing at 4/5 is broadly in line with what he did at Kindergarten ( equivalent of Year 1) level in an International school at 5 1/2-6 1/2. We moved back last year and he went straight into Year 3 but is rapidly making up the ground. He was already reading at the same level anyway but lacked in handwriting, volume of written work and maths. At Reception level there is a wide range of ability, maturity and motivation anyway so don't think you should eb overly concerned.

hth

Salsa, hope the move goes well!

Just wanted to re-assure you that you will probably find a wide variation in what the reception kids can do. Some will have attended nursery or pre-school every day and some will have done some sessions and some none. My DS will start reception in September but has only been attending pre-school since Jan. He recognises some letters but not all, and recognises numbers reliably only between 1 - 6! He can't draw a picture yet, still scribbles really - and certainly is nowhere near having the control to form letters.

Reception is as I understand it about socialising and learning these basics. put it this way if your DS and mine were in the same class I expect they'd be at the same level despite us being resident in this country!!!!

Thank you for all your replies. I was away for a bit cooking. I would be very interedsted to see what you ds is doing on the computer Ladysherlock.

It si just a worry. It will be hard enough for him to join a class that are all settled let alone struggling with what they are learning.

Salsa - honestly, I wouldn't worry. They don't EXPECT children to have knowledge of letters etc, they cover it anyway. The purpose of reception is social skills, etc.

\link{http://standards.dfes.gov.uk/primary/publications/literacy/nls_framework/485701/nls} There are lots of schemes of work etc on the internet. Heres an example, hope it helps.

\link{http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/primary/publications/literacy/nls_framework/485701/oops}

\link{http://standards.dfes.gov.uk/primary/publications/literacy/nls_framework/485701/\argh}

You may find \link{http://www.underfives.co.uk/elg.html\this} useful for reference. These are the aims for the end of the Reception Year (aka Foundation Stage). We find there is a lot of repetition and reinforcement so starting later isn't necessarily going to be a problem.

Oh i give up, youll have to copy and paste or hope janh comes along sometime soon!

The thing is that european children who don't start formal things till later just catch up faster. Beacuse they are older when they learn it; they learn it more quickly. I read about how they gave a group of swiss children they key state one sats and although they had covered the subject matter much later they got the same marks as the british children.

hmm jane313 it is n't quite as simple as that. Swiss kids have immense pressure to be able to write etc within a term or so of starting and it all has to be just so, although by themt heya re at an age where this is more possible. Many of them are already over 7 before they start formal education so presumably either that study is for KS2 SAT's at 11, when they are already cramming for their selective secondary education or they are sitting KS1 later than their UK peers. It is true that the gap closes quickly though and we are finding that a lot of things are repeated and reinforced in the UK system whereas perhaps if introduced later the concepts are grasped more quickly.

Thank you lucy5. To be honest I quite liked the fact that my ds was still just painting and coulouring and doing the basic numbers etc at his school. They will have plenty of years ahead to study hard and I have enjoyed them just being content at school.

I shall not worry and just help him when the time comes.

Thats the approach I am taking with dd who transferred from the Spanish system to an international one. She has blossomed although she is a bit behind some of the children with reading and writing. Being a teacher myself, some of the mum's think that dd should be reading the times. DD transferred for the last stage of nursery into a class that had been together for 2 years and although she was very quiet at first, she's settled in really well and a year on she's having a ball. For her first term she was in the wrong class as there was a mix up btween Spanish and British entrance ages. So she did the last term of reception before she had started it and come the new academic year she had to join a new class again although with the same teacher.

LIZS it was key stage one sats. There was a whole documentary about it on about 8 years ago. I don't remember the exact ages of the kids involved but they said they were the same as englsih ones. It was just a one off study.