About to start RECEPTION?...Are you coaching your child??

[noonar]

I'm pretty relaxed about my dd starting school next week, but I caught myself at story/bedtime doing a little more than usual as far as looking at letters/sounds on the page is concerned! You're not all hot-housing your kids before term starts, are you?!

you'll probably be doing it all wrong anyway

different phonics schemes etc

stop sweating it .. its more important you teach her how to make friends etc

Course, she is, and mine too, cat. what a coincidence!

have been doing some of those Jolly Phonics workbooks. is that sad? not coaching her but want things to seem familiar at first.

God knows how she'll get changed into PE stuff, dressing herself isn't her strong point!

twiglet, funny you should say that, as we had a big talk about how to strike up conversations with potential new friends whilst on holiday. i pointed out that ' i can swim by myself, i bet you can't' wasn't the best opening line! we've also been doing bum wiping and putting on of socks...such a challenge!

Glad it's not just my ds having to be nagged about wiping his bum properly! Agree wholeheartedly with twig.

Oh god, I know this is a bit tongue in cheek but the stuff they need to know before they go into reception is NOT any kind of letter/sounds/writing. Please!! It doesn't matter.

As long as they can:

1. Sit and listen quietly(ish) to a story
2. Follow instructions
3. Play independently with/ alongside other children
4. Dress and undress themselves, including tights, buttons, shoes, pinafores
5. Go to the toilet and keep themselves fairly clean then they will be fine. The teachers will love them (and you)

twiglet, funny you should say that, as we had a big talk about how to strike up conversations with potential new friends whilst on holiday. i pointed out that ' i can swim by myself, i bet you can't' wasn't the best opening line! we've also been doing bum wiping and putting on of socks...such a challenge!

sorry didnt mean to post that twice!

olihan, you won't believe his, but i teach myself, but year 5, and up till quite recently regarded reception children as beings from another planet!

have been chatting to KS1 collegues, tho, and they've advised against coaching per se. am jut trying to encourage a love of books, where literacy is concerned.

No coaching here, just enjoying books for the stories and the pictures. We've been told they won't be taught writing or reading for the first two terms and then they are using a new system so I thought best leave them to it rather than confuse him. He has a healthy love of books and an enquiring mind so that's what he'll be taking with him from me!

We are working on putting uniform and PE kit on and off and getting shoes on is a struggle. DD at DS's age was up and dressed, washed and brushed and ready to go. He can barely be bothered to have a wee in the mornings. It's going to be fun.....

Ha, Noonar, teachers are the worst type of parent though aren't they . I know I'm going to be EXACTLY the same when ds starts in reception. Guess what I used to do before kids..........!

what, olihan, i'm intrigued!

Kbear, i hear from all my friends with boys AND girls, that it's so different with girls! (on the whole)

did you see 'the secret life of the classroom '? made me cry!

I used to be a teacher. Honestly. You just wouldn't have known would you?!! (such a shame there's no [sarcasm] emoticon on here!)

Re making friends: My DD's chat up line when she first went to school was "How many Barbies have you got?" -seemed to work well

sorry olihan, i assumed from your comments that you were a teacher, but thought that you also had some other, exciting, top secret former profession too!

do you miss it? i still do 0.4 -jobshare. i have 2 girls, 2 and 4.

today I coached him in "What will you do at school if you cut your finger?" (while I was putting a plaster on his finger)
"When you're at school, please make sure you flush the toilet" (when he had just walked out of toilet without)
"You will have to wear socks at school you know" (hasn't worn them since May - loves his sandals)

Is that the sort of coaching you mean?! If you mean that schooly writing and reading stuff then, no, I haven't Was I supposed to?!

Its easy for boys - just let them watch powerrangers for a couple of weeks and they will be big hit in the playground

However of course the getting dressed etc... was been a bit more of a challenge

In a year, like me, you will be worried by them starting Year 1 and the fact that they are going your little work shy boy to actually do some work.

good on you, tommy!

don't say that Kaz - my DS1 doesn't even know what power rangers are..... -

S'alright noonar, I thought you were teasing!! Unfortunately my life is not that exciting. Just a plain old classroom teacher, me. Year 3 in my last job - found it a bit less draining than KS1!! I occasionally miss it, I'm a SAHM at the mo, ds is 2.8, dd was 1 last week and #3 is due on Boxing day. The plan is to go back when #3 starts school but it's the thought of all the extra stuff that puts me off. How do you manage marking, planning, etc with your girls? I'd love to go back in and just teach, without all the paper shuffling and beaurocracy. At the moment I'm thinking of going back as a TA but DH isn't as easy to convince!! He's a teacher too, but secondary.

No extra learing coaching happening here. And DD did all the social bits of getting ready for school through nursery anyway.

Been practising putting her uniform on and off this past week or so.

And she has a little book from school which explains routines, so read that a little to reinforce what to expect.

coaching??? omg no! shoudl I be???? I havent even shown him how to do up the buttons on his shirt yet.............

ohlian, i went back to work when dd1 was 6mo and dd2 was 9mo. spent all day at school today, sorting out classroom; total hassle, but am reluctant to jack it in having coped with the last 4 years p/t. i'm lucky that dh collects them on my work days so i can stay at work till 6 and avoid bringing much home in term time. i do spend all my holiday childcare time planning, tho, which is a pain. good luck with no.3!

Kaz - that is so true about POwer Rangers. Ditto Star Wars and any other film/TV show that has plastic tat tie-ins with McDonalds or Burger King.

My DS is about to start Yr 2. On joining reception he couldn't read anything except his name. He could write a 'M'. He didn't know what adding up was, or anything about numbers. He didn't really get going until yr 1, during which he made phenomenal pace and amazed me and his teachers with his progress. He loves school. But no way did or do I ever 'coach' him. I have freinds who do coach their children and that's up to them. In KS1 I think the important thing is getting on socially and making friends. Bum wiping and dressing is impotant, but not learning to read.