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Original poster

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

69 replies

noonar · 29/08/2006 20:30

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?!

OP posts:

hulababy · 31/08/2006 08:54

Like the velcro idea. Just wish I could sew!

Looks like teacher and TA will be busy helping with buttons and ties for the first term or so.

catrin · 31/08/2006 11:20

Agree with Olihan re tights. Am more than happy to help children get dressed, but it makes me want to weep when confronted by 10 pairs of tangle, inside out tights. Especially when slightly sweaty if I get an afternoon PE slot. And the girls are not sure whose are whose after all...

electrica77 · 31/08/2006 12:42

what is hot-housing? I keep hearing this term but don't really know what people mean by it. Is it a specific way of doing something (like the routine/non routine debate for babies) or is it just slang? ie has someone written books about it?

I remember my first day at school- i was terribly disappointed to find out that the 'yard' was not a farmyard, as that was the only context I'd heard that word in before lol. I loved it though, and i was lucky that my playgroup was about 50 yards from my primary school so i already knew everyone in the class. I gather thats not usual though.

Original poster

noonar · 31/08/2006 15:53

I understand hot-housing to be intensive coaching, a bit like cramming for an exam.

ps very sweet, your idea about the 'yard'

OP posts:

electrica77 · 31/08/2006 20:22

Ahh... not sure how (or why) anyone could hot house for reception then. I was shocked when I heard about baby sign language though, and some people advocate 'educating' the foetus in the womb so I suppose anything goes!

I had a similar problem on my first school trip as i was told were going in a coach- I was horrified to find we were travelling in two big buses and not the golden fairy princess coach with white horses that I had expected!

Pfer · 01/09/2006 14:06

We've just been practising opening lunch boxes. It was a success. I've got him some of those ones with clip over edges which he's managed quite well. Was a little worried that I'd pack him up a lovely lunch and he'd not be able to get to it - not that he'll eat it anyway.
Bum wiping ok, but he's not keen on loo roll, likes the moist stuff.
Clothes all ok, apart from socks must buy new baggy ones this weekend then he'll be ok.
Academic coaching? DH keeps trying with star books etc, he can write his name and recognise a few words and numbers, count to 20, etc but I'm not a big fan on coaching at 4yo. Learning through play is so much easier and much more fun for everyone.
Making friends? - Lucky he went to playschool and the school nursery group before starting reception full time in.... eeeekkkk!! 3and a bit days....panic!!!!!! Anyway, had a few play dates over the hols with other boys in his class - went well, he's now known them for about 2yrs so friendships already started.

Still frightened though. He's quite sensitive and there's some scary pushing kids in his class next term who he didn't bond well with at playschool. Hoping it won't start up again.... [worried].

Judy1234 · 01/09/2006 14:52

"what is hot-housing?" It's been a term around for years. YOu might use flash cards to each your baby to read and then take it to suzuki violin, then put it through teach your baby maths classes etc etc... I never had time for it. I think our mother did quite a bit of it in a sense, French words around the house on items, taught us all to read before school etc but I never felt forced, coached my brother into a difficult school a year young at 6. Might be why we went to good universities/Oxbridge or might be nothing to do with it. I think it was more being exposed to her general intelligence, genetics and attention, talking etc Some people don't talk to their children enough and bed time stories which I've always done with mine.

tinkerbellie · 01/09/2006 16:30

am sorry are you saying they have to be able to dress themselves!!!!
dh can dress himself but we usally only do things with popper or zips and wasn't sure which school shirts to buy can't tell if they are wearing polo shirts (you know with the collars) or proper shirts but they won't be taking tham on and off will they?

is ok with shoes but i remember you getting help with your shoes from kids in the last year

am a little worried though cos his two best friends the only kids he ever talked about playing with aren;t going to the same school and i have mentioned this to him and i think he knows but didn't want to make a big thing of it and worry him about going, but now i'm thinking i don;t want him to get there and be looking for them!!!
am worried about him making friends as he has a speech difficulty and is hard to understand sometime, don;t want any kids making fun of him!!

i don't know maybe will just keep him at home for another year!!!!

wanderingstar · 01/09/2006 18:52

My sil is a reception teacher and from what she says, together with my own experience (3 through reeption and 1 about to start playgroup), definitely better to concentrate on basic self management skills first. Then if your child shows an interest in writing, reading, whatever, go for it. FWIW 2 of mine (especially dd who's older in the year group) could read well before reception, ds1 couldn't, but it didn't matter at all.

I certainly wouldnt coach..ridiculous.

AngelaChill · 01/09/2006 19:03

tinkerbellie - did you mean DH or DS - i can completely understand both needing help !

tinkerbellie · 01/09/2006 19:18

hi i mean ds

have lost hope with dh

Pfer · 01/09/2006 20:11

tinker - DS has to be able to dress and undress himself as they have PE lessons and have to get changed into their kit and back to uniform again. I'll have to remember to leave his top 2 buttons undone on his polo shirt or he'll never get it off - not too good with buttons yet

Hungrymama · 01/09/2006 20:47

Saw 'Child of our Time' ages ago and they said the most important thing you can do for your child (in terms of helping them to make friends etc.) is make them look nice! Forget recognising their name or spelling Constantinople - so long as their hair looks funky and they know how to smile they'll probably be okay!
DD starts nursery in just under two weeks - I am stocking up on cute hair clips, bobbles and socks with matching trim just in case. Now all I need is for her to sit still long enough for me to tame her mane into an 'attractive style'!!!!

ocd · 01/09/2006 20:48

PMAL at thsi thread title
s he si on an intensive bead threading course

noseymum · 02/09/2006 09:53

Been getting him to practice putting on uniform, then changing into his pe kit. Bit of a palaver actually!

Also practising the bum wiping as he's not too good at it. And keep saying " you can't take your trousers and pants off when you have a poo at school". (Just can't stop him) His answer is "I won't go for a poo at school" (OMG)

Keep telling him about what his day will be like. i.e. get up, have breakfast, get dressed without messing about. Go to school, have packed lunch etc etc.

God I'm worried about it!

tinkerbellie · 03/09/2006 17:14

yes why do they do that ds always comes down with no clothes on after hes had a poo!!

PeachyClairHasBadHair · 03/09/2006 17:29

DS3 starts school nuresry on the 13th, they'd like some familiriaty with writing own name / sharing days activites. He can't talk, FGS. Can see this is going to be fun

And the letter we got states that in no circumstances can they deviate from the glass of milk / toast with butter snack, and bruinging in foods is forbidden. DS is intolerant to milk. I could:

A) have a meetinga nd be ignored
B) Tell them, sit abck, watch them give ds milk and watch them clear up the diarrhoea when abrely toilet trained ds poo's over the entire place as a result.

sorkycake · 03/09/2006 17:33

Mine goes to Reception in... GULP!...2 days time & I'm dreading it
I will only have a 2.8yo at home and already feel like the house is going to be lonely.

She has been able to dress herself fully since Nursery last year as we were told they had to be able to do it themselves and would only be given minimal help. Some of those kids had just turned 3 fgs!
She was introduced to JP in Nursery last year so she goes to Reception knowing how to read, writing is legible but huge.
The Reception teacher who did the home visit brought a 25 page workbook out with her and went through it to see what Dd already knew, then left it saying it was homework to be completed over the holidays, so we've been doing that.
For telling L & R on shoes, I got Dh to draw little feet inside her shoes to help her.

We stacked up on pretty bobbles etc as well, how shallow eh?

Pfer · 04/09/2006 16:25

Eeeekkkkk!!!! Tomorrow is nearly here! Sigh, I'll miss DS so much, OK DS2'll be here, but as they ply together a lot now I know he'll miss him a lot as well. TBH not looking forward to it all that much.

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