is Reception supposed to be play? have noticed on many threads on here that it is....

[dinny]

so why do they have to know the 45 sight words by end of it? and all the letters sounds?

no its between nursery and year 1 so is supposed to more structured and there are learning goals by the end of it .. it is the first year of official schooling and often the first experience of school so playing does tend to be an integral part of it

they also do a lot of learning through playing. So why it looks like lots of fun, they learn something too. At our school they do get a lot more "free choosing" (as DD calls it) in Reception than YR1 (DD currently in). As well as the letters & words, they are supposed to know the numbers 0 - 10.

what are the 45 sight words btw?

at dd's school they say that over the reception year they move from 80 % play - 20 % "work" to 20 % play - 80 % "work"

I thought the 45 words were by the end of year one? (i.e. P2 in Scotland)

reception words

I go come
went up you
day was look
are the of
we this dog
me like going
big she and
they my see
on away mum
it at play
no yes for
a dad can
he am all
is cat get
said to in

end of KS1 (ie year 2)

reception words plus

after would too
could an back
here do door
may his how
people much new
there pull saw
will three took
again would ball
did another down
his don?t if
more home next
push must school
these put tree
with time be
an your first
do as jump
his dig night
much house seen
pull name two
three ran
because had came
from live help
just lived man
not once out
should take them
use way where
bed but girl
half last love
now one sister
than very were
been by good
has laugh made
off or so
that want what
boy call got
called little have
old make some
our water their
brother when

Reception is a continuation of the Foundation Stage. Key Stage 1 starts in Y1.

At DSs school they don't fart about with the 45 words cr*p either. And the learning is all play based too.

our sight words are supposed to be learnt before Y1, Tissy.

Colditz - they are high frequency words, can't find bloody list on net for you, though! sure someone will post it!

The foundation stage has 6 Early Learning Goals. All activities/play are based round this.

so if a school is teaching sight words pre-Y1, is that pushing too much?

50% outdoor play 50% indoor play for Reception is what I was told.

And at the end of this year group children should be able to recognise a fair amount of hte high frequency words

CVC, Sobernow?

yeah, our school uses JP.

all 60 kids can read after 3 months? wow!

ah, I see - thanks!

how do they approach words that can't be sounded out, Sobernow?

DD's is based on learning through play type activites, but with a good structure embedded into the day. Some aspects are a little more formal than others each day, but the emphasis is on social interaction and a lot of doing type activities, rather than simply desk work.

DD's class have not published any key words that they have to know to parents. It's a private school but they do follow the foundation (reception) stage, although not all of the national curriculum thereafter. They read almost every day (not today as it was Easter parade) and bring a book home every day, following a few different reading schemes.

As I do know the key words I know that DD has covered all of these now, plus many more. She can sight read them all but I doubt she could spell them for you. She is not aware of how much she has learnt this year, I am sure!

We have similar to sobernow in that all the children in DD's class (15) could read at least simple CVC type words and other sight words by Christmas. They haven't done a phonics type approach though.

At DD school they never gave us the keywords either, but all children did know most (if not all) by the time they left.

Our school has also made YR1 more play based at the beginning to ease the transition. But by after Christmas they were probably at 20% play, 80% work. DD says they have less time to choose now. Classroom has also been reconfigured so that the "home" corner moved out after Xmas, "book" corner now just outside classroom, etc.

ds started reception in Jan, and has just been given a list of ten keywords to learn over easter. I think it is too early personally and he should be having more fun. I am sick of bloody jolly phonics already.

DD's school have never given them lists of words to learn, just their reading books. Do they have to learn to sight read them or actually spell them themselves? Curious as I know DD can sight read all these reception words and many of the other KS1 words, but I doubt she wouldn't be able to spell them - not unless CVC type.

Think it is to recognise not write from memory. dd (Yr1) can read all the Year 1/2 ones but not spell them yet, I'm sure it was same last year.

That makes sense then. Not sure I'd like the long list idea of learning them though, I can only imagine how much stress it might be to get DD to sit and learn them that way! DD has covered them in her daily reading, so doesn't really realise she has done it IYSWIM.

Children at this age should be playing IMO and in the opinion of many eminent people. However because of the education system in this country, we need them to be able to read independently as early as possible (so the teacher can set work to be done by the group as a whole without any adult intervention). Hence the focus on early literacy skills. Which doesn't seem to be majorly improving our literacy rates, when compared to other European countries who don't have any formal education until age 7.