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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

Original poster

Should I be worried, reception ds not getting it....

27 replies

Threadcount · 15/01/2011 11:21

Ds started reception a week ago, staggered intake due to age. He has been given reading books to read every day that relate to his daily reAding record, but yesterday has brought home the same book for the 3rd time (baby Lamb has a drink). His friend from birth who also started reception last week - different school came over the other day the mum did the reading for both of them (my ds 2nd time same book) and her ds book was much more advanced, he could also at the end of the book give words beginning with specific letters when asked!

I have never worried about my ds development but all of a sudden I am in a panic. Dh is freaking out at me to chill but I have just spent 20mins with ds giving him words such as 'boy' and asking what sound/ letter it begins with and vice versa and he just does not get it how the sound corresponds to the letter! It seems he is reciting from memory, ie he know c is for cat so thinks c is for dog too etc etc. I am so frustrated.

Am I over reacting? I was always worried that one less term of reception may hold him back! Will he get it eventually? His friend has! 30 in his class, 16 have been there since September! Sorry this sounds so disjointed but it's how I feel at the mo! Why we've had the same book 3 times this week has thrown me!

We read a book every night to him, have always done fwiw! I'm in the mindset that if he is having problems they should be addressed sooner than later as he'll be moving up to year 1 in 2 terms and i'd hate fir him to struggle or be held back? What do people think thoughts experiences very much appreciated.

OP posts:
mrz · 15/01/2011 11:27

You are over reacting he has only been in school a week!

mrz · 15/01/2011 11:28

Has he been taught all 44 phonemes yet?

hidingmytrueidentity · 15/01/2011 11:29

I wouldn't worry after a week but I am surprised that he didn't do phonics in his pre school or nursery.

lovecheese · 15/01/2011 11:30

He started school last week!!!!!!!! Give the poor boy a break! You are doing him no favours by what you are doing. Haven't time to write more, but others will say the same. Sorry to be blunt.

Adair · 15/01/2011 11:34

I think it's one of those things that just 'clicks' and when it does they learn v quickly. IMVHO I'd just leave it and let him settle in, make friends etc.

I don't think 'doing phonics' is at all necessary at pre-school or nursery tbh. We have done some playing with sounds and phonics at home but nothing formal - they are only little!!

Original poster
Threadcount · 15/01/2011 11:36

mrz I assume not, as you say it's only been a week! will that make the difference?

Just browsing other threads here under primary Ed about reception reading & writing and have to say it hasn't helped!! (worried emotion)

Our school as of this year won't do staggered intakes! When the teacher came to do a home visit said she had wanted this for 3 years and I can only assume why now!

OP posts:
Original poster
Threadcount · 15/01/2011 11:38

He was at the school pre school for a year, he can read the alphabet sounds it's just associating it to the words iykwim

OP posts:
mrz · 15/01/2011 11:42

Frankly I think you are worrying unnecessarily and putting pressure on him and yourself. He has been in school one week in my reception class he wouldn't even have a reading book to bring home.

Is the book from the PM series ?(sorry trying to recall which scheme)

Eglu · 15/01/2011 11:45

I'm not really sure why he has actually been given a reading book when he has only been in school a week.

Give him a chance. But also some children don't get it straight away but it clicks later on and they catch up. DS1 has a friend who was two reading levels behind him for almost a year and her Mum found it really hard going doing homework. One day it clicked and she just got it. Children do this at different ages. The little girl has not completely caught up woth DS1.

allnightlong · 15/01/2011 11:50

You need to calm down and stop being so OTT. For one thing your DS will pick up on your attitude an become anxious himself, that's awful pressure to be under at the age of 4 years old!
You need to view your DS and his education as individual development stop comparing him to friends and other school children in his class otherwise you will start to make you both miserable.

Another thing in the UK is rare almost unheard of for a child to be help back a year.

PatriciaHolm · 15/01/2011 11:54

Calm Down. You are massively over-reacting!

He's been there a week, a week which will have been spent settling in, making new friends, figuring out where the toilets are...etc.

Children progress at very different speeds. I expect there are a couple in his class who can read quite well; equally, I expect there are a couple who don't know any of their sounds. He'll get it when he's ready, keep reading with him, but RELAX about it; it could be another year before it clicks and that would be entirely normal!

Ariesgirl · 15/01/2011 12:00

Oh good Lord!

Calm down and do some reading with him at home. Talk about the books you are reading. Run your finger along the line as you read the different words. Make reading an enjoyable activity which he has a good feeling about. If you carry on like this, he will find it an irksome chore and grow to loathe it.

Relax.

WimpleOfTheBallet · 15/01/2011 12:01

It's ok....kids who begin reading early are not always leading the way at 15! Same for those who don''t fly with it straight away.

My 6 year old is very average...some of her mates are ahead...I dont worry though...

Original poster
Threadcount · 15/01/2011 12:02

Thanks for the replies' completely agree! Last thing I want to do is project my anxiety onto him, trust me!! But at the same time if I should worry then I'd like to be told!

Tbh iwas never comfortable with staggered intakes and him only doing 2 terms if reception so like a mad woman here I am!!

mrz yes new pm story books band 2 .when you say he wouldn't even have a reading book at one week is this for 2 term reception children also?

Appreciate all the feedback, thanks.

OP posts:
mrz · 15/01/2011 12:11

I would be asking the school why he has been give a stage 2 book when he has only been in school a week (and hasn't even had a stage 1 book yet) ... completely and utterly insane!

I wouldn't give any child a book in their first week in school unless it was a library book for their mum to read to them no matter how many terms they will be in reception. Personally I don't see how anyone can expect a child to read until they have taught them how to.

Original poster
Threadcount · 15/01/2011 12:25

mrz maybe stage 2 is different? his book has handwritten band 2 inside page and on the back it is red set A. book is quite simple page 1 spring is here. page 2 baby lamb is here. I will be asking on Monday why they've sent the same book back 3 times last week. He also has a weekly reading book.

OP posts:
arentfanny · 15/01/2011 12:28

He should be on stage 1, that is quite tough going for a child just starting reception.

mrz · 15/01/2011 12:36

No Threadcount Baby Lamb's First drink is a stage 2 (red band) PM scheme book from set 2

Original poster
Threadcount · 15/01/2011 12:55

ok thanks for your replies, does all makes sense. I'll have a chat with the teacher on monday.

OP posts:
DreamTeamGirl · 15/01/2011 17:53

Thats not an easy book, and definely not a Week 1 book

Read it to him and enjoy it together if you like but dont expect him to be able to read it

Maybe they have sent it back 3 times because he likes it?

PatriciaHolm · 15/01/2011 20:16

Maybe he chose it himself? Our school has boxes for each band and the children chose their own book from the relevant box. It's possible he's just helped himself to a book from the wrong box.

UniS · 15/01/2011 20:21

DS started 2 weesk ago. 1st week= no books home
2nd week= wordless books home.

3rd week = they will start learning letter sounds . I guess we will continue getting wordless books till teacher is happythat some letter sounds have gone in.

different school do things differently.

Chilll. ask why if hes still on same set of six books at end of term.

misskeith · 17/01/2011 10:15

Ours lets kids choose any book and they bring home one a day - I assume we are just meant to read it to them since mine can only read two words so far! But at this point (we are ten days in too) I'm not sure the teachers have any idea where the individual kids are at anyway.
I would stop worrying for now at least - my child is so thrown by the whole starting school experience he has lost lots of the progress he'd made with writing before, and is clearly not in a learning space at the moment (except for where is my peg type stuff)

coccyx · 17/01/2011 11:22

Gosh you need to chill.
You are in for a stressful 12+ years of schooling if you start to compare your child with others.
Learning is a marathon not a race. I would worry he is not settling in etc not level of reading in his first week

munstersmum · 17/01/2011 11:37

Chill, chill, chill.

When DS started school wordless books came first. He went to a great preschool and left knowing no phonics because one of the local primary headteachers had asked that preschools not teach the kids them! Right or wrong, as a parent I decided not to wade in and teach him. Taught phonics at school & the late start has not been an issue at all.

Only now that he is in year 2 does he get more than 1 book per week to read and he's ahead of average in a top 100 state primary. We do bedtime stories etc and for me the key is he acquires a love of reading for pleasure.