Why is MN so obsessed with reception reading?

[skiphopskidaddle]

It's a marathon, not a sprint. It doesn't matter if Johnny is on red and Amy is on lilac as (a) different schools go at different paces and (b) children develop different skills in different order.

I can't quite believe the number of reception reading threads I've seen this week along the lines of "what colour book is yours on?". I'm going over to the behaviour/development board now to check for obsessive posting about when children learn to walk. Cos it doesn't matter either, in general.

I don't thin it is just Mumsnet quite a lot of parents worry about it. I don't think it matters either, it does all even out, as a rule.

I am just very glad we don't have reception up here - it postpones the competitiveness for a year

maisie, you do, but it is called Primary1.

It isnt MN being obsessed, it is just certain posters who need/want to know how things are done in other schools.

When Mums start helping out in school just so they can see what level all the other children are on that is true obsession! pathetic.

P1 starts a year later than reception - which is why the competitiveness is postponed for a year. We have 2 years of nursery - ante pre-school, and pre-school which is equivalent to your reception. There is no formal reading programme in their preschool year. Thankfully.

I think it's partly because parents who are a bit control freaky or at least used to being very involved with their child's development, crave information about how they are doing at school and find the adjustment to not seeing them for six hours a day hard.

The main tangible information on how they are doing is reading levels. Not saying it's right but I think that's why people are like this.

Is it always a year later than reception? DD started reception last September at very nearly 5. Wouldn't she have started P1 on August at a little bit younger?

P1 starts in Aug. You start in the August if you are 5 between the 1 march before and the 29 Feb the year after

So p1 ranges from 4.5 to 5.5 years old

dont know how reception ages work

I always have to work this out. The cut off is the Feb before that years intake, so children who are born in March onwards go the following year. DS2 was born in Mar 07 - he won't start until next year when he is 5.5 - the youngest children will be 4.6. However, there is an automatic deferral right (here anyway) for children who are born in Jan and Feb, which means that the very youngest children in the class are 4.8.

So P1 children are aged from 4.8-5.7. I think reception children are younger?

Namechange you have hit the nail on the head. I spent my ds (PFB) reception year fairly obsessed with how he was doing because i struggled so much to let go for the time he was at school.
I am pleased to say that now he is in year 1 i am much more chilled out.

I myself blame the schools. They give you a reading journal which they want completed daily. They hold sessions to help parents help their children with reading, give us phonic sheets to go over with them nightly so it's understandable that some people will become over involved.

I can see that overall children in p1 will be older than children in reception but that in some cases (ie my DD) you can be older throughout reception than you would be if in Scotland and in P1.

Cut off for reception is being 4 by 31st August and school can start on September 1st.

So as my DD would be in p1 anyway, can I take an interest in her reading level?

As long as it's not a competitive interest

Will try very hard to not be competitive

Hi. I am not competitive at all in this case. My concern was that my daughter was doing a lot of things at home that the teacher said she could not do in school. And when I pointed this out to the teacher she disagreed with me, but the following day my DD came home with a reading book. It felt like I had to point out what my DD was capable of and she is not being assessed properly in school and therefor may have been placed in inappropriate 'ability group'. If she is in that group because that is where she needs to be that is fine but if she is there because the teacher just put her there without actually assessing her than that is worrying. I agree you should not compete and you cannot compare, kids are all different and good at different thing. I do however not think there is anything wrong in taking an interest in your childs education.

I'm not 'competitive' but I am curious about how children learn to read. Our school is not particularly open about how ds is doing other than to say 'he's fine' on parent evenings or when I ask. It's not the done thing to ask other parents specific questions. It is reassuring, especially if you are new to the education system, to come on MN and look at how other systems work and what stages other children are at and what sorts of issues arise with kids in reception. Keep the threads coming I say!!

You can't talk about it in RL so this is an ideal forum for it.

You can't talk to the teacher about it either without being seen as a pushy parent. There are no comparisons made and very little feedback from teachers, and when they first start school, the judgements begin, and potentially affect their whole primary school life. Our school streams from Y1.

Its easy to be snidey about it, but where else are concerned parents able to offload?

I would think it is much more preferable to talk about suchlike on MN rather than in RL; could you imagine it, someone turning up in the playground with a clipboard and pen to quiz all the parents about their DC's reading levels?!

I know that it's definitely taboo at my Dc's school.

And if you don't like the threads, dont read them.

Because it really really matters.

You will see a lot of people poo-poohing it and saying children develop at their own pace etc, but research has shown that if children are listened to read and encouraged to try harder, they will far outstrip their peers by the time they leave secondary schools.

No teacher will admit that on here, but they all know it.

Yes, it really matters - but that's not what this thread is about. It's about competitveness, which as we all know is not healthy at the age of 4. Children really shouldn't be under pressure from their parents to be at a certain level because little Amy is - at this age it should be about instilling a love of reading and learning, whatever the ability.

Does it really, REALLYT matter at this age? If so, why are some schools at completely different levels to others? My ds1's school is a 'good' by OFSTED standards and outstanding in some areas. And yet they are only now (in January) learning sounds and more advanced kids are learning to blend (not my ds1!). And it sounds like in Scotland they don't learn till they are nearer 6 years old. I refuse to push him in this, because I know we are a household who read a lot, enjoy reading and that when it comes, it will take off for him. We will do what we can to encourage but not push...and it seems like some of these threads ARE from quite pushy parents.

One person's "pushy" is another person's "concerned and engaged." No one wants a thicky kid.

Speak for yourself, Hully Gully. I don't mind having a 'thicky kid' . If that's what he is, I'll accept him and love him anyway. If he's capable of more, I will encourage him to it. Too many kids grow up feeling inadequate because of 'concerned and engaged' parents.

A thicky kid? Charming

I think I'd rather be supportive and accepting, than write him or her off as a thicky kid at the age of 4.

Will you still think that when they are lagging hopelessly behind at 14/15? Never getting prizes at Speech Day? I don't think so.

Are you purporting to be speaking for me Hully? Do I know you in RL? If not, and I strongly suspect we don't, then please don't presume to know how I'll feel when reach 14 or 15.

For all you know, one or all of my children may have SN or require learning support.