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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.

How is your Reception child getting on? Can they read? Write?

45 replies

tallulah · 18/12/2011 13:30

Just curious. My DD (March baby) started Reception this year. She does not recognise any words, even though she has learned the letter sounds and can recognise odd letters ( T, O, S and A mainly). She brings books home and if you tell her the word is 'it' on one page, she has no idea what it is on the next.

I tried to get her to write her name in her Xmas cards but apart from the first letter it's just a meaningless jumble of squiggles. Judging from the cards she has received, some of her classmates are writing recognisably, some are having a stab at it and have at least got all the letters in, and a few can't write at all.

I can't remember how long it took my older children to read and write. Her sister started school at 4 1/2 and had to contend with a 9 letter name, but her brothers were September babies, so were just about 5 when they started school.

I'm just wondering what is 'normal'.

OP posts:
ShowOfHands · 18/12/2011 20:38

DD is 4yo and the youngest in her year and reads fluently. Her writing is good but she often spells phonetically ie she wrote a 'book' the other day called 'I love evreeone (speshully Amy)'.

No idea who Amy is btw.

There's a huge range of normal at this age.

RueDeWakening · 18/12/2011 20:49

DD (May birthday) could already read when she started school, she now brings simple non fiction and early chapter books home from school, no idea what level they are. She could also write her name.

She's mostly willing to have a stab at writing, and can come up with phonetically plausible words (eg mie for my, cos she knows about "magic e").

Her teacher said at the first parent's evening that she's on G&T for reading but not for writing, her writing is much more average judging by the class xmas card she brought home last week.

hawesmead5 · 18/12/2011 21:05

I presently teach year 1 and taught Reception for about 6 years. So I know that my DS1 (May birthday) is doing fairly well with his reading and numeracy. However he is very shy and I worry about his social skills. I think all children develop at their own rate and just because a child might be gifted with reading does not mean that they do not need to develop other areas. Also it depends alot on experiences outside of school.

EquestrianStatue · 18/12/2011 21:07

EnjoyResponsibly - my DS was/is just the same re. confidence. I welled up watching him in the Nativity, he was just a star in a chorus of 30 others, but he sang and danced in a way he just would never have done six months ago.

GooKingWenceslas · 18/12/2011 21:13

DS is a 'drawer' and can read and write because he was interested so I taught him. He's a March baby. He can't 'perform' like some of the DCs can here, he is very shy, and doesn't talk much at school.

Judging by the Christmas cards we got from his friends it varies so much as to what reception children can do, and many of them 'wrote' their names as you describe.

She is definitely normal :)

TalkinPeace2 · 18/12/2011 21:28

mine are now year 7 and year 9 - both depressingly high achievers
guess what they did in year R?

alittleteapot · 18/12/2011 22:37

don't forget, everywhere else in europe children are six or seven before expected to do this stuff. most important thing is to praise and encourage so they learn to like it and be interested.

my dd is a june baby and started school only able to write one letter. She can now write lots and recognises most. often writes backwards or wrongly, but is enthusiastic which is pleasing. she is quite good at blending sounds to get how you spell out a word but not so good at reading. tbh i'm surprised she's learnt as much as she has as thought she was too young. she's learning phonically which makes me realise how actually a lot of phonics are misleading as rules broken so frequently!

Kardashianw · 19/12/2011 09:30

TalkinPeace2 what did where they like in year R??? I'd love to know x

Eggrules · 19/12/2011 12:29

When my DS was in Nursery (4.8) I was told he was behind. Fast forward to 5 exactly he is like a different child. We do 30 minutes of sit down homework every day as this is what works for us. I would say his progress is down more to what we have done at home than at school. Last night he read 'Green Eggs and Ham'; two weeks ago this would not have seemed possible.

Primary Education threads have been very helpful in providing resources and lowering my expectations. This is despite than many posts about how fantastically well much younger children are doing. I keep telly myself that Reception is a year long and we are only one term in.

lynniep · 19/12/2011 12:38

I would expect by the end of reception for most of the kids in the year to be able to read something, and write their name and a few other things at but at this point, doing what your DD is doing sounds normal to me.

I am astounded actually by DS1 - this is a new experience for me too - watching a child learn to read. He has gone from being able to write his name, but not know any other letters in September, so reading whole sentences (he spells each word out before he says it to figure out what it is) in his DK reader. It doesnt matter if the word is new - he just spells it and reads it. I find this just incredible to witness! He struggles more with writing at this point though. He is 5 in March.

Bunnyjo · 19/12/2011 12:42

I completely agree with hawesmead5. DD is in Yr R, late August born - her attainment, academically speaking, is excellent, whereas she is struggling with the physical skills. Her numeracy skills are excellent, to the point where she has no targets in her pupil progress report for next term (something I will be addressing with the teacher at the start of term) and her reading and writing skills are very good too - she is currently at the same reading level as her yr1 peers. BUT, some of her physical skills are lacking - she lacks the dexterity to do buttons easily and will get ever so frustrated trying to do them and her pupil progress report also says she sometimes struggles to manipulate scissors effectively when cutting shapes - she tends to hack the paper!

We always read every day after school and she will write lists of things, such as shopping lists or sums, but this is all her own doing - if she wanted to run around, dance or sing, then it would be absolutely fine by me - she's still only 4.3yo after all.

By far the most important thing to me, though, is DD is thoroughly enjoying school and long may that continue.

legocreator · 19/12/2011 12:46

I am intrigued to know how children learn to read fluently (and write), before they start school. Please tell me your secret.

Bramshott · 19/12/2011 12:47

Hell no! She can however, sing a mean version of "we three kings from orient are, one in a taxi, one in a car" . . . Grin

laughalot · 19/12/2011 12:49

ds is year 3 always been very bright from a young age
dd started reception in september and is a january birthday she can write her name and she can right other words if I spell it for her but she cannot read yet.

miaowmix · 19/12/2011 12:56

DD is in reception and has just turned 5 - before she started she knew her alphabet and could write a few words, now she can read (also reading green eggs and ham which is brilliant at this age!) and write many words and keeps trying to write sentences.
She can add up and subtract up to ten, and can count to well over a hundred.
I am incredibly impressed by how much she's learnt in a single term, it makes me think her school is doing so much right, but most importantly she is happy and loves school and her new friends. Unless I had any concerns about her academically (I don't), that would always be my priority at this stage.
I am sure your DD is normal OP. Is she happy at school?

miaowmix · 19/12/2011 12:59

legocreator I could read fluently at the age of 3; I taught myself. Some children just have the capability and desire, just as others do for riding a bike or drawing/ballet whatever.
I thought DD was behind for not reading until she was 4, now I realize she is actually normal and I was probably the odd one out!

SenseofEntitlement · 19/12/2011 13:03

DD1 is a March baby. She can write her own and her families names, can have a go at most words and will try and read most things - she is on yellow reading band, but tries - not always successfully - to read catalogues, newspaper headlines, shop signs etc. I'm pretty sure yellow is too low - she reads higher at home and just whizzes through the school books, but I would rather she builds confidence at this stage. She will write or type simple stories and notes. She says she reads in bed, but I am pretty sure she is mostly looking at the pictures.

Her confidence isn't so good - she will struggle over the first word in a sentence, even if it easy, but then fly through the rest, so I think we need to work on that a bit. She is the same at writing - she will happily write stuff herself, but if an adult is in the room she asks for help with the same things. She still mixes up things like b and d.

Numbers wise, she is currently pleased with herself for being able to count to 100, but does need the odd prompt still. She can do backwards from 20, addition and subtraction to 20, two times table to ten. We are working on division and multiplication at home, and making sure she is strong on number bonds.

She is starting to get the idea of a scientific test, and of asking where knowledge comes from instead of just accepting it, can pick out where relatives live on a map of the uk, and knows about some key figures in history (mostly through horrible histories and then following up interesting ones). She has a very basic grasp of politics (very very basic and biased) and is learning the words and meanings of "The Red Flag" Grin

However, she is still very very shy, will stand and stare at other children rather than playing (despite us encouraging her) although she does start playing eventually. She still wets herself most days, and even has the odd poo accident, and she sleeps with a dummy. She is only now starting to talk on the phone, and will still leave long gaps in the conversation where she just stares at the phone, which is very annoying given that we lives miles from my family. Most of the time she refuses to talk to my mum on the phone because "I have no questions for her" SIGH Most of her games involve bossing us all around and getting annoyed when we don't know exactly what she is talking about, and she spends a lot of time just staring at people, which is unnerving.

She seems happy enough, but I do often wish that she would stop drawing pictures of Henry VIIIs skull (wtf?) and start, you know, going to the toilet. I'm not sure that the stuff she can do now will really make that much of a difference in the future, but smelling of wee amd staring at people will, so there you go.

PavlovtheCat · 19/12/2011 13:05

have not read through, but she is still very young! Give her lots of time and no pressure.

DD started not having a clue, by xmas she could put her name on her cards, with effort, and mistakes, and after 4-5 it was illegible. Then, one day, with her writing, she 'got it'. She is now 5.5 and has started to do some of her letters the wrong way around and her neatness is appalling, but she can do it all consistently and before we know it her writing will be good.

Wrt reading, the same. Not a clue before reception and for a long time, not a clue, then gradually she could do a word here and there (I recall 'box' being a first word to read), then, one day, end of last year, beginning of this year (yr1) she 'got it' and now is going leaps and bounds without much pressure at all from us. She started, when the 'switch' hit, to want us to read out sign words and now she wants to read everything and anything and asks us all the time to help with writing she sees out and about, absorbing like a sponge.

There really is no rush. In many countries, she would not even be at school at this age.

SenseofEntitlement · 19/12/2011 13:08

Should add, I don't know if it is relevant, but she was a month early, so I suppose she was going to be an April baby. Doesn't seem to have made much difference.

TalkinPeace2 · 19/12/2011 13:35

DD : Did not say a single word till after her 2nd birthday. Then whoosh. driven. Already starting to read and write at nursery.
DS : talked early. REFUSED to read or write until well into year 1 (I still have his year R reading record and the teachers exasperation is clear). Then one day he decided to and off he went.
both got 3's at KS1 and 5's at KS2
kids learn at different rates
accept it

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