handwriting expectations in recpeption

[hooplahoop]

I could really do with some advice about handwriting/ learning letter formations in reception, as I feel like I'm heading towards conflict with ds' teacher and need a bit of perspective.

She wants him to do daily letter formation practice at home as he is one of the worst in the class (her words) I think daily is excessive as ( 3 days a week) he does not get home from his childminder until early evening. He is generally enthusistic about learning and school in general, but my concern is that he is going to get disheartened by all of this.

Should I just get over myself and try to find time for the practice, and be grateful that she is trying to improve the class, or is the ( newly qualified teacher) too anxious considering its only half way through reception?

Thanks for reading ramble and for any thoughts

I think daily is probably too much, I think he would be better off doing a few days handwriting practice and then other activities to develop his fine motor skills such as lacing cards, threading beads, playing with playdough ( lots of rolling it between his fingers, making little balls, shape etc). :)

Has she suggested how long you spend practising? To me 5 mins every day is more worthwhile than 30 mins twice a week

They are all given one letter a day, to draw a picture starting with the sound, 4 - 6 lines of letter formation practice, and a short sentence with that sound in. For my ds that takes approx 10 mins. Which in the scale of things probably isn't that much I suppose.

If you are going to do homework (and I'm not saying you should or shouldn't) then a few mins daily is best.

Could you get him to do some things with the childminder?

I wouldn't want to put him off education at this early a point.

On the other side, I'm not sure it's fair to blame her NQT status. It'll be the powers that be who are making demands, not her.

I agree partially with SpringingAlltheWay. Activities that help develop fine motor skills might help keep him interested and make it fun. The evidence seems to show that starting kids too young on homework turns them off of educationespecially boys. Furthermore boys' fine motor skills develop slightly later than in girls. The NQT is likely stuck with pressure from government standards of what kids should be doing and whendon't just give in to her. Your child needs to develop at his own pace. If he is pressured to tow the line it could damage his future education. Trying to teach kids as young as 4 to read and write is counter-productive and as parents we need to speak out for our children.

Have you got a whiteboard at home? I recently bought ds (YR) one along with multi-coloured pens and it's encouraged him to sit a draw and write more at home.

I asked the cm, and she said its their busiest time of the day so they weren't too keen to help - understandably. I think I may leave some dot to dot/ jolly phonics workbooks at hers for him to do on his own. Great idea about the whiteboard, but bit worried his 15 month sister may cause damage!

This is a bit of a learning curve for us all, as this is the first time he's struggled with something in school. I want to get the balance of helping him improve - and not letting him stop practising just because he finds it hard, with all the concerns raised about putting him off.

I've got a meeting tomorrow so will see what comes out of it.

I would advise against buying the JP workbooks if he doing them on his own. It is were easy to establish bad habits in handwriting if children are left to do this type of activity unsupervised. Dot to dot is great fine motor control exercise but stay away from tracing letter shapes.