blimmin eck this newfangled primary stuff looks way complicated

[sleeplessinderbyshire]

DD is not yet 3 and only at nursery so this is all way ahead of us. She has started to recognise some letters and at nursery they sing jolly phonics songs when she's with the older kids and she's started to show a real interest in letters. I've always assumed I'd start teaching her to read at home sometime soonish as I know I could read fluently when I started school and had just assumed all kids could. Coming on here I see loads of kids start at the beginning in school and that it's all about phonics. I feel totally out of my depth and like some sort of dinosaur. I am even more terrified about maths when I see references on here to "number lines" WTF are they? - have a maths a level so no innumerate just mystified by all the new fangled malarky that i assume I shall have to get my head round. As for "key stages" what on earth are they - will anyone give me a translation before she starts school or am I going to be dumbo mum at the school gate

Dumb maybe and school seem to think you know exactly all their little processes and secret codes. I am astounded at the utter shite style of communication.
It's hell in my opinion.
Stick with MN to learn lots!
Then be prepared to still not understand a jot of what the reception teacher is doing.

Key stage 1 = infants
Key stage 2 = juniors
Key stage 3 = years 7-9
Key stage 4 = years 10 & 11

number line = a continuous line of numbers (ie 0 to 100)
number square = normally 1 to 100. Arranged in 10 lines (11 under 1)

I'll let someone else handle phonics. Not my age range.

Maydaychild

Most teachers are happy to explain the codes. We're not out to get you. I spent a good portion of last parents' evening explaining number lines to parents.

I have no issue with explaining our methods, but I do find it infuriating when people say "well that's not how I learnt it and so it must be wrong. I will continue to confuse my child by telling them things that contradict the school method."

Isn't reception foundation stage, then yr 1+2 key stage 1? Maydaychild are you at my school? The new learning jargon I can cope with to an extent, but it is the way things appear on the calendar and we are supposed to know what it means. Does get easier as you get used to it, but when dd2 (just 5) comes home talking about 'child initiated play' you do wonder (though think she might have been eavesdropping!). Find a parent who has older children and do what they do!

Hi

I always think it's a shame that parents worry and fret more about their 'babies' starting school than the kids do! No one expects parents to be knowledgeable about school, curriculum etc, but I'm sure in due course things will be explained to you (if the school is any good at all at least) either in pre-Reception meetings, or in newsletters etc. And I'm afraid things are always changing: I haven't looked at it yet, but Pearson Education have a paragraph at top of this site about latest developments.

I was a Teaching Assistant (male) for twelve years, mostly in an Infant School, but I started as a parent helper when our DS was in Reception. What a Reception teacher WILL expect however is that a child can cope with the toilet, washing hands, eating lunch, changing for PE, waiting turns and sharing, handling books and equipment with a degree of care. And most of these skills DD should be starting to learn at Nursery.

juniper has already explained Key Stages and some Numeracy. All I would add to that is that counting REAL objects - say, dolls - then adding one more, taking two away, etc is better than writing numbers on a page. Have a Dolls' Tea Party: how many plates, cups are needed, how many biscuits, cut a large cake in two (half) in four (quarters) . . . I'm sure you're getting the idea!!

Reading and Phonics does require that you know the appropriate letter SOUNDS; and don't bother with letter names at this stage. Your Nursery staff SHOULD know these sounds, but I have heard plenty of otherwise capable teachers, who still get some wrong.

In particular: S is 'sssss' not 'suh' (as it used to be) and some schemes use a hand-weaving motion for 'ssss-snake'.
M is 'mmmmm' (rubbing tummy for nice food) not 'muh'.
N is 'nnnnn' not 'nuh'.

You can probably find them all on line somewhere, and there are CDs and DVDs available.
(I believe BT Outreach used to do free resources, but that may have ended.)

Good luck, and Enjoy it with DD!

For phonemes, there's a useful page here
www.mumsnet.com/learning/phonics/listen-to-the-44-phonic-sounds

Partitioning is another word you'll need to know. It just means splitting a noumber into tens and units. So 34 becomes 30+4.
I got some KS1 book from WHSmiths and I found them helpful as they cover the curriculum and use the new methods.