Need a bit of reassurance about reception dd

[twoplusthree]

Just writing for a bit of reassurance. I have a ds who is now in year 2 who is very academically able. He found numeracy and learning to read and write easy peasy and i never had to show him anything - he just seemed to know. Dd is doing well (teacher happy), her reading is great but i have a couple of concerns. Although she forms all her letters well, and spelling is pretty good she cannot get the hang of writing in straight lines so one line often merges into the line above (i have explained this to her but it makes no difference).
With numeracy, she still has to really think about what 12, 13 and 20 look like. She also relies on visual prompts (like smarties etc) to help with maths concepts like adding, subtracting, tens and units etc., whereas ds could do them in his head.
I am possibly expecting a lot of her as i only have ds to go by.

Be reassured.
Sounds to me to be WAY ahead of many children in Reception and Yr1 and even Yr2 at this time of year.

From what you say your daughter is doing well.
Does she used lined paper or plain?

You are expecting too much.

Most children still need visual prompts in Y 1 & 2.

Thanks for quick replies. This is when she writes on plain paper, but even on lined paper some of the letters are above the lines. Ds was doing joined handwriting in the first term of year 1. I think her letters are actually better formed than his were, but very erratic.

It's really difficult on plain paper (I would always provide lines ) and perfectly normal for letters to float off the line at this age.

is she lesft handed? my dd had same problem with writing and the numbers and she is left handed. Your dd sounds very advanced in reception, are you sure this is not a stealth boast

Use the special paper with four lines ... they can develop beautiful cursive writing quite easily with this.

I promise this is not a stealth boast. Can only go by what ds was doing as we do not really discuss dc amongst friends in RL. She is right handed. I have shown her numbers 12, 13 and 20 loads of times and we have a number chart on the wall, but she has to really think to get the numbers right. I do not normally worry about her, but she has been writing a diary over the holidays and i this has made me notice these things.

Thanks Moom. Where can i get this paper from?

It sounds like she is doing fine.

She's doing really well .

I'm amazed you can remember so accurately what your DS did in reception. I have one in yr2 and one in reception and the chasm between what they can do is vast. It is very very hard to remember back to what my eldest was able to do 2 years ago, and not all of what I remember is accurate. What my younger one is doing seems so very very basic compared with what the eldest does now, yet if I think really hard I know that in most respects the younger one is doing more in most (but not all) areas than the older one did back then. My younger one is also 3 months younger in the yeargroup, and in reception those differences and gender too can have quite an impact.

They all have different abilities and progress at different rates. These differences in reception don't necessarily mean anything at all for their academic abilities later on.

Thanks pesto. I have ds's old work books and things from school, which jogs the memory a bit (although i know i shouldn't look at them and compare).
Dd is actually 6 months younger in the year group than ds was, so i suppose that may make a difference.

Once she starts to really understand that 12 is one ten and two units, and 20 is 2 tens and no units, the numbers will make more sense to her. Either this clicked with your DS earlier than for your DD, or he has a better visual memory.

When does that concept normally click? I have done things like get her to circle tens of things and count how many are left over, but i still don't think she gets it without the visual prompts.

do the teach in H T U anymore, I remeber doing this with dd when she was just in y1 and putting it in her homework book as dd wanted me to show her how to write numbers that wher in Thousands her teacher said that is not how they dont teach in that way anymore.

I have probably told her completely wrong and confused the poor kid!

I meant as a concept that she understands, not necessarily something that has been "taught".

Sounds like she is doing great. DS here is IMO doing great too, but he often writes 5s backwards and although his writing is good it's generally huge and he has no concept really of fitting in stuff on one line etc. I'm just thrilled when he wants to write though . He will always draw himself a line on plain paper- think they do this at school.

I'm 25, and I don't write on the lines unless I want to spend ten years on each paragraph.

Uh... 24.

sunscorch

6 months is a huge difference in age within the yeargroup. For a 4 year old 6 months is 1/8th of their whole life!

I wouldn't worry about pushing her with the numbers concept. She will get there in her own time. Having a parent who is interested and supportive is fab.

Thank you for the reassurance. I was worrying quite a lot which i know is counterproductive to dd.