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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.

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Original poster

literacy in reception....

25 replies

stitch · 22/05/2006 21:06

ds has been in reception for two and a half terms now, he still cannot reac cvc words. hasnt figured out the whole sounding letters to make up a word. teachers dont seem to be bothered. they say he 'struggles' but i havnt seen him being given any help. now he is getting spelling tests on the 45 keywords, but i only found that out from another mom who aske dme whatds got in his test!
if i have to teach him how to read, then why am ibothering to send him to school?

OP posts:

kid · 22/05/2006 21:10

I think they could have let you know about the tests. DD didn't ever do spelling tests in Reception afaik. There isn't any point in a child trying to read until they know the sounds the letters make. Does your son know these?

kid · 22/05/2006 21:11

I know exactly how you feel about having to teach them things yourself, I have a problem with DD and her school at the moment.

Whizzz · 22/05/2006 21:14

DS started in Sept too - a few weeks back he had 'mini' tests of 4 or 5 words but with no real pressure on results. He managed OK as he seems to pick up things quickly. I think they all learn at such different rates at this stage though - there are bound to be big differences.

LIZS · 22/05/2006 21:19

Not aware of dd having had any such tests. She can read most of the 45 words but tbh she isn't really sounding them out, more recognisiign the first soudn or two and the shape of the word. What grounding has your ds had so far - without confidence in basic phonics work he doesn't stand much chance.

Are you sure your ds is included in the tests if you haven't heard directly. Could he be spending the time doing other reinforcing activities instead ? I doubt he's the only child in his class at this level.

GDG · 22/05/2006 21:26

Ds1 in reception - not aware of any testing going on either. Certainly not had any spellings to 'learn'.

SoupDragon · 22/05/2006 21:27

They don't test them in DSs school. They don't teach them those 45 words either.

GDG · 22/05/2006 21:29

SD, same here as far as I'm aware. They don't come home with certain words to 'learn' either. They do JP and then get on with reading then just keep going.

MamaMaiasaura · 22/05/2006 21:30

stitch - dont worry about what your friend is saying. Basically as i understand it the have reception words, yr 1 & yr 2 words that they all learn at their own pace. Some learn their words quicker, others numbers, other social. There arent tests but sometimes the teachers check kids to see where they are at. In year 1 is when they really start pushing the reading etc. Then they tend to group kids so that ones who need a bit more help get it as they all reach the same level and platteau anyway.

hth x

Whizzz · 22/05/2006 21:30

I don't what happened to them to be honest - there were 'tests' for about 4 weeks (4/5 words a week) but then they stopped. Now the class just has Letters of the Week.

Original poster

stitch · 22/05/2006 21:32

he does know the sounds, but doesnt equate them with the sound he hears.
i just feel that because he isnt a badly behaved child, or gifted and talented etc, he doesnt get any attention.
i also know that the teacher is tutoring at least two of the kids from her class after school. which i feel isnt right.

OP posts:

MamaMaiasaura · 22/05/2006 21:33

ds is in year 1 now and have weekly spelling tests - but they all learn diff words. It was a shock for ds going up to year one as he found all the work boring and misseed the play. He has fianlly settled down to it over the last term, but is a big change for them and they get tired quick.

Might be worth you chatting ot his teacher and get an idea of what they expect. Re teaching ds to read, I found it helpful to re-iterate what he learnt at school, as now he needs to learn spelling and read at home. Also in year R ds bought home phonecs to do. Homework seems pretty standard and now part of the routine.

MamaMaiasaura · 22/05/2006 21:35

can you do the letter and sounds with him? I am sure the bbc site has some good links for education too. It can be so hard when you are sure what is going on cos you dont want them being left out/behind. Def worth speaking ot the teacher - write down your concerns first. They wont be annoyed, probably pleased that you are so interested. Also could you help out at the school for a session a week - always a good way to get insider info

poodles · 22/05/2006 22:42

Please don't worry too much, ask the teacher how they are delivering the literacy time at school, are they following a scheme you could help with? the latest trend is synthetic phonics which is not new but can be bought from ELC as Jolly Phonics activity books, videos etc, some kids are receptive at this age, others aren't till Year 1 in fact most children don't consolidate the knowledge till Year 2, Most countries don't send their ch to school till they are 7, we are lowest in Europe so other countries could be right. If your adult houshold is literate the chances are your child will be too! Hope this is useful and not patronising

Mercy · 22/05/2006 23:08

Spelling tests in reception

Which 45 words?

hana · 22/05/2006 23:11

merc y - there are lists of 'key' words for students to know in reception, key stage 1 etc etc
the first 45 are things like a, an, the, that, he, etc etc

cat64 · 22/05/2006 23:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

hana · 22/05/2006 23:23

oops
going from memory there from teaching a few years ago!

LIZS · 23/05/2006 07:15

but by "know" isn't that to recognise/read not spell.

threebob · 23/05/2006 07:25

My whole problem with the 4-5 words a week and testing thing is that children don't learn like that - that's how adults learn. Children will suddenly click and then learn all 45 words quite quickly, having worried their parents.

Maybe that's why the teacher isn't worried or putting test results out - because at some point he'll "get" it, and in the meantime not to worry.

The 45 words also strike me as really dull words for a child to be motivated to learn.

fsmail · 23/05/2006 16:51

My DS is in year 1 and has only started spellings this year. He now learns them parrot fashion so he writes them without even the teacher asking for the words. He forgets them about a week later. Therefore I think they are of limited value and would be worried if he had have had them in reception because he was still learning the sounds at that stage. He has only really taken off in Year 1 and has caught up really quickly. Therefore don't worry although I have to say I did and looking back it looks really silly.

cat64 · 24/05/2006 22:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

tenalady · 24/05/2006 22:35

Have a look at \link{http://www.nationalliteracytrust.org.uk/Database/Primary/NLswords.html\this}

tenalady · 24/05/2006 22:56

Original poster

stitch · 25/05/2006 08:35

thanks for that tenalady.
and thank you all for your messages . im much less stressed now than i was.

OP posts:

BudaBabe · 25/05/2006 10:01

You can buy the 45 words from the GLTC as magnets. I put them on the fridge as DS was coming across them and we play with making up sentences with them.

FWIW my DS as been in Reception since last Sept and struggled at first - kept having to remind myself that he is an August birthday so one of the youngest in the year. But after Xmas it just seemed to "click" with him.

He is struggling a bit with writing now as isn't too interested but bought some workbooks from WH Smith to do with him over the summer. He finishes school on June 16 and I think at this stage of the year the children are tired so I am not pusing him too much. Have started alternating reading and writing every evening instead of trying to do both and if he's too tired I just leave it.

My MIL was a reception teacher for years and she says that they all catch up by year 2.

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