numeracy in reception

[Adikia]

DDs been in reception a month now and told me at bedtime tonight that she's been doing some extra numbers work with one of the teachers and 2 other children. I thought she was about the level she should be at her age (she can count to 60 and write her numbers, knows her 2 times table up to 10x and can add up and take away small numbers).

The school haven't mentioned any extra work so tonight is the first i've heard about it and obviously I can't ask the teacher to explain until monday, so does anyone know roughly what average for her age would be? (she'll be 5 in about 2 weeks)

I guess Badvoc, that dd isn't seen as anything special as she is a Sept girl and expected to be more capable. It may take the teachers a while to figure out whether her advantage is having been on the planet a year earlier than some in her class, having been hot-housed by proxy given her db's extra support or just naturally bright.

I guess too that hot-housed kids can 'appear' bright but have gaping holes underneath how the present and the teacher needs to work it all out.

I have never thought of asking about fractals when I am assessing children at the start of the year! It would be brilliant on the class letter though - "This week Spams class have been investigating fractals"

As Mrz says, being able to parrot number names is one thing but being able to use the numbers is another - we look for both cardinal and ordinal understanding.

Can the child:

• count claps, jumps etc
• demonstrate reliable one-to-one correspondence when counting
• tell me how many items there are in a set
• start counting from numbers other than 1
• say the correct number if I point to a number at random on a number line (without counting up from 1!)

As for expectations being low - to reach the "expected" level of development at the end of reception, children have to be confident to use numbers to 20 to add, subtract, share, halve, double...
I don't think that that is 'low' - and for children with an interest they can of course be extended further.

I am glad I am on ds2 or this thread would have wound me up.
As you clearly know op your child doing well
Keen my 4 year old settles and learns to love school. Reception should be about learning through play and not too formal I think. School a marathon not a sprint.

Ok, so DD was due £1 pocket money so I put out a selection of coins and told her to make a pound. She took 6 tens and 2 twenties, counting out loud '10, 20, 30, 50, 60, 70, 90, 100 which is a pound'. She then added all her money and to add 50 and 50 she said '50, 60, 70, 80, 90, a pound'

Don't forget in Reception we also cover money, time, shape (2D & 3D) measures - length, weight, capacity. We also work on data handling and doubling, halving, addition and subtraction and problem solving!

Its not just about counting! It's also good to use mathematical language in the correct context.

Maths is actually better since the EYFS was re-jigged last year - it's much more challenging now than before!

I feel there is much more opportunity to stretch those very able kids!

Also who is deemed as 'more able' will change over the years. Some children younger in year and some just hothoused rather than innately able.
All will come out in the wash....

When I've observed a reception numeracy lesson (am a governor) there was carpet time first then the children could choose from a range of activities laid out which supported that day's learning objective. While they were doing that, the teacher and TA each took small groups to do specific tasks which were clearly differentiated. Every child participated in this at some point. This could be what your dd is describing?

Your dd sounds like she's doing really well OP. Definitely nothing to worry about!

Mrz, I mean she can count objects up to 60, can read bus numbers and can tell you what 4 x 2 is without reciting it in order.

EmeraldJeanie - Actually I don't know that because she's behind compared to where DS was up to at this age.

ShoeWhore, ah yeah it could be something like that, that would explain why the teachers hadn't told me as well.

badvoc when I think of fractals I think of patterns . I'd better do some googling.....

My daughter can add and take away single digit numbers, count easily, recognise two digit numbers. I've not particularly taught her anything.

Similarly she knows phonics from preschool and is just about managing cvc words.

In my eyes shes good, but in a demographic would be nothing particularly special. In school they are learning to recognise and write 1-9 and have done 10 sounds so far....

This sounds normal...

As a reception teacher myself, I spend most of my day doing small-group work with children of all abilities. For a reception child to be spending time working with their teacher and a couple of others, is entirely normal.

It is no indication of anything. Just normal practice in a reception classroom.

Also, as (I'm sure) bright, wonderful and reliable your 4 year old is, I'd take any reports of what they do at school with massive pinches of salt.
For instance, one mum mentioned to me only this past Thursday, "Oh, K told me about the time you'd fallen off your bike and cracked your head open!"

What I'd actually told the children was about the time I'd fallen over when roller skating and broken my elbow... See what I mean?

Zingally, I know what you mean with the reports about teachers, DD is absolutely convinced that her TA invented letters and that's why she's so good at it, as far as I can work out its because the TA made them little laminated cards with letters on.

And thanks, DS is year 5 so I really shouldn't be this confused about primary school but I think I've just forgotten how different things are in reception, my panic was the only time you do small group work in DSs class is if you are really behind.

Hi adikia

Have only read a bit of 1st page of messages - but I think you have nothing to worry about.

Your child sounds like she is working at a higher level than many Year R pupils and I suspect what the school is doing (for which you should be really pleased) is recognising that and doing higher level work with her individually or in a small group.

Some schools (perhaps yours) will let higher ability children join older classes for maths/ english if they are working well above the level of their class and it may be that the school is laying down the groundwork for this to happen for your daughter (possibly from Year 1).

At your parent/ teacher meeting I would just gently raise that your DD has mentioned she's doing special maths and you want to know a bit more about what this is about?

As usual, I fear, schools do have systems and structures for their pupils (at whatever ability) but frequently don't openly communicate to parents that they're giving X extra reading time to support slow progress or Y extra work in maths to extend them, since class work is generally too easy for them. I'm not sure if schools fear parents will get angry/ brag or parents who aren't getting this might make demands - but odds are the school is doing this for a sound reason, just not bothering to explain what that reason is to you.

HTH

Its completely normal to work in small groups with the teacher. Its been used a lot in reception.

My daughter has done some tasks with the teacher in a pair (I believe they all took it in turns to go to her) so the teacher can get a feel for the level the children are working at.

A lot of reception is free play, and during that the teacher will take groups in turn to do activities. Its a form of differentiation. However she had to see what they could do first. My daughter similarly had a go at maths with another child, and got a quicker.

All completely normal part of teaching!

Quicker? Sticker.