What are your Reception kids up to?

[BlueDesmarais]

I've been volunteering in the classroom and I'm becoming concerned that the expectations for all the children are very low, despite them being bright and eager. Their handwriting is neat and their reading is good.

But the teachers and TAs continue to set eye-bleedingly easy work, the same day after day. They've been teaching basic CVC words - 'red', 'cat', 'dog', 'pot' - since September. Every day we all sit down and... do them again. Vet. Jet. Pet.

The children will eagerly point out things they can read around the classroom, words like 'dragon' and 'colours' and 'construct'. They can read the signs on the doors and are achieving great flow and fluency when they can grab a book (a normal, non-reader-ish one) from the reading corner, gleefully reading sentences like "What is behind the table?" by carefully blending and sounding out. But when it's official 'reading time', they are stuck with a simple pink book, told to read 'dog runs' and 'cat sits', or 'he is fast'. They read it. A box is ticked. Next kid. When I suggest maybe it's time to break open the Red books, the reaction was a cringe and "Oh, no, we wouldn't want to knock their confidence."

A new week, a new month, a new term. Nothing seems to be changing. Some kids were set aside to learn 'ng' and 'ck', which is progress, but they've been at it three weeks even though they are cheerily writing out 'tick' and 'duck' and 'king' when shown the images. They chant the little 'c and k holding hands' rhymes. They're doing so well, but yesterday? Sit down kids! Now - cat. Dog. Red. Bed.

The school has previously been criticised for poor reading results and low expectations of the children.

Or, am I wrong, and all Reception classes are taking is soooo verrryyy slooowly?

bluedesmarais I'm afraid you kind of contradict yourself in your post... you say that the kids are all doing really well and can read words such as 'colours' and 'beautiful', yet you imply the teachers are really rubbish and aren't pushing the kids. They must be doing something right! I don't for one minute believe that all these kids have amazingly attentive parents who have taught this to their kids themselves!

I've got one DC in reception and one in yr2, and NEITHER could /can read such words this early in reception (or yr 1 even, in the case of my eldest!). My eldest is now one of the highest readers in his class, so he wasnt below average at reception age either.

I don't like the sound of cbeebies in the classroom, and I would probably have a chat to the head about that (unless it was completely relevant - e.g. that phonics program that is shown).

I hate to say it, but you sound a teeny bit like an interfering parent-helper....You presumably only help out a few hours per week? Surely you can't do enough hours to gauge what really goes on in class?

well according to my dd she sits on her bum and does nothing all day!!

but at parents evening I looked through her book and they do loads! ! they've had fire engine and a lollipop man visit as part of 'people in the community' cooked pizza and stir fry while learning about other countries. do junk modelling, play shop keepers, go on the computer and read stories.

oh and since starting my dd now writes her name - and all other letters when given phonetically. can sound out simple words, add small numbers together. I much prefer the idea of learning through play - encourages imagination which is very important for little ones throughout their life theres no point pushing them to be able to read the words of a book if they lack the imagination to put an image to them!

My reception child can definitely not read beautiful. She is not using number lines. However, she is coming home with some great concepts learnt at school, and is starting to get a good grasp of phonics sounds and blending. She started at 4 years 2 months and I would feel very sad if she was being made to sit and formally learn at tables. The school operates a free flow system, where all children apart from those doing a formal group work session are allowed to choose what they do. There is role play, more physical play outside, lots of trays with water in and so on. My older child was starting on number bonds and so on at this stage, but my youngest is just not there yet. As she has made such great progress with her reading since Christmas, I fully expect her to tackle this in time. She needs the repetitive, flogging a dead horse type secessions referred to in op's original post.

Sigh, I'm not calling your kid thick, ReallyTired. I'm just saying does it sound like expectations are really low in this classroom, where they've done the same basic work - letter formation, CVC words - since September without much attempt to try something a little harder.

Perhaps the goal at the end of Reception is to be able to write 'cat' and 'pot', and no more, and then it's fine, obviously they're all on target and I'm wrong and no more work needs to be done.

My DS couldn't read "beautiful" and he is pretty good at blending even with sounds he hasn't learnt and making sense of the word and putting it into context.
Yesterday he said that they've been counting in 2's up to 100.

Can you maybe go and tell the head your concerns?my lo can read beautiful as he read the ugly duckling g to me this week but was a mixture of guessing and reading probably. Still on red books though :/