Repeating reception

[Wobblypig]

Dd is really struggling in reception. She is only just managing easier yellow band ort books , she is scoring really poorly in her spelling tests and the teacher is always pointing out the things she can't do. Yesterday it was that she can't distinguish between a cube and a cuboid.
She is only 4 , 5 next week, our whole after school time is spent doing spellings, reading and other work set by the school. She is in 2 SEN classes at school. It is really worrying me that we are spending so much time and getting so little improvement. I really think she just isn't ready for this and will struggle even more in yr 1.
I would really like to hold her back to improve her confidence. It is an independent school, so theoretically it is possible.

Any advice, anyone done similar? Did it turn out well?

[Wobblypig]

Not yet had meeting because need both teacher and SEN teacher there. The teacher did say that she tested Dd on easier spellings, Cvc words as opposed to ccvcc, ccvcv words as she got them right. My daughter's downfall is apparently that she sticks to rigidly the phonics rules and therefore struggles with 'sight' words and difficult spellings. I think that the school hurried through the phonics too quickly, eg,they have been doing the igh,ie, i_e sounds which I think is too complicated at least for my dd. I think their approach is completely up the spout and I think some other parents are thinking the same.

[Martorana]

I'm speechless.

OP- please say that she isn't going back in there tomorrow. Please.

[noblegiraffe]

Bloody hell they are suggesting that your four year old has SEN because she can't spell whizz?

They need some serious SEN training if nothing else. If it's an independent school, is the teacher even qualified? She doesn't sound like she knows what she is talking about and that would worry me.

[3bunnies]

My dc's school split into small groups for phonics mixed across year groups often led by a specially trained TA in the early stages. Children can move between groups depending on progress. They stay in phonics groups until they finish the course around yr 2/3/4 or higher if needed. (Although yr 4& above have their own groups so not in with lower school).

Under this system once children & parents get their head around the fact that little Tarquin isn't yet a spelling genius and so working with children a year below they all seem to get the most appropriate teaching for their level. This is only 20 mins a day the rest of the time they are mixed, and their school has a v wide mixture of ability partly due to catchment and partly because they are accessible for children with various disabilities who might also have SEN.

That sort of set up would be ideal for your dd to progress at her own pace. I think that the school want an extra year's funding from you. In the state sector where it isn't an option they manage mixed classes fine. I would be surprised if your child isn't middle-top in a non selective school.

[TortoiseUpATreeAgain]

"My daughter's downfall is apparently that she sticks to rigidly the phonics rules and therefore struggles with 'sight' words and difficult spellings"

THAT'S WHAT THEY ARE EXPECTED TO DO IN RECEPTION! If they are producing "phonetically plausible" spellings at this point then that's great and cause for being happy, not tutting about how they struggle with spelling.

[TortoiseUpATreeAgain]

Is there a mrz klaxon that we can set off?

[freetrait]

Sounds horrendous. So pleased DD is not in that environment. Hope you get a place in a better school soon.

[MexicanSpringtime]

Haven't read everything but I just wanted to say I don't think a four-year-old should be spending all afternoon going over school subjects, there is so much more to learn in life and I fear she will end up hating everything to do with learning especially with the teacher she has and the unrealistic expectations.

[manicinsomniac]

If you cant find another school immediately (and I would be wary of too many moves anyway) and she is going to the Steiner school at 6 then I would pursue the idea of repeating reception.

It isn't unusual in non selective preps (in our prep we have at least 1 child in every year group who is a year behind (2-3 in some year groups) as well as a couple who are a year ahead. Usually the out-of-year children are July/August (for below) or Sept/Oct (for above) birthdays but May is still pretty young and it's only temporary. If she consolidates the work she is doing now there shouldn't be any need for her to remain behind in her new school. If she is behind her peers now but achieving at least average levels for her age then they must be working at Y1. So if she repeats reception at this school she should be able to jump quite happily into Y2 at the Steiner.

[sunshinecity17]

It is actually harmful to focus too much on spelling at ayoung age.To begin with the focus is getting their ideas down on paper and worrying about technicalities (SPELLING PUNCTUATION HANDWRITING) inhibits this.
sadly it is quite common with independents , that they focus on what they think will impress the parents, rather than the child's actual educational needs.
But for goodness sake why are you spending so myuch time at home doing this stuff? the pressure you are putting her under is most likely the cause of her being behind the others.

[mrz]

Sorry sunshinecity but that's rubbish

[mrz]

Sorry TortoiseUpATreeAgain

OP I'm not sure why anyone would consider subjecting their child to repeating what from your post appears to be a negative year. Do you imagine the school will be more positive for/about her next year?

[sunshinecity17]

What part is rubbish Mrz ?

[simpson]

A parents eve in reception that has you (as the parent) in tears is totally wrong IMO (and yes I have been there with my 31st Aug born DS when he was in reception, although managed to leave the building before sobbing

The school that I am in (bog standard state - not my DC school, in reception) aim to get the reception kids at stage 3 by end of the year, not many could halve/double etc.

DD (currently in yr1) had spellings in reception with a test once a week because her teacher thought she was ready (along with one other child out of 90). I think it is totally counter productive/demoralising to make a child do spelling tests before they can iyswim.

IMO it sounds like your child is doing well (despite what the school/teacher) are saying and I would be seriously concerned with a school that wants a 4/5 yr old to feel they are behind.

(In my DS's case he just had the bad luck to have a shit teacher in yr r but he never felt he was behind (he wasn't despite what his teacher said) and enjoyed reception. He had a great year in yr1.

Do you know what the yr1 teacher is like? This for me would be crucial and tbh another year of making my DC feel like they were behind (when they are not) and I would consider other options.

[neolara]

School sounds crap. Sorry. Your dd sounds absolutely fine. (I used to be an educational psychologist in my pre-children life.) It it's any help, my dd left reception knowing 5 letter sounds. She is now in Year 5 and right at the top of the class in her high achieving school.

[Xihha]

OP, have you had a meeting with the school yet?

[Reallybadfeet]

(complete aside - neolara will you return to being an ed psych? How do you think it would fit with family life... I'm half considering retraining)

[mrz]

It is actually harmful to focus too much on spelling at ayoung age.To begin with the focus is getting their ideas down on paper and worrying about technicalities (SPELLING PUNCTUATION HANDWRITING) inhibits this.

this part sunshinecity17 - that was very much the thinking in the 80s but now we know that spelling is important from the start and that the longer children continue to write and see words spelt incorrectly the more difficult it is for them to spell conventionally later.

That doesn't however mean I think the approach the OPs school is taking to spelling is appropriate it isn't!

[sunshinecity17]

I disagree MrZ I have seen many kids of a certain personality type who won't put anything down for fear of spelling it wrong.

[SweepTheHalls]

They are absolute barking, don't let them put your lovely daughter down, she's doing better than my DS at spelling I.e. Does spellings, a little behind him on reading, so overall they are both doing fine!

[CockD0dger]

Compulsory education starts from the term after she turns 5.

Could you take her out of that school and just have a childminder for the days that you are working?

You could do a little 'home schooling' when you are at he, though I do think a break would do her good at this stage.

[CockD0dger]

*home not he!

[mrz]

Then perhaps the person correcting the spelling needs to be taught how to do it in a way that won't have an adverse effect on a child's confidence. Always start by praising what the child has written.

[addictedtosugar]

Please go and look at the failing local school.
The current school, imo (and I'm a reception parent, no teacher training) is failing your daughter.
You may find the other school meets your daughters, perfectly normal, needs better.
I don't think I'd be repeating reception - I would fear what would happen come end of primary, and if my child would then be forced to miss a year later on to "catch up"

I don't see how rejecting a place affects your place on the waiting list - surely you are the cloest to a school or not, irrelevent on if you have rejected a place or not? I can see how it means the council may not be required to find you another school. Also, we have just had a letter saying we are still on the waiting list for choices 1 and 2 (we were offered no 3), were we still interested. You may find people have been put on the wating lists by default, and would reject a place that came up - cetainilly, we are happy with the school, and have asked we be removed from the waiting list. Not sure if default waiting list positions are made for everyone who didn't get first choice?

FWIW, DS1 is on red books, gets spellings - tho I don't think all the kids do, only the ones who are ready for them, and recently had had dome doubling and halfing homework - picture of 4 objects. Double it. We counted them twice. Halfing - we worked our way in from the ends til fingers met, and then counted the number on one side - pictures had been put in a nice line for us, so I assume this was what they were after?? Never really thought about the importance of cube v cuboid (tho I'd also have issue with the second decrpirtion above - I think cubiods can have some square faces, just not all are squares, which would make it a cube) so no ideas if he would know. Some 3d shapes can be identified tho.

[Wobblypig]

The failing school is definitely not an option. I am not keen on moving more than once so I think we will try to repeat reception and then head for the Steiner. I can't have everything feeling like so much hard work for all of us.