Just feeling a bit odd about school for my 4 yr old!

[sunnysideup]

I dunno what I feel really, just a bit sad for ds I think. He started reception in Sept at 4 and 1 month so he was one of the youngest. He's actually done fine, settled in beautifully and it was a nice part-time, fairly gentle start.

I think I'm just sad that he's in any kind of formal schooling! He comes home with boring sheets of LLLLLLLLL or MMMMMMMMM's to write over and he finds it stultifyingly boring and I hate to think that his mind which can be on amazing flights of imagination and fantasy, creating his own little world with his toys, has to stop and sit and look at that type of thing!

I know he's got to do it one day, I don't have a problem with it. I just wish reception was free play I think.

And he does find it such an EFFORT. His little body is so tired at the end of the day!

I was watching an assembly the other morning (he was chosen as 'child of the week in his class and it was all so formal and quite joyless really.

I just feel odd that this is what's expected of him at 4.

6 or 7, and I'd think that was the kind of thing he should be expected to do, but 4? Am I the only one feeling this?

I think the formal bit is not really what it is all about at 4 - it is more the social interaction - they happen to learn stuff along the way - but they are not tied to the chairs a la victorian schools. It is very much more like structured play.

If he doesn't want to do it when he gets home then don't push him.

my ds started reception at age 4 and 4 mths...whilst i know they have worksheets they get rewarded for completing, and writing & reading homework, I also know they have different areas to "play" in. They take turn for group play, independent play or they have a chance to choose another area. it is more structured than nursery, and is a gentle introduction to school. Year 1 is much more formal and intensive, so they need to be familiar with school rules and requirements. As the school year progresses they will move onto far more "structured" activities and learning sets. We are expected to have all his homework in on time, setting a precedent for the future. Might be worth having a word with his teacher to see what the exact format is? I would have though play would have come into his school dsy quite a lot.

Yes, I don't push him to do stuff at home at all. And the school have been ok at prioritising the social side of things.

I dunno, there's no problem really, and as I say he has settled well. I think it's just that I wish he was doing all this a bit later, but that's just not an option in this country! And the things he is good at don't seem to be valued in school; his imagination is amazing and he is very articulate for his age, loves to converse....but they want him to listen not talk! of course he needs to listen in order to learn, but it's just that there seems to be no time or value placed on what he CAN do well...and that's the system I guess, the teachers can't spend all day talking to him I know. I think I'd feel happier about it if he was older, simple as that really.

Sunnysideup - I totally agree with you - reception should be about play, and socialising, and making sure the kids are happy in the new environment. Of course it's about stimulating them to learn, but the only way to do that successfully is to make it FUN! Kids this age are like sponges - ready to soak up the amazing world around them, so it's about making it exciting for them, and giving them the right opportunities. The learning will happen by itself - not by rote.

My dd1 has just started reception - we're lucky that our area has a January intake for the younger kids. She is a July birthday, so one of the littlest. We went to a parents evening where the teachers stressed that most of the day consists of 'free play' and the writing skills they do are designed to let the kids enjoy it, definitely not copying letters. They do have sessions about particular letters, things like spotting pictures starting with a particular sound etc, and the kids have writing books where the draw a picture, and then 'write a story', but the 'story' bit can be whatever sequence of letter shapes the child fancies doing. Streams of squiggles, developing into some letter shapes and then eventually grouping into words, and after that maybe even getting the first sound in the word right etc. And they gradually transition towards 'proper' writing. But all the time the emphasis is on playing with words and letters, and letting the kids progress at their own pace.

Not sure what I'd do in your place, but maybe a word with the teacher saying that your son doesn't seem to be very engaged with copying letters out, and what ideas do they have to make it interesting for him.

Bless him getting child of the week though!!

yes, scotslass, that's it exactly, year one will be more formal and intensive and I feel he STILL won't be ready for that then! formal and intensive at FIVE?

I feel sad about that!

thanks for that pidge...you've hit the nail on the head there - it does seem to be done in a joyless, unimaginative way, with sheets of letters to write over...the sheet he currently has is two sides of A3 size paper covered in LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL's!

I'm bored looking at it!

It's just such a shame that when his mind is so rich and so able to go anywhere, that he has to do this. Yes, he does get lots of play but I can't see that this sort of sheet should be part of things at this age!

I agree that all that stuff is started too early in this country - they don't NEED to be sitting down struggling to read or write at 4 - they need to be running around, playing, being with people, learning to share and cooperate.

But as you say - there is no choice at the moment - so you take what is on offer. It sounds like your school is doing ok (within the limits of what schools do at the moment).

Sunny, I sympathise! I can't believe ds is in school at all...we are already thinking about Hight Schools, the results for them today have really got me thinking...on one hand he is such a lickle baby, not 5 til May...then we get all this pressure for them!their childhoods are so short. My ds has settled well, like yours, it's just me that feels a little sad! And i have to go through it all again with my other two...

Sunny, just a thought, have you tried Jolly phonics, or do the school not use them? It has captured DS imagination, he gets excited with it all and it's fun for them!!! there are loads of games you cane play with it too...Ds school is into them in a big way, and i think they use Jolly Grammar as they get older too, so they do try to keep the kids interested, and his homework is writing based on the ORT books...this helps too, the kids seem to love them!

Throck, that's exactly it. The school is fine within the limits of what schools do at the moment. I just have an issue with how we do things in education in this country at the moment and I'm not going to be able to do anything about that unfortunately. All I can do is keep the pressure off at home.

scotslass (just can't bring myself to call you manky ) thanks for that, might well dig out his phonics sheets - they sent some home, but he doesn't talk about them ever doing any in class and we don't get 'homework' to do with them; we get words sent home for him to learn, the reception high frequency words....it's on a look and say basis (ie he just has to look at them and recognise them by memory). He does enjoy the actions of phonics so I might try some games based on that. Thanks.