First Reception Report - not met expectations

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Just after some reassurance. DS is April born. He's a very reluctant reader but he is managing some simple books. He has a brilliant vocal, great adjectives etc when describing events and he has a fabulous imagination.

I thought his maths was good (no issues when I've sat with him at home)

His report really upset me. It says he's expected on most things but not on literacy or maths, so therefore he hasn't met the level . He's basically been told he's failed - and he's just turned 5.

I'm this close to buying every book under the sun and doing maths and English with him every day of the holiday but my heart tells me I really should just let him enjoy his summer .

It doesn't help that his 7 yr old sister is Greater Depth on everything and had a report to die for. I've done just as much with him as I ever did with her.

Please tell me some reassuring stories of your EYFS child 'failing' who is now doing really well!

As a parent of older child, I would say just don't worry about it, if you have no concern at home.
Some children are more reserved at school, so they may not show their true ability in early years. If you think there is discrepancy between true ability and teacher's report, you may need to speak to the teacher. But in reception, I wouldn't worry so much.
In reception, my dc used to say don't know for everything asked. Once I had a talk with the teacher and told her that he knows, she started to dig deeper. And realised he did know the answer.

It’s hard to know what to do isn’t it. Whilst it’s the most reasonable thing to say that he is only 5 and it doesn’t matter, teachers on here also say that for some kids the gap just gets wider and wider. I would just do a bit of reading and maths, and maybe writing each day in the holidays. And don’t tell him what his report says. He doesn’t need to know.

I would trust the teachers judgement. They also have the benefit of seeing him within the cohort. I would do a bit of maths and English over the summer. And read more regularly. At the end of the day, how many children will have been not meeting maths and English in that class. Your child is bottom of the class.

Your DS has plenty of time to catch up.

My DS has SEN, despite so much work from home and school he didn’t learn to count to 10 until the end of the autumn term of year 2. He’s just done his year 6 SATS and passed, something that seemed impossible for so long!

Underhiseye2: "Your child is bottom of the class."

You can't possibly know that (unless you happen to be his teacher).

He could be almost meeting expectations in these areas.

His cohort could be unusually bright or unusually weak, but this is irrelevant.

@Hairyheadphones that is fabulous, what a star! Do you mind me asking what his SEN are?

It may be too late now, but with a report like that I would have wanted to have discussed with the teacher and how you can continue to support your DS at home. It may be worth asking to speak to the Y1 teacher when he goes back in September? In the meantime, I'd try not to worry as he's a lot younger than many in his class.

A few ideas over the holiday:

• Get involved in the reading challenge at the library. It's themed Space Race this year and you get stickers and a medal for 'reading' 6 books over the holidays. Up to you if you read together or look for some early readers in the library. I use it as a way to get my DS into the library without realising it!
• Purchase some Early Reader books for at home. I'd highly recommend this book set:

www.books2door.com/usborne-my-first-reading-library-50-book-collection.html It's graded at 3 levels, the first 20 are 'Very first' and you split the reading between parent and child. They can start reading a few words on each page and it's not too overwhelming. The stories are really good (not crap Biff Chip Kipper).

• Numeracy - You may want to look at buying some Number cubes and also tie it in to watching Numberblocks. It's a fun programme, which my DS finds more interesting than Alphablocks. He's learned how to divide off there and picks up all sorts about how different numbers are made up.

www.amazon.co.uk/Learning-Resources-Mathlink-Cubes-Set/dp/B000URL296/ref=sr_1_5?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

• Writing - This is my DS' weak spot, so we're going to try making a holiday journal over the break. Bought an A4 scrapbook in his favourite colour and we're going to stick in bits and pieces and get him to write some labels for the pages.

Hope these ideas may be of use. I want my son to have a great time off over the Summer, but doing a few bits and pieces will help him too.

danni0509 thank you, it took a lot of hard work from all especially DS. He has ASD, adhd, verbal dyspraxia and dyslexia . He passed his maths and reading but not his SPAG though did better than expected.

My ds got emerging for about half the things and expected for the rest. Your ds hasn't failed, please don't worry.

Oh please don't panic! I'm a chair of governors at a primary school and a parenting coach, so am in schools all the time. You little lad is where he is. He's not failed. He just hasn't quite fitted into the narrow benchmarks that the govt has told schools to judge progress against. He is where he needs to be for himself, right now. So don't panic, or try and force progress. Carry on loving him, reading with him, playing with him, let him lead the play, have fun with him, catch him being good, ignore the low level negative stuff. He'll be fine. xx

@Hairyheadphones my ds has asd and adhd. That's so lovely to hear.

I think the social and emotional aspects are probably the most important thing at this stage.

Plus your son is summer born, he isn't even statutory school age until September, and those months make a big difference in their development now which will become less significant as they all get older.

Regarding numeracy seeming fine at home, children do perform differently in different settings so it's possible that at school he hasn't shown all he can do. My son was very confident with numbers when he started school, but he wasn't interested in the early maths activities, which weren't his idea of fun when there was so much else he could be doing instead (new friends to make....toys to play with....pictures to draw!) so he didn't jump the hoops til the summer term, and even then only just.

I would do some stealth learning over the holidays. I don't think it has to be a binary choice between fun and learning - make the learning part of the fun!

For example, this book has some good ideas for maths games you can play as a family which will practice the skills without a worksheet in sight.

www.amazon.co.uk/Math-You-Can-Play-Combo/dp/1892083213?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

I would not be too concerned at that age. Reception is a year to settle in.

Please don't worry, my DS was the same as yours in reception and he is now greater depth in everything at the end of year 5

I knew the way he was assessed was wrong, he was developmentally not ready to be assessed in that way!

It's total bollocks!!!!

Thank you everyone. I do feel slightly reassured! He's actually produced some lovely writing off his own back today. I honestly believe he's just not ready to sit doing work.