What are you doing with your Reception/ going into Y1 child over the summer?

[TriTriTriAgain]

Normally our school will set some activities over the summer but haven’t this year. What are other parents doing learning wise with their children who have just finished Reception? I’m trying to do some reading each day with them but wondering if that is enough.

We have been doing
Daily reading
Things that help with fine motorskills
Counting/putting into groups/very basic addition and subtraction
Shapes
Different animals/living things

Apart from reading it isn’t daily.

My DDs school have literally said just to read.

We are just doing reading at night, and then chatting about nature when we go for a walk.

Nothing educational honestly 😳

I was doing reading but she started to say she “hates reading” (she’s actually pretty good at it) so thought I should back off for a bit.

Errr, nothing (DC2 is going into year 1). I intended to make her read the online Biff, chip and kipper books we had been reading for 'homeschool' sometimes, but after a couple of weeks I realised she was reading plenty of other things without me asking. She also regularly says "mum, I know what 5 add 2 is" or similar maths questions and tells me the answer without me ever mentioning maths. I don't think she has written anything but I am not worried.

Maths and English

Nothing really - we were reading but like a pp, dd reads road signs, information leaflets etc so I'm reading a chapter of her book with her if she asks, and I read to her daily. We are also playing Orchard games when she asks and baking but nothing formal anymore

Letting them have a break 😊 (other than a little bit of reading for the library reading challenge). My 2 have been at school as children of key workers so we are making the most of enjoying the summer holidays x

Honestly, mostly playing Zelda on the Nintendo. He did some painting today. No maths. But he has just this summer started reading independently and reads for about 45 mins in bed each night and an hour or two during the day while his brother naps. A few months ago this was unthinkable, and nothing could persuade him to open a book. I credit extreme boredom.

We've backed off the reading out loud but that's because she's fairly advanced reading wise and reads to herself a lot.

I'm trying to chat about numbers a lot, not too falsely. See a number, how did they make it? Adding 10 to random things, talking about bigger numbers.

We're doing some step by step drawing together - to try and get in some fine motor practise! Lots of puzzles and games as a family. Also got her a recorder which is less pleasant!

And any excuse to write something, including in my diary which she loves!

I'm worried, so much of the time they went back was 'resettling', but I also know they need a break so my expectations are not very high for this summer.

Reading every day (have done that since she started phonics anyway so habit) and doing a summer holidays diary which is couple of sentences a few times a week. Not much else.

Doodle maths and English and some reading. He reads lots of things on packets and signs so I think that helps too.

Just reading daily, at least a hour independently at nighttime and we listen to him read out loud too. I'd usually do additional maths with him, but I think it's time for him to have a break from home learning this Summer.

Daily Maths via Carol Vordemans program and daily reading via Oxford Owl, so maybe 20 minutes of proper revision.

I would say my ds is pretty average and the repetition helps. He struggles with the social side of school so I’m hoping a little bit of academics over the summer means he can concentrate on the social side when in school.
We also cook, read signs, play etc. I read to him daily.

If your happy with what you’re doing OP then I’d stick with it.

Out of curiosity are you kids going private or state?
I am surprised by how much work they are doing in reception.

Bedtime stories every night and encouraging her to read songs etc when we are out and about.
Playing lots of board games.
Getting outside as much as possible.
Seeing family and friends and watching her finally getting to play with other children the same age.
And lots of chilling and watching TV!

@Lolakath19 my son is in the state system. I'm really surprised that there are kids that read on their own for 45 mins at age 5!!

@Cutesbabasmummy and an hour or two during the day? My son is spending his days outside playing with his sister and cousins.

The current buzz word in education is 'cultural capital' which basically means quality life experiences. The idea is that the more cultural capital a child has, the more easily they can make sense of the world and that enables them read with understanding and have a wealth of ideas to write about (and have a better understanding of just about every part of the curriculum). I have a very young in the year boy - just turned 5. His reading is good for his age but it is a real chore for him but I insist on it every day. His writing is age appropriate but immature compared to the older children and its not worth the battle to get him to do any - though he does write spontaneously from time to time. Instead we have spent the summer seeing and doing life - Longleet as a birthday treat, a couple of weeks at our caravan on the coast, a day trip into London and Windsor, summer trampolining lessons and hours of this in the garden, helping to fix things and hours of him junk modelling, experimenting with coke and mentos, bicarbonate of soda and vinegar etc etc and camping in a friends garden in Devon this weekend. I can't force the academics with him (I'm a teacher and believe me I would love to) but I can prepare him for life. He met the early learning goals in all areas and the one area he exceeded in was 'knowledge and understanding of the world' and I was delighted by this. I am particularly proud as I am his grandmother and I parent him. He hasn't had an easy childhood so far.

@Oilyvoir you’ve certainly packed a lot into your lockdown - a couple of weeks on the coast, london AND Windsor, trampolining lessons (outside presumably since all the trampolining places were shut?), camping in Devon.

In lockdown you have achieved more that most people manage in six weeks over Summer.

It does sound a lot written down! We live in West London so central London and Windsor are close and the gym where he does trampolining normally have just reopened and are doing summer catch up lessons, so not outdoors. The 2 weeks at the caravan were spread over 3 visits. All activities have been legal under the present climate I hasten to add. Oh and we've been taking full advantage of half price eating out!

Our school gave us books to do over the summer but haven't really had any time to yet. Might try and do some when I'm off work next week. She has been reading but i haven't been forcing it. She likes to read to pro long bedtime.

This is making me rather depressed. I have a reception child going into year one who needs a lot of coaching and prompting to read a short sentence in a book. She had a disrupted reception year where teacher was off sick in the winter term and they had a temp teacher which was ok but not great as she didnt know from one week to next when permanent teacher coming back. Then we had lockdown and struggled to do full time home schooling with work and other commitments but did focus on phonics, maths, handwriting etc. Reading was done in online phonics lessons but rarely had time for reading practice from books online so we managed a few red book band books between March and July. Now I am trying with yellow but she cant read much without lots of prompting. I am worried that all the parents on this thread have got independent readers and writers happily sitting down with books themselves and actually reading them rather than just looking at the pictures? And happily writing readable sentences in their notebooks at every opportunity? Oh dear oh dear if that’s the norm at this age. Is it? Any teachers on this thread please? Is my child terribly behind? I am getting worried!

Oh and Im interested to know who got an end of year report from their school this summer as ours didnt do them even though doing full time home schooling (in theory) online and reception children back in school for a month from beginning of June till beginning of July.

@MGMidget my summer born child is also nowhere near the levels being discussed on this thread! I started off trying to do daily reading but like pp stopped when he complained about “hating reading”. We are now mainly trying to have fun and get through the final weeks without too much stress - I am in late stages of pregnancy so definitely letting him have more screen time than I would normally

However, big picture: they are in education for a long time and they are five!

I am sure DS will be behind some starting Year 1, but I think he is bright, and as a family we care about/encourage education so I really don’t think that, in the long run, he is going to be academically disadvantaged by six months of less than stellar learning. (Or at least that is what I am telling myself )