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Original poster

Moving onto year one!

27 replies

Noodlenation · 15/05/2022 16:51

Hi all, so my daughter is currently 5 and in reception. Just wondering if anyone works with their child during summer holidays? To prep for year one. I’ve been told they fall slightly behind by the time they get back to school in terms of reading and writing because of the long gap.

If I did maybe half hour of reading library books and writing some sentences everyday would this make a difference do you think? Like to keep on top. Or shall I just leave it and let her breathe for 6 weeks?

any suggestions or advice please.

OP posts:
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NothingIsCertain · 15/05/2022 16:56

I read and did phonics cards, but no pressure, and just to keep their hand in.

One bit of advice I would give is to try and prepare for more classroom based learning, my lo found the transition from Reception to Y1 a bit difficult for the first half term, but once the new routine had set in they found a love for it and have enjoyed school and learning since then.

LittleBrenda · 15/05/2022 16:56

Yes, it definitely would keep her up to speed. Whilst there is absolutely no need to worry about it, it will help. The best thing you can do is read every day.

There are plenty of ways of doing things so that she doesn't even know it's happening. Writing a shopping list, reading a poster, counting the odd socks, making a bigger snail with the play doh, filling a cup half way. It doesn't all need to be formal at the table stuff.

ChuckBerrysBoots · 15/05/2022 16:57

Read for pleasure, sing songs, have fun. Nothing more than that.

BadlydoneHelen · 15/05/2022 16:59

Most childrens libraries do a summer reading challenge where you collect stickers over the holidays. My children enjoyed doing it at that age and we made a weekly trip to the library part of our summer routine. We used to read a few picture books in there, sometimes there was a story time session then we'd choose a couple to take home. I would really recommend it.

OnceuponaRainbow18 · 15/05/2022 17:06

My son is also in reception and I’ll have the whole summer holiday off, he’s not a keen reader or writer but I will try and do 5-10 min a day!

cloudjumper · 15/05/2022 17:22

Nope. Never did any work with mine during the holidays at all. At that age, it's not necessary, and you're more likely to make them resent it. They are so little, and have so much time still in school! It's normal for them to 'dip', but the school knows that and will work with them.

Starlightstarbright1 · 15/05/2022 17:29

Enjoy books however your child does.

My Ds dropped to lowest level after reception holidays, by end of year 1 he was getting books from year 2 as there were none in his classroom challenging enough.

It doesn't need to be all or nothing though

toomuchlaundry · 15/05/2022 17:38

Keep up with reading.

Be ready for the step up to Y1 and the fall out from reduced play based learning. Many children find it a bit of a struggle

Rickrollme · 15/05/2022 17:41

We read all the time but that’s just because we enjoy it. We talk to the kids a lot and take them lots of places but we don’t do anything official or formal. They’re done with primary now and have had quite an easy time academically so far.

WaterBottle123 · 15/05/2022 17:46

OP you loon your daughter is 5!! Most counties don't even have kids in school at that age!

Also they don't fall 'behind' - who would they be behind exactly?

You need to address your over-focus on this and let her be a child,

OnceuponaRainbow18 · 15/05/2022 17:54

@WaterBottle123

suggesting half an hour a day of some kind of learning, during 6 weeks off, which may be spread out over the whole day doesn’t make OP a loon!!! Could be 5 min of reading, going out to the playground, 10 min of numbers, watching some tv, writing a shopping list for 5 min, off to a friends etc

Marmite27 · 15/05/2022 17:59

We read a book and did some writing and maths every day in the summer holidays.

Part of the reading was the library summer reading challenge which both DC loved.

I bought some of the CPG ‘term books’ (they do as autumn, spring and summer version) and we did one of the reception level ones every day. I’m not actually sure what we’re going to do this summer as we’ve done them through out each term this year as DC enjoyed them so much!

savoycabbage · 15/05/2022 18:02

WaterBottle123 · 15/05/2022 17:46

OP you loon your daughter is 5!! Most counties don't even have kids in school at that age!

Also they don't fall 'behind' - who would they be behind exactly?

You need to address your over-focus on this and let her be a child,

But our children are in school at that age, so what other countries do is irrelevant.

There is always a dip at the start of the academic year.

I've been a teacher for twenty years. Here and in Australia. There is no doubt that children whose parents are interested and involved in their education do better in school.

The OP is not suggesting that she is going to stand over her child with a cane. She isn't 'a loon'.

Veryverycalmnow · 15/05/2022 18:09

My DS (in Reception) quite often has a pencil or book in his hand at home, so I will just take an interest in what he is writing/ drawing and read with him- offer a bit of guidance as I normally do. We will also have lots of visits to the library and days out to museums etc.
He's not great with gross motor skills so I'll definitely and get him swimming a few times and teach him to ride his bike while we have time! Do whatever suits your child and you. I hear about the R- year 1 dip at school. It can happen with any year group but combined with big changes going into year 1 it is maybe more noticeable. They are still absorbing so much of the world around them and will have lots of pressure and homework in later years. Balance is the key.

Original poster
Noodlenation · 15/05/2022 18:22

WaterBottle123 · 15/05/2022 17:46

OP you loon your daughter is 5!! Most counties don't even have kids in school at that age!

Also they don't fall 'behind' - who would they be behind exactly?

You need to address your over-focus on this and let her be a child,

Wow! I’m a loon for being invested in my daughters education? Jesus Christ Im not going to make her study for a gcse exam!
You don’t know anything about me and what I do with my daughter. I’m well aware she is a child thanks. I don’t understand why you felt the need to comment, not helpful at all.

thank you to everyone else for the ideas and advice. Much appreciated. 😊

OP posts:
ZebraKid71 · 15/05/2022 20:15

You're definitely not a loon.

My son is the same age and I just plan to have him read a couple of times a week, write birthday cards/postcards/shopping list etc and he loves number blocks. Probably 5 or 10 minutes a day of something, all stuff we do now anyway so I doubt he will even realise.

Spacemonkey2016 · 15/05/2022 21:44

You're not a loon, OP. Fellow Reception Mum here. I plan to keep his reading up as normal, and try and get some writing practice in. Luckily he likes 'playing schools', so as long as I pretend to be his teacher when we do it, he'll be happy 😂

TizerorFizz · 16/05/2022 17:11

@Noodlenation
Honestly - you are just fine in thinking what to do. Play at home can be guided as if is in school. We did lots of days out and talked to DDs as we went along. We went for walks and told them about history and all sorts of things. At 5 they start developing interests and asking questions.

We always went to the library and borrowed books. We read all sorts of things. Even a menu! We sang in the car all the time. We did cooking and generally kept going on maths and numbers but in a way that wasn’t in a book. So measuring things, counting things, dividing things etc. I remember doing a bit of writing with them. Writing a post card. Writing a few words about where we had been. It wasn’t at a set time but we always read at night.

I don’t think my DDs went too far backwards but their general knowledge improved a lot.

Katinkak8 · 17/05/2022 10:40

Fellow Reception mom here. We will continue to read with our DD every day (but we do this anyway) and will probably try to do 10 mins a day on something or other, whether it's practising the phonics sounds, writing a sentence or 2, or going over some maths.
I'm also a teacher (although secondary not primary) and I really see the benefit of revisiting concepts frequently. 6 weeks is a long time and I don't want my DD to slip backwards in her progress over the holidays. I'm not necessarily aiming to push her forwards, just maintain where she finishes the year at.

Katinkak8 · 17/05/2022 10:40

Fellow Reception mom here. We will continue to read with our DD every day (but we do this anyway) and will probably try to do 10 mins a day on something or other, whether it's practising the phonics sounds, writing a sentence or 2, or going over some maths.
I'm also a teacher (although secondary not primary) and I really see the benefit of revisiting concepts frequently. 6 weeks is a long time and I don't want my DD to slip backwards in her progress over the holidays. I'm not necessarily aiming to push her forwards, just maintain where she finishes the year at.

Usernamehell · 17/05/2022 10:58

Fellow Reception mum too. DD's school is very intense during the term and work her hard so we generally do not touch any work over the holidays (aside from reading for pleasure).

For the summer, I will some to ensure she doesn't regress but no more.
I will be keeping up with the reading; both through library and reading things around us as others have described. She writes shopping lists, birthday cards etc and will continue to do so. I intend to give her money when we go to shops so she gets used to counting and change and also the usual we do at home in terms of measuring when baking, doing DIY etc. None of this will be daily, we will just do a little as and when

I tend to use the holidays to increase the bigger skills and experience new sports so she is already booked into drama camp, tennis camp and swim crash courses. I have no doubt the skills she learns there will also benefit when she goes back to school

TizerorFizz · 19/05/2022 16:08

I think one of the best things you can do in the holidays is have conversations. Extend language. Talk about what you see and do. It’s easy snd cheaper than tennis lessons.

tothemoonandbackbuses · 19/05/2022 16:19

We will be keeping up with reading and maths. Hopefully we will make some decent progress with writing as well
we will do a lot of the work practically and in ways he doesn’t reAlise are work

TooManyPlatesInMotion · 19/05/2022 16:42

We are just going to ensure we read with her and she continues to read to us everyday. I have a ds now in y6 and remember his reading really dropping off over the first summer hol (it is v common, happened to loads of his friends too). Within the first week or two of y1 he was fine again, but I remember feeling a bit bad about it at the time! So he will try a bit harder this summer.

If you have a twinkl account you could print off the odd worksheet from there - twinkl is great and the learning fun.

TooManyPlatesInMotion · 19/05/2022 16:44

TizerorFizz · 19/05/2022 16:08

I think one of the best things you can do in the holidays is have conversations. Extend language. Talk about what you see and do. It’s easy snd cheaper than tennis lessons.

Yes! Agree with this. But unfortunately done kind of camp/holiday club etc also tends to be essential for work purposes.