Reading, Spelling etc, Year 1

[Sossy]

I have always been slightly worried about filling children's brains with spelling and reading at such a young age, so was a little surprised when my daughter was in reception year there was a list of words she should be able to spell by the end of the year. I took no notice of it and now she's in year 1 I'm a little surprised how much reading AND spelling they are expected to do. Surely this isn't right? Doesn't research suggest that if you start teaching children reading and spelling slightly older (ie when the rest of the world start school...6 or 7) they are more capable?

I'm wondering if, by ignoring the spelling cards I have completely let her down. I'm starting to feel a bit guilty. She's unaware of this, but she is the only one in her class who's on spelling card A. The rest are mid alphabet.

I would welcome peoples opinions!

As a mum of a YR1 boy, I can't believe how much spelling work he gets. Luckily he got reading/spelling very early, and so far has been fine. I would say there is a real mix of ability in his year group, some of his friends are getting extra support already, when to me it's more important at this stage they develop a love of learning and exploring. Unfortunately, thanks to all the targets the schools have these days there is not a lot of flexibility in the system really. Hence the pressure to get kids reading/writing a good couple of years before a lot of other countries....remember at the end of YR2 they have Sats, and it all reflects on the school.

We ddn't get any spellings in reception. The only homework was daily reading. Was nice and relaxed.

She is now Y1. She gets spellings every week betwee 3 and 10 depending on what table your child is on. They have an informal test on these once a week. They also get daily reading. At a weekend they have some wiritng homework - this term it is a reading review. And on a Monday they have just started Numeracy homework. It is, so far all very basic and doesn't really take that much time - and importantly DD wants to do it.

The list of words for reception (and the extra nes for rest of key stage 1) are not words a child should be able to spell BTW. They are list that most, although not necessarily all, should be able to READ.

Im a nursery nurse im constantly amazed at the hothousing such young children get and it does genuinely worry me -if theyre not learning the building blocs/foundations through play but its being drummed into them where does the fun, the thirst for learning come from? to learn you have to do things wrong and sounding out is not an adventure-when i first trained up if i was in infant one(not reception then lol)most of the day was play albeit learning through play and various set activities with a definite out come now its completely different.
I felt that strongly that middle son wasnt progressing to his ability(this kind of modern learning in my opinion limits a childs natural instincts and processes almost clipping their wingsiyswim?)that we withdrew him from school where he wasnt doing as well as he was capable for sure (he is ill as well with a blood complaint)and home educated him and his younger brother middle son is now in secondary school and thriving in top - middle sets and doing far better than expected(he never sat year 6 sats and so went to secondary totally on his own standing with no preconceived targets)youngest son whose 7 is home still he reads almost fluently can spell words you wouldnt believe AND his number skills are fabulous hes able to subtract and add large numbers in his head and just yesterday he was explaining to his dad about group of 8 1 group is 2 2 groups are 16 3 groups are 24 (of course you and i know this as times tables but he learns better thinking in groups -in school this wouldnt be the norm ) so we are pleased and confident we are doing the right thing.
too much pressure on children methinks to bring the mighty pound notes into school- let children be children i say.
(by the way i used letterland as these are people based and when he was struggling with a d sound i might say quack quack cos d is dippy duck and hed connect the 2)

Meant to add, DS gets 8 words a week to learn spellings of, and gets tested in his test book on a friday. He also gets one numeracy sheet a week, and 3 reading books a week (if we want to change it that often), plus a library book.
Some of the parents have asked for the spellings to be reduced if they feel their children aren't coping, and they are happy to do that.
There is a huge focus on early literacy at the moment, and from speaking to a friend who is a teacher, it is quite restrictive in a lot of ways.

I agree with Hula. The list of words is what the children will hopefully be able to read by the end of Reception. They don't usually start learning spellings until Yr1.

Beware the siren call of the 'romantic' educationalists:

olam.ed.asu.edu/epaa/v4n8.html

www.educationnext.org/2001sp/34.html