Tutoring for 4 year old starting reception

[Allbutone]

Hi All,

Should I be looking for tutor for my DS who is 4 years old. I know he's quite young but I'm finding it difficult trying to teach him basic alphabets and numbers. He likes to watch a lot of TV.
How can I teach him at home?

If you don't know current phonics teaching strategies then don't touch teaching the alphabet at all, its done completely differently to how letters were taught 20 years ago and you'll just confuse him.

Did you even read the OP?

Don't bother with tutoring. Make sure his screen time is all educational TV (cbeebies is good), not pointless cartoons, and don't let him have more than an hour a day. The rest of the time, books and playtime!

@Allbutone Please don't teach him the alphabet - letter names are a complete waste of time at this stage. If he doesn't know any letter sounds, don't try now, leave it until he starts school. It's harder to unlearn something than it is to learn it properly.

If he likes TV, why not get him into shows like alphablocks or numberblocks? My 4 year old watches a lot of nature programmes too and is always impressing nursery with his ability to recognise obscure animals and know about their habitat.

They don't teach ABC they teach sounds like a and ai (A) and sometimes they do it with songs. Find out now which scheme they use so that you are complementing it. We did Jolly Phonics but that was a long time ago so find out which way your school teaches sounds. They usually start this sort of thing in preschool nursery. School is there to teach children and they do a lot in school that they don't engage with at home.

Cbeebies is good quality educational TV, so if he likes watching TV start by tuning in to that. He doesn't need a tutor. He is 4.

This

I'm an early reading lead and agree whole heartedly with this. Find out the phonics scheme the school use and use this to help your child when they start school. Until then just read lots and lots of books to them.

They spend the first term of Reception learning to recognise basic letters and numbers and count to 10 to get the base level in a place where they can start adding numbers up to 10 etc. and learning sounds for starting to read.

Anyone who arrives already knowing this stuff is likely to be bored which can then turn into them displaying unwanted behaviour, or just disengaging with school.

Teaching the alphabet is what reception year is for - he doesn't need to know any of this before starting school. If he likes TV then try to include some learning through this (alpha blocks etc) or look at reading eggs app. A tutor is a huge overreaction to a non existent problem.

Just read to him lots and do basic counting as you go about everyday jobs, such as cooking and adding a certain number of ingredients. Make sure he can dress himself, use the toilet properly, use a knife and fork and follow simple instructions and he will be fine.

@Allbutone

"I was thinking about doing that.
I know he's only 4 and he'll catch up quite quickly."

Catch up with what?

This is such an underappreciated point in these discussions. They spend what feels like forever in Reception and Y1 on phonics. There is no benefit in arriving in Reception having learned this already, but there are some risks (boredom, confusion through learning a different way at home). There are so many more interesting things to do with a 4yo!

For starters they don't learnt he alphabet. They learn phonic sounds starting usually with S A T P I N. If you want to support him then learn what scheme they use at school and learn the phonics sounds yourself.

Do not teach him the alphabet. That is going to confuse the situation.

Teach him
Colours
Nursery rhymes
Fasten his coat
Hang up his coat
Take his shoes on and off
Recognise his name
Mark making (scribbling)
Things like small and large, heavy and light by saying 'pass me the big turtle'
Following instructions and then following two step instructions. 'First put your shoes in the cupboard and then get the red cup'

Kids just learn by repetition. They learn fast at school. My dd goes to nursery and she randomly sings songs or part of the alphabet song she has learned at school. She is 3, so we just focus on playing and social skills....going to the park, meeting with friends etc. Kids will just learn it naturally at school. You do not need to teach them. That is how my older ones learned. But if they have trouble later on with phonics, then help them at home. Also, read to your dc a lot. At this age it is so important for them to develop a love for reading. It is fine to watch a bit of tv, but do not let it be more then 1 hour a day. Kids know how to play if you take away the screen.

He doesn’t need a tutor. He needs a parent.

He doesn't need to catch up because he isn't behind!

Do NOT try to teach him the alphabet by rote. See my own and other posts for why. It is useless at this stage, and unnecessary. It is phonics and other things that he will begin to learn in reception which will enable him to start reading, not ABC.

Just do fun things like reading stories to him, but don't apply mad pressure to him to begin reading them himself at this stage.

Let him watch reasonably educational TV programs. I used to find CBEEBIES quite good for that when my three were preschoolers. Remember that not all screen time is bad. Mine could learn from some of it and I could also have a peaceful cup of coffee.

Based on my kid starting Year R this school year, these good life skills are really helpful, the teachers will cover the academic stuff. The only thing you need to do academically is read to them, then with them everyday.

If they like TV, someone else mentioned Numberblocks and Alphablocks on Cbeebies, those are both great.

I did read it - the OP mentions nothing about homeschooling, special needs etc.

All kids age 3+ get 15 hours free nursery. So why was my question about why is the child not at nursery, where they learn phonics, not appropriate?

At this age my 4 children were at nursery at didn’t start school until they were 5 nursery does some basics but it’s mostly play and fun which is what I wanted for them. They can all read and write now it didn’t become a disadvantage and I certainly did not get them a tutor. Can imagine spending all day at school as a tired 4 year old then doing more work with a tutor? Where is the fun.

read to them, play with them, take them on days out and just spend time with your child before school starts they have so many years of school in front of them enjoy the time you have them at home as it flies in.

I looked at this post because the title seemed so bizarre! A tutor for a four year old, it’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve read today. Honestly. Just read to him, that’s all you need to do. Two of my sons could barely do anything before school but picked up reading really quickly to the point it was being talked about by the other parents and I was quite embarrassed! The others were just average, including my eldest who I taught to read before he started. It really makes no difference. They will learn to their individual ability.

Remember too that the teachers are likely to give your child small amounts to do at home to help develop his reading and numeracy skills. Quite probably there will be a "getting to know the teacher" session for parents in the first few weeks of school too, at which this will all be explained. If this doesn't happen then ask for an appointment with them, but in my experience it usually does.

So wait and take your cue from the school. Don't try to jump the gun. That isn't helpful.

No need to homeschool a four year old really. Also, it's summer holiday now, so most preschools (except private daycare nurseries) will have broken up too. That is where the 15 free hours a week come in.

Plenty of reasons why a child that age is not spending all day every day at nursery learning phonics. Mine didn't even learn phonics at preschool, that I can remember. It was more basic than that, such as recognising their name, putting coats and shoes on correctly, basic good behaviour.