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?

Please don’t. And please don’t reach him the alphabet; it really doesn’t help him to read. Op, and I say this kindly,
calm down. Your child has a long way to go. You’re probably finding it difficult because he isn’t ready. Let him just be four

Some great ideas on here - definite yes to Alphablocks and Numberblocks, plus anything on CBeebies really, when he has TV time. And also yes to teaching him self care/ independence skills like dressing, going to the toilet and wiping (I was really worried my daughter wouldn't cope with this at school but she's been fine!) The 5 minute mum and apart Play Hooray (on Instagram, Facebook etc) have loads of great ideas for fun educational games to play that you can do with stuff you have at home. I've popped some photos of things we did on here - pom pom number game, putting buttons on lines for fine motor skills, shape recognition game etc. My daughter loved playing a game to help her recognise her name -I'd write all the letters on separate post-it notes, hide them around the house, and she would find them. Initially I had her name written out and she'd match the letters to her name, later on she could put them in the right order herself. Definitely no need for tutors or any kind of pressure at this age! (I'm a primary teacher and have a 5 year old just coming to the end of her reception year - it's amazing what she's learned this year!)

A lot of tutors won't take children before Year 1 (rightly so). Your poor child being hot housed already! Leave the child to learn through play.

*also, not apart (grr autocorrect!)

Teach him:
To go to the toilet independently
To do up his own coat
To recognise his own coat
To dress and undress for PE independently
To eat with cutlery
To recognise his own name
To listen and act upon instructions
To be kind and to practise sharing/ take turns.

My two could recognise their own names when written down and have a go at writing it but they didn't know the alphabet or phonics starting reception. They'll learn it all there along with everyone else and they're really not expected to know it.

But as others have pointed out Numberblocks and Alphablocks on Cbeebies are great for sparking an interest in numbers and letters. Some of it will sink in. Lots won't. Once they start doing it at school then both programmes are great for reinforcing what they're learning (and schools often show them episodes in school).

Putting shoes on, going to toilet, dressing themselves etc are definitely the things I'd focus on for now.

Read to and with him every day or a close to that as is practical; talk about the pictures, characters etc in the story.

Teach him to dress and undress independently for PE and toilet visits. Put his name on everything and anything he owns that might be taken to school.

I wonder op, if English is not your first language as it sounds like you're wanting to employ someone to teach your child before school, a tutor, which is why people are shocked. But it sounds like you want to know what you should teach.

This absolutely. Spent a large part of my time working in Reception and teaching how to use cutlery, how to do up shoes, how to do up a coat

And
To recognise his own school shoes, his own water bottle
How to wipe his bottom (I got asked a number of times to do this by children and we are not allowed to unless they have a specific health need and a plan)

get worried. I'll probably do his basic ABC at home for the summer and see how he gets on.
Don't do this unless you understand phonics
You would be much better reading lots of books with him and counting games. Also play games with him so he can take turns, sit still and listen.

Tutor for a 4 year old? 😮

These are all great suggestions. Orchard games are fab- they do a nice 'match and spell' one (you want the easiest version, there's a harder one too) and my 4yo DS learnt all his single-letter sounds and how to sound out and blend 3-letter words from that. They also do a lovely alphabet puzzle which we did first, and that's how he learnt the alphabet.

Board games in general are great- they learn counting on, taking turns, coping with winning and losing etc from these activities.

I used to be a teacher of this age group- anything you can do to improve fine motor control is helpful. Threading beads (start an alternating pattern like red yellow blue red yellow blue and see if he can continue it), play doh, drawing circles, spirals and different types of lines (wavy, straight, zigzag etc) using different paints, crayons and pens will get him ready for writing.

In my experience, children start picking up reading and writing when they are ready and your child is still very young. If he's not ready, pushing it will just create stressful associations without much progress. Keep it all play-based and when he is ready, he will start picking it up.

Incidental learning is really worthwhile. Weighing out baking ingredients, counting out the right number of apples in the supermarket, counting how many steps to get home...you can find all sorts of ways to 'teach' him doing your everyday activities.

Less time watching TV if possible and more time playing together. When he does watch TV, encourage things like number blocks, Alphablocks, Grace's Amazing Machines and so on (they don't learn as much from watching it on telly but they do learn something, and he'll learn a lot more from some programs than others. My DS picked up loads of maths skills from numberblocks.)

He's much too young for a tutor.

@LovingKent

I've spent a long time in Reception and Preschool.
The skills we both mention are much more valuable both to the child and the staff, than being able to say the alphabet or count by rote to100!

If you are going to do anything academic (and you don’t need to) you need to think phonics not alphabet.

Better to ensure they are able to put on and take off PE kit, listen to instructions, use toilet independently, take turns and other similar social interactions

Life skills not tutoring. Teach him to use the bathroom independently, dress and undress himself and recognise his name. Other things you can do are to read stories, lots of stories and cook with him. Leave the phonics etc to school, it’s what they’re there for.

Reception is called Foundation Stage for a good reason. Yes they learn maths and phonics (agree with PP to find out which phonics programme the school uses). But! Reception is about so much more than that. It’s about socialisation, learning through play, making friendships, how to deal with all sorts of things! It is the foundation on which to build life and academic skills.
I’ve worked as a TA in Y2 and Reception, I love that in Reception you get to chat with the children more and teach loads of cool stuff like nature and gardening.
Absolutely no need for any tutoring! Just support your child with their learning and have fun!

I know you want to help, but don't worry about this. He'll learn all this at school.

Read to him, talk to him, take him to interesting places and narrate his world. This is far, far more important than him being able to name letters. It will develop his vocabulary and general knowledge, and make him an interested learner.

It's almost the end of reception for my 5 year old (May birthday) and he's only just started wanting to read. There is no rush, remember in some countries they don't start school for another few years!

Turn the TV off. Spend time in play with him, let him lead. Teach him to take turns, to wait a few seconds, put his shoes on & off (only send gym shoes he can put on himself) put his own jacket on by pulling sleeves back when they get stuck inside, use a knife and fork, open own pack lunch box, put bag on himself, do Jigsaws, count 5 small items, play shops, be outside. Teach him how to regulate, does he know when he needs quiet or to go outside..

Hiya

Did you find a 4+ tutor you can recommend?

Lots of lovely books, with you reading and pointing and both of you asking questions. There are some brilliant educational games as well- I really rate the Orchard Toy range, which are very reasonable (although we buy ours at charity shop).
Practice counting and alphabet everywhere you go- point out letters and number, count the stairs, read the menu to him, show him the shop receipt and point to the word and numbers.
Everything is a learning opportunity.

Just realised this is an old thread..

RESURECTED THREAD. Sorry only just realised so edited my post