Just got ds annual school report from Reception - can any reception or primary teachers advise me please?

[becaroo]

Generally, its a lovely report, lots of nice comments about ds behaviour and kindness and friendliness etc. He was 5 last month so he is one of the youngest in the class. He goes up to year one in September.

However, in literacy and numeracy he is and I quote - "working below ELG" (early learning goals).

In the other 4 learning areas he is either "working at or above the ELG" but I am concerned because at the bottom of the report it states that;

"By the end of Reception children should be working to ELG in all 6 areas of learning".....and my ds obviously isnt and this is the first I have heard of it.

I am not really that surprised in one way as he loves to be "on the go" and it is a struggle to get him to do any activity for more than 15-20 mins and, frankly, I think he finds sitting reading and counting boring.

(He hs also had quite a bit of time off school for illness too since starting reception - I am not sure whether that could be part of the problem)

Is there anything I can do over the holidays to help him with his literacy and numeracy?

I always assumed that no news was good news and if there was a problem the teachers would let me know, but that obviously hasnt happened.

Any advice greatly appreciated.....

Have they indicated which areas of literacy he is having problems with (it's split into 4 parts Speaking and Listening/ Linking Sounds to letters / reading and writing)

Don't worry too much, just because he is working below the ELGs doesn't actually mean there is a problem. The teacher would have most likely talked to you about it if it was concerning her. Perhaps she/he feels your DS will catch up in time.

The best thing to do would be to book an appointment to talk to his teacher about it and see if she can suggest anything. Most likely she'll just reassure you not to worry. Don't take it as bad news, just that your DS has probably focused on other areas of learing instead and will catchu p in due corse.

It is the reading and writing he is struggling with....he just isnt interested.

I dont want to make a big deal of it - he is only 5 - but I also dont want him to fall behind his classmates either....

He's only young so I wouldn't worry too much. Share stories, let him see you reading, point out labels in the supermarket ask him to help write shopping lists or notes to daddy or granny. Make it fun.

I think it's a good report, too. He's still little, plenty of years to improve before he'd be really behind.