DD1 is "a little behind" at school any tips on how to help her?

[SheSellsSeashellsByTheSeashore]

She needs to catch up on recognisising the properties of shapes i.e. a square has four sides and four corners and some letters and phonics.

Her reading is also behind and she should know a list of 'tricky words' by now.

She is in reception year so a tutor would be going a bit ott. I was thinking more time on school work at home (we have been lagging a bit since I started working) and learning books.

Which learning books/work books are best. Is there any cd roms? Any other tips appreciated.

On shapes - can you get a toy that has all the main geometric shapes as magnets, that she can use to make pictures?

We have this toy - DD loves it and it is great for both learning the names of shapes (if you play with her) and also for understanding geometric concepts - eg putting 2 triangles together to make a square.

She likes magnets and we have a magnetic whiteboard that she loves playing with so that would be a great idea.

Also she has difficutlty recognising the middle letter in simple the letter spellings i.e. get she would know g and t but can't recognise the e.

I was thinking flashcards of phonics, letters and simple words would help? Does anyone know any spelling games?

I use a square scarf and sing a piece with four beats in a bar whilst tracing around the outside of the square. then I move a corner to the far corner (making a triangle) and change the piece to 3 time. Then I pick it up and trace a circle in the air singing a song about going around and around.

I also have a Christmas version where I have square as a present, the tree as the triangle and the round as a decoration.

There are quite a few websites with fun games to play which may help.

My dd likes www.sparklebox.co.uk/

www.teachingideas.co.uk

also looks good.

Websites would be great. She loves using the laptop which is why I was thinking cd roms. I will save those to her list of allowed sites on her username (she chooses her sites from her favourites list she can recognise the little pics at the sides).

We played a game on the way to school where I named a shape and she had too look for it or try and make it with her hands and count the sides and corners, but there are only so many shapes you can find in a park. Still it's practise. Which shapes do they learn in reception? She seemed to recognise circle, semi circle, square, rectangle and triangle but had no clue about diamonds or hexagons is this because she is not upto that yet or is it because she is behind?

I also thought making 'shape' cookies at the weekend would help, so if any one knows where you could get geometric cookie/playdough cutters that would be great.

Spellings maybe using the whiteboard and pens and getting her to write simple words?

The Jolly Phonics range is very good. The finger phonic books, work books and teachers guide are very good.

DK do a fab range of games that teach phonics etc and i'm sure we have a couple of spellings ones - will look out the male/titles if you're interested.

Magnetic letters are good for spelling simple words. You can mix up the letters and get her to spell the words.

just spending time one on one with her and talking about everything around her - books, shapes of objects etc.
she's not behind, she'll catch up when she's good and ready - education at such an early age should be about fostering an excitement for learning and discovering the world.
fwiw i didn't read a single thing till i was 8 - many meetings were had about it, but then i started and the 3rd book i read was lord of the rings, i've gone on to get a 1st class ba and an ma.....

Yeah id be interested in the makes/titles of the phonics games. I was gonna buy her some ORT phonics flashcards and make some flashcards of her tricky words.

Is she behind the "average" UK child? Or behind the "bright" children who go to the school she's at?

Just wondering - as knowing diamonds and hexagons sound way above reception age expectations round here.

You say "she should know a list of 'tricky words' by now" - but surely plenty of reception age dcs haven't even started to read words like "get" let alone other tricky words?

Just be careful to keep things 100% fun and done at her pace not yours - and try not to let her tune in to your feelings that she is behind - even at her age it can be demoralising!

Surely if she's in reception she would only have been at school for a few months. I am puzzled as to why a teacher would describe such a young child as being "behind"

They are only little and still settling in at this age.

Yes, encourage her, play games, go on the computer, have fun- but try not to get too stewed up about this and put your anxieties onto her.

They all progress at different rates and it's much too early to say she is "behind".

Try not to worry and put too much pressure on her. Playing games is great but don't start thinking she is behind. The 45 words is a guideline to be known by the END of reception year. But even he she doesn't know them all by then I wouldn't worry. She won't be the only one and you can do some over the summer.

My DS is now 7 but he wasn't even learning the first words at this stage in reception. The teacher was fine about it. He just wasn't interested. You can get those words in a set of magnets and DS loved to play with them.