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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Anyone else struggling a bit with Reception/Yr 1 transition?

24 replies

preciouslillywhite · 28/09/2009 10:26

...my dd (6) who I'd have described as a bit of a swotty type in Reception is having a hard time coming to terms with Year 1. She's happy with her new teacher and TA, but she cried about going to school for the first time ever this morning, more or less from the time she got up.

I'm saying swotty because in Reception she was always counting which number ORT she was on, asking to read to me in the evenings etc. Now she tells me she "doesn't like" reading and writing any more , and that soon she "won't like maffs either"

When I ask her to tell me what it is she doesn't like it seems to be to do with the more formal style of learning in KS1, and the lack of things she perceives as toys eg making table, sand tray etc etc, and having to stay in the classroom (in Reception they were allowed into the next door class, the nursery and the nursery playground when they'd finished their work). I don't think she's any less capable than she was last year, but I think she's feeling a bit pressured and I'm worried this is going to put her off learning/school...

Anyone else experiencing similar?...or different??...are all Year 1 classes like this?

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Original poster

preciouslillywhite · 28/09/2009 10:46

bump

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smee · 28/09/2009 11:41

There was a thread last week on this. Can't find it now, but honestly it's very, very common precious - there were lots of posts. Might be worth having a quiet word with the teacher if you can, just to make sure your DD gets lots of praise and encouragement. If she's bright and appears okay, she may be perceived to be okay to the teacher too. But if they know she's finding the change hard, they could work on that with her.

applepudding · 28/09/2009 11:52

Precious - My DS has now just started Y4 but I do remember exactly the same things you are saying from when DS started in Y1. I found it particularly hard for my DS as he was one of the younger children in his year, and had only been at school since the previous January.

I think that transition from Reception to Y1 could be managed a lot better in a lot of schools. I made this comment on a parental questionnaire we were given to complete later that year (no idea if it has improved) but in retrospect which I had brought the subject up with the Head Teacher earlier. Not exactly as a complaint, but just a letter saying that I was happy with the school in other respects, but I felt that this could have been managed better.

applepudding · 28/09/2009 11:53

Sorry I meant 'wish I had brought the subject up'

Original poster

preciouslillywhite · 28/09/2009 11:55

thanks smee- I had a quick look thro before posting but could only find "my dc bored in Reception wants to do Proper Work" stylee ones!

will have another look, might be in chat.

I appreciate that it's a common problem- I also wanted to find if some schools do things differently- ie keep the making table and the toys and the "free range" aspects of Reception- or are they not allowed to?

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Original poster

preciouslillywhite · 28/09/2009 11:58

x- posts with you apple

my ds is now in Y8, and I remember Y1-Y2 being the tricky time when they were expected to knuckle down. Y1 we barely noticed!

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Original poster

preciouslillywhite · 28/09/2009 12:04

thanks smee it's here

...note almost identical OP

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smee · 28/09/2009 12:31

I was just about to search. I knew it was similar .

MollieO · 28/09/2009 13:37

Just to say that you're not alone! Ds has gone from being class swot to the worst behaved and on the lowest reading scheme in the class. He loved reception and did really well but now doesn't like going to school and no longer likes reading/writing/maths/anything else you care to name related to school.

The work has stepped up hugely and the new teacher is less cuddly than his previous teachers (two as they job shared). This one is very nice but very very shouty.

I'm counting the days until half term and hoping that things will improve. I am sad as his year 1 teacher has no idea what a lovely and enthusiastic pupil he can be. I also think even if things start to improve he will now be viewed as the naughty child turned good rather than the reverse.

Apparently this behaviour is quite common but that statement doesn't really help when yours is the child who is struggling.

Original poster

preciouslillywhite · 28/09/2009 14:38

Thanks Mollie- I'm like you- just repeating under my breath "just wait till half term! just wait till half term!"

In our case it's all to do with the environment and the work, nothing to do with the teacher- she loved the teacher and the TA in Reception, but she loves the ones in the new class too (they're both great- the TA is a friend of mine, and very cuddly, the teacher is young and quite shy and never shouts).

Like you I'm really hoping things improve and dd just gets used to it. Don't want to wake her every Monday to have her sob all through getting her socks on, into her coco pops, cleaning her teeth...

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Original poster

preciouslillywhite · 28/09/2009 17:24

bumping

...to catch the tea time sitting

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bigchris · 28/09/2009 17:28

how do you know that your child is on the lowest reading scheme in the class?
i have no idea what books the other kuds get sent home with

Clayhead · 28/09/2009 17:29

I think it's even harder now with EYFS - my ds spent nearly his whole Reception year outside and is struggling with the transition away from this. Luckily, the school is actually managing it well and making it a staged transition rather than a huge shock! I don't mean that to sound anti-EYFS as I'm not, just that they have made huge changes there and yet not to Key Stage 1.

I sometimes think the move from Reception to Year 1 (EYFS to Key Stage 1) can be harder for some children than from pre-school to Reception (all part of the EYFS).

plus3 · 28/09/2009 18:23

My Ds is struggling too - although Thurs,Fri and today have all been good days (as said by the teacher!)

We are meeting with his teacher this week to discuss his behaviour. I have mixed feelings about this - glad that if there is a geniune problem it will start to be dealt with quickly. However, we have been told that it normally takes upto a term for them to settle properly, so 3 weeks in seems alittle quick.

We anticipated that it would take DS awhile to settle, he hasnever done change particularly well, but always gets there in the end. praising his positives is essential, and I'm not sure that's being done as much as it could be.

Original poster

preciouslillywhite · 28/09/2009 20:51

I thought the EYFS was hard work!I was appalled at the amount of written stuff they had to do...

little did I know

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ProfYaffle · 28/09/2009 21:02

Can I just check in too? I thought dd1 was doing ok but last week and this week she's really struggled.

She's in a mixed reception/yr 1 class which doesn't help, tbh, as she's seeing reception children still able to do free play, still getting lots of full on praise and feedback whereas she's striving for a slightly higher target and feeling like she's not making it.

Most heartbreaking was tonight, she told me she'd been given a special prize by her teacher for the work she did. I was overjoyed as I hoped it would re-assure her but it quickly became apparent she had made it up "because I wanted you to be proud of me Mummy" No amount of re-assurance from me seems to help atm.

Original poster

preciouslillywhite · 28/09/2009 21:31

Not just us then??

...that's so awful Prof!At least my dd's class is the other end of the school from the Foundation Stage.

Did your dd enjoy Reception?

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MollieO · 28/09/2009 22:17

I know who he reads with and where he sits. I also listen to him read every night and it is a form of torture.

We had a chat tonight about his reading level and he was shocked. I hope that it means he will make an effort. I am not bothered about him being the worst reader in the class if that is his ability. However he makes no effort at all.

He has a weekly spelling test that he has to write out. Ds refuses to learn the words or write them out at home but still gets them all correct so the ability is there but the effort isn't.

MollieO · 28/09/2009 22:18

Sorry, my post was in response to bigchris .

mimsum · 28/09/2009 22:21

why don't you go into see the head and ask why there's such a big transition into y1 - it should be pretty much exactly the same, especially in the first part of the year

the children should have plenty of opportunities for play etc certainly in dd's classroom there was hardly any difference at all - dd chose to do lots of reading and writing, but it was her choice, not enforced at all

I'm pretty sure mrz posted on the other thread about the national guidelines schools are supposed to be following - I'm surprised how many of them seem to be ignoring this

ProfYaffle · 29/09/2009 08:09

Precious - she enjoyed it eventually. Once she relaxed enough to be prepared to 'have a go' she did really well, got a few achievement awards etc. I feel she just needs a bit of reassurance from the teacher, I'm going to have a chat with the teacher I think.

smee · 29/09/2009 10:34

precious, from what you said about the amount of written work in reception, and ORT levels, am guessing they did a fair amount of structured literacy work before year one? Am really interested in all of this, as DS has gone into Yr 1 with no moans at all - I'd have put money on a different story, as he's an outdoor sort who loved the free play of reception. His school doesn't do a reading scheme at all until Yr1, so no ORT at all in reception. There were books around for those that had started to read, and it certainly wasn't discouraged, but as a group they did phonics, but only in the summer term. There was writing each day, but mostly through art/ games and also lots of rhymes, singing, etc. The only books were ones we read to them and they could bring back as many of those each day as they could carry. The children chose though, which I thought was a good way of getting them to love books. This year (Yr1) they're very much focussed on the children reading. There's daily one to one reading, and it's far more structured learning. The book bag now has one book for us to read to them and one which they have to read to us. Seems quite democratic really. I'm wondering though if the hands off/ wait until year one approach is reaping rewards, as DS and the rest of his class genuinely all seem v. happy. Or then again it could just be that they've got a great teacher..

Original poster

preciouslillywhite · 29/09/2009 21:57

They started on phonics in week one in Reception- I was horrified!- but it seemed to work. As far as I could tell it was pretty full on- they were allowed to play whatever they chose but had to drop it when called in to do reading, group work etc. I was very very sceptical about it and thought a few kids would fall by the wayside but as far as I can tell they all seemed to enjoy themselves and do well...

I think it's just the obvious routine and lack of toys in Y1 that's doing my dd's head in...and mine. I can't understand that, if the EYFS guidance freely and repeatedly acknowledges that children learn best through play, this theory gets totally turned over in Y1?

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happyharry · 02/10/2009 17:40

Spelling in year 1. Thats scary. We were told at our school that they don't start speling until they can read.

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