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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

What is your child learning/doing in Reception at the moment? Thread 2

56 replies

wheelsonthebus · 29/09/2009 16:37

My dd - who could read a bit before starting reception - has gone 'back to basics', to the extent that her classes involve how to pronounce letters (ie 'p' sounds like puh and the sound involves blowing air out of your mouth onto your finger. 'a' sounds like the 'a' in ant which crawls up your arm). I am a bit bemused as to why children are being taught actions to go with sounds. Why not just 'a is for apple' without all the pics of a child crunching into one?
I am sure other reception classes are onto more advanced things than this. What is your child doing in reception at the moment?

OP posts:

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Slubberdegullion · 29/09/2009 16:40

jolly phonics innit

My dd is mostly learning where the loo is and how to get there on time, although there has been an overspill of learning wrt the school's stock of emergency pants and that they have Strawberry Shortcake on.

This is a Big Deal.

Kathyis6incheshighandbites · 29/09/2009 16:41

No idea! She won't tell me a thing.

Slubberdegullion · 29/09/2009 16:44

Kathy

I managed to eek out that there was some sort of cake product for lunch today, apart from that (and the 2nd pair of stawberry shortcake pants) nadda.

katiestar · 29/09/2009 16:46

Who knows ?
Yes my DD is bringing home very easy pink band books (only 2 a week).They are doing jolly phonics too ( but our action for 'a' is ants running up the arm !!)

They don't seem to de a baseline assessment any more on teh kids.My DDs teacher had no idea she could read a bit and write phonetically til I told her yesterday.Both her teacher and TA are lovely caring motherly types (most important thing) , but from what I've heard from other parents I'm not sure they are fantastic teachers

Original poster

wheelsonthebus · 29/09/2009 16:46

Hmmm, yes, jolly phonics - But why can't a child work out what 'p' sounds like by looking at a picture of a pear? what's all this blowing air on yr finger lark?

OP posts:

wingandprayer · 29/09/2009 16:47

My DD doing exactly the same as yours Wheels. Not all kids at the same level and they have to start somewhere.

katiestar · 29/09/2009 16:47

DD has learned you have to go to a different toilet at lunchtime after getting caught short trying to get back into a locked classroom !

Littlefish · 29/09/2009 16:48

Sounds normal to me.

My dd is doing all the letter sounds at the moment. This can be taught through various schemes e.g. letters and sounds, jolly phonics etc.

Dd is also learning that it is not a good idea to kiss boys' arms in the playground

PfftTheMagicDragon · 29/09/2009 16:50

DS is learning jolly phonics, last week STPA this week they are adding another 4. I know it must be frustrating for you, your DD is ahead but if it's any consolation they do seem to speed through them quite quickly and start reading quickly.

DS is an end of august baby and there are children already 5 in his class. They have to start somewhere that everyone can understand.

mazzystartled · 29/09/2009 16:53

oh i think this is the jolly phonics system

ds is in reception and finding out what he i doing is like getting blood out of a stone, but I am kind of easy about that at the moment, so long as he is happy enough to go

most reception classes I imagine (and according to my mum mates who all have children at different schools) will be doing phonics of some sort or another. for some children this will be their first ever introduction to letter sounds, for others it will be a recap.

mazzystartled · 29/09/2009 16:54

xpost with everybvody
lol kathy. all i know about yesterday is there was a glace cherry on top of the pudding

thegrammerpolicesic · 29/09/2009 16:57

Our lot haven't even started learning anything in literacy or numeracy yet.

I think it's normal to have to do the letter sounds for the sake of the ones who don't know them (don't assume they're always the younger ones Pfft...)

I am hoping that ds (who sounds similar to your dd with reading) gets a bit of extra or different reading that will allow him to progress too but I don't mind him doing JP as well as it might be good for his confidence to know the answers and he hasn't done the JP songs before so might think they're fun.

It's tough as I have looked at the EYFS goals and on numeracy he's probably at level 7 already if not 8 and with reading about level 6 so I am awaiting the teacher spotting this and telling me what they will be doing so that he progresses.

In the meantime he is very happy and having fun and settling into school routines etc. and that's great.

idobelieveinfairies · 29/09/2009 16:59

Mine are playing/doing activities that is making their fingers/hands stronger for the start of ERR..which will begin shortly!

mrz · 29/09/2009 17:14

By wheelsonthebus on Tue 29-Sep-09 16:46:20
Hmmm, yes, jolly phonics - But why can't a child work out what 'p' sounds like by looking at a picture of a pear? what's all this blowing air on yr finger lark?

so they learn not to say puh

PfftTheMagicDragon · 29/09/2009 17:14

Of course it's not always the younger ones, was being short for the sake of brevity but I do know what you mean. I just wanted to generally get across the point to the OP that not all children (for many reasons of course) will be at the same level as her child. In fact I would imagine that most are not!

thegrammerpolicesic · 29/09/2009 17:23

No worries Pfft - was just getting on my high horse as people always assume that the summer borns are behind "average" and with ds it's the opposite with the academic stuff at least.

MRZ is it a little odd that my lot haven't done any letter sounds or anything in literacy and numeracy at all and it doesn't seem like they will do much before half term.
I'm trying not to think too much of this but it's actually a sixth of the year gone!

pofacedandproud · 29/09/2009 17:31

ds reads pretty fluently. Just started reception. Teachers not interested at all in what they can do, at least at this stage. They are doing very little except playing. Disappointing

Kathyis6incheshighandbites · 29/09/2009 17:37

Gosh, I don't want dd to be doing much other than playing! She's so teeny (4+3).
I'm fairly sure she will be going over ground she's already covered at nursery but that seems to me to be all to the good as it will build her confidence and allow her to concentrate on the social side. However I might feel differently if she was older.

floatyjosmum · 29/09/2009 17:42

i think im a bit of a pushy mum - do try not to be tho!!

dd is doing jolly phonics which i know they started in nursery last year (have the books in early learnign too)
she has also told me about writing on what i think are mini white boards.

have to admit tho she always says she just sat - and thats what she says she did for a year at nursery!

pofacedandproud · 29/09/2009 17:43

ds one of the oldest in his year so makes a difference. I think learning to read with phonics not very helpful, word recognition better imo. That is how ds learned anyway.

norfolklass · 29/09/2009 17:48

DS is doing the JP sounds as well-he knows most of them already but is having loads of fun playing and doing the actions as well...must admit I don't do the actions at home with him cause I don't think he needs them at the moment to remember the sounds but am sure he will later on when they move on to the more complicated ones.

He's been loads of stuff on the interactive board thingy about putting leaves in the right order and then the caterpillar eats them and turns into a butterfly which he thinks is fab. He has had 9 key words to learn and has been tested on them twice and has "read" several of the pre-reading books (ones with no words) and has today been given one with words in which he is very proud of. It doesn't seem to be a ORT one but something called Spiral Stories and its about a little seed that grows...not massively exciting but from what I have read on here it seems a bit better than Biff/Chip etc but am sure we've got all that to come!

myermay · 29/09/2009 17:58

i understand how fustrating it is. My eldest knew all his numbers letters and could read a bit when he started reception, but they went back to basics, and was being a little impatient as i knew he could do more. But now my second is in reception, and although he's bright in a knowledgeable kinda way, he's not acidemic really. So, i'm glad it's all very basic stuff!

They will see what you child is capable of in time, and all i can say is leave them to get on with it, these teachers know what they are doing adn there is no rush, just let your child enjoy reception.

mrz · 29/09/2009 18:26

My class all started full time from day one and we started introducing Jolly Phonics and simple number activities on day two. Some of my children are blending simple words while others aren't ready for this step but know the sounds and how to form the letter correctly (at least when someone reminds them where to start) so I'm very pleased

Numberfour · 29/09/2009 18:36

DS knows the word alliteration.

he has no idea what it means.

but he knows the word.

As for anything else he has learnt? Who knows.............

but, yow! he is changing in front of my eyes and !!

pointydoug · 29/09/2009 18:51

Your schools need to tell you a lot more about Jolly Phonics

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