Private school, reception class - what is your child being taught this term?

[wheelsonthebus]

I know schools follow the national curriculum, but am just curious as to what different private schools are doing at this stage. Do you get homework/spelling tests/writing practice and what reading levels or schemes are your dc doing?

The only homework ds had in reception was reading. Different book every night with Wednesday nights off.

my DD is out of pre-prep now but only homework was usually reading ( or pre-reading) book.Other homeworks icluded taking atorch into thegarden and looking for stars or any night time creature, going for a walk and seeing how many insects or animals you saw and ticking against a picture list.

Our pre-prep was not focussed on loads of reading, spelling or desk based work
The pre-prep was literally about preperation for learning.
The focus was upon listening and attending, self help skills and enjoying learning.They learnt to listen, share, turn take, answer questions without shouting out too much etc etc Lots of outings, projects, stories, yoga , PE etc etc

It worked and the girls LOVE school and still retain all that enthusiasm.

A school with spelling tests in pre-prep would worry me a little

It has changed since DS1 was in reception and actually seems a bit more relaaxed than it was.

They brought a reading book home everyday except Weds (two at weekends but one was optional). DS1 used to bring home a phonetics work book which we use to do 10 minute chunks of 4/5 days a week but DS2 has only just started that 2nd term of kindergarten 1 although he is a July baby and I wonder if that has something to do with it.

They seemd to do all sorts of thing including science eg. which material will keep teddy dry? They would then wrap Teddy in a various materiels (J-cloth,plastic sheet, tissue etc) and then pour water on him.

DS2 certainly came on in leaps and bounds having started school unable to read and not really recognizing any letters. They started spelling tests in the final term of reception (5 words). However when I used to ask DS2 what he had been doing in reception all I got was 'play' but they were obviously doing a lot of 'teaching' without it being obvious. They also did maths and the number bonds 0 to 5 so he could add and subtract those as well.

DS is year 1 now, but a year ago homework was only reading. Book changed every day, unless we hadn't managed to read the night before. Also, "tricky words" on a keyring to learn to read.

In y1 the spelling tests have begun. 10 words a week, mostly phonic but a few trickly words a week. No homework other than that and reading until summer term of Y2, in preparation for y3, where there is maths x2, english/spellings x2, geog/history x1 a week and reading every night. This is a good balance for my DD in y3, as she enjoys the homework but it only takes 20 mins, and if she is too tired school says to wait and catch up at the weekend, not to force them to do it.

Both my DC love their school and want to do their homework/reading.

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