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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

Advice from teachers re reception

40 replies

SailAway · 08/02/2010 15:14

ds2 is in reception and is finding it very hard. Examples of some homework given to him :

Do the additions using the number line (7+12, 9+8 etc...) He had to complete the number line first but couldn't do it.
Please write the sentences putting a capital letter at the start of the sentence. He didn't know what the said capital letters looked like and couldn't read the said sentences.
Draw 3 objects that make noise in your house (OK no problem) and write their name down (ds2 is just able to blend simple CVC words).

ds2 has a slight language delay which makes ot difficult for him to follow what is happening in class in group setting. He is also struggling to 'hear' the sounds. I have been told by the SALT that this is something that will resolve itself by the end of the year (so no major worries) but it does make it harder for him to follow.

I am looking for the reason, on the teaching point of view, why he would be asked to do all these when they seem to be so above what he can do. It feels all wrong but am wondering if I have missed something big there.

Thanks

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Rollmops · 09/02/2010 12:07

Is your local primary a selective private or state school?

molk · 09/02/2010 13:08

my son is in a mixed reception/year one class. He his homework is a list of 10 words which he has to write within 10 sentences (phonetically if necessary). He also has number work. at school they told me he could subtract single and two digit numbers by himself.do you think they are teaching more to year 1s than reception?

roundabout1 · 09/02/2010 14:57

Gosh I'm shocked by some of the homework given to reception. Apart from word tins & reading books my dd's class doesn't always get homework & if it is it is practising numbers 1-10 & putting in order etc or practising writing letters. My dd would be worried sick if she was getting homework that she couldn't do.

chocolateshoes · 09/02/2010 15:02

Gosh - my son is 4, goes to our local primary which is '1 of top school in country' and does nothing like this. He has a reading book and they had word tins at the start of the year. I'm quite shocked at what the OP's child is being asked to do!

Littlefish · 09/02/2010 15:42

Molk - that definitely sounds like Yr 1 homework. Writing 10 sentences is a ridiculous amount of writing!

ShoshanaBlue · 09/02/2010 22:55

My little girl is in reception and we don't have any homework except a reading book that's usually changed once a week, same as they got in nursery. I think they get a small list of spellings to learn each week next year in year 1, and they're meant to be differentiated according to ability.

I get the impression that she is playing most of the day.

CaurnieBred · 10/02/2010 10:08

This is horrendous. DD (5) is also in reception and all she brings home are reading books for us to go through with her. No writing; nothing.

Original poster

SailAway · 10/02/2010 12:18

Thank you all. I need to be honest, I was starting to think that I was overreacting and whatever she is asking him to do was still within the acceptable.

As I said, this is our local primary school. Not even the one who is 'outstanding' according to Ofsted.

I am concerned that the level she is asking him to work at will shatter his self confidence, which isn't great language wise.
I have had a word before with the teacher & HT about other issues and it has made a difference for about a week and then we've gone back to square one...

dc2 is not happy and I know all that has a strong influence on him. This might be a case now of checking if changing school wouldn't be a solution.

OP posts:

smee · 10/02/2010 13:42

If they don't reassure you/ change policy I'd definitely think about changing schools. If that's what the pressure they put them on at 5, when national guidelines (which they're supposed to follow!), say learning should be through play, then what sort of pressure do they put them through higher up the school?

Original poster

SailAway · 10/02/2010 14:07

Probably a lot. Last newsletter had a bit about some 'info' about extra support to prepare for the SATs....

dc1 trives in this environment. But then he is academically gifted and loves challenges lol.

OP posts:

Bonsoir · 10/02/2010 14:15

Homework in reception? Isn't that illegal?

The tasks set sound all wrong, too. My DD is reception aged (5.3) and in French grande section. She doesn't do class work anything like as hard as the work you describe. However, she is doing a lot of important, repetitive ground work for literacy and numeracy. IMO this is very important.

Original poster

SailAway · 10/02/2010 14:32

Bonsoir, dc2 would be in 'moyenne' section in France. He will be 4yo at the end of June.....

OP posts:

Bonsoir · 10/02/2010 14:40

It's mad. Your DC is going to be discouraged by being asked to do work that is conceptually beyond his level of development and, at the same time, is not doing the important non-conceptual, play based work on which his future academic training is based.

Original poster

SailAway · 10/02/2010 15:03

Sorry, dc2 is 4yo now and will be 5yo at the end of June.

Yep, that's exactely what I am worried about.

I have put a note in dc2 diary (the 2nd exercise was his homwework for last week end) pointing out he couldn't read the sentences but still did his best to copy the owrds letter to letter. A sheet asking him to do a handwritting exercise with capital letters would have been much more efficient....

OP posts:

mathanxiety · 10/02/2010 15:22

Where are we getting the idea that 'outstanding' and 'piling on homework for four year old children' are synonymous? What your child is being subjected to in the name of education here is actually counter-productive.

DCs in the US spent their time in school during preschool and kindergarten (from age 4 - 6) laying the groundwork for reading and numeracy and future classroom deportment; playing, sharing, drawing, copying, cutting with scissors, painting, working with clay, singing, listening, recognising patterns, creating patterns, a little of the concepts of 'more than' and 'less than' and other terms to do with relative size or amount, shapes, puzzles, tidying up, learning to raise hands before speaking during group time and developing the habits that contribute to a positive and pleasant learning environment for the group. There was never any homework except to prepare a little presentation for show-and-tell occasionally, and a few other occasions when they were required to speak to the group, usually about themselves, the subject closest to their little hearts. It was 'highly recommended' that the parents read to their children at home.

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