Thread for summer term Receptionists - nearly done now!

[mitochondria]

The last thread seems to have disappeared so I thought I'd start a new one and see if anyone is still about!

Boy went back to school today, seemed to enjoy himself. Only one teacher missing due to the volcanic ash!

That's great, Noah. You must be so pleased.

We will be in the City of York part - village beginning with D to the East of York. Am hoping DH likes the house (he has looked at the outside of it and liked that part ).

Am hoping DD adjusts all right to a new school but am feeling pretty positive she will. Not sure she really understands though. Various other parents have been saying that their DC will be very sad to see her go so I am trying to take that as a positive that she will make more friends.

Am also wondering what she will think of being back at pre-school albeit for a few weeks. At least the school has the same colour as this one so the bought on the large side summer dresses won't go to waste

Great news about the summer dresses

I was in York on Saturday and it is lovely. I hope you'll be happy there.

DD1 has moved to red reading band, yay! At last. They only started in January so she has done well really bless her. She couldn't read at all as we really hadn't gone there and tried to teach her anything.

SHe's flaked out in bed next to me as she needed some company.

Hooray for dd1, tree (but what is red reading band? Is it a national thing? I don't think we have bands)

I hardly know

I think it's this malarky.

Basically the sentences are longer and there are more pages in the book.

Oh, I see! Well I never, I didn't know about that at all. Are the colours just to do with ORT, or are they to identify where the ORT levels sit within a wider scheme? (dunno why I'm so curious really)

Is she feeling proud of herself? It's so lovely when they start to feel in charge of it, isn't it?

I think the colours are to do with a wider assessment of the books. Maybe.

Gawwwwd no idea, but she's made up wth the sticker she got.

Turns out this reading business is big business and very political/controversial/complicated.

I see my role as the one who remembers 'C..C...C...clicking casternets...c..c.c.. we are clicking casternets....'

It's good to have a defined role. Mine is sitting with my arm around her while she reads so she can't actually see my pained and impatient expression.

There is a thing that has reading bands for books. Some schools use a variety of books and work out (or use some big list) which band they should be in.

Some schools use Oxford Reading Tree up to a certain level and then children are "free readers". Am yet to get to that level with DS who is pretty competant Year 1 reader. The confusion is that ORT book levels are sometimes on different book bands. I have a document somewhere that shows them all. Will try and find it.

Here it is.

I have a daft problem which is that DD is pretty good at reading. As you might remember she is in nursery, but mixed nursery/reception so does an amount of reception stuff and is v used to school. And we have done the whole clickerty castanets thing .

When we move, if it is before the end of the school year (which is likely) she will be in pre-school again and then start reception in September. Have looked at new school's website and it uses Oxford Reading Tree as well. Am hoping that DD isn't put "down" a level or so as she would know she had done it before, if that makes sense. Don't want to appear pushy before I get there but don't want her to feel she is going backwards.

Have realised it is likely that I will be clicking the castanets a bit more though .

It is very confusing. Our school uses a few dfferent 'brands' of books it's seems, although in the main the ORT. All of them have been banded by the school - probably using a list like yours Noah. So she was on pink, which was mainly ORT pink stage 1+, but also some others to do with a caterpillar named curly. Oh they were dull.

Hard isn't it, to not be the nightmare pushy parent. I wonder if DD could be streaks ahead, but they go very s-l-o-w-l-y. I keep telling myself that a) the school has great reports and results so they must do it right overall and b) I seem to remember bleating on about children going to school far too early. SO I better not start moaning that dd isn't learning Latin/manadarin/Dickens/other and c) what dd needs right now is to stop pooing her pants and to keep making friends and chilling out around kids. So Dickens can wait for now I suppose.

I think it would be totally reasonable to tell the teacher that you realise dd may need to blend with a new reception class, but that you would hate to see her loose her enjoyment of reading through repeating levels. Surely anyone in a school would see the point of that. You're not coming in declaring dd far too clever for their lesson plans and suggesting she sits in on year 4.

Might be a laugh if you did though. Go on, I ddare you!

I think DS might complain . I don't have the same "worry" about him though - probably as he is in year 1 and so will just be able to fit in, unlike DD who has somewhat jumped the gun a bit.

Will talk to her current teacher at some point about how best to approach things as she is a good sensible person

hunh?? Am I being very stupid - I can't understand that book band link at all Noah? Why are the ORT levels all jumbled up in the bands? I know it doesn't actually matter, mostly because dd1 just reads whatever she likes at home, but I don't like not understanding how it works!

I would be shocked if there were a problem with the school giving your dd appropriate books. Surely plenty of children start reception already able to read and are not expected to take home the very first ORT books? I imagine it is probably a good thing that she will be starting their preschool, so that they are not assessing her from scratch in reception.

Hi everyone.

Thought I'd find our thread, it's nearly the half term break of our receptionists last term!! Argh!

Aranea - it is utterly confusing. I think the idea is that all the schemes have their own way of doing it, but to try and bring uniformity, and to let schools use different schemes at the same time, the government produced the colour banding.

So pink and red are the reception type bands, but that would be Oxford reading tree 1, 1+, and 2. According to the colour bands, an ORT book may be pink even though it is an ORT level 2. Owing to the length, language or words used. I think. Don't qoute me

No news here. Poo rules, as always. DD1 has been doing well really, changing her underwear and sorting herself out. We are using regular movicol medication now to try and really get this thing sorted.

She still hasn't any special friends, and remains a happy loner. SHe doesn't get invited for tea or playdates etc. SHe won't ever be that sort. SHe is wildy popular with the older girls, who are always telling dh how cute she is. Dh is spending an hour each Friday in school, when he finishes work earlier.

ANd I need to find some narrow black pumps. Agan. Gah.

Noah - how goes the house move?

ORT were written before the book banding system was conceived so Oxford levels don't fit nicely into the colours as newer schemes do.

In reception I would expect to have children working on pink to orange band (with exceptional children on higher bands)of course it all depends when they started school and the pace they are taught and just readiness to learn.

Thank you... I think I see. I am now fighting the irrational urge to find out on exactly what principles the various schemes are devised. Why do I even want to know?? I am annoying myself now.

Hm. I am so fascinated and mystified by the process of learning to read - a bit like the process of learning to speak I suppose - and would like to know more about how it happens. For no very good reason. I have been amazed by the non-linear way dd1 learns and seems suddenly to be able to read things she couldn't before. I don't understand it at all and it is wonderful.

Sorry to hear poo is still the big issue, tree. But it's good that dd is managing it so well. I like the sound of the older girls clucking over her - that's very sweet.

PS mrz - can you tell me anything about children learning to read silently to themselves? dd shows no sign of doing it and I haven't suggested it to her. Does it just happen naturally when they're ready to do it?

Hey Aranea.

So whlst delaring that labelling socks was a label too far - I think I am going to have to label socks.

Now the labels and the time will probably cost more than buying new socks, but it's just annoying.

dd1 came home in one sock after last weeks PE You'd think the teachers would have helped her out a bt, but she probably didn't tell them and they probably didn't notice. Oh well.

The whole reading scheme thing seems qute involved, political, and maybe subject to trends and latest research. SO I'm keepin gout of it I'll just keep clicking my casternets

I think it is very very interesting though. I just haven't time to get my head around it!

oh tree - we are also poo obsessed. I really thought we had got past that problem but alas, over the last couple of months dd has gone right back to where we started and we are back on movicol etc - but now I amfinding it almost impossible to get her to drink it. It's a nightmare ..... More difficult than ever since she is at school and out of my (fibre and laxative administrative) control.

Dd is not an enthusiastic reader and I have resorted to occaisional chocolate button rewards to get her to do a book on time. Doesn't always work though. As always, she reads obediently and without fuss for her teachers .

Otherwise the friends thing is on-off settling into a small circle.

Oh dear, my sympathies to you both with the poo issues! I'm a bit nervous about whether dd1 is about to start having constipation problems again as she seems unable to remember to drink at all during the school day and seems very dried out (tmi...)

The school are getting the educational psychologist in to see dd1 because she is not good at initiating social contact with the others and seems a bit withdrawn sometimes and doesn't look as though she's listening... I veer between extreme anxiety about her and thinking that she is fine. I don't think anyone would have said anything much to me if it weren't for the co-ordination difficulties, as it was the occupational therapist who suggested calling in the ed psych after visiting her in school. Some days I think she may have mild aspergers, and some days I think I've just done way too much googling and she is OK but a bit of a little oddity in some ways. Gah.

Hello

We are all full steam ahead for the move which is happening on 7th June. 13 days away as DS informed me this morning (I get a daily count down).

I also have school places organised for both children, as we have started renting and so applied yesterday. Got a phone call today and both children have places . DS is going to be in an oversubscribed class but they are splitting the class into two year 2 classes in September so will be in a small class then. DD's class has about 25 at the moment, but they do a September to December birthdays intake in September and then the rest in January and as she is a September birthday she will start then in what I think will be quite a small class.

My house is in no way sorted out. We have packers coming on Saturday 5th. I do (rare) days of work which happen about every 6 months. I did some last week and am doing it from 2nd until 6th June, so am in denial .

OOOOO packers

Good on ya Mrs, sounds like you got lucky with the schools. Hope it goes well.

I have to find some blarrrdy trainers for dd. Trainers do not come in a c or d fitting. She has a pair of £50 Geox which do fit her. School want some, apparently plimsoles are not suitable for out door play Given my kids never even wear shoes at home or playing outside I'm a bit over all this stuff. BUT it has to be done.
My problem is her Geox cost far too much to be lost at school, and she can't get them on and off without help as they are so closed in.

I have ordered 6 pairs from Clarks, to be delivered to the store. They are all in the sale so fingers crossed!

Also got the reception year class photo. Awwww. It's a mega modern affair of them all lined up in various poses with toys etc. I have a hankering after a good traditional one, with boys at the back stood on benches. Bet one like that wouldn't cost £30 in a rubbish frame . You have to get a frame as the print is a un-framable shape. Even the print is £13.50!

Thank you for reminding me about photos - they had them done a couple of weeks ago and so proofs should be out soon. But will they be here by Friday? Need to check what they will do if we haven't had ours by then.

Hello all.
Our reception class photo was like that - I was trying to work out how they'd got them all looking in the right direction at the same time, then figured out the answer was probably Photoshop.

Noah - good luck with the move. Was it you who is doing some invigilating? I'm doing a bit of that at the moment too.

My boy is doing some sort of scheme at school - although Granny taught him to read using Peter and Jane!

Tree, Acinonyx - sorry to hear about the poo causing problems.

Aranea - hope the Ed Psych can give you some reassurance.

When is the meeting with the Ed Psych personage?