What is your P1 child doing in school, especially if they are 'playbased'?

[thefictionalcrown]

I am definitely not speaking to the teacher at this point in term but this has been niggling away at me for a while now.

DS is number 3 so I thought I knew the script by now, but everything's changed. They have 'must do tasks' which they show they have completed by putting a stick in a jar.

Learning seems to be very, very slow- they have only learned up to the sound o and numbers 0-10. The whole class seems to be working together whereas DDs were definitely in groups by this point and reading quite nicely.

He is quite capable academically but also quite capable of mischief... he has told me that he puts his stick in the jar without actually completing the task. I was very firm with him that I want him to complete all these tasks when he is given them, but whether that is happening or not I don't know.

Oh I know the answer to that. They get called to a u shaped table to learn a new sound or ‘do numbers’.

That sounds great @thefictionalcrown I bet they then go away and there are loads of things planned to consolidate that learning. Might even be a unicorn and some accessories in the sand tray to reinforce the letter "u"

Might even be a unicorn and some accessories in the sand tray to reinforce the letter "u"

That really sounds more like the aforementioned ‘fannying about’ than deep learning to me...

@thefictionalcrown how do you learn best? It's important for our brains to take some time to process new information. The children will probably not learn more about the letter U in the sand tray to be honest. But they will have a memorable context to set that learning in and they will probably extend that into something far more interesting and creative.

5 year olds learn far better 'fannying about' regather than deep learning. We did actually have one i shaped table last year. It was only actually used for the purpose you describe when learning became a bit more formal. We don't have it in our class as we've had to share resources between the 3

I think giving the child responsibility for learning is good. You don't want to stand behind them while they study aged 15! The sooner they understand that they learn for themselves the better.

If lockdown with a P1 has taught me anything is that they learn much more doing little play based activities than with me 1:1. Maybe I'm a bad teacher!! 😂🤷🏻‍♀️

Also I think their knowledge of reading and writing is fairly irrelevant at this point as long as they don't perceive themselves as doing badly or being stupid. The worst thing you can do to a young child imo is to make them hate school and learning.
The UK starts very early with education compared to lots of other places, but the educational outcomes aren't better.

@Callisto1 what you said

You seem quite (a) naïve (b) slightly unfeeling given what teachers are dealing with at the moment.

Some parents have had to go and get private assessments because they know their child has a learning disability and the school couldn't or wouldn't respond. Putting sticks in a jar is the tip of the iceberg!

If you're going to complain, even just here, and feel the urge to micromanage, I suggest you inform yourself and think about how much teachers can realistically achieve in the current circumstances.

Also, if by play based you mean working with manipulatives rather than doing worksheets, this is a far more effective way to learn.

You could probably have ticked off a fair few learning objectives, informed yourself of the national curriculum learning objectives and sourced a zillion ideas for play based learning in the time it's taken to run this thread.

If this pandemic has accomplished anything, it seems to have highlighted to many parents that learning is not a magical process and it's a team effort between student, teacher and supportive parents.

That really sounds more like the aforementioned ‘fannying about’ than deep learning to me...

You don't know what you're talking about. Which is fine. But go find out. Making playdoh letters and tracing them with a finger, comparing p/q, matching lower case with upper case, putting letters together to make digraphs, guessing which sound you have behind your back, opening bottles, cutting with scissors, making straight and curved lines, seeing what rolls and what doesn't and sorting into groups...all Very Important Fannying About.

That seems very different to sticking a unicorn in the sand and saying off you go!

I understand that those activities are extremely important, but what I am trying to understand is whether or not my DS is doing these activities AND if he is doing them to the required standard while the teacher is at her table.

Only your child's teacher can answer that.

So maybe those of you who know more can give a bit more detail about how exactly it should all be done.

How should tasks be checked?
How are all those important skills like making letters out of playdoh and not monsters reinforced while the teacher is with another group?
Is it common for children not to complete the tasks?
How are those children monitored?

It's all excellent practice but there is too much and not enough adults for the intention.

So if there aren’t enough adults to achieve this, where does it leave children?!

cookiecutterscreamandbutter

I do know what I'm talking about. If you wanted to learn to drive would you go to the driving school with the car, the instructor, the road and the traffic lights or the driving instructor with the box of play doh? The context of the experience ensures the development of social skills but the smugness of this being offered does not mean that each child is getting to practise what they need to in order to achieve their own 'next steps'.

Ohio No idea if you know what you're talking about but the OP doesn't and should inform herself if she's genuinely concerned (as opposed to chuntering from a sedentary position).

I do know what I'm talking about. I'm sure the OP could start many threads about her own areas of expertise but by her own admission, this isn't one of them.

I would not like a driving instructor teaching five year olds, the methods used would not correspond very well.

I am trying to inform myself but actual answers to my questions are not forthcoming.

I can find Jolly Phonics online and can see that DS has only completed two phases. I know from previous experience that my DDs had completed at least four at a similar point in the year.

I can see the Experiences and Outcomes document but there isn’t much specific information- ‘ I explore sounds, letters and words, discovering how they work together, and I can use what I learn to help me as I read and write’ for example.

Your best bet is The School Run.

If you don't really believe that children can learn through play, or that your child is learning as he should, you're never going to be happy with this approach. Especially as you're keen to write off different approaches as fannying about. I could talk to you about different kinds of learning and the different skills being used through play but I've noticed you are not receptive to this.

So as I say, try The School Run. If it's worksheets you're after, Twinkl is coming down with them and there is nothing to stop you doing them at home.

Is it really? All that site gave me was information on the English curriculum and tried to sell me a subscription for 'FREE worksheets, activities & offers sent straight to your inbox'

It did not answer the question about children completing must do tasks!

I can see how children can learn through fun tasks, but I can't see how that works without an adult present.

There's always the possibility that your child is at a different developmental stage at this age to your daughters, and there are children in the class who are at the stage your daughters were at now. You then have to ask yourself if you want to push him ahead or not. It might be wiser to support him at home to check he can't forge ahead with a bit of one to one, or wait until he's matured a bit. You don't say if your DDs had an earlier birthday than he does, or if they were more focused. It really is the case that children learn at different rates. Complaining that your DDs were 'reading nicely at this stage' is missing out all sorts of factors. Also, there's a pandemic on. Everything is happening more slowly. Children haven't had the grounding from the spring/summer term that they usually would have. Lots have probably been off isolating. Many may be anxious and coping with a different way of life. Teachers are stretched in lots of different directions and not every learning resource may be considered safe to use. One to one may be harder to arrange and volunteers may not be able to come in. Children who would have gone to pre-school may not have been able to go, meaning that there is greater pressure to make sure everyone is starting from the same point.

There are broad milestones to hit that are described in simple terms on The School Run. But not every child will be ready to hit them, especially not this year.

If you don't feel your child is keeping up generally, talk about your concerns and do all you can to support at home. If you just don't like the way the school teaches, it's a pity you didn't research it better this time last year - you can always move.

If you don't like play based learning, read up on it and find out why it's been introduced. If you think it's not working out for your school, look at the most recent Ofsted report to see if they agree.

Oh for goodness sake, look a little harder!

Are you like this about everything? Don't put your stick in the jar until you've completed the task. I am not going to go and find the link for you!! They absolutely do describe exactly what your child should cover each year and it's an absolute godsend if you care about that sort of thing.

I can see how children can learn through fun tasks, but I can't see how that works without an adult present.

So now there's no adult present?

I think you should check your sources of information. It seems highly unlikely. Or, as above, consider the possibility of short-staffing due to global pandemic and the possible impact on all styles of learning. Offer additional support accordingly?

Cookie, you're in Scotsnet. There isn't an OFSTED report, our children automatically go to the catchment school and that website is not any use!

This is maddening.

No, there isn't an adult present. The teacher SITS AT THE TEACHING TABLE and calls children over to her.

The other children play and are supposed to be completing their must do tasks, except DS has managed to suss that it is quite easy to keep on painting and put the stick in the jar anyway.

I am concerned about this. I would like to know more about it, but there is really very little information available!