Strategies for a non-listener in Reception?

[Solasum]

My 5.3 yo DS is in a reception class of 8. The teacher is not happy with him, saying he is persistently not listening and responding to instructions first time, and is not lining up properly at the ends of break times.

I am feeling a bit powerless to be honest.

May I ask how you would deal with this in your classrooms? Willing to try anything.

He has made good progress academically, and has made friends.

Does he listen to you at home? Insist on him following all adults' instructions first time, whether that is teacher/mum/gran.

He needs to know that you will check with the teacher. I'd ask for either a quick check-in at the end of every day or a communication book.

Reward chart for every day he gets all smiley faces/stars/green lights for listening and following the instruction first time. Gradually make it more difficult.

I'm not a teacher but can he actually hear the teacher? Glue ear is really common in kids this age.

Thanks both. We have a communication book with a smiley face chart and he is well aware the teacher and I are in daily contact.

He does listen well at home, except when he is completely engrossed in a game. I have been much more strict about the latter recently.

Re his hearing, it seems fine to me, as he can sing in tune and hear car alarms and things that I can only hear if I really strain to. But, his dad had glue ear as a child, so I have booked a GP appointment to check this. It isn’t for a few weeks though as isn’t an emergency, or should I push for an earlier appointment?

Hearing loss doesn't work like that. You have difficulty hearing certain pitches so you may only hear parts of a word which makes it hard to understand. It's not hearing loud and quiet noises.
I've described that badly but it gives you an idea.
It's worth checking.

Ah, ok @cushioncuddle . Do you think it merits an emergency appointment?

Another one suggesting you get a hearing test referral done (it's not one that's likely to need an emergency appointment - it'll be an "ask the GP... wait a while for it to plod through the system and get an appointment" type scenario) - more than anything else - if there ARE any issues later on, the first thing you'll be asked at every single appointment is "have they had a recent hearing test done" and probably sent away until you HAVE had one!

Also worth checking he's not like my youngest who looks like she's paying absolutely no bloody attention whatsoever - but every single flipping word goes in and is filed away for the future!

Thanks everyone. Will have a hearing test done asap

As well as the hearing, how is his sight?
It might seem an odd question but when my DD(6) started reception her teacher regularly told me that she was disinterested in the classroom, not following instruction etc. She was almost 4 at the time, and the HV told us at an appointment that eye tests were being recommended at that age as a matter of course.
It turned out that she was very short sighted and needed quite strong glasses. She improved massively at school after she had them and is now one of the best behaved in the class.

I know you've already said he listens at home, but does he actually do what you've asked the first time. So if you say 'go and brush your teeth please' does he go and brush his teeth or does he go downstairs first to get a toy he's left down there and then brush his teeth. Which is fine at home of course but frustrating at school.

He had an eye test just before he started school as he had never had one before, and everything was fine.

@SavoyCabbage thinking about it, it varies. I would say most of the time he responds immediately. But sometimes he does want to ‘just do x’ first. As I invariably am doing lots of things at once, I realise I often do this myself, though, so have perhaps modelled the behaviour.