Problems in YR at School and Need Help!

[VINASOL]

Afternoon/Evening...I need some opinions and some advice please:

Basically my DD (4) is in YR. She has the 'usual homework' of letter writing practice (phonics) which come home every now and then; this then of course leads on to her Biff and Chip reading books...she reads twice at week at school and at the moment seems to be bringing home 3-4 new reading books a week...this is OK by her so I'm OK.

Now, at my children's school from Y1-Y6 they do something called Study Quest Homework...my son (Y4) brings home weekly homework (sometimes art/history/research), anyway they've started doing this for Reception. So, topics/homework includes:

*write about what they are doing [in a picture that has been stuck in the book];
* writing their first or first and surname repeatedly;
* drawing a healthy lunchbox full of fruit/veg and writing all the names (labels);
* writing numbers 1-10
* drawing diffrent colour objects, including labels
* design a recipe for a silly dinner;
* write objects that begin with certain letters;
* drawing 2D shapes
* different ways to add to 10

Now, to my issues: my DD (4) does actually love doing all of the above which is fine by me, but last week she was ill, off school for a few days, so didn't complete the homework. When she returned she handed homework in and Teacher handed it back to her saying "take it home and do more work"...I told her that no, she didn't need to and wrote in the contact book. Today get it back and says "please ensure Amy does more work next time" :angry: :angry: not happy.

My DD then says that they have to do 'sums' at school...teacher asks "What is 5 plus 4"...pupils answer then Teacher either a) picks them up, or b) makes them stand on a chair to write the answer on a white board.

I took her out of school at lunchtime to see Santa, and when I returned her for afternoon session apparently her teacher told her that "she is NOT ALLOWED to go out at lunchtime" and she shouldn't have and she must always stay in school...:angry: this is NOT school policy and it made my DD feel bad about actually seeing Santa (for the first time ever I might add)...I did complain to the school and they did say that the Teacher should not be saying anything to the child but to take it to the parent.

Then, my DD had a playdate with a girl who usually goes to an After school club based at the school. Now, this teacher KNOWS that I am a childminder (and in fact I knew him in a 'previous life') and I often collect mindees and other friends. However today, mindee, DD and DD's friend came out of class. I was faffing around with the kids and because of this I heard my DD's teacher say "right then let's take W, X, Y and Z to after school club, and I was like "....err I have XX here!...She is due to come with me this afternoon). Now it wasn't the fact that he didn't knwo she was coming home with me and rightly said for her to stay in class, BUT if it wasn't for me TELLING him that I actually had this child WITH ME he woudl nto have known...he did not see her leave his classroom.

Sooo (so sorry it's long)...I want to write a general letter to the school..saying something on the lines of definitely Safeguarding (him not noticing that a pupil had left the class); that I thought reception was about Learning Through Play and I feel that (his experience at the school is Y1) he is asking the children to do too much; he forgets that the children in his charge are only 4 years old...etc etc..

So thanks for getting this far (it is kinda CM related too as mum of my mindee of other child in DD's class is having the same kind of issues).

A long winded way of asking: What shoudl I expect my 4year old to be doing at School?

[stardust]

Didn't want to read and run.
I would defo write a letter about safe guarding and hand that in.

However if there is more than one of you with the issues regarding homework can you not speak to other parents and see how they feel and maybe write up a joint complaint detailing how and why you think its too much and get the other parents to sign it to back you up and then hand a copy to the teacher, keep a copy for yourselves and the original to the head teacher. If it doesn't go anywhere i would also send a copy to the board of governors??

[Pipsqueak]

Blimey that sounds like a LOT of homework for a tot.

I would be going to see the teacher and stating VERY clearly and VERY firmly that homework is NOT compulsory and there is also a lot of research pointing to not being conducive anyway.

The teaching methods of this teacher sounds rather full on and not suited to a RY group and I would be monitoring this strongly. Reception year still invovles EYFS and they are taking it to extremes....


Teachers are NOT gods they are not the oracle and it sounds like this one needs reminding that you are the parent and she is not!


Get hold of the schools P&P's, home school agreements, use your knowledge of EYFS, ECM and anything else relevant - highlight and use against them.
There are guidelines for home work (think you can find on Dof E) but it is NOT compulosry at all.

[VINASOL]

Blimey that sounds like a LOT of homework for a tot.

I would be going to see the teacher and stating VERY clearly and VERY firmly that homework is NOT compulsory and there is also a lot of research pointing to not being conducive anyway.

The teaching methods of this teacher sounds rather full on and not suited to a RY group and I would be monitoring this strongly. Reception year still invovles EYFS and they are taking it to extremes....


Teachers are NOT gods they are not the oracle and it sounds like this one needs reminding that you are the parent and she is not!


Get hold of the schools P&P's, home school agreements, use your knowledge of EYFS, ECM and anything else relevant - highlight and use against them.
There are guidelines for home work (think you can find on Dof E) but it is NOT compulosry at all.

Thanks Pip...I think it's OTT...I don't "mind" that homework is sent home, but I always took it that it was optional and she would do what she could. Now, have to say each week she does a fab job but in a week when she was not well, it was clearly frowned upon. This is what I don't like because it puts pressure on which I think is wrong.

So, what I need to know really (being a new CM I TOTALLY lack confidence), what sort of work in numeracy SHOULD they be doing in YR?

I know about Safeguarding, but WHAT do people think about a Teacher lifting a child up so that they can write somethign on a white board? Or using a chair?

Has Learning Through Play being tossed out the window when I wasn't looking?

[uf353432]

In reception year the numeracy aspect should be focused on them acheiving the EYFS outcomes in the last age bracket first. Normally advanced numeracy like sums etc comes in the last terms before they go up to Y1, certainly not this side of xmas -they only started in Sept!! blimey - waaaayyyy to much for such little people - i'd be causing a BIG fuss if that was me. Reception is a learning through play environment and Y1 starts the more formal learning, with lots of play opportunities still and Y2 much more formal learning. I'd be kicking up a stink!!!

[FussyElmo]

My ds is in reception and there is no way I would be doing all that at home. We have a different phonic mon - thurs which they colour in and try to write the letters and one reading book. But its no big deal if they havent done it.

The white board is low down in our class so they can actually all reach.

I would be kicking right off about the child being able to leave without him seeing.

I know that alot of the work is still done through play :thumbsup:

[sarah707]

One of my mindees is 4 and in reception and has homework every night.

Monday - reading book

Tuesday - list of words for blending

Wednesday - new letter sound to read and draw pictures about

Thursday - reading book

Friday - some type of colouring with labels similar to your lunchbox example to do over the weekend

I thought it was quite a lot but it's school policy and he does quite a bit of it here because he's too tired by the time he gets home.

However what does NOT happen is sending it back for the child to do more! That's not motivating the child... it's bad enough when it happens in top juniors :(

Hugs to your dd xx

[VINASOL]

One of my mindees is 4 and in reception and has homework every night.

Monday - reading book

Tuesday - list of words for blending

Wednesday - new letter sound to read and draw pictures about

Thursday - reading book

Friday - some type of colouring with labels similar to your lunchbox example to do over the weekend

I thought it was quite a lot but it's school policy and he does quite a bit of it here because he's too tired by the time he gets home.

However what does NOT happen is sending it back for the child to do more! That's not motivating the child... it's bad enough when it happens in top juniors :(

Hugs to your dd xx

Oh she does all of that adn I don't mind as she is so eager to learn, however returning the work etc is really awful and make sher feel bad. She is ahead in the class and doesn't actually mind doing sums and everything but to me this Reception class feels mor elike Y1 class....AND she's been given ab out 30 TOP USED words (or whatever it says) for her to learn...some of which are 6 letters long???

[blue bear]

Have you tried chatting to the teacher in the first instance? Making it clear the circumstances and getting teachers side of the story, you may feel reassured after a chat or maybe not.

Then I would be looking at teaching style and links to eyfs then having a chat with the head teacher.

It does sound very formal style of teaching for this age group, what were your expectations before your dd started school? Most schools give a chat to new parents detailing a typical day, home work expectations etc

[The Juggler]

sounds like she is very old school hon.

personally I'd point out to her that school is not even compulsory in reception, neither is homework and whilst you encourage her to be motivated at learning and she is you are NOT going to put her off learning but drowning her in homework at such young age :panic:

if you get no joy, see the Head. if this is school policy then take it up with the governors. :panic:

[ziggy]

I feel so sorry for children these days, what on earth are we doing to these children????????

I had 3 of my after schoolies stay over nite recently it was a lovely evening, so after tea we went for a long long walk by our local lake. The children had a great time looking for bugs etc etc. By the time we got back it was bath time for the youngest aged 5, then story time and bed time. Next morning i wrote in childs homework book that homework hadnt been done and the reason why and if this was a problem the teacher could phone me:blush: I told mummy the next day what i had done and apologised if I had done wrong, she just laughed and said she wished she had the courage to do the same

[VINASOL]

he is a very young teacher; only qualified for 4 years...he is used to teaching Y1 not under (foundation was in his first year of teaching).

He is very difficult to talk to. He is very defensive and if I'm honest it's like talking to a child at times because of the defensiveness. I'll write a short note to the school and see what they say.

[Pipsqueak]

he is a very young teacher; only qualified for 4 years...he is used to teaching Y1 not under (foundation was in his first year of teaching).

He is very difficult to talk to. He is very defensive and if I'm honest it's like talking to a child at times because of the defensiveness. I'll write a short note to the school and see what they say.

If that is the case then you need to go over his head and speak to the head of department or the head and bring to their attention the methods of teaching AND his manner

[BuggsieMoo]

My daughter started reception this year also and at present she gets daily

Reading
Phonics - to practise and write
Diagraphs - to practise and write
Spellings - to sound out and write
Maths Goals (hers at present are count to 20, one more/one less and counting on from a smaller number 1.e 3-20)

She has to do all of this daily and loves it but she gets more than my child who is in Year 2 (at the same school) who gets reading daily and spellings once a week!