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'school readiness'


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Year on year although we proudly send our 4 year olds to school happy, confident, eager, independent and still eager to learn thanks in my opinion to a huge emphasis on PLAY and we congratulate ourselves on what our little group has achieved and yet we still get parents of these children who reply to questionaires and highlight concerns that perhaps we should focus more on getting ready for school (by which they mean numbers, letters, shapes, colours, writing....) as if we have totally omitted these from anything we do and as if these aspects will have the most impact on their overall success at school. Which of course is far from the case!

 

I would like to be able to respond to these views by creating a handout or display to highlight what is really important and perhaps try to create just a small change in focus for parents so that maybe next year they will recognise their child is not lacking at all!

 

In my search for inspiration I came across this:http://www.cypnow.co.uk/cyp/news/1077691/pacey-calls-rethink-school-readiness-definition which is a good start.

Does anyone have / know where I might find some other references that clearly highlight the need for developing non-academic aspects of 'school readiness' ?

 

When you evaluate your impact on your 4 year old leavers and celebrate (or worry about) their 'readiness for school' what aspects are your focus?

 

 

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I feel this really does link in with this consultation in a thread found here , unless something is done before it gets approved this will once again become the expected.. I really did think EYFS with all its issues etc was a good framework aimed at the right ages/stages of development for the majority of the time... if this continues we will lose it all again and be put under pressure form all sides to do what we believe is far from the best for our children.

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Can you invite them in and let them take part in activities? Making playdough, painting on an easel and printing, building with blocks, using the home corner etc. Have a member of staff at each activity to model language relating to maths, literacy, social skills etc. A short question and answer session over a cup of tea afterwards to discuss what was learnt might help them to understand how school readiness is applied in preschool :)

Edited by Rea
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Please look at the link Inge has shared - the direction of travel from the DfE looks like a return to formal assessments at the end of Nursery (ie a few weeks into Reception) and this will become what your parents will want you to teach to regardless of good/best/effective practice!!!

 

Cx

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completely agree with you Trekker!!

 

We had this and spent time speaking to the reception class teachers and getting their feedback of what they would like 'school readiness' to look like - and lo and behold it was exactly what you are saying - confidence to separate, independence to get themselves ready, have a go attitude, self help skills etc etc etc

The last thing on the list (well it wasn't even on so we chased them for a response, was letters and numbers...and they said don't worry, that will be the quickest thing to learn if they have all the other things in place...and we'd prefer to teach them to avoid any bad habits)

 

we now use this angle when speaking to parents and it's amazing the influence it has when you say 'the reception class teachers say they value....' Questionnaires from parents now value the social side - manners, confidence, friendliness, self help etc - 1 or 2 on numbers and letters but this is a very small minority now - YAY!

 

Thanks for the link Inge - will head over and make a response, it would be dire to go backwards!

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Yes I have this info from our reception teachers too and have discussed this fact with parents on many occasions but I don't seem to get very far.

 

Parents seem to tolerate the 'learning through play' idea until children turn 4 and are coming up to transfer time and then seem to panic and start piling the pressure on at home .... I'm sure some of them think its just an excuse on our side to get out of doing it! :rolleyes:

I'm beginning to think I'll have to get reception teachers to write and sign a statement to that effect before parents / committee will actually accept it's true.

 

I think there should be a consultation about consultations - they are horrendous things to respond to!

Definitely feel its a bad move they are suggesting though :angry:

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I could cry - Mr Gove and his partners in crime seem to have completely overlooked the fact that when this notion of 'school readiness' was introduced in the Tickell Review, it was in relation to children entering Y1, not Reception. It's what we all feared isn't it, the moment we read it?

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