How Strucurtured Is Reception

[Guest]

i know i always ask loads of questions on here but i know theres always someone who knows more then me and can help.

 

i have never worked in a recpetion class and have only just moved to nursery age from under 3s.

 

I would like to know how structured a reception class is.

 

what is the usual routine? how much time do the children spend sitting down/in groups/ free play/planned activites etc

 

i ask, as the nusery nurse i work with has worked in reception previously (over a year ago now i think) and we were having a conversation about our routine and how we are not formal in anyway ( after a parent has made complaints we dont do enough sitting down) and she went on to say they will get that in reception to prepare them for year one.

 

i was under the impression reception and nursery would be very simialar. is there a lot of sitting down toghether in reception? i think by this she meant carpet times. but im not sure

[emmajess]

There is such a huge difference in the level of formality in reception! There's bad practice, good practice and different good practice, so its difficult to say! but one thing i would say was that somewhere on here recently, I think, someone said how the foundation stage is a stage in its own right and not a preparation for key stage one. This is good practice.

[Guest]

On a EYFS course i went on recently, they displayed a brilliant quote which sums this up

 

'early Years is not a waiting room for primary education'

 

jx

[Guest]

thats exactly my view but my nursery nurse always goes on about getting them ready for school and in school they will do this and that, its so frustrating!

[Marion]

I am a reception teacher and my children spend 10 minutes whole class on the carpet doing phonics each morning and 10 minutes whole class on the carpet doing a number activity in the afternoon. After that they are free to choose their own activities indoors or outdoors unless they are working with an adult which is usually for 10-15 minutes in the morning and the same in the afternoon. Our Y1 class works in a very similar way only for extended periods (15 mins carpet and 2 x 15 mins adult led tasks) We are hoping to extend this way of working into Y2 next year.

[Guest budgie1]

Hi there,

In my reception class we usually spend 10 - 15 minutes on the carpet about four times a day ( start of am, before lunch, start of pm, and end of day) This increases throughout the year where we might have a slighlty longer session if the children are able to cope. We also do adult directed activites throughout the day that may involve sitting down but dont last longer thasn 15 - 20 minutes. I think a good reception practitioner will plan for the stage that the children are at and likewise in year one. However , everyone is different and works in a different way. I do hate it though when parents complain that the children are not doing any "real work!"

[Guest]

must say I think the parents bit of your reply was tricky for me when we set up - until we spent more time sharing practice, discussing their children's learning and how to promote it. Love my home schol books as a continuing link throughout the year.

In our reception - nursery unit a lot of learning takes place in play all around the room not many tables to be seen

Edited June 28, 2008 by Guest