Children Starting Schooll In September

[Guest]

I have had quite a few parents whose children start school in september saying things like 'she cant write her name yet', 'he cant read' etc etc '. I have photocopied a brilliant article from the EYE magazine about transistion and what we as practitioners should be doing, it mentions mostly personal social and emotional and nothing about writing, reading etc etc (which I obviously knew but they dont!), so I thought of giving parents a copy of the article but I was wondering what other settings do, do you have a leaflet or set of notes you give to them or does your feeder schools do that?

 

Thank you in advance. jenni

[Guest Wolfie]

I've been in nurseries where one or the other has been done - either the nursery OR the school has done it. How about arranging a meeting with the school(s) concerned to discuss the best approach and what has worked well in the past. Maybe you could both contribute and come up with a joint document? I've seen that article in EYE too, it's good isn't it! The most effective transitions happen when the nursery/preschool provision liaise and work closely together so maybe this kind of project would help that working relationship?

[Inge]

we have an introduction to foundation stage in our information book which all parents are given when a child starts with us clearly stating what we would like children to be able to learn while with us and how, this includes a note on child needing to be ready to read or right, other skills needed to be able to do this and that is they do start to show interest ensure lower case letters are used and why, and that the foundation stage continues into first year at school.

 

also when summer term begins I have a nursery world article which i tend to offer parents explaining how they can best help child with transition, this goes into confidence, self reliance, giving child some responsibility, able to ask for help etc and key points such as liaise with school, visits etc as well as not to saturate child too far ahead, talk about school positively and not use it as a threat!! (I have heard this once or twice ) it generally indicates how they can help in a positive way to the transition

 

we do not have parents asking this question and most of ours seem to want the children to remain a child, (some too much so, one child of nearly 4 we had to teach how to use a cup , she constantly tries to lap at the milk with her tongue like a cat, we often see her outside with a bottle.)

 

Inge

[Guest Wolfie]

Inge, that's lovely to hear that you have parents who wnat their children to remain children...I've come across far too many that want the opposite and try to make them grow up far too fast!

[aliamch]

I've had parents ask if I could recommend a tutor for their 3 year old, I always tell them to play with and enjoy their children because thats how they learn best. I know a few children who have been 'hot-housed' and they really seem to struggle when they do actually start school.

Karrie

[Guest]

I have made up a large poster on the differnt writing stages and the approximate ages etc. like !scribble first then circles and pencil control then letters back to front. it explains that letter formation shouldn't be until they are 5-6 approx.

it stopped mothers asking about when they should start their degrees!!!!

[Marion]

We have so many children start school with very poor self care skills because parent's are so concerned with reading and writing they neglect the importance of children being children and their anxiety rubs off on the children. Sadly the pressure on these children sometimes leads them to feel failures before they even begin their school lives.

[Guest Wolfie]

It's all so sad isn't it...makes our job seem that much more important! I sometimes think that it can be more about educating the parents than the children! I remember showing a new parent around my nursery once - I started my spiel about the Foundation Stage, learning through play, daily adult focussed activities, etc etc and she touched my arm and said "I don't care what he does while he's here as long as he's happy!" I could have kissed her! I still see that family now - there are three children - and they are the happiest, laid back children ever...interested in everything and happy to try anything.

[catma]

Many schools (taken from a sample of the ones I've worked in and the ones I've worked with) will also do a new parents meeting which is generally where they explain the FS and the type of things children will do in reception or nursery if that is where they are going. How children will be learning is generally a key part of that info as well as the other more organisational policies like when you pay your dinner money and how to get uniform etc etc

Cx.

[Guest]

I have some information which was produced for parents by our 'cluster' team regarding writing, I shall try to remember to post it next week.

 

I often show parents the FSC guidance on CLL, explaining the age at which the children are expected to attain the goals. The visual colour bands seem to help, also seeing the stepping stones.

 

Marion, I would love to use your comment for my Summer newsletter, quoted as from a teacher, not sure if parents would take humbridge though.

 

Peggy

[Marion]

Feel free to use it Peggy as it is something I find heartbreaking. The only reception child we had last year who did not consider himself a writer was a very able boy who just didn't match up to his mother's standards (perfect letter formation and spelling at four)

[Guest]

Thank you for all your replies! And I would love to see the information Peggy, that would be great! I know that both feeder schools do the parent/child inductions but they dont really happen unitl May/June and really I would like to alter the parents expextations before then so I am going to try and devise a leaflet to give to parents now to try and stem the flow of 'my child's not reading writing and counting to 100'!!!!!

[Marion]

Slightly off track but thought this might be useful to some of you

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library/documents2/pre-00.htm

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/parenting/your_kids/p..._starting.shtml

Edited February 17, 2007 by Marion