Is there a list of things that a child should be able to do by the end of reception ?

[IllegallyBrunette]

Just wondered really.

Bit concerned that although Ds has come on loads since he started reception, he might be behind and struggle in yr 1.

[msappropriate]

Theres this

www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/eyfs/resources/downloads/5824_handbook_web.pdf

which goes through all the different areas and what they can achieve. Different levels for each area, 1-9 ish I think.

[ReallyTired]

There is a foundation profile somewhere on the web.

Please don't worry about your little boy. He still has plenty of time to grow up.

a)Girls are more advanced at this age. Boys mature more slowly but do get there.

b)Please remember that quite a few mums/ mumsnetters are comlete liars about what their kids can do.

[LIZS]

The Foundation Stage Profile isn't categoric though , it is a scale of ability covering from aged 3-5 based on a series of observations throughout the year. Most kids won't score at the top in each area by the end of Reception. School should produce this document and go through it with you sometime soon, giving specific examples in comparison ot the baseline assessment at the start of the year. Your perception may well be skewed by having had girls first.

[IllegallyBrunette]

I think that is definatly right LIZ. Both dd's were way ahead of where Ds is at 5.6.

I am not bothered that he isn't where they were at, I just don't want it to effect how he enjoys school etc.

I think we find out his Yr 1 teacher soon, because they are trialing a new thing, where reception spend alot of their last term with their new teacher for the next year and in their new classroom, so that it doesn't come as such a shock.

However, one of the current Yr 1 teachers, is what I can only describe as a joyless old cow, and although I am sure she is a good teacher, she seems better suited to teaching older children, not 5/6 yr olds. Dd1 had her and coped fine, as dd1 was good at everything, but I fear that Ds will clash with her, as he isn't particularly good at anything except talking .

Thanks for the link, will read it now.

[imaginaryfriend]

Good question IB, I've been wondering that as dd's due to move from Reception to Y1.

Last parent's evening I asked the teacher and she said there was a series of 'tricky words' they should ideally be able to read and possibly spell. And that they should be able to correctly spell phonetically any word using any one of all the possible long vowel / consonant combinations, i.e. it would be ok to spell 'fly' as 'fligh' or 'train' as 'trane'.

Not a lot of help, huh?

If mrz was around we'd have an answer ...

[imaginaryfriend]

... a morning bump...

[OrmIrian]

If there is I refuse to read it.

My youngest is doing Ok with reading, hardly writes at all but can tell you all about the life cycle of the dragon fly. And he makes pretty good bread. So anyone tells me he's not good enough for some arbitrary standard I shall wither them with a scornful glance.

[Mercy]

Irrc there is a list of high-frequency words (about 45 of them I think) which they should be able to read by the end of Reception - but I have no idea what percentage is considered average.

My dd certainly could not write 'properly' at this stage by any stretch of the imagination.

[harpsichordcarrier]

absolutely right
don't be dragged in. you know your child, you don't need a checklist to tell you what you know

[imaginaryfriend]

Mercy, that's another thing I wondered about, what these 'standards' mean - I mean how many children are 'supposed' to reach them.

OI, while I don't think the school targets are the be all and end all of working out how 'intelligent' a child is, I don't think they're purely arbitrary. Why would we send our kids to school otherwise? The other things we can gauge for ourselves but I wasn't asking about those. I see these 'standards' as the same as if dd moves up a swimming level. it's not about being competitive, just interested in what's expected academically.

[OrmIrian]

Of course they aren't entirely arbitrary imaginary. They are standards that a child will need to more or less reach in order to slot nicely into Yr1 presumably. And i have no problem with them being applied, but I do have a problem if there are used to label a child as a failure or a problem. TBH the current reception teacher is a gem but the one that my DD had was not - an absolute dragon and made a huge fuss about the list of required words. DD was pretty on the ball anyway, but DS#2 seems to be taking after DS#1 and I am so glad I won't have to battle with her over his 'abilities' or lack of them. I want my child to learn all he can at school - of course, as you say why bother otherwise - but not all children are going to learn at the same rate, and if my DS is slower than others then so be it.

[imaginaryfriend]

I totally agree with you to be honest. I was really curious about what the so-called targets are rather than how they're used. My dd's teacher is also a bit of a dragon. Dd's lost such a lot of confidence in her abilities since starting Reception and I partly wondered if she's being pushed too hard / feeling a failure.

[imaginaryfriend]

.

[raisinbran]

I am concerned for my Ds who will be 5 in June and will go straight into the Year 1 in September when we return to the Uk. Currently where we live they don't start school until 5. So he has remained at preschool. He can swim and ride a bike without stabalisers but he hasn't followed a school curriculum. Where do you find the 45 key words that they should know?

[imaginaryfriend]

I don't know actually. I'm sure he'll catch up but in the meantime it would be good if you helped him recognise all the letters of the alphabet phonetically.

[msappropriate]

the 45 key words have changed they are now in phases. My son is in reception and has been given phase two, three and four.

www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/local/clld/resources/letters_and_sounds/las_appendices1to3.pdf

This is the document that it is an appendix to.

www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/local/clld/resources/letters_and_sounds/00282_2007BKT_EN.pdf

[mrz]

There are 117 points that teachers use to assess children by at the end of the reception year. An average (whatever that means) score is 84/117.
www.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/eyfs/resources/downloads/5824_handbook_web.pdf
it covers all six curriculum areas

On top of that
By the end of reception the most able children will be expected to know 44 phonemes

s a t p i n
m d g o c k ck e u
r h b f, ff l, ll ss
j v w x y z, zz
qu ch sh th, th ng
ai ee igh oa oo, oo
ar or ur ow oi
ear air ure er

tricky words to read and spell
the, to, I, no, go, into, he, she, we, me, be, was, my, you, her, they, all, are

tricky words read only
some, one, said, come, do, so, were, when, have, there, out, like, little, what

By the end of reception year, most children should be able to?

Say one, two, three, four? to twenty.

Count up to 10 objects.

Recognise the written numbers 1, 2, 3, 4? to 9.

Use words such as more, less, greater, smaller, heavier, lighter to compare things.

Find 1 more or 1 less than any number from 1
to 10.

Add two small groups of objects (total 10 or less).

Count how many are left when some objects are taken away.

Make simple patterns and talk about them.
Name shapes such as a circle, square, triangle, rectangle, cube, cone and sphere.

Use words such as over, under, above, below, on,

BUT IMO if your child can do lots of things now they couldn't do a year ago I wouldn't worry. They are only young and NOT ALL children develop skills at the same age.

[raisinbran]

Thanks for the responses they are really useful. Going by Mrz detailed (and very useful)list he isn't doing to badly. He knows his letters I just need to move him onto the reading but the maths is fine.

I have been using 'learn to read at Starfall', which is an American site but it is very easy for him to do by himself and its fun.