Recording in Reception!

Reception is a year where huge changes happen in your child's development and skills. Children become independent with their self-care needs, they grow in personality, develop their own personal attributes, and also make highly visible progress in their academic skills such as reading and writing. One significant skill that both teachers and parents alike work towards in Reception is a children's ability to record. 

What should my child be recording?

At the start of the year many children are aware of some letter shapes, commonly those within their own name, and for some children who love to record they are able to write their name and are beginning to record other letters and possibly some numbers. For many however they are still in the early stages in their recording which is to be expected. However as the year progresses we hope that many children become confident in recording their name, forming letters and numbers accurately and use these skills to record across the curriculum forming words, then sentences. To get to this point however involves a complex amount of other skills such as adequate development of their gross and fine motor skills. 

My child finds recording a challenge!

First of all, don't panic or worry. This is a common parental concern and there is so much help, advice and support out there for developing children's recording skills. Now your child is in Reception, a great place to start is looking at your child's gross and fine motor skills. We have devised a page to help you with this that you can access on our Reception page. 

The journey your child will take towards recording...

You will often hear teachers refer to recording as 'mark making' as this is the very beginning of a child's journey to recording letters and numbers. There are many different stages in mark making...

Early stage of recording...

Getting a hold in their hands a pencil, crayon or pen and simply making marks of any kind...lines, squiggles, swirls or circular lines, dots...many adults would refer to these as 'scribbles'. These marks are however very valuable and should be praised and encouraged as this is your child's way of communicating with you. Whilst looking like nothing identifiable, it may well be meaningful - an attempt to write their name, draw a picture or copy what adults do with pens, pencils and crayons. Most children by the time they join a Nursery or Reception can do this, so what next?

Next steps in recording...

Children developing the hold they have of their pencil or elected writing tool so that they hold it more securely.