So as we’re now at the end of september I thought now would be a great time to write about how we’re settling back into the school routine, and about how JR is settling into life in year 1.

As a parent the thought of my child going into year 1 was really daunting Reception last year just felt like we were just extending his part time nursery hours into fulltime hours. This was confounded by the fact that he was still at the same school, and even in the same classroom unit that he had spent his 18 months of nursery in. The only difference was that he had to take himself into the building each morning and was brought out to us at the end of each day.

Well on the 3rd of September this year we dressed him in his brand spanking new uniform complete with new school jumper, shorts, shirt and tie, put his pac-a-mac coat in his bag just in case it rained filled his water bottle and made our way to school, then when we arrived at school realised that we’d left his water bottle at home. What a great start to the school year hey!  JR was really pleased to be back at school and back with his friends, I think he’d started getting a bit fed up of just being in the company of me, TP and LA.

When his teacher opened the classroom door for that very first time JR seemed a little bit nervous about going in as did a few of his classmates so the teacher said that just this once we could take them in. JR looked so small sat at his desk as I waved goodbye to him and left him in the classroom. I needn’t have worried though as when I picked him up from school that afternoon he was beaming and couldn’t wait to tell us all about his day, that he had his own table and space to sit each day, and that he had been playing on the key stage 1 park.  I was so pleased because even though he knew the setting reception year had not been easy for JR and he’d found the work challenging and at times was becoming defiant because of it.

So 4 weeks into the school year where are we at?

well his reading is coming on leaps and bounds, we no longer have an hour long battle to get him to complete his 20 minutes required reading each night. and while its still not where it should be for his age he’s catching up but just needs to get a bit more confidence in his own abilities. He is also starting to enjoy writing and sounding out words to write them himself is starting to click into place. In fact it feels like most connections are starting to be clicked into place as he was able to do his maths homework with very little in put from me. So it was only 1 more than or 1 less than up to 21 but last year he wouldn’t have been able to do it.

Another thing which seems to have improved all bar 1 slip up is his in class behaviour, last year at least once a week I was having to stay back and speak to his teacher about something or other he had done rather than what he was meant to be doing. I am so proud of him and rather than dreading parents evening in a few weeks i’m actually looking forward to it somewhat.

As for the morning routine, well we’ve not forgotten his water bottle since but we did forget his forest school clothes last week and i had to run them into school when i picked TP up from nursery – come on though I think thats pretty good going don’t you?