School checking out home before 4 yr old starts school

Yes, I see your point, nina but I think the cost in teacher time that janea describes is too "expensive". The approach that goldengirl describes seems like a much better and more efficient idea.

There is also the fact that most (?) kids nowadays will have been to a playgroup or nursery already by the time they are old enough to start school so they have some experience of being in the charge of someone like a teacher.

Another thing, and possibly one of the most important ones, that helps with kids' reading is seeing their parents read for pleasure as well as for information. I really don't see how teachers visiting (possibly bookless) homes is going to make any difference there.

Absolutely agree with you thatbags. I have just posted a long item on this issue on the Gransnet helping with child literacy thread.

I think this has been common practice in some areas for many years. We were visited before DS1 started school and he's over 40 now. They didn't bother when DS2 started because they knew him from various school activities.

goldengirl

My GS starts in the Juniors this coming term and his school held a lunch for parents and children. The parents went off with the head for an update on Junior life whilst the children went off with their new teacher to see their new classroom. We all got together after half an hour for a buffet lunch. I thought this a lovely idea and it seems more constructive to me than a home visit by a teacher. Unless a teacher is properly trained in knowing what to look for in a home environment I'm not sure it's that beneficial especially as parents can, I presume, opt out.

That sounds much nicer - meeting the teacher on home turf doesn't deal with having to walk into strange surrounding on 'the big day'. Both of my children and both of my GDs were invited to spend two half days at school prior to their official starting date so that they could meet their respective teachers and classmates and get to know the layout of the school.

Since I have never heard of this having been living abroad I have found the replies very interesting. Since we live in a rural area I feel it it a waste of a the teachers time going to all the homes but the lunch idea is very good. Perhaps I will mention it. Thanks to you all for enlightening me.

HollyDaze it is not an either/ or situation. The school will generally do both of these things.
The school my grandchildren go to also did a six-week art club after school for the children they thought would find the transition from Infants to Juniors difficult. They identified twelve children including my DGS who is autistic. The interesting thing was that the twelve were all boys :not a girl to be seen among them!

I have never heard of this before it certainly didn't happen in the case of my 4 G/C

Slightly bizarre IMO.

Teachers are employed on an annual salary. A reception teacher and her TA would normally not be teaching a class full time for the first week or two of the new September term as the reception pupils are staggered entry. Therefore a good use of her time is to use it to visit her pupils' homes while the Y1-Y6 teachers are teaching their classes.

I would love to know just for curiousity"s sake how many G/N"s G/C have had home visits ?

Nonu the one already at school, and the to starting in September will have them at the start of the term. As I said before, it's accepted practice here.

'the 2 starting...'

Right ho !

Not at all sure what it is achieving.

As a parent I would think it more important to find out if the teacher was up to the job. Having the qualifications does not necessarily make a good teacher as having shelves of books at a child's home does not necessarily make involved and interested parents, and also the reverse. I am sure there are many households where the parents cannot afford lots of books etc, but make outstanding parents.

I would not welcome a teacher into my home.

I know at first reading it seems a bit' big brother is watching you' but when you think about it, although it doesn't give any in-depth view of the home situation, it does give the teacher a few clues about the sort of home life the pupil has. She /he can then be understanding, and the child gets to meet the teacher in a friendly way, which will help the fear of starting school.I don't know about going into bedroooms though, think it should be in the lounge only.

This doesn't seem to happen in our area. The children starting school spend a couple of mornings in school at the end of the previous term so they get an idea of what it's like. (Don't know what you do if they hate it At the end of each school year they also spend a couple of days in the class they will be joining so they can get to know the teacher - and vice versa.

'I would not welcome a teacher into my house' ??? Why or earth not Whitewave? That sounds very defensive

That happens here too Deedaa it's not instead of but as well as

Both of my DGDs had home visits. It is about seeing the child in context, meeting the parents or carers, talking about the child's likes and dislikes and any special issues. Well worth the time, imo, and actually will make it much easier to help the child settle in. If you have a large group of four year olds starting together then the more you know beforehand the better it will be. It isn't about inspecting the home or counting the books. My DD had a chance to explain the circumstances of her job (an hour's commute away in London) and how the arrangements for drop-off and pick-ups would work. I think the visit was about half an hour. The catchment area is very close to the school.
My DD and her friends did have a bit of a discussion on Facebook about how much cleaning they had done beforehand though!

That's it in a nutshell Mamie

It doesn't happen around here. Should we feel left out? DGD did have an hour at her new school at the beginning of July and there was a new parent's evening when they were shown the school. But that's all.

aka makes a good point at 1657 about kids not being at school full-time during the first half term. However, I had understood from the OP that the home visits were made "prior to" the child starting school, which suggests to me that it would be done during a time when the teacher was teaching full-time.

The visits did not happen where my kids started school (a place in Scotland, a place in England).

I think I'll ask DD if it happens where she and the GSs are now. She hasn't mentioned it and GS1 starts school soon.

Our GS had a home visit from the Nursery Teacher and Nursery Nurse. They stayed for about twenty minutes had a chat about school, interests and anything else. It seems they do three visits after school each evening for a four week period. The catchment area is about a quarter of a mile which makes it easier, but the teacher commented that the biggest problem was the extra calories from the tea and cakes / biscuits that were on offer! Grandson thought it was lovely to meet his teacher and show him his toys and the cat.

Yes, my DGS teacher came round to meet him. I am sure he didn't 'check the house' Just introduced himself to DGS and DD and chatted.

You are not going to retain very much at the ends of your fingertips useful information about each child if you have a large group of four year olds starting school at the same time. An individual child's 'likes and dislikes' are what you learn (if you need to) as you get to know the individual. Are a child's likes and dislikes relevant most of the time in a school situation? Being at school is more about learning how to fit in, isn't it? Obviously I'm not talking about things the school can make a difference with if it knows, such as learning difficulties or learning excellence.

I hear what people are saying but I'm still not convinced it's a very useful or necessary thing to do.