Homework - anyone else in shock?

[Pickle]

Revisiting this after a week of homework - our school structure it, so there's (basically) two days of maths, one of literacy, and one of spelling. There's a (fair, in my opinion) assumption that you read regularly with your children.

I don't let my kids go over 10/15 minutes a day doing it, and sometimes we completely gloss over something if they/I aren't in the mood or we have other things to do. Last week (first week of formal homework for the year) they both loved it. No pressure to do it from me, and it was all really reinforcing what they had done at school.

Neither of my kids enjoys maths, yet they both attacked the maths questions with enthusiasm, and were really keen to show me that they could do it.

I guess it does depend on the children, and the home situation, but I do think it benefits my kids... most of the time.

That said, I often wonder how kids who have two parents working manage it, it's a lot if you're not at home with them before/after school. Our approach, to do it after breakfast, means that they come home from school and get to relax and play. I think I'd feel differently if we were stressing out every day after school.

[Otta]

Ours hasn't really kicked in yet, just a couple of reading books...

[Hillstop]

Other than reading books we've just had the first bit of homework sent home. It was done in under 10 minutes but I had to persuade her to do it to get it out of the way. Her first instinct was to suggest doing it later, once again demonstrating that we're definitely related.

Hope we don't get any more in the week as we often struggle to read every single day. Sometimes she's just too knackered to practice her reading at bedtime.

[Otta]

My daughter loves books, but is flatly refusing to read the scheme books that school are sending home. I'm hoping it won't put her off books in general.

[etta166]

Otta - my son is the same. I always give him the choice to say no to a book he perceives as boring. I wouldn't pick up and read a boring book cover to cover either. We go to the library or buy comics instead. As long as they are reading, that's what counts. Much better to enjoy other books, even if that means that you don't cover every phonic/HFW in a specific order like the school reading scheme would have you do.

[Anna M]

I am totally in shock!!

In reception, my son had a reading book and a reading record which i could write in and he could change the book when he was done, plus weekly homework which consisted of two work sheets - usually one with phonics they'd been doing in the week and one with a mathsy kind of puzzle. They were usually inventively phrased as challenges or puzzles, or 'investivations' and both pieces he would engage with enthusiastically and really enjoy. I think this would be about as much as he can cope with in year one...

In year one we have gone from that to reading 15 mins a day, plus he has to write a report about the book in his reading journal and draw a picture (a few sentences and a picture telling what the story was about or what he liked best about it), plus learning how to spell four words, plus two pieces of other homework which are similar to the worksheets from last year.

That might not sound like all THAT much but my partner and I both work, and by the time we get home, my son is too shattered to do anything but play while we cook, eat dinner, have a bath, have a story read to him and go to sleep. He's only just turned five. It just wouldn't be productive to try to sit him down to do homework.

The homework is set on Friday and collected on Wednesday. So we have to do everything in three mornings and at the weekend. And today I find myself panicking that we're not going to get it done. I was a total swot so the idea of not finishing the homework doesn't sit well with me - there's a kind of pressure to do it if this is what's being asked of us.

I am more terrified that his love of learning and finding things out by himself will be utterly squashed by me saying we have to do homework all the time. Losing his sparky interest in everything would be far more tragic than the swot not doing her homework. So I think I'll take the advice on here - thank you - and brace myself, and write a nice note to the teacher to say sorry, it was just too much this week.

And this weekend we will go to his friend's party, crack eggs and make pancakes, build the cardboard robot he's been asking to make, read books that we want to read, chill out so he can even have time to be bored for a bit and then make up some songs and new games and new things to do and be interested in. And if he feels like it, maybe we'll take a look at the stuff he got from school.

[Growlybear]

All primary schools have different approaches to homework and it always seems to really polarise parents' opinions. In all the schools I work with, there are as many parents who feel that children don't get enough homework as those who feel that they get too much. All schools have a homework policy, so the amount given at a particular school really shouldn't come as a surprise.

[bee74]

At my son's school they give simple home works on Friday. I have boycotted this as I find it unnecessary for a five year old in year 1. Teacher has not complained. I know the head is adding a lot of extra work as Ofstead are about to come and inspect and i suspect it will all relaxed after that.

I feel children should be able to play, relax and do what something other than formal learning after 6 hours of school, 5 days a week.

[natalieljackson]

Speak to the teacher and Head if necessary about your worries.

As a teacher myself I can say that teachers and Heads are often pressured into giving more homework than they feel is beneficial, and will usually be very understanding if you let them know that you don't feel it is a positive help to your child at this age.

I'm sure they will agree to let your little boy do what you feel is the right amount for him so as not to put him off school work for life!

Good luck.