Too much homework in Y1, what to do ?

[tomps]

Previously, dd has had 3 pieces of homework a week which each need 20 -30 minutes to complete and for dd are tough as she's not keen on sitting down and concentrating on something schooly. But we have managed to get it done. Suddenly she has come home with an additional 5 words to read, copy, write (eg another 30 minutes worth of homework) and a sheet to fill in to say this has been done every day. Including the weekend ! By my calculations, this makes 3 and a half to 4 hours homework per week and I think this is much too much; especially for my dd who has only recently stopped saying she hates school and doesn't want to go there. But no idea what to say to teacher who has previously been very supportive and with whom I get on well. (or did until now !) And two really irritating things - yesterday dd told me they watched telly at school (could have been practising their spellings instead ?!) And finally, the last 2 week's worth of homework, representing my blood, sweat and tears, have not even been blinking marked. Any ideas MNers ?

[charliecat]

Its take 30 mins to read copy and write 5 words? Get an eggtimer, and pack of jelly babys. Set the timer for 10mins and tell her she can have a jelly baby when shes done 5 mins max...

[Flum]

Obviously you just fill it in and say she did it. Teachers have to set loads of homework as they know most of it won't get done.

Can't you remember being at school? Its all a game. The idea is to make sure they can pass the exams later. It doesn't matter how much they actually know, its exam technique that counts thats all.

[Bounder]

Year 1?!
Just dont do it and if asked say that you think its too much.
Main thing at this age is to read to/with them

[Blu]

Do as much as you can without causing misery and strife and putting your dd off for ever, and then say 'sorry, we didn't have time to finish the homework'.

And talk about it at parents evening.

telly could have been edjerkationull - or wet play?

[bozza]

Does it really take her take her 30 minutes to write out 5 spellings? As often as not DS does this while we are waiting for DD to finish her breakfast/tea. I think the eggtimer and jelly babies idea may have some merit.

I am not unsympathetic really (had to threaten DS with no Match of the Day if he didn't buckle down last night) but I think if you could work on how long it takes her (with DS the moaning and dropping his pencil before he really gets down to it take as long as the homework) it would really help you both.

[Carbonel]

I think you should talk to the teacher and find out how long this homework is supposed to take.

Most schools that have homework as young as Yr1 only say 5 - 10 mins tops, so it may be that she does not realise how long it takes your dd. she needs to know this so she can set apprpriate homework and also make suere the lessons in school are properly targetted.

If you get on with her well it should be fine.

I bet, too, that altho she has not necessarily 'marked' the work she has looked at it. My dd has spellings and they never have any sign on them that teacher has looked at them, but I know she has because a couple of weeks later those that dd struggled with are repeated.

[OverMyDeadBody]

Just don't do it with DD every day, and on the days she does do it, get a timer like others have suggested, don't make her do anything over ten minutes. If she doesn't finish it so what? Especially if it isn't even marked. It the teacher brings it up tell her you don't want DD spending 30 minutes every day doing extra work and making her feel even worse about school etc.

[perpetualworrier]

My DS1 finds it difficult to apply himself and homework tasks that should have taken a few minutes can often take over an hour.

He's now in year2 and I'm finally learning to leave him to it. We have designated homework time, which never changes and is never missed (routine is everything to him) I check he understands what is needed and then in theory he goes to his room and does it. Provided he's made some effort, after 20 mins or so we call that it. Mostly the work is finished and he even seems to enjoy it once he gets started.

We do spellings/ reading words before breakfast everyday 5 mins max, but he knows it has to be done, so it gets done and reading is everyday at bedtime, so it's only the main literacy and numeracy tasks to fit in the rest of the week.

That said, it does sound like an awful lot for YR1. Are you being too perfectionist with it? I know that has been my problem. I have to recite to myself - it's his work, he knows what the teacher expects at school, let him do it his way.

I'm sorry I'm rambling, but this has been a really big headache for us and whilst it certianly hasn't gone away completely, it has improved a lot since I stopped putting so much pressure on myself and him.

I'd be very annoyed that it wasn't been looked at in school though and would certainly feed that back. You might find that only a minority of children are actually doing it and that's why the teacher doesn't bother checking.

[Whizzz]

To compare my DS is in Year 2 - brings home 12 spellings on a Monday to learn for a test on Fridays. Maths homework sheet comes hom on Fridays for return on Monday - its far too easy for DS usually & only takes about 5-10 mins. Reading books come home twice a week, although DS has just moved onto independent books which basically he can keep until hes finished it - usually gets through 1 or 2 a week.
Thats it !
3-4 hours a week sounds an awful lot to me. I'd have a word with the teacher

[tomps]

Thank you everyone for your suggestions. I checked on Dfes site and govt recommendations are 1 hour per week for Y1. Maybe it will get easier for dd if we're doing just 10/15 mins each day (but not effing weekends !) and we'll just see how much she can do in that time. I think teacher will be fine with that plan, and hopefully at some point in the year she'll actually be able to get it all done !

[tomps]

AND THEN ... the next day the (stand in) teacher was checking all the children's homework charts and 'telling off' all the children who didn't have a tick next to each day's (including weekend !!!) spelling homework ! Which I think is unreasonable because a) it's not a 6 year old's responsibility to get on with their homework independently, so any comments should be directed at parents not the children; b) the telling off was in front of all the other children; and c) apart from being pretty pointless (see A), it seemed a very demotivating and humiliating thing to do. Ho hum. Well, dd has valiantly and uncomplainingly spent one and a half hours doing homework so far this week and still has one more page (another half hour) to do, and that's without doing spellings every day ! Poo to homework