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AIBU?

AIBU to think written homework for school nursery class is too much

20 replies

hootloop · 07/03/2014 13:09

My DD is four in school nursery class so 3 and 4 year olds doing half days.
Today she has been sent home with three phonics worksheets, for us to do and take back to school.
I am usually all for consolidating what is learned at school at home and would never allow my older child to not do it (he is year 3).
My DD will do it as she enjoys doing things like that but I think it is too much pressure for children this young and may turn into a battle in some houses, I know had it been when my son was in nursery he would not have done it and I would not have forced him to.
AIBU to think homework for such young children is a bit too much?

OP posts:

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IslaValargeone · 07/03/2014 13:11

I'm a great fan of homework, but not at this age.

Finola1step · 07/03/2014 13:18

YANBU. It's ridiculous. Homework for nursery should be sharing books together, talking about their day at nursery, singing songs etc. Phonics learning can be followed up by telling the parents the sound or sounds learnt and then go on a "sound hunt" to find objects around the home beginning with that letter sound.

When I have taught nursery the only bits of paper taken home have been ones that the children have chosen. For example, it's not unusual for a child to take home a numbers or abc sheet stuffed in their book bag so they can play "schools" at home with their doll or teddy. This is very different to worksheets being given for homework.

My advice, don't do them. Leave them in the bag. Let your dc know they are there if they want to play "schools". No more than that.

Ilovexmastime · 07/03/2014 13:20

YANBU, I would have ignored it if my DS's had brought homework back at that age.

Nanny0gg · 07/03/2014 13:31

What do the worksheets consist of?

My DGC nursery does this, and all they have to do is sound out the letter, identify the pictures and colour in if they want to.

No big deal.

hootloop · 07/03/2014 13:37

She has to do 1 which is similar to what you describe nanny0gg, she also has to solve some anagrams, simple CVC words and another is handwriting practice the sounds .

As I said I'm not anti homework but they are too young for it.

OP posts:

BackforGood · 07/03/2014 13:40

YANBU - certainly wouldn't have been done in my house.

YouTheCat · 07/03/2014 13:41

Sounds bloody awful.

There should be no such thing as hand writing practice at that age. It should be all about encouraging kids to hold a crayon and paint/colour in.

There were a couple of children when dd and ds were in nursery who could write their names (dd included) but I really don't get all this homework nonsense at 3/4. They will all learn to write and doing it earlier does not necessarily mean better.

Sparklysilversequins · 07/03/2014 13:43

We did not do homework in nursery or reception. School sent it home on a Friday and it remained in the bag and was returned on the Monday. We started homework in Year one and have never missed it.

Menolly · 07/03/2014 13:55

This is normal from class 1 at DDs school (2.5 - 4 years) but they don't get told off for not doing it til class 2 (reception age) so the advice parents are given is to encourage them but not force it. I think it's fine to send homework home so the child/parent has the option to do it, as long as the parents know they don't have to force their child to do it.

Class 1 is full days once they turn 3 though and has formal lessons which I know lots of parents wouldn't like either and it is a private school so the parents there have chosen that style of education for their child in an area where there are several schools which offer a far more play based approach, so I like to think the parents chose based on what suits their child best and I might think differently about homework if DD's personality were different or if we were in an area where there were more limited options.

Gileswithachainsaw · 07/03/2014 13:59

The only homework nursery classes should have is -have fun!!

How completely bonkers.

Bad enough primary schools issue homework but nursery age takes the piss!!

Callani · 07/03/2014 14:00

Anagrams?? At 4 years old?! YADNBU OP.

CremeEggThief · 07/03/2014 14:01

YANBU. Ridiculous.

Finola1step · 07/03/2014 14:11

CVC anagrams at nursery - flipping nonsense. I've been in the job for nearly 20 years, if a nursery teacher in our school sent this home, I'd be having a word.

But, if you are in England, I can almost guarantee that this is not the nursery teacher's choice. She or he has been told to start doing as part of school policy. This is in response to the demands if the new Year 1 curriculum. Year 1 gets heavier and more formal and this trickles down into the Reception and Nursery classes. There is a lot of angst about current Reception children not being ready for the new curriculum in September. Nonsense. Rant over

Pollyputthekettle · 07/03/2014 14:13

YANBU. I ignored the homework they sent home for DS when he was that age.

NewtRipley · 07/03/2014 14:14

Finola

Yes, this is the way it's going.

fluffyraggies · 07/03/2014 14:17

YANBU IMO.

however i imagine the majority of the parents will ignore it tbh.

My experiences (as a TA at primary) of how keen parents parents are to sit with their DCs and help them learn to read are pretty depressing stuff. Even at the appropriate age!

mumofthemonsters808 · 07/03/2014 14:23

Too much too young. The things I would expect a school nursery to ask parents to practice with their children, are practical exercises: learning how to take their coat off, washing their hands after the toilet, pouring out of a jug etc. Reading a bedtime story every night. Everything else can wait, nursery is about having fun, getting used to routines, developing listening skills and socialising with other children

NewtRipley · 07/03/2014 14:25

Hearhear mumofthemonsters

RonSwansonsLushMoustache · 07/03/2014 14:26

Anagrams at 3 and 4 years old?

DS is in Reception and at the moment the only homework he gets sent home with is his reading book and a wordbox. He gets a new one of each twice a week.

I would have let DS do homework at preschool if he had shown an interest, but I wouldn't have pushed it.

Tinuviel · 07/03/2014 16:57

It's a ridiculous idea. DD was given homework at nursery - I got a really snotty look from them when I said that she absolutely wasn't doing it. The one time she insisted she wanted to do it, she couldn't, and then wouldn't accept my help (stroppy little madam at the time). She also clearly wasn't ready for phonics work - if she had been, I would have noticed and done some with her at home (we home educate).

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