To think this is a little bit too much for Year 3 children?

[NoCapes]

DS1 has just started Year 3, today he came home with a newsletter type thing telling us what will be happening each week, when he'll need pe kits, when his homework is due etc
I'm a bit surprised by how much work he'll have to do at home

Each week he'll have -
Homework consisting of 1 thing topic related, 1 piece of maths, 1 piece of English
2 reading books
A list of 15 spellings to learn for a test each Friday
&
He'll have a times table test each Friday so we've been asked to practice times tables too

This feels like a lot to me for 7 year olds and is quite a big jump up from what he was expected to do last year

AIBU to think this is just too much?

[Bumpmadethemjump]

That does sound like a lot.
I really don't believe primary aged kids should be given homework. Kids would do so much better in exams later on if there was less pressure on them from a young age. They need down time like everyone else does.

[Ego147]

I suppose it all depends on someone's view of homework.
Personally I don't think homework helps at all - except tables practice. Not sure about spellings either.

I think children should be doing other stuff in their free time.

Other people will say that's fine.

[OwlinaTree]

Depends how long the children are expected to spend on the 3 pieces of homework. 20/30 mins would probably be manageable, then read the book for 10 mind and practice spelling for 10 mins the other 4 nights. Seems ok.

If they are wanting big project type things or giving lots of open ended stuff that takes ages that is different.

[DullUserName]

Welcome to the Key Stage 2 curriculum. :-(

Am glad I recently walked away from teaching. All chn reduced to data points and measures.

[YouCantBeSadHoldingACupcake]

Homework seems slightly excessive, my dd gets 2 pieces of homework (1 maths and one either topic related or English) 10 mins reading daily. Weekly spellings and times tables so pretty much the same except 1 piece less homework

[OwlinaTree]

I'm not a big fan of homework I must admit. Reading, spelling and tables seems reasonable though.

Probably causes more hassel to not do it than do it in many cases.

[Dolphinsanddinosaurs]

Wow, that does sound like a lot. It won't give him, or you a lot of time to relax in the evenings!

[Becles]

It depends whether you have conducted or reviewed extensive research studies and then based your opinion on the conclusions.

Otherwise I'd be inclined to go with the judgement of the person who has trained to teach and has hopefully gained experience of what's needed to progress the education of 30 odd children through daily practice.

[Ameliablue]

Sounds fairly standard.

[intheairthatnightfernando]

I am not into homework either (am a teacher) but don't see how what is said in the OP has any relation to children being reduced to data points! It's very much reinforcing what is done in class.

Kids need to learn times tables and spellings at this age in order to build new knowledge upon learnt knowledge. It's important and needs to be consolidated at home.

One piece of lit and maths should prob take 20 mins all-in once a week. Topic likely to be done over weekend and lets them extend their learning in class. This is the amount we give out too and sounds fine to me. As I say, I'm not mad about homework but I think what you' do detailed seems reasonable.

Kids should read every night, if possible.

[ScarletOverkill]

My DD was getting that much last year in year 2 (excluding the times tables.)

[ScarletOverkill]

My DD was getting that much last year in year 2 (excluding the times tables.)

[Ego147]

This letter went viral in the USA.

www.tes.com/us/news/breaking-news/i-had-no-intention-sparking-a-worldwide-conversation-when-i-banned

[EarthboundMisfit]

Sounds fine to me.

[PurpleCrazyHorse]

DD is in Year 3 and just gets her reading book and a small amount of maths or spellings. They have big homework projects once a term instead, consisting of a choice of three items from a grid of nine.

I love it, we get time in the evenings to chat and spend time together as a family, which is a key bit of learning for her.

[NoCapes]

Purple that sounds like a good system

Becles there was no need to be arsey

Scarlet really? Last year we had one reading book per week, one piece of maths homework and one piece either topic related or English
There was no formal tests ever
So this seems like quite a big difference all of a sudden

Opinion seems quite split to whether this is a lot though

[sleeponeday]

DS's school expectations set this from Year 1. I think most local schools do tbh.

I agree it seems too much for their age.

[arethereanyleftatall]

I'm not into homework.

But... Dd1, also y3, reads 2 books easily a week for pleasure, already knows her times tables up to 12, and has never had any spellings she didn't already know. I'm not writing this in a smug way, she is by no means unusual. So, 3 of those bits of homework you cite would be irrelevant.
I don't do hw in the week, I don't think state schools do enough sport, so that's what we do after school. W do about an hour at the weekend, and that's it. No teacher has ever complained.

[NoCapes]

DS reads a chapter book (horrid Henry type books) every night in bed so I'm not bothered about the reading, well except that he prefers to read alone, but coupled with everything else it does feel a lot
He struggles in maths so a times tables test every week is going to stress him out I fear

[WellErrr]

I'm dreading getting homework when mine go into reception as I completely disagree with it. They should be spending their free time at that age having fun and playing out.

[QueenieBob]

Becles - if everyone here did extensive research on everything just to form a 'valuable' opinion we'd never have time for anything else. OP just wanted other peoples' opinion, that's what she's getting & they are all valid. Schools have to follow a set curriculum & prove progression of all pupils. To truly progress each child surely they should get individual homework based on their needs and to get them all to the required level? Instead everyone gets the same, at least at my school. The curriculum is getting so intensive that they can't possibly fit it all into a school day. I was shocked at some of the work that year 6 are expected to do, stuff that I did at senior school. Our children are being pushed into doing too much too soon & our teachers are being flogged, neither of which will significantly improve educational standards.

I think that sounds like a lot of homework OP. My DD got homework over the summer & she started year 1 primary today. We didn't do it as we did lots of other fun stuff instead!

[Nanny0gg]

That's pretty much what my DGC did in Year 2.
With more reading books (scheme) but his free reader was a 'proper' book so that lasted as long as it lasted.

[MirrorMirrorOnTheFloor]

Seems a lot to me - my Y3 gets 25 minutes topic, 25 minutes maths for the week, plus ten spellings to learn. Times tables are taught in school and we were asked to practise them with her in a general way, but not as a specific part of homework.

[April229]

Way too much. There has to be some chill out time.

[Nanny0gg]

He struggles in maths so a times tables test every week is going to stress him out I fear

Whilst he needs to understand what multiplication is, as far as learning times tables goes, it's just rote learning. Make it a game, make it fun, not just firing questions at him and he may find it easier than you think.