AIBU about this homework?

[DressMe]

My son is 5 years old and is in Year 1. A recent change of headteacher has promted a new homework policy, and he now has three lots of homework to do each week.

One is to read three times a week (fine).

Two is to learn 10 given spelling each week for a test. He gets stars depending on how many he gets right. Interestingly, although he passes the test each week, he doesn't retain the spellings and can't recite previous spellings after the week.

Three is to complete a 'phonics activity' each week. This week's is to look at a list of words with the pheneme /ere/ and sort them into groups according to their grapheme (words include adhere, peering, tear, interfere...). He then has to write them in lists in his homework book.

AIBU to think this is an unreasonable expectation from a 5 year old? I have three children (one of which is 10 months old) and work full time. Just getting him to learn the 10 spellings requires 15 minutes or so a night, then reading on top of that, and now a phonics activity too? When do people find time for this?!

I'm happy to do homework with him and think reading is incredibly important, but I worry about the level of expectation. I would prefer homework that encouraged him to work on his handwriting and letter formation - It would be much more useful. He currently has a tiny homework book that is so small he can't write all 10 words on one page!

What homework do your five year old's get?

[booellesmum]

That's less than mine had. I would even up the reading to everyday. I worked 4 days a week - just watched less TV.

[Grilledaubergines]

Doesn't seem unreasonable to me, it's roughly what mine had at the same age.

[Razz1eDazz1e]

Mine used to have to read every night and page numbers noted in a diary. 10 spellings in Year 1 is standard, I think. Mine used to have to write a mini paragraph using the spelling words too. Plus maths twice a week.

[DressMe]

Happy to read with him every day, and in fact do, most days. I'm just not sure I see the point of the spelling tests and the phonics 'activity' when he can't form letters properly when writing, and doesn't retain any of the spellings.

[FiloPasty]

Reading 4 x per week
15 spellings per week (17 for the children who consistently get them right)
Handwriting practice paper
Usually 1 or 2 maths practice papers
Some sort of English comprehension

It's a lot, we get them each week to be completed for the following.

[DressMe]

We rarely watch TV (though do spend a lot of time doing other things). I like the thought of writing a paragraph with the spelling words too. It would be good to see him encouraged to write more and use the words (he might retain them a little better then too!).

[DressMe]

Maths practice papers, Filo? At what age?

[FiloPasty]

Year 1 they are 6

[MooPointCowsOpinion]

Reading 5 times a week, 3 sessions on online maths platform a week, weekly spelling test (though we only get the test back to look at if dd gets any wrong which is rare, so no work there really) and homework sheets with activities on nouns, full stops etc once a week.

It's a lot, but dd loves all of it and we don't get home until 5:30pm, so she might read to the childminder or my husband as he cooks, or me while we are upstairs getting into pjs. Maths can be done on her iPad. Worksheets she gets out herself and completes whenever she wants, I don't enforce them yet as I haven't had to.

I'm a teacher, and I think homework is a pain in the arse to chase up if kids don't do it, and to mark as well if it's on paper. I try to set everything on a self-marking online platform like MyMaths or better.

[FiloPasty]

This week we had one on halves and quarters and one working out how many different routes you could get from A to B on a map.

[SquidgeyMidgey]

Mine had that plus maths each week.

[SomewhatIdiosyncratic]

Reading isn't set as a formal timed expectation, but there is a chart that is completed off the reading diary that ticks off the number of days where reading is completed with a certificate for every 50 days with reading. There's a range of frequency of when each child achieves the certificate. Some weeks we manage more, some weeks are busy and more tiring and we do less.

There is a homework task each week which varies across different subject areas. They have 5 days to complete it in. DS finds writing difficult so it takes him longer. This week was 8 fraction questions and it easily took him 30 minutes. It was correct in content but all written backwards. (We suspect dyslexia due to family history)

They have a list of key words to recognise/ spell each week. Between DS struggling and the time of other learning/ activities/ down time I let this one slide the most.

I do extra practice on his letters trying to get him to form them properly as I believe that this will have a greater general benefit in the long term. Likewise, I believe that frequently reading, and me reading to him is more beneficial for moving him forward. He can't write what he can't read or form appropriately.

There is a lot on!

[DressMe]

Wow. Ours don't ever have any maths homework, though it might be helpful. Where do you find time for that? I get home at 5:15 on a good day. By the time I've done tea and said hello to all three, it's time for bath (he's asleep by 7pm).

[JamesDelayneysTattoos]

The only thing I do with my almost 6 year old yr one dd is go through her spellings, she gets 10 a week.

She reads her reading book to me and her sisters in the car a couple of times a week.

I've told her teacher I don't really do homework with her, she's fine with that.

Had parents eve today, teacher told me a new thing the government insist they know in yr one now is how to spell the words from one to twenty. She rolled her eyes and pronounced it ridiculous

[DressMe]

Hmm... Seems like the amount is in line with others then. I'm just not sure how relevant it is, or where I'm supposed to fit it into the day. He doesn't seem to get anything from it.

[Miniwookie]

That's more than my 10yo gets. I hate homework in primary (apart from reading) my 5yo is knackered after a full day at school. It''s up to you what you do, so if you prioritise the reading, that's fine IMO.

Filo that amount if homework in year 1 is horrific and would have me changing schools tbh.

[Angelik]

Writing! When still learning to read and spell. Teach him to read and enjoy reading. Talk about what he has read. Develop his comprehension. The rest is unnecessary at that age.

[sirfredfredgeorge]

DressMe No, it's way more than ours, reading book changed whenever the kid wants but not more, some entirely optional, but would be quite easy homework to complete for DD - not that we bother, despite having plenty of time. (not being asleep until after 10pm gives plenty of time)

You say he doesn't retain the spellings, that proves that even if the method is a successful one for some (and the evidence suggests it's not AIUI) it certainly doesn't work for your DS. Doing it is a waste of time.

teacher told me a new thing the government insist they know in yr one now is how to spell the words from one to twenty

That doesn't seem particularly onerous in the experience of DD's class, certainly some won't, but the majority do, and we don't get spellings as homework ever.

[Gatehouse77]

At that age mine would be expected to do daily reading, 10 spellings, a maths worksheet and here and there some topic work.

That said, I was on hand to do it with them after school although spellings/maths was usually done on Saturdays.

[Sweets101]

Mine had/have the same. Reading we don't worry about so much now as they are free readers but we talk about the books they read and read together.
Spellings we would study the list then spend the week (once I'd memorised them) shouting them out and they'd spell them.
The third one we'd do on a Sunday.

[BlondeBecky1983]

The spelling of ere does not seem appropriate content for Year 1, apart from that I would say it is quite normal.

[BlondeBecky1983]

Or should I say some of the words mentioned are not appropriate.

[YouCantBeSadHoldingACupcake]

Mine has the same, plus a maths worksheet. Reading and spellings done during the week, phonics and maths done at the weekend

[PaulAnkaTheDog]

Sounds similar to what my son received in primary one. If he's not retaining the spellings have you checked whether you're emphasising the spelling rules relating to them? All kids learn differently as well. Some get the kids to do the spelling nightly, yet my son just writes them five times in a row one night and remembers them.

[MiniMum97]

Homework in children under secondary school age has been shown to have no impact at all on their academic achievement. If he wants to do it and you have time then fine, otherwise I wouldn't bother.

At this age I would just be reading to him, and encouraging him to read, books he is interested in as a fun activity, not a forced one.

And I wouldn't worry about handwriting at this age, children shouldn't really be writing until about 7 so I wouldn't push it until then. We are a bit too early with getting them to write in this country. Can he counterproductive unless they are really keen. Better than writing is getting them painting and making shapes with large paintbrushes. Can be done in sand as well as with paint.