Year 1 Homework

Five minute mum on Instagram has some fun educational game ideas too that you can tie in with what your DD is learning at school.

Mine is in year 1 and is just given reading (basic) and writing practice. We read other books at bedtime and she reads one that’s less simple and dull than the one from school back. For spellings, you can look up the top couple of hundred most frequently used words at that age, tricky words or Google spellings for y1 (or older if appropriate for her) there are loads of lists. Maths - again very simple at this age, so practice counting in 2s, 10s, 5s, (then others as appropriate if she wants), simple sums, number bonds, dividing (share things equally between dolls or siblings). Play dough for hand strength or making bread/pasta. Little two minute games e.g. take it in turns to count to 100 and make an animal noise every divisible of five, find a big puddle and jump over it jumping in it every divisible of three, make up rhymes and stories with her, let her make a word search for you, ask her to help you read some words in a letter (bill) you open or on a bus shelter advert, play shops, keep subtitles on the TV. Keep it light.

Get some KS1 work books if you’re desperate to do homework.

I’m a teacher and parent and agree that homework in year 1 is pointless. You already read with your child, let them learn through play- it’s so much more effective! Do some research (or a Google search) and find some things your child can do. Most importantly, take the pressure off. Let that wait till the end of primary and secondary school. My children are very well educated but they weren’t pressured. They learnt things in what we did every day. They learnt things when we explored the woods and when we went shopping and when we cooked. The whole world is a learning opportunity, you don’t need monitored work set by a teacher.

I think, OP, that you don’t fully appreciate the importance of play and all that kids this age soak up from what is going on around them without having it taught to them in a formal matter and then reinforced through homework.

I think homework is important but not so much at that age except reading but you can always do some extra work yourself.
Perhaps it might be nice they're not so strict on homework, my DS's teacher is, he's in 1st grade and has already had to stay after school for homework club twice for not doing his homework (or in the 1st case, not colouring it in well enough!)

They’re only 3 weeks in to year 1; relax.

My DS is in year 2 and we’re not expecting homework until after half term.

Year 1 is a big jump up; let DC adjust to that before you start on homework.

I will say though @Worriedmum888please don’t get into the trap of pushing your dd so hard.

She’s only very little and you sound like you are expecting a lot. Also taking of grammars so early. At this stage, you have no idea if your dd will be academic or not. She might not be the sort of child when she gets to 11 that will get into a grammar, or even want to go to one.

I’ve known many children throughout the years mine have been at school (and uni) and I’ve seen so many parents push and push. Lots of them over the years pushing for homework the primaries mine went to (4 schools between the 3 of them over the years, none set homework).

If you keep pushing you can go too far and either put them off altogether, or create a child who only studies and achieves academically to keep you happy. I’ve seen both happen.

Chill out and let her be 5. The school know what they are doing.

I think you have to be careful saying that other parents don’t “prioritise academic excellence” - and that this creates division in the end. It kinda sounds like your kid is better than others. All kids will learn in their own way and relaxing, playing, processing and life skills will help them. Just be careful not to be a pushy parent as your child may resist in the future.

neither of mine had homework at that age except for reading each night. Mine went to wraparound and weren’t home until 5.30/45. (IKR - another controversial topic!!)

they wanted to watch a bit of TV, snack (don’t panic all - they’d eaten their meal at ASC!) and bath/bed.

it’s great you what to help them learn - but go easy.

"We get a book to read, which is like a sentence in each page, like what they had by the end of reception. This is not even challenging!"

Nothing stopping you nipping into a Waterstones and picking out something suitable.
I practically lived in bookshops as a child; In school, I was a "free reader" I.E, I was allowed to read any books outside the syllabus by year 4.

I can't say I did so well with my maths, however, though there's also nothing stopping you practicing times tables or counting at home; Play shop and use small denominations like 1, 2 + 5 pence pieces to teach basic addition and subtraction.

I'm massively on the side of no homework for that age group.

At that age our job is to help the child calm their emotional system after a long day at school, get nutritious food inside them to help them recover and feel good, ensure a calm environment for free-play, help them to develop routines like putting their uniform away / bag away, and ensuring a good bedtime routine with a story every night.

The only things I do in addition to that on school nights is say a walk or dancing in living room - exercise in the garden, that kind of thing.

They need unstructured time to process whats gone on in the day times.

Some nights she wants to practice her writing or do some spontaneous sums or something, but its led by her. I provide paper and pens and she can get on and do it, but I don't monitor what she's doing or set her tasks.

OP your posts are worrying me. Most schools know what they are doing. Please let your DC enjoy being in Year 1 and support her by being confident in her school. As a parent, you are free to teach your child whatever you like. There is nothing to be gained by comparing one school with another.

But you can do homework yourself if you want to.

Your school should have told you what reading programs they are using if you want to supplement it at home, they will be able to tell you their curriculum plans for the year. You can also look that up on line - the national curriculum is hardly a secret - or just buy year one work books on line.

You don’t need the school to set the work for you.

YABU to be demanding homework and suggesting children aren’t being challenged without it.
YANBU to be concerned if your child’s reading books are not at the right level for her ability etc. Talk to the school about that rather than its homework policy.

Our school just has reading for Y1.

I’m sorry OP but your approach to this simply isn’t backed up by the research in this area; there are no discernible benefits to homework at KS1. You’re perfectly within your rights to fill in the gaps yourself at home as you see fit, but stating that parents who don’t share this bonkers approach “don’t prioritise academic excellence” is nonsensical.

Is it misalignment though, or are we saying 6 hours of learning is enough for a 5 year old? That maybe they need time to rest and give their brain time to absorb what they have learned rather than pummeling them with knowledge they have no time to process?

Good. No year one child needs to be coming home and doing homework.

I’ve got a child in year one currently (my others are now 23 and 11 and neither of their primary schools did homework at all).

However, that doesn’t mean that no home leaning goes on at all. All my children have had age appropriate books which I read with them at home.

My 5 year old has a set of first reader books and she loves to read one to me and dh every evening. She also enjoys doing some simple maths.

But that is very different from the pressure of any set school homework.

oh and both my older two went to/are at grammars.

My ds was home educated until he was 10. We were travelling the world and he wasn’t interested in reading until he was 6 (he went from blending words to being a confident reader in two months). So no homework had no bearing on grammar school for either of mine!

Yabu. If you want to do extra work with your child then fill your boots! I don't understand why you think your desires should imposed on everyone else's child.

Why is it misalignment? Maybe it’s simply an acknowledgement of the fact that your child spends enough of their time learning in school, therefore would benefit more in their home time from play. Both are beneficial.

Honestly, I think you need to relax a little. Otherwise god help you in 10 years time.

That sounds great to me, year one is still very little! In many countries children that age would still be at kindergarten, not even at school yet