Struggling with homework for 5 year old

[Aria2015]

My lo is the youngest in class. Just turned 5 and in year 1. By the time he comes home from school he is sooo tired and so we put him to bed early at around 6.30pm. So between school finishing and bed we have to squeeze in dinner, bath and stories.

He had 'homework' in reception but it was to do over the weekend which was fine. He had lots of time to play etc... and we fit the homework in when he wasn't too tired and the promise of something fun to do afterwards.

The problem we're having in year 1 is, that he has weekly reading and spelling homework that requires him to essentially do homework after school most days (if not every day) and we're really struggling. He's coming home and crying almost straight away at the prospect of having to do it.

I've tried to let him relax first and then do a bit bit of course he's tired because it's later in the day. I've tried getting it out the way and tackling it as soon as he gets home but this seems to be the worst and he'll just cry throughout.

I'm feeling really down about it because we only have a couple of hours from him getting home to going to bed and it seems such a shame that he's getting so upset over it and of course it's a struggle for me too.

What do other parents of young children do? Any advice on how we could make this easier on both of us?

Oh gosh OP! I'm a teacher...at my school we are not sending any homework this term! Instead, our focus is on settling the children back into school and on their emotional well-being. This sounds very hard on them...they are struggling enough as it is! Please do send a message to the teacher and say that your focus at the moment is your child's wellbeing, and you will start home learning when you feel they are ready. I would still do the reading though. As others have said, fit that into their bedtime routine. X

@Splendidseptember I think his writing improved so much in lockdown because we did one-on-one homework together most days. Also I think it also just coincided with things just 'clicking' for him.

I'll definitely be trying some more fun methods. Hopefully he'll respond well to them!

@GinWithRosie I wish lo's school would give them some time to settle before launching into a homework regime, definitely sounds like the sensible approach.

What I've decided to do is try some of the fun methods given on this post for the spellings (thank you to everyone for the suggestions!). I've also decided to focus on 3 of the spellings instead of the full 6 for the time being. I feel like this is more manageable for now and takes the pressure off. We can hopefully build to more over time as his confidence and capacity increases.

I'll also incorporate the reading homework into our bedtime reading routine as so many of you have suggested it and have had positive experiences doing that.

I feel much better about it from reading all these helpful comments and suggestions. Hopefully by making the changes I've mentioned above things will be less stressful but if lo still struggles I will definitely go to the teacher and discuss it further. Would be great if we could find a balance at home though where he's learning but not unhappy - hopefully making it more fun will help!

Thanks again to everyone who has taken the time to reply. I really do appreciate it.

My son used to do his spellings on bits of kindling, then I'd let him light the fire using them. His teacher thought I was crazy - but it worked. Find a way to make it fun for him - it doesn't have to be just writing the words on paper. Would he read to someone else, a grandparent maybe, over zoom? My youngest loves to read bedtime stories to people - particularly if they'll wear pyjamas and cuddle a teddy bear!

My son has just gone into year 3 and is refusing to do his homework to.a standard that I know he can achieve which is annoying, but he has an answer for everything! I told him to do his spellings repeatedly and he refuses saying 'he knew how to read so he knows how to write' he reads novels every night in bed for.fun so this is true but I was flabbergasted he came home and got 10/10. He has asd and a pretty photogenic memory to be honest. One thing that he's always detested is Harry potter and this half term the main topic is Harry potter, he's in hell!
It annoyed me that my younger son who's just gone into year two has homework, and when they get to 20 points they get a voucher for a homework free week, which obviously doesn't really make the children think the homework is fun or anything he'd be more pleased with a sticker I think.

Have you considered buying tub crayons or tub paint. He can practice his spelling words while bathing by writing on the wall. You can make your own tub paint with a little shampoo and a few drops of food dye. Do a small test on your tub before proceeding to see if it doesn't stain. Any way you can make learning fun or in a game is how children prefer to learn at this stage. Good luck!

My son used to do his spellings on bits of kindling, then I'd let him light the fire using them. His teacher thought I was crazy - but it worked

I'm so stealing this!

@Zyzxyz

Have you considered buying tub crayons or tub paint. He can practice his spelling words while bathing by writing on the wall. You can make your own tub paint with a little shampoo and a few drops of food dye. Do a small test on your tub before proceeding to see if it doesn't stain. Any way you can make learning fun or in a game is how children prefer to learn at this stage. Good luck!

Please check the dye. I have natural stone in the bathroom and the food dye made a permanent mark on it. Other than that a great idea.

Thanks for all the fun suggestions! Love the kindling idea but we don't have a fire! The bath crayon idea could work too, I'll order some. I've also ordered some magnetic letters on a board as that was a popular suggestion.

We've not done written practice today, just light hearted verbal practice with lots of tickling and he's been much happier. He's even remembered how to spell two of the words! Making is fun is definitely the way forward!

Also, I think teachers should emphasize writing over spelling. Kids love their own stories. If you write down his stories while he dictates them or better on a computer with a drawing app.Have him illustrate his story then print it up and make a book. Kids start to realize that they can express themselves in words and pictures. As their confidence grows, their writing becomes more honed. This is a process. Stick with it. You will be amazed in 6 months what a good speller your little one has become.

The reason why writing works over spelling is motivation. The more emotionally involved your child becomes with his own writing, the more the words will stick in his mind. Children have a natural inclination towards self independence. Fostering independence, meted towards age and ability is what naturally motivates children.

Some old school advice that teachers never seem to use anymore are phonemic patterns in words. Star, car, bar etc. School supply companies (in USA,Lakeshore)has write on wipe off boards and games to play that are fun for even adults.