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Original poster

Nursery and homework.

37 replies

MonkeyPuddle · 21/10/2020 17:47

DS is 3, he was 3 in June.

Background info - he attends a large chain private day nursery two days a week, he is in the ‘preschool’ room, he attends 8am- 5pm, he’s been there since he was 18months and moved from the toddler room in September this year. Two days a week he is with me and one day a week he is with his dad.

They’ve started to send home homework, today he’s come home with a biff and chipper book, which he is supposed to read to me (I asked his key worker if I was supposed to read it, but no, he is) he can’t read! We read story books every day at home, we have lots.

He’s also got 5 worksheets, one has simple maths on, one about learning your address and ringing 999 in an emergency, one about family and two which need photos printing out and attaching.

He’s my first child and I have absolutely no background in education, but it all seems a bit much to me, but I accept my knowledge about preschool education is VERY limited so I accept I could be completely wrong on this, but my gut instinct is to say that this is all a bit formal and that reading stories, playing, crafting, physical activity together is more appropriate for his age? Rather than working out how many children the lolly pop lady crossed over the road?

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 21/10/2020 17:58

Sounds mad to me! Nursery is supposed to be child led and fun. Do they realise he's only 3?

ReceptionTA · 21/10/2020 18:10

Sounds a bit ...crap to me. I'd be questioning what they understand about child development. Do they have a qualified teacher in the nursery room?

Any "homework" from nursery should be along the lines of can you collect 5 leaves, can you spot a number 2 when you are out and about? If at all Hmm Certainly not Biff and Chip books that he can't read!

Wowcherarestalkingme · 21/10/2020 18:12

That sounds insane. My 4 year old has just started in reception and they have not sent reading books or maths work home yet. Surely they can’t expect a three year old to read?

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Original poster
MonkeyPuddle · 21/10/2020 18:13

I’m not sure if there is a teacher in the room, I’ve not been in the room since our tour round 18m ago.

I understand the getting ready for school idea, but I’m my head that’s more about him being able to recognise his name, being able to dress/undress, wipe his bum, serve himself food etc. Which is the kind of stuff we do at home, we play the games from the five minute mum book, play nature bingo when we go on walks, play in the mud, just average learning through play activities.

OP posts:
Anotherducker · 21/10/2020 18:14

That’s ridiculous.
Nursery will do some work on phonics, but expecting a 3 year old to read Biff and Chipper is bonkers.

DelurkingAJ · 21/10/2020 18:16

Madness! My DS in Reception is just bringing home those books (he has to use his imagination to tell us the story). If they wanted you to practice him holding a pencil or recognising his name that would seem more like it!

Unicorners · 21/10/2020 18:16

My daughter is the same age and she seems to spend most of her nursery days either painting or playing at the mud kitchen. Definitely no formal learning!

OverTheRainbow88 · 21/10/2020 18:16

Ummmm yea as a teacher I wouldn’t be doing this with my children at the age of 3.

When my son comes out of pre school and I asked what have you done he said I played and played and played- which is what they should be doing.

We’ve had homework once which was to collect some autumn leaves.

Yellowcar2 · 21/10/2020 18:19

Crazy! I'd refuse to do it.

SleepingStandingUp · 21/10/2020 18:20

We had homework at 3, I think there might even had been a book.

Book categorically read to them by us. Poor area, low parental attainment so reasonable to question of parents have books at home.

I think worksheets where they kinda badly drew round a letter or similar. So very basic "mark making".

Some activities to do together so theme is the sea, there would be a challenge to make a fish bowl and fish, one to colour in a fish, one to write three things you knew about a fish etc but it would clearly be led by the parent, parent doing all the writing etc.

I'd politely tell them no

Thatwentbadly · 21/10/2020 18:25

They are just trying to tick an Ofsted box but they are not going about it appropriately. My DD was a at school nursery which is known to be a bit push and every week we had to fill in their diary - a couple of photos with a caption of what they did at the weekend, this was to support them in their discussion group. Often there was optional homework eg make a college, picture or model of a fairytale character. We did it if she wanted to do it. We were also encouraged to support number formation and help them learn the rhythms. Now she is in reception she has phonics flash cards and letter formation to encourage but no time frame and it’s not returned to school and a weekly a reading book with words.

I would be quite concerned that they are sending home stuff which is outside his zone of proximal development. And the sheer amount is ridiculous.

firstimemamma · 21/10/2020 18:27

I used to teach reception and honestly that's insane! They shouldn't have homework in early years at all imo, perhaps a little bit in the later months of reception but that's it.

Russell19 · 21/10/2020 18:31

Are you sure you're not confused about the book? It's just bonkers! Are you sure it's not just a picture book with no words? I'd politely ask them what phase phonics they're teaching at nursery because to read a book like that he'd need to be secure in phase 3 phonics including blending.

MrsGatsby99 · 21/10/2020 18:32

I think it's unanimous, OP! 😄 Highly questionable to get quite formal sounding homework at 3, imo. EYFS is about learning through play, i thought. He will have so much time for homework later...

AiryFairyMum · 21/10/2020 18:33

We have similar, I think it's good as they start school reading, writing their names and able to count to 20.

MrsGatsby99 · 21/10/2020 18:34

It's probably done with good intentions but I would definitely give a bit of feedback to the nursery about it and either don't do it at all or just do a bit.

Littlefish · 21/10/2020 18:34

That's completely absurd and totally inappropriate!

I am a nursery teacher and would never, ever give homework like this.

As a previous poster said, something like 'collect 5 different things to do with Autumn' is ok, as is, help your mummy and daddy cook something and take a photo of it.

MoonriseKingdom · 21/10/2020 18:35

That sounds crazy! For comparison my recently turned 4 year old is in school nursery. Our (optional) homework for this half term was to look for circles at home or out and about.

ImFree2doasiwant · 21/10/2020 18:36

Absolute madness. Ds1 is 5 and in year 1, he doesn't get that much.

Ds2 is 3 and at pre school. No homework at all.

MrsGatsby99 · 21/10/2020 18:37

@AiryFairyMum yes, but a nursery can teach children those skills without making them do five worksheets a week and 'reading' before they are ready. That could be very counterproductive in the long run.

Marmite27 · 21/10/2020 18:38

Mine are/were in a large chain nursery (well one of their corporate branches anyway).

When DC1 was in preschool - and due to age she was in there a good 18 months she NEVER had any sort of homework. She started reception in September so this is fairly recent too.

WankPuffins · 21/10/2020 18:40

I think I would laugh in their face. That’s absolutely bonkers. What are they thinking?

And neither of my children would have been entertained the idea anyway.

WankPuffins · 21/10/2020 18:40

And I agree with a PP that it can be counter productive to leaving to read etc later on.

eddiemairswife · 21/10/2020 18:43

At this rate new mothers will be sent home from hospital with homework for their babies to do.

MoonSauce · 21/10/2020 18:46

If they're going to send something, it should be age/development appropriate. I'd query it with them.

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