Struggling to keep up with homework for reception.

[Ohdoleavemealone]

DD gets 3 pieces of homework a week plus we are supposed to do her reading every day.
She does 2 pages of copying letters, a phonics piece and a maths piece. They can be one or two pages each.

To be honest I am finding it a struggle. It feels like she gets no break from school work. We have to do something every day outside school or we wouldn't be able to do it all.
I know I could choose not to do it at this point but feel that if we cannot keep up now, how will we as years go on? (Although DS is yr 3 and gets less!)
She is also struggling with the work so not doing it feels like a further disadvantage.
Anyone else get this amount of school work? How do you stay on top of everything?

Hi OP, this sounds like a lot to me. My Dd is in year 1. She gets 3 books a week, and we've just been asked to do doodle maths every day if we can. My Dd was in breakfast and after school clubs until 2wks ago when I changed my work hours to enable me to pick up at 3. Things have been much easier since then. My main practical suggestion is to bosh some of it on Saturday morning so it's done. And consider doing the reading over breakfast. That's the only way we get things done! Dd is too tired after school / just not up for it so it's counterproductive.

I really think that's a lot for a reception child especially if you don't get home till 5pm. That's not a lot of time for dinner, bath and a bit of downtime for them. My dc were exhausted during reception year. They'd go to bed pretty early and to be honest they just wanted to play with their toys once they got home.

I think you need a wider conversation with the teacher about why/how/where she is “behind” (the range in reception is vast anyway, is she really outside the range or is she just eg a summer birthday?), are they concerned about it and how are they supporting her to reach expectations. I’d bring up homework as part of that - for comparison my children in reception had reading each night and 1 optional piece of work a week eg a single page maths worksheet. The non reading bit didn’t start until the second term and half the time it wasn’t even set. They already have six hours a day at school and they’re very very young, I think it’s counterproductive to do much more than nightly reading.

@AIMD

When is her birthday op. Wondering if she is one of the younger kids in the class.

Just had her birthday but due to trauma at birth, she is emotionally delayed by around a year. She is more like a summer baby starting school than an older child.

Homework in primary school is wrong.

It sounds way too much.

I would limit it and just do bits as and when you can and feels right.

My year 2 has loads of homework and I just feel they should be having fun and playing at the weekends not writing essays on the Victorians 🤷🏽

In your situation I would ask the teacher how long she expects them to spend on homework each night. Explain you don't get in until late and DD takes X amount of time to complete the tasks. My September born child used to whiz through homework but I know those born later in the year, or who had undiagnosed (at the time) learning difficulties took much longer. The teacher might say the tasks should take 10 minutes, in which case you do 10 minutes and write a note saying that's where she got to.

If your Dd is struggling then build those tasks into everyday life, when she's having her bath write her letters/spellings on the side in Bath crayons. Fill a sandwich bag with paint, seal it, put it in another sandwich bag and tape to the table, Dd can practise using her fingers to trace the letters. Buy some board pens and an adhesive white board, or buy acrylic paint pens and write on a window. The novelty of the activity will make it feel like she isn't working.

@Theotherrudolph

I think you need a wider conversation with the teacher about why/how/where she is “behind” (the range in reception is vast anyway, is she really outside the range or is she just eg a summer birthday?), are they concerned about it and how are they supporting her to reach expectations. I’d bring up homework as part of that - for comparison my children in reception had reading each night and 1 optional piece of work a week eg a single page maths worksheet. The non reading bit didn’t start until the second term and half the time it wasn’t even set. They already have six hours a day at school and they’re very very young, I think it’s counterproductive to do much more than nightly reading.

At parents evening just after half term, teacher said she was struggling with pretty much everything. She is being put into smaller groups and they are supporting her as much a they can. Homework has increased since then so maybe that a reflection on what they feel she needs to do to catch up.

If you use Facebook then I really recommend looking at five minute mum and phonics family. I really agree with their ethos. Break n learning down into mini chunks and make it fun. Personally I think if you push hardcore homework now, you're seeing yourself up for a lifetime of battles.

If you can do reading in the morning then I would do that. I used to read in the mornings with my ds as he was tired at night. Then I would leave the homework to the weekend and just do as much as you feel like/can manage easily. Then your evenings will be much more relaxed and you can have a bit of fun with your daughter, read some nice stories together or watch a tv programme and discuss it.

Children don’t take in information when they are tired and stressed. I was a teacher for years and now I support children with specific learning difficulties- I think this gave me the confidence to let my kids go at their own pace.

Thanks everyone, I appreciate the ideas and advice. Off to bed but will check in, in the morning.

Thanks again

Just read your later post about being emotionally delayed - I would definitely give the evening homework a miss then. She is only little and ‘being behind’ her class now means nothing in terms of her future education. You can do some of the lovely five minute phonics/ number games suggested by previous posters.

Speak to the teacher.
Teachers are between a rock and a hard place with home work. You get complaints if you set it and complaints if you don’t.
When I taught reception I set homework because it was expected by the school but if a parent said they were struggling I made it clear that they were only to do it if the child wanted to. I asked that they read and everything else was a bonus.

If she is struggling with all the work then couĺsnt she be given one to one support? The primary school my children are at have teachers who are there specifically to help the kids struggling like that. They are taken out of their class and spend an hour with the one on one support working on whatever it is they need to work on. Do your school offer anything like that?

They don’t have to do homework at that age, it’s optional, not mandatory.

Dc1 was in reception last year and had homework, some phonics, maths, handwriting and the reading. We grumbled at the time, but did it. Many other parents moaned, said they weren’t doing it but then would post on social media of the opposite. Dc1 was reluctant to do it, and after arguing and battling which was detrimental to all we stopped albeit his daily reading and harmony restored. He is in yr1 now and homework started again in September. It was straight back to being a battle, I refused to sit with him and do it as it makes him miserable, he is 6 and more to life than school all day then homework. According to teacher he is isn’t where they want him to be, but when pressed no one can tell me where that should be.
Dc2 is in reception this year and has no homework other than reading books, she is thriving and much happier because of it. I find it all a bit much at this young age. My friend is a yr3/4 teacher and she refuses to do homework with her reception class child as it doesn’t promote a love of learning if they are reluctant and pointless if tired as they absorb little.