How much daily preparation are you doing for primary age homeschooling?

[McEwan]

A friend of mine with two children of primary age told me she spends hours every day putting work together that her children's school is sending home, to the point that she's up to midnight most nights. Is this normal and your experience?

Umm maybe 10 minutes flicking through her exercise books to find pages that are relevant to what she's been covering with school work then 20-30 mins each morning downloading her work etc that the teacher has sent through. She is 6.

Not for my children - they have everything online.
Elder two (Year 5 & 6) tend to do everything on screen. Only thing I print is a times tables test on a Friday, though they could do it on a piece of paper.
Younger one (Year 2) has an exercise book and writes in that. Occasionally I print out a worksheet for her if it's easier.

Submitting pictures of work is taking us a couple of hours each evening. But we have 4.

I should add mine have their own devices though so that makes it easier - eldest uses a desktop and middle one has an old laptop so they can both type on a proper keyboard. Youngest watches lessons on a tablet and writes on paper.

@KindnessCrusader

Submitting pictures of work is taking us a couple of hours each evening. But we have 4.

Wow, how does it take so long? Fortunately I only have to submit work for one child but I just take a photo, it's maybe 3-4 photos so 5 minutes tops.

Finding resources, downloading, printing, writing out questions and then uploading photos of youngest one's work? Probably 45mins to 1 hour a day. But that is because what DS2's school sets is shit and DS1's school is better but he isn't getting his usual extra support so I'm trying to replicate some of it at home.

Minimal. My primary age child has the school work sent online, and it can be done online and then just turned in. I simply remind him to do it and be of help if he needs me.

I have bought a lot of extra school workbooks so when he starts them ill be sending photos of the work to his teacher. I can see that taking all of 10 minutes. I only bought the books because with everything being online, they have no reason to pick up a pen and I think that is important.

I print off the weekly timetable that school send on a Monday morning and each day I'll print off anything else that needs printing. I've ordered a few ingredients/bits of stationery for specific tasks.

I'm taking pictures and uploading as we go.

That's it though.

About 10-15min in the morning downloading any worksheets and printing, checking links and seeing I any equipment is needed (for both children total). Working out who will need laptop that day and when.

Similar in afternoon for scanning, filing the work on the computer, and uploading it to the platform.

Bits and bobs during the day helping with their work.

I'm also finding extension work for Science for youngest as the school stuff takes about 15 mins and she's keen on the topic.

Erm until midnight ? Blimey. Unless it's a particularly prestigious private school expecting a lot?

I spend about 1/2 hour in the morning going over the comments left by the teachers the day before (DS1 teacher does her marking in the evening) in case he has struggled with something we need to work on. Print out anything that needs it and get both DC set up with pens and paper etc. Load up the programmes.

Generally I try to upload completed stuff between sessions but it often doesn't work like that. Usually it can if I set up stations around the room (so chalkboard with maths in one part , Laptop on desk with next exercise and tablets for ds2 in other area) because I can upload when they are working on next thing.

Then we do a couple of additional from our usual stock. Frankly it's rare we are not done and dusted by 1pm. ( Granted its after chaos between 8 and 1 ).

I do only have two DC though (and one is in reception so a lot less work )

What on earth is she doing?

10 minutes finding resources in the morning, (usually counters for maths and different coloured pencils) and 10 minutes uploading stuff in the evening.

We don't usually have to print stuff though, sometimes need to find stuff for maths (reception so things like find a group of 8 objects or with numerals on)

No prep. The teacher wisely set up a consistent timetable of live lessons so we always know what time they start.

All work is assigned at the beginning of each day and is all accessible online. Some of the "optional" extra tasks can involve printing but as they are very much nice to do there's no pressure to prepare anything.

All of our focus is on in-activity support as needed and end of the day review to see how DD felt it went and to see what she produced.

I think asking parents to prep for lessons is a step too far given that working parents (including teachers) are on their knees trying to juggle everything anyway.

5 minutes in the morning to print the maths worksheet and see what subjects have been set.
All the work is posted on google classroom and answers can be written out or typed up and posted back on google classroom
Doesn't take long at all to do that.

Probably about 15 minutes in the morning. I write out what we need for each lesson on an index card, so 9am - Maths - paper and pencil - follow up - dice and print out.

So gathering the paper, pencil, dice and any print outs, writing out the index card, then probably 5-10 minutes after each lesson to upload photos / videos.

I fire up the computer and make sure the tablets are charged. I set their exercise books on the kitchen table, make sure they have pencil, ruler, headsets etc. I make a cup of tea.

what else is there to do? It's all online.

Also my kids know how to use my phone to take pics of handwritten or created stuff, or video reports and submit it on Google Classroom.

I spend 10 minutes first thing opening and skimming though the work, then about another 10 printing, hole punching and filing the work. At the end of the day, I snap 4 pictures of the 4 bits of work and upload it... so probably all in all 30 minutes of admin.

10-15 minutes in the morning to print worksheets.

About 15 mins twice a week to upload completed work.

Are you sure she's not choosing to do her own thing?

Unfortunately it's easier for me to spend 1-2 hours watching all the pre recorded lessons and make notes so I can teach it back to DS. If you have seen him try to sit through these recorded lessons, you would understand. Needs must as the devil drives....

I would rather do zero prep which is all my other DS requires.

In the last lockdown, I would have been similar to your friend, because ds seemed massively behind the curve and I was trying to patch up the gaps while we had the chance.
This year, the work is set at a vastly more manageable level. And I have very little to do. His teacher is very organised too.
Last year the other teacher sent 7 or 8 emails, reminders and videos per day so it was easier to just collate it all and be 24 hours behind, than deal with the constant interruptions.

Are you sure she's not choosing to do her own thing?

I get the impression that she is trying to do all the work in advance, so that she is prepared for any questions. Otherwise, I can't see how it is taking so long.

@minniemango they're using 3 different systems to submit. One is easy, one takes a bit longer and one is an absolute pain

10 mins to read through the night before and gather/make any resources requested. Eg today I needed 20 objects for maths. If she’s doing that much it suggests the school aren’t actually teaching or she’s not confident with the concepts and spending time revising it herself.