Homework at Reception

[Ciliano]

DD (5 yo) started Reception in Sept. The school are not giving them homework as such, just a book once a week and the graphemes they are learning, once every 2 weeks.

I'm doing a bit of work at home with DD in terms of reading and she is a bit ahead of what they do in the class, but we are not sending her work into school, no one really knows what she is capable of, teachers say she is at the required level.

The other day at pick up one of the mums was talking to her DD and asking her: did you show your homework to the teacher? And what did she say? Was she happy with what you did? Oh, well done!

I was gobsmacked, DD is my only and I'm not very experienced with schools. Do parents make their children do their own homework and show it to the teachers?!

I asked DD and she said there are quite a few kids who bring 'homework' into the classroom and this is shared with the class and 'rewarded'.

I feel like this is such an important thing I missed out and I'm sure DD would have loved to showcase some of her work.

Some children need the extra praise from the teacher to help motivate them.

Can you not just ask the teacher what's expected here?

I’d talk to the teacher. Mine (sometimes) loves the idea of homework - so I’ll make up something like drawing a picture to go with the book we read, or practising writing his name. There’s nothing set, just a general reading expectation.

If your daughter wanted to, would she not have asked you if she could take the things you have done at home in to show the teacher?
If she hasn't she probably doesnt need that level of validation

If DD would have loved it so much surely she would have done you it happens and asked to take it in?

My daughter does work at home too but I don't see why I'd want to show the teacher. I just want to keep her ahead of her peers because why not? I don't think it's important until at least year 5. Mine's year 2 and we're focusing on the things she just needs to brush up on like handwriting or multiplying tens and things. We just do a bit every day. I think the teacher has enough to do personally.

We have an online portal and you can upload “home observations”- I occasionally upload the odd load of sentences/ writing etc, as my daughter likes to do it. But I wouldn’t do it weekly by any means, sure the teacher is far too busy to care.
seems unfair for those children to be rewarded.

are you sure there’s no homework yet?

DD never mentioned this to me although the extra praise would be very welcome knowing her, not sure why she didn't think of taking her work into school seeing all the other kids. Plus I thought teachers have enough on their plate with 30 children in the class. She occasionally says some kids are very clever (and I say you are too), they can write (random) words and so on. I didn't think this came in actual homework brought from home until I overheard this mum.

DD is usually very confident and social but since she started school she got quite shy/reserved with the teachers.

@OnlyFoolsnMothers No, there is no homework apart from the book.

Talking to the teacher takes a lot of effort, technically we are allowed to approach her at pick up, but she is always very busy, lots of parents want to talk to her and if you do catch her it's about 1-2 mins whilst she is trying to do something else at the same time

This isn’t a thing in my child’s reception class. The school uses Tapestry and we can upload observations on there if we want to, so I suppose that’s the equivalent of “showing the teacher”? Is something like that an option? We are expected to read with them every day, that’s the only clear expectation that’s been set out. I’d be surprised if the children doing extra are actually being “rewarded”.