Homework every day in Reception?

[blueberrymojito]

My just turned four year old has just started reception and is coming home from school every single day with homework to be sent back in the next day, which consists of a homework sheet to practice the letter of the day (the sound and then writing the letter several times) and another sheet which I think is mainly pen control type exercises.

This seems so unfair. Starting school is such a huge transition as it is and to be bringing this home every day since day one is exhausting for both of us (factoring in work and afterschool club too!). Surely at this age they just need to relax at home and get into the rhythm of school life? My DC is also very reluctant to do the work at home, exhausted from the day I guess, and I'm also reluctant to push it for fear it'll cause resentment towards learning...however the teacher says is "very important it's done each day". Is this normal?

Talk to the teacher. Do they have to do it, or is it so that those parents who do want to push their kids a little, or whose kids are enthusiastic, are doing something sensible and age appropriate? Frankly I think there is a lot to be said for (a) practicing writing and (b) getting into the homework habit quite early. Could you compromise and do one sheet on each of Saturday and Sunday but leave the rest?

You may find she is more willing if you do it at the breakfast table . We always did spellings then, and reading practice before school too

Thanks all. Glad it's not just me! It's definitely not being sold as an optional exercise either, but very much an expectation. I won't be pushing it though, might encourage the odd one if he fancies it but I'm definitely not pushing it!

How do you know it's an expectation? What has been said?

That it's "really important these are completed every day". So I took that as it's an expectation.

They absolutely should, but unfortunately, that's not what the government has told us we have to do. We have to teach correct letter formation from the start. @blueberrymojito are they using read write inc phonics scheme by any chance? They have a sheet that you have to send home for every letter. I never made it compulsory though!

I would ignore the teacher. Put your childs needs first.

That's ridiculous! My son is in year 2 at an outstanding school and never has any homework beside his reading book.

Prep schools do this

My boys both had these in reception but we were encouraged to keep them in a folder at home, my eldest had them in yr1 too but they had an in class incentive to hand them back that time. Youngest is in yr1 now but hasn't been given any yet although its the curriculum evening this week so i think homework will be sent after this. Oh and our school follows RWI

From the first week or two though?
As a written rule?

My child was in reception last year and they did learn all their letters but it wasn’t like from the minute they started if you see what I mean. They also did it in school as part of learning phonics and not taken home to do as extra! :)

You have to 'show fidelity to your chosen scheme' so that means that if it tells you to send it home, then yes. And yes, we had to start the phonics from about day 3/4. The government's latest reading instructions tell us that we should have 'identified children who are struggling or likely to struggle with reading 'within the first 2 weeks of reception, and put in place appropriate intervention. It's madness.

But do you have to return it?

Don't do it. Homework especially that much in reception is ridiculous.

She's only 4 and must be exhausted from school, home time is down time and the 6 hours in school is enough for learning.

I mean it's not like they can take enforcement action if we don't complete it so as with any homework, whilst they can't force us to do it, it's the expectation that we do. I just didn't expect this level of pressure in Reception which is why I asked if it was the norm or not, and it seems it isn't!

Is it a private school by any chance? They are known to be pushier....I sound the doing it. My Dd is in reception and book bag has been empty every day so far!

Same. I disagree with it completely and there is no way my child would have been doing this!

*I wouldn't be doing it

Same.
At 4 they aren't even at legal school age. It's unnecessary and pointless. No person achieves great things because they were made to do homework at 4.
I didn't make my DC2 do it. His dismay at school was already enough. I did inform the teacher that he wouldn't be doing homework and we left it until he was ready. (He's 25 now and achieved outstanding results academically)

We asked about homework when we visited prospective schools as it was important to us that it was little or none.

DD would probably love a bit of homework (old in the year, already 5 and just wired that way) but the school we chose don’t do it, thankfully (Good state school).

I find it remarkable that some schools set no homework and others have homework assigned every day in Reception. Absolutely ridiculous.

It sounds like they are starting on their phonics in school with SATPIN and have a sheet to practice at home. There will be some children in the class who will do this gleefully and there will be others who refuse to do it. Ultimately, you want your child to be engaged in their learning and to try hard. I would not call the activity homework. I would say, let's see what you have been learning today? I'd ask the child what the sound is and support if unsure. I'd get out all the favourite felt tip pens and say, let's see what lovely 'a's we can make.

No not a private school!

My child isn't even legal school age until next September, and I really don't what them to resent school because of this!

We certainly haven't done them every day and I've not pushed it at all, but an email was sent out today (to all parents in the class) reiterating the importance of completing and returning homework sheets, which wound me up some more!

I'm not surprised it wound you up. It's honestly completely unnecessary and will do nothing to help her learning, if anything it's a pretty good way to put her off.

I would ignore the email and continue to not do the homework. You seem like a supportive parent which will help her as she grows but she really doesn't need you to be acting as a teacher making her do work after school.

I’ve got those sheets with my just turned 4 year old in reception. I presume yours are also RWI. Not a scheme I’m a fan of. We were sent home a folder with all the sheets in to practice at home at our leisure. I have photocopied a few and trying to practice a few times a week. My older child did RWI but not much emphasis was put on the writing part and letter formation so their handwriting is awful and kind of holding them back in year three. Need to try and ensure the little ones handwriting keeps up with the reading this time!

I do think RWI teaches the letter formation is a difficult way and doesn’t group the letters together based on the formation.

That does seem a lot. My DC probably had 2 pieces a week and then we read with them every day.