to set homework for my son in the hoildays

[mumof2children]

i don't want his brain to turn to mush over the summer, so i am going to do make sure he still having some education.

he is 4 so nothing too extreme, just continue to help him write letter, draw shapes learn days of the week ect

I'd just read with him and do fun stuff
his brain won't turn to mush

but why not just do it as part of having fun? why homework

keep a scrapbook of the summer hols

and......... have fun?! he's 4!

YABU and pushy

YANBU but please please don't present it as 'homework'- I can't think of anything worse in the holidays than someone saying 'Come and sit at the table it's time to do some work now.'

OTOH if you invent a song to learn the days of the week, send a postcard to a friend/relative and see if you get a reply, make a collage using a range of different shapes etc etc, he will have fun and not realise he is learning.

It is a fact that they will be set back.

I ave always doen this but it doesn't need to be formal or every day.

I have made sure that they have written postcards, diary entries etc. reports on days out etc. just to keep it ticking over.

In terms of numeray...this is dead easy to keep ticking over with a bit of bakery or shopping (if I add 2oz of this and 2oz of that how many oz will I have??? (don't need to go into oz at 4...it could be 4 sweets anything).

Although TBH I think that I have been more concerned about it from Yr1/2 onwards where they can write a diary entry & postcard rather from reception.

Mmmmm he's only 4 so personally I wouldn't. Has he even started reception yet, or is he starting it in Sept?

Setting homework just sounds very formal. Kids learn through play so lots of reading to him, singing songs, coloring in and painting will keep him happy and stimulated.

it will be fun, like getting paintbrushes and water to 'paint' the patio with numbers or using finger paints ( i have a small chest of draws full of arts and craft stuff) , i belive in learn through play

He will learn far more at 4 through play, exploring his environment and having fun. His brain won`t turn to mush!

My son is going to practise his writing every day, and we'll do a bit of reading too. Other than that...we have a 'calendar' where he selects the date, the season and the weather, and we'll do lots of gardening, cooking, drawing + colouring, and wandering round the park and the local urban farm.

Kids learn a lot from normal, every day activities, it doesn't have to be formal.

he will start school in september, but has learnt alot in nursery.

some people say it wrong that i am going to do this, as he should have a full brake from learning

mumof2children - YANBU. At that age a little every day is good.

Ours are 8 and 10 and we still do 20 mins maths and 20 mins reading every day but they do have 8 hours of sports in between.

I think there is a lot to be said for having a break so they start the new year feeling refreshed.

all sounds a bit prescriptive to me. How about lighten up and just allow him to play? He will learn as he goes along.

He's 4. just let him enjoy his summer before school starts in earnest.

PS. Its break.

Just realised my post makes me sound like a better mum than I am. Let me clarify....

Gardening= DH mows grass. I drink wine on sun lounger. Kids 'water' shoes plants.

Cooking= I make angel delight. Kids lick whisk clean.

Mumof2, I don't think you're wrong. No one should have a 'break from learning'! We all learn, all the time!

My 4 yr old DS LIKES " doing work" sat down at a little table with a Magazine/ sticker book and doing follow the line or count the things activities.
We also read every day ( not just bedtime), make stuff with lego, think about what sounds words start with or what words ryhme and chat about what ever takes his fancy.

Days of the week - if you have a frame of stuff you always do on the same day each week during the hols, how about writing it down and going through it with him regularly.

Today DS been watching a the chimney swept and a stove installed, asking questions of the workmen and then working out HOW father Christmas will get in to the house now the fireplace is blocked. Magic dust to make another chimney appear and disapeer apparently. Don't think his brain is gonna turn to mush.

AT this age....you have to remember that you coudld potentially be damaging your sons arrly education if you are trying to "formally" teach him but using different principles to those used in reception.

Don't try and "teach" him anything" but do keep up any academics kills he already has but within the context of daily activities.

For example playing junior monopoly and counting money FINE. Playing hungry hippos and counting how many marbles he has = FINE. Asking him to sit down and do a worksheet = WRONG.

Asking him to write his name on a picture he has drawn = Just about RIGHT. Asking him to sit and do a=handwriting every day = WRONG.

\You have to remeber that in reception his progress will be dictated by his peers and worse case sceanrio you could be confusing him compared to modern teaching principles.

You do realise that generations of school children went oh to pass exams and get degrees and all sorts without coaching during the summer holidays? His brain won't turn to mush, he will survive and enjoying his holidays won't affect his future career. Just engage him in whatever activities you usually would and give the poor little lad a break.

Perfectly reasonable to look for eductional activities in evrery day life (e.g number work when shopping) literacy work when writing postcards)

Unreasonable to sit them down to sit them down and teach them from scratch or sit them down to do educTIONAL "worksheets".

There are SO many opportunites to reinforce learning in evedry day life. There is no need to go beyond that.