to only want people on this thread who agree that school setting research topics for a 6 year old

[activate]

is lazy teaching

as a teacher you do not set homework for children that they cannot acheive without parents doing it for them - you set homework for them that they can acheive with parental support

it is two different things

and this time I am going to say something

That's so daft for reception children. Maybe you could have faintly written 'Mummy went to Tesco' and gotten him to go over it in pencil

Patronising claptrap "gets the parents involved"

I do not need a teacher to show me how to get involved with any of my children

I am offended by a teacher of one of my children dictating what I do with my own personal time

This homework is a curriculum subject that has not been taught - they will bring in their research and show the other children so that's the teacher's job done then

Last time only the parents who had the 6 year old as the eldest or only child (ie first time round) went oTT and these kids came in with huge display boards and projects that had been done by the parents - oh how we laughed!

you do realise that all this "learning doesn't happen at school", "gets parents involved" is a result of the destruction of state education by govt. policy after govt. policy

I am happily involved with all my children - my elder children are very high achievers, they are all fortunate to be medium to highly bright so thank you for your patronisation but no thanks

My children are responsible for their education - I am responsible for their wellbeing and take a supportive stance - this does not mean that an hour or so of my time should be spent researching a KS1 curriculum topic and teaching my child

I cannot believe how many people have bought into this good parenting means doing their homework with them - homework means independent learning if they are not sufficiently mature nor have the pre-requisite skills then "every child matters" should have lead the teacher to differentiate and provide them with appropriate work

I am unfeasibly livid at this

YABU, but only because at my DC it's the norm to find out about a subject as homework right from Year R:

experiments with materials
choose and research a Greek God
do a project on a country topic
etc etc

The DC decide what they are going to and how to present it - handwritten, word-processing, a poster, a model etc etc.

Of course the parents have some input by supplying materials, ferrying to the library, finding suitable websites etc.

That's the teacher's job done

Yeah so like no classroom discussion or anything else? Just 'thanks kids' and that's it? Lmao.

why accept it

just because school says?

this is not appropriate!

appropriate is support not education

appropriate is getting resources not doing it for them

appropriate is teachers teaching and 6 year old being 6 year olds

Out of interest, what is the research? Can you not support your DC to produce something that they can manage? Why do you assume that a certain level of competance should be met?

That is a very fair point maryz.
I can only speak from my own experience of DC school.

Surely teachers understand the school's demographic though, and are not unrealistic?

Children (and some parents it would seem) need to get used to the idea of homework eventually, so why not start them off in primary school? It sets a routine and sets a self disciplined attitude. I'm not talking about tons of work that affects their social lives...but some homework is a good thing IMO.

OP I can only say I hope your children don't pick up on your attitude because to be honest, the teachers have a hard enough job with rebelious children as it is and if they have parents with your mindset it's even more difficult for them.

So glad my school isn't like this. Projects are age appropriate and done in school only.

I would tell them, politely, to stick it up their arse.

What about parents that can't read? Are their children meant to suffer the same fate?

I can "support" my child to do this - I choose not to because it is inappropriate

because support is the wrong word

the right word is "teach" a curriculum subject and I do not wish to teach my children curriculum subjects

I spend much time with my 4 children and we dictate it - not some newly qualified teacher

By the power of google I can download the KS1 resources from any number of teacher based websites - I can then read them to her and ensure she understands the more difficult concepts

I would prefer her to be taught about it and then come home and be asked to write a few lines or draw a picture or answer some questions not here is the topic go and find out all you can about it and report back

"you do realise that all this "learning doesn't happen at school", "gets parents involved" is a result of the destruction of state education by govt. policy after govt. policy"

Cobblers, sorry. We did the same research-style stuff when I was at primary school 30 years ago. I remember distinctly going to visit Roman remains when my big sis was doing her Roman project (though she was 8 then).

I think some newly qualified teachers struggle with understanding the difference between parenting and teaching.

I know what you mean, Activate. I think that some schools are under the impression that our whole lives revolve around our childrens' learning and that we're not good parents if we don't sit there constantly reading and doing homework with them.

My 12 year old's History homework for this week is to make a model of the Globe Theatre! No ideas or suggestions on how to make it, just make a model of it. Fair enough she has the internet to look for ideas on, but it's going to be a lengthy task making it, not to mention the fact that my kitchen table is going to end up covered in glue and paint, plus I will inevitably have to help her with it. Her Biology homework a few weeks ago was to make a cake and decorate it to look like an animal or plant cell. FFS! I can't see how making a cake is going to help them learn about cells.

it is called 'home'work because it is work that is supposed to be supported by the 'home', ie parents, gps, even older siblings. whatever their homework is you are supposed to support but not do it for them.

"mutznutz Sat 08-Jan-11 13:16:00
Children (and some parents it would seem) need to get used to the idea of homework eventually, so why not start them off in primary school? It sets a routine and sets a self disciplined attitude. I'm not talking about tons of work that affects their social lives...but some homework is a good thing IMO.

OP I can only say I hope your children don't pick up on your attitude because to be honest, the teachers have a hard enough job with rebelious children as it is and if they have parents with your mindset it's even more difficult for them."

Oh thank you sweet non-patronising poster - luckily my DP has a PHD and I am finishing my thesis for mine, we have children already in secondary school, one with 10 GCSEs at A and A* behind him, the other secondary school child is already taking some exams early - we also have another child in KS2 so actually I might know a little bit more about it than you think

Or you could be telling lies to back yourself up lol...who knows. This is the internet after all

Either way it's your perogative to refuse to allow your child to do this kind of homework. I just hope your child doesn't feel embarrassed at turning up to class with nothing. It doesn't take much for a child to feel excluded from the rest of the class.

Did your older DC not do homework in primary school, activate? Or has the content changed from reading/waiting practice to 'research'?

6 is too young I think our get their first project research type work towards the end of year so when most of the year have already turned 8. Plenty young enough.

waiting? writing!

this is the first teacher I have encountered who has set "research projects" that are basically required curriculum subjects as homework before that approaching it in class too

yes the older ones had homework but not so early nor so inappropriate

Activate - do you have a class rep? Do you know quite a lot of the parents? It would be possible to gauge what the other parents think and then go and see the teacher.

What is the homework?
"Research quantum physics and explain string theory" or "find some stuff about the plague"?