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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think this is too much to ask of 7/8 (yr3) year olds?

197 replies

emkana · 25/04/2011 08:36

about a topic, read relevant books/websites, digest the information, then write about the topic (seven subheadings to cover) using all your own words, plus illustrate appropriately?

OP posts:
Tee2072 · 25/04/2011 08:38

That is a lot to ask at that age. What's the topic or do they get to choose one?

Goblinchild · 25/04/2011 08:39

What's the timescale?
I'd expect that to be at least a half term's worth of work.

mousesma · 25/04/2011 08:41

I think it depends on the complexity of the topic they have to research and the amount they have to write under each heading.

In principle though I think it is an excellent way to check reading comprehension. I've noticed that my 7 yo DN can read really well by sounding the words out but if you ask him what the words mean he doesn't always know. It's too easy to assume that just because a child can read something they can understand it and reading without comprehension is of limited value.

Original poster
emkana · 25/04/2011 08:43

They have to choose a climate region.

Mousesma, but if they are still struggling with comprehension how can they produce a coherent text by themselves?

OP posts:
Sirzy · 25/04/2011 08:44

I think it sounds fine. Nothing wrong with a bit of protect work to either start or finish a topic and in my experience most children seem to enjoy doing it. It is one of those activities where they can pretty much do as much or as little as they want/can.

The teacher wont be expecting more than a few sentences for each subheadings. By mentioning illustrating it also means those who aren't as good at writing it down can draw more to express what they have learnt.

mousesma · 25/04/2011 08:48

Thats a good point emkana I think this relies on them asking someone else to explain terms they don't understand so it can't really be all by themselves as such.

I think it would have been more reasonable to let them pick a subject they are interested in then at least they would have a fighting chance at the comprehension bit.

What's the timescale? I agree this is a big task for a holiday project given the unfamiliar subject.

mousesma · 25/04/2011 08:50

Also I think getting children to ask when they don't understand something they have read is a good habit to get into.

LaWeasel · 25/04/2011 08:52

I don't think it has to be that much.

Let's say it's about an animal, You could get enough information to cover 7 subheadings in one library book or in ten minutes on google.

They are only seven, so I wouldn't expect them to write more than about a paragraph. If they're finding it hard to write in there own words it can help to read the relevant section out loud and then asking them to decide which is the important part to write down.

catsareevil · 25/04/2011 08:55

My DDs class (also 7/8 year olds) have just done a similar piece of work. It seemed fine, and they had a lot of fun doing it.

jennyk100 · 25/04/2011 08:58

This is an objective expected of y3 children but relies a lot on the parents being able to guide them to the information. It's not something I would set for my class and certainly not for all members of my class as it may be a lot to expect from some.

At school we would spend perhaps a few days looking at reports and their features, then planning a report then writing it.

I would presume they have done this and have also been learning about climate regions? If not it sounds like a lot to do before a topic has begun.

Do they give the sub headings? I would have thought seven is quite a lot to cover, but yes, a couple of sentences for each should be fine.

I would approach it by reading information together then prompting your child for appropriate headings (if you don't have them) and getting them to talk through something they remember for each for them to write about.

Sexonlegs · 25/04/2011 09:00

My dd1 is in year 3, and we had something similar a while ago. They had to chose a nocturnal animal and then under various subheadings such as habitat, food etc, write a couple of sentences.

I think it is a good method of getting them to take in what they are reading as opposed to just reading it and moving on.

And the own words thing is good too. DD had to pick a plant, draw it and then label all the parts. She then had to write about what each part was for; reading from the internet but making it her own.

Good luck :)

Lollypolly · 25/04/2011 09:00

My year 1 (aged 6) DD had to choose an animal from the list, research on the web and write 12 lines of facts about it for homework a few weeks ago - she had a weekend to do it (set Friday, due Monday). We did it together and it was a really useful exercise.

BoffinMum · 25/04/2011 09:03

I think it's fine if you are expecting the parents to do the work (which usually happens) but this is a ridiculous ask for Year 3 if you expect the kids to do this independently.

SkinittingFluffyBunnyBonnets · 25/04/2011 09:04

My year 1 child who is 6, has to write 2 book reports with a description of the plot, characters and what she thought of it...and also why she thinks this; ie information to support her findings plus illustrations. This is in addition to a diary of Easter Weekend!

Sorry to be unsympathetic but yours doesn't sound that bad to me!

BoffinMum · 25/04/2011 09:07

I think these teachers are bonkers. This is a recipe for family stress if there ever was one. You should all be outside enjoying yourselves over the holidays.

jennyk100 · 25/04/2011 09:08

Unfortunately you can never please all of the parents all of the time. We teachers get it in the neck for not setting homework and for setting too much.

ragged · 25/04/2011 09:10

I think it might be too much to ask unless they are given a lot of class time to do some of it. Being asked to do it all as homework just becomes homework for the parents, which is a load of pants.

StewieGriffinsMom · 25/04/2011 09:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Sirzy · 25/04/2011 09:14

The in own words won't mean without parent helping, it will mean don't just copy and paste which is a problem now!

ragged · 25/04/2011 09:17

How much would you like to set, JennyK, if you didn't have to follow NC guidelines, how much homework would you like to set for 7-8yos?

thefirstMrsDeVere · 25/04/2011 09:24

This is the sort of homework my DS used to get when he was in mainstream school.

The fact that he could neither read nor write didnt seem to be taken into account.

He is now in a lovely SN school Hmm

Back to the point though - my DD would have relished that hw, my DS1 wouldnt have been able to do it. Both clever kids but different levels of concentration and application.

IShallWearMidnight · 25/04/2011 09:25

DD3 has doen several of these type of projects (she's Y4) - IME there's a lot of preparatory work done in class, and a LOT of guidance as to suitable websites/books to borrow from the school library. More able DC would be expected to produce three of four sentences per subheading, less able a list of facts and some drawings. And we'd have had just under a week to do it (homework out on a Thursday, due in by the following Wednesday).

MollieO · 25/04/2011 09:30

Ds in yr 2. I'm delighted that we've had no homework at all for the Easter holidays, unlike the other class in the year. Amazingly that led to some parents in our class moaning that no homework had been set and asking for some!

I'd expect Ds to be able to do that sort of homework in yr 3. He had a similar piece of work to do in yr 2 albeit not as many subheadings. He did it completely by himself. If he gets homework he can't do by himself then I send a note to his teacher to explain why it hasn't been completed.

Nanny0gg · 25/04/2011 09:40

The point where all these projects fall down is when the parents aren't remotely interested.
It's very hard for any child to do this sort of thing entirely on their own.

ragged · 25/04/2011 09:45

The in own words won't mean without parent helping, it will mean don't just copy and paste which is a problem now!

Is that really true? I knew plagiarism was to be avoided, but I didn't realise that parents were entirely expected to sit down and help their DC rephrase each and every sentence if that was the only way to get the work done. Helping DS write each and every sentence is what will happen if DS2 ever gets a homework assignment like OP describes. And I absolutely refuse to do that, sorry, but I won't do their work for them. Does that make me slacker parent of the month? As for DS1, he simply refused to do any project ever, and after a while didn't bring his homework sheets home at all so I didn't even know the project work had been set.

Now DD... she gets on and does the work herself, with truly minimal support from me. I get her lib books, help her print out pictures or find the Pritstick, check she hasn't plagiarised, little bits like that, but the bulk of it is off her own back.