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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to ask my dd's teacher to give her more demanding homework?

30 replies

giraffes · 27/02/2012 23:34

Disclaimer first! I'm in no way claiming my dd is academically exceptional - we are currently living in Ireland and for a number of reasons dd started school age 5 and is one of the oldest in her class. So at 6y 7mo she is in the equivalent of year 1, but in the UK she would be in year 2.
Anyway, every day she says her homework is too easy and when I see her do it, it is. She is really quick at maths and sums, but keeps getting homework which for her is ridiculously simple addition (1+8, 3+4 kind of thing). Also, she is given ORT level 3 books to bring home but can read Roald Dahl books (at a push).
I don't mind the reading so much as she can always read other books at home, but as she seems to have a facility for maths I would love her to develop this but haven't much of a clue how to help her in doing that as I am almost innumerate...
WIBU to ask her teacher for something a little more demanding? Or would that be a little pushy? Her teacher is not very approachable and a bit sarcastic...would it be crazy to buy her the maths books for next year now? Or should I just ask the teacher? And how would I ask in a way that isn't pushy?

OP posts:

HoneyandHaycorns · 27/02/2012 23:37

I hate homework, so I wouldn't bother personally - just let her do it quickly and then find something more interesting to do. She is only six!!!

Original poster

giraffes · 27/02/2012 23:50

ok...makes life easier...I suppose I'm worried that when we go back to the UK she will be bumped up a year and struggle....you think its ok to be working well below her interest level?

OP posts:

playdotcom · 27/02/2012 23:54

No, it's not ok, she'll become bored and detached. Take the initiative, get her some ladybird exercise books to do in the house, we did this for our dd as she was advanced at reading (nothing else, just reading) and it means she'll not be behind should you choose to come back.

HoneyandHaycorns · 27/02/2012 23:54

As far as reading books are concerned, it isn't a problem imo - they can read the school books quickly and then just read other stuff as well. That's what we always did with dd, and it was fine. Eventually, they cottoned on to her level and let her take books from the library instead of the reading scheme.

The maths is a bit more tricky, if she is working at an inappropriate level in school. Don't know how the Irish education system works, but is she getting proper differentiation in the class? If not, then maybe have a word, but I really wouldn't worry about the homework.

WorraLiberty · 27/02/2012 23:55

You need to speak to the teacher or actually (more importantly) your child needs to tell her she's bored and finds the work too easy.

Homework is neither here nor there at this age imo...but it sounds as though her classwork in general might not be challenging enough.

Try to encourage your DD to mention it first (so you don't look pushy) but if it falls on deaf ears, I would certainly have a word...not about homework as such but about class work in general.

aldiwhore · 27/02/2012 23:56

If you're prepping her for a return to the UK the YANBU.

If you simply want her to be at UK level, then YABU...

My son was whizzing ahead in Yrs 1 and 2, everything was easy... he's levelling off now if year 3 and enjoying the homework, and finding it more challenging.

Original poster

giraffes · 28/02/2012 00:01

honeyandhaycorns - what is differentiation?
I suppose the homework is where I see her working as such, so I'm not sure about in the classroom. She is very quiet in school so I think maybe she has been overlooked a bit - the only PT meeting we had, the teacher kept mentioning that with 32 children in the class it wasn't easy to keep tabs on them all and with dd she barely knew she was there (this was supposed to be a compliment on her good behaviour!)
Not sure I could get her to mention it to the teacher - without it sounding like I'd prompted her - she is a bit terrified of her...

OP posts:

Original poster

giraffes · 28/02/2012 00:03

aldiwhore - we are considering return to the UK but I'm not prepping her as such...I think she is probably at the ability of year 2, but stuck doing year 1 work iyswim
I'm not sure what you mean about wanting her to be at UK level - I want her to be learning, and not getting bored, and I'm using the UK age levels as a way of explaining

OP posts:

HoneyandHaycorns · 28/02/2012 00:09

Sorry, differentiation is about ensuring that all children are given work which challenges them at an appropriate level. Sometimes it means that children sit at different tables according to their ability, and there will be a different set of targets/learning outcomes for each table, but there are other ways of doing it as well. My dd is significantly ahead of even the "top table" in some areas of the curriculum, and so she sometimes gets targets just of her own.

It's meant to be the norm in UK schools, though it works better in some than others. However, it might be a bit complicated for them to differentiate the homework as well. Also, bear in mind the fact that most kids can do more when working at home than they can in the classroom.

Don't be afraid to talk to the teacher, if you feel your dd needs more of a challenge, but take your cue from her - does she seem happy at school? Bored? Frustrated? Do you think she is making good progress with her work? If you have genuine concerns, I am sure that the teacher will be happy to talk them through. It's a partnership, and your involvement is important.

Original poster

giraffes · 28/02/2012 00:18

honeyand...I don't think so - I have a sense it is a one-size fits all approach. Certainly the tables are organised pretty randomly - just mixed by gender, and everyone moves every month or so to ensure that they've all been at the same table as everyone else by the end of the year.
With the reading, I think they are supposed to be at different levels in terms of the books they bring home but having helped with the reading at the school, there were clearly very different abilities among the children on the same 'level' of ORT.
Thanks for the good advice on talking to the scary teacher - and taking cues from my dd. She seems happy enough but sort of laughs at the homework. I think that as she really loves numbers it would be great if she could get her teeth into it a little more stimulation-wise..with the reading I can let it go a bit as she can always read other books.

OP posts:

HoneyandHaycorns · 28/02/2012 00:54

Maybe you could ask her if the maths they do in school is harder/more interesting?

Original poster

giraffes · 28/02/2012 01:22

honeyand... thanks for all the advice, and for your patience. I feel like a terrible mum being so unsure. Its so wonderful watching them learn and seeing their hungry brains, I just want to do the right thing by her!

OP posts:

Sarcalogos · 28/02/2012 07:11

Don't forget that she may be being deliberately set homework that is quite easy. Teachers do this to reinforce/practice what a child already knows and the classroom is the place for learning new topics.

This generally has the effect of making homework seem fun and less stressful, while still providing a purpose.

Only way to know for sure is to talk to th teacher though.

HoneyandHaycorns · 28/02/2012 07:36

Of course you're not a terrible mum, you're just trying to do the best you can for your dc - like all the rest of them. Shame they don't come with a manual, isn't it? :)

Good luck talking to the teacher, if that's what you decide to do. And if she's really scary, just imagine she's sitting on the toilet or something.

HoneyandHaycorns · 28/02/2012 07:37

Rest of us, I mean!

treadwarily · 28/02/2012 09:06

I would probably start with sorting out more challenging stuff for her at home. There are so many books and websites you could use. What about Mathletics? And maths games, times tables snap that sort of thing?

BiddyPop · 28/02/2012 09:21

Giraffes, we are in Ireland and have a 6yr2mo in Seniors - who is reading Roald Dahl, Enid Blyton, Paddington Bear to us at night and still working through Biff and Chip at school. She asks us and the creche to make homework for her as she wants it (none until 1st class in our school, only reading) - so she gets sheets of sums (she's adding 3 numbers, up to 20, and doing subtractions - when class are only on adding 2 numbers to 12 and no subtractions yet). I am giving her word mining exercises (take a phrase like, um, "Happy Valentine's Day", and see how many other real words you can find in that - no names, and officially should be 3 or more letters but I let her have 2 letter words too). I have an extra copybook in her bag that I set a small exercise for her (write today's news and draw a picture, write about your friends, what are your favourite games) to do in creche (the bigger kids do their real homework there too).

We recently found a couple of good maths websites - one was ICT (skills, maths, kids????) something like that - but certainly ICT in the title. I found another good one that I've lost again. But there are a few interesting ones on here:
www.giftedkids.ie/kids.html
And I put in "maths games primary" into a search at the weekend that threw up some good ones.

We also do a fair bit of science and geography at home - planting things and watching things grow, making the sun melt a marshmallow, reading maps, talking about the water cycle (I got the picture from the USGS website which is GREAT), making the water from boiling red cabbage change colours as it is an acid/alkaline indicator....

HTH a bit.

IUseTooMuchKitchenRoll · 28/02/2012 09:22

I would try and sort stuff at home for her to do, and raise the issue of your dd not being challenged enough at school as a separate issue.

I don't really agree with asking the teachers to provide different homework, because that just gives them more work to do and extra marking. Although saying that, it does sound like your dd would benefit from extra work so you could do that yourself at home. There are some brilliant resources out there, in books and on the Internet. I always found the BBC website brilliant because it covers everything they should be doing in KS1 and 2, and it gives lessons and work to do. There are loads of books in Smiths as well (assuming you have those in Ireland! I have no idea!)

CoffeeDog · 28/02/2012 09:24

There is loads of games & worksheets you can get from the internet. Dd loves the maths games online.

Dd is on level 6 reading according to the school but finds the books boring so is much happier looking on the libary and choosing a variety she loves the fact she can choose any book rather than only pick one from a certain box ;-)

Original poster

giraffes · 28/02/2012 12:01

Hi all - thanks so much for those tips.
Biddypop - is it a problem then that your dd is ahead of the rest of the class? I'm not sure how that plays out in Ireland but with the greater mix of ages I imagine the variety must matter - there is a full 18 months between the oldest and youngest in my dd's class

OP posts:

imnotmymum · 28/02/2012 12:04

I asked our teacher as homework done in minutes and not learnt anything she was happy to think kids prefer to do stuff for teacher rather than just at home is the class work stretching her enough ??

AllDirections · 28/02/2012 12:30

I agree OP that the homework does appear to be too easy for your daughter. It won't hurt to mention that to the teacher as I'm sure most teachers would want to know.

I agree with the other suggestions that you find some other resources for your daughter to work on.

I would have thought ORT level 3 for reading and the kind of sums you've mentioned would be below the national average for a year 2 child in the UK but I could be wrong. Maybe a teacher will come along with more accurate information.

Original poster

giraffes · 28/02/2012 13:07

Hi - yes, it does seem more year 1 Than year 2 from what I can tell about the uk system - my dd is a full year older than a quarter of her class due to the way the Irish system works

OP posts:

Floggingmolly · 28/02/2012 13:46

How come she is the oldest in her class? Is tarting school at 5 no longer the norm in Ireland? (been gone a long time!)

Floggingmolly · 28/02/2012 13:46

Starting, obviously

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