To be annoyed that DS gets hardly any homework in YR 5?

[olimpia]

That's it really. Wondering what is a normal workload for yr 5 pupil. He gets 1 piece of literacy homework a week where he has to research something on the Internet without any indication of required length so he's over in 15 minutes. Sometimes he gets a few maths exercises too. Some weeks he gets nada.

I'd be happy if my kids had any homework when they were in yr 9 tbh! What they get they do, I check up at parents evening - but it gets done during lesson time or lunch time so none actually gets done at home.

And why is he playing Halo at 10 anyway?

Ration the x box. Take away unsuitable games. You're in charge here.

It isn't a case of homework or Xbox! Do other things.

Yes I've answered that already!

• halo bough by DH. Didn't check the box because trusted DH AND shooting aliens didn't appear to be a game that was not suitable for his age.
• he does very well at school - that's not why I would like him to have more homework
• he does roller skating and scouts out of school plus guitar and football after school so it's not like I don't try to get him to do other things.
• I DO limit the time he's allowed on the Xbox: he can't go on it in the morning before school and not after 6 pm. So on the days he hasn't got any after school clubs he plays from 3.30 to 6 pm which feels like too much to me.
• of course I could limit it further but I'm trying to find a balance here between what he wants and what I feel is right because I don't believe in imposing my authority full stop.

I would feel better if he had 30 to 45 minutes of homework every day because I believe it would be useful to consolidate what he's learnt at school and to start getting him used to the idea of setting himself tasks and sticking to deadlines. Of course I've tried to set him work outside school work. For example for a while I taught him a foreign language (which is my first language) once a week after school, I bought books and set himself exercises. Well he would sob all the way through! So to those of you who are so clever to say "just make him" do more work or spend less time playing games, I tell you it's not that easy and if you have children yourselves surely you must understand where I'm coming from!

What about the idea of earning game time? Chores, exercise, homework all earn time which he spends on games.

Another one in the minority who likes some homework. I see the difference it makes in DSs' work (they are yr 3 and 5) when they have been learning spellings and their tables. Practising these basic skills, and reading, every day will prepare them for life and should not be seen as a chore. You must see that they learn quicker than we do, so now is the perfect time to be encouraging knowledge into their sponge-like minds! Even if the school isn't setting homework, the OP's son should be reading daily, practising tables (if applicable), maybe having an informal spelling test at home every week (this can also help his vocabulary and literacy)

My yr5 get 3 pieces every fortnight in addition to spellings (he has moved beyond needing tables tests now). Each piece is reinforcing stuff they have done in class (eg long division), or is a preliminary fact-finding task before they start a new topic (eg find out what you can about Greek myths). Without these, I wouldn't really know for sure what they are doing at school and wouldn't know if he really did understand some new concept.

The great thing is that because we have always explained the point of this style of homework, the boys actually enjoy doing it and showing off how well they can work. And spellings/maths test results are something for them to be proud of.

We plan the homework to fit in round other activities and weekends away. They know when it's to be done and that afterwards they can do something of their own choice. We don't have Xbox/wii/Ps etc but they enjoy computer games (driving ones mostly, but also Lego.com and minecraft) and playing outside (footie, trampoline, swingball). Screen time is monitored (pc and tv) and they certainly watch more than I did as a kid! It's the healthy balance of activities that I think is important. My friends son does nothing but cricket and football (local teams), never does playdates etc. down time is spent on PS cos he's knackered. I wouldn't call that a healthy lifestyle for a 10yr old either.

OP WNBU to wish for more homework but WBU not to instigate some herself and perhaps look at how the child is spending his time and aim for a better balance.

tbh i dont see the point in homework at primary school age anyway.

my ds2 is in yr 5 also, he is almost ten, he gets a bit of literacy once a week and a maths sheet, there are often spellings, times tables etc they can practise, ask the school, or just look up stuff online if you want him to have more to do.

re the xbox its up to you to set the limits and YES he may moan, but ignore and he will find something to do, whether that be read, draw, play with toys etc.

today my ds2 has come home from school and after getting changed, emptying his lunch box, hanging up his coat and school uniform etc he has been allowed half an hour on the xbox and he WOULD play on it for hours if i let him, but i wont.

yes they do moan etc to begin with but its a battle worth wining and you have to help teach them how to self regulate these things. my ds1 is 12 and is now pretty good tbh and i dont have to limit him as he does it himself but its a gradual process and at 9-10yrs they find it hard. i wouldnt see it as you being strict more as you helping him to learn that there need to be limits and that he can entertain himself in other ways.

btw the scratch programming on the pc is good, its fun and they are learning, there are online things they can do so he is 'gaming' but also learning, that may be a compromise?

also my boys school has a system where each child has a login and they can login from home and there is extra homework, or games that the teacher has recomended and links etc for stuff that is fun and will support the work they are doing in school. maybe ask if your sons school has anything similar? i think its quite common in primary schools now :)

No 10 year old should be playing Halo. Not just my opinion..it's M rated for a reason. You're the mother, you're the one in charge? Why don't you believe on imposing your authority? You are the adult, he is your child, children need boundaries/limits and if you believe 3.30 til 6 is excessive (which imo it is) then you should do something about it as his mother.

Personally I hate XBoxes and what they do to kids. Kids should be outside, playing on the their bikes, playing football, cricket, building dens.

BURN THE XBOX! Job done ;)

(incidently thinking that the reason most 10 yr old boys have Xbox etc it because actually their 30 something Dads want them..;0)

If you believe it's important to consolidate what work was done in the day, then surely it's really easy to set that homework yourself - get the child to spend 15 minutes explaining it to you - and then you can spend 15 minutes testing them. No need for the teacher to do anything.

All homework should be banned for kids of all ages!

They spend SIX hours at school - that's plenty!

Amen!

OP - original question - My Yr 5, about one thing a night: spellings, maths, literacy, sometimes history and /or geography.

It's a good chance to see what they are doing/ if there is something they don't understand in maths.

Literacy and History type homeworks are usually aimed at organisging: eg, how to do research, planning your story / project.

Homework is a load of bollocks. It's only set by teachers because OFSTED seem to think it's important

Why not play Lego with him or something and try to develop his imagination that way? DS is sitting doing just that at the moment with daddy. Far more valuable than homework.

Just about anything is more valuable than HW imo! Lego is fab

The best thing about Lego is that it lasts forever. DS plays with mine from when I was a child, mostly and it's about 25 years old. Fantastic. :)

We've got stacks of Lego and we used to spend hours playing with it...until DH bought the xbox

Two words, sledge hammer whether you use it on DH or the XBox is entirely up to you.

You say it isnt that easy, yes it is!

Either you want him to spend less time on it in which case you limit him to an hour max per day (say), or you dont. But if you choose to not limit his time then dont come moaning on here, when you do actually have the authority to do something about it!

you really do just have to be strict about it! and YES he will moan and fuss and you ignore that! my boys moan and whinge too and i simply tell them that if they continue to moan and whinge they will have LESS time on the xbox the next day, its harsh and at times i have put on a complete ban as the whinging drove me mad, but it works. and they know now when i say time is up (always give them a 10 min warning) thats it time is up and if they whinge i will dock time of their next days xbox allowance.

I have done the same with the wii 5 (is that the number of kids you have? I have 6 so maybe strictness comes with bigger families :o ) And the laptop and tab. The more they moan, the less time they have and after one particularly impressive meltdown, DD didnt go on it for a fortnight!

yes i have 5, 4 boys and one girl, and maybe you do get stricter with more tho i know mums of one or two who are the same as me. and a meltdown def equals a long ban in this house as well i am such a harsh mother, no games consoles in bedrooms in our house either

No TVs in bedrooms, no toys in bedrooms (they all go in the playroom which is massive and means I can ignore the carnage!) and only a stereo for music!

I am harsh :o

oh how i would LOVE a playroom!! we do have toys in bedrooms but they have to be tidied away before bed

its good to be harsh!

We only have the playroom because I saved up and bought the biggest conservatory that would fit (15 sq metres!) from Wickes and persuaded FIL that his ideal weekend would be putting it up for me :o

bogey have a conservatory but its old and unusable, think leaks etc, it was here when we bought the house and we havent been able to afford to replace it, how much is a conservatory from wickes, i havent thought of them and my dad could put it up for us