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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to ask how much homework your five year old gets

47 replies

Bearfrills · 18/09/2014 21:25

DS is in year one and now gets homework. This is what he gets each week:

  • reading book, he must read at home at least five times a week
  • ten spellings which he has to practice on two separate days, as per instructions, ahead of a test each week
  • a handwriting work sheet
  • a maths worksheet
  • 6-10 sums

Is it me or does that seem a lot for a five year old? The reading isn't an issue, we read together every night anyway but combined with everything else it's too much.

OP posts:
SoonToBeSix · 18/09/2014 21:30

No homework

MrsBungle · 18/09/2014 21:32

My year 1 gets:
Reading book - must be read at least x 3 per week
8 spellings to learn ahead of weekly test
One exercise which will be English one week and maths the next.
I think that's it.

CrazyTypeOfIndifference · 18/09/2014 21:32

That does seem a lot.

My ds's are in reception and Year 2. Every week they get a reading book (for them) and a free-choice book (to be read to them...ds1 is getting to the stage when he can read most of these too).

They both get homework on a Friday, to be done by the following Wednesday, but it varies - it could be to write a story, do a couple of maths worksheets, draw something etc.

Ds1 also has a hefty list of key words to practice reading, writing and spelling but there are no minimum amounts we have to do.

BsshBosh · 18/09/2014 21:32

When she was in Y1 my DD had spellings and reading to practice each night and maths and other homework over the weekend so it was all very manageable. I'm responsible for supervising the daily spellings and reading but DH supervises the weekend homework (takes just 30 mins) and they actually have a lot of fun doing it (as DD rarely sees DH during the week).

wigglesrock · 18/09/2014 21:33

My 5 year old (P2) would have got a maths sheet, a handwriting sheet, another sheet based on nature, telling the time etc and a book to read and usually a piece of homework attached to it ie find a word in your book that has 3 vowels in it. They would have got it on a Monday to be handed in on a Friday.

They didn't touch spellings until P3.

CrohnicallyPissedOff · 18/09/2014 21:35

It seems a lot to me. I work in year 1, each week we usually give a maths OR literacy worksheet (10-15 minutes work, often not written but along the lines of a game to play/something to talk about), spellings are not sent home but practiced in school (during phonics time), we would also ask children to read 'as often as possible' - ideally at least once a week. Handwriting is practiced in class too.

Pilgit · 18/09/2014 21:41

We've had 3 different reading books, maths work and 12 spellings to be practised this week.

Rainicorn · 18/09/2014 21:43

That seems far too much for a year 1 child.

My DS3 is in Y1 as well, so far he has had a reading book which is to be read over the week.

His teacher is lovely though and doesn't believe in homework as they do enough at school, but we can request it it we feel the need to do some.

arethereanyleftatall · 18/09/2014 21:43

When written down it does seem a lot, but have you seen it in practice yet? Dd is in y1 too, and her 'maths worksheet', today's homework, took approximately 3 mins.
I think it's more to get then used to the idea of doing homework, rather than being onerous.

seasavage · 18/09/2014 21:47

DD2 had about the same last year (she's now 6).

Homebirthquestion · 18/09/2014 21:50

Reading and a bit of handwriting with no minimum amount.

We're very lucky that dd is at a sensible school.

sleeplessinderbyshire · 18/09/2014 21:52

mine gets a termly homework menu from which she has to do 30 points worth before Christmas.

Reading book 2x a week, asked to try to read at home at least twice per week

Original poster
Bearfrills · 18/09/2014 21:59

He's been back almost three weeks now and this has been the homework from day one.

The handwriting worksheet was one sheet of A4 with letters down the left hand side and a line in front of each letter to write on. So on each line the letter is bold, then repeated in dots, then the rest of the line is blank, child has to write the letter over and over until the line is full then repeat for the rest of the letters.

The maths sheet was twenty groups of random numbers. For each group DS had to rewrite the numbers in ascending order.

The spellings have to be read aloud then covered over and written out.

OP posts:
erin99 · 18/09/2014 22:10

That's an awful lot. My Y1 has reading obviously, plus a maths sheet once a fortnight, and he will have a project or 2 (of which I'm not a big fan, I think they are too little to do it themselves without huge parental input).

BettyFlour · 18/09/2014 22:10

We get the same OP, plus 4 reading books a year. DS is in year 1. I think it's a lot to fit in but I think it's probably the right amount for him to do well.

BettyFlour · 18/09/2014 22:11

Doh! 4 reading books a WEEK not a year...that would be easy

edwinbear · 18/09/2014 22:16

We get similar, a new reading book every day plus one library book they can choose themselves, to read over the course of the week.
10 spellings on a Weds for a test the following Monday
2 pieces of set homework over the weekend.

All that is fine, unless your child also has the honour of taking home the class 'pet' and you have the take the damn soft toy out and about all weekend and write about its adventures in it's diary. That's a painful weekend homework wise.

madamginger · 18/09/2014 22:16

My yr1 DS gets at least 3 reading books a week plus 10 spellings on a Friday for a test on Wednesday.
His teacher also sent home a work sheet to do but its things like draw a picture or talk about your favourite book with mum or dad. Not really anything to hand in.

littlehayleyc · 18/09/2014 22:17

My DS has just started back in Yr2. When he was in year 1 he had 6 spellings per week which were tested. He also had an on-going reading book which would be changed once or twice a week depending whether he'd read to anyone at school. The amount your DS is getting (particularly this early in the term) seems far too much to me. Personally I wouldn't be happy with that amount as I feel I would probably have to keep on at him to get it done, and he might worry if he hasn't had time to do it. From the amount you describe he'd need to be doing homework every night which seems unreasonable. 10 spellings seems a lot for a new yr1 pupil to remember and is surely setting them up for failure? My DS was always really happy when he got 6 out of 6 for his spellings last year, but I don't know if he'd have got 100% so often if he had so many to remember and so much else to do on top.

AnotherStitchInTime · 18/09/2014 22:19

I think that is a lot.

Dd1 has 3 reading books a week to be read twice each.
Key sight words to read.
3-5 short sentences to write using one or two key sight words.
A maths/literacy/topic piece of work.

No spellings.

Original poster
Bearfrills · 18/09/2014 22:33

He does get anxious over it littlehayleyc, he was weepy this morning because it was his spelling test. He asked me to "tell me to get them all right or else". I've never said that to him, ever. I told him to try his best and not to worry about how any he gets right or wrong, that's all he ever needs to do. He started crying and told me again "tell me I have to get them all right or you'll be cross" Hmm

I have mentioned it to school and they came back to say that this amount is 'standard' and that they have to give this amount.

OP posts:
CromerSutra · 18/09/2014 22:42

That IS excessive and it makes me so cross that little children are being saddled with this. They have been at school ALL day, that is enough. The 5 year olds I teach have nothing but reading to do and then they look at the sound they have been learning that week in class and talk about it with their parent/carer.

I had a child join my class a few years ago from a different part of the country. His mum brought in his work from his last school including his enormous homework folder. I was aghast. I was also worried that she was going to ask me to provide something similar. In fact she brought it to see what I thought and then told me that this approach had totally put him off learning.

Teddybeau1988 · 18/09/2014 22:47

My 5 yr old gets -

10 minutes daily reading
10 spellings, which are tested weekly, any incorrect are carried over til the following week until they are correct
1/2 numeracy work, given on Friday to he handed in Tuesday
1/2 literacy work, again Friday to be done by Tuesday.

Her elder sister is in yr4 and the work load is considerably larger. In dreading when I have 3 at school

CromerSutra · 18/09/2014 22:48

That amount it NOT standard. What a load of rubbish!

Teddybeau1988 · 18/09/2014 22:49

1/2 is ment to be half an hour.