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Original poster

to ask how much homework your Y1 child gets each week?

36 replies

snottagecheese · 30/01/2015 15:21

DD has to read (sometimes 'at least twice') her Guided Reading title (usually 25-30 pages long) and answer on average 3-4 questions about it (1-line answers usually, but not always) by Wednesday.

Then she has 10 spellings to learn each week, and is supposed to write them out twice as practice before the test at school each Friday.

Now, she also has to log on to the Mathletics website to complete '3 x 10-minute' sessions per week.

Is this the norm?! I work PT so she is in after-school care 3 days a week till 6pm so no time there; I can't imagine how parents who work FT squeeze it in. At the weekend, I guess. It still seems like an awful lot for a just-turned-6-year-old. Mind you, I had no homework at primary school EVER, so in comparison to that I suppose anything's going to seem like a lot (ah, the halcyon days of 80s education...)

OP posts:
muffliato · 30/01/2015 15:30

Dd has homework given on Friday to be given in by Wednesday. Its one page of either math or phonics and sentences.
She has 5 spellings to learn though no stipulation of writing them out.
She also reads a book every night, or a few pages if she's tired though that's not compulsory, she does as she loves reading.

There's no websites for homework yet.

MrsBungle · 30/01/2015 15:35

My y1 dd's homework is given out on a Friday to be returned the following Thursday.

She has her reading book and is asked to read 3 times per week (doesn't have to be the reading book)

10 spellings for a test on a Friday.

One piece of homework which is English one week and maths the next. Usually some sort of work sheet or game or describing something etc.

schoolclosed · 30/01/2015 15:38

DD has one sheet of optional homework a week - five sentences to write, or five sums to do. It comes with a little blurb from the teacher about how it supports this week's learning, which is quite useful so we can see what they've been looking at in class. She does the homework about half the time, I reckon. I'm lucky in that she's adapting well to Y1 and can do the homeworks without my input. Sometimes she does them while she's in after school childcare!

This is on top of spellings - sometimes we practice, sometimes we don't. And reading - she can do as much or as little as she likes. She usually reads three books a week at 25 pages a time. All the pressure to complete it is self-inflicted, as far as I can see - the teacher doesn't seem to be putting any on at all.

I am against homework for infants on principle, but what we get isn't enough to raise my hackles. How much pressure does the school put on to complete it? What happens if you don't do it? I think it's the pressure I don't like.

Aherdofmims · 30/01/2015 15:46

Practically nothing.

We have 3 reading books per week including one that is 25-30 pages. If they aren't finished we just keep them another week.

A few phonics words to practise including alien words.

Then some suggested things like finding out info, a picture to do or writing days of the week. But none of it is mandatory or tested as such.

BornToFolk · 30/01/2015 15:47

DS is in Yr2 but his homework this year is the same as last year - 6 spellings a week to learn, reading every day (at least, every day that DS remembers to change his book). Each half term he gets a project (make a poster etc) based on that term's topic and also some maths tasks to do but nothing too structured, more like "practice number bonds up to 20"

He can also use the school blog where the teacher sometimes posts questions and also Education City.

It's about the right amount I think, we manage to fit it in, despite DS being in after school care twice a week (and doing clubs on the three other days!) We do spellings after breakfast while I'm making lunches. I yell out the words and DS stays at the table and writes them down!

Wantsunshine · 30/01/2015 16:01

DD has 2 maths worksheets a week and also has to do the online Mathletics. There are 2 writing worksheets per week, 10 spellings that have to be written out twice and the test on Friday. She comes home with a book every night to read too.
I'm wondering if your child is in my DD's class!!! I also work full time and pick up just before 6 so it really cuts into time that I would rather she was playing. I was going to ask the school if she could do her homework in the extended day part. The kids that are picked up at half 3 it doesn't really affect as they have lots more time to complete it.

bobblewobble · 30/01/2015 16:09

My son gets 1 or 2 reading books each week (at the same time). The majority of the time they get 1 or 2 A4 sheets of maths or language work and they have recently started having spelling words. 5 words that need to be practiced 3 times. All homework is given out on the Friday and due back by Wednesday. He normally finishes it after school on Friday but we keep reading the books and doing the spelling until the Wednesday. His spelling test is the following Friday.

He also comes home saying he needs to practice his patterns. These are what I would call times tables but he does not say the 1x2= 2x2= He just says pattern one 2,4,6,8 etc. He has pattern 2,3,5 and 10 to keep practicing.

They also have a project each term, which is alongside their other homework that they get 2/3 weeks to complete.

Artandco · 30/01/2015 16:16

Ds1 is reception. He has to read every night, plus approx 10 mins writing. In year one they have the same plus 10 mins maths daily

Can't your daughter do some of the homework in childcare?

It seems like a normal amount of work tbh, ds's reading and writing has to be signed for every day to show its been done, so no waiting until the weekend. Dh and I work and none of us home until 7pm most days . Usually we get in and one of us starts dinner, the other listens to reading and then Ds does the writing alone at kitchen table and asks for help as needed, it's his homework so we don't do for him

chillybits · 30/01/2015 16:20

one worksheet a week, could be phonics, maths or writing. No pressure to complete it if you're busy though.

TeWiSavesTheDay · 30/01/2015 16:25

DD1 reads her reading books, and that's it.

She quite often does some sums/writing for herself anyway though.

glasgowlass · 30/01/2015 16:29

DS1 is in P2 & he turned 6 in November.
His weekly homework consists of a reading book to be read every night, at the moment he is only at stage 7, a list of 8 words to be written out 3 times each, pick 4, and write a sentence for each. He also has an A4 sized sheet for maths whuch varies in difficulty. He has to visit maths website to complete challenges also. He has a spelling test each Friday fit his weekly words.
All homework issued on a Monday to be completed and handed back for marking on a Friday.
Technically not homework but any worksheets not completed in class are also sent home to be finished and handed back the following day.

When I was in primary we got virtually no homework until around P6/7.

lunar1 · 30/01/2015 16:43

15 spellings a week for a test in Monday. Some children get 5 or 10

15 sentences, to include one spelling in each from the list. Again some get 5 or 10.

3 reading books, currently in Orange band so 32 pages each.

1 maths worksheet

1 literacy worksheet

Times tables test once a week so the teacher writes in the book which to practice. They are taken off individually for the rest so and have to do it verbally with instant recall, no working it out.

It looks a lot written down but the teacher stipulates no more than 15 mins per day.

There is no pressure if things are incomplete or if they get spellings or times tables wrong.

Minisoksmakehardwork · 30/01/2015 16:43

Reading and mathletics - chances are your dc will want to do longer than 3 x 10 minute sessions if they want to build up to more than a bronze certificate.

On a Friday their homework book comes home. Sometimes it has a page to be read to them and then commented on, others it may be a phonics sheet or two, maybe a handwriting task instead - letters to trace or a sentence or two to write.

CSIJanner · 30/01/2015 17:52

My eldest is asked to read a book each night, at least 10minutes. Every Monday, they are issued 10 spellings for a test on Friday.

They also get 17 math sums on the Monday. which they're also tested on the Friday. They are allowed 30sec's to answer each spelling/question.

That's every week. Occasionally they have to find out about something else, but this with after school activities keeps up quite busy!!!

Dionysuss · 30/01/2015 18:14

Dd2 has 2 reading books. She reads at home for 20mins daily and once one is finished she can swap it.

Each Friday an online task it set online for both numeracy and literacy. Each takes around an hour and needs to be completed by the following Wednesday. The teacher can see online who has done what and their mark.

She has 10 spellings, given Fridays with a test on Thursday. Any incorrect are carried onto the next week, until they have been spelt correctly.

wigornian · 30/01/2015 19:10

One new book a day (was two but one now they are stage 6). 12 spellings to learn for a test and piano practice.

RocketInMyPocket · 30/01/2015 20:13

DS has 2 or 3 books in his book bag, he has to read every night and I have to write in his reading record.
He has a maths worksheet given on Fridays (1 week to hand in), and on Mondays he is given 5-10 spellings that have to be written everyday (you cover word and get them to write it) for spelling test the following Monday.
They did give us a password for something called 'mymaths' and 'bugclub', but they didn't work, so they do it in school time now I think.

tethersend · 30/01/2015 20:17

Reading books come home and reading log is encouraged to be filled in, but nobody is told that they have to.

That's it. I'm VERY happy not to have any homework.

Iggly · 30/01/2015 20:17

These amounts of homework are actually insane.

Or is it just me.

My ds is in reception. He gets stuff once a week plus reading twice a week. That's it.

I work, DH works. I don't want to spend our short evenings with the DCs continuing the school day. I like to talk to them, engage them in the world around etc.

I will add my children are bright so I don't feel pressure to hot house them yet

noblegiraffe · 30/01/2015 20:20

Reading at least 3 times a week, around 10 spellings per week and then a task over the weekend like 'make a poster about a dinosaur' or 'measure some objects in your house and write them down'.

Skatingfastonthinice · 30/01/2015 20:22

I used to give daily reading and weekly spelling, ( school policy) but the spelling was to learn the words, gave several different ways of doing it and didn't involve compulsory writing of sentences.
I also had an optional homework box with tasks the child could take if they wanted to, and I sent home a sheet at the beginning of every half term with the topics on, suggestions for activities parents could do with their child if they chose to, and useful website links.

Metalguru · 30/01/2015 20:22

Other countries (many of them) don't start children in full time school until six or seven, and don't have homework in primary at all. They still manage to produce children who are capable of going onto higher education, and becoming professionals in education, medicine, law etc. I completely disagree with any routine homework other than reading at home for children this age.

Iggly · 30/01/2015 20:26

I agree Metalguru

We are turning our children into spelling, reading and writing robots. Ffs.

noblegiraffe · 30/01/2015 20:27

The evidence shows that spelling tests don't even help with spelling.

Pyjamaface · 30/01/2015 20:30

DS is given a list of spellings to learn for tests on Mondays, he has to pick 2 of the words and write a sentence with each of them.

Reading books - usually gets through 4 a week

Occasionally he has a larger project (last time was learn and write/draw about a sea creature), usually has a week to complete it

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