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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think this is a little bit too much for Year 3 children?

167 replies

NoCapes · 07/09/2016 20:06

DS1 has just started Year 3, today he came home with a newsletter type thing telling us what will be happening each week, when he'll need pe kits, when his homework is due etc
I'm a bit surprised by how much work he'll have to do at home

Each week he'll have -
Homework consisting of 1 thing topic related, 1 piece of maths, 1 piece of English
2 reading books
A list of 15 spellings to learn for a test each Friday
&
He'll have a times table test each Friday so we've been asked to practice times tables too

This feels like a lot to me for 7 year olds and is quite a big jump up from what he was expected to do last year

AIBU to think this is just too much?

OP posts:
Goldenhandshake · 09/09/2016 08:53

In year 2 my DD was doing a similar amount, so she would be prepared for that amount tbh. She had 3 reading books per week, 12 spellings for a weekly test, one maths work sheet and literacy worksheet. Occasionally a project piece of work as well.

icanteven · 09/09/2016 08:58

That's more or less what DD1 had last year in year 2, except she had to read a book every evening, because after moving schools, her reading was behind, so they helped her catch up (which she did perfectly happily).

It took 5 or 10 mins every evening last year, and I expect it to take little more than 10 mins every evening this year. She's home by 4, and asleep by 8. I can find 10 minutes. It also keeps me (or DH) in the loop re. her attainment, which I like.

She's at a private school known for it's academic achievement, so I imagine it's a bit pushier than other schools, but I'm a deeply lazy parent, and I haven't found it onerous. It's just about having some semblance of a routine (Minecraft, Minecraft, snack, fight with sister (about Minecraft), Stampy, homework, Stampy, Minecraft, Minecraft, dinner, bath, bed etc.)

NancyJoan · 09/09/2016 10:54

Sounds about right, tbh. MY DS is same age, will have a book every night, plus spelling every week, and Maths, Eng, Science HW every week.

Ask them how long the HW should take. Get him to do as much as he can in the 20 mins, or whatever, then put the books away and write a note to say this is how much he managed in the time. The teacher won't mind, and won't expect him to be sat for hours.

tracyjane41 · 09/09/2016 14:34

Homework makes children hate school, if teachers taught in a more fun and constructive way when pupils are young there would be no need for it. I can see the importance of extra work as they get towards exams etc. but let them relax and be kids when they come home and what about all the trouble and arguments homework causes?

Donki · 09/09/2016 17:28

As for evidence and research Becles it has been done. Reading is beneficial.
Research has found that rote learning spellings, and other homework at primary has no beneficial effect.

Craigie · 09/09/2016 17:33

YABU This is totally standard.

LovelyBath77 · 09/09/2016 17:33

We have similar in Year 3 and it was the same three years ago when DS1 was there as well, but instead of topic work each week we had a big project each term to work on. I remember something about a soil project for example where some people made a wormery or a leaflet / small book about soils. The rest of it was similar. However, I don't remember it taking too lung, the tasks were quite short. HTH

Janey50 · 09/09/2016 17:37

Sounds fairly standard to me. I think schools are piling on the pressure from year 2 upwards now. I was rather shockedShock when I saw how much homework my DGD was getting in year 3 ( when she was nearly 8). She is now nearly 10 and in year 5,been back at school 4 days and the homework is coming in thick and fast already.

whatkatiedidnext31 · 09/09/2016 18:00

Sound's reasonable. My son has just started year 4 and had similar to do each week in year 3 too. See how your child gets on and speak to he school if you think they're struggling x

mummaclaire · 09/09/2016 18:42

love our school, they don't agree on home work, they get reading books, and have to finish off their "big maths" questions they could not do, and that's pretty much it!

they are at school most of the week, if they cant teach them what they need to know in that time, there is something wrong!

forcryinoutloud · 09/09/2016 19:10

It sounds like a lot for a child this age. It would be enough to have maths and timestables one week and the English and spelling the next week and so on alternately.

As regards the reading book I would try not to regard this as homework and think of it as reading time which is a nice thing to do, esp before bed or whatever time suits.

I don't see the point of the topic related stuff as homework, surely that could be just left in school. YANBU.

Beardsareweird · 09/09/2016 19:16

I teach Y2 and I set one piece of simple Maths and they have to learn 10 spellings. That's it. I only give homework because it's school policy. If it was left up to me, I wouldn't set it. Children work hard enough at school without having to go home and do yet more school work. OP, that does seem like a lot for Y3.

LittleReindeerwithcloggson · 09/09/2016 19:37

Sounds reasonable, my DD had similar last year in year 3

15 spellings a week
1-2 books a week to read
Topic homework, English and maths
Times tables. ( 2 weeks for each one and then a week after every 2 tables to recap IYSWIM)

We did the reading in the morning - just 1 or 2 pages at a time.
Times tables - only ever in the car where we listened and sang to a times tables cd. They practiced by playing the App Hit the Buttin which they think is just a game and not work.
Other homework - school advises 10-15 minutes a subject so the lot is done in 30-45 minutes. We did half on a weekday straight after school and the rest first thing Saturday.

Spellings. Typed on computer and put on fridge. She picked them up really quickly.

Never really found it difficult.

On the plus side younger DD knew all times tables perfectly when she was still 6 years old as she heard them regularly in the car!

Tapandgo · 09/09/2016 19:40

Reality is that teachers hate giving homework as they have to mark it at home. It is less about the educational value in the work - more about an overloaded curriculum that cannot be fitted in to the school day. It is a bad thing for kids and education as a whole.

bigpigsmum · 09/09/2016 19:54

My Ds has just gone into yr 6, end of first week back and all the home work he has been given is ... wait for it decorate his French book!

Got nothing last year in year 5 either he's in the top set so you would expect they would be doing something to help them along even if it means we can see what he's up to and perhaps help if necessary. But no.

UnderTheGreenwoodTree · 09/09/2016 19:57

Agree Tapango. I subscribe to the 'there's no evidence that having homework adds to the success of primary school children'.

I do their homework with them - but I must say, dd has just moved into yr4 with a teacher who is quite free-thinking - and just sets homework for weeknights only (they should be doing exciting stuff at weekends) and it is due the next day when it is set. It's not written work - he is all for 'thinking independently' and they just have to 'think about' stuff. It's pretty cool so far.

Ohyesiam · 09/09/2016 19:59

My kids primary school only gives spellings and times tables, and they are expected to read. The school is Ofsted "good" do the kids must be learning enough. One of the reasons they don't give much homework is that basically kids with unsupportive families end to feeling like losers, and they get all the kids to achieve quite all without homework. Kids need their free time.

Purplehonesty · 09/09/2016 20:00

My ds is the same age.

Last week he had to read his library book (did that Monday)

Write a special number in his book for maths (?!?!) presume they did something with that in class?

Write each letter of the alphabet in lower and upper case for English.

Took about five minutes tops plus the reading.

Last year he had so much more so I am hoping this teacher is more chilled about homework!!

Purplehonesty · 09/09/2016 20:01

I should also say that ds reads a book by himself every night in bed too. But that's his choice

Notmuchtosay1 · 09/09/2016 20:51

One of mine is a year 3. He bought home 1 sheet of maths with 30 questions. A little bit of writing underlining prepositions. A reading book (a few pages each day) a list of spellings. (15) I think this lot is to last all week, but he decided it all needed doing tonight. Apart from the reading, which is each night.

waterrat · 09/09/2016 20:52

I loathe homework.

Children should be able to walk out of the door when school ends for the day and switch off. Imagine being an adult and having to start your work for any period at all after you have your dinnerat night. Obviously thst would ruin any chance you had of switching off and relaxing.

It is so ignorant to think that learning lies in books and spelling. Children learn through many activities including PLAYING.

waterrat · 09/09/2016 20:53

I think it's quite disturbing to think of 6 or 6 year olds who don't get any evenings where they can forget about school.

Imagine the pressure they must feel under.

It's bad enough thst 4 year olds are forced to spend all day in school ....within a couple fo years they are having their home time stolen too.

MommaL · 09/09/2016 21:47

Reading all this reinforces how glad I am we home ed. I genuinely do not see any need for homework for primary school kids. It's really not necessary.

If my kids ever did go to school, I would be up front with the teacher and let them know my kids would not be doing homework. At the end of the day, legally, their education is my responsibility, and 6 hours in school is plenty, the rest of the day is theirs to do with as they please.

PinguForPresident · 09/09/2016 21:55

My daughter is 7, just started Year 3.

She gets a homework journal with 3 pieces of work to be completed each week. They take around 15-20 mins each. No biggie.

She also gets spellings - it varies how many, it was between 10 and 20 in Y2

Reading is also expected. She's been reading chapter books since Y1 and they're pretty long chapter bokks these days, so she can take as long as she needs to work through each one of them.

Times table practice isn't set, but they do times table challenges in school - have done since the start of Y2 - and they're all pretty competitive, so she likes to practice. We use Squeebles for that as it's more fun.

It seems like a fair bit, but she loves doing it and she'll be doing most of it at after-school club, supported by teachers, so it shouldn;t impact massively on actual time at home.

PurplePenguins · 09/09/2016 21:59

Welcome to the world of Key stage 2 formerly known as juniors 😢