or is this too much homework for a 6-yr-old?

[DerelictMyBalls]

*reading every night
*three a4 pages of maths exercises
*write 18 sentences with verbs underlined
*a4 page literacy puzzle
*complete 17 sentences by adding verbs
*mathletics
*10 spellings, each to be written out 4 times
*circle the verbs in a list

It seems loads to me but would like some perspective. It's an ordinary primary school and DS is not behind with anything.

Blimey! Is that Y1 or Y2? My ds is 6 and in Y1. We have to read at least 3 times a week and learn 6 spellings a week. Otherwise we have only just started homework which is one sheet a week. We seem to be very homework light compared to other schools.

It depends on how many maths exercises are on each A4 sheet? By literacy puzzle i assume its a crossword? If so how many words are there to find? . The writing one verb into a (im assuming already written sheet with gaps) sentence and writing 10 spellings 4 times doesn't seem too time consuming really, nor the circling the verbs. Writing 18 sentences out yourself seems quite a lot though, maybe 8 more suitable.

Family life on its own quite frequently doesnt provide a thorough education. The number of secondary age students I teach who have a casual attitude to reading at home, to doing a research or writing task, and who couldn't tell you which word in a sentence is the verb would shock you. And in many cases, those attitudes have been incubated by well-meaning parents who pride themselves on giving their children 'choice' and making family life the priority. The homework in this case definitely sounds excessive, but it needs to be adjusted downwards slightly, not ignored altogether.

I think that young children have far too much pressure and homework, and it all seems unnecessary to me. I have no idea who is benefiting from it? It should just be reading, spellings and timetables homework until year 5 or 6 I think.

When ds was in year 1, he was set homework to research the history of supermarkets, and put them in chronological order of when they opened. I mean wtf?

wow, that is loads. Dc2 is 6 and in Y1. We get

• 1 book a week to be read 4 times at least
• 2 pages of math homework
• 1 literacy exercise which usually involves writing 2-3 sentence and filling in some boxes (1 a4 sheet)

*times tables. Sorry.

Far too much for 6 year old my DD is 6 in P3 (Y2) she has reading every night except Friday so they read a book a week. 10 spellings given on Monday tested on Friday supposed to write out each word 3times and write 3-4 sentences using some of the words. There is usually a maths sheet
That is the maximum ever.
There is no evidence that primary homework apart from reading achieves anything

Reading takes max of 5-7 minutes spellings another 10, my DD is fast at maths so often already done but it would be max 10 mins so maybe 40-50 mins a week which in my opinion is plenty for children under 10. Maybe a bit more in last year of primary to get used to it before secondary.

My 6 year old DS (year 1) literally has a project/task exercise once a month, 4/5 spellings to learn a week and one book to be read and reread weekly. He's in a mixed yr1/2 class but I'm aware they're not stringent on homework like his old school.

We have reading x3, 8 spellings and a page of homework that usually takes 15-20 minutes. I think ours is too much.

DS is 6, in year 2. As well as 10 minutes of reading a night he gets:

10 spellings a week.
1 maths activity (he can choose from a homework menu).
1 literacy/topic activity (again chosen from a homework menu).

And he doesn't have to stay in at playtime if he hasn't finished anything.

Stay in at playtime if not done?? That's awful.

Seems loads. My 7 year old gets 1/2 a book to read, an excercise to do on the book, about a dozen maths problems & 10 spelling words. They also get some extra challenge stuff and have log ins for a number of different apps for maths / spelling if they want to do it but they don't have to do the extra stuff. We get it on a Tuesday to be back for following Monday.

Schools around us are starting to stop with homework and encourage reading only.

Dd's school gets a list of activities (20 odd) that she can choose from.... things like draw a firework picture/ Learn to ride a two wheeled bike/ make a den in the garden/ make a tree rubbing/ learn to tie shoelaces/ go on a nature walk/ make nature picture/ take a photo.... she chooses 5 things a term to complete. It seems loads better than other schools approaches I've seen! Also she must read for 10 minutes a night and I think in year 2 they get spellings to learn?