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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think 3 year olds should not be given homework?

49 replies

twoisenoughmum · 15/03/2007 21:59

Its to do with PACT bags, I'm afraid.

My DS is 3.6 (actually his half year birthday today, oh goodness I do love him to pieces). He started school nursery in January this year and because of his birth-date will be in nursery for the rest of this school year and then the whole of next year, finally going to reception in September 2008 when he will be a few days off his fifth birthday.

I've got myself a bit worked up about this whole PACT bag issue. Not sure why I feel so strongly about it, but the fact is, it is homework and I just don't feel he needs it right now. He reads at home every day with me, and also joins in most days when I read with his big sister. I sincerely don't feel he needs to do this whole PACT thing - he is still so young!

I'd like to say to his nursery teacher that I don't want him to have a PACT bag until September. That way it will also mark the transition from this school year, when he is 3 and only just emerging from toddlerhood, and next year when he will be 4 and one of the older children in the class.

Am I being unreasonable?

OP posts:
IdrisTheDragon · 15/03/2007 22:00

What is a PACT bag?

IdrisTheDragon · 15/03/2007 22:02

DS is a little younger than your DS (birthday is end of November) but I can't imagine him having homework, other than something like a treasure hunt that he had at pre-school.

hana · 15/03/2007 22:05

yes, what does pact stand for??!!
sadly lots of kids don't have many books at home and aren't read to - this pact scheme is likely more aimed at those families, I wouldn't make a big deal about it, are there formal sheets and things to sign in this bag?

Aloha · 15/03/2007 22:06

It's only a book to take home and look at. I liked it.

Original poster
twoisenoughmum · 15/03/2007 22:12

Idris - it stands for Parent And Child Teaching or Training (or something like that, can't quite remember what the T stands for). Basically, each child has a little bag like a satchel and nursery sends him or her home with a book every week. You are supposed to read it with the DC, lots of times over the week, then write an observation about how DC enjoyed/ understood/could retell/discussed the book with you in the "Childs Reading Record" - a notebook for parents that gets sent home in the PACT bag.

Homework, by any other name.

I've got my head round it for DD who has been part of this process since she was 4 and a half. But 3 and a half? I just can't see what purpose it serves.

OP posts:
Clayhead · 15/03/2007 22:14

The pre-school my dd attended/ds attends has always done this and I never thought of it as homework myself, just sharing a book they'd chosen but then they've both enjoyed it so I guess it's not become an issue for us.

Twiglett · 15/03/2007 22:15

its not homework .. its a reading book

think you're being totally OTT on this

its a reading book .. with a nice simple story

Aloha · 15/03/2007 22:17

You only have read it if you want to, and write 'ds enjoyed this' or 'the rhymes made him laugh' or 'he could spot the letter M', if you want. It's really not a big deal, and some children hardly ever get to read books.

hana · 15/03/2007 22:17

I think the purpose is for familes who maybe don't make the time to read like you do. I wouldn't make a big deal about it. The staff will know that your child is read to at home, just make a comment like ' enjoyed the book' you don't have to go into detail I don't imagine
I get this with dd's reading books (reception) I have to make a weekly comment, am getting bored of writing 'great reading this week' or ' good stuff dd' or similar comments. Sometimes you just have to go along with things - more imprtant battles I think

Original poster
twoisenoughmum · 15/03/2007 22:24

Like I said, Aloha, I'm not really sure why I object to it so much. I feel ... disgruntled.

Its just the notion that he already needs to be doing school work outside of school. We probably have 200 childrens books here at home. And we go to the library regularly. He is well catered for in terms of learning to read. I can't explain why it bothers me that just because the parents of other children in his class may need to be prompted to read to their children, that I need to add yet another school-related activity to my already busy schedule. He's got years and years of homework stretching ahead of him.

Its partly to do with annoyance at the expectations placed on me, but honestly far more to do with annoyance at the expectations placed on him. He's still my baby FFS!

OP posts:
snowleopard · 15/03/2007 22:28

i'd worry this kind of thing could have the wrong effect, if you tried to get a very young child to read the same book sveeral times and respond to it when they might not fancy that book - it could make them assocaite reading with a chore. My DS loves books and we read several every day but he definitely goes thorugh phases, and has times when he has a few firm favourites and won't look at others.

I'd only be happy with this if it was totally optional.

snowleopard · 15/03/2007 22:28

Excuse my typos.

Aloha · 15/03/2007 22:30

You don't need to do anything. I do think you are overreacting. Remember, your ds will choose the book so presumably he'll be happy to spend five minutes looking at it over the whole week.

SlightlyMadScientist · 15/03/2007 22:30

If you already do lots of reading I can't see what the problem is from a 'doing' it point of view. Replace one of the books that you would read to him from home with his nusery book and then make a bland comment in his record.

As far as the thougt that it is essentially 'compulsary' and 'forced upon' just look at it as encouragement for those parents that don't spend such time with their DCs. It really is only an effort to nudge those parents into reading with the DC IMO.

Aloha · 15/03/2007 22:31

You don't get sent to prison if you don't end up reading it.

IdrisTheDragon · 15/03/2007 22:32

Sometimes I wonder if DS has his own PACT agenda - we definitely end up reading the same book a lot of times, every week.

crunchie · 15/03/2007 22:35

btw I hardly ever read with my kids or did their homework in primary school, like you I don't believe in it. IMHO don't do it and see what happens

Aloha · 15/03/2007 22:36

It's only reading a book to your child! A book THEY have chosen. Don't get why this is a Bad Thing.

hana · 15/03/2007 22:37

I don't remember mum reading me stories ( she says she never had time, cloth nappies, young kids blah blah blah too busy ) and I am fine. I looooove reading to my kids.

badelaide · 15/03/2007 22:39

I'm with you Twois.....ignore it.
Too much structured stuff, starts way too young imo. I really wouldn't want to end up feeling that I "should" have read with my child on any particular day.

Original poster
twoisenoughmum · 15/03/2007 22:43

It's not compulsory to send your child to school at all until they're rising 5. And not then, if you choose to home educate.

Is it really "over reacting" to disagree with something in school policy?

There's no steam coming out of my ears, I'm not going to lose sleep over it.

I know what's expected of me as the parent in terms of PACT bags because I've already been doing it for a couple of years with my older child.

He's 3 and a half. Some of the children in his class are barely out of nappies.

What would be the point in involving him in the PACT system and then not reading the books? Glad to hear I wouldn't be sent to prison, but that would say a lot more about me being an uncaring parent rather than just explaining to the teachers now:

"Can we leave PACT til next year, when he's a bit older, I don't think its necessary for him this year"

?

or perhaps I am being unreasonable.

OP posts:
Aloha · 15/03/2007 22:45

Well my school does the PACT scheme and it's no hassle at all. If ds (five) is engrossed in other books that week I just say so and keep the book for another week, and if he doesn't want to read it because it's not interesting I say that. At nursery I just read to him, which took five minutes.

Aloha · 15/03/2007 22:46

I just don't call books 'homework'.

Original poster
twoisenoughmum · 15/03/2007 22:50

I'm perhaps not very articulate. I'm not saying it is A Bad Thing in general. I'm saying that I do not think it is A Good Thing. And as my DS is still nowhere near school age, I think it is An Irrelevant Thing, or more likely an Inappropriate Thing.

OP posts:
Original poster
twoisenoughmum · 15/03/2007 22:59

How would you describe PACT, then?

Is it something to be done in school time or something to be done at home?

I am NOT talking about books in general, or the notion of reading with my son.

He is read to a great deal, possibly more than many other 3 year olds because he has an older sibling who wants to read all the time and he is always part of that process because he wants to join in and participate.

Badelaide seems to have an understanding of what I mean - too much structured stuff, starts too young.

She's probably being unreasonable too.

OP posts: