Keeping up with school work (primary age)

[Fruitfall]

Hello,
Just wondering how others are getting on with the work sent to their children?
I'm currently furloughed so I have the time to sit with them but i'm still struggling to keep up with it all.
I am a supply teacher so no work for me atm. I have realised that it's so much different teaching your own kids than teaching others.

We do about 2 hours a days but i feel the work on the app keeps adding up.

I have 2 daughters - 1 year between them. One is in yr 4, the other yr 5. I have bought them timestables books and spelling books which they do 1 page a day on the weekdays. We then look at their school app and choose a piece of work or 2 depending on how long it would take.
But 3 things a day are being added on and now they have about 25 pieces of work to do as it's all added up.

Am i supposed to be doing more work with them in a day? We're not just lounging about the rest of the day watching tv or tablets - they play board games, help me cook tea and bake, they do some gardening with their dad, we have bought tennis rackets (only have a small garden but they love playing it)
But just looking at this app seeing what work to do this week has overwhelmed me a bit!

Also, my year 5 child is very low-ability. She has a disability and has the work-ability of a year 1 child. She struggles to even add numbers up to 10.
Am I wrong that i'm changing some of the work to suit her? The work set is too hard for her which isn't helping so if timesing two-digit numbers is sent over by the teacher, I give my year 5 child the 2x, 10x and 5x table to practice;
So i'm focusing on her adding and subtracting and basic maths really as how is she expected to do the more complicated things when she struggles to count to 10?
The school and I are looking into SEN high schools for her but the school thought it's best for her to spend the last few years of primary with her friends

I have 2 primary aged, yr 2 and reception. We are doing bare minimum to be honest. Also have a toddler and partner is working mon-sat so I’m on my own. Honestly every day one of us was in tears so Ive decided it’s not worth stressing about! I am not a teacher, and this is not a normal situation.

I've found my tribe.
Omg. Same here. 3 kids single mum. So busy uploading all the shit for my own class hardly do anything with my own kids. So overwhelmed. It's totally unrealistic. And I sensitivitie to the current climate where domestic abuse is on the rise daily. Awful pressure.

I'm teacher and I also have twins who are in y2 I do their school work with them for about 2hrs in the morning then we do other things like baking, cycling in the afternoon then they watch TV whilst I do school work. I do most things school sends but not everything especially if it's something they have done already or similar to things we have done as a family like growing seeds etc. They do read, do some maths and do an English task each day though. I set work for my own class but very few children do everything, some are doing nothing and I am chasing them up but I can't do much about it. The vast majority are doing maybe about a half to 2 thirds of it.

I am a teacher working from home with my two children to support in home learning. I'd say do what you're doing! It sounds like a really good balance!

For my class I have stressed to parents that if it is too much or a child has a wobbly one day then it's fine to leave it. I do teach year one so maybe it's a bit different lower down the school.

I think children's happiness is first and foremost at the moment and we are all going back to school (whenever!) Where teachers will be doing their best to get everyone back on track.

I think as well what you are doing for your year five child is fine. There is no point in struggling to teach formal multiplication if she is working at a lower level. You could maybe message her teacher and see if they can offer any more advice.

Yes and with pp, not everyone in my class is doing everything. I'd say three quarters of my class are doing most of the stuff I set.

Has your school said anything to you about their expectations? My school has made it clear in numerous communications that parents shouldn’t feel pressured and that there is no expectation that all children do all the work, but we still get parents worrying that they aren’t doing enough. Whatever they are doing is fine, and I’m sure whatever you’re doing is fine too. It sounds like you’re doing plenty.

You are doing the right thing by changing the work to make it suitable for your child, good on you. If you need reassurance about it, then email the teacher/school, and they will probably tell you you’re doing fine. Our school has sent out a lot of work just to appease the parents that are always desperate for more, not because we think every child should be doing all of it.

Remember that teachers are working in a completely different way to normal, and it’s incredibly hard to differentiate properly in these circumstances, especially when they’ve had so little time to work out how to do this well.

I'm not an educator OP but I'd be tempted to give her work she can do and is happy to do and that keeps her morale up. And be kind to yourself!
Trying to save a small business currently whilst doing school work (all sent in bloody links from school for 2 diff aged kids) and I'm going my best but I've decided keeping a roof over their heads is more important than lesson planning. We do a couple of hours and watch the bbc bitesize and we read a lot. That'll have to do.
You're doing fine, OP.

I'm a primary teacher. Just do what you can. It's really hard to know even in school how long a task will take, so not every home learning task will fit neatly into a half hour slot or whatever, even if that's what the teacher intended. Remember some children and parents will want plenty to do or get through tasks more quickly so there needs to be enough for those people. In school, the whole class never all finishes the same task every lesson - some children do two sentences, some do two pages etc.

Further to my message further up, my yr2 is working at yr1 level so we are not doing much of what the school has set either. She gets so distressed and I don’t have the time/knowledge/Patience to teach her so I’ve downloaded my own stuff from Twinkl.

Interesting that your schools have no expectations. My children’s school moved to full online schooling (6 - 12 already do this anyway), and the children are set a full timetable they have to follow. This means they start with prayer, then English for 50 minutes, then 5 minute fruit break, then 50 minutes of Math, recess, and so on. Some of the tasks are quicker than the lesson time, so you can move onto the next lesson, but are expected to complete a full day at school. They also had projects set to complete in the holidays, in addition to their Studyladder and IXL.

Our Government is looking at reopening schools in 4 - 5 weeks, so they will have had about 8 or more weeks off school, I am glad that my children have had tasks set to keep them occupied and their minds in learning mode.

For context, my children are in Year 4.

Yes i'm quite happy finding things and teaching my children and i wouldnt allow my year 5 to do work that's too challenging as that would just knock her confidence, so i have decided she if focusing on the basics,
Their teacher sends weekly "top learner of the week" so i thought i was doing something wrong,
Nice to see others are the same!

I’m working more than full time so my children are doing what they like!
Y6 DS gets some really easy work from school that takes him max 15 mins. He will do some reading and maths if I ask, but he’s good at maths, I want him to do literacy. So instead he disappears to play on the Xbox.
(Doesn’t help that I was never taught relative clauses, subjunctive mood etc)
Y9 DD has loads of work set from school so she’s busy.

Have you asked the teacher? I was panicking so messaged and she replied saying that there was a lot of work so that kids had options and hoping that at least something suitable for everyone. Ie you weren't expected to do it all - but she was providing a variety of choice and we were to make sure Dc did what they were interested in rather than forcing them to do all of it.

What has school said to do?

Our school have given a timetable and work to do in each slot to fill a 9-3 day. As close as possible replicating the school day.

And just to add that sen children are being set separate work for their ability if appropriate. I’d approach the senco to ask for her to be set the work that she would be doing if she were in school