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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask how much homework your reception child is given?

18 replies

Mumtobe193 · 25/09/2020 13:06

My DD has just started reception beginning of this month. They started getting homework beginning of their second week at school, and they have homework to do every evening and every weekend. To me this sounded like a lot for a 4/5 year old, but then again DD is my first child so I didn’t really know how much homework to expect when she started school.

How much homework does your reception child receive?

OP posts:
FelicityBob · 25/09/2020 13:09

None

MinnieMountain · 25/09/2020 13:10

State school? Daily reading. That was it unless he'd been delaying his writing on purpose and had to finish it at home.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 25/09/2020 13:11

DS never had any at all in Reception. Even now in year 3 he only gets one bit of homework a week, either maths or English plus he's expected to read and practise spellings regularly.

DelurkingAJ · 25/09/2020 13:12

None yet. If it’s the same as DS1 (same school) then it’ll be reading six times a week for 10 minutes and a maths challenge fortnightly and an English worksheet fortnightly.

Plus ridiculous ‘projects’ each holiday which we have dubbed ‘homework for parents’ (am wondering if we can just recycle DS1’s but I suspect not).

OrangeGinLemonFanta · 25/09/2020 13:13

None, except reading. In year 1 we've had one simple piece of homework a week.

bigoldwimp · 25/09/2020 13:14

It does sound like a lot. What sort of homework? If it's reading to your child every night and ask questions about the story...that's ok. Our school (state) has a grid of optional pieces of work they can do at home and bring in on a Monday . Ideas were draw a picture of your family, label parts of the body, find numbers around your house, learn a counting song. I've got slightly tiger mum tendencies but even the pushy side of me can't imagine getting my reception age child doing anything other than reading each night, he's just so shattered and he's one of the older ones

peonyblossom · 25/09/2020 13:15

None yet. They are now allowed to choose a library book and bring it home to 'read' with us but it's all very relaxed, no pressure.

kittykat35 · 25/09/2020 13:15

We're in Ireland so it's a bit different but my DS gets homework mon-thurs. usually just something to reinforce phonics etc so sorting pictures that start with "c", playing eye spy with a picture to spot the "c" words. It only takes 5-10 minutes really.

luckymagnoliatree · 25/09/2020 13:20

We have had a task a week, so first week was to practice writing their name, this week was to find an empty box and put 3-5 things in that tell the teacher something about them and next week is to draw, paint or create a picture of something that makes them happy.

Tasks 1 & 3 for my son are pretty pointless, he is one of the youngest in his class and has GDD. He hasn't started writing letters properly yet & won't trace the letters if I dot them out. His idea of painting/drawing is still basic lines/squiggles on a page but we have attempted them all, still got the last one to do, it won't look like much in particular I'm sure. I've just tried to make it fun for him and not put any pressure on, I think homework so young is pretty pointless tbh.

alphabetsoup1980 · 25/09/2020 13:22

I'm a reception teacher. I just send one reading book each week and key words to practise. No homework at the moment!

Findahouse21 · 25/09/2020 13:25

Last year in reception dd had a reading book each day and a task linked to the work they had done that week which was set once a week on a Friday. It was generally work that you could choose how much time/effort to put in

Original poster
Mumtobe193 · 25/09/2020 13:26

@kittykat35 we get similar, usually about 2 - 3 activities to reinforce phonics, numbers etc. In theory it should only take 15 - 20 minutes but it’s taking us a lot longer as our DD just resists sitting down to do it and once we do get her to sit down to do it she really struggles to focus.

OP posts:
Littlefrog99 · 25/09/2020 13:29

DS started reception at the beginning of September and gets 2 pieces of homework each week. It's been things like singing a particular song, recording it and uploading it to the online classroom or drawing something. I was a bit surprised that he'd get homework so soon but I'm glad it's doing things he enjoys.

Ratatcat · 25/09/2020 13:34

None yet but we’ll get reading and some phonics tasks from next week. 15-20 mins sounds quite a bit at that age tbh. I think 10 mins of reading is enough. Mine has been fine but has reached a bit of a tired and emotional point now we’re at the end of the week. She wouldn’t be in the right frame of mind to do 20 mins of homework a night.

Original poster
Mumtobe193 · 25/09/2020 13:48

@Ratatcat that’s exactly how my DD is at the end of each day, tired and emotional. Her grandparents always looked after her while I was at work before she started school so she’s never been in a school or nursery environment before and the new routine is taking it out of her a bit I think. When she gets home from school she just wants to lie on the sofa and watch CBeebies, she’s in no mood to do homework, once she gets into though she does enjoy some of the fun activities their given, but with anything she finds slightly challenging she just tends to lose interest and give up.

OP posts:
Proudpeacock · 25/09/2020 14:03

None yet. Not looking forward to it as I know it will be a fight. Hopefully it will just be reading and spellings.

luckystarmaking · 25/09/2020 14:06

None whatsoever. Just encouraged to read to them everyday, but I've been doing that since DD was a baby.

OneKeyAtATime · 25/09/2020 14:12

Weekly 'reading' although the reading hasn't included any words so far. Just pictures and a storyboard to discuss

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