Homework feels way too much for year 1.

[TheFairPrincess]

My little girl (and oldest) has just turned 6 and just started year 1, has just finished her first full week. She had a great first week, was star of the week so I know she is doing well.

However she was in tears last night and this morning as she said she's finding it all "too tricky", they don't play or have choosing any more. I'm hoping that she will adjust, but now the first week is over, more and more homework is being added. She now is expected to complete at home:

• Reading book every day - she has moved up to a higher label so the books are longer than she is used to by a fair bit
• Spelling practice every day for weekly tests
• Regular/topic homework set Thurs and due on Tues
• 2 x tables which they are also quizzed on

She is already exhausted from the general school day. I just feel like this is too much stress for her, she cried at the door today which she never did once in reception :(

@Demelza82

Be glad you have a child at an aspirational school. Presumably that's why you chose it.

Yes this is very true.

We found homework in the mornings (before school) and weekends was what worked best for us. After school they were too tired.

@junebirthdaygirl
Because this government decided they should be on the fast-track to Oxbridge age 5. All fronted by Gove.

You’re right what you say about learning to count securely. The current UK national curriculum is unfit for purpose and is Victorian. From age 5 they are sadly expected to start their times tables and learn words like ‘castle, hustle, muscle, bustle’. I kid you not. It’s just cruel and the effect is often that whether they’re ready or not they do it and are expected to just ‘know’ it all before they move on (at a pace).

In my experience a small percentage of them are ready-ish at Y1 for this but the majority are not. And it leaves them feeling like they’re not good enough and that learning is arduous and pressured.

I left teaching for this reason. I couldn’t be a part of it any longer.

That was. what DD had 9 years ago. We read each evening but often not more than 2-3 pages depending how text heavy the books were. She would often read more over the weekend.

Spelling and time table - we used an app called Squeebles. DD loved it and the practice really helped.

Give it a couple of weeks and see how she get used to it. Most likely they have to learn to get back to the routine and Reception to Y1 is a big step.

Far too much , just don't do it .
Some schools sure know how to suck the joy out of learning , i have 3 kids and concentrated on daily reading - school book and our own books, the main importance i think , but some days they just weren't engaged .
That's fine year 1's are so little , we did little bits here and there, one thing i never did was let homework dominate what plans we had at weekends /evenings .
Then again my kids did not have the workload your child does.

I would tell the teacher we wouldn’t be doing that. But I’m a teacher myself so I feel confident enough in my own judgement to do so.

Firstly, homework has been repeatedly shown to lack effectiveness when it comes to young children. If it’s causing unhappiness and issues at home then it’s absolutely not worth it.

Secondly, if she’s exhausted and emotional she won’t be learning effectively in class either.

[quote AllisoninWunderland]@junebirthdaygirl
Because this government decided they should be on the fast-track to Oxbridge age 5. All fronted by Gove.

You’re right what you say about learning to count securely. The current UK national curriculum is unfit for purpose and is Victorian. From age 5 they are sadly expected to start their times tables and learn words like ‘castle, hustle, muscle, bustle’. I kid you not. It’s just cruel and the effect is often that whether they’re ready or not they do it and are expected to just ‘know’ it all before they move on (at a pace).

In my experience a small percentage of them are ready-ish at Y1 for this but the majority are not. And it leaves them feeling like they’re not good enough and that learning is arduous and pressured.

I left teaching for this reason. I couldn’t be a part of it any longer.[/quote]
That's absolute madness. I have been teaching primary for years and am not surprised you left teaching for the reasons you say. I am not absolutely sure how the lrish and UK scores in Maths compare but l couldn't teach like that.
I, personally, went to a very academic high achieving school years ago and we didn't even have that .
Sorry Op this is a bit off topic for you and no help to your dd.

Sounds like what my DSs had. I think the transition to Y1 is one of the hardest for them. Less play, more learn.

Don't read all the book every night. Read what she's happy to. A few pages if she's not up for it.

Thanks all. I've discussed with my partner and we agree it's too much. She had another melt down going to school today and didn't want to get dressed. That is so unlike her.

FWIW I was born in the 90's, was one of the oldest in my year and also struggled with Y1. So to hear it is even more demanding is very sad but also insightful.

@junebirthdaygirl don't be sorry, it's really interesting to read (though distressing) and I've always been interested in the Too Much Too Young movement, but was thinking more along the lines of the start age rather than the actual curriculum.

It is a relief in a way to know that the majority of children would struggle with this work load.

@Demelza82 I did choose the school based on a few positive things, it is actually out of our catchment area so I was hoping she got a place, they have won some awards for their teaching team and the physical school is nice, so it was a combination of these things and not just academic success.

At this age my priority is actually her emotional wellbeing rather than being able to do all this work.

It does sound like alot compared to my DD ,also in year 1. They've been given a book and one piece of homework which is Tobe completed in stages throughout the term. It's a fun piece though so she has to interview grandparents or an elderly relative and find out what their lives were like as children. Things like their homes, their toys, how they travelled, the money they used. She's really enjoyed just sitting with grandad and talking about when he was a little boy.
They're allowed to record it how they like so she drawn some pictures on Seesaw, taken some photos and added some voice recordings.
With the reading I would read to her and ask her to jump in and read just some of the keywords. Try a different one from each page every time you read.
Timestables are fun on the walk in to school and spellings we do very casually around the house. we have younger 2 year old so my 5 year old is learning to spell her words out Instead of saying them out loud to keep her baby sister from wanting to do everything she does.

I'd engage with school. Let them know that homework is a source of angst at the moment, that you're doing your best but don't want it to affect her enjoyment of school and learning.

My daughter has just started year 2 and has only ever had reading to do. No proper homework yet! Some of the things I hear about other schools for small children is crazy😬

We read a couple of pages to them each night but didn’t do any of the other homework I’m primary. They were in after school club until 6pm and then home on the Tube, dinner, shower and bed.

Why do schools want them to do extra work - the learning should be done in school hours. Is the teacher or school struggling to cover the work in school hours?

Our school doesn’t set homework. There are tasks they are expected to complete which includes daily reading. But nothing like youve described. It’s an outstanding school so I assume they know what they’re doing.

In the school I work in, Reception classes have a full play session every day, Y1 play 4 days a week and Y2 play 3 days a week. The lack of play in your daughter's day would be more problematic to me than the homework. (I'm a Year 1 teacher and also have a daughter in Year 1).

Mine is the same, just turned 6 and just started year one.

It has seemed a big jump from Early years and she’s been knackered.

Homework wise we do reading 3 x a week and they get a topic thing where they are given a pic and have to write a couple of sentences about it.

I do worry for my youngest though who will be only just 4 when they start, even what we’re doing feels a lot

@Greentomatoes21 I am concerned about this too. She did say one day something to do with bunnies that they get to play with if they have been at school all week, but also said that they only get to play once a week.

I am going to see what her day looks like, then explain that she is finding homework too much. I will get her on a Saturday afternoon after rest and play to sit down with a snack and drink and do some interpretation of the topic homework, if she doesn't want to write we will talk about it instead, or do a picture that perhaps I can convince her to label, for example.

I will practice 2 spelling words a day verbally as part of doing something else e.g. walking to school, and I will write these words on our kitchen chalk board while she is there so she sees them.

We will split her reading book as if it's changed twice a week she has 3 days to read one and 4 days to read the other.

You are absolutely right, I won't have my daughter in tears over this.

And how the hell do parents manage all this btw? I have 2 younger boys, one starts school next September, it's going to be so much for me to do around work.

You are the parent - you know your child best. You must do what feels right.

I have told teachers many times that homework has not been completed, and told them why, and they do not bat an eyelid. They are between a rock and a hard place because, alongside your wise approach, there will be pushy parents saying there is not enough homework!

@TheFairPrincess

And how the hell do parents manage all this btw? I have 2 younger boys, one starts school next September, it's going to be so much for me to do around work.

By the time the third one is doing it you’ll just think “fuck that” and see how wrong it all is.

And in yr1 when my school were that age they had 30 mins “golden time” for playing on a Friday afternoon. That was it. And that got frequently cancelled for various reasons.

Sounds like a lot.
My DC is year 2 and they haven’t had anything yet. No spellings. No reading books. Nothing. Was told by school they are still settling in. We are in our third week!

Dd is in year 1. She has 3 spelling words each day to learn. But simple ones like My, In, Sat.
One book to read each week.
Practice with numbers before and after.
Practice writing 6 letters, write a word with each letter and write a sentence using the words.