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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Homework expectations

58 replies

ChristmasWithDC · 05/10/2021 17:29

My Ds is 9yo, in year 5. This year as well as having maths and spelling as weekly homework parents have been told that all pupils are expected to read for 30 minutes each evening and then fill in their reading record with how much they read, what happened and what they enjoyed or didn’t enjoy about it.

Ds is a competent reader who genuinely enjoys reading. I make sure every Sunday afternoon is free and we spend it doing homework, reading and then baking/ painting/ something similar as a family. Ds will happily read a whole 200-300 page book every Sunday afternoon.

I assumed this was fine and Ds has been filling in his reading record weekly with the book he’s read and a full paragraph on what he thought about it. Today he came home from school upset as he’s been told he has to stay in every break time this week to read for 10 minutes and then write it up as he didn’t do his homework. I messaged his teacher as I assumed it was a misunderstanding, Ds won’t speak up for himself if he’s told to do something even if he thinks it’s fair. Teacher messages me back to say that the homework expectations are very clear, Ds had not fulfilled them and the consequences are that he will now be doing it at break time instead.

I don’t know if I’m just being precious but from my POV that’s massively unfair. He’s doing the reading and the writing, he’s just doing it on one day instead of 7 but it’s still the same amount that is done. Ds has activities after school everyday apart from Wednesday and is absolutely shattered by the time he gets home. Making him then do reading will just make it seem like a chore when at the moment it is something he genuinely gets pleasure from.

Should I argue it and be THAT parent? Or should I just shut up and accept that’s the rules and he needs to do his homework in the way prescribed rather than the way I think is best?

OP posts:

Original poster

ChristmasWithDC · 05/10/2021 18:29

It’s to be done every night, 7 days a week. Ds probably does write about the same amount as if he was doing it every night, maybe slightly less. He writes a whole paragraph where as if he was doing it every night he’d just write a single sentence (and the book title, author and number of pages read though). It’s getting him to do the writing that is more of a slog. I could easily get him to read every night when he goes to bed but he has a habit of trying to read in the dark after I turn the lights off because he always wants to finish the books. Then he gives himself a headache, is tired the next day because he’s stayed up until midnight and would be expected to do more writing.

My main worry is that it will put him off reading. Reading is my absolute joy and I always felt my exH massively missed out because he’d absolutely refuse to consider reading a fiction book. I love that Ds has inherited my love of reading, I love chatting to him about books and get so excited for him when he reads books that I loved as a child for the first time. Making it so prescriptive seems almost guaranteed to put him off.

OP posts:

FuckingFlumps · 05/10/2021 18:29

True but at this age the teacher will still be monitoring if the child is fully understanding what they're reading.

In year 5? Not at any school I've worked at. If a child has made it to year 5 without anyone noticing they don't comprehend what they are reading and the child doesn't already have an action plan in place then I would be removing my child from that school.

PennyWus · 05/10/2021 18:33

That’s bonkers! I would let him carry on as normal, get him to write 7 separate sentences on Sunday about what he has read, on a piece of A5 paper, then you cut up the page and stick a sentence in to the reading record every evening.

It’s disappointing when schools behave like this. The aim surely is to produce children who engage in reading actively, and can concentrate, motivate themselves and organise their time ready for secondary school. After covid lockdowns I’d be clearly telling school that he needs his after school activities for is mental health, and that is more important than a rigid reading schedule which doesn’t suit his reading habits. Many avid readers like to binge a book then take a little break. Ten minutes reading is simply frustrating if you are reading a good book.

MilduraS · 05/10/2021 18:33

I'd argue it. It's lovely that your DS enjoys reading and does it for pleasure. I don't think it's fair to turn it into a chore.

I'm not a fan of homework anyway. I feel it disadvantages the children with parents who can't/won't support their education through lack of interest, time or knowledge.

rainyskylight · 05/10/2021 18:33

I was that child at school. My mother just wrote in and said that no, Rainy will carry on doing it the way she currently is. Mind you, I was also the child that sat out school swimming lessons because I was a club swimmer and instead sat in on English class with the year above instead. Things have probably changed quite a bit in 25 years though.

Pushkinia · 05/10/2021 18:33

@Essen

It sounds like a great way to put children off reading.

I agree with this and I'm a teacher. Reading is going to become such a chore that the children will start to hate it. Having to write about it in such detail will suck the joy out of reading entirely. This may be school policy or a teacher's own idea but I think it's a terrible one and I would be discussing it with the school.

ChimChimeny · 05/10/2021 18:34

best to approach it as “is it ok if DS does it this way instead as he has clubs and is tired”

This is how I'd approach it too. DD happily reads a few pages most nights but doesn't need to write anything, just literally the title of the book, if she had to write a mini book report every time it would definitely out her off.

CaptSkippy · 05/10/2021 18:34

School made me hate reading. It took me years after leaving high school to find my love of reading again. I don't think they do a good job of getting kids to read. The only thing they accomplish is making kids resent it.

TheAverageUser · 05/10/2021 18:34

My oldest is four so not sure what's normal but sounds a lot and bit nonsensical. I'd be inclined to lie and break the Sunday one in different days when writing it up.

drspouse · 05/10/2021 18:37

I would tell them how you are doing it and take it to the HT if it isn't resolved. This is a hill I'd definitely be prepared to die on.

Iheartbaby · 05/10/2021 18:38

Can’t you just let him read it as he wants to on a Sunday and then let him fill the reading diary in each day as if he had read every day instead of just Sunday

WeepySheepy · 05/10/2021 18:46

I'd ask the teachers reasoning for it first before arguing.

ittakes2 · 05/10/2021 18:54

I would just doctor the dates which is not good I know as its teaching him to get around the system!

Vickim03 · 05/10/2021 19:11

That’s a lot! We sit and do 10mins of reading, 10mins of ttrockstars and go through their spellings each day straight after school. My son is also y5. I have one in y3 too. We have project work pick and mix style for weekly homework. We’ve also been told in our school that they should read min 4 days a week, no mention of length but my son wouldn’t read any longer than that anyway. He hates it.

DDiva · 05/10/2021 19:20

@FuckingFlumps

True but at this age the teacher will still be monitoring if the child is fully understanding what they're reading.

In an ideal world but with difficulties in concentration and expression, really in year 5 all kids are that articulate ? Add in homeschooling through lockdowns I'm not surprised their progress is being closely monitored.

MMAMPWGHAP · 05/10/2021 19:28

It’s a very easy way to put someone off reading.
Couple of ideas.
Read 1 page or even one paragraph a night in the week. Write two sentences about it. Shouldn’t get told off for trying. Continue as normal at the weekend.

Just read on Sunday. Write up 7 short bits on paper then stick them in in the week.

Complain to the literacy lead.

FuckingFlumps · 05/10/2021 19:35

In an ideal world but with difficulties in concentration and expression, really in year 5 all kids are that articulate ?

I think you're underestimating most 9 and 10 year olds. Even with lockdown and homeschooling yes they should be articulate what they have read. I have reception age children from a deprived area who can explain the plot of a story and tell me what they liked and didn't like.

It is honestly atrocious homework almost guaranteed to turn children off reading and it's appalling that the teacher is using reading as a punishment.

Charley50 · 05/10/2021 19:42

I thought homework wasn't compulsory in primary school. Terrible strategy to keep a child in a break when they need to run around and get some fresh air.
I would challenge this.

SionnachRua · 05/10/2021 19:44

Jobsworth of a teacher (and I am a primary teacher!). I'd argue this myself, can't see why the teacher is fussing over it. It's such a petty thing to turn into a problem.

Pottedpalm · 05/10/2021 19:50

As others have said, this seems designed to suck the joy out of reading. My DS was a fluent reader, years ahead if his chronological age, and would read the dictionary if there were no new books available. He did not enjoy writing about what he read, though, and not every night!

CecilyP · 05/10/2021 19:50

That’s a really long homework; reading for 30 minutes, then paraphrasing what happened which could be quite a lot for a fast reader. The saying what you liked and didn’t- if it’s a good book what you didn’t like was probably nothing! The whole thing would probably take over an hour.

If it’s got to be done, just get him to read for a much shorter period so he has more time for the paperwork. He can always have another book on the go that he can actually enjoy reading.

SkyLarkDescending · 05/10/2021 19:52

As a teacher I think this is mad! Yes we would love all the children to read regularly at home but being so prescriptive with it is totally just going to put children off!

I would speak to the teacher and ask for the reasoning behind this rule. I would want to know if it was whole school policy and why they think punishment for not completing it should involve depriving children of their opportunities for physical activity at break times!

Hummingbird427 · 05/10/2021 19:57

You should challenge this one. Other parents will be under the same pressure. It's ridiculous that they're trying to dictate the structure and they need to accommodate other options which get the same reading exposure without pounding the joy out of it.

One size fits all approach is generally a bad idea forward for this stuff.
I'm amazed at some of the stuff teachers try to pull like this.

Zaccat1 · 05/10/2021 20:26

I would challenge … I think it’s fine to encourage children to read every day but to ask them to write a mini book report every night is ridiculous. My children, and most children I know, read in bed before going to sleep. I can’t think of anything worse than having to go through this rigmarole.
In addition does the teacher honestly read 30 x 7 paragraphs and provide meaningful, written feedback - I think not 😉

JudgeRindersMinder · 05/10/2021 20:29

I’d argue it, that’s one easy lesson in how to turn a child off reading just for enjoyment, by making it a chore.

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