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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think my son should not be asked to write F*ing poetry in year 1 for homework

229 replies

Reallytired · 29/02/2008 18:14

I feel its too soon. My son cannot spell and I would prefer it if he was given spellings for home work.

Frankly I think he should concentrate on basic literacy skills and hand writing.

OP posts:
katierocket · 01/03/2008 11:28

"Anyone who has ever worked in a place where the general public write in knows half the country can't spell and have rubbish handwriting."

Of course spelling and literacy is vital, of course it is. But they're only six FGS and you can do both - have imaginative learning and learn to read and spell.

stuffitllama · 01/03/2008 11:29

And yet so many of those who complain about spelling and grammar being drummed into them complain about poor spelling in adults and from teachers.

It doesn't happen by magic. Learning spellings is easy for kids compared with writing poetry. It's quick, and it's more important. Of course let them have their imaginations fired, let them write and read poetry but not for homework. Let them do it in school.

And lol at the idea that it's sacrilege to say f**ng and poetry in the same sentence. I'm sure many many male and female poets have done exactly that.

motherinferior · 01/03/2008 11:32

We're not complaining about the learning of spelling and/or grammar - we're saying that at this stage we seriously do not believe that spellings are 'more important' than learning how language works. That's like returning to the old-style model of learning a new language, where you do the grammar and words by rote before you use any of it.

stuffitllama · 01/03/2008 11:35

"Love of learning" doesn't address the reality of a child being asked to do a task which is not vital, which is extremely difficult because they can't write and spell properly, and for which they will not be rewarded or praised appropriately if their parent has helped despite the amount of effort it has cost them. It should not be given as homework, absolutely not. If it's a choice between poetry as homework and no homework at all, I'll go with no homework. But I prefer to have running through spelling and tables if they are going to have homework at all.

Twiglett · 01/03/2008 11:38

stuffitllama .. actually your premise is incorrect .. with current methods there is little need to drum spellings into children .. very little need

as I said before DS has never had spelling homeworks, we correct a few of his spellings but in general he is picking up an awful lot without the mind-numbing drumming of spellings ...

motherinferior · 01/03/2008 11:39

As far as I can see he's not being asked to write a sonnet! We're talking about a few rhyming lines, ffs, which means just chanting them through and writing them down!

Twiglett · 01/03/2008 11:39

'a task which is not vital' OMG

stuffitllama · 01/03/2008 11:42

Spellings are of course more important at a young age. This is an age at which "facts" are absorbed at an incredible rate, and it gets more and more difficult as the child gets older. You are storing up trouble for the future if you don't instil good spelling and grammar as early as possible. That is, IF you are going to teach them to read and write early, then you must teach them to do it properly, or you are wasting your time and instilling at a very young age the idea that spelling does not matter.

Old fashioned? Yup. But we didn't just learn the grammar the words without using them and nor should our children.

They WILL use the language and the grammar and the words -- they will use it in school, and for home reading (including of poetry, as many parents do). And no doubt will write stories and poems at home for their own and their parenst' pleasure. Because they will have a joy in understanding and loving good language, well used, beautifully put together.

Twiglett · 01/03/2008 11:43

You will never accept this. But you are just plain wrong!

stuffitllama · 01/03/2008 11:44

Why is it vital to learn to write poetry?

"drumming"? have you ever done spellings at home with your child? would you consider it "drumming"? I don't. It's not hard at all.

It's "a few rhyming lines" which this child finds exceptionally hard. And there is no need to instil this feeling of dread at this age. It could put him off for life. Now that would be really terrible.

Twiglett · 01/03/2008 11:45

and I say this as a pedant who actually notices bad grammar and spellings very quickly.

DS is year 2, never had spelling homework but has a great grasp on grammar rules and spelling. It is good teaching practice and developing a love of language that has created this ability.

Twiglett · 01/03/2008 11:47

I have never done spellings at home with either of my children. And don't need to.

Twiglett · 01/03/2008 11:47

it is the approach of the parent that instills the dread IMO

stuffitllama · 01/03/2008 11:49

Of course Twig I will never agree. I have seen the results of this and I see them every day. I am a literature graduate and think the joy that you can derive from beautifully put together language is something which can add an extra dimension to anyone's life. Or we are left with the mediocre and the "it doesn't matter". Absorption of spellings, grammar and tables is easier when younger, and creative writing more difficult -- the balance changes as a child ages. It is intensely frustrating for anyone, including a child, who has wonderfully creative ideas to be unable to express them through an incomplete and narrow grasp of language.

stuffitllama · 01/03/2008 11:52

Blame the parent?

Come on, you cannot mean that.

I assume you don't need to do spellings with your children because they're good at it, which is of course great. What about the children who aren't, and are given poetry to write and struggle with.

My children are given spellings as homework and I never have to go through them because they are good at it too. But if they weren't, I would need to run through them together, or they wouldn't have learned them. That's time well spent.

Twiglett · 01/03/2008 11:56

Yes I do blame the parent. A hypothetical parent and not the OP in this case who I think should speak to the teacher about positive reinforcement of effort.

I have seen parents stress out at this young age; get cross at their children; get competitive with others. I have seen parents making any homework work rather than fun.

Playing with words is fun. Making up stupid songs and rhymes is fun.

dinny · 01/03/2008 11:57

Twiglett, you always speak such sense!

Twiglett · 01/03/2008 12:02

thanks dinny

interesting link from another thread in education today: www.aowm73.dsl.pipex.com/dyslexics/spelling.htm

stuffitllama · 01/03/2008 12:05

Sorry this is not sense if you have read the OP.

"Playing with words is fun. Making up stupid songs and rhymes is fun."

So why turn it into homework?

I agree about postive reinforcement -- if you're read through I said the parent needs to do anything to get the teacher to praise the child's work. But what about those children whose parents don't, can't take this approach, perhaps because they are themselves poorly educated? It reinforces a sense of failure. As I can see you know that children are very easily discouraged at this age and it's clear that an assignment like this can go wrong in so many ways. The handwriting, the spelling, the rhymes that don't work, is it long enough, is it a struggle to get it on paper.

In class, yes. At home, for fun, yes. Or at home, as a surprise for the teacher, yes. But not as homework.

mrsruffallo · 01/03/2008 12:06

I agree twig. If you approach writing the poem as a fun thing to do, maybe even write more than you need to and choose the best- I am sure the teacher will praise creativity and rhyming ability as well as spelling.

KerryMum · 01/03/2008 12:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

stuffitllama · 01/03/2008 12:10

yes yes yes yes yes

BUT NOT AS HOMEWORK

dinny · 01/03/2008 12:11

really interesting link, Twiglett, will have a more thorough look at home tonight.

my instinct is that early readers who zoom off way ahead are using memory and this may even hinder them later as they haven't properly understood phonics fully. think that is true?

slowly slowly is the best approach?

stuffitllama · 01/03/2008 12:12

Mrs R I think we are all agreed the teacher needs to praise the child more. She isn't doing at the moment which is part of the problem.

Twiglett · 01/03/2008 12:12

but stuffit .. just because a teacher has set it as homework that's no reason to make it 'not fun' surely?

Approach the homework as a guideline for something fun that can be done together. "Oh wow we're doing poems, how cool!" rather than "Oh god they want you to do another poem"

I really cannot comprehend how any parent of such a young child would approach homework as a 'serious affair' ... we never have .. but then we get one piece of homework for the weekend that takes a short time.

Anything can be made into fun .. shit, I'm turning into Polyanna

Anyway gotta go .. I'm taking my year 2 DS to see A Midsummer Night's Dream today at a children's theatre .. am unbearably excited