AIBU to not do homework with reception age DC?

[SunStorms]

I fear I may be…

I didn’t go through the UK education system and didn’t start learning to read and write until I was 7 so the UK system is alien to me. We never had homework at primary age so I have no idea what is normal here.

I read to my reception age DC every night, we do lots of craft activities, learn about nature, science and history together, they have a great general knowledge, I thought I was doing fine as a parent but…

School send home a reading book, a phonics and maths worksheet every few weeks. We do them. It seemed like a lot to me as I never had homework at 7, let alone 4!

Except it seems the school expected me to be practicing reading/phonics and maths with them using an app regularly. We relocated to the UK just before DC started school so I missed the parents’ induction meeting. We haven’t been doing it until another mum mentioned it on a play date. The school hasn’t said anything but after asking other parents, it seems everyone else has been doing it daily or at least several times a week. I feel awful 😞 My DC is a long way off the end of year goals. I had no idea.

If you are in the UK, how often do you practice writing, reading, phonics, maths etc with your reception age child? Daily, several times a week, weekly, occasionally, never? How long do you spend doing it?

I thought I could make a personalised poll in AIBU but I can’t even get that right 😩

@Becles i agree - I remember bringing home a little tin of words I had to learn to spell for the weekly test.

I could read and write when I started school, I’d mastered lower and upper case letters. I think it was much more common for kids of the 80s and 90s to have stronger skills going into school, at least that was the case in my area. Far less for the teachers to do if half the class is free-reading by the end of Reception.

Homework isn't compulsory for primary school age children.
However, my two dc get a reading book which they read and I have to record it say they've read, what worlds they found difficult to read ect. The school also set out a termly homework with 10 homework pieces to do but you don't have to do them. I tend to do some of them with mine as it keeps them doing different things. It normally includes spellings, maths, writing, art project often linking to science, history, geography or religion.
But tbh I do get my children to do two worksheets I print of myself a week, one English/literacy/phonics/ spelling and one maths piece

Read the phonics book to back up the phonics teaching at school. Practice basic addition and subtraction and number sense every day buy in fun ways: count up red cars as you walk along the street, use toys or other objects to ask one more/one less, etc.

If the homework is reasonable, do it. If not, have a conversation with the teacher.

I was in a system where I learned to read at 7, too. That's Y3 here in the UK, when children are expected to be reading basic chapter books already and have their 2, 5, and 10x tables memorised by the start of autumn term.

One of the mums pointed me to learning resources on the school website. It doesn’t specify how often you are supposed to use them. Apparently, I was supposed to read each reading book with my DC several times and fill in the dates and comments on the worksheet. I thought I was meant to do it once 😞

I know I sound stupid but I went to a Steiner Waldorf school in another country so not only did we not learn these things at 4, formal learning at that age was considered damaging.

We haven’t had parents’ evening yet and the school haven’t said I need to do more. I will ask after the holidays. However, having just seen the previous thread about handwriting, it reminded me about the conversation about homework I had a few weeks ago Iso I just looked up the EYFS goals. My DC can write their name, knows some letters, is starting to blend and can count to 10. They are a long way from where they should be at the end of next term. I feel like I have let them down.

It differs between schools. We've been at two primaries and neither did homework other than sending home a weekly reading book (in Reception a v basic phonics type reader).

We used to get a suggestion sheet each term for ways we could support activities but it would be things like looking at odd and even door numbers or counting parked cars. There was no obligation to do it.

Can you ask at parents' evening how you can best support your child?

If you are in the UK, how often do you practice writing, reading, phonics, maths etc with your reception age child? Daily, several times a week, weekly, occasionally, never? How long do you spend doing it?

Read to them at bedtime, or they read, their choice. Write in the odd card, rarely. Maths as directed by child, they like to ask others maths questions, they are also allowed to play on a maths app to keep them quiet when needed.

hmm - I was born in 1984. No homework in primary school until year 5/6/7. (So early 90’s). Then it was minimal.

We didn’t do homework in reception, DS was in the onsite afterschool club and they didn’t do homework with any of the younger children as a policy. As they were tired enough, and they needed to rest and some unstructured playtime after school.

Grated the tits off his reception teacher. Who accused me of being a bad parent because I worked full time. She now has a preschooler, has gone back to work full time, and her husband is my now DS year 6 teacher. Her husband has predicted my DS at receiving greater depth on most of his up coming SATS.

Just do what you can and what your child wants to do, learning should be fun and engaging at primary age, not fucking worksheets and ticking boxes.

Plenty of time to catch up once you've spoken to the school.

I'd try not to dwell too much on your own schooling though because that's irrelevant.

Mine gets a phonics book to read (3-4 times), a book for us to read (we read lots so only read this if she asks for it) and a homework like record some things you did in the holidays using drawing, wrong or photos.

It's all fine, but I think only the phonics reading is really useful for us. The homework thing has been improved by asking her what she wants to do for it as she generally suggests something simple. I really resented that part at the beginning.

I'm a teacher and it really annoys me that my child's infant school (so age 4-7) really pushes apps. We practise spellings and maths now and again, but not on a screen. If you're going to do one thing, read. Read, read, read.

@SunStorms

No you haven't failed.
School would have told you if you needed to step up.

You will learn along the road. Don't worry too much.

I think I am using the wrong word and I don’t mean homework. I guess I mean using learning resources? The other DC are practicing reading most days at home, watching things like Numberblocks, playing maths games on the app. It seems to be mostly fun stuff.

@SunStorms

I read to my reception age DC every night, we do lots of craft activities, learn about nature, science and history together, they have a great general knowledge, I thought I was doing fine as a parent but…

You are doing fine!

Are you bilingual?

My youngest is reception age. She reads a couple short books to me a day, we do 10-15 mins on her maths app, and there are usually 1-2 worksheets a week which take maybe 10-15 mins. So on average maybe 30 mins total per day. But, she absolutely loves reading and maths, is very keen to do it and is usually the one saying 'mummy can we do my reading please', so its really easy. My oldest had a similar amount but it took over an hour a day - 45 mins 'encouraging' and 15 mins actually doing, and with hindsight I wished I hadn't pushed as hard as it caused lots of meltdowns, which weren't worth the benefits

Ah you haven't let them down at all. They are so little and change so quickly.

Have a word with the teacher after the holidays to clarify what you should be doing in terms of homework.

Really I'd say get them reading as much as possible and read to them. Take them to the library and let them pick books.

Count things in every day life, slices of pizza,splashes in the bath etc. encourage them to do simple addition and subtraction using fingers or counters /bits of pasta etc.

Play games with dice so they start to be able to recognise small numbers.

With regards to your actual question my reception age child gets a reading book a day and one lot of writing/spelling practice a week.

When I went to school in mid-late 80s I remember getting reading, spellings and times tables homework.

We definitely didn't have an app or anything in reception! Reception was just read to them/with them as often as possible. From Y1 they had Mathletics but was optional. Only in Y4 have they got a bit serious about homework (but I think that just the teacher tbh)

We almost always make sure our reception age child does their homework but this is definitely not a volume that means doing something every day. What they get varies depending on what they're learning. Since the beginning of spring term they get three reading books a week. For the Easter hols they got this and one worksheet based on technology which is a topic they're going to do after the holidays. The books each take about 5 mins to read. We also read to her most nights before bed as well. She also has a maths workbook that we may do a few mins of here and there when we have time and she fancies it but I recognise it's not necessary. Most of her phonics group are in year 1 so she's doing very well with her reading and at parents evening they had no concerns about any other aspects.

Our school expects reading three times a week and phonics daily. The phonics is just practicing the songs they do at school so doesn’t take long and we do it while DD is playing or when we are in the car. We usually manage the reading but occasionally don’t, we do read to her every night before bed though, just not always the school books. My daughter loves writing and maths so she does some of that pretty much every day as part of her playing.

@somptuosité

Why is that important? I know it's not my thread but I am just curious.

I don’t like the expectation that your child is to read the same book with you several times. My children would have found that infuriating.

I would have them read a phonics book to me every day (I particularly liked the Julia Donaldson Songbirds series). I also got my children to practise writing 0 to 9 (as it’s so much easier once they stop writing them the wrong way round). They may get some spellings in the summer term but it’s a bit early for times tables.

Ok. I feel bad because we obviously have some catching up to do to reach the EYFS goals 😞

So it seems the norm is to try and practice the reading book or the phonics list most days for 10 mins or so. What about maths? Just counting and maths games as and when? And what are number bonds? 😂 How about handwriting? I think that is what concerns me most. DC can write their name but doesn’t form the letters correctly eg they start at the bottom or draw a circle then a line to make a d. Should we be working on that at home? I can’t imagine them writing a sentence by the end of the year!

In reception we read every day and near the end for simple spellings

In 1 reading every day. Spellings once a week and a project every term so 6 a year

In 2 (now) reading every day. Math app that do daily games for 5/10mins a Maths homework over weekend / spellings once a week and project 6 times a year so each term

My dds reception teacher recommended practicing phonics 3 x per week for " their age plus two minutes" so 6 mins for. 4 yr old.

Have a look at the stickers on the books they send home to understand if dc is on phase 1, 2, or 3 as the expectation by end of reception is completion of phase 3 for majority of kids.

My dd is summer born and probably won't reach that but we are focussing on better concentration and practice, which the teacher says is improving her learning at school. It's important that they enjoy it though no don't feel under pressure.

You might find dc is flying and extra work at home offers little added value.