Year 1 Homework

[Worriedmum888]

Hello,

My DC (and PFB 😄) has just started Year 1 at a good school in which Headteacher changed a couple of years ago.

The new head is all about “learning through play”.

Dont get me wrong, they should play a lot at this age, but at the same I feel that parents should go hand in hand with school and support any learning done there.

So, our school gives not at all homework, not even optional! We get a book to read, which is like a sentence in each page, like what they had by the end of reception. This is not even challenging!

We are half way term 1 and I have no visibility what they are doing in maths apart from a little sentence each week saying things like “we learn how to increase numbers up to 10” .

In the UK homework is a taboo topic with many advocates that it harms kids.

In this instance though I feel that kids are not challenged, are not reaching their full potential. We live in a heavily grammar area and academic excellence is important for those they want, but here we are not even given the opportunity.

We could have 5 words to practice spellings, a weekly phonics challenge or a maths sheet just to understand what is taught. That would have taken 30’ on a Saturday morning and I would have better visibility on what is taught and how to support school.

Am I paranoid? Please help me!

YABU - Yes you are
YANBU - No you are not

YABU. No homework policies are great. Focus on enriching your DC’s life in the ways that only parents can do.

The school should have their curriculum documents available - they are most likely on the website. You don’t need homework to find out what they are doing.

There is nothing at all to suggest that homework helps at this age. Use your time to read with your child lots, try to visit new places and give them lots of experiences. Not all learning has to be in school.

The approach of the head wanting things play based is exactly how it should be. I work in early years and too often the step from reception to year 1 is massive and too much for many.

I love the sound of no homework!
The most important thing you can do is read with your child so I would just enjoy the freedom of choosing books together and reading them for fun. You can always do a few little exercises based on what you know they are doing in maths… believe me they will get plenty in a few years so I wouldn’t push it

We get given lots of things to do at home but they are optional. My eldest is also in Y1 and the teachers advise spellings will be sent home after half term.

At the moment we prioritise reading and do at least ten minutes a week of the online maths games, and then occasionally do some of the other activities provided.

If you feel the reading books are too easy for your child then it is worth mentioning it to the teacher.

My child is very bright (oldest in the year) and I don’t think is particularly challenged at school. I understand their priority is to get all children to a certain standard, and if a cohort has many children who need more work to get there, there is less time for the more capable children. You have to put the effort in as parents.

You could buy workbooks to do or get reading books from the library, if you want to do more learning at home.

You do realise you can still do that yourself without the school mandating it right?

I think even in a school that gives homework, your DC wouldn't recieve any in the first few weeks of year 1. Ours set spellings in year one, then homework from year two and timetables from year three. If you want them to do some work at home, how about signing up to twinkle, reading eggs or times tables rockstars (when a little older).

I love that we don’t have the pressure of homework. In my opinion, other parts of home life - sports and seeing friends are much much important to overall wellbeing and learning than extra school.
why do you feel the need to have homework from the school anyway, if you’re concerned just dosh it out yourself 🤷‍♀️

Be careful what you wish for. DS is in Y2 now, but since Y1 has been getting weekly spellings, maths worksheet, maths app task, phonics practice and reading (book changed every time we complete the reading record). I find it incredibly stifling sometimes just to fit it all in, even though the individual tasks don’t take too long. As a PP suggested, if you really want to support what school are covering then spend some time looking at the curriculum and think about how you can create opportunities to stretch the learning at home.

I agree it’s extremely helpful to reinforce learning at home and get your kids in the habit of accepting help from you.

Has the school held a parent meeting to explain what is being taught this term, and sent you a curriculum plan?

In absence of school direction I would work a little bit each morning on phonics and basic words (we had a big pile of cards containing two and three letter words that could be read phonetically. Once dc had learned those we introduced the new phonic sounds he was learning at school but you really need to know if he has done “ng” and “ch” before you ask him to read “sing” and “chat”. You could ask his teacher for feedback on what the phonics work is each week (different ability groups will be on different sounds).

I would also work on pencil grip and forming letters correctly, do a little of that every morning (just pick 3 letters and copy out ten times). Also work on addition and subtraction facts for numbers summing to no more than ten (move on to “up to 20”next term if secure on “up to 10”).

Read to dc every evening too.

My ds in y1 had a maths homework with lovely colourful exercises to do, we did three pages each week. There was always a practical maths task, eg getting a pile of pennies and figuring out if you had an odd or even amount and so on. We also had handwriting practice and a short grammar task once a week (very simple eg making words plural). Then also phonics exercises and tasks on Purple Mash. And three books: a library book, a “read yourself” book and a “read with extra help” book.

I really appreciate being part of DC’s learning journey because he started unable to recognise letters or write, he only knew his numbers up to ten. By end y1 he was a Gold band reader and can write full sentences and has mastered his 2, 5 and 10 times tables and related division facts. I do not believe he could have done this well without consistent homework and he is proud of his progress.

Reaching full potential? Part of the way through the first half term of year 1! You will have a long road ahead if you don’t relax a bit. Worrying about grammar school admission is on the crazy side of life.

Follow her interests and learn some cool things, read to her, encourage comprehension and planning the next step in a story. Ask about her day and be genuinely interested in what she tells you - even if that is what her friend had for lunch.

Buy a couple of 10 minute workout CGP books off Amazon for maths and English.

Just do mental maths in the car as part of normal life like how to divide the 4 bar kit kat between 3 children! You don’t need worksheets to engage with anything you or your child is interested in. Cooking board games card games talking about the full moon the tides there’s a wonderful world out there.

But @Justcallmedaffodil it is so much more helpful if what you are doing at home aligns with what they are learning in the classroom. Sure, we can learn about money, tell time, recognise shapes and measure or weigh things easily at home. But it “sticks” better if they are doing these things in school at the same time.

I agree it is feels a bit much sometimes (ds now in y2 has TT rockstars, English homework, two reading books, spellings and maths every week) but we aren’t told off if it’s not done perfectly every week!

Not to be contrary but there is evidence that homework has a positive impact at primary (as well as secondary)
https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/teaching-learning-toolkit/homework

It’s fairly well established that homework in primary school does not improve outcomes.

Go ahead and do whatever educational support you like, but don’t put it on the school or the other parents.

We just do it at home without the guidance. So a few pages of a maths book per week, reading and her DS to write a sentence every day at the breakfast table. This was mainly because my youngest was in year 1 during COVID and we realised how much the teachers hadn't picked up on where she was/what she hadn't understood. So now we do little check ups with both DC using the books.

But you have got homework?

Reading book
Spellings
Either phonics or maths

How much do you want for year 1?

Homework at this age isn’t needed. Make sure you read lots and get out and about. If you’re worried about the books not being challenging, ask the teacher for the next level to try. But you can do things yourself - do you have a library or bookshop nearby? You can find lots of great games online or websites to print activities from. You can also buy some nice board games that focus on logic games/maths. Or do some word searches (English) or bake following recipe (life skills, motor skills, maths, reading).

applying learning at this age is more important. Skill will develop more naturally and your child will probably enjoy it more than sit down sheets etc!

have fun!

i don’t think the OP does get this - just the reading book.

Your kid is 5!

"Homework" should be

• reading. Get books from the library, read at home
• incorporate learning into daily life. Help mum write out a shopping list, follow a recipe and measure ingredients
• play board games, dice games etc
• build with lego and talk about how you are rotating the pieces, counting the dots etc

Provide rich learning opportunities across a broad spectrum and not only focussed on things like maths & english. Piano lessons, swimming, a nature group, a dance class.

@Didimum how is this possibly true, when it’s a known fact that tutoring improves children’s performance so they can pass 11+?

I simply don’t understand this idea that all children will simply “absorb” knowledge and skills from everyday life. Sure, I can say to ds “come and help me peg out washing.” And then I’ll say “pass me some pegs … oh you gave me three but I need five, can you work out how many more I need and hand them to me please?”

But two minutes later he will just run off and dig holes in the garden or jump on the trampoline.

Whereas if we sit quietly indoors for 20 minutes I can do some lovely focused maths and I don’t need to worry about creating “learning moments” when I’m trying to get chores done!

I read to my DC a lot, I used to read since 1 year old, through nursery and now at school and I will continue doing for pleasure. However, school is not only about pleasure it has to teach you discipline and resilience, it has to challenge you! This is not nursery, it’s Year one.

And how reading supports number bonds?

Why do I have to go through activity books on my own? I am not an educator and I don’t know what exactly is taught at school each week. A sentence for each subject is not sufficient to either understand her level or improve her knowledge.

And we only have two consultations per year.

Again, I understand reading is crucial, but there should be more than that. They are not toddlers. KS1 sets the foundation for KS2.

Trips and museums and life experiences can come along too, it’s not either or.

Other schools provide math quizzes, weekly challenges, spellings… why ours nothing? Not even optional? I really feel the school is letting me down and I am not sure how to address it. Speak with the head? With the teacher? I can’t move my DC to a more proactive and academic-focused school, there are friendships formed and I don’t want to upset their emotional world.

Coaching a child to pass a test is not improving educational outcomes or intelligence. 11+ coaching is not ‘primary school homework’. Schooling in a grammar is what may improve educational outcomes.

Intelligence is largely genetic and KS1 SAT results are indicative of GSCE outcome.

Your child is 5. Let them enjoy being 5.

You admit yourself your not an educator so perhaps listen to the viewpoint of the head and her experience and let that support your child’s education.

But there is evidence that primary school homework leads to, on average, 3 months of progress. You can have a no homework philosophy for your family and agree that it’s good to do wider learning, but it’s unhelpful to dismiss the evidence base.
OP you will probably need to make your own Y1 homework - spelling, writing and maths.