To not bother with weekly ‘busy work’ homework tasks?

[MissYouForever]

My daughter is in year 1. She has weekly spellings with a weekly test and of course her school reading book. Both of these I fully understand the importance of and we do always make sure these are all completed.

But we are also being set weekly tasks for English and Maths that I really, really do not have the time to organise and motivate my child to do. It is clearly to support their learning in whatever they are are being taught this week, but in all honesty it just feels like a box ticking exercise from the school/teacher.

AIBU to just not bother? She is 5! She is doing great at school, no problems at all. I know it will be brought up to me in the the parents evening and I hate that feeling that I’m letting my child down or not being a good enough parent to force these silly tasks to be completed every week. It’s just too much. I have a younger child, trying to manage work, the household and maintain my own sanity.

I just feel like it’s yet another expectation on the parents. Another thing we are scrutinised with and made to feel inadequate about. And I just find it irritating seeing an end of year report for my child with top ticks on all the ‘exceeding expectations’ criteria for academic progress and behaviour except a big red X on the homework heading because we didn’t do enough of the tasks (this was last year)

There’s no evidence to say that homework in primary affects educational outcomes.

However, if there isn’t a spare 20 mins in the evening that suggests you’re very stretched so I’d look at that anyway, even if you don’t intend to do the homework.

Primary school homework makes NO difference to achievement. Loads of studies have shown this. Don't do it!

I see the importance of homework as they get to older primary age, and I do see the importance of habit setting. But i think if you’ve still got young children and most things are a battle anyway especially when they’re tired after school, adding in silly ‘busy work’ tasks to the week just makes things worse surely?

What I don’t want to do is create an environment where she resents homework or it becomes a struggle to do. Last year when we had the tasks, I waited until the weekend and then tried to fit them in. I’m not prepared to be forcing my child every week to sit down and do something that they don’t want to do. Especially when I usually also have a 3 year old hanging off my arm screaming about something. It’s just stressful.

I think I’m more aggravated as they were initially sent homework ‘sheets’ but we were expected to print them ourselves. Most parents don’t have printers (myself included) and enough people complained that the teacher now just clearly writes out the homework sheet tasks instead in a paragraph so we’re basically having to draw these sheets ourselves and then do them!

Same. A child’s education is a joint effort. Too many parents happy to sit back and leave it to school and then complain after

Learning is not just something that happens at school and parents do need to contribute too. Yes even at 5 - especially at 5

You do realise that learning especially at age 5 is done in many ways and just because it's a worksheet or project set by school it isn't superior learning in comparison to the many other things small children do outside of school right?

Not one person on this thread including the OP has indicated that they leave all the learning to schools but not completing a maths worksheet or building a model replica of a Tudor house is not going to impact a child's education.

I would suggest the opposite is true. I accept I am an old fart (nearly 50 with DC of 19 & 21) but if 20 minutes of study after tea or breakfast is established now ( would always feed them 1st even if just a biscuit) then it will make life easier when they are in KS2/3. It might be a battle for a week but then it will just be normal.

Completely agree with this. Any homework set at this age should be able to be completed by the child with either no or minimal parent input. Apart from reading or revising for a quiz.
I dont recall my parents ever helping me with homework.

I would suggest that doing these things with a parent is teaching how to focus on something not terribly rewarding for 20 minutes or so, fine motor skills and hopefully having a conversation with an adult whilst doing it. All of this is important age 5.

I think at that age you do what you can. I also have a DC in year 1, we were given a sheet expecting them to practice 10 spellings every day (there was a column to fill in for each day) I think we will probably manage 3 days max. Older DC is in year 4 and can do 90% of his homework independently, but in year 1 they really need their hand held the entire way through and most parents I know just dont have the time. I know a few who refuse to do any of it.

Sorry "I don't have time" = I don't want to do this = crap parenting 9 times out of 10. All the south asian and african families I know do school work with their DCs daily and in most cases both parents work ft.

I only do the reading with my kids. From the get go they're on their own with spellings and other busy work. Sounds harsh and mean I know. But my eldest who is in secondary does all her homework woth zero prompting because that's always been the expectation and my middle child in upper primary is the same with his homework. If he wants a good mark on that spelling test he knows how to get it.

Homework was always this huge battle in my childhood, with me crying my eyes out and my parents shouting at each other. A couple missed breaks for not doing it would have soon taught me to do my homework so the drama was pointless. I'll be damned if my kids go through what I did.

We're in Scotland. Mine just had reading books to complete and spelling is optional.

That's a ridiculous amount of homework for a 5yo!!

I work on my feet, come home, do house work, make dinner, wash up, do laundry and collapse in a heap. Yes it is a struggle to squeeze in 30 mins homework every single day. Piss off.

I agree 5 year olds shouldn’t be getting homework but just to mention at my son’s school if they don’t do the homework they stay in Friday lunch to complete it.

A 5 year old does NOT need homework.

Reading with them at home should be fine.

That's absolutely ridiculous.

Surely parents have pushed back against this?

I loathe homework in primary school with a passion. I am not a teacher, if my child needs my support then it is not homework, it is me doing a teacher's job. It should be reading and spellings only in my opinion, until possibly the last year of primary school.
And as for the setting them up in a routine for later years, this is nonsense. My DS is autistic and I refused to do any homework beyond reading and spellings with him for years and now in P6 he is settled into a routine of homework at 7pm every evening, because guess what? He is now mature enough for it.

By contrast my DD, also autistic has always done all her homework, with very little input from us. The difference was that she enjoyed it, was happy to do it and it didn't disrupt family life.

If homework is causing stress at home it is not worth it. I would not allow my home to become a battleground every evening for the sake of a couple of worksheets.

I did this too when mine were primary age ( worked on my feet often without a break) Do you have a partner ? Can you supervise homework whilst cooking ? or batch cook to free more time ? Do you have to do laundry every night ? Could that be shifted to the morning ?

If you don’t have the time or inclination to get the homework done now god help you later on, surely when you choose to have kids you do so in the knowledge they are a lot of work?

Your child's school sounds awful! They genuinely make them stay in and complete the pointless homework presumably whilst all their classmates are having fun on a Friday afternoon?

Learning, self motivated learning and understanding is a skill that has to be developed otherwise at by the time they’re 13 or doing exams they have to skills or motivation to revise of manage self study.

Spending a bit of time in the evening or morning doing some work is not a hardship even at 5. Have some down time post school and then homework time/ reading or spelling for 10-30 minutes. Break it up into short segments.

why does everyone have such low expectations of themselves and their children. It’s horrible.

Not that I’m aware of it’s been a consistent rule for years. TBH my ds has Sen needs so doesn’t always do the same as the others.

For a start, compulsory education in Singapore starts at aged 7. If homework made any difference, surely our 4,5 and 6 year olds would be academically advanced compared to their peers in Singapore (spoiler - they're not).
No-one is doubting that it's important to do homework when older (upper primary or secondary), but even then, the quality of the homework set needs to be good (this is true in Singapore where, by the way, students have the option to complete their homework at school).
A few worksheets printed from twinkl, completed at 6pm when a 5 year old is tired and half way through their dinner, is not going to make the difference as to whether a child 'gets it' or not.
Either way, you can't compare education in different countries that easily. There is so much more at play, and aside from homework, our country has a massive problem in terms of the reputation of and attitude towards education which contribute to poor outcomes. The root of those problems are complex and certainly cannot be fixed by homework.

What even is "busy work"?

Mine had had "homework" since reception. One page in a maths and English workbook once a week. Takes about 60 seconds to complete each. Sounds like your school is doing something v different?