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)

But homework for 5 year olds isn’t an inherent part of having children. It’s just daft 😂

I'd do the tasks. It's part of being a parent, helping your dc with schoolwork.

Really? A few minutes a day with your child helping get them into a good homework ethic even at 5yo.
Also gives you the opportunity to talk to them about other school/social stuff that may be on their mind.
I worked full time and we always did ‘homework’ together. H read to them at bedtime and he worked long hours too and probably didn’t feel like it most evenings.
Teachers don’t set homework to test/trap parents!
Step up and parent your child.

Oh come now - “low expectations” is just being dramatic.

Other countries don’t start compulsory schooling until 7 and produce perfectly functioning adults! 5 year olds here are in school all day, that’s plenty. How is forcing a 5 year old to do a worksheet “self motivated learning” anyway? It’s the opposite.

My mum pushed back against homework for me in young primary school because she thought it was excessive and a waste of time - I have multiple Oxbridge degrees. Does that help 😂

As a teacher, I don’t really believe in homework tasks for under 10s beyond reading and spelling.

I have to set it and report on it at parent meetings and end of year reports, but I do not care. By all means, tell the teacher your stance. They probably can’t change what’s written on the report etc, but you might find they agree it’s stupid too!

The research does not back homework in primary schools (beyond reading), there is no value added by busy work. Some argue it forms good habits later, I argue habit forming can happen in the first couple of years of secondary.

The children sit in a classroom all day. I’d rather my class spent their evenings playing and making their own choices than doing worksheets. They will learn more from this unstructured time.

Sack it off. She's 5. She's been learning all day at school. Are they incapable of fitting the learning of a 5 year old child into 9am - 3pm every weekday? Home is time to chill out, spend time with family, run around the garden, watch cartoons, draw a picture. Not sit at a table with some uninspiring worksheet.

Oh, so this is the reason my struggling fc has no bloody homework. Their school put it out to a vote and the "overwhelming" majority said to scrap homework. So no homework for my "behind" child and we are just having to muddle along to help them.
Well done for you're exceeding dc though

What about the kids who aren't doing so well though?

I'm fine with reading with them even enjoy it and I don't mind being asked for some help but otherwise I really resent any homework that requires lots of parent participation. If I wanted to do schoolwork with my child I'd have home educated.

There's nothing to stop you from doing extra work with your child if you think they would benefit from it. However, research actually suggests that for the vast majority of children homework has very little impact on achievement.

Why are you doing everything? Is dad not able to help?

All of those qualities can be learned doing something more productive and inspiring than a tick box (for the teacher) worksheet. Children that do sport, music, dance, brownies etc etc learn teamwork, commitment, work ethic, ability to stick with something when its hard. Just because a parent makes a judgement call to not do one particular activity which is causing stress in family life and is low worth (according to their judgement), it doesn't mean they are abdicating their responsibility as a parent.

This amount of homework at age 5 seems to me to be ridiculous. They’ve been at school for what - 5, 6, hours if they haven’t had enough learning in that time at that age, then how do teachers expect them to drum up further energy or concentration for homework. I’m not anti homework, there is a time and place for it certainly, just not I think for tired 5 year olds at the end of a school day.

YANBU most research suggests that the completion of homework at this age has no meaningful impact on learning. Reading, talking, and playing with your child is likely to be far more beneficial. Who cares if she gets a big fat X? It sounds like you know what is best for your child. The homework X will mean nothing in the long run but you and her being stressed all year over meaningless tasks will likely impact the mental health of you both. If I were you I’d probably go to the meeting equipped with references to some of the research that suggests homework is meaningless but that’s just me!

Let her be a child.

Let her read for pleasure rather than attainment. Find books and stories she loves, take her to the library, read the books you loved when you were a kid with her, watch the tv shows or films based on the books and talk about which was better, give her hot chocolate and biscuits and blankets and curl up together with a lovely book. She doesn't need to jump through standardised hoops, she just needs to know that she is capable and there is a whole world out there waiting for her to discover it.

What is " this amount" of homework ? A book to read (5-10 mins) a work sheet ( 10 minutes) the construction of the Tudor house ( for mine it was a pagoda and the shard) is surely not a daily task but a lovely crafting activity for a rainy weekend afternoon no ?

I’m shocked at how many people are banging on about how you should just do it. Why would anyone do something not in the best interest of their child just because someone else told them to do so?! The research in this area pretty clearly states there’s very little benefit and even OFSTED don’t require it for this age.

When mine were at school and I worked full time it was a nightmare to get homework done, they always had reading maths spellings and something else like a picture or a craft thing. We managed (we had 5 in primary at one point) spellings at breakfast, reading before bed between teeth cleaning and story, everything else sort of fitted in whilst I cooked dinner (thank god for a kitchen table)

I have my granddaughters 3 days a week after school, and we tackle homework then, last night we started a family tree to complete tonight, and instructions to make a sandwich, pictures to add tonight. I think we will have some maths tonight as well unless my son has managed it last night. My son and DIL do reading and spelling unless they ask me to help.

i love doing the homework with them I wish I had had parents who could have stepped up to help but that wasn’t going to happen. I have another grandchild who often visits at the weekend and will bring his homework for nana to help (he’s 12) I love doing it with him. Is there no one who could help you with it.

one thing I did do and my son does with his three, is copy out the spellings for the week and stick them on the fridge, you then can randomly ask a spelling or just one or two words and they are to hand for doing when you’re in the kitchen

We had a ridiculous "homework grid" when my youngest child was about 9 or 10, it was nonsense like "everyone in the family has to sing their own song, and say why it is their favourite" or "make up a short play and give everyone in the family a role".

Total nonsense. Especially when the family included two adults who had finished their own education, and two teenagers with their own homework to do and didn't have time to be twatting about singing songs and performing plays. We just didn't do it.

It's rubbish. Children should be playing. No wonder MH issues abound.

@RandomGeocache I’m actually laughing at the vision of your family trying to manage that.

it actually sounds like the teacher was quite keen and trying to be creative but if she didn’t have children at the time and later did I’m sure she was cringing when she realised what it would have been like to get those assignments as a parent.😂

My year 1 has their phonics book only. The school (which does well academically) is not heavy on homework at all, even at older ages. My child only gets home at 6-6.30pm 3 nights a week (in after school club) so there's not a lot of time before bed. Very different for those who are able to pick their child up at 3pm each day.

When mine were at primary, the headteacher sent a letter home saying studies had shown homework at that age was not that beneficial but it was sent as some parents insisted on it. It was left to us if it was done, no issues if it wasn't

Exactly, we did times tables in the car as well ( that was year 2, so age 6). DS had all of his up to 12 by October half term
Interestingly he and the child who we car pooled with are both now studying at Oxbridge, maybe just a coincidence.

We opted out, I was running a business my husband worked overseas 2 DS to manage and until they were about 10 I simply opted them out of homework tasks so we had time to walk the dogs, cook and relax after school.

They would read and play and build Lego and do all the things kids should be doing, they are 21 & 18 now so pre iPad kids.

School is for learning home is my home and where my DS have down time, and when they did start doing homework there as no drama over missed stuff.

Each to their own but my DS are both thriving so I’d deduce not doing homework at age 5 have zero impact on their lives.