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AIBU?

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Original poster

to be slightly gobsmacked that my reception-year DD has HOMEWORK?!

39 replies

AnnieLobeseder · 04/10/2009 18:24

That's it really. She's just started reception, turned 4 just over a month ago and this weekend I opened her school bag and found she's come home with 3 worksheets of letters to practice and colour in.

It wasn't loads of work but homework? In Reception? Is this normal?

OP posts:
TeamEdwardTango · 04/10/2009 18:31

Totally not normal. YANBU.
My DS1 is coming home with sounds that he has learnt made into a little booklet (and he'd probably love letter sheets to do) but that's not the point. 4 is far too young for homework.

swanriver · 04/10/2009 18:43

If she's happy doing it, then - she'll probably feel proud of having homework.
It is normal to be given phonic worksheets, but it is up to you what you make of them.
If you don't feel she is ready to tackle writing, or it causes any belligerence I would refuse to do it.
And read a lovely book with her instead so that you don't need to feel in the slightest bit guilty.
That is just my personal opinion, I agree it is very very irritating to be given formal homework. I suppose it just jolts some parents into taking an interest, when they might not have...
And of course there will be some parents tapping their fingers impatiently because they WANT homework.

BloodRedTulips · 04/10/2009 18:44

over here they get homework from Junior Infants (equivalant to reception)

dd will start getting homework after the hallowe'en break.

i think they do longer days than reception kids too, 5 hours.

bergentulip · 04/10/2009 18:51

IF they are happy to do it, what's the problem. My DS1 (also reception) feels really grown up and wants to practice.

Besides, I don't think they get told off for not doing it. It's not enforced.

bergentulip · 04/10/2009 18:51

to practiSe.... I meant.

HKT · 04/10/2009 18:54

My DC's school has a written contract to sign before they start up, to say that we, the parents, will help and support the DC's education - in this they mention homework from yr2 being either maths or English (except they don't call it that - it's numeracy or literacy) From reception they have home help, which is reading or phonics. The idea is that when the child does this work with their parents, it gets them used to the idea of doing some work from home as well, to prepare them for when the work gets harder.
We are encouraged to do as much or as little as the DC is capable of, so if my DS in reception is tired, we don't even open his bookbag. Sometimes he's really proud of what he's learnt so that he's really keen to do some.
In the end, it only needs be 5 minutes at a time, so I really don't see a problem with it

claw3 · 04/10/2009 18:56

My ds got similar homework in reception, i dont think its unusual.

gingernutlover · 04/10/2009 18:58

are you sure they are homework that has to be done and handed in?

A lot of my reception class take things like this home because thye choose to, not because I have given them out. They take them from our writing area because they are intrested and want to show mum and dad what they know.

Also it might just be that those 3 letter sheets are the letters thye have learned this week and the teacher is sending them home to make youa ware of what they have been doing.

Check with the teacher, it would be quite unusual for a reception child to have actual homework to do like that. It is normal for them to have a readink book and maybe a letter book or flashcards to share at home.

busybutterfly · 04/10/2009 19:02

We got the written contract too and I refused to sign it on the grounds that a) it wasn't enforceable and b) anyone who fought to get into DDC's school (or any decent school) would be doing the stuff anyway. No-one chased it up so I think they think it's a ridiculous government target.
Anyway, in answer to your question DDC's only had reading homework in reception but more when they turned 5 (spellings, maths, handwriting).

slowreadingprogress · 04/10/2009 19:12

My ds always had lots of these sheets in reception as well. He was really, really struggling in reception because he was a) too young to cope with it anyway and b) has some SEN which make his abilities in some areas way behind, so I certainly did not push these sheets at him to do. He was desperate to just play play play at home and his play was SO nothing to do with sitting down and completing worksheets!!!

For him it was very important that school could be forgotten at the end of the day and that home was home and a refuge

Teachers never chased up these sheets, most of the time I binned 'em

Yes it's important to support their education but as a parent you are taking a holistic view of your child's development, not just their education, and to me my DS was best served at this age and stage, by not doing homework

Sibble · 04/10/2009 19:14

ds in reception gets homework too. He loves doing it though, it's not alot a book to read each night and for the week 2 words to learn a letter and a number. He loves showing me what he's doing and learning. I agree it they want to do it it's not a problem, if they don't it might be worth asking the teacher if it's essential.

MANATEEequineOHARA · 04/10/2009 19:23

Dd is in reception, she has 4 or 5 letters a week to practise and reading books. But she wants more so that is fine.
When ds was in reception I didn't bother getting him to do homework, it wasn't the right thing for him at the time I didn't think, so we just didn't do it, funnily enough not doing homework in reception did not hinder his progress!

Hando · 04/10/2009 19:34

Bloodredtulips - My dd did the first week of reception for mornings only, then right into full days 9am-3pm for the rest of the reception year, aged 4-5.

We have never had any homework, not even spellings, phonics or words. Our head teacher doesn't "believe" in homework, so we won;t be getting any in yr1 yr2 or y3

pippylongstockings · 04/10/2009 19:43

We get 3 reading books a week. My DS loves 'reading' them to us, he really feels grown up.
He has just got a nursery rhyme book as well that he has to learn a new one that is put in each week, and colour a picture in.

I don't think of it as homework as such just a nice way to talk about whats happening in school etc. Other wise all I would get from him is what he ate at snack-time!

TotallyAndUtterlyPaninied · 04/10/2009 19:43

When my DS goes to school I hope he has homework as I'd like to encourage him to work on it at home and show him that I think school is worth while IYKWIM. Plus I'll feel involved in his education and get him into good habits from day 1.

Boys2mam · 04/10/2009 19:44

DS1 (5) is in Reception and has been doing homework since nursery. He's currently on 4 books per wk, spellings every Fri and one math activity per wk too.

I thought it was a bit excessive!!!!

FABIsInTraining · 04/10/2009 19:45

It isn't homework in the usual sense!

It is something for her to do if she wants to.

My son will be bringing a book home soon to start looking at and also I am meant to be helping him write his letters and do some counting. Doesn't matter if he doesn't want to do it.

Boys2mam · 04/10/2009 19:47

I was under the impression that if he didn't do it he'd get lines or something

Its like being back at bloody school myself!!!! I feel a rebellion coming on

FrightsMonth · 04/10/2009 19:52

Mine all had homework in Reception - 2 or 3 jolly phonics per week, handwriting practice, a reading book and a library book to read together.

I assumed it was normal.

Boys2mam · 04/10/2009 19:54

How is your DC in Reception age 4 - is that not normally Nursery and RC age 5?

legspinner · 04/10/2009 19:54

My new entrant DCs (similar to reception in UK, but a little older as kids don't start school till 5th birthday in NZ) had homework from the word go. Usually a very simple reading book each day (optional).

However at year 3 they really stepped up the homework in my DCs' school - daily reading, weekly spelling, weekly basic facts (maths) and weekly task of some kind. Still think it's too much at that age as well. But I do make sure they do it.

Boys2mam, that is a lot of homework for a 5 year old!! Are you or your DS1 (or both) thinking of rebelling

Original poster
AnnieLobeseder · 04/10/2009 22:15

Boys2mam - afaik all children start school at 4, not so? First year Reception, at age 4, then Year 1 next year at age 5.

I don't collect DD from school (I work full time) - she just told me the teacher had put something in her bag for her to do, and when I opened it there were 3 blank worksheet in a folder, which was inside a plastic envelope with her name on it, so all very official and definitely not something she's picked up herself. No note as to how essential it was to do it, so the nerd in me get straight on with it!

She enjoyed doing it, I was just really surprised that she was bringing home work so early when it was emphasised before school began that Reception was pretty much all about play and fun rather than structured learning.

OP posts:
borderslass · 04/10/2009 22:18

In Scotland its 5 that they start P1 the cut off date for entrance to school is February 28 thats the only 4 year olds,they go to nursey at 4 here.

Littlefish · 04/10/2009 22:20

Boys2mam - children start in Reception from the September after they turn 4 (some may start in January or April, depending on the school's admission criteria).

IwishIwasmoreorganised · 04/10/2009 22:24

My ds2 is only in 1/2 days at school still but we get "homework" once a term.

So far we've had to make a collage in his favourite colour and make a model of someone/thing who helps us. Last week we were asked to make a model of our house!! It is emphasised that the childrens work is paramount - not the appearance of the finished product but you'd never guess that from some of the perfect things that are produced by some parents children.