5 yo Just won't do her school work.

[BonzoDooDah]

DD (5 yo, Year 1) has been a right pain in the neck for the last few months about doing her homework. Just will not do it without tantrums, arguments and shouting (on both sides). She'll do her reading which she loves though. I've been getting more and more stressed with this.

Today I collected her from school and the teacher asked for a word and said she has not been doing her work - refuses. All the others on her table are sitting round getting on with it and she is fidgeting, staring at the sky, messing about ... anything BUT doing her work.
Her set (top I think) have a special project to make a story book. She should be on page 6 (others are) but is on page 2.

She's bright (everyone has told us this since nursery) and the teachers say she is. She's in one of the top sets and the teacher says she wants to move her up a level with her work (but not out of the group) but can't because she hasn't demonstrated that she can do it (by bloody writing it down). Teacher is certain she is capable ... She's happy to read and wants to do that but just won't do any of the other stuff.


She's been given consequences - kept in at lunchtime etc - no difference at all and this is the threat now that she'll lose "Golden Time" - which is when she turned on the tears tonight - that's tomorrow it will be put in action. Teacher said she'll have to do her work during Golden Time instead of playing.

So having had this discussion (her involved) we came home and she utterly completely refused to do her homework - 4 lines about her favourite toy (FFS). She spent 45 minutes NOT doing it and 5 minutes of real time writing it.
All the time she is not she is pulling faces, being really rude, throwing strops, getting up and down from her chair etc etc...

Yesterday (having seen a leaflet in the school) DH and I went on a Positive Parenting Course so we are working on NVC( non violent communication ) - improved communication from our side - but seriously - I wanted to lose it so much tonight. But I didn't and I didn't even shout - but she seemed to be pushing me TO actually shout at her.

She has enough sleep, eats well, has had her eyes tested, has lots of friends (knows about 90% of the school).

Help, help help ... anyone have ANY ideas what we can do???

[BonzoDooDah]

I've been away for the weekend and no PC access - so thanks for all the replies!

To answer a few things - she's not doing her homework OR her work in school - which is worrying me more than just not doing the stupid homework.

The homework comes once a week (except reading) and is a spelling book with 5 words, then a homework book with one page of homework. For example:
Write 4 of your spellings in sentences.
(Or this week write four pieces of information about your favourite toy).
6 or 8 arithmetic type problems.
A concept exercise e.g. Find some things in your house and say whether they are larger or smaller than eachother (draw them or write).

So it's not a lot - should take no more than 15 minutes in total. And she can do it - I see she can when she finally does.

I am more worried, like I say, about her sitting staring into space instead of doing her work in school too.

[negrilbaby]

The vast majority of schools worldwide start children at 6 or 7 years old data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.PRM.AGES. Very few begin at 5 years. You say your daughter is bright - she may well be but may just not be ready for formal school work. I agree with some other posters that it will do more harm than good forcing the issue with her (in school or out of school). She needs to enjoy what she is doing if she is going to achieve her best throughout her school life (she'll be at it for at least another 13 years!). There is an interesting article here which looks at this issue www.telegraph.co.uk/education/expateducation/8395176/When-is-the-best-age-to-send-your-child-to-school.html

[hellymelly]

My dd (also 5, year one, bright) was like this last year and has slightly improved about it this term, but still is reluctant to do homework. (she does crack on with class work though). We think that with her, it is a perfectionist issue, she gets very stressed about her work not being completely perfect and has ridiculously high expectations, so she gets in a flap and won't do it. Talking has helped a bit, we actually let her NOT do it for a chunk of last term (Reception shouldn't have homework anyway, imo) which took the pressure off. Would your dd tell her teacher why she doesn't want to do it? Could you ask for her to have a break from homework for a while to break the cycle?

[batmanstinks]

I have similar issues with DS in year 2.

I became sick of the standoffs and he was miserable so I've completely changed tack for now.

Weigh up why you want her to do her homework. What is it for?

a) to practice writing
b) to learn work ethic / obedience
c) something else

Then think whether it really matters and how else you can achieve it.

I have been in to see my son's teacher as he was increasingly being kept in at playtime to complete work.

I've told them I do not want this (not that they'll listen). Children need to play. They need to let off steam, they learn through play.

Most education people agree that infant homework is redundant and only there due to parental pressure.

You do not want her to become disengaged with school.

My strategy lately (which is working really well)

• we have a points chart for completing tasks. He gets 5 points if he gets work done in class which his teacher signs. 25 points = magazine
• I have backed off homework. He chooses his own stuff and I encourage schooly things. For example, I have loaded maths games onto my phone, he can use my computer to type stories/ play games. I get him to write shopping lists, invitations to playmates, plans for weekend etc.
• we play lots of board games etc which are good for maths and concentration / seeing things through to the end.

She is a very little girl and it's all supposed to be fun at this age.

I hope things get better for you.

[batmanstinks]

Also, if you have an iPhone, check out Squeebles spelling. You can enter in your own spelling tests (I.e. DD's weekly test) and she can learn them that way, rather than sitting down and writing them out.

[NellyTheElephant]

My DD2 also 5 and in yr 1. With regard to the homework issue (the lesser issue I know), I would kind of let that slide for a bit, as others have said maybe just not do it for the rest of this term to take pressure off. She does her reading and at this age that's the main thing (my DD always takes her reading book up to bed with her and reads it before lights out which works well for us). We actually do a lot of spellings in the car on the way to school or over supper - if there are only 5 or so words you can easily remember them and ask them verbally at a time that works rather than a formal sit down, learn and test situation. Not a bad lesson not to do the spellings at all and to let her get them all wrong for a couple of weeks. My DD really didn't like that and became a bit more inclined to make the effort to learn them. Sometimes with the more written style homework it can be a good idea to do it in the morning before school rather than in the evening - have you tried that?

Re the bigger problem of her refusal in school, I'm not sure what to say. It might help to change her set and put her with different children. My DD has often been rather a naughty chatterbox who doesn't concentrate in class and liable not to do what she is told. She had to be kept separate from her friends, which definitely helped her concentration. She was also highly motivated by the school's sticker reward system. For ages she had no stickers on her chart and seemed to be getting naughtier and less compliant, but once she actually got praised for one or two things and a couple of stickers it really set her off and she became v motivated to win praise and behave, it's like when she was being told off she got worse, but once she was being motivated and praised she blossomed and improved.

My children all like a good battle of wills, so telling them they MUST do their homework is like a red rag to a bull. It's a tricky balance of them sometimes having to choose to want to do things and that can mean a bit of brinkmanship on your part in not making them do something and waiting it out until they choose to conform (which I am sure she will eventually given that she is bright and already loves reading), whilst of course being terrified that actually they will never make that choice......

[BonzoDooDah]

Thank you thank you everyone for taking your time to reply to me.
I've been reading and digesting everything you said.

As I said higher up it is MOSTLY about not doing her work in school that has bothered me. If it was ONLY homework I'd be inclined to just let her not do it as I agree with most of you that homework at 5 is ridiculous. But as it is impacting on her learning in school I've had to take action.

I've thought about the whys of the homework and I'm really not that bothered about her doing it. I always hated homework and resented it - but that doesn't really get you anywhere as an attitude as you generally get into trouble at school if you don't do it.
I'm more bothered about me showing solidarity with the school and that she is to show respect to her teachers (where due obviously) and that what they say in school is school law. (However much you disagree).

Nelly we're the same about the battle of wills and it is SO easy to escalate up to the complete standoff point

Someone suggested I set her a time challenge to do the homework - so we did that on Monday as soon as she came in. I said we were going to do the words homework and we were going to do it NOW to get it done I set the cooker timer for 5 minutes and encouraged her to do it. She faffed about a bit but eventually started it - but ran out of time.
So we had another chat and I reset the timer and this time she set to it and did the work (with me sneakily adding a minute as she was trying so hard) in the 5 minutes window and was writing the last words just as the timer started dinging.

So we had another talk about how good it felt to have done it and she could now play with all her free time. I laid it on thick about this.

Then we've had the chat about doing the same at school. So far this week so good. She says she has done her work first and stared out of the window second (teacher moderately agreed). We will keep on at it though. I am getting back out the sticker charts and we'll make sure to keep the momentum.

[cleoowen]

I am a teacher and if a child was doing this in my class I would wonder if she was bored. I would try and engage her more, do things,I know she is interested in. maybe it is worth telling,her she might be moved up and hype up what the next group up are doing so she wants,to be put up.

Does she respond well to rewards, most children do better than sanctions. Start some kind of reward chart or treat if,she does her homework

[loler]

Buy 'Divas and Dictators' by Charlie Taylor - The best book in the world, ever!

[BonzoDooDah]

Just a quick update - DD was "Class Star" today for doing ALL of her work first in her group. A good start to the first day of term.

Maybe the teacher is trying the psychology, maybe she is really trying. Fingers corossed either way.


Thanks for all of your suggestions.