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Original poster

How much work are your kids doing?

36 replies

Badteacher2020 · 06/04/2020 12:38

Just interested in how much your kids are doing? Mine aren’t coping well so we’re probably doing 2 worksheets a day and some reading but mostly they’ve been playing, bit of drawing and tv.

Are you following a timetable? Are your kids actually doing work or are you teaching them anything?

Thanks

OP posts:
Natsku · 06/04/2020 12:42

My 9 year old gets sent work from her teacher each day and has to 'turn it in' by whatsapp each day so she's doing quite a lot and I don't have to actually teach her anything, just help her if she's stuck (although her teacher has said that they can call her if they are stuck - she is really going above and beyond)

I did make a timetable at the beginning but abandoned it after a few days. Now we just do what the teacher sets plus a bit extra maths and then its outside time in the garden.

devildeepbluesea · 06/04/2020 12:44

Bugger all now it's the holidays.

Tbh the work that has been sent through seems to have been a token gesture so far (she's only 7). Hoping it will ramp up after the hols.

PrincessConsueIaBananaHammock · 06/04/2020 12:44

None at the moment. It's the Easter holidays!

SomethingOnce · 06/04/2020 12:45

Mine have done sweet FA.

HTH.

Original poster
Badteacher2020 · 06/04/2020 12:45

Wow, what an amazing teacher! We got given a few sheets on the last day and no contact since. Can I ask how much roughly she is being sent? How much time it’s taking her? I’m starting to get concerned that we’re not doing enough.

OP posts:
inwood · 06/04/2020 12:45

None now, they are on easter holidays bar reading and TT rockstars for 10 minutes a day.

The last two weeks they have had work set by the teacher and we have tried to stick to the routine of the school day although they are usually done by 2.
Y4.

refraction · 06/04/2020 12:46

None we were sent a letter to say no work set as its the Easter holidays.

Stressful term.

Littleshortcake · 06/04/2020 12:49

Mine are doing about 50 mins to an hour max (they are 5 and 6). It's more than enough and is a struggle. They have a small amount set by their teacher but I do extra cvc words spellings and handwriting and maths. One reader each a day.

GreenWheat · 06/04/2020 12:52

During the Easter holidays we have a rule that before any screen time they must do some exercise, a helping task and something educational (very loosely defined, includes practising tying shoelaces, reading a magazine etc as well as more academic tasks). That's it. During term time, we have been and will be doing all the maths and English and project tasks set by their teachers, but selective on the others eg DT, art, mindfulness.

Cranb0rne · 06/04/2020 12:53

Almost none.

tearsandtiaras · 06/04/2020 12:55

Weve been doing Joe wicks - and about two hours a day or writing/ and 1 hour of online learning

A walk every day and break time in the garden

Crackerofdoom · 06/04/2020 12:58

Mine are doing loads. DS has made tea for DH and me, cleaned his room and hung out the washing.

DD1 has loaded the dishwasher, hoovered downstairs and swept the patio.

DD2 has done fuck all l but she is 2 so we let her off.

I will think of the educational benefit of these tasks whilst i drink my tea and come back to you.

Bornfreebutincovidchains · 06/04/2020 12:59

Older dc works as it is comes in and as and when. Younger!!

We've started a history project... I was thrilled to find those amazing pack. We took older dc to the historical site so obviously we can't do that.
Plodding through the leaning pack on the historical event

Trying to get 5 mins of maths and spelling. Trying to keep her reading.
The thing is, this will all go out on the for such a long time, marathon not sprint... So taking it easy.
We had lovely letter from the school saying all teachers and dc will be in the same school boat and they will have to go back over everything

PaquitaVariation · 06/04/2020 13:00

None. It’s the holidays. And the whole situation is stressful enough without adding unnecessary school work into the mix.

MNHQ
HebeMumsnet · 06/04/2020 13:00

Now it's holidays, there's a lot less work coming from school but irritatingly it's all 'build a motte and bailey castle out of cereal boxes' stuff, which I'm sure they think is fun but actually requires more of my participation than the maths worksheets did.

In general though, we did a bit each morning until they got fed up and then left it. I'm figuring we'll catch up on anything we didn't get through by doing the odd worksheet now and again over the holidays. Both schools have sent emails saying 'don't stress about it' though so I don't think they're expecting much handed in. I think it's more to give any keen beans something to do. Some kids really like the structure of it, apparently. (Sadly, mine prefer the structure of reading endless comics and seeing how many times they can run each other's toes over with their scooters before one of them cries.)

This is all primary though. Appreciate it might be a very different picture for secondary kids.

TheEndIsBillNighy · 06/04/2020 13:02

My two are in Reception and Year 1; we do an hour of English based work, followed by 30 mins break, then 1 1/2 hours of other subjects, like science (for example, we looked at “materials & their properties” this morning), then a few pages from their Maths workbook. We then play an Orchard Toys game. This took us to midday,

Now, they’ll watch TV, we’ll go for a walk, play outside, they’ll play Kinetic sand etc.

TheEndIsBillNighy · 06/04/2020 13:03

Also, I personally find the day goes quicker when we still do work in the morning, even in spite of it being the holidays. Otherwise it feels like I’m constantly having to think of things to “play”, which I’m crap at!

DCIRozHuntley · 06/04/2020 13:04

Mine have done pretty much none but they are young primary school age.

My 8 year old has learnt how to make a spaghetti Bolognese and a lasagne. She's learnt to use an index in an Atlas and has kept a diary.

My 6 year old has enjoyed the Oti Mabuse dancing some days and has been reading us all a bedtime story each night.

My 4 year old has coloured in loads of unicorn pictures and done loads of Lego.

Today they are having a fashion show.

All teaching them stuff but not academic or involving sitting down and working through stuff.

Natsku · 06/04/2020 13:06

@Badteacher2020 She's being sent what is supposed to be 4 hours of work each day although it doesn't take that long, I think maybe 3 hours is actually spent working, with lots of little breaks and a longer break at lunch. It's mainly maths and literacy but they're doing a bit of biology too (learning about the respiratory system - very topical right now!) and it sounds like they will be doing some music too as the music teacher has requested they save any plastic eggs from kinder eggs at Easter. She also sets exercise, like run until your breathing gets fast, then walk until it evens out, then run again.

I wouldn't worry that you're not doing enough, this not the time to be worrying over much about education, especially not with younger children.

Mintjulia · 06/04/2020 13:08

DS (11) is doing one piece of homework a day during the Easter holidays to catch up with all the stuff he didn't do in the week before Easter.

We've been sent the work for the first week of next term so I'll try to get him a bit ahead for once.

Hopefully he'll get the idea that being at home isn't a holiday and he'll argue less. Sad

SuperlativeScrubs · 06/04/2020 13:13

Fuck all now it is Easter.

When school is in we have PurpleMash here. Boy does his "to-do's" and I am catching him up where he was behind in his maths. In May and June. I am going to work to get him ahead so he can go back to school prepared. He doesn't ask for help at school so has thrived with one to one. His handwriting also needs improvement.

The little one is easier. We have just started basic addition and subtraction and writing letters and numbers.

I do a morning with them then the afternoon is ours. It's a big adjustment for us all so my advice to everyone is not to be hard on yourself or them. They have gone from constant structure with qualified teachers to having Mum and Dad teach them at home and not seeing their friends. It is hard for everyone.

Stellaris22 · 06/04/2020 13:21

Just doing worksheets which I've printed from Twinkl (lifesaver) and trying to practise and catch up on things she's fallen behind on. School aren't sending anything till after Easter holiday.

But I'm not stressing or doing too much. I'm not a teacher and have no educational qualifications (any parent thinking they can be a teacher overnight is kidding themselves), I don't want to risk teaching things 'wrong' and confusing her (Y2).

milkcartoncat · 06/04/2020 13:31

My year 6 is basically doing an hour a day. If that. And will be miles behind where he should have been by September. I cannot just pick up the year 6 curriculum and go with it. I don’t have the knowledge.

My preschooler will be ‘ahead’ of where she would have been academically but probably not socially now. She’s interested in reading and writing and I’m confident she will be reading at a basic level by September and probably adding and subtracting to 10. So not amazing but probably further than she would have been, but it’s easy to teach her those things.

Original poster
Badteacher2020 · 06/04/2020 14:01

You’ve all made me feel so much better, thank you Flowers

OP posts:
Mysocalledlifexx · 06/04/2020 14:08

All my childrens work is online,we have 3 primary school age and we are doing 2-5 hrs mon - fri. Not just now with the hol's but mine have had alot, we just do what we can.i also have a baby so its been crazy busy but id say just do what u can.