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Original poster

How much home schooling is everyone doing?

79 replies

VEGAS2016 · 07/01/2021 20:41

Just that really.

Dont feel im doing a good job at it. Ive dd 6 (year one) & doing probably an hour a day, split between maths & English- she hates English so thats always interesting 😕

No live lessons, work provided by school which we are following a little but proved to difficult for her to understand (& me if im honest).

Is one hour a day acceptable?

OP posts:
Timeforredwine · 07/01/2021 23:13

Yr 1 - (5 years old)- full daily timetable- expected at registration and all work through google classroom, following same timetable as at school, all lessons live, zoom meet or recorded, all documents worksheets lesson plans online. Full school assembly, yoga, music, storytime. Absolutely excellent school, fantastic headteachers and staff. First lockdown, daily phone calls, uploaded work throughout day and this was marked, commented, given points etc. Also sorted breakfasts/lunches. Very efficient and again this time. Shame not all schools can excel with the same commitment.

Oysterbabe · 07/01/2021 23:13

Child in reception. Every day they get a recording of the teacher reading a story, a book to read, a tricky word to learn and then a couple of other small tasks.

ladyvimes · 07/01/2021 23:15

I have two primary age who love to learn but even they’re only managing about 2-3 hours a day spread out. I think that’s plenty to be honest as it’s much more intense doing online learning rather than being in school.

BBC are running online lessons next week so might see if they can watch a couple of those too.

Armi · 07/01/2021 23:18

@Timeforredwine

Yr 1 - (5 years old)- full daily timetable- expected at registration and all work through google classroom, following same timetable as at school, all lessons live, zoom meet or recorded, all documents worksheets lesson plans online. Full school assembly, yoga, music, storytime. Absolutely excellent school, fantastic headteachers and staff. First lockdown, daily phone calls, uploaded work throughout day and this was marked, commented, given points etc. Also sorted breakfasts/lunches. Very efficient and again this time. Shame not all schools can excel with the same commitment.
Why do you think ‘not all schools can excel with the same commitment’?
Raaaaaaarr · 07/01/2021 23:18

@whoamIamIalright so the way they have set it up is that the only bit we need to be involved in it the 1 hour slot with a worksheet. Other than that I just need to make sure that my child is in front of the screen at the set times. They have said to us that they have developed it to ensure the child can work as independently as possible.

Raaaaaaarr · 07/01/2021 23:21

@whoamIamIalright sorry I forgot to add that the last time round we were at a different school that sent worksheets home. It was so stressful and took hours each day one to one. I had anticipated the same stress again and frankly felt sick about it all, but have been pleasantly surprised this week.

whoamIamIalright · 07/01/2021 23:22

I’m glad it’s working for you and your kids. It wouldn’t for mine. Being online all day and following a school day schedule with only would be a nightmare for them. Luckily we don’t need do that and we are happy too.

RedToothBrush · 07/01/2021 23:23

@thewinkingprawn

I am truly astonished at those who have Y1 children who will do 3 hours of work a day. Granted mine is a young (July b’day) Y1 but that seems an astonishing amount of work given at school it is short bursts interspersed with play. I wonder if just to keep parents happy in that they feel they should be getting a full day provided more than anything 🤔
The government have made it a legal requirement that schools provide 3 - 5 hours worth of work for primary school kids.

Which is bonkers as its completely inappropriate.

Twanger6 · 07/01/2021 23:23

Year 5 gets half hour zoom from teacher explaining the tasks and then they get on with it throughout the day. Works well. I’d hate to have to home school any kids under 7 though.

RedToothBrush · 07/01/2021 23:24

@Timeforredwine

Yr 1 - (5 years old)- full daily timetable- expected at registration and all work through google classroom, following same timetable as at school, all lessons live, zoom meet or recorded, all documents worksheets lesson plans online. Full school assembly, yoga, music, storytime. Absolutely excellent school, fantastic headteachers and staff. First lockdown, daily phone calls, uploaded work throughout day and this was marked, commented, given points etc. Also sorted breakfasts/lunches. Very efficient and again this time. Shame not all schools can excel with the same commitment.
My son can't manage an hour on zoom.

He's Y1. And one of the eldest.

Raaaaaaarr · 07/01/2021 23:27

@whoamIamIalright I agree with you. I actually also believe that some time out of schooling is not the end of the world as well. I lost a lot of schooling as a child to illness (being hospitalised for long periods) and also on top of that had relaxed parents who would take me out of school for family days and holidays. It never did me any harm and I don't feel that a slow down in schooling is such a bad thing either to be honest.

Raaaaaaarr · 07/01/2021 23:29

That's my hippy roots view though Smile

FraterculaArctica · 07/01/2021 23:30

Spent most of today in tears and shouting at my yr2 DS who refuses and avoids almost any demand we make of him and just wants to click on the videos over and over again. Refuses to even try half the work (we force him to in the end so we get it all uploaded for the teacher. Recep age DD is much better and keen to do much of it but obviously needs lots of help and supervision. Meanwhile the 1 year old crawls around getting himself into trouble. They're each set 4 subjects worth of tasks per day.

Mintjulia · 07/01/2021 23:34

I'm making sure DS is at the table with pc on and Teams loaded in time to join 6 sessions a day. For some reason he just won't do it on his own.

I've unjammed a clash between Teams and Minecraft twice (not enough memory for both) and once with Teams and Terraria. Actually teaching though, two 45 min French lessons. And this is only the first week Grin. We have food tech tomorrow. He'll be lucky to make it to the weekend.

whoamIamIalright · 07/01/2021 23:35

@Raaaaaaarr

That's my hippy roots view though Smile
Yep I had a non-conformist family too!
Atrixie · 07/01/2021 23:37

Year 6

Full timetable all online apart from 1 lesson. Starts at 8.30 and finishes at 3.40. Taken a while to get him motivated but he realised he had no choce

Codswallop20 · 07/01/2021 23:38

Both DDs year 10 and 6 had finished all set work before 11am today. I sent them to watch David Attenborough show I had recorded, then lunch, reading and a walk they objected to.

I needed the walk as I am covid fat. And likely snow so maybe no walking this weekend. I am working and I need them to be occupied, this is not enough work for them or me

3littlewords · 07/01/2021 23:39

I have a dc the same age, he's had 4 short live teams meetings a day, some are whole class some have been smaller groups for phonics or reading. The sessions have been around 15/20max with a short task set after each one, some additional tasks set via dojo. So far we've done everything set but I won't lie its been tough, a lot of stop starting between each task does mean I need to keep having to re engage dc into doing school work again when he's gone off to play during breaks. Im hoping it gets easier, a school day at home is very different to a school day in the classroom especially for the young ones its a completely new thing for them to be doing school at home. Its hard on everyone.

AnxiousWeirdo · 07/01/2021 23:40

DD is 6 in yr 1.

Our day is breakfast, zoom 1, english homework, hour activity with me (like Scrabble or playing with something), cook lunch together (most of the time), eat lunch, then I clean up quickly before zoom 2, maths homework, then we go out for a short walk or playground, then I do dinner, clean up, either sort the washing I've put on earlier or play with DD, then bedtime with reading. So really, 1.5 hours of "education" but the zoom is beyond basic.

I was focused on education last time round but this time it's definitely more about her mental health as well as my own. She can catch up with reading and maths, depression and anxiety are a whole other ballgame.

chipsandgin · 07/01/2021 23:46

DS1 is 17 and doing all lessons online via zoom. Badly as it turns out as school emailed today to tell me that actually tutor is compulsory so he should probably turn up (virtually). DS2 is Year 6 and being sent an unbelievable amount of work - presuming a full school days worth.

Given we had very little warning, both parents working and it’s the busiest month of the year for me (finance) so I need to work 12 hour days it’s been an absolute shitshow. However maybe a couple of hours a day and so far we’re about 12 hours behind and we’re only three days in...so yeah, ‘not enough & it’s fucking up his future once again’ is probably the honest answer...plus bedtime has gone to shit, as have mealtimes and I look and feel like a bag of crap. Fun times.

PodgeBod · 07/01/2021 23:47

DD5 is in Y1. I feel like I am failing. Her school has provided a robust timetable with the reassurance that they aren't policing anybody, and hope that we can try and keep up with phonics and reading. I love their approach. I have a preschooler and a teething baby and have not been able to complete all of the work even one day this week. Thank God we don't have live lessons to try and work our lives around. I am a SAHM which makes me feel even worse, as others are trying to juggle all of this with their jobs (though I would be on maternity either way)

Cheerios444 · 07/01/2021 23:49

We do about three hours a day then go for a walk

AnxiousWeirdo · 07/01/2021 23:55

@PodgeBod

You have three 5 and under.. and a teething baby at that. Trust me, if anyone should be feeling like a bad mother for missing a few days of homeschooling, it's most definitely not you.

PodgeBod · 07/01/2021 23:57

[quote AnxiousWeirdo]@PodgeBod

You have three 5 and under.. and a teething baby at that. Trust me, if anyone should be feeling like a bad mother for missing a few days of homeschooling, it's most definitely not you.[/quote]
Thank you Smile

Dementedswan · 08/01/2021 00:02

Yr4 child about 4 hours a day and yr6 about 5 hours. A mixture of video lessons with worksheets, maths and English, comprehension, spellings reading and timestable practice everyday. Science geography, history etc an hour a week each. Seems on a Friday they have maths and spelling tests followed by a live 'you are great ' dance.

Quite a lot actually, and takes up the whole day.