holiday homework blues

[tigermoth]

This holiday my 9 year son has to read four books of his choice, write a 200 word review about each of them, do background reseach for a geography project and practice his times tables for a test.

No slouching off - the homework will be checked in the first days of next term and form the basis of the start of next term's work.

I'm fine about the books and he's reading his way through them now, but I'm dreading getting my son to write 800 or so words and already feel time is running out. And then there's the rest.

I think the above is too much for a 9 year old. I don't want to put his nose to the grindstone in the summer holidays. It's OK if you have a child who likes homework but mine will take ages to do this stuff. I feel I have no choice but to comply with the school's wishes. And I will.

But are most 9 year olds given this amount of homework to do? All my son's class have this homework. Is this because the pressure is on now they are about to enter year 5 and secondary school choices are looming? What rigours do we face in Year 5?

I feel really under pressure and know my son and I will end up having arguments about it, too.

When my son started reading books, like Harry Potter, for pleasure, I was really happy. That was less than a year ago. Over the holidays I have had to cajole him into reading regularly, so he started to count the number of pages I allotted him each day. Reading became more like work and I am sure it has temporarily dented his enthusiasm for books

Tigermoth ... let me first say well done to you and your DS for doing all of that work
Secondly, as a primary school teacher (although now a SAHM ... hurray ) I am astounded and outraged by the amount of homework your son was given.
I taught Yr 4 for most of my teaching years (just worked out that way) and I NEVER EVER gave formal homework for the summer holidays. I asked the children to continue with their reading (reading with parents) ... especially those who struggled and would ask them to read as much as possible but I never asked for reviews. I hated doing book reviews as a child ... and I was a voracious reader ... reviews were a drag and killed the book for me. Also I would ask the parents to work on times tables over the holidays (but that sort of thing can be done on car journeys/in the bath etc) again, especially the children who found them a challenge ...
My last school was a private Prep School which was pretty pressurised academically and even years 5 and 6 didn't get as much as your son. Holiday homework kicked in for Yrs 7 and 8 as they had big exams to pass (entrance to secondary schools and Common Entrance).
Some parents asked for homework ... in that kind of school parents love it ... but we had a policy that holiday time was holiday time and basically if they needed loads of work in holidays then we weren't doing our jobs properly
I think you should say something to the school ... they seriously risk killling off a child's love of learning ...

ghosty, thanks for your message. Actually I heard more about this yesterday from dh. He picked up our son from school and was chatting in the playground to some other parents with children in ds's class. It now appears that quite a lot of children didn't do all the homework as the parents felt it was too much. It looks like several will be talking to the school about it (possibly at parents evening in a few weeks) and we will join them.

Good for you, Tigermoth. Let us know what they say.

Oooh, Ghosty, got to disagree with this: "Some parents asked for homework ... in that kind of school parents love it ... ".

We're considering entering DD for the exam to an academically selective school but I have to say I am fervently anti-homework so I'd be out of the norm wrt homework. MInd you, I wouldn't be considering sending her if I didn't think she would cope without lots on top.

I think that children do a long enough day at school, from say 8.30am to 4pm, and giving them huge amounts of extra on top of this doesn't teach them to work smart and potentially sets them up for bringing work home in the future when in paid employment or encourages longer working hours.

I don't have a problem with greater depth - e.g. there are some in paid employment who have such an interest in their job that they will choose to read professional journals in leisure time or to undertake other activities which broaden their knowledge but I think we should be aiming to teach our children that there is a time for work and a time for play.

I have "lurked" on this thread earlier and felt v.sorry for Tigermoths DS and his book reviews! - DD1 (just gone into year 2 on Monday) also had holiday homework although it was stressed that it was voluntary ( did a bit - maths as she struggles with that and kept up reading).
I went to a parents info evening last night for year 2 pupils and I must admit I am reeling at the amount of homework they get:
Daily: 15 mins reading per night and number bonds practice.
Weekly: spellings, timestables, reading comprehension, science.....

IMO - putting the pressure on this early means they may become fedup with homework when it becomes important - prior to GCSE's

It also leaves little time and no desire for reading for plesure/trips to the library etc..never mind playing.....

I'd be interested what others think - and what other year 2 experiences with homework you have had..
Thanks

Anyone??

45 minutes seems too much to me ...
I agree with aloha earlier - don't really need homework at all - topics especially are almost totally a reflection of parent input at primary level.
My year 2 dd had - a reading book - to read some of each night - although if she didn't it wasn't a problem. Once a week - some maths or literacy homework; took about 1/2 hour; maybe some spelling. She had one topic to do at the end of the year. She sort of enjoyed doing it but I did most of the finding out - telling her what to put in, etc.

I suppose that my dd gets slightly less than your dd 9 Maryz. But you hit the nail on the head re school hours - finishing at 2.20 leaves more time for homework/play. I work part time and on the days I work i do not pick DD1 up until 5.10, home by 5.50, supper coz she's starving hungry means homework can't start until 7pm!!!.
Last year we use to "break the back of it" on Mondays when I pick her up at 3.30, selective bits the 3 working days, finish up on Friday whenI collect her at 3.30 and a free weekend...
I'll have to see how it falls this year!!

Sonnet ds1 has just gone into yr2 - they didn't have any holiday homework. They have reading books, to be read every night ideally. They will have "homework" twice a week, but I don't know yet how long this will take.

At the moment they are "doing" joined up writing, and have a sheet of practice to do every day, and they do practice every day at school too, but this is just for 3 weeks. (Only took 10 mins last night).

I know this is such an old thread so you probally won't read this. But I was born in 2003, lol. That's way to much homeowrk I don't even have that much ever now and I'm in 8th grade getting read for high school.

Op's son must be about 22 by now.