Teachers - how much do you expect parents to know?(rant warning)

[unicorn]

Only ask as my dd (yr 1) arrived home with various bits and bobs including a task sheet, which has no explanation on it whatsover (apart from- 'remember to check your writing')
Now, dd seems to have a vague idea of what she has to do,but I haven't been told, I also don't know when it it supposed to be done by etc.

So I just ask teachers (particularly)... do you think children at 5 can understand, follow and then tell parents instructions?

or am I as a parent expected to be some sort of mind reading wonder, who automatically knows what stage of the curriculum dd is at and how I can best help?

My DS1 has just started School too and although the School have been very good. They had the parents in for a chat about the curriculum and homework etc I'm still a bit lost. DS1 brought home his first lot of homework today and I'm not 100% sure we've done what was asked TBH it was a bit of a guessing game and we'll not know until next week when it gets handed in if we've got it right.

The School have also been very good at handing out notes about what has been going on but DS1 has come home (we're in Scotland so he started 4.5 weeks ago) saying "Mummy, there's something really important I have to tell you about School but, ah, um, em can't remember", arrrrgh!

I think School is a very steep learning curve for the parents as well as the children!

While you await the teachers....
DD just started nursery so know 0 about school.

Unicorn I wonder if it's a deliberate ploy so the kids have to do the homework without help? Or maybe this is a 'test' to see if they can follow instructions?
Nephew when asked the other day if he had homework, candidly replied "Oh some reading, but I've left the book at school so I can't do it?!"

Seems very odd not to be given instructions.

I teach secondary (so not the same as your little one) but I still don't expect them to remember homework instructions. Neither does the school as a whole. Infact both schools I have worked at have Planners. In these there is a big section that looks like a diary. It is for recording homework - date set, date due in, what's to be done.

And I write homework up on the baord for pupils to copy into their planners, checking that they write it down properly and help with those who find copying difficult.

If the homework is a longer piece and needs more instructions I give them a handout in addition to writing brief note in planner.

You need to rant at your's DD's teacher - and ask her what strategies they have in place for recording homework - surely having a notebook to jot it down in wouldn't be that hard?

In same position as unicorn, plus ds (also yr 1) has a language weakness, so that it's cause for celebration that he managed to get across to me that he'd been told his snack bag should have his name on it - first time in his life he'd managed to carry a message, & it's only that I know him so well I was able to work out what he was trying to say. Homework instructions utter impossibility, so we just guessed.

I think it may be start of year teething problems - so many sheets to send home, children's stages to be assessed, settling-in problems getting priority - that there isn't time to do everything. I'm giving it a few weeks anyway, and should hope in the meantime the teachers see we're doing our best too & don't take issue if homework's done "wrong".

If they're too busy to issue instructions, how come they're issuing homework? What is this fetish?

I'm also in secondary so would have said the same as Hulababy. Can't comment about primary level. The only thing I would say is this: even with our homework planner system, making homework clear, even writing out instructions on the board, you can't guarantee all the time that every single pupil will write it down / understand / remember to do it. I'm not just trying to put the ball back in your DD's court, but it isn't ALWAYS the teacher's fault! Sorry, just feel that schools / teachers are getting a bit of a bashing at the moment. I'm sure your DD's teacher will be happy to explain again to your DD and / or you. Is there a way you can drop off a quick note asking for clarification or pop in if you pick DD up from school?

My ds started school in August, (we too are in Scotland). He gets home work on a Thursday, a folder which has to be handed in on the following Tuesday. We get a sheet telling us what to do. There is normally a book and a question sheet on it, also some colouring in to do referring to the same book. He also got 4 words in a tin, yellow, green, blue and red which he has in his bag all the time. I think we will get new words soon for him to recognise. I think there should be a sheet explaining what to do. I must admit I would be lost if there wans't! Good luck

i teach in primary but the top end
even with year 6 i spend time explaining carefully, get them to explain it back to me and if it is not straight forward or there is a lot to remember then i give them a clear instruction sheet

We have this prob all the time at Dd's school. Reception were pretty goo at explaining what they were menat to do but yr 1 and now yr2 are hopeless.
They just hand them out loads of sheets and don't say what to do with them.

Dd1 came home with a sheet with an explanation yesterday. It had words on it and a post it note that said 'could you please go through these words with Lauren every day until she knows them'

Well i would do but she already knows them and has for ages now.

I think homework for Y1 children definitely needs an explanation that parents can read so they can support their children in completing it.

We sent home a "reading diary" each evening, with an "intro" page explaining the sort of comments that are helpful from parents and (if parents had time) extra reading activities/games they might like to do with their child, using the book as a guide.

Other homework would be spelling of key words, with a guidance sheet explaining different ways to learn the words during the week.

Have a word with the teacher to get the problem sorted, I'm sure it's an unintentional oversight.

In our school there is a deliberate (I think) policy to give more verbal explanations/messages in year one, and less written notes or posters up for parents. Obviously this doesn't apply to the crucial stuff which still happens in writing, but for lots of other things they are working on getting the children to listen well to instructions, and to pass messages on. I approve wholeheartedly.

I always ask my kids when they come out if there are any messages, or if they need to remember anything tomorrow. DS1 (yr1) is already pretty good at this: today he gave me quite a detailed explanation of a message, which was actually given to us in the form of a letter too. With homework I find a few leading questions usually gets them to start remembering the detailed and thorough briefing which the teacher has given them. We've never had anything that's as obscure as some described on here though.

Maybe this is something you could take up at a parent/govenor meeting or something. I does'nt sound very well organised and Im sure (hope) it's now typical of all schools. If your having problems the other mums must be too. Have you spoken with any of them. DD1 just started at reception this week and they have a little hand over/ diary type thing for messages, merits and homework stuff which is good for me as I am completly disorganised.