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Nurseries

Find nursery advice from other Mumsnetters on our Nursery forum. For more guidance on early years development, sign up for Mumsnet Ages & Stages emails.

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Original poster

Homework at nursery!

25 replies

speedymama · 22/02/2007 08:48

DTS have just turned 3yo and when I picked them up from nursery yesterday, their key worker said that she would soon start giving them homework!. I was so flummoxed by what she said, I was lost for words.

Since when did 3yo in nurseries need homework? She said that it would be things like colouring in pictures that they give them. Fair enough but I do that with them anyway. I can only think that it is a requirement by Ofsted that they need to record children's progress.

It is a very good privately run nursery and the boys are really happy there (they run in and start playing straight away - I have to distract them to get them to say goodbye).

I just find it hard to comprehend the need for 3yo toddlers to have homework!

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Hulababy · 22/02/2007 08:54

Never heard of any nursery sending homeowrk out, private or state run. Think it is OTT to be honest; education isn't even compulsary at 3 so to send extra home as wek is not a great idea IMO.

I would ask the nursery why they are sending homework home.

FluffyMummy123 · 22/02/2007 08:54

Message withdrawn

ghostyDave · 22/02/2007 09:00

My friend is moving her 3 year old DD from her, up until now, very lovely, day care centre because just after her third birthday they started sending reading books home
She is enrolled in public kindy where it is free play right through till school
Homework for 3 year olds, how ridiculous!

Waswondering · 22/02/2007 09:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster

speedymama · 22/02/2007 09:11

She said that she was going to start setting hoemwork and doing colouring was an example she quoted! Also, she said that she has starting writing their long term development plan, their medium term development plan and will soon start their weekly plan. So for example, they will start teaching them how to draw straight lines as they need to be able to do this in order to learn to write.

I just want them to play.

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Hulababy · 22/02/2007 09:13

The short, medium and long term planning is normally. This is something childcare providers do have to do - based on the fondation stage stuff.

Original poster

speedymama · 22/02/2007 09:13

DH also said that he won't be doing it with them because it is over the top. However, I don't want them to be penalised so if it is just colouring in a picture, I have no problem with that because I do that with them anyway. I just hope they don't expect them to be reading by Summer!

OP posts:

morningpaper · 22/02/2007 09:13

haha we get those development plans but the homework thing is shite and I wouldn't do it

You are paying them to give you TIME, not to give you MORE things to do

paddingtonbear1 · 22/02/2007 09:14

my dd is at the pre-school stage of a privately run nursery, and we get some stuff once a term about what topics they're going to be doing. If it includes songs, they provide the music so you can teach them, and there might be some little puzzles and colouring in. I guess you could call this homework, but you can either do it or ignore it - no pressure. I think they have to follow certain guidelines in pre-school. We get an early education grant now dd's over 3 - I guess you get this too? My friend who's a childminder says that for parents to get the grant through her, she would have to have a more structured set-up with early learning goals.

morningpaper · 22/02/2007 09:14

At dd's last "development check" I was told they are trying to get her to recognise "octagons and trapezoids"

I smiled meekly

Fortunately at home she just watches television all day

Original poster

speedymama · 22/02/2007 09:15

That seems logical Hulubaby. I just can't get my head round 3yo having homework!

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Hulababy · 22/02/2007 09:16

Other than her reading, my nearly 5yo doesn't get homework from school! No way I would be happy for a 3yo to have homework. nursery is supposed to be about playing!

Original poster

speedymama · 22/02/2007 09:19

We will get the grant from April so coupled with the discount we get from the nursery for them turning 3yo, the fees will be £320 cheaper. At least that is something to smile about.

Looking at it objectively, I guess there is nothing wrong with them learning how to draw a straight line as a structured activity as long as they have plenty of time to play.

OP posts:

Waswondering · 22/02/2007 09:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

colditz · 22/02/2007 09:20

My son's preschool send home reading books. So I read it and then it gets lost, and doesn't turn up for 2 weeks. Then I send it back, and we get another one, which gets read once then lost.

Hulababy · 22/02/2007 09:20

Regards the structured, we found that DD wasn't really aware of the learning she was doing. Looking at it they were doing lots of learning every day including structured stuff - colouring sheets of letter sounds, counting, writing their names on their work, etc. but to DD they were playing and colouring in rather than anything especially academic.

Original poster

speedymama · 22/02/2007 09:21

I have to say I am not looking forward to them starting school if they start to put them under pressure to perform at such an early age.

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Original poster

speedymama · 22/02/2007 09:23

Hulubaby, that is how I hope the boys will view it - playing but learning without it being obvious.

OP posts:

Bozza · 22/02/2007 09:30

It was definitely like hula describes for DS at day nursery - not realising he was learning. And even quite a lot in reception. Now he is in Y1 and gets reading books, and spellings and homework sheets.

kslatts · 22/02/2007 09:45

When my dd was at nursery she was given reading books to bring home. It was a state run nursery and in the final term the teacher thought that dd was ready. She enjoyed reading at home, but it was just before she was due to start reception. The teacher discussed it with us first and made it clear she didn't have to do it if we didn't feel she was ready so I imagine the homework would be optional.

Original poster

speedymama · 28/02/2007 12:04

Well, DTS got their first homework assignment yesterday. A worksheet with dotted shapes and they have to join the dots up. I suppose that is not too bad. I'll just make a game of it.

This is such a culture shock for me. I did not think I would have to do this until they started school.

OP posts:

badelaide · 28/02/2007 12:09

the world's gone stark raving bonkers...........don't do it, don't do it.

pinkranger · 28/02/2007 12:10

i would not be happy for my Ds (4) who is at a pre school to get homework , the teachers are great and do loads with them and we sit down together and do stuff at home but i wouldnt like him (or me) to feel he has to do it yet!

They just want to have Fun

glad that it wasnt to bad for you xxx

Original poster

speedymama · 28/02/2007 12:27

My DH said that he is not doing it. Part of me feels that way but I don't want to undermine the keyworker as she has to write progress reports (which she should be able to do from the work they do at nursery anyway).

I do feel that it is unnecessary at this age but I'll just make a game of it.

What is the world coming to?.

OP posts:

nannynick · 04/03/2007 09:13

Homework is not an Ofsted requirement.

Progress reports for Foundation Stage Curriculum can be done within nursery time.

You pay the nursery and therefore YOU decide what your child does there. If nursery do not like that, you can pay someone else! Ofsted requires the nursery to work in partnership with parents, so if you tell them you do not want homework and they insist that your children do homework, then you can complain to the regulator.

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