Anyone had a child who is fed up because they dont get enough homework?

[BatBrainsPumpkinHead]

KS1 - school's principle on homework:
Reception - reading, and key word keyrings followed by spellings when keyrings finished. Encouraged, but not compulsory

Yr 1: reading 1-2books per week strongly encouraged, remaining keyrings/spellings

Yr 2: reading, spellings, 1 worksheet per week with 1 week to do. strongly encouraged

KS2: children start getting kept in for not doing homework.

To me this seems like a sensible approach to homework. Ds has decided he is not getting enough homework and has been mithering the teacher and been behaving appallingly at home. I have told him if he feels he is not getting enough homework he needs to speak to his teacher, and suggested he could do some research on his favourite topic.

Anyone got any good suggestions about how to deal with this? Do i encourage/discourage/not get involved in enthusiasm for homework? there is a parents evening coming up before christmas and i expect this is something that will be brought up but how do i stop the frustration behaviour that has been exhibited nightly this week. Its driving me nuts.

Perhaps you could buy him some workbooks or register him on the mathletics website?

I suppose it depends on why he wants to do homework. If he likes the sitting down and concentrating part then workbooks will do the trick (or wordsearch or puzzles). If there is some other reason he wants more homework then setting him some yourself probably won't work.

I was a child like that... Right up to A level! so am slightly biased but I think it's a good sign.

I used to get loads of workbooks and that's even easier nowadays with online resources.

BUT far better than that would be more enriching stuff - making up big problems to solve, experiments in the kitchen etc.

Or bigger projects like making a magazine?

He has had access to various work books and puzzle since pre-school age.

Its the last statement i think that applies. this has only started since they let him bring home the yr 2 optional homework (he's in a yr1/yr2 split class) he insisted on doing it the same night and handing it in. I am not sure if he wants the homework because he wants to be doing what the older kids are doing or if he just likes the homework type sheet that he got from school.

How old is he BTW?

Oh x post sorry.

Haven't mastered links on my phone yet but google 'lapbooking squidoo' - great site on lapbooking which is a way of presenting research

Tbh he has been doing experiments in the kitchen and garden etc for a few years. I have suggested that he does a research project on his favourite topic which was greeted with some enthusiasm. I have runout of ideas of suitable things that are appropriate for his age. I have a youngest that knows stuff that ks3 teachers dream of some of their less able students understanding.

I would like him to be a child and do child appropriate activities, he is a very reluctant child who wants to grow up quicker then he shoudl do. I am a little concerned about this homework situation. Especially as the frustration from not getting it has resulted in damage to things and persons. He copes bably with frustration and when frustrated about something he then cant cope with other frustrations. and i have been screamed at 3 evenings in a row simply because he cant cope with the situation. my ears hurt. I am glad he is currently fast asleep, whilst i try to figure him out.

I thought i'd be sneaky and use the project to get him to practise his writing which is a weaker area for him. like most boys he finds the idea of practising writing for the sake of it boring. But give him a space book and he will copy sentances and facts out of it with enthusiasm.

Will look at the maths stuff and lapbooking stuff as stuff to stretch/vary him.

Hmm, I can see why you're worried if he's getting so frustrated. What's he like at school? Have you looked into possible behaviour issues?

And how is he academically, is he average or maybe finding the work too easy?

Does he do any out of school clubs?

nrich.com is a great maths site.

At school he is in with the year 2 class as he was in the high flyers group last year. He has complained that he is doing work that is harder then the year 2's. His teacher has said that the children are grouped according to their ability and not their year group. He does complain about school being too easy and boring. But came home from school at the start of the year complaining it was hard. So not sure if the transistion from reception to yr2 expectations was the cause for the beginning of year feeling of hardness and now that he has adjusted that he is finding the work too easy.

School have no problem with him academically. He has a fine brain but social skills issues. This is something that we knew before he started at school and he has been getting support for. They have said that he needs to adjust his expectations of what he should be able to do. Which is something he has always had problems with. he never had time to be a baby, same with a toddler. Thus he has been encouraged to learn to play and be a child.

Club wise he does french club, wants to start gymnastics (starts next term) and wants to do ice hockey - which he can start when he has been for fun a few more times to get a bit more confidence. Am toying with the idea of after school club one night a week too. Also trying to get him sorted out with swimming lessons.

he has been going fishing and playing golf with his dad since he was very young.

Tbh i dont want to over load him with activities and i would like him to decide to be a normal child. But as he seems so determined to not be, I need to try and keep a good balance for him. I am struggling with it.