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Primary education

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Original poster

Spellings

27 replies

namechangesgalore · 17/01/2011 19:28

Ds has had spellings to do since the start of year 1. They have always been very easy and for e.g. the last three weeks he has known all but one without looking at them/ learning them first at all. So 29 out of 30 were like this.

I know some people think spelling like this is a waste of time but it is phonics based at least - i.e. the words are grouped.

The tricky words ones included are those he did at least a year ago at the start of reception.

Shouldn't there be some which he needs to think about properly or learn?!

OP posts:
bowlingball · 17/01/2011 19:56

ever tried stretching him at home?

seeker · 17/01/2011 20:02

Spellings are a waste of time. Be thankful he doesn;t have to spend much time on them!

Original poster
namechangesgalore · 17/01/2011 20:18

Yes of course bowling but a. I think this is probably reflective of him not being stretched at school which worries me (plenty of other evidence for that) b. I don't want to give him the message he doesn't have to do school's homework and c. given b. I don't want to sit a five year old down and make him do a second set of 'homework' even if the first lot is a doddle. He should be learning at school and have reasonable homework, supported by us but not have to do a whole extra chunk of learning after school to make up for the fact school isn't differentiating.

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Original poster
namechangesgalore · 17/01/2011 20:18

Ok that was a bit of a rant by me - I'm not actually that wound up about the spellings but they are so far off the mark and the OP was just to see if that's normal.

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coppertop · 17/01/2011 20:21

If they're grouped then it could be that they are being used to reinforce the phonics that they are learning in class. IME at this stage it's more about encouraging the use of phonics rathr than memorising set words.

seeker · 17/01/2011 20:40

Why do you want 5 year old to be "stretched"?

bubbles1112 · 17/01/2011 20:49

My dd (y1) was given spellings today. They are the harder level. She has until Friday to learn them. She knew them all on first ask. I don't really know what to do. Have written a note to teacher asking for advice...ie should she have something else to work on until Friday. Or does it just not really matter? I feel frustrated and don't know if I should.
Sorry no help but I understand your worries!

bubbles1112 · 17/01/2011 20:54

Why wouldn't you want a y1 child stretched? If a child is finding work/learning hard then there's a focus on helping them along. If a child is doing well and achieving more than required then it seems that's great but there seems to be no focus on challenging them more. I think my dd is capable of more and feel frustrated that she isn't given the opportunity.

seeker · 17/01/2011 20:57

Your child is 5 years old! That's 60 months!

mrz · 17/01/2011 21:14

I'm with seeker

bubbles1112 · 17/01/2011 21:15

Mine is 6! I don't get your point. What's wrong with challenging kids that are able. Should they just rest on their laurels?

jkklpu · 17/01/2011 21:19

You could reinforce the words in a different way, eg taking turns with your child to think of ways to use the words, or other words that rhyme with them, or choosing that colours that match or sound silly, or thinking of the opposites of the words, point them out when he spots them on posters in the street - lots of ways to do it other than just the spelling

Original poster
namechangesgalore · 17/01/2011 21:22

Seeker HE complains that it's stupidly easy and would rather learn something new. I'd rather not do them at all than have him have to do boring homework.

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Original poster
namechangesgalore · 17/01/2011 21:24

jkk they are good ideas and I will try that.

Actually maybe that is the solution - I don't want him to associate homework with boredom already at this age!

And as I say, slightly separate issue but it makes me think they are not differentiating well at school.

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mrz · 17/01/2011 21:34

I'm not sure how you can deduce that they aren't differentiating in school from a few spellings sent home.

At five the homework is more to include parents in their child's learning than stretching or challenging.

bubbles1112 · 17/01/2011 21:41

Why Mrz? Are parents generally so uninvolved in their childs education?

Original poster
namechangesgalore · 17/01/2011 21:56

MRZ a fair point....I have other reasons to think they aren't differentiating well.
All I can do is gently find out - not about to pile in and annoy the teacher or anything.

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Original poster
namechangesgalore · 17/01/2011 22:01

Actually Mrz if it's to involve me in his LEARNING what's the point if the spellings don't help him LEARN anything!? They aren't even at the level of reinforcing something recently learned by him.

So either they are differentiating at school in which case this homework (and all the rest) doesn't achieve the suggested aim of involving me in his learning as it's not that well related to what he's doing at school OR they aren't differentiating at school and he's not learning full stop.

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DreamTeamGirl · 18/01/2011 00:36

If he already knows them, then he doesnt need to do them as homework, therefore give him some different ones if it is that important to you

But honestly he is in year ONE

seeker · 18/01/2011 07:11

'So either they are differentiating at school in which case this homework (and all the rest) doesn't achieve the suggested aim of involving me in his learning as it's not that well related to what he's doing at school OR they aren't differentiating at school and he's not learning full stop.'

Or he's just a very good speller?

rainbowinthesky · 18/01/2011 07:16

We asked for a different list when given the spellings to learn for Y1 as dd knew them all and still knew the second list so we agreed to write her spellings for her. SInce then I have learnt the pointlessness of spelling so now she is in Y2 we just do what we are given and she looks over them the morning before the test.

mrz · 18/01/2011 07:59

namechangesgalore actually there isn't any point in homework for this age group but the previous government believed parents like homework so "suggested" schools provide it anyway.

julybutterfly · 18/01/2011 08:08

My DS has got all his spellings correct since September. He Only ever looks at them the day they come home which leaves him the rest of the week to do normal 5 year old things instead of stressing about spellings.

Do you really think they need stretching in spellings tests?! I'm just happy DS isn't struggling

lovecheese · 18/01/2011 09:17

My DD is also very good at spelling/decoding, and 9/10 has words sent home that she doesn't need to practice. So, partly to test whether she understands the meanings of the words and partly to make it more interesting we write the words into sentences, as inventive as we like - a good opportunity to practice handwriting, ideas, grammar and punctuation. Could you try that?

Original poster
namechangesgalore · 18/01/2011 09:19

Definitely grateful he doesn't have to pore over spellings all week.
I think we just won't bother doing it then. Was worried that would give him a negative message about homework for later on.

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