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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Have you donne any work with DC this holiday?Please what do you think?

47 replies

preciousmum · 23/04/2011 00:12

Hi there.
Before starting the holiday,i was planing to carry on doing some writing with my DS whos in receptionn and also some math.But anfortunatly up to now we havn't done any writing,but reading is everyday as usual.The guilt of of me didn't follow the plan is killing me,iam feeling i did let him down.
Now that we had the hole time,i didn't use it,and when was school time i was much well organised.Please your thaughts?? What sort of work have you done with your DC?
PS : i did try once to do some math during this holiday,but he wasn't corporating,so i didn't bother,then he left and went to garden to play with brother.
Thanks.

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PixieOnaLeaf · 23/04/2011 00:14

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ObscureReference · 23/04/2011 00:15

We ave been given homework for the dcs over these holidays!! So I have done that, and reading, but they love reading, and that is it!

Jas · 23/04/2011 00:18

We haven't even read as much as usual

My reception child was supposed to wite a one-sentence-a-day diary for a week. He has done one day....

Relax and enjoy the rest of the holiday. You will soon get back into a routine once he goes back.

Original poster

preciousmum · 23/04/2011 00:28

Thanks for the replay.He loves his reading,i don't have to puch him to it.

OP posts:

southofthethames · 23/04/2011 05:43

Don't worry about doing any! Holidays are for relaxing, and at this age play is just as educational as writing and maths! I know it is natural for you to feel you've got to offer your child the very best but imposing homework on yourself and on him at Reception age isn't necessarily the best thing. Has his school set him homework or complained that his writing is not good enough? If he has homework from the school, I'd just get him to complete what needs doing.

For what it's worth, I used to (and still do) get very annoyed with homework that said "do a little bit of this everyday" (like Jas's DC has to do). So annoying that they even encroach on every single day of the holiday! (I would have written all 2 weeks' worth of sentences in one day - separate pages presumably, different pens, and then shut the book.)

if you want him to do some writing and maths, why not do it in a fun way? Take a notepad to a museum, zoo or park (any fun outing) and ask him to copy something on a sign or notice - letters or numbers - while sitting down for snacks afterwards. But make sure he gets time to run about and play too. For maths, get him to practise counting change (pound coins or 10p coins) while waiting to pay (or after paying) in the supermarket or going out to have a meal. I really don't think he needs it at this stage, but if you think he's advanced enough to try it, then do it when you are out. Sitting at a desk for long periods while on holiday might put him off learning altogether!

2BoysTooLoud · 23/04/2011 07:00

I have a year 1 ds and after parents eve decided we MUST do writing over holidays. Well err..mmmm.
Done nothing. He has read when he has wanted to in bed but told me very clearly he does enough work at school!
He has played in the sunshine and we have a busy and fun few days lined up before school starts. Won't get any work done. May do Easter card for his Granny..thats it!
Lets not feel guilty together precious mum!

asdx2 · 23/04/2011 08:21

None, dd though has read a pile of books, wrote stories, poems and drawn pictures through choice because it's what she enjoys. We've played UNO and Triominoes because ds like to play those but we do no formal homework during the holidays.

MigratingCoconuts · 23/04/2011 08:49

just reading. homework is still waiting!

TortoiseVEasterBunny · 23/04/2011 08:56

Nothing.
DS2 has done some SATs revision but that was at his friends house!

SilveryMoon · 23/04/2011 09:00

Oh crap. Ds1 (who is 3yo and in nursery) was given 3 pieces of homework to do over the holidays, I haven't done any of them with him. They need to be handed in for Tuesday.
Had better pull my finger out and sit down with him later.

We have done stuff like colouring in, we made pirates with wooden spoons, we have done some painting and other normal toddler stuff, but I completely forgot about his homework.

Not that I'm 100% happy with a 3 year old getting homeowrk over a school holiday. As a normal rule, he brings home 2 pieces of homework per week which I think is madness

kickingking · 23/04/2011 09:01

Nothing. DS is not at school yet, but if he was I would still have done nothing. And I'm a primary teacher.

Holidays are for relaxing, resting and having fun. If he has fun and maybe some new experiences, he'll have something to write about when he goes back to school, won't he? With the Maths, board/card games would do the job if he was up for that.

2BoysTooLoud · 23/04/2011 09:11

Bloody hell SilveryMoon home work at 3! Does he have to do it? You do it with your left hand and he can play in the garden!!

JiltedJohnsJulie · 23/04/2011 09:17

Nothing. DS is in Yr2 and has been given a reading book and some comprehension to do. He's been off for a week now and hasn't touched either. Completely not worried though, he has spent the last few days building Lego and playing in the garden with family. Both enjoyable and you learn good skils doing both.

Enjoy your holiday and let DS enjoy his

melpomene · 23/04/2011 09:20

Homework at 3? :(

DD1 (year 3) had some maths and literacy homework and obviously we've helped her do it. DD2 (year 1) has no homework and we haven't done any extra work with her, apart from suggesting that she read a book a few times.

I agree that holidays are for resting and you shouldn't feel guilty for not making a dc work (unless it's assigned homework). Just try and incorporate learning into everyday life in a fun way, eg reading the names of icecreams to choose which one you want, writing labels for newly-potted plants, or estimating how long it will take to fill the paddling pool!

galois · 23/04/2011 09:22

I told DS1 he could have a picnic lunch: just write a shopping list for me and we'd go to the shops and get it. And he did (I don't think he realised he was working). I think that's the only piece of writing we've done, and think that's enough for a reception child. We have done reading every day but only because it's part of the routine.

More importantly, he has had lots of fresh air and sunshine, hours of unfilled time to build marble runs, play lego and mess around in the sandpit, he's started to learn to ride a bike without stabilizers and he's got himself a footballing injury that he likes to show everyone.

I do sneakily get him to read things, count things and do little bits of maths, but just in the course of normal activities ("DS1, can you pick up a copy of Times for me", "DS1, can you see if we have enough cups for everyone that's coming to lunch" etc etc)

SilveryMoon · 23/04/2011 09:45

I don't make a huge deal about his homework, but he is normally keen to do it.
Tbh, I would just do it myself, but I don't want him to fall behind the rest of the class iyswim. I know at 3 it doesn't really matter, but there's going to be homework for years and years to come and we may as well start with the right attitude.
He has to do some colouring for Easter, some writing and some simple maths (you know, 1+2=3 and so on)
Both mine (ds2 is 2yrs) do lots of bits and pieces throughout every day. We count the stairs as we walk up them, we work on hand-eye co-ordination by throwing balls, they help witht he shopping so ds1 knows all about his fruit and veg.
But tbh, the most important thing i am trying to teach both my ds's is how to be kind to other people, how to share, and how to channel their anger more appropriately.

Clary · 23/04/2011 11:29

silverymoon at homework for a 3yo!

What kind of nursery is this? Is it attached to a school?

Lots of children IME especially the younger ones(which I assume yr DS is) start school unable to count to 5 let alone add 1 and 2!

Shaxx · 23/04/2011 11:38

We've done nothing!
Ds1 is in Yr1 and has 2 pieces of homework but we went on holiday and have just carried on chilling out since we got back.
Its true that the holiday was a brilliant learning experience for him anyway.

I'm planning on doing the homework tomorrow with him though I should be doing some reading with him from today....

simpson · 23/04/2011 14:45

Ds (yr1) has done some reading every day (which he loves to do, I don't have to nag him iyswim) and yesterday I felt bad that we have done nothing else really so he did some spellings.

We got back from a trip to Italy a couple of days ago and he did do a scrap book while we were there (sticking leaf in from park, drawing the aeroplane we flew on etc)

lovecheese · 23/04/2011 16:41

Both of my DD's, yr5 and yr2, read all the time so am not worried about that, although will have to get the younger one to read her (boring) school books.

We do, and I risk much laughter at this, 10 minutes of maths a day, with the older one because she needs to and with the younger one because she enjoys it. Plus puzzle books, magazines, newspapers, bit of online learing, and getting filthy in the garden.

lovecheese · 23/04/2011 16:42

...that should read online learning BTW!

lljkk · 23/04/2011 17:17

DS is y2, last night he was hyper-over tired & emotional, crying and unable to settle.
So I started asking him lots of Times table questions, and then moved onto spellings.
Because they settled him, got him out of his tizz.
Oh, and he knows that he needs to write a little thank you note to Nan for chocolate egg.

So yeah, technically he's doing some work, but not doing work for the sake of work, iyswim.

exoticfruits · 23/04/2011 17:29

Sounds a sensible boy! You can do a lot that doesn't seem work-play board games, read to him , write shopping lists, bake cakes.

yellowkiwi · 23/04/2011 22:43

My DS (yr 1) is constantly learning and it has been lovely doing things with him at home. He reads to himself every night before going to sleep. We've done no formal work though.

I would never send a child to a nursery that gave homework.

NonnoMum · 23/04/2011 22:47

Other countries haven't even started in formal education yet.
Relax.

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