Sigh. Homework. If they have to have it make it worthwhile.

[newtermnewname]

DD (year 6) is at a good level in literacy. Her literacy homework this week is to find words in a wordsearch. Why? She can spell, she has been doing wordsearches for years, the words are simple and are not remotely linked to their literacy focus. Part of me thinks I should write in her diary that she will not be completing the homework as it is infant stuff, but then again I do not want her to be kept in at break-time for not doing it. IF they have to do sodding homework every week, WHY can't it be something actually useful and at an appropriate level?.

I would do it for her, let her play.
and put in a note saying how you feel.

The really annoying thing about it is they did a very similar homework last year.

But I don't want to come across as a PITA parent. I have 2 younger children who no doubt will also be doing wordsearches in years to come. Time is precious, we are all busy, kids need time to play and relax and fart around, and when homework DOES rear it's ugly head I sincerely wish it was something useful.

It must be very frustrating when you have a bright child and the homework doesn't stretch them. Is the homework levelled or does everyone in the year have to do the same work? Perhaps it's a chance for some of the children who have found the work in the past quite challenging to feel good about their achievement?

whatdoesthisbuttondo the year is split re: literacy and numeracy. DD has always been in the top half - not boasting by stealth etc - and will end the year with 5's. They all get the same homework.

Yes, that's often a problem with homework set across the year. Someone will always feel lost or under worked even if they rotate the ability focus. The only thing I can suggest is that you take her homework to the next level yourself - ask her to try and complete it within 5 mins or ask her to devise her own wordsearch. Attach any "extra" she does and hand all parts to her teacher. Your daughter is being challenged, you feel the whole thing was worth doing and your teacher is reminded that she needs to be stretched! Hopefully she/he will get the hint! Best of luck.

A wordsearch? My dc get homework teaching them to find verbs, adverbs, nouns and pronouns in sentences, and to create their own setences with whichever thing their homework is based on. Or research projects - they do a term long history project. DS1's this year is on the Tudor period (Y5), DS2's is on Romans (Y3). DS1 is expected to much more in-depth, independant research than DS2 is (and was even in Y3) because DS1 is top set, DS2 is bottom set. The lower the set, the less independantly the school expects the research to be done, and the top set is expected to produce a report that is more in-depth (and more pages long).

If I had to waste my time, and theirs, making them do a wordsearch, when it isn't teaching them anything, I'd be mightily peeved.