Come and help me see the big picture...

[40notTrendy]

DS in Yr 1. No reading book for 2 weeks. No comment in reading diary for 3 weeks. Found out that from this week they are having maths homework and a weekly spelling test . This is as well as reading (which is an epic drama to get him to do).

He's not settling. He quite often makes comments that he doesn't like his teacher or new class. He was asked to copy spellings from the board to learn. He hasn't been given the maths homework.

All in all I feel that his new teacher is not hitting the mark for him, or for me for that matter. I am soooo worried he'll switch off from school and hate it forever.
Will he?

There's another thread at the moment about settling into Y1 - it's a challenge for a lot of children, including it seems your DS. My DS pretty much claimed he hated school for the whole of Y1 and Y2 but is loving Y3 so there is still hope .

It sounds like it would be worth finding out the school's expectations about homework - DD is in Y1 and her homework is very much optional and anything the child does is applauded. If she really can't do something I don't force her and neither do the school.

If your DS hates reading why not just read to him for now - it's not worth fighting over a reading book and he will get to it in time - remember he is still young. Also to say DD's school no longer write in reading diaries once children get to Y1 - though they haven't told anyone this - I only know because I have an older DS. Is this the case in your school?

It's been made clear that homework should be done, spellings should be learnt and reading done everyday. I really didn't want to be the rebel parent but sadly looks like it may go that way, as I won't pressurise him to read/write at home as I know how knackered he is and he just can't handle it. I wish the expectations of work at home was over a half term/term then we could do it in his own time. I don't want him to switch off learning

And the teacher said she would comment in the diary after the weekly guided reading session. Which seems to have been only once so far

Make an appt to discuss your concerns with the teacher.

I've always made arrangements for DDs homework to be different (less or easier) to the rest of the class. The teacher never minds.

I've even agreed with them (at one stage) that I won't read with DD at all - because it was going so badly.

Just ask. Or rather tell her it's a real problem, and ask what can be done.

(That is if you think it is a real problem, compared to the other kids in the class....)