Year R "reading" and "homework" question

[AbbyR1973]

Hello,

My eldest has just started school. I just wondered how far in they typically start bringing books home from school to look at as I'm new to this. Its a great school, I'm not worried about anything and they need time to settle in but I just wondered what timescales usually apply.

The book bag today contained a lovely welcome pack with activity sheets e.g. My name is and a box to fill in, some colouring etc. There were no instructions or when it was to be done by but have assumed since it came home in the book bag that it was a sort of homework (DS was most excited about the idea of homework- I think it makes him feel like a big boy!!) He has enthusiastically finished the whole thing off this evening! I assume he was meant to do this at home??

What sort of things have your children been bringing home?

I think all schools are different. My daughter is now in year 1 but last year she had books from the end of the first week. The first few had no words in at all and were all about describing the story! She had it changed every day if she had completed it, but I know some schools will only change then once or twice a week. If you haven't had any books by half term I would be asking why? as they should have done enough phonics for children to make a start at decoding with your help.

Weekly homework and daily reading seems the norm round here (but not for the first week or two)

Think it all varies. I remember DS now yr3 not coming home with reading books until feb of reception although a fair few kids got books before him...Although he did get lots of phonics based work to do IIRC beforehand...

DD starts on Friday. So will be seeing how they do things myself!!

Dd1 started yesterday and bought a book home. It was a simple story book that repeated high frequency words.

Good morning, thanks for replies!
I got my answers this morning- the class teacher mentioned when I dropped DS1 off that we would be getting books at the end of the week. The welcome pack is to be done at leisure although eager and excited Ds1 raced through the whole thing last night.

Dd was in reception last year and we were told no books until after half term but they started to hand them out about 3 weeks into the term. Homework started after half terrm once a week and she had 5 days to complete it. The work was normally draw a picture/make something about what they had been learning that week.

DD started with reading books 4 weeks after starting school. A book comes home each day and is returned the next. We have to log into the diary how much we read and the usual comments easy/difficult/read together/read to the child/funny/boring etc.

Homework - I can't remember when it started but it was after Autumn half-term. It is handed out Fridays and return the next Wednesday. It was normally a task about finding shapes, making words with certain letters, drawing a picture with certain elements, talking about a favourite book, mostly something they had discussed during the week.

But from the first full week we got each Friday a booklet with four letters they had to practice writing over the weekend.

Besides the millions of permission slips and requests for money. DS has just got a 'sounds & signs' book with a word in it. Apparently this will be explained to parents in the curriculum meeting next week but as it's at 2.30pm I'll be at work so may have to figure it out for myself
Apparently according to one of my neighbours they do get weekly reading books soon. So we are just continuing with our usual evening reading in the meantime.