Y1 Reading and homework – is there such a thing as too much?

[Eggrules]

Question 1: How do you tackle reading books?
Question 2: How much homework is appropriate for KS1?

Background ? DS (5) is in a mixed Y1/2 class. School selects Y1 children that have the ability and maturity to progress within a mixed year group. The pace has been set fairly high from the off. The message is no toys, less play, heads down and work hard. It is early days and he is finding the change of pace difficult and has been more emotional than usual ? I know he will be fine.
We had a consultation evening, basically 5 minutes to meet the teacher. I expressed concerns about DS and phonics. Basically I am happy that with his reading level however, he seems to have skipped the basics and has a gap in basic phonics knowledge.

I am supportive of going over things at home and last year we read, played on BBC/Education City for 20 minutes Mon ? Fri. This year this all seems a bit much (at the moment) and so we do 20 minutes 3 times a week.

DS?s Teacher has told me that she expects reading books to be changed daily. Within a few weeks there will also be homework set on Education City with some additional spelling and numeracy. In relation to my DS, I have been asked to encourage writing practise. Last night, I sat with DS whilst he read an ORT book. He reads aloud and we go over the reading together questions. Last night reading a 32 page book with about 4 lines on a page took 30 minutes.

IMHO, the homework suggested will take 30-40mins every day. I think this is a lot of extra work at the end of the school day/ weekend. I have said I thought the amount of work expected at home was quite a lot especially when DS is having a hard time with the change of pace. I seem to be in a minority at school.

What do others do/think?

I really struggle with DD re: homework. She gets two reading books per week, spellings on Monday for a test on Friday and a weekend topic homework. Topic is fine but she hates the reading and spelling tasks, even with chocolate button bribes. I hate the fact that she has it to do. Homework in year1 seems crazy and, as a summer birthday, she's one of the youngest. I just don't think she's ready and pushing her I feel will turn her off the whole thing. After a very enthusiastic reception year I get "I don't want to go to school" most mornings now. Year 1 is depressing us both . I never do more than 10 minutes at a time, unless she keeps going and we don't do every night.

Anyone else not embracing this formal learning with gusto? Doesn't help that DD year 1 teacher is a bit of a dragon.

OP, that sounds way too much, and not sustainable. DD is in yr2, and has a reading book, which she is expected to read for 10 minutes a night. Frequently she will read the whole thing, but this is entirely her choice.

She also has a homework book with a list of tasks to be completed over the course of the term. She is encouraged to do one per week, but last week (when the books were given out) she was very excited about it, so did three. The tasks range from some handwriting practice to some practical maths to some research about the local area and tie in with in-class activities - the teacher sends home a note on Friday advising one or two tasks which match best with the following week's work, but the children are free to choose something else. The tasks take about 10-15 minutes each with a willing child, and I while I am not a fan of homework in infant school, I think this amount is manageable. I would have reservations about anything more being expected.

She also does various CBBC games (mostly literacy) on the computer but she chooses to do them for fun, they are not a requirement.

Arggghh freaking me out. Dd in y1 gets three books, changed once a week. And that's it. I can't believe your schools are already giving out spellings etc. I feel torn between smugness and panic that we aren't doing anything but reading...

And she's sooooo not on anything like all the reading levels cited here.

year 1 was horrid year for my dd big leap.

last year she got 1-2books a week.

1numeracy sheet to be done over weekend

10spellings-test -friday.

some blending/sliding sounds

no websites though.

year 2

shes been getting diffrent book nightly

10spellings

numeracy sheet.

I would say books take me 10-15mins

the rest hour a week.

32pages.

dd just got onto ort levl 5 so your dd doing well with level 8 in year 1.

it does sound too much.

I know local schools hre who do more.
also freinds infant has no homework policy.

im not sure homework is compulsary if seems unreasonable amount.

my dd gets tired she has 3after school clubs a week.

slimyak - same here. We have spellings for a test and reading every night. the reading is FINE, he enjoys it (summer born Y1) but spellings are a real struggle.

I don't think five year olds should have home work at all, apart from reading.

slimyak Anyone else not embracing this formal learning with gusto? I could cry with frustration this morning. My child has morphed into an angry, rude, upset stranger. Trying keep mornings from being a battleground is a struggle that gets worse the closer to school we get. Since starting back, he has come back out of school twice crying.

Also, to the self declared class rep; I know he is being rude and surly. Your attempts to jolly him along are making it worse. I agree he should be polite, however you have never spoken to him before. I've asked you to leave leave home alone, please do so. (Sorry, rant over)

PlaySchool - hats off to you. Even if I had the will; I find it impossible hard to fit it in. Initially, I felt like I was letting him down, especially as a lot of parents seemed ok with the homework expected (in some cases they set more). Meh, I let them get one with it. All I can worry about is mine and I think we do more than enough.

mam29 I think DS is getting Y2 homework (he is in a mixed class). We have been asked to 'practise number bonds and times tables'. Homework was to identify shapes including - pentagon, hexagon and octagon. They were asked to use simple shapes to make others like trapezium and parallelogram.

Farewelltoarms your DD's homework sounds fine to me. At the end of last year DS romped up through levels. Reading levels don't mean much to me and he can stay al this level all year. I love to read and hope he does to; what will be will be.

I think most parents know what reading level their LOs are on. Progress towards the rest of the curriculum is more oblique imho. A lot of parents at my DS's school, compare progress using reading levels. He is doing well with his reading but there is more to learning. They are good at different things.

Well homework isn't compulsory. We will:
Weekday: read - 5 -10 mins
Sat complete weekly EC
Sun 20 mins of whatever writing or set homework.

I will try encourage: writing (menus, notices and lists), baking and making meals together.

Feeling much better.

I am fed up with morning shenanigans and so I have said if there is any nonsense tomorrow, there will be no TV that night. I know he is upset but he has been back at school for four weeks and the bad behaviour must stop.

We will be making cakes, homemade pizza for tea, making a jet pack, instead.

egg rules-

only had 2lots numercay homework so far

week 1-was shapes
week 2 odd and even numbers.
wont get week 3in bookbags until friday.

we havent had any number bonds or times tables yet but plan to do times tables and telling the time at home.

We have 2nd list of spellings-spellings test friday
getting 3-4reading books last week-we have homework diary and only get asked to read half a 16page book.

its fitting it all in as monday night rainbows-read abook that was all.
sunday , tuesday free nights tonights free club night but shes over a freinds.

Thur gym-but will have to squeeze in spellings and books.

Hello mam29. If you only get asked to read half a 16page book do you read the book in two halves over two nights? I think it makes more sense to read the whole book over two nights.

We read an entire book last night. DS and I have agreed this means a night off homework tonight and so we will do some baking instead. He was OK at going in today and so will be allowed to watch TV tonight. He had a club before school and so this is the calm before the storm. I am expecting the grumps to be back in full force tomorrow.

I don't know what number bonds are.

Other than the nine times table trick, I have no idea how to help with times tables.
No spelling tests as yet.