WWYD? Homework is too hard IMHO. How much support do you give to your DC?

[AngelaMartinLipton]

DS is in a mixed YEAR 1/2 class. Up until now his homework has been electronic and that is the only reason I know that it has been Year 2. I know some 6yos would be able to sit and concentrate unsupervised. I am sure he is given work in class and expected to get on with it but he can't/won't at home. He can do the homework if we sit together. I don't complete it for him, I explain the question and jolly him along. If he gets it wrong, that's ok. It doesn't help that I use different terms and don't understand the methods he is expected to use.

The latest homework is on paper sheets and it is just way too difficult for him. We have a consultation/parents evening in a few weeks. There is no opportunity to talk to the class teacher. If I could have, I would have been tempted to ask if he had the correct work.

He doesn't understand the way the question is phrased (I'm a bit ). For example: What number is 7 less than 15? 15-7 =? would be fine. To divide 16 by 5, the instruction is to add 4 to sixteen. Either the answer is an estimate or there is a second part to the question that I don't understand.

The instructions are to go over the first sheet together and then DS is to continue with the rest of the paper on his own (9 more pages). I think I should do as asked and then go over the questions so he understands what he was supposed to do.

How much input or support do others give to their Y1/ 6 yos when doing homework?

How did you get on Nomad?

Homework for 5-6 years olds seems excessive.

we get worksheets every week asking what books have been read, draw pictures or write something you liked about them, asked to research a topic they are doing the following week, asked to practice the phonics and tricky words they have been doing and a page or three of other stuff, sometimes maths, sometimes personal development, sometime literacy. DS is keen to do the work as he likes to please the teacher but its far too much for him to do. On a school day he is exhausted and burnt out form the day so it has to be done at the weekend, and its a chores and a half to get through it all.

I leave post its on the worksheets indicating how much 1:1 it took to get the work done, if he got things wrong and wanted to correct it once we talked about it, or did it on his own DS usually gets his homework 'wrong' because he lost consentration and forgot what he was supposed to be doing...sometime its gets left with an explanation of that, or he tries again with support, and I make that clear too.

It went much better than I expected. Dd's teacher was really helpful. She thanked me for the feedback on the home work and was worried than some of it may have been too tricky. Dd has gone up a level on her reading and her writing has improved. It's just her maths that she's struggling on still.

The teacher was saying that she didn't agree with homework and thought its more important that they go out and play after being at school all day. I feel much better now and think I got the teacher all wrong. The blog wasn't mentioned either.

In any case, I'm going to drop the kumon, it's just too much.

All is well then Nomad? Sounds like it went much better than you expected. What a relief for you.