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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Helping with homework - yr 4

9 replies

ChocolateHelps · 29/09/2013 13:05

My DD Is in year 4and her school had a very relaxed attitude to homework until juniors and even year 3 was ok. Now in year 4 they are all about neat writing, spelling and aiming for a pen licence

She has just finished her homework independently, which is great and gone out. I've had a look and there is a simple spelling mistake in each sentence

Do I show her so she can correct it or let the teacher correct it? She's my eldest so this is all new to me.

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TheRoundTable · 01/10/2013 21:14

Sometimes I ask mine, in the same year, to have a look again and read through and see if she spots anything. It depends on the spelling sometimes. You know her, so you can tell if it's a mistake due to rushing through or if she really doesn't know how to spell the word.

Like mine who spelled 'allowed' as 'aloud' and I told her to look and she spotted her mistake.

Yesterday, she spelt 'piece' as 'peice', but I still thought it was good that she didn't spell it as 'peace' or 'pease'. If it was school work, I probably wouldn't have said anything, but it was her "DIY writing" as she calls it, so I said something about us both needing to look at words that have either "ie" or "ei" and how confusing they can be sometimes.

MilkRunningOutAgain · 01/10/2013 21:19

I wouldn't, not once they are in juniors. But I made an exception to this rule last year when DS had a teacher who didn't correct spelling mistakes , I felt I needed to do her job for her. Happily this year his excellent teacher makes all the class look up words they have spelt wrong and then either write them out three times correctly, or sometimes make up a sentence with the word in it.

Ferguson · 01/10/2013 22:11

Hi - retired TA here -

I think you could mention you noticed a few 'slips' and suggest she 'proof reads' it (which is a skill they are encouraged to learn in due course), and see if she can correct it herself, or at least notice which words are suspect.

People are probably getting thoroughly sick of me recommending the Oxford Phonics Spelling Dictionary but I think it is an excellent resource for supporting and teaching spelling, throughout the primary years and, for some children, into secondary. It lists words according to the initial SOUND, not just the letter as in a 'normal' dictionary. It also has useful hints and tips to make spelling more understandable. At under £7 from Amazon, it could be the most useful school aid you ever buy. You can see sample pages HERE:

Bramshott · 02/10/2013 09:50

I encourage DD1 (now Y6) to read back through her homework another day and see where the errors are (spelling is NOT her strong point). That way her teacher can see her original effort, and her corrections. I sometimes point out a few corrections to her as well.

betterwhenthesunshines · 04/10/2013 12:05

Ferguson - thanks, have just ordered that book!

artfullmamma · 04/10/2013 12:50

my dd gets rather upset when i suggest she sets out a draft check it and copy out neatly for her literacy homework. Effort seems just far too over the top for her to comply and i just get called cheekie names and argument follows-I am trying gently to help but am i making it worse? her content is good but messy and often miss spelt. I am dyslexic and always spent ages on home work - to do my best...i feel she should too in a fun way...

betterwhenthesunshines · 04/10/2013 13:49

OP - I would leave it. It's much more important that she engages with her HW and is happy to do it. If she thinks that you will correct every mistake she makes it will be a nightmare! Copying it out neatly seems like twice as much work to them. The teacher will know what level of mistakes she makes at school anyway.

DD (Yr4) is dyslexic and her spelling is atrocious - we agree that everything in her Spelling homework (complete sentences) must be spelt correctly, but with other HW, the most I do is occasionally ask her to check through and she makes any changes in a different colour. I don't know if this is right - it worries me that the more the writes it incorrectly, that is the version that will 'stick'. OTOH this week she has written 10 pages of free writing at home, developing a story, writing poems and spells. It is is impossible to read but the ideas are great and if I dare gently point out any error we have mount Vesuvius!!

lljkk · 04/10/2013 15:10

Leave it, make a note about independent work in her book if you must but leave it. Homework is for teacher to see how well she works at home. Don't falsify it.

Original poster

ChocolateHelps · 06/10/2013 21:00

Thank you everyone. Helps with my gut feeling to get her to proof read, let her teacher see the spelling mistakes and enjoy the, so far, autonomous doing of home work!!

Right, off to Amazon for phonics dictionary!

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