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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

Do you children have holiday homework? DTDs (Reception) have a whole pile of it....

25 replies

2plus2plus1 · 26/07/2006 13:05

DTDs have just finished reception. They have been sent home with the year 1 & 2 words to 'start learning', a dozen or so Reception words to learn to spell (didn't get finished in term time) and a dozen worksheets with various contents. They have also been asked to write a sentence each day. The arguments that have been given are that they will forget if they don't practise. I am inclined to agree but think that this is all a bit much during the time when they should be 'resting'. My SIL thinks it is appauling that they have got anything to do at all - and says that none of her 3 children have never done any holiday homework & have never forgotten anything.

I worry that if they don't do it they will be lagging when they go back if all the other children have done it, but don't want to overload them.

At the moment I am just doing a few words each day - which they do enjoy. I am trying to make it into more of a game.

I was just wondering how many other parents have holiday homework to this extent.

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motherinferior · 26/07/2006 13:07

Good grief; DD1 has been sent home with bugger-all.

neena28 · 26/07/2006 13:10

It sounds a little to me like the teacher/school is trying to make up what they should have got through in reception and haven't.

Do a couple of words a day like you are and just read, play games as normal. My ds and my dsd haven't ever had a ny probs when they go back to things. Often the oppposite, things seem to come clearer in my ds's head one he has had a couple of weeks away from something.

LIZS · 26/07/2006 13:11

dd has just finished Reception and has none. She met or exceeded all the Eary Years targets. We asked her teacher speicifcally if e should encourage her to do anything and she said to just let her enjoy the break. Even ds who just did Yr3 , has nothing specific to complete but his teacher copied some sheets for him to do if we liked to help with specific weaker areas, but no obligation, and we have a list of books he may like to read.

Original poster

2plus2plus1 · 26/07/2006 13:13

I have to say I don't think they have to 'hand anything in'. It is just 'recommended' brain excercise.

Oh and there is a list of 15 'ideas of activities' (e.g. looking for sounds in words, numbers in the house, measuring & weighing...). I a beginning to wonder who should be teaching them the more I look at this.

OP posts:

charliecat · 26/07/2006 13:13

Nothing for dd2 just leaving reception, nothing for dd1 leaving year 3.

sandyballs · 26/07/2006 13:14

My twin DDs have just finished reception and have nothing, not even a school book, which I would have quite liked as one is an extremely reluctant reader.

Earlybird · 26/07/2006 13:17

DD is at a "loving learning" stage, and seems to crave mental stimulation at the moment. She got sent home a few worksheets from school, but with no pressure or instructions. She asks about them daily - really wants to do them, and is unhappy that I am "witholding" them. She did one yesterday, and I was interested to see that she has reverted to writing some of her numbers backwards....which she wasn't doing two weeks ago when still in school. I can only think it's because she's had two weeks without "practising" and having the "right way 'round" reinforced.

Do think it's a bit much tho that you've been given mandatory work to make up for what the school failed to cover.

roisin · 26/07/2006 13:18

DS1 and ds2 (9 and 7) have never had anything over the long summer holidays. Occasionally in the last 2 years (yr3&4) ds1 has had a project during a half term holiday.

Children do regress in their learning if they do absolutely nothing 'academic' for 6 weeks, but if you continue reading with them as usual, listening to them read, and encourage them to 'write' whenever they want; this is plenty IMO. They need a break from school.

throckenholt · 26/07/2006 13:19

ds1 has just finished reception - no homework in sight yet.

However, over the last day or two he has started digging out pen and paper and writing things - he has never done this of his own accord before. He must be missing school . Yesterday he wrote out name tags for the table for him and his brothers. Dh thought I had set him doing it, I thought Dh had, turns out he did it of is own volition

Feistybird · 26/07/2006 13:21

DD1 has been given nothing (she's never had anything in term time other than a book to read each week)

juuule · 26/07/2006 13:23

Mine ( 9yo and 8yo )have no homework at all for over the holidays. I think I would just take it as suggestions of things to do from the school. Just let them pick and choose the bits they would like to do and if they would rather do something else then I would let them. They might want to do all of it.
Sandyballs: I had a reluctant reader. Found out it was the books home from school that she didn't like. When she found a book of children's poetry at home she just took off with reading and then pretty much raced through the reading schemes at school just to get them out of the way.

Original poster

2plus2plus1 · 26/07/2006 13:24

I want to stress that from the schools point of view it is not mandatory, but the fact it is in writing makes it feel mandatory cos other parents will do it.

I think a lot of parents complained about the amount of homework earlier in the year, so they stopped giving as much during the term. A lot of it seems similar to what they have already had through the term, so I think it is genuine practise & not catch up. The words are year 1 & 2 words so would actually be getting ahead of themselves.

OP posts:

joelallie · 26/07/2006 13:24

No. In fact DS#1 didn't get any hw in reception at all. DD did 2 years later and it got done if and only if DD wanted to do it. IMO 4/5 is way too young to be doing hw of any kind. I find it worrying that the teachers don't feel that they can trust the parents to do the 'brain stimulation' their own way. If your child wants to do and enjoys it go then it isn't a problem. But if you have to nag to get it done, don't bother. Holidays have a purpose and it isn't to do catch-up for school.

Whizzz · 26/07/2006 13:29

DS has just finished recption & bought home a Maths workbook - but it doesn't need to be handed in apparently. DS is really keen to do it all - I am trying to make it last !!

For anyone who wants to keep their children 'ticking over' there are some good games on the BBC - Magic Key website

foxinsocks · 26/07/2006 13:32

we have nothing (dd just finished yr1) - in fact, I'm pretty sure no-one has any.

I did sign them up to the reading mission thing at the library but for fun purposes (ok, well they fancied the stickers and the medal )

Issymum · 26/07/2006 13:41

Nothing at all for DD1 (just finished Reception) and her school is generally pretty keen on homework. DD1 gets a very long holiday, nearly 8 weeks, so the plan is to do absolutely nothing for the first half and then gently re-introduce some reading and writing in the second half using books and resources we've got at home.

Original poster

2plus2plus1 · 26/07/2006 14:29

Love the magic key web-site. DTDs love playing on the computer but I am getting board of the cbeebies site & they love the magic key characters.

OP posts:

Blossomhill · 26/07/2006 14:30

Both have projects to do. Which I am looking forward to "helping" them with!

DominiConnor · 26/07/2006 14:35

DS has a set of books to read. He's 5.
No compulsion.

Iklboo · 26/07/2006 14:40

"I a beginning to wonder who should be teaching them the more I look at this".

I can understand you getting narked that the school look like they're getting you to do the stuff they didn't get round to.
Can you sort fo compromise and do some learning while having fun with them like you'd normally do on hols? The weighing & measuring bit can me making a cake for dad, that kind of thing?

Kelly1978 · 26/07/2006 15:02

dd has come hoem with a list of targets which she must be able to do by the start of next term. I have no idea where it is and I really don't care tbh!
I support her work during term time, but this 6 weeks is the longest stretch I get with her all year, and I have things that I want to teach her! We'll learn about wilodlife, and flowers, and do trips to farms and zoos, plus we are learning a little spanish and about spanish culture before e go on hol.

Mercy · 26/07/2006 15:12

my dd has also just finished Reception. She hasn't been given any homework - just something called a Holiday Book which I assume means she can write about what she did in the hols. She has so far written one page and I can't make head nor tail of it!

nikkie · 26/07/2006 20:43

DD1(yr1) nothing , she does do work books on her own though (as choosing or [rollseyes] not sure which!)

singersgirl · 26/07/2006 20:45

Nothing here, not even reading books. Just a letter saying they hoped there would be lots of trips to the library.

firestorm · 26/07/2006 21:09

weve had nothing thankfully (just finished reception & yr 2) i shouldnt feel pressured into doing the work if your dds dont want to. they will learn in their own time.

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