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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 see your child's school work?

36 replies

LifeIsBetterInFlipFlops · 13/02/2015 08:38

Interested to see if this is normal, I never see my child's work.

I understand that school work books can't be sent home, as many may not make it back to school. But I would love to know what DS does, how his work is presented and what sort of marks or corrections have been made.

I'm not talking about a big showcase event, but just an opportunity to regularly see his work. I'm not looking for teacher assessment or feedback, just a chance to see with my own eyes, how he is doing.

We do have half termly newsletters covering topics. We have homework projects and parental involvement sessions once a year, where we go and help the children with a specific workshop. But non of this shows day to day working.

I'm interested in both teaching and parental points of view.

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OldBeanbagz · 13/02/2015 08:55

I see the books that he bring home for homework to be done in. Twice a year we get to see all his books at Parents Evening so i get to see all the 'must work faster' comments then!

I also know that i could go into the classroom and look at his books at any time (but i haven't felt the need to).

We have weekly emails to tell us what the class are doing and what topics they're studying at the moment.

MrTumblesBavarianFanbase · 13/02/2015 09:06

I see my kids' work constantly, but we live abroad. As parents buy all stationary I guess the worry about books coming back is reduced (lose your exercise book and your parent has to go to the stationary shop and buy another immediately, and the child may well have to copy out work into it)! My kids get homework every day right from age 6, and homework is in the same books they use in class. I get to see how DS has to redo his work ifthe letters are not eexactly regulation size and shape, or he has used the wrong pencil. .. doesnt do much for my blood pressure :o

Our kids also do regular tests right from the second term of school, which parents have to sign to say they've seen.

It does give you a good grasp of what they are doing and how well, but having been a teacher in the UK I cannot imagine it happening or working there - parents don't generally accept having to be quite so involved (and our school day is only a half day, which is partly why they get 2-3 pieces of written homework a day from age 6).

Ludways · 13/02/2015 09:07

We see all their books on parents evening. There drawers are out ready for us when we get there.

MrTumblesBavarianFanbase · 13/02/2015 09:09

All exercise books are sent home at the end of the year here too - so I have every school exercise book of DDs for the last 3 years. We are going to have to hire a storage unit in a few years, as we have 3 kids... or recycle it all

juneau · 13/02/2015 09:12

Only at parents' evenings and at the end of the year.

RueDeWakening · 13/02/2015 09:13

I see all their work on parent's evening, plus once every half term we're invited into the classroom after school to see some specific pieces relating to the current topic (usually a bit of writing, some art/design stuff, plus another random bit that varies) - saw DD's heroes and villains work yesterday in fact, which was a sock puppet, a newspaper interview with her hero that she'd written, and a salt dough model of her hero. Then she dragged us off to see her piece of written work that's on display in the school hall atm.

noramum · 13/02/2015 09:21

Only at parent evening which is for me one of the things I do not like here in England.

I come from Germany where children ferry all their books back and forth as they need it for their daily homework.

We hardly see anything and especially last year we were then totally surprised when told that DD had fallen behind and needed help to catch up.

I think they should send the books home at least every half-term.

hazeyjane · 13/02/2015 09:22

Every term the dds school do a parents afternoon, where you can go and the children can show you all their work, whilst the teacher serves tea and cake.

At ds's school you can go in any afternoon at pick up to look at what they are working on, but it is a sn resource base, so there is quite a lot of parental involvement.

dementedpixie · 13/02/2015 09:42

we also get to see their work twice a year at parents night and then some workbooks/pictures, etc are sent home at the end of the year

chaosisawayoflife · 13/02/2015 10:09

We have a ' book look' once a month where we are invited in to the class room at pick up time for the children to show us their books.

Chocoholic21 · 13/02/2015 10:12

My DD is in reception and we are invited in one morning every week to look at their learning journeys which has pictures and captions of all the things they do. We also see the work up on the walls when we drop off. I get a rough idea of her reading by the comments in the reading record book and see how she is doing with the writing and spelling homework she gets twice a week.

I'm generally quite happy with all of this and with a parents evening once a term I feel I see enough. If I wanted to I could arrange to see the teacher and talk through things.

tanimbar · 13/02/2015 11:15

I ask to come in around once a term/half term and have the child show me their books for half an hour after school. Sometimes the teacher is around, sometimes not, but they're always very happy to facilitate this. I've found it extremely useful to do this before a parents' evening, so I have a chance to think about what I want to discuss.

MilkRunningOutAgain · 13/02/2015 11:17

I get a couple of books to see if I arrive early for parents evening appointment. Often they are fairly new and have just 1 or 2 pages completed in them. I would like to see much more. DS went into yr 7 in September so now brings all his books home every day and for the first time I can actually see what he does at school. As a result I've been able to put him right on several things and actually help in a much more focussed useful way. I think primary schools often get this very wrong, if you can't see what your child is doing / failing to do you can not help effectively.

wigglesrock · 13/02/2015 13:25

Yes in my dds primary school, work books/exercise books are sent home over night a half way through each term. My dds brought some books home at the beginning of November and brought some home last week, you return them the next day.

Bunnyjo · 13/02/2015 13:49

At my DC's school all their school workbooks are given to you just before parents' evening so you can read through them before seeing the teacher.

IMO it's definitely a good thing, as I can see where DD is progressing and where she needs to consolidate, even before I have spoken to the teacher.

I can also have a giggle at the "You have so many excellent ideas, BunnyjoDD! Now, maybe try allowing your pen to catch up with those ideas and your work will be so much neater..." comments

TeenAndTween · 13/02/2015 14:05

We have 'work sharing' once a term and parents evening. Both times all books are available. If I wanted to I could ask to see at other times.

Wozald1989 · 13/02/2015 14:11

We get to look at all their work at parents evenings 3 times a year and then get it all sent home at the end of the school year or the beginning of the next one

fattymcfatfat · 13/02/2015 14:13

parents evening all work is out for parents to see and also we can request to see it any time we feel like it, I just dont feel the need.

WeAllHaveWings · 13/02/2015 14:25

we see it at parents evenings and before Christmas an summer holiday when they have a clear out. Other than that just homework. If I ha concerns I would ask to speak to teacher and see it.

nonicknameseemsavailable · 13/02/2015 15:26

we don't see anything unless you can speed read whilst talking to the teacher at parents evening (5 minute slot including seeing the work!) we also aren't allowed in the buildings so don't get to see wall displays either. homework is just worksheets for one child and nothing for the other so no work to see there either.

Mehitabel6 · 13/02/2015 15:37

As a parent I always saw it on parent's evenings and they brought old books home at the end of the year.
Same as a teacher- and they could always ask to see them, but they never did because it happened twice a year anyway.

Bonsoir · 13/02/2015 16:33

DD brings her marked exercise books home every Friday to correct and for us to sign. We can spot weaknesses early.

KnittedJimmyChoos · 13/02/2015 16:39

we see work at parents evening

Bonsoir · 13/02/2015 16:42

Having exercise books come home regularly is a good teacher-management tool.

lostintoys · 13/02/2015 18:01

All the books are laid out for us to read at parents' evenings – you can spend as much time as you want looking at them. At my son's last school they would be vaguely waved in front of your face by the teacher while you spoke to him/her, and that was it – I always felt they must have something to hide if they don't want parents to see their child's work.

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