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

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

Primary education

Do you all sit with your primary school child every night and doreading/word cards etc

69 replies

julienetmum · 12/12/2006 13:01

There seem to be a lot of threads about reading records, flash cards etc.

My dd has a reading book sent home every night (changed about 3 times a week) a little less the last couple of weeks due to Christmas, nativity plays etc.

However I only generally manage to sit with her and read it about once or twice a week. We have a bedtime storu every night but usually by the time we have got in, had tea it is time to get ready for bed or she wants to watch a bit of TV or play.

We do no homework at all on weekends as I am either working or we are out visiting family etc.

Just wondered as dnecice has homework every weekend and others mention doing stuff every single night (like spellings or recognising words)

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LIZS · 12/12/2006 14:37

I do with dd (5- yr 1) , usually just before or after dinner, but less so with ds(8 - yr4) who is more independent and likes to read in bed. Last year we 'd often do it before school instead as we had a 30 minute gap between start times. For dd it is mainly her reading book (changed as often as we finish it but usually every day) and the weekly spellings to practice.

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FairyMum · 12/12/2006 14:38

We do their homework, but really as little as I can get away with. I strongly feel that the time not spent at school should be spent on playing and being outside in the fresh air. Both mine are probably a bit behind. Partly because they are dyslexic and partly because they have never seen a flashcard in their lives and never will!

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Freddiecat · 13/12/2006 20:54

No - DS hates having to do his reading so we do it once a week and that's it.

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popsycal · 13/12/2006 21:00

boo freddiecat!

and to the OP - yes we do

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handlemecarefully · 13/12/2006 21:00

Oh cripes I do nada with my Reception class child.

Reassure me that this will not horribly disadvantage her!

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handlemecarefully · 13/12/2006 21:02

Actually I don't have the faintest clue about what to do with the letters in her book bag. When I was at school we used to sound out the letter 'A' as a short 'a', and the letter 'b' as a short 'b' not 'beee' (iyswim). What am I supposed to be doing?

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handlemecarefully · 13/12/2006 21:02

And I've heard of jolly phonics but have no idea what it is all about. Teacher has told me bugger all.

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handlemecarefully · 13/12/2006 21:05

okay I am in a panic, which of these books should I buy?

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MoreEggnogAnyone · 13/12/2006 21:08

Dh is in Primary 1. We do homework every night. She reads and works on her word tin. We play games with the words and the reading-she loves it and likes to make up her own games too.

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popsycal · 13/12/2006 21:17

hmc - i have posted on your other thread

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handlemecarefully · 13/12/2006 21:43

Thanks popsy

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hulababy · 13/12/2006 21:57

I do reading with DD (in reception year) each day, including most weekends. That is the only homework she gets term time. I will also encourage her to read most days in the holiday. TBH though she enjoys it so it isn't a problem and only takes 5-10 minutes if that.

I also read her a bedtime story of too each night.

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singsalot · 13/12/2006 22:25

dd (5) has homework every night, it does vary, usually a book with q's after and word game, maybe writing, sometimes a picture to draw with a word to write, can be very time consuming

and a maths pack to do at the weekends - I/DP do it because I have heard that children are made to stay in over break to do it if they haven't done so...

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Earlybird · 14/12/2006 15:20

DD is in Year One, and gets sent home with a new book every night. She adores reading, and won't contemplate not reading the entire book - so we do, even though it's more effort/time than the school expects each night. We usually read after supper, and before bath. It is more difficult to do if she has had a playdate or swimming after school, or on the rare occasions I go out at night. If we haven't gotten to it, the fallback plan is to take the bus to school (as opposed to walking), and we do reading during the journey.

Spelling is 12 words sent home on Friday, and she's expected to know them by Monday. We aim to do those either Sat or Sun mornings. It's not so good to be doing them Sunday night, though that has happened on occasion.

DD is an only, and I work from home, so I guess it's more manageable for us. It would be much more difficult if there were several children or if I worked outside the home. And I am well aware how much easier the task is for me because dd doesn't view reading/spelling work as a chore.

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EniDeepMidwinter · 14/12/2006 15:22

I too am religious about it as dd1 struggles

we tend to do it in the morning though while I give the baby her bottle

we only do 10 minutes (set a timer)

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foxinsocks · 14/12/2006 15:25

was trying to catch you in chat enid - was wondering how dd was getting on

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EniDeepMidwinter · 14/12/2006 15:29

oh thanks foxy

she is having private lessons on sat mornings and her confidence is hugely improved. Going to work her a bit this hols rather than forgetting school altogether (against my ethos rather, but my way doesnt seem to have done much good so far). Fingres crossed.

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Earlybird · 14/12/2006 15:32

DD and I flew to America yesterday. On the train to Gatwick we got chatting to a Mum and daughter (same age as dd). The daughter was doing worksheets on the train - not school worksheets, but a new book, presumably purchased by Mum....on the first day of her holiday break! .

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wrappingpaperBOwZZAndribbons · 14/12/2006 15:33

If it would only take 60secs I fail to see how it can't be fitted in.

Either DH or I do DS's reading book with him virtually every night. It takes about 5 minutes. We might miss the odd one at the weekend if he has already read it and found it easy. We change as and when - generally twice a week, although if he has been given a really easy one I will send it back next day. He has started getting homework once a week on a Friday. We have not been told when this should be returned. In practice we do it either Friday teatime (he sits at the kitchen table while I cook) or at a later mealtime over the weekend. It usually takes 5 mins max unless there is a colouring element involved. Eg pair up the pictures that start with the same letter then colour them in. So the pairing and writing the initial letters is quick but then the colouring takes longer.

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foxinsocks · 14/12/2006 15:34

I'm so pleased to hear that. There's nothing worse than her feeling that she was no good . Is she yr2 now? I think the pace of the work moves quite quickly (well it seems to with dd) so if they fall behind, they quite quickly lose motivation and start really struggling.

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EniDeepMidwinter · 14/12/2006 15:36

yes it was a bit sad to hear her say 'I am not clever but I am kind'

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foxinsocks · 14/12/2006 15:37

oh don't enid . Makes me feel all weepy for her.

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EniDeepMidwinter · 14/12/2006 15:39

her tutor said she does appear to have some dyslexia/dyspraxia but 'so what - you are doing just what you should be for her' (that made me feel weepy)

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Earlybird · 14/12/2006 15:45

Hope my last post didn't sound insensitive. What I was trying to say was that this was a very competitive Mum, with a child in a London selective school. The child is in Year One, and within 30 seconds of chatting, the Mum asked where dd went to school, and said she was prepping her daughter for St. Paul's (her dd isn't even 6)!

My (hamfisted) point, relating back to the thread topic, was to illustrate an extreme of how people have differing attitudes to homework.....sorry if I caused offense.

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hulababy · 14/12/2006 15:47

Earlybird - It is possible that the DD wanted to do them. DD, age 4, loves those little workbooks and the mini ones you get from inside some magazines. They are ideal for DD are trains.

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