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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

I know this has probably been done before, but how much homework do your 5 and 8 yr olds have to do each night?

48 replies

TinyGang · 30/01/2007 19:40

I just find it all a bit of a struggle to fit in tbh. What with dinner, baths, any after school stuff, the odd doctor/dentist appt/friend for tea and just letting them have a bit of 'after school' time.

I suppose I understand why my 8 yr old needs to do things (up to a point)- and we do it too - but my 5 yr olds seem to come home with lists and lists of words to learn as well as reading and writing.

I'm not a teacher, dh and I go over them with them as best we can, but it's rather a lot for them I feel, especially after a school day.

I'd rather just read them a story of our own choice having a cuddle, but that's getting lost under all this.

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NotQuiteCockney · 30/01/2007 19:45

Evidence shows that primary homework is essentially pointless.

My five-year-old is at a nice independent school, in receptioni. Every night he has either a small book to read, or three words to learn. They told me, when we were doing tours, that they generally set only reading in pre-prep. At least I hope that was what they said. I'm really happy to do reading, and will get him to read a few extra books over the weekend.

NotQuiteCockney · 30/01/2007 19:46

Oh, here's a good story on this from this weekend's observer. I'm hoping this book will make a difference.

LIZS · 30/01/2007 19:47

ds, Yr4, has one of a maths sheet, english sheet, tables practice or spellings each weeknight then a history , geography or longer english task over the weekend.

dd, Yr1, has reading each night plus spellings to learn for the next week and occasional workbook to do as and when.

ItsMeMellowma · 30/01/2007 19:48

we have, reading 5 pages per night. He also writes 3 words 3 times each and is tested on these at end of each week. then we have his key words to learn and 1 page of maths.

its a nightmare

southeastastra · 30/01/2007 19:48

i was going to start a thread on this. i am getting so fed up with the amount (and level) my 5 year old gets. it's just photocopied papers. i don't mind the reading so much, but some of the homework is too hard/too easy, never in the middle.

they're too young for it!

pollyanna · 30/01/2007 19:48

dd1, y1 just has her reading book
ds, y3, has some spellings and some tables and a test each Monday. He also has a reading book.

FioFio · 30/01/2007 19:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

BettySpaghetti · 30/01/2007 19:50

DD is 7 (yr 2) -she should do some reading everynight and has 5-10 spellings to learn every week.

Occasionally ( once a month or so) she'll come home with a piece of homework eg. a few questions to ask us where she has to write down our responses or she has to measure 10 objects and write down the results.

tissy · 30/01/2007 19:50

my 5 yr old has to read her reading book (doddle) and learn her new word. Last week they had extra home work, they had to write out the weather ("It was rainy" etc) for each day of the week

Original poster

TinyGang · 30/01/2007 19:51

It's hard not to feel resentful because I feel it's eating into precious family time and I think they need a break. A six and a half hour school day is enough at 5. I like readeing to them, they love it too, but this is turning into a chore.

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Original poster

TinyGang · 30/01/2007 19:54

What a brilliant link NQC - thankyou. Exactly how I feel about it really.

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Mercy · 30/01/2007 20:01

dd (year 1) has a different 'reader' virtually every day and a library book (her choice) once or twice a week.

Plus her own choice of book most nights. Which isn't homework obviously. Ditto ds (nearly 3).

NotQuiteCockney · 30/01/2007 20:03

I think the book the Guardian is talking about is probably worth getting. I hope it makes a difference. I get the impression primary-school homework is largely there to convince parents that their kids are learning. (I do like getting DS1 to read for me. But he's enjoying it, anyway, so it's fine.)

annh · 30/01/2007 20:04

DS1, year 4, gets a sheet of literacy and a sheet of numeracy homework each weekend. Numeracy is to be handed in on Monday, literacy Thursday but we do both at the weekend as it's easier. Otherwise, he has twenty spellings to be learned for Friday and they do multiplication and division tests of one number each week (e.g. this week it is all 9 times tables).

DS2, year 1, gets 10 spellings a week and a reading book per night. As he is on ORT level 8, this is about 32 pages so QUITE enough. Otherwise, no homework.

Original poster

TinyGang · 30/01/2007 20:08

I am happy to do it, but I'm finding the rigidity f it all rather a turn off I suppose.

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marthamoo · 30/01/2007 20:08

My 5 year old has a couple of worksheets a week - usually colouring sheets, eg., envelopes with key words on and post boxes with corresponding key words and he has to colour the post boxes then colour the envelopes for the correct post box. Or maybe a word game to play - maching pairs or dominos. Another worksheet (colouring and practising letters) at the weekend. Oh, and a reading book on the non-worksheet nights. Something every night, in short. And while it isn't a large amount of work, he does need me to sit with him and help him with it.

And as for what's coming up in Year 5...well, for that I refer you to the thread started by my erstwhile friend Troutpout too blimmin' much

marthamoo · 30/01/2007 20:13

Good article, NQC - might print it out and take it to parents' evening.

We've had tears tonight from ds1 (9) as he had loads of (difficult) maths to do for tomorrow. He had football after school so was tired anyway - much coaxing to get him to do it, then he was stuck and I really struggled to help him with it. Then dh came home and had to help as well. He's just finished it, had a bath and gone to bed. Enough already.

Original poster

TinyGang · 30/01/2007 20:14

Good lord Marthamoo - that seems loads. So it'll only get worse then...

I know school work is important, but so is just being a child and enjoying being young. When do they get the chance to do that?

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mankyscotslass · 30/01/2007 20:20

my 4yr8mth old is in reception, and has 1 ORT book a week, then one piece of written work based on this on a Friday for the following Tuesday. Sometimes it's comprehension, other times identifying sounds but always writing practise. On a Monday he gets 3-4 new words to learn for the following Monday. He picks a library book from school once a week, plus the teacher sends home a "recommended reading" book every week too. At the moment he isnt phased by this at all, but i have to admit that i am grateful i am at home with him, I don't know how we would fit this in if i was working full time, although Saturday mornings are favourite for the written stuff!!

marthamoo · 30/01/2007 20:22

I think it's way too much. Like you say, they need time out to just be children...play, watch TV etc.

My boys' school seems very results led - they are the top state primary in the area in the league tables (and I'd be a hypocrite to say that wasn't important to me when choosing schools - as we were moving to the area Ofsted reports and results were all I had to go on) and the homework seems to be their way of making sure they stay there.

Now we're in the system though - part of me wishes I'd chosen a school which wasn't so results-driven. A friend's daughter (also year 5) goes to a school which is only slightly lower in the league tables - and gets a reading book once a week and the occasional worksheet. Which is enough, frankly.

frumpygrumpy · 30/01/2007 20:33

I'm with you 1000% TG.

tortoiseSHELL · 30/01/2007 20:35

Ds1 (year 1, age 5.7) has a reading book, which they read at their own speed - he's quite quick, so we tend to do 2 or 3 books a week, probably taking 15 mins or so over the book. There's also their reading book they've worked on at school, which tbh we don't do a lot of, then a 'spelling task' each week - this could be learning words, or thinking of words with similar spellings, and often it's as much or as little as they like. It is hard to fit things in, so we tend to do as soon as we get home, then the evening is his to do what he likes with.

cazzybabs · 30/01/2007 20:38

As a teacher, I always say homework is not compulsary. Why do you do it - why not say to the teacher - sorry I don't want my child to do it thank you! Save her the hastle of marking it!

But then would you worry your child would fall behind if evyerone else did it but not your child!

scatterbrain · 30/01/2007 20:39

My dd has only just gone to bed as she had so much homework to do ! We had an A4 sheet of maths questions to do, a Ginn scheme book to read (whole book), spellings to learn (12 words) and tonight an extra project - to research "Poison Dart Frogs" and prepare bullet point presentation for tomorrow !

I didn't even know what a bullet point was when I was 6 - actually I'm not sure they had even been invented !!

She gets a book a night, plus maths, plus spellings every night. It is hard to fit in especially when she has after school clubs till 5pm.

However - she is very keen to learn and actaully loves doing her homework - if she wasn't I would have a probelm with it I think.

marthamoo · 30/01/2007 20:41

If they don't do it they are kept in at break times in "Homework Club" - it's definitely considered compulsory.

Part of me wants to say "sod it, he's not doing it" and part of me feels it's my job to back the teacher up and encourage him (while moaning on here and to dh about it )

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