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Original poster

DS not interested in his reception homework, teacher is pressuring me to 'make' him - what would you do?

50 replies

sunnysideup · 06/03/2007 09:22

OK, just wanted to get some opinions on what you would do;

DS is youngest in his school, started reception in Sept aged just turned 4.

His homework bag at present contains:
A word sheet with 5 words on for him to learn
Two sheets with lines on for him to cut along the lines
2 A3 sheets, double sided, covered with LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL and MMMMMMMMMMMM for him to write over the dots

Teacher cornered me this week and told me as well as this he "MUST practice writing his name".

I just find this whole issue so difficult; I didn't get ANY homework at infant school so was surprised he got any at all really, and am surprised at the amount.

DS is extremely tired in the evenings, so I have been doing some stuff with him in the morning, before school, as we're up early and the quality of what he does in the am is SO much better.

But it's so hard to get him interested in doing it; he has a fantastic imagination and role plays ALL the time, and it feels really weird when I break into that magical play and say "OK, now here are 75 letter M's for you to write over the top of".......

I don't find it feels right.....but the teacher is pressuring now. And when I look at the work pinned up, most children are making a better stab at writing than ds is.

But I have faith in his intelligence, I don't think he has any problems, he's just four! I worry that I will turn him off from learning by insisting on school work at home at this age.

What do you think??? TIA

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mankyscotslass · 06/03/2007 09:34

I would speak to the teacher, at 4 they should not be so pressured. My DS started reception in September, he was 4 in the May so was one of the younger ones. He does get a fair bit of homework, but only one piece of written stuff, the rest is reading or word recognition. The written work is a struggle for him, although its a bit more interesting than what your ds has. It is always linked to his ORT reading book, basically like comprehension, filling in the missing word, and a few bits of copying over the dots. Like you i do it on a morning, usually at the weekend. Ds struggles with his writing, he is getting frustrated, so i dont force it. I read somewhere that boys in particular can struggle with writing, its totally normal. I tend to encourage him to draw a picture then write under it, doing what he wants, he is quite happy to do that and dosent feel pressured, but it is slowly helping. I would say you need to make an appoiontment with the teacher and sit down and go through your concerns.

emat · 06/03/2007 09:35

Girls like this activity better than boys I think. Ds would rather have hot needles in his eyes than trace over letters. In fact the only way I could get him to do it would be to have a tic tac at the end of each line.

I also think that 4 is very young to be getting homework especially 75 letters to trace over!!!

Spidermama · 06/03/2007 09:36

I think it's dreadful that he has homework in receoption to start with. Homework at four is outrageous and I'd be pretty peeved.
I'd have a word.

hana · 06/03/2007 09:38

I really don't think that reception children should be getting homework of any kind!! dd started in sept as well, she gets 2 reading books every week. That's it.
what's the point of homework in reception? I'd absolutely talk to the teacher, mention his age - it really does make a difference. If you are making him do it for the sake of it, it may turn him off which is the last thing you and I'm sure the teacher wants to happen

mankyscotslass · 06/03/2007 09:40

meant to say, this is his homework in total...

3-4 words to learn
One ORT book to read
One teacher recommended book to read
One School library book to read
One sheet of written homework...based on ORT comprising comprehension and written work

like you i was surprised by how much they get, but he is fine with everything except the written stuff

yellowvan · 06/03/2007 09:40

Don't put him off for life! This early pushing really gets my goat. He needs to build the muscles necessary for fine motor control before he can do pages of mmmmms. Try:
Threading beads
Picking up buttons#
Peg boards (where you have to use a pincer grip)
Writing BIG in marker pen on the back of old wallpaper
Writing with finger in shaving foam
Make a "label" of his name to display his eg lego , k'nex model

Keep it short and make it fun.

And cutting along a line for no reason is BORING and POINTLESS!!!Let him eg cut round an oval to make an easter card, give it some meaning.

Oh and what you read to him is far more relevant at this age to his future literacy than what he reads to you

GAH! on your behalf

Bozza · 06/03/2007 09:41

DS never got homework in reception (other than reading from half way through) although he does now in Y1. He does not struggle with tiredness in the same way he did then either. How long do you have to do this work?

Currently DS gets spellings which we do 4x/week and takes very little time - but I think we are lucky that DS finds this easy. A worksheet - usually numeracy - that takes him about 10 mins max once a week and he only needs vague supervision. Then it is just reading. We read the school reading book or something from home if we haven't changed it.

yellowvan · 06/03/2007 09:41

oh, and playdoh/plasticine is FAB, as is making pastry!

ChocolateTeapot · 06/03/2007 09:44

No, I would absolutely refuse to pressurise him. He is one of the youngest in the year and starting school with all the rules etc that need to be taken on board can be quite exhausting for a 4 year old I think.

If I was to do anything with him it would be reading and things like playdough and threading to help him with his fine motor skills and to develop the muscles they need to write.

colditz · 06/03/2007 09:44

he goes to school, yes? Well, school is the place for learning to write, when you are four. Youv are mummy, you get to do fun (and far more useful) things like making dinner together etc. Ds1 is very nearly 4, and can't write his name yet.

ChocolateTeapot · 06/03/2007 09:44

Just seen Yellowvan's post who puts it so so much better than me !

Tortington · 06/03/2007 09:46

i think is horrible that they get homework in infant school. and my POV is - perhaps if teachers had more time to teach - rather than being the Govt conduit by which to enforce the great childrearing of the nation - perhaps they could actually have the time to teach.

colditz · 06/03/2007 09:48

And when a child is 4 years old, 'Tired' is a perfectly valid reason to not do homework or let them have a day off.

I really don't understand why they have to start full time so bloody early! The parents end up with wraught kids, some of whom are barely out of nappies, the teachers end up doing more nursery care than teaching because half the class aren't ready to be taught.

colditz · 06/03/2007 09:48

Wot Custardo said too.

colditz · 06/03/2007 09:50

I am convinced that this "Babies to school" initiative, with afterschool clubs, is a way of forcing mothers back to full time work. they are alre4ady proposing to lower the age at which single parent benefits are stopped to 11 - I could see them then saying in 15 years time

"But you have wraparound care from the age of 4, of course you can get a full time job!

mankyscotslass · 06/03/2007 09:52

Today Ds written stuff was due back, but he had not done it because he was really not prepared to sit still long enough...just wrote in his planner what had happened, and added that we had made a brithday card and done some wrting/cutting sticking instead....cant wait ti see what the teacher writes back......

mankyscotslass · 06/03/2007 09:54

Colditz, i totally agree with you, had this arguement before the last general election with our candidate who was daft enough to knock on my door....dh sat in the lounge stuffing a cushion in his mouth listening to me......by the time i got back in he was crying with laughter and unable to speak....

hana · 06/03/2007 12:20

I have a friend whose daughter is in same class as mine - she's had a couple of days here and there off school as she has been too tired and out of sorts to go to school - I think we expect a lot of our 4 year olds to to a whole day of school.
have to say , I am glad that she is one of the older ones and started school at what I thought was a decent age

SoupDragon · 06/03/2007 12:23

I'd tell them that he's not going to do it. OrI'd do it myself, lefthanded. Homework in reception is unacceptable IMO DSs got none at their school bar occasional books they'd chosen to take home and didn't have to read anyway. They were also encouraged to bring things in to share which were related to their learning.

julienetmum · 06/03/2007 12:31

WHAT!!!!!!!

Dd is in reception at an independant school

Her homework consists of a reading book which is changed 2 or 3 times a week, plus an extra library book at holiday times.

We get a sheet each week telling us what they will be doing the following week

eg Our topic is water

In numeracy we will be filling and emptying,
In literacy we will be reading the story of xxx and practicing the letters......

We will be making a model boat

Suggested activites are .............

By choice I do letter practice with dd, I have the Jolly Phonics workbooks, we do a little at a time, certainly not an A4 sheet full of repetition.

When she practices mmm shapes it is done in a pattern in the workbooks to make a picture or something.

Original poster
sunnysideup · 06/03/2007 12:51

thanks everyone, sorry not been here to look at this but will now have a good read through all the messages - ta!

OP posts:
Original poster
sunnysideup · 06/03/2007 12:57

wow. Thank you everyone. I agree with every word from everyone!!! and it's so nice to know that my instincts are what yours would be.

Sigh.

I will stick to my guns, and I will talk to the teacher.

I already do try and make things more interesting; with the cutting, I ignore the boring black lines and I did our own sheets, stuff like cut from the crocodile with his mouth open at the bottom up to captain hook at the top....

but I do so agree with colditz, they are 'babies' to school, which would be just about ok if what they were doing was less formal and if it meant home time was freedom time.

Very interesting julienetmum, to hear that an independent school is setting much less and much more age appropriate stuff......

thank you very much all, you have given more power to my elbow today

OP posts:
frances5 · 06/03/2007 13:01

If I was you I would tell the reception teacher to stick her home work somewhere rather rude.

My son is just five years old and is in reception. He gets

5 Tricky words a week to learn
1 set of blending words
2 reading books
1 hand writing sheet a week.

Sometimes it get done, but sometimes it doesnt. My son hates hand writing and I bribe him with a star chart to do it. Thankfully my son's teacher is very relaxed about home work.

There is nothing a reception teacher can do. Its not as if she can put a four year old in detention.

Piffle · 06/03/2007 13:06

reception? Homework?
Sod that

elliott · 06/03/2007 13:08

My ds in reception - he has a november birthday so one of the oldest. He only gets two books a week to read at home, and no writing practice or words to learn. I worry because he is becoming increasingly resistant to reading his 'reading book' - and gets upset if he can't work it out instantly. he is perfectly bright but I am concerned that he might get put off if I keep forcing it - but I also feel a bit torn that I should be 'encouraging' and supporting him more. God only knows what it would be like if he had the amounts of homework some of you describe....