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

[sunnysideup]

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

thanks guys. Piffle, I think your post is what the teacher needs to hear from me don't you...short concise and to the point

We get the same plus a reading book which must be changed regularly and a library book to read.

We also have to fill in a reading diary with comments/obsevations questions we may have. The name must be practised too and a Jolly Phonics book filled in by the child.

The five word lists have been coming home for some time now - nearly every week, and we have quite a collection of those.

My own thoughts on homework for infants, particularly reception is that it's unrealistic.

The reading book and the time we spend on it is taking the place of our own story time and I resent it if I'm honest.

I think 6.5 hrs in school a day is enough.

We do the homework because I support the school as a whole, but I feel the homework is intrusive on their family time in the evening and weekends and the expectation too high.

Fortunately my dt's aren't too bad about doing what they have to although we have had times where there've been a few tears of tiredness.

All wrong wrong wrong

my ds is in year 1. He is a July baby and so the youngest in his year. Even in year 1 where he gets a bit of homework-the teacher is clear that it should take no longer than 20 minutes and if ds is unable to complete it he should not be forced to sit there for hours. She is very understanding of the need for children to have playtime at home after school.
In the last term he has made a vast leap. He now completes his homework easily and that is due to the fact that he has not been put under any pressure before he was ready.
I hope you can get the teacher to understand your little one's just LITTLE!
good luck

reading books fine

He's 4 yrs old FGS spending a full tiring day at school, then to be expected to do more work when he gets home.
Unreal expectations.

Tinygang, that's it - it's just WRONG. When ds is at home, he cobbles together some odd bits of clothing to make himself into whatever character he is that day, then basically roams around the house playing all sorts of role playing games and using his toys as part of this, giving them names, characters, making them have conversations with eachother (usually battle plans then perhaps play-dough will come into it and makeshift weapons will be made from it etc etc etc....then there's helping me in the kitchen, then there's having a bath and the whole other huge role play scenarios that open up there......to go from this rich 'internal' life to sitting at a desk with pencil in 'proper' grip, tracing over a huge sheet of mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

It's just not age appropriate, is it - specially as colditz said, the time for teaching this stuff is during the day, at school.......

My DD started reception in Jan. We are asked to do 5 mins reading practice a day, and we have sets of 5 words home to learn - the next set is sent once you let school know your child can do them, plus 4 Jolly Phonics sounds and actions per week.

We do the reading in the morning, the JP sounds and actions walking to school, waiting in a shop etc., and the words as and when DD is inclined. THis is about right I think, I am happy to re enforce what is going on at school, and think 5 mins readind a day is reasonable, but having said that, if DD really doesn't want to, I do not push it and write a comment in her record to that effect.

I completely agree it's too much, too young. Ds1 is 5, in reception and is struggling at the moment with his writing and reading words. He gets a book every night to read and we have to sign that it's been done, and he gets a homework sheet on a Friday to complete. This weekend's was quite hard - he had to match up words that rhyme and add in the initial letter of each word! He got really fed up and said he didn't want to do it and stropped off.... I could see the next 14 years of hating homework stretching ahead, but persuaded him to finish it. He doesn't try very hard at it and got some wrong, but I left it because I wanted the teacher to see what he could and couldn't do.

But the whole thing's bonkers - he's too young and I hate the fact that he's starting to hate homework when there are years and years ahead of this and he should be enjoying school at the moment.

Yes I agree homework seems excessive in reception.

Also cutting a straight line - wtf? What's the point? Why not get him to cut out a particular thing (mine love cutting pix out of Argos catalogue and using them to make a room picture).

Having said that I am a bit concerned at FS2 children in our school who can't write their name at all. Some writing ability is necessary by now (we are half way thru the year) if they are to get on in Yr 1 which is a big leap forward. To be fair, I think that's where the OP's DS's teacher is going. But you need to make it fun for him, not rows and rows of letters.

I am actually LOL at he MUST practice writing his name
yes otherwise he will obviously fall behind and never catch up and condemned to a life of miserable ignorance.
what a load of old phooey.
play that's the thing isn't it? I shall set my face firmly against reception homework and that's for sure

I'm really shocked - seems excessive! We have a reading book which is changed twice a week, a reading phonics book if the child is ready and some words to read. Its our local state primary, produces good results. What are they doing in class? Is homework an extension of that work, or compensating for lack of something I wonder?

In most countries, they are about 3 years off starting formal school at age 4. The way it SHOULD be, and the way it IS, are one issue, but right now this is reality. And this sounds like too much homework to me. BUT, NONE is not a good alternative-the months fly by and it gets rapidly worse.

Having a dd who was barely 4 at the start of reception and is now in Y2, and a brother-in-law who is an education expert who often visits us (favorite uncle:quote-children who do homework learn better at school), I would like to suggest that sitting down for a FEW MINUTES every day with your 3-4 year old to do something-like cutting out, making a card, or writing over dotted letters-will be good for your child. If the teacher has imposed the choice of what to do, so be it, though it's your job to ensure that the amount is not excessive (as in this case). Of course other activites are learning too-but he will not be judged, or start to judge himself against his schoolmates, like my dd age 6 has started doing, on his "playtime".

This "homework" activity may well need to happen at the tired end of the day, to get used to it, because that is what you will have to do pretty soon anyway if you want him or her to do as well and be happy as he or she can at school. I've learned that the hard way. It's a good habit- a bit of work before play begins.

Parental involvement is the key, and a united front with the teacher if at all possible, if you want the child to enjoy and value his or her learning.

TBH DS's level of homework in Y1 is OK and doable on a practical level(leaving aside any philospohical issues). It would have been a nightmare in reception because he was just so tired - so grumpy and unable to concentrate. DS is always a child who has needed plenty of sleep. Also DS finds the homework (even the reading) fairly easy now so is able to wizz through it without putting in much effort, so I realise we are lucky in this respect.

I think Majorstress makes some good points, I hadn't thought of it like that. Still seems like a lot though ...

DottyDot - That's hit the nail on the head 'he's starting to hate homework when there are years and years ahead of this and he should be enjoying school at the moment.'

Reception should be about getting them to just want to be there at all. There's years of homework and results to be achieved to come.

Play is very important - especially the kind where they go off into their own little world. Being imaginative makes you inquisitive and to want to learn more and more.

Being able to recite a list of words when you're already tired is just a turn off.

Just thought i would let you know, no comments from the teacher re his home work not being done this week. Will wait til friday to see what his written stuff is like....at least its not a page of letters, there is NO WAY on earth he would do that!

my brother got the same gcse results, generally, as me. I could read and write my name at 3. He could do neither of these until nearly 8.

I would say, majorstress, that NONE is the perfect alternative tbh. I had no homework at all until secondary school, and yet still somehow managed to struggle through secondary school and tertiary and p/g education.

colditz, that's the mad thing, I know all this - my bro had real problems reading at school, never thrived at school really; I was a very early reader with a reading age 'off the scale' in junior school, and there's my bro making his living as a writer, living in glamorous places all over the world, and here's me doing social work where on earth did it all go wrong?

Thanks for posting though, it does remind me that being able or willing to do this stuff at 4 does not set the pattern for a life of underachieving

Glad you got no hassle, manky.

My DD is 5, she's the youngest in her year 1 group. She doesn't get ANY homework except for reading books which we are encouraged to listen to them read to. She goes to a very small C of E village school. I talked to her teacher about this, just out of interest, and she said in most of Europe the kids don't even attend formal school until 7 so they are way too young for additional set homework. I agree with this and am very happy not to be having to force a tired child to sit down and do structured things after school - it is just about all DD can manage to come home, eat toast, and flop in front of the TV or play for a bit before tea and bath. I think they need some "down time". I do think it sounds like an awful lot for his age, and the teacher's attitude concerns me as well. What sort of school is it?

mrsm it's just a local state infants school. They do have a very good reputation and their ofsted was glowing - it was 'outstanding' for everything.

They obviously feel they have stuff to live up to I guess.

oh and I agree - when ds comes in, we have play, tv (for those moments when only sitting glazed with your mouth open will do, dinner, bath, stories, bed; and it's not often that ds is asleep before 7.30 or 8pm having done all that......there is no time for anything more!

I wouldn't be very pleased. My ds won't start school until 3 weeks before he turns 5, and I still wouldn't expect homework in reception. It's unnecessarily pushy at this age I think (ds1 probably wouldn't agree, he's a self-driven little worrywart).

They

apologies for the superfluous "they", no idea where that came from

We work to time rather than to the amount of work they are given. DS2 is older (Yr2, but struggling and being assessed for Dyslexia hopefully) but if he aimed to do all the homework set we'd be pushing him every evening and all weekend, which just isn't right. I think I've been a bit of a bad example in the classroom however, as I was the only one to object at the parents curriculum meeting to the amount of homework, but since then other parents have spoken to me about it and adopted a timed approach I think the problem is that homework tends to be a class thing, rather than being an individual thing.

Do what you and your DS feel comfortable doing. There is no point making him dread homework at this age.

DD had homework from reception at weekends but it would be a worksheet of letters to trace plus some words to learn/a book to read. My DD whipped through it quite fast as she was itching to colour the pictures in . Oh and a spelling test once a week once she got into y1.

She's now in y2 but still only gets homework once a week plus her school reading book. She actually badgers me for those 'I can do' books which I bought to help her at home with.