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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

Tips for dealing with homework

20 replies

Di11y · 02/09/2018 20:55

So dd starts reception next week, and I’m wondering about when people do the reading and other homework.

She can be very oppositional so slightly worried it will quickly become a battle of wills, especially as everyone says how tiring the first term is.

Want to get it right so it’s second nature for Y1 when more starts coming in.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Mumof4under10 · 02/09/2018 23:36

In reception class here they start off with picture books where they just describe to you what they see then as they start learning their phonics the books move onto words but very gradually. And home work is set on a Friday to be handed in on the following weds.

We do reading every school week night after tea. They are only expected to read a couple of pages my dd really enjoyed sitting down with me and doing it to start off with excited to see what book she had etc. Obviously she was tired occasionally so i would read to her then which our School also encourages to begin with.

Homework we normally do on a Sunday afternoon. to start off with its normally a bit of colouring and writing so isn't hard to get Dd to do as she loves getting the art box out.

Don't get me wrong we have had times where it hasn't wanted to be done but dd normally is fine with it and knows the routine of the evening reading and Sunday homework.

Our school have reward incentives aswell for reading. The pupils collect stars for the weekly reading (read 5 out of 7 days) which then are linked to a credit system to depending on how many credits they have to what prize they get e.g. a rubber, sharpener, notebook etc. And also they have wristbands they are different colours. So every time they reach a certain amount of reads they collect a different colour wristband. E.g. 15 reads is a white band.

This deffinately encourage my ds (yr3) to enjoy reading more. Managed to get the higher band colour last term he was over the moon.

loubluee · 03/09/2018 10:46

I bought new pens, pencils and craft stuff etc, that I kept in a box and was ds’s special homework box, they could only use for homework. They are a bit like me, love a new stationery. So they would get excited about getting their ‘special box’ with their special things in to use. Simple but it worked for us.

Original poster

Di11y · 03/09/2018 19:05

A special stationery box I can get on board with! I guess reading after tea is logical, might be tricky with dd2 (1yo) vying for attention before dh gets home.

OP posts:

TeenTimesTwo · 04/09/2018 08:30

We always did reading before school as the DDs were too tired afterwards. I don't know how well that would work with a 1yo, but it only takes 10 minutes, so maybe armlock them next to you, (or give them a pot of very messy staining paint to play with ).

Later, we did times tables practice on the walk to school for about half the journey. (I'd like to say that worked well, but it turns out DDs have SpLD, but I think it would have worked, and it definitely helped!)

funmummy48 · 04/09/2018 08:36

We used to read after dinner. We 'd snuggle up on the sofa and "share a story". They'd read a bit then I'd read a story. Any writing/spellings were done at the kitchen table while I cooked dinner. I'd have a cup of tea on the go & sit at the table next to them from time to time. I think it's only a chore if you make it a chore. 😉

TeenTimesTwo · 04/09/2018 08:46

We did spellings at the breakfast table - captive audience and awake.
And random maths.

5000KallaxHoles · 04/09/2018 09:11

Reading I tend to do on a morning while I'm shoving a cup of coffee down my neck. We get learning tasks fortnightly/weekly/when someone remembers depending on the year group - those get done at the weekend.

RedSkyLastNight · 04/09/2018 10:03

We used to do after bathtime, in bed with PJs, followed by me/DH reading to them. I think you need to be flexible though - if your DC is too tired to attempt to read, then missing one day really won't hurt them, just miss it out!

(incidentally we still do this and they are now aged 12 and 14!)

Purplepjs · 04/09/2018 10:09

We also find breakfast time easiest...after school my son is shattered and ready to chill. I try not to do any school stuff at the weekend. Once we have a routine established it’s a lot easier as he is expecting to do reading over breakfast etc.

CruCru · 04/09/2018 12:16

My son has just finished year 1.

Reading is done every day, unless there’s a very good reason not to. We do it between dinner and bath time.

My son gets ten spellings a week. I get him to learn three or four spellings a day and then every day he writes out all ten (this is also handwriting practise).

If he has homework to do, we do it on Saturday morning after breakfast. Otherwise I feel as though it’s hanging over us all weekend.

BiddyPop · 04/09/2018 12:21

I used to quiz spellings and tables in the car on the drive to school in the mornings.

In our case, DD did most homework in the afterschool club, but reading with me when we got home. Any homework still to be done when we got home (as she moved up the school), she started as soon as we got in while I started cooking dinner in the same room. So I'd help where needed and we could chat about the day too.

sickmumma · 04/09/2018 12:29

I read with my sons before bed just before we do the bedtime story - on a night where they have a club and things are a bit more rushed they get to sit in the front on the drive to school the next day and read to me or we if walking we go in a little earlier and sit and read outside the classroom before they go in.

Homework again is Friday evening to be in on a Wednesday we tend to do it over the weekend at some point.

Every term we get a list of words to focus on so i do like little cards that I stick to the fridge so they see it all the time and just randomly ask them sometimes!

Handwriting has been the hardest thing with my boys as they don't particularly like drawing much but I try and get them doing as much as I can eg writing birthday cards, Christmas cards, shopping lists etc. I think with my daughter who starts school next week she draws multiple times a day so it will be much easier.

onemouseplace · 04/09/2018 13:01

I don't think it matters when you do the reading, for us the important bit was getting into a routine and sticking to it, which cut down the arguments! Our routine was to get home from school, have a snack and a chat about their day, then get reading done before they got too tired.

We tend to do homework on a Saturday morning to get it out of the way and done. I know other people who prefer to do it early the next week so it doesn't impact on the weekend.

Mishappening · 04/09/2018 13:04

Ditch the homework! Really it is wholly unnecessary.Just have fun with her and read her stories.

starpatch · 04/09/2018 18:13

I honestly wouldn't do the homework either. She will be exhausted. You can start with reading in the summer term or earlier if you feel she is ready. Don't worry about getting into conflict with the teacher they are used to it.

TeenTimesTwo · 04/09/2018 19:01

I disagree with Mis and star with respect to reading practice.

Doing a little every day can make a massive difference. I agree it isn't worth regular conflict, but setting out a regular reading time (in addition to a bedtime story) where you can read to the child, then get them to spot sounds they know, then they read simple words etc can help tremendously.
The trick is finding out how to achieve this without the conflict, which is why, I assume, the OP started the thread!

Mishappening · 05/09/2018 08:45

This is a reception child - she has only been on this earth about 4 years - just read to her, and maybe sometimes point out something to do with a word so she makes the connection between the shapes on the page and the fact that you are using those to tell the story - but really, reading practice is a complete nonsense at this age. Not only a nonsense, but I believe damaging - so many parents start the agonising reading battle before the poor children are barely out of nappies. What is it all for? - really what?

I have seen so many children engaged in battles that interfere with home life and are just plain wrong.

If she was in Europe she would not even start formal learning for another couple of years. Leave the poor lass be.

CruCru · 05/09/2018 14:14

I do see your point Mishappening, particularly for a child who is very young for their year. Friends who feel the way you do have chosen to home educate.

However, schools will usually expect parents to spend some time on reading with their children. Being able to read, at least a little, will make school so much easier for a child.

Ten minutes a day spent listening to a child sound out words on a few pages isn’t being especially pushy. Reading practise could be harmful if it consists of the parent getting stressed out and saying “No! For heaven’s sake, you know that word! We have to do at least six pages!” However, keeping it relaxed (and stopping once the ten minutes are up) can make it a nice thing to do with a child.

CruCru · 05/09/2018 14:24

My opinion is partly coloured by my having been a child whose parents didn’t practise reading with her. It was only when my mother was told that I was the only child who couldn’t read at the end of infant school (year 2) that she panicked and started doing reading practise. We spent the summer holidays doing half an hour of Peter and Jane three times a day.

5000KallaxHoles · 05/09/2018 16:10

I aim to do reading every day there's a slot in the reading diary for it (weekends get one box for both days) - in reality it means that if I skip the odd day they're both still reading lots, and because it's frequent - I can get away with it just being a few pages and it NOT being a battle because it's just part of the routine - breakfast, clothes on (that way around in this house or we'd be accessorising our uniform with stuck on cornflakes), reading book and then telly or colouring or some easy to tidy up toys before we leave for school. No battles, no fuss about it - it's just one of those things we do daily, takes 5 minutes or so max.

Actually the sheer joy both of mine have had once they cracked the fact that they could read all the environmental print around them was bloody fab to see. The little voice from the back of the car pontificating on things she passed by - including the corker of "Hand... Car... Wash... I think perhaps they should use water instead"

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