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Original poster

How much homework should my dd1 get in Yr1? Weekly spellings tests?

82 replies

startouchedtrinity · 10/09/2007 20:51

She gets wretched flashcard things, plus spellings each week, to be tested on Fridays, plus a school book to read each night. I roundly ignored the flashcards in Reception and let dd1 read to me whatever she wants, but I can't get round the spelling tests. As far as I am concerned at 5 her time at home should be spent playing with her siblings and chilling out, not worrying all week about a bloody spelling test.

How do I handle this? I am totally opposed to homework for a 5 yr old but her teacher is very strict and I don't want dd1 to get it in the neck b/c of me.

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mankyscotslass · 10/09/2007 21:34

Ds is just in YR1, was 5 in may. So far we have had a reading book, to be changed twice weekly, and today he came home with spellings (6 words), will be tested on Friday, and on Thursday will get a maths sheet home with him. So I think it's normal for some schools, although I am like you and not happy about it...

popsycal · 10/09/2007 21:36

ds1 was 5 a few weeks ago and is in Year 1. He gets 2 reading book - we read one per night - and they seem to be changed twice a week. He gets on sheet of homework on a friday to be handed in on Monday. This week is was - write out the vowels, join them to a picture starting with that letter. Write them some more and then colour the pictures.
I envisage spellings of key words coming at some point soon too.

SlightlyMadSweden · 10/09/2007 21:40

Last year - DTDs in year 1 got (per week)

4 reading books
6 words to learn to read out of context
10 spellings following the sound theme of the week
1 A4 (sometimes doube sided) numeracy homework (weekend)
1 A4 (sometimes doube sided) literacy homework (weekend)

Towards the end of term the 6 words out of context was replaced with 6 spellings from same wordlist and were in addition to the 10 spellings.

TBH we only spent about 20-30mins per day on it all. Except for me it was doubled.

Hulababy · 10/09/2007 21:42

DD has just started Y1 and at present she just brings home her nightly reading book, exactly the same as in Reception year.

I personally think the reading is enough for now.

Speccy · 10/09/2007 21:47

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Kbear · 10/09/2007 21:47

My DS had spellings, word walls, maths homework weekly and a reading book every night - and that was in Reception.

I was surprised at how much hw there was but they got an outstanding ofsted in all areas so the pushiness must be working academically but I am against it, especially in reception FGS. DD got less homework in Yr 3 (separate infant and junior schools).

In the infants he attends standards are everything but, I think, at the expense of some of the nice stuff, eg there's no show and tell or anything like that.

ooh, rant over!

Original poster
startouchedtrinity · 10/09/2007 22:06

Thanks everyone. Dd1's school is also 'outstanding' but we didn't choose it - we happen to live two minute's walk away and it's where all her friends in our village go.

Some parents are muttering darkly about it being a 'SATS factory' (me included )

OP posts:
annh · 10/09/2007 22:29

You mention worrying all week about the spelling test but who is doing the worrying - dd or you? We also have 10 words a week in Yr 1 but it takes about 3 mins per evening and there's certainly no worry or anxiety attached to it, ds either gets the spellings right or he doesn't. If some are wrong, I encourage him to get it right next time but neither of us would consider it worth thinking about outside of those 3 mins!

We also get reading books which are changed when the book is finished. We went through them at a rate of one every evening but lots of others tok 2 or 3 days and there didn't seem to be any pressure. I don't even consider reading to be "homework" because if we weren't reading the reading scheme books we'd be reading another book instead (although admittedly we wouldn't ordnarily consider an ENDLESS supply of Magic Key stories!)

SlightlyMadSweden · 10/09/2007 22:32

We have just started Magic Key....I was hoping that they had just finished the 6th and final one...you mean there are more?!??!??

Original poster
startouchedtrinity · 10/09/2007 22:42

Ann, most definitely not me, I hope she will start spelling well later but for now it isn't an issue for me. I will worry about her if she starts getting stick from her teacher for not doing well though, and I know dd1 will get anxious about being tested each week.

5 is way too young IMO.

OP posts:
annh · 10/09/2007 22:42

Sweden, by the time you have finished Magic Key you will be completely around the bend and not just slightly mad! They are endless and seem to carry on through about three stages of ORT - or maybe it just seems like that! At a guess, I'd say we had about twenty of the blardy things. Then you have to multiply it by the number of children you have!

hana · 10/09/2007 22:44

dd also in reception

reading books 3x a week
homework starts after half term, one sheet of 'something' every 2 weeks.

think that's a good balance

hana · 10/09/2007 22:44

oops, she is in year 1

SlightlyMadSweden · 10/09/2007 22:45

Well for starters I have DTDs so I get it over with in one go (although have to do each book twice ATM).

Hopefully there will be a new reading scheme for DD3 [hopeful]

MamaMaiasaura · 10/09/2007 22:49

ds had this since year 1 and now in year 3. tbh he got pretty quick at his spellings so only took a few minutes each night. The reading we try not to see as a chore as I read to him each night, his chance to read to me too.

Ds also does number work each day (a few simple sums). When he is over tired etc there is no point in doing it with him, but on the whole it has helped build his confidence in class.

Also treated all the spelling tests as a game.

Clary · 11/09/2007 10:13

DD got reading books as needed (usually 2/week) and 6 spellings, rising to 8 by the end of last term. It was fine and we used to do the spellings maybe 3 times a week but she always knew them anyway (just simple words or groups of similar spellings). I don't think it's a bad idea to get kids used to practising something in this way.

Why not try finding 5 mins before school? Kids are more alert then anyway (well, mine are )

LIZS · 11/09/2007 10:18

dd got weekly spellings - up to 10 at a time - reading book and occasional activity which wasn't compulsory. We rarely spent more than 10 minutes twice a week on the spellings, using the look-cover-write method. She'd do the first stages in one sitting then a recap on the memory bit the evening before.

WinnieThePooh · 11/09/2007 10:34

My DD started in year 1 last week. She has a book with 10 words in it that she has to learn for a spelling test on Thursday. She also has a reading book that I try to do with her every other night.

She got a climbing frame for her birthday and has had freinds round most nights to play. On friday her daddy tested her and her friend on their spellings if they wanted to go down the slide or on the monkey bars. Now every time she is playing on it, she asks what word she has to spell.

seeker · 11/09/2007 10:48

NONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But you have to do the spellings. Boo Hiss. Do them in the bath, over tea, in the sandpit - just don't sit down with them.

How many spellings it it? Presumably not many?

islandofsodor · 11/09/2007 11:36

Dd gets a reading book each night and 10 spellings a week. However we have been given the whole terms list and did them all last week so can forget about spellings for the rest of the term now thank goodness.

Original poster
startouchedtrinity · 11/09/2007 11:39

Thank you everyone again for your replies.

I don't know if anyone saw the news stories yesterday about the child mental health experts and charities criticising the testing culture in our schools, and I think this is a big worry for me.

DD1 is a good reader, in fact dd2 chooese her to read her bedtime story instead of me so I hear dd1 read then! I know you can make learning fun but I'd still rather that happened later - I had an excellent primary education and we had to learn speelings etc, but in the school day, and when we were in what used to be junior school rather than infants. Breakfast is a good idea as I often get dd1 to read her school book then, just so I can tick the box to say it's done.

Last evening after school we went out in the garden. Dd1 wanted to do an 'autumn hunt' so we looked for signs of autumn, and talked about why there are so many spiders around. Then the dds decided to water the plants, so I filled up a bucket and they filled their watering cans from it. Then they played until tea. That is my idea of after-school learning.

I think what really gets to me is that I no longer have autonomy over how my dd1 spends her time at home. I'm responsible for her education, not the school - the school is just a tool I use.

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Original poster
startouchedtrinity · 11/09/2007 11:39

typos

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Furzella · 11/09/2007 11:56

Why are there so many spiders around? I would like to give a biologically correct answer to the dds too!!

Dd1, also in year 1, only gets her reading book so far but I think they ramp it up after the first few weeks.

bozza · 11/09/2007 12:01

When DS was in Y1 he got reading books which were changed when he put his book bag in the changing box, so at our request really, spellings, and homework once a week which was given out on a Friday. The spellings literally took seconds and could be done while I was cooking the meal, the homework we generally did on Friday/Saturday and was a single worksheet, so the main thing was the reading but as that was at our own pace we could read as much or little of a book as we wanted.

bozza · 11/09/2007 12:03

Apart from the reading (and I think that is important) DS's homework really does not take out of the day - DS managed to fit in playing in the playground opposite school, playing football on the street, spellings, insisted on reading his full 32 page reading book, and tea all before beavers.

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