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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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Original poster
startouchedtrinity · 11/09/2007 12:16

Furzella - am not a biologist so expect someone will put me right but as I understand it the ones on webs are all mature females who are waiting to lay their eggs (hence the big bellies) and who are stuffing themselves silly in order for them to grow. Then they will lay the eggs which will stay in a cocoon until spring time. The adult female dies at the end of autumn.

OP posts:
Furzella · 11/09/2007 12:39

Fab - thank you startouchedtrinity!

lljkk · 11/09/2007 18:34

The spiders have had all summer to eat up and get fat. Plus the insects have had all summer to multiply, eat up and get fat. Lots of fat insects means lots of spiders getting big and fat.
Except the 20 or so I evicted from my house yesterday. I suddenly realised why they were so skinny (outing myself as a secret spider lover).

On Thread topic: DS is entering Yr3 and still doesn't have weekly spelling tests! OR weekend homework sheets (Friday homework is normally something like practising to catch a ball).

There's something to be said, after all, for sending your DC to an ordinary school with only a "satisfactory" Ofsted report and very "average" test results.

Hulababy · 11/09/2007 19:14

Homeowrk changed as of today for us So to update from below, DD will now have:

  • reading book every night - we can read as much or little as we want I think. DD currently does a book a night. It is changed each day, when teacher or TA hears her read
  • 6 spellings a week - they come home on Tuesday and are to be learnt by Thursday when she will be tested on 4 of them apparantly.
islandofsodor · 11/09/2007 20:08

Wew have also changed as of tonight.

Reading book every night

10 spellings per week

Homework such as worksheet etc given on a Friday to be done on Monday.

This was part of a meet the teacher session. I had to rush off to collect dd from ballet but I said that homework is impossible for us a family at weekends. Teacher was rather taken aback.

I suspect a further meeting will be in order with dd's teacher or headteacher.

andyrobo237 · 11/09/2007 20:35

DD is in year 1 and came home with a reading book 9same as reception) and a book with 10 words for spelling - no instructions, but I am assuming that they will be tested on them later in the week and as such we do them every night - started by copying them, then she told ne what the spellng of it is, and tommorrow I will ask her to spell it out loud then write it down - also I do them in a different order to her book as she is very good at learning parrot fashion.

If I see her teacher tomorrow, I will ask what we are supposed to be doing - it would be useful if we were given an info sheet with the start of term, as you can never trust the word of a five year old!

Hulababy · 11/09/2007 20:47

We had a little message in the front of the spelling book to tell us what to do and when for.

I had got DD a little white board set and this is ideal for spelling practise I have found out this evening.

First set of spellings for DD are all very simple phonetic ones, all ending AT, so yeah! we don't have to practise them. Think two days learning time when they get harder might be a bit more tough though.

Nat1H · 11/09/2007 20:48

I am a primary school teacher and I am about to swear!!

I DON'T THINK SPELLING TESTS ARE WORTH THE PAPER THEY ARE WRITTEN ON!

Children learn to spell through reading lots of books.

I have never done my son's spellings with him, unless he has specifically asked me to, and it doesn't seem to bother him (he is only in Y2 though).

I agree totally that children of this age should be spending time chilling out after school. They work hard in school nowadays - they do not need MORE work when they get home.

I would far prefer parents to do activities with their child after school such as sports or arts etc. There are so many important non-academic skills to be learned through 'out of the classroom' activities.

Rant over! (will probably find lots of other teachers disagreeing with me - I seem to be in the minority! But then, I have a mind of my own )

Original poster
startouchedtrinity · 11/09/2007 21:09

I wish you taught dd1 ,Nat!

OP posts:
ChipButty · 11/09/2007 21:13

I think you will find that most teachers disagree with homework at primary age too (apart from reading and mental maths practice). This is certainly the case in my school.

islandofsodor · 11/09/2007 22:37

Nat1H, that is exactly how I feel.

Dd gets far more out of ballet, Stagecoach, reading books about rainbow fairies and making up little plays or making pictures etc than she will over worksheets or spellings.

I taught her to read myself using JP, we carry on with that regurlalry but she needs time to enjoy life.

dinny · 11/09/2007 22:39

our Y! teacher isn't setting any homework till after half-term to allow the kids to get used to not playing much in the school day (sob sob!)

bozza · 12/09/2007 08:26

Hula do you really read a full book every night? How long are they? DS was annoyed with me because I only let him read half last night (yes, I know he is a bit strange), but I work on Tuesday, so by the time I had picked him up from the childminder, and DD from nursery, and then he had had his swimming lesson at 5.30 so that we didn't get home until 6.20, then he had played out, that was all there was time for. It was 16 pages. But he was asking me to finish it again this morning, but again not possible. We will finish it tonight after football practice. We did a full one on Saturday and a full one on Monday.

Hulababy · 12/09/2007 09:11

Bozza - they vary, but last nights was about 19/20 pages, but only a sentence or two per page. Not sure what scheme this one is,they seem to have some random books at the moment. Will no doubt be back on ORT level 5 again soon - finished ORT L4 a few weeks before end of summer, so assuming will go on to that again??? Who knows, I have no idea over what books they do in what order here!

We don't have to read a full booka night. I assume you can read as little or as much as you want. DD has found last few books easu though and has whipped through them. I suspect as they get more challenging again, we may end up doing half a book or whatever. We have never spent more than 10 minutes on reading the school book - think that is a good guide for us.

Hulababy · 12/09/2007 09:12

Tuesday is normally my difficult day and the one we struggle with. But on sick leave still at moment, so getting more done

bozza · 12/09/2007 09:59

TBH DS is keen but I am afraid I will look like I am pushing. His books are 32 pages long so quite a bit of text, but not particularly challenging for him (he is in Y2). But he changes his own book, so just chooses ones he likes the look of and the levels seem to vary between 8 and 12.

islandofsodor · 12/09/2007 11:14

We read a full book each night too (Level 6 ORT) she is supposed to read about 4-5 pages but always reads them all. It takes about 5-10 minutes by the time we have discussed the story.

Hulababy · 12/09/2007 11:17

Just do what feels right.

I know what you mean by not wanting to seem like pushing/pushy mum. DD's current reading books are very easy for her and in no way challenging. But I don't want to say anything to teacher - I am sure they are doing what is right. I guess they are giving her some breadth as using several different reading scheme types, but she reads far more difficult books at home. Ah well, I think the latter bit is what counts most anyway - reading scheme books just for school, do the fun bits in own time

handlemecarefully · 12/09/2007 11:28

Homework - eek. Coming back to read this thread later when I have more time. Dd into week 2 of Yr 1 - no homework yet

UnquietDad · 12/09/2007 11:29

Mine got ten spellings and a Maths target each week in Y1/Y2, plus reading books.

Now she is in Y3 we are waiting the homework with trepidation!

LilyLoo · 12/09/2007 11:31

ds has reading book every night, although changed 3 times a week. Spelling test weekly. Mental maths worksheet to be done over the weekend. A library book brought home weekly.
tbh i would rather he just had a new reading book every day and leave it at that. He finds the books easy and is bore after reading it 2/3 times until it gets changed.

UnquietDad · 12/09/2007 11:33

Lily - DD was the same but she just supplemented with own books from library or bookshop, and we wrote them up in the Reading Record Book too, to make it clear how easy she was finding the books "aimed" at her own age.

bozza · 12/09/2007 11:50

lily if the books are easy first time through i really wouldn't bother with reading them again. Just going to annoy him I would have thought. DS was bringing home chapter books (Michael Morpurgo) at the end of last term, but now he is back on the reading scheme.

handlemecarefully · 12/09/2007 11:58

Since my Year 1 child can't read yet (and at least 4 other children in her year group of 15 are at the same stage) I think spellings would be a step too far

handlemecarefully · 12/09/2007 12:00

I've just read NAT1H's post and am now NAT1H's most ardent fan