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Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

Primary education

How do I help a reluctant 4 yo with homework?

87 replies

scattyspice · 27/09/2007 12:35

DS has small amount of homework from reception. He has to read and match words. Would just take 10mins

IF HE WOULD JUST DO IT AND NOT MESS ABOUT AN ARGUE ALL THE TIME!!

I don't know if he finds it too hard or boring or what.

Ant tips?

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NKF · 01/10/2007 22:30

If it's that much of an ordeal, don't bother. But it doesn't have to be an ordeal. I don't think so anyway.

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contentiouscat · 01/10/2007 22:42

Homework for 4 year old fgs, at which point in their lives are the just allowed to have fun (like we did)

Our infants dont send homework until year 2, 6 year old DC has just started getting spelling to do.

If you have to do it then try to make it fun but hes probably exhausted from just being at school.

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ninja · 01/10/2007 23:07

damn - my (probably one and only) fantastically worded post just crashed.

But still feeling proud of being the voice of reason aren't we just equating homework with compulsion rather than the joy of learning.

DD loves doing 'the sweety game' (basically sums - all initiated by her I hasten to add) however when on a formal bit of paper in a line it's not fun to her and I'm worried it'll just turn her off

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contentiouscat · 01/10/2007 23:21

If they enjoy doing the homework then fine but I personally think there is more to be lost than gained by forcing it at that stage.

My eldest really did not want to be taught anything by Mummy at that stage but 2 years on is at the same stage as those with pushier parents.

DS2 on the other hand would happily "do learning" all day, in fact I get tired before he does.

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MintyDixCharrington · 01/10/2007 23:23

no 4 year old should be forced to do homework.
if he doesn't want to do it, don't do it. to force him will be completely counterproductive.

he is a baby ffs!

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HonoriaGlossop · 02/10/2007 11:22

It totally depends on the child AND the homework. I can imagine that some will be happy to do it at 4 (though I still think they'd be better served by their parent encouraging them to go and make mud pies and forget all about school) but some, like my ds, found it so boring, and so invasive, and just so DIFFERENT to what he wanted to be doing when he came out of school. He immediately donned his fancy dress, and got into character as some supervillain or other. Going from haring about the house pretending to take over the Cosmiverse with his convertible space rocket/submarine, to me saying "DS now it's time to fill in this A3 sheet, you have to write nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn and then you have to write NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

I know what I'd rather he be doing; and I know what will be better in the long run for his holistic development.

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HonoriaGlossop · 02/10/2007 11:25

and you don't have to PREPARE kids for when homework is going to be mandatory, at some future point, you can't always prepare by doing the same thing....with children, it's not age appropriate to prepare them in advance for something they'll have to do later. Sometimes it's about letting them have THIS stage of their development without preparing them for the next. If they're allowed to have THIS stage without inappropriate pressures, they'll cope better with the next stage IMO.

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scattyspice · 02/10/2007 20:22

Thanks again everyone.

Have thought about what everyone's said (and it all makes sense).

DS got more homework yesterday (haven't finished Weds yet) . TBH its really suggested activities rather than stuff to hand in (and he's gone and lost his record book already ).

But he is really resistant to sitting down to do it at all. He will listen to a storey or talk about a book and the pictures etc but just gets all silly when I ask him to do anything (find the word from a pile of words cut out etc). I think he just feels like he can't do it.

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HonoriaGlossop · 05/10/2007 18:52

Just resurrecting this to let you know that for my ds (5) the homework axe has well and truly fallen........tonight, sent home with a spelling book; spellings to be practised throughout the week and then he will have a spelling test each monday; soon Maths homework and a reading scheme to be sent hom in addition.

He's only turned 5 in August!

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HonoriaGlossop · 05/10/2007 18:53

oops, home not hom.

Practise makes perfect, honoria

Home
Home
Home
Home
Home
home

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SofiaAmes · 05/10/2007 18:55

I don't let my kids watch tv at all during the week. Amazing how much extra time it gives us for homework, family time, reading, etc. And it eliminates a major tempatation away from homework. My ds is almost 7 and my dd is 5 and we have had this rule since ds started school at 4.

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scattyspice · 09/10/2007 20:43

HG thats harsh.DS had better get used to it then.

Had parents eve today, told teacher DS didn't like doing the homework, she gave me a 'well of course he doesn't like doing homework' look.

Thing is Sofia, he doesn't really watch telly, he just hates being put on the spot if he doesn't think he can do something.

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