Homework in year 1

[sunshinevibe]

How much homework does your year 1 (5/6 year old) get?

My son goes to a state primary and it's really ramped up this year. Obviously he gets his weekly reading books but on top of that he now gets 10 spellings for a weekly test, maths homework and literacy which is often writing a page and sometimes science too. Is this normal or is the school particularly homework heavy?!

My DD is year 1. They ask them to read daily. Spellings will start in Jan. I don't think they get any more than that until year 3.

They have access to various online programmes (Reading Eggs, Mathletics) which they can use at home but nothing specific is set. Yours sounds a lot in comparison.

DS is in year 1. He has daily reading plus one piece of homework at least every two weeks but I make him do one a week.

My dc is older, but it sounds like similar amount to how much my dc got when in yr1.
Reading everyday, weekly spelling, maths/literacy home work, sometimes other subjects like science/art/history etc.
But my dc's school always said homework is optional in ks1, so didn't need to finish them if the dc is not up for it or distressed.

Ah okay. It's probably optional to us too although I haven't been told that and my ds always wants to do well in the spelling test so I have to study the words with him or else he's upset. Do you think homework helps? I thought the current thinking was that homework doesn't have any impact on attainment but maybe that's just secondary?

DS in year 1 gets:-

2 books per week and is expected to read daily
10 spellings per week
1 piece of maths homework

Daily reading for 10 min and spelling plus optional math games online.

What you’ve described sounds like a lot if it’s not optional.

Year 2 now but it's fairly similar. 5 spellings, half a dozen maths qns, a reading book and a library book although they're expected to read nightly. Then every half term there's a themed craft project.

We get a book a day (because we read them and send them back everyday, it would be less if we didn’t) and 4 or 5 spellings.

Voluntarily my DC does a daily hand writing sheet, daily maths sheet, an extra reading book (we do 12 a week), practice a times table to proficiency (working on 5x’s at the moment), and a go one one of the 3 apps they’ve provided from school.

At the moment we’re also learning lines and songs for a school play and christingle with an external group.

I have one that gets bored easily and loves to read, write and is fascinated by maths.

Mine is meant to read daily but in practise books are changed 3 times a week so we don't do every day. Weekly spelling test usually 6 words where we are asked to practise 5 mins per day. Then we are meant to do a set amount of Nessy, numbots and abacus maths each week. I think it's 10 mins X 3 but I don't really stick rigidly to it. If he wants to do more one day, less others then fine. There are days we skip it entirely if he is nackered or doing sports clubs.

We get a few optional bits. Reading is the main thing to do. Encouraged to use educational aps & do extra curricular. They are only 5/6 years old!!

Dd is y4 in state school now but right from reception she has had reading daily, spellings to learn and a piece of maths and English homework every week

I think targeted homework helps. It certainly helps at secondary. All schools should have a homework policy. Often quality, not quantity, counts. There should also be feedback on it.
So a homework log and feedback from the teacher.

The best way to look at homework is by asking yourself the question : is this additional work embedding learning? So is he practicing the maths he has learnt? Are the spellings adding to his vocabulary? Is the writing task improving his skills by practicing spelling and sentence construction? Is it practicing his skills? I think reading is a given! It promotes vocabulary and of course reading skills.

I tend to think science and history/geography/art etc. could be optional. I’m not a huge fan of topics with little guidance and tenuous links to the curriculum. Art shouldn’t involve the parents doing it for example. Looking up information together can be rewarding but there shouldn’t be homework for the sake of it. Homework policies are usually sensible so have a look at it.

Op that’s exactly what my y1 gets. Private primary school.

Y2 but we have daily reading, weekly spellings and then weekly topic homework (which we ignore as it isn't targeted, related to what they have been doing that week or any feedback given).

I'd much prefer a proper bit of maths or English homework that is actually related to what they have learnt that week rather than 'create some autumn art'.

My y1 is expected to have a new book each day - but it isn't changed if they haven't finished it. Maths, English and 5 spellings. Even my Y3 only has 6 spellings per week though obviously they're much harder words. There's online maths for both too.

The spellings do embed learning I think as they seem to be based on the phonics they are doing during the week, eg, this week all the words have 'oy', eg employ. It's the writing which I struggle with the most as my ds is quite a reluctant writer. I suppose at this age homework is very much led by the parent so it feels like I have loads of homework every week!

Well if he’s a reluctant writer it won’t get easier if he doesn’t practice. Writing is often the sats results that disappoint schools the most big it’s still vital to improve. Art done by parents is useless but maths that builds on the curriculum is anything but.

DS is year 5 and he has 10 spellings and 20 min weekly on Times Tables Rockstars. It's been that way since year 1.

In reception they had to do some reading and 6 spellings.

Reading expected 5x per week
Handwriting practice (3 letters per week)
Maths homework weekly
Spellings (60 to learn for a half-termly test)

DD has progressed onto the spellings because she's quite an advanced reader. Not all the children get spellings yet but they are all expected to do the reading, handwriting and maths.

My DD had spelling in YR. easy words she could read.

I think the suggestion from the school about creative autumn art @onemouseplace does give you and ex the chance to discuss autumn colours. Leaves changing colour, plants dying back and early morning frosts. A seasonal change children don’t always notice. We used to make collages out of dried leaves!

ex???? You and DC…..

Wow I’m surprised to hear about so much homework. My DS in year 1 gets reading, that’s it. We do encourage him to write at home because his writing needs a lot of work, and we sometimes do some maths because he loves maths - but that’s entirely up to us as and when he wants to do it. I’d struggle to fit in a lot of homework around work and all the other stuff we want to be doing!