How much homework is your Yr 1 getting?

[whingewhinge]

DS is 5. He has spelling and reading homework every day and maths a few times a week. Honestly it feels too much, he hates it and it making each day difficult. He works hard in school, is all this homework the norm?

We don’t have any. I read with DS each night, and he loves his school.

In Y1 (last year) he read to me 5 minutes, six times a week, four words to learn and put into sentences and either a maths or an English sheet. 10 minutes a night during the week and about 30 minutes (including one reading session) at the weekend. Not too stressful at all.

None. Mine is in y2 now, but still none. He gets a book home everyday, but he can mostly read it himself, so just I listen to him read maybe 2 or 3 times a week now.

Reception child gets a book home everyday, so I listen to him read that (v. short - takes about 2 mins).

I wouldn't be doing anymore than a bit of reading. They need downtime after school. There's plenty of time for homework when they're in secondary.

We get a reading book, maths (usually a one page worksheet) and literacy (usually to write a couple of sentences) each week.

With a motivated child it could take 15 minutes or less, but obviously a bit harden if they’re not keen.

This feels about the right balance to me, I don’t know how I’d cope getting DS to do the amount you mentioned.

In Autumn term of year 1 DD just had reading. Weekly spellings and number bonds tests were introduced from January.

8 spellings a week.
reading book 5 days a week.
1 sheet of handwriting of their phonics sound a week.
No maths.

Thanks everyone. I really wish he didn't have it. It just feels like it's eating into our quality time together. I guess there isn't much I can do.

None. Only reading.

We’ve just gone into yr3 and started to do the homework, I’ve always seen it- and lots of others have as optional.
we did it if we had chance- if we didn’t no big deal. Nothing was ever said , lots of others did this too.

No spelling, just a drawing task once a week and reading.

There is a spelling test though, and he cares how well he does even though he hates doing it so I feel we have to do that.

My DD is in year 3, she have some sort of homework on every Friday. One week is mths, the next is Literacy, and everyweek she got some words to learn the correct spelling. We also have a reading book.

When DD was in Yr 1 she had 10 spellings to learn a week & a test at the end of the week. She would have a reading book (usually 2-3) but could read at own pace. She'd usually clear 1 a night, but she's an avid reader.
No maths.
She's now in Yr3 - maths sheet & literacy homework once a week to be handed in the following week. Reading everyday in school & encouraged to read more at home.
Choice of topic homework - have to do 3 pieces by Dec but can choose from over 20 options & do more if they want (there is an incentive to do more).

Oh & spellings - 10-12 to learn each week. Test at the end.

Don't do it. Other than reading with your child there is absolutely zero evidence that homework at this age has any impact on educational achievement.

My DS is in Yr 1. He now has a small list of spellings every Friday. At some point they'll send home a reading book (he reads to us every night anyway). There's a small piece of HW at the end of each project, plus we now have log-in info for Numbots & Purple Mash (but no specific work set online so far).

I personally feel they should only be reading at home at this age.

In my experience, they don't learn the spellings anyway, they learn them for the test then forget them. I cannot see the point at year 1, with the exception of reading. But, I am doing a lot with my year 4 on spelling, because that's a big weakness. If the child hates it, don't do it. Oldest ones poor spelling is not linked to lack of homework at age 5.

We have reading and small projects around the theme they are covering in class - kids enjoy crafts so this is fine. Also been given Numbots apps and been told there will be spelling going forward. I try to spend no more than 10-15 mins a day on hw as don’t see it as necessary at this age. We also have days where we do nothing except reading so they can have free play after school.

None.

None. One reading book a week.

DC has some key stage one maths and English activity books from The Works I offer her when screens go off, she really enjoys them but I never tell her she has to do them.

I think at this age playing/chilling/play dates is more valuable.

None specifically.

I read with him every day, he has spellings that we practice 4/5 times per week for a couple of minutes, we have a maths app that we use maybe twice a week. My son quite likes maths though so I've got a couple of workbooks that he enjoys when he feels like it.

In yr1, just reading and spellings to learn for a test. It's only in yr 6 they start to get other homework in our school. If it's causing issues I just wouldn't do it, there is no evidence that homework is useful at this age. Concentrate on reading.

Less than yours and it still feels like too much! I hate homework, would much rather they had downtime or park time or did some extra curricular - literally ANYTHING feels like it’d be a better use of time than homework.

My kids hate it too and I have raised it with the school many times. It’s never going to change. The only solution would be to move schools but it seems like most of the schools in our area give out lots of homework too. Plus kids are otherwise happy and settled.

DS had a reading book once a week and then two or three items to do weekly. I think we were just about the only ones who did in.

Yr2 was reading, maths app and weekly maths sheet and then one or two items to do weekly.

I think this was partly because they missed so much time due to covid and they were trying to catch up.

I was dreading Yr3. Parents who had kids in the year above said there had been a massive jump in homework between Yr2 and Yr3. This has proved to be utter bollocks. We are now doing less homework than the previous two years.

However DS now takes it in his stride and homework is normal and something that needs doing daily. It's part of our routine. The kids that didn't do the homework before are having basic issues with sitting still in school and doing any homework at all. This isn't a SEN thing. There are two definites with serious SEN issues which is higher than other year groups, but there is also another 4 or 5 who are having problems which are much more to do with lost time with covid.

I have to say, that controversially, I quite like the homework as we have quality time together whilst he does it and I do think its really helped him just with concentration in the classroom.

I don't have much time for the parents who have whinged about it most due to their general attitude towards school. Either do it or don't do it - whinging about it is where I have a problem.

Bottomline: Some parents like their kids having homework, others don't - school is never going to please everyone.