homework

[moodyblue]

Have been having mega hassle getting ds1 (9, y5) to do his homework and have been discussing with other parents how much homework is reasonable. He currently gets a worksheet for maths each week, one for English each week and has a science 'experiment' to do every fortnight - the current one is to find and keep snails and feed them different foods to see which they like best! He also has a larger, ongoing project to complete that they get longer for (about 4/5 weeks).

He's been getting in a right state about it but I can't decide whether it is genuinely too much. What do you think?

That does seem alot. when I taught Yr 5, they had 10 mins or so every night (a worksheet, spellings finishing off etc) then a history project a term.

My dd1 (8 and y3!) gets numeracy homework twice a week (usually worksheets), literacy homework once a week (again, usually a worksheet) and topic homework once a week (can be anything) ...that is alongside two reading books and twenty spellings! farrrrr too much imo

My dd2 brings home homework twice a week, 4 reading books, one reading/literacy/numeracy game to play and 6 spellings ...and she's in reception

Any homework is too much at thuis age, they need to switch off from school when they are at home. Ds1 (8) regularly cries and rages over his.

My dd is 5. She has daily homework - Mon - Thurs. Reading, phonics & counting/writing worksheets, and a weekly task. We spend an average of 20 - 30 mins on it every night. She is usually too tired and I find it hard to get her to concentrate. I am not against the daily homework as I think it is good to establish a routine, I just think that the amount is excessive.

My ds (7, Yr 3) gets a maths sheet, an English sheet and a science sheet every week. Definitely not too much IMO, we are talking maybe 45 minutes once a week.

DS, 9 and in Y5, gets each week: one literacy worksheet/creative writing task, one numeracy worksheet and 16-10 spellings. Every so often they get a topic project to do, but they get 4 weeks for this and it takes the place of literacy homework. Reading is as and when, ie he can read and does, so I don't worry about it and neither does the teacher.

Pretty similar to singersgirl
Ds, Yr 4, gets one lot of maths a week, one lot of English comprehension (this is the one that induces gnashing of teeth) and a project/writing/research thing over the weekend. Plus spellings and reading every night. Spellings ds is on top of and reading's for pleasure so that's OK.
Dd in Reception, gets three little reading books (two of which she will already have tackled during the week) at the weekend, and assignments along the lines of, "bring in a nice twig". Nothing else, hurrah.

My Yr 5 son (private school) gets Monday maths (takes 30 mins at least) Tuesday French vocab, Wednesday more maths, Thursday English (eg comprehension, story, project etc) Friday / weekend Spellings (30) Reasoning paper and Science

I do struggle as philosophically I am against homework - I don't remember even having a school bag at the same age!! - but it is the expected thing and we did sign up for it in a way. They will also have a week of exams after half term (they don't do SATs at this school)..

Rages and crying the norm in this house too

Sounds like there's quite a range. I've been thinking about it and I think what they get is reasonable (I'm quite academic and was as a child too). The problem is, he doesn't! If I'm honest, we spend more time arguing about it than he does doing it. So, I have been in to see his teacher and told her it is getting to be a major problem getting him to do homework and explained that after two or three gentle reminders from me and dh it's up to him whether it gets done. She said that's fair enough and that if he doesn't do it at home he will have to do it at break time. I feel bit bad about this but I think he needs to start taking some responsibility for it himself.

The other thing that winds me up though is that my other ds in y3 only gets one phonics worksheet a week - it's no wonder it's such a shock when they get to y5!