Reception children are not to be given work sheets to practice at home.....?

[saintpeta]

I asked for some photocopies for my son on a friday so that we could compliment what he does at school to be told they are banned from giving out handouts because it puts too much pressure on the kids. My child loves doing writing,drawing,number work so i didn't see a problem with asking but they said no-only 10 mins reading a night is enough...what do other parents think?

I read this.....I can see where they're coming from if smalls do feel pressurised, but my dd loves them.....I bought some of those Letts/Betty Root workbooky things for my dd which we do at home (she's 4 and a half)

I agree.
Homework in reception is counter-productive.

You can buy the jolly phonics worksheet book online, if that's the sort of thing you mean.

There are also lots of other things you can do with him, of course.

Our Reception teacher has said something similar - they are very much discouraged from formal learning, including using worksheets in class as far as possible. She doesn't entirely agree with it though, so does use them where appropriate and I have known them come home too. She would apparently be marked down by Ofsted for use of worksheets in Reception. Her point was that year one will be an even bigger shock if they have never done them up to then though, which I agree with.

WhSmiths do some good worksheet-based books btw, have just got some in for dd1 to do on the way to holiday this year (8 hour drive so she'll need something to occupy her).

let them play

I agree.

I think the school are quite right. If you want your child to get extra practice then "real life" provides far more rewarding opportunities than worksheets do -- games, art and craft, writing letters, shopping lists, working out change in shops.

I wonder what private schools do at reception age? at my ds state school it is just reading a book- I'd love to know.......

dd1 gets homework sheets in reception

bit of maths, new phonic sounds etc

tricky words to memorise

takes about 20 mins, we do it over the weekend as she is too tired in the week

she likes playing with letter magnets or pad and pen to write words out

does sums with buttons etc

Good. Reception age children don't need to do worksheets at home. It is counter productive.

There are plenty of games you can play and activities you can do with your DS that will help his learning without resorting to worksheets. Take the pressure off the poor kid.

Let him play. Everything is a learning experience at this age, and a few extra worksheets isnb't going to give him an advantage in school anyway.

Learning through practical experience is far more effective anyway than just 'learning' through completing worksheets.

Oliveoil I cannot think of one possible advantage there could be to your dd having so much extra 'work' to do at home.

I think all homework should be banned - but PARICULARLY for very little ones. What's the point?

here here seeker

Long may it continue.

Nonsense. yOu should follow the child's lead. If they like 'homework' then they should be given some.

At our school the Reception teachers are quite clear that the only homework the LOs are expected to do is to read with the parents. Other work is sent home, but is never expected to be done. They have short spelling word lists as well, but there is never any pressure on them to study the lists. That said, dd loves being tested on the lists!

If your school won't provide homework, then you can get some very good workbooks in many shops, even Woolworth, with stickers and fun activities too.

I agree, why on earth would you want work sheets.

There are so many things you could do that teach you a bit more about real life.

Give him some coins to take to the shop. Get him to weigh ingredients for cup cakes. Play snakes and ladders - all far more educational that a sheet.

If I followed my child's lead he would live on chocolate spread sandwiches and brussel sprouts and spend every minute of the day either playing football or watching "Match of the Day"!
You can't follow a Reception child's lead about homework, because they don't know about it unless you tell them.....

overmydeadbody - she likes it

she is not forced at all

once she was tired so didn't do it, teacher was not bothered and in fact said "never force them to do it if they don't want to, they are in reception"

last week they had the letters "ear" and had to do 3 words with the letters in and draw a pic

hardly stressful

re private school - only reading in reception ime, two books a week. but i think there is a wide variation, as with state schools.

Private school is just the same - not too much homework in reception.

DS gets 4 sentences to read each night which the teacher has written based on the sound work she has done with him that day. She won't send home levelled books as she maintains that the parents get competitive 'Oh Johnny's on ORT level 42 don't you know'!!

Sometimes she sends home a whiteboard for him to practice writing but it is not marked - he loves it!

The biggest focus is on his 'choosing book' which is intended to be read by me or DH whilst having a lovely snuggle!

Our school sends home a Jolly Phonics sheet (just colouring a picture and tracing over the letter) each night, from day 1, till all the sounds have been covered. After that they write a sentence each night. They also get a book to read. I am happy with that amount of work but would not want any more. I certainly wouldn't be asking for extra worksheets.

I think you mean complement. And reading is a jolly good thing. Teacher is quite right that in reception that is all they need. I get quite irritated that ds's school sends this kind of stuff home - we do it because it is there and it doesn't seem to irritate ds but it is quite unnecessary.

He does actually like workbook things, though - someone gave us a maths one for age 4-5 and we had a row last night because I wouldn't allow him to start reading it at bedtime after three blasted stories!

If your ds likes workbooks, buy your own. But it's generally a better approach to do real stuff with him - play shops for maths, use measuring jugs and different sizes of containers in the bath for volumes, draw pictures, write a card for his Granny, whatever.

dd is in a state school in reception
She has reading every night
A worksheet at least one night a week Spellings to practice every night for a test later on in the week
and a weekly journal
However...she seems to spend much of the day just learning through play
so although i could do without the homework at times, i'm not too worried and she's happy to do it