Yr 1 spellings - are these even APPROPRIATE?

[SmugColditz]

All in joined up writing

sandpit
helper
sandwich
what
handstand
giftbox
thundering
frowning
lunchbox

Ds 1 is not bad at reading - but he can't read half of these. He doesn't even know what the letters are because they are joined up and he can't read them.

I had a word with the teacher, who said I would be surprised.

damn right i would be surprised

i would be surprised to see him pulll a year's worth of writing ability out of his arse that he wasn't taught in reception last year.

he barely did any writing in reception, certainly not joined up 9he's not been taught this afaik0 it was all sandpits and trainsets, and now they want him to sit and spell words he can't even read.

what should I do? He can't reliably get his letters the right way round, he's only bloody 5. Apparently it's a new system, but I can't help thinking they have decided his entire writing and spelling ability on his ability to read the printed word.

DS year 1 this week has:
bad
dad
cat
sat
ran
can
plan
match
catch
patch

ds is in yr 1
we would faint with horror at those spellings

he does do cursive writing though and has done from reception

Maybe the teacher thinks she is teaching Yr 3?

When DS went into Year 2 his first spellings were way to hard for him - he had been one of the last to start getting spellings - August birthday. I said to the teacher that they were too hard and next time he had gone back to the level he was on at end of Year 1. DS's school would rather they consistently get the all right with slightly easier ones to build confidence than give them harder words just to hit targets.

This week (Yr 3) DS had coach, toast, awoke, spoke, hero and some others which I have forgotten.

I would have a word with the teacher and say that he is struggling and can he have more suitable words. I would be surprised if the whole class were getting the same words - esp in a mixed Yr 1/2 class.

Off the point a bit I know but in yr5 dd was given lascivious in her spellings. They had to write sentences with the word in it too. I stuggled for a while to suggest a sentence appropriate for a 9 yr old!

Colditz they are ridiculous!

Ds2 has just gone into yr1 and is a good reader. His spellings over the last 2 weeks have been things like

mist
split
fresh
swim
slip
trap
hush
chin

etc etc

And joined up writing?! Ds2 is still writing his 's' back to front and is nowhere near joining up his writing - he is only 5!

Singersgirl - ds1 is in yr3 and this week he had 'reproach'. Hmm, yes, he'll be using that one a lot at age 7!

dd2 is in yr1 and so far has had other homework, but not spellings yet. However at her school they teach cursive writing from day one, in reception it's cursive but not actually joined iyswim. In year 1 they're encouraged to try to join them up, dd2 has managed this quite easily because it's only a matter of joining the tails that she's always written. I think it's a great system, dd1 went to a different school until yr2 and wasn't taught this way and still struggles. In fact dd2's writing is better and they are 9 and 6!

Kiddiz, 'lascivious' in Y5! Even if they can learn to spell it, it's really not a very appropriate word.

GDG, 'reproach' is right up there in terms of uselessness for 7 year olds.

DS1 in Y6 has just had 'septuagenarian'. I know his target is to use more ambitious vocabulary, but I still can't quite see him writing a story that starts: "The septuagenarian hobbled down the road..."

Year 3 DD has just had kaleidoscope and reciprocity. Took her the whole week to say them correctly.

Those are way to hard for yr1.
My son just started yr1 he gets 6 spellings to learn each week.
This wks are:
You
This
That
My
For
too
Ds doesnt have to do joined up writing but is encouraged to put flicks on the end of his letters which will make it easier for him when he does have to do joined up writing.
Ds is learning labels, lists & captions at school as part of his curriculum work so the sandpit has a label but he wouldn't be expected to spell the word.
I'd have another word with the teacher or the head and explain your concerns.

Guess what? He has HOMEWORK with these words. He has to use 6 of them in a sentence each, write it all down, and practise his spellings.

Don't they listen to a word I say?

His homework slip reads

In Literacy we are learning to read and spell two syllable words. Write 6 sentences using your spellings remembering to use capital letters and full stops.

Lunchbox, sandwich, handstand, giftbox, frowning, sandpit.

When you have finished, practise your spellings as well.

he's five, have they forgotten this? he only came out of nappies two years ago, i REALLY DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THEY ARE PUSHING HIM IN THIS WAY!

Blimey, Colditz, that's extraordinary. Ds is in Yr 1 and the spellings he brings home are far simpler. Four letter words, IIRC.

And they are only just teaching them to write their letters with a flick at the end so they can be joined up later on... not even attempting actual joined up writing yet!

Think you could be onto something with the mixed Year One/Year Two class. That sounds like Year Two homework to me.

Yr 1 here also and ours are

quiz
squirrel
squal
squat
etc...I forget the rest but they all have a qu theme.

I would say that the OP's ones are hard

I am certain my 5.5 year old twin boys couldn't handle those words and wouldn't manage a sentence.

I wouldn't push it at home if I were you - I would maybe try talking about sentences you could make with those words and look at them - but not much else.

dd1 has words like peg, leg, bed. she is also very good at reading and writing. andone of only two children in th class who can do joined up, but then she has older siblings whom she copies.

I'm assuming we have mix of schools here - but am intersted to know whether there is a 'government standard for state schools' homework plan - and does it even include homework in year 1??

DD1 (year 4 now) used to get spellings every week (graded based on ability into 3 sets) -and homework every day. Now at state school she had nothing at all for the first 3 weeks, then spelling sentences (marry, married, marries, tarry, tarries, tarried etc) for the last 2 weeks - but nothing else at all. Is that normal?

DD2 (year 1) - no signs at all of any homework and especially not spellings. Funnily enough, she was trying to write her name in joined up writing just for the hell of it yesterday - did not look good. I encouraged her not to do it and concentrate instead on her l's being taller than her o's!

Blimey Colditz!!! I would not be happy if my 5 yr old got those. There isn't even a pattern!

ds2 summer7 and yr 3 got
10 words, bb and le this week. eg scrabble, fable.
ds1 yr 4 has to do 10 sentences with his words, including circuit and hundredth.

I would refuse actually,...

Ds has never had a spelling list from school and is also in Yr 1. We had a letter at the start of the year saying that there were around 50 words that they should be able to spell by the end of the year but no guidance as to how that should be achieved. Ds does half of them at home every week - I have no idea whether I am doing the right thing or not!

Colditz I am sure that is Y2 homework - have you challenged the teacher on this yet?

DS is only 5 as well (6 in a few weeks) but he is in Y2 - his spellings are 'ph' themed this week - phantom and phone are the only ones I can remember - I am debating whether to teach him that it should be 'phone

Ds1 who is in year 4 recently had 'arachnophobia' and 'xenophobia' on his list