Ds1 is being given work far beyond his capabilities.

[Colditz]

The teacher has 'reassured' me again and again that he knows this and that, can read this and that, can do this and that....

But he's being given homework to find half of 38 and quarter of 24 - he can't work out half of 30.

He's getting homework to write five sentences - he can't form many of his letters properly.

he's being given spellings like "Annoying" and he can't concentrate for long enough to get halfway through spelling it. Not that he can spell it anyway.

Is it normal to have to practically sit ON TOP of your child, spoon feeding them the answers to their homework? Surely this is an exercise in futility?

I have made him do 1 'halving and quartering puzzle', the rest are utterly beyond him, and I have written "Ds1 was unable to do this" at the bottom of his book.

I don't know what else to do. They keep banging on about how bright he is and how well he's doing - why can't he ever do his frickin homework if he's doing so well? He neglects basics like letter formation, finger spaces, word placement (all over the page!), capital letters and won't even spell simple words without getting very frustrated and trying to find them written down somewhere - surely they should be working on this with him?

He has gone straight from a very play based reception to this class - and when given the opportunity to play, ds1 will play. I doubt very much if he did any work last year. he has huge gaps in his basic education that I really didn't expect to have to fill myself - I thought they would do this first, instead of trying to pretend he's done it. He hasn't. What can I do?

Colditz, iirc ds has gone into a split Y1/Y2 class?
Because the work he is doing sounds way beyond an 'ordinary' Y1 class.

I would not force him to do it - he is only little. I think all you can do is keep on at the teacher or go above her head to the headteacher.
Because if he is skipping important foundation work (letter formation, numberbonds etc) in favour of halving and quartering, then that is going to cause him problems in later years.

It is great that they think he is bright, but I would try to somehow get through to them he is struggeling.

Sorry I can't be of more help.

It sounds like what my DS is getting in Year3, and he's doing fine - not SEN!

What year is he in? I am assuming Yr 1 - there is a big difference between Yr R and Yr 1. Yr R is all play and YR 1 is proper work.

As a matter of interest, have you seen his exercise books and work that he does in class? Does it look like he knows what he is doing there?

I am wondering if he really isn't as bright as they think, in which case it might be the teacher has the wrong boy with the wrong name. On the other hand if his workbooks are up to the standard they say, what is it about being at home that makes him forget it all?

I wouldn't spoon feed him, I would just write on his work that he couldn't do it.

yes, he is in a mixed class. I wish wish wish he was in a class for his year group. I suspect they are giving him year 2 homework and it is utterly fucking beyond me why they would do this, when he is a year 1 boy on an IEP.

he has serious problems organising himself, and seems to have an honest short term memory problem. Plus he doesn't listen or pay attention. I don't know why, he has no diagnosis. They are the ones pushing me to have him seen by an ed psych because he wandered off, didn't come back and they went to the library and left him behind at school. (Thank fuck he never got to the library!) Can't they see that they really aren't helping matters?

it does seem like he is being given someone elses work.

I thought this but they are ademant that it's for him and that he should have no great difficulties with it.

Is there another boy, perhaps in teh Y2 section of the class with a similar name to your ds? I wonder if he is getting someone elses work?

Dd is in Y1, is one of the eldest in the year and in the top sets. There is no way she would be able to do half of 38 and quarter of 24. No way. (and this in a school who are in the top 5% nationwide for their Y2 maths results)

He is getting the wrong work. Perhaps the teacher is giving all the Y1 children Y2 work because she finds it hard to differentiate or set different tasks? Either way, it needs sorting, all I can suggest is badger the school until your ds gets appropriate work!

You shouldn't be having to spoonfeed him the answers - homework should be consolidating what they have done in class, not expecting parents to have to each them it all over again. Personally, I would send back every piece with "DS could not do this" on the sheet/book. If they don't do something about it after say 5 times of this, I'd arrange a meeting with the teacher to discuss why he's getting homework which is so clearly not at the correct level. It's not going to be doing him any good if he simply doesn't understand it.

My bright Y1 dd could not do this h/w.
She is 'sharing' 20 between 4; this is the toughest sum she has been set. And this was in class, not for h/w.
I would talk to the teacher.

Can only second all of the above - my dd is in yr 2, so the year above. She doesn't have any homework, ever, apart from a reading book, and I'm pretty sure she would struggle with halving 38. She also isn't writing independently - her teacher does see this as a problem, but only because she reads fluently, there are plenty of other yr 2 children in her class who do neither.

I know that Welsh schools are more into taking things slowly and learning through play, but your ds's school seems ridiculously far the other way, even for England.

Homework is def too challenging for the vast majority of Y1 IMO. Halving and doubling is Y2 work, not Y1 AFAIK.

Just keep writing as you have done - DS was not able to do this. Don't force him and don't push him.

That would be difficult for my Yr2 daughter and judging by her end of Yr1 report and a recent parents' evening, I reckon she is one of the most able in her class.

Perfectly reasonable to keep writing "DS cannot do this" until you get a sensible discussion.

This is the homework I would expect for my DD who is Year Two and in the top two or three in her class (allegedly). I would have a word with the teacher, it must be dispiriting for him to continually get homework that is too hard. HW is supposed to be about reinforcing what they do in class, is he really doing this in class?

I would make an appointment to see the teacher. Very damaging to his self-esteem if he is always doing work that he can't cope with. Unless there is a difference between what he can do in class and what he can do at home- perhaps ask to see some of his work.

My Y1 dd is doing really well in class but there's no way she could do that maths homework. She could probably be persuaded to write 5 sentences but would likely forget most of the capitals. I guess she could work out 'annoying', it's not the hardest of words once you've grasped the 'oy' sound.

But anyhow this sounds more like what her friend in Y2 brings home.

Hang on - my very bright year 3 boy could do this, but it would take him a while, and he might very well get out the poker chips to do it with!

And he certainly would have found 5 sentences hard in year 1!

Go and talk to the teacher. Look at his school work book. And whatever you do, don't make a big deal out of it. Sit down together - if he can do it , tons of praise, if he can't just say "Oh dear, never mind. We'll tell your teacher you need a bit more help with that"