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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Year 5 - homework over Xmas

25 replies

friendless · 20/12/2008 18:12

How much homework, if any, does your Y5 child have over Xmas holiday? It is only 2 weeks, much of which is often taken up with Xmas activities.

dd (9) has to:

do a research project on Ancient Greece
read at least one book and write a book review on it
ensure she knows all her times tables

I think this is a bit mean at this time of year. The project on Greece alone is quite a lot when there isn't that much time available.

Surely children should still have time to play at this time of year when they are only 9? This is a standard state school btw! AIBU? (or is it just me being lazy?!)

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Jas · 20/12/2008 18:16

DD1 has tables and reading, plus she has to make a model of a flowering plant, labelling all the parts.

andlipsticktoo · 20/12/2008 18:25

DS2 is in Y5 and has no homework at all.

But he is a total bookworm - I mean a book every other day, and he knows all his tables inside out and back to front, this is mainly due to the fact that his teacher has been pushing times tables as extra homework all term.

Maybe you DD's teacher hasn't been doing his/her job thoroughly enough??

I often think the same of public schools. My friend's son has over a month off over Christmas, but absolutely tons of homework! What's the point in that?

cat64 · 20/12/2008 18:35

This reply has been deleted

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kid · 20/12/2008 18:36

DD has no homework. DS who is in Year 2 had to keep a diary over the holiday. I can just imagine what he will write in it after Christmas day. I reckon he will be glued to a certain present!

KbearingGiftsWeTraverseAfar · 20/12/2008 18:39

DD in Yr 5 - no homework - they get plenty in term time and projects in term time too but I was thrilled that we don't have think about argue about homework at Christmas!

DD in Yr 2 has maths sheet to complete.

They both read every night anyway.

KbearingGiftsWeTraverseAfar · 20/12/2008 18:40

Er my DD in Year 2 is actually a DS!!

jollyoldstnickschick · 20/12/2008 18:43

I used to think it was very unfir but i read a post from Martian Bishop who i think is a teacher and she nswered a similar question saying day 1 read up on it on the net 30 mins etc make notes day 2 10 mins writing it 10 mins reserching ot and 10 mins planning for next page 30 mins a day can get a really good project going and there was a lot of sense in it.

The book review Im sure you dd will read a book or finish a book so she can review that and with the times tables its just a repetition again and again and one day it sticks,,,,,harsh tho it seems it is doable.

MrsWeasleyStrokesSantasSack · 20/12/2008 18:45

DD year 5 has no homework at all(neither does yr3, 7 or 9 child)

ItsNELLyChristmas · 20/12/2008 18:52

I teach yr 4 (at a private school ) and my class have to review all the spellings they have learnt this term and practise their times tables (1-12) and related division facts as well as 15 mins of reading minimum every day.

I think any more than that means that the children will not get a break, any less than that will mean that I will spend the majority of the first 2 weeks of next term de-adlling their brains

My colleagues in Yr 5 have set a daily diary as the homework for their year gp

Original poster

friendless · 20/12/2008 20:02

Thanks - I think I find it more of a struggle because dd isn't very inclined to academic work! She has never enjoyed reading - I still can't get her to read a book without loads of pestering. I have tried encouraging her to choose a book she wants to read at the library/bookshop etc but the motivation isn't there - after a day or so, the book is just forgotten. Her reading level seems to be average despite this.

The project will be hard for her and will probably end up with me helping her intensively with most of it. The idea of doing small chunks a day is a good one - it's actually getting her to do it which is the problem... and especially so over Xmas.

OP posts:

Marathon · 20/12/2008 20:11

How about chunking the project also? So, Who were the Ancient Greeks? What was the Battle of Marathon? Do you want to dress like an Ancient Greek? Where would you want to live -Athens or Sparta?

Perhaps as she sees each element being covered your daughter will be less daunted by the work and see the end in sight, as opposed to what could be a potentially huge project.

GrimmaTheNome · 20/12/2008 20:14

My Yr 5 DD is expected to read at least one book and do a book review, I think. That seems fine, given that hopefully kids this age should get some book they like for xmas (or more blumming smiths cards ). Pity that the Beano annual probably wouldn't pass muster...my DD also needs pestering to read a proper book, so I actually am glad that the school asks for book reviews. Lemony Snicket is suiting her quite well as they aren't too long but aren't at all babyish. Or some of the Jacqueline Wilsons?

The times tables ..um... by Yr 5 shouldn't they pretty much have them learned by now? Sounds not too unreasonable to ask them to spend a bit of time on this if they are still a bit shaky, as they really need to have tables secure to be able to do other yr 5 maths.

The Ancient Greece project, however, sounds quite unreasonable!

hippipotami · 20/12/2008 20:17

DS is Y5 and has no homwork. This is due to the brilliant new head teacher, who banned homework for the two weeks leading up to the Christmas play and carrol concert and then decided to decree December a homework free month. Hip hip hooray for Mr D! Because this is the first time since the start of Y3 that we have had a holday/half term without any large project to do. And it is liberating!!

hippipotami · 20/12/2008 20:17

State school by the way...

roisin · 20/12/2008 21:29

ds2 (9) yr5 - no homework. His primary often sets project-type activities for the half-term holidays, but nothing for the longer Christmas/Easter/Summer breaks.

ds1 (11) yr7 has hardly anything either. The last couple of weeks of term was busy with concerts, parties, carol services etc (he is in choir), but homework eased off completely for the last fortnight.

Over Christmas he just has one homework to do - a project-style Science thing that he will actually enjoy once he gets into it.

choccyp1g · 20/12/2008 21:35

GimmetheNome..Why can't DD write a book review of the Beano? The weekend supplements have book reviews of non-fiction, and picture books as well as fiction. (including short stories, which is what most of the Beano is)

twentypence · 20/12/2008 21:43

We have our long summer holiday now - so there is no homework at all! Very sensible.

Given that the library will be closed many of the days it would seem madness to give any sort of research type homework.

Gorionine · 20/12/2008 21:45

DD1 in year5 has only research about something (cannot remember what during this holiday, + reading which she does every evening anyway.

DS2 in year3 has the same amount of home work he would have had over two week ends to do during the holiday, so not to bad (2 math sheets, 15 spelling words+a sentence to write for each of spelling words)+ reading which as DD1 he does every day.

DS3 in reception has one sheet of numeracy, one little book to "read" + another book to share and drow his favourite bit.

Over all I think it is not exessive and sometimes, they come and say "MUUUUUUM, we are bored!" "well do a bit of homework then!" and, as if by magic, they get busy on the spot!

LynetteScavo · 20/12/2008 21:46

DS1 has no homework, which is good, as it wouldn't get done!

His new teacher is new to the school this year, and started off giving a decent amount of homework, but is now adopting the aproach the other teacher have, which is "school is for written work, home is for playing and riding your bike."

GrimmaTheNome · 20/12/2008 21:47

Oh, I agree, and I rather think the teacher would be highly entertained. But I don't think that the Beano annual would pass muster with DD for the purposes of a book review.

CarofromWton · 20/12/2008 21:52

DD1 (Y5) - 20 spellings to learn/revise plus one reading book, that's all. I think a lot depends on the individual teacher. Last year, DD1 had loads of homework and this year she has very little. Not sure which is worse. Surely there must be a happy medium?

DD2 (Reception) - absolutely no homework whatsoever (and that is as it should be!)

Original poster

friendless · 20/12/2008 22:07

I agree that the reading and the times tables on their own would not seem excessive. It's just that with lots of visits to/from family at least half the days of the holiday are wiped out. I'm sure we'll get it done...

OP posts:

rachels103 · 07/01/2009 20:46

As a teacher I think that is excessive - I give 2 pieces of hw plus spellings and x tables in term time but all I set over Christmas was a fun maths quiz and reading.
I think my attitude has softened since having my own dc - as a newer, younger teacher I didn't think about it in the same way.

lisalisa · 07/01/2009 20:50

Ds only had to ( inyr 5) read 2 peices from a newspapaer and summarise them. Was qwuite good as he found this hard ( to actually condense and paraphrase them).

Dd in yr 3 however was swamped mercilessly with homework. i'm afraid i took rather a savage line and insisted she did only what she could eacdh day ( about 15 mins) and any left over was not done. Teacher is quite strict but I'm perfectly prepared to go into battle over it...

stillenacht · 07/01/2009 20:52

DS in year 5 and had nothing over hols. Usually get one piece of maths, one reading comprehension and verbal/non verbal exercise sheet a week plus reading.

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