Reception homework - the opposite problem

[earlycomputers]

Is anyone in the situation where their child is ahead of their peers in reading/writing/maths but their teachers dont want to give them extra homework? My dd is in reception and says she find it a bit too easy and is doing work more appropriate to year 1 standards (she is on reading books/maths workbooks for year 1 that we have got for her). When I asked her teachers if they could provide more in the way of handwriting/maths etc, they said they didn't want to do this for reception aged children. If my dd is enjoying learning and only spends 5 mins a day 'learning' at home - how can this possibly be bad for her? She likes to read/write/count so it's not 'work' for her. I just cant understand why the school would want to hold back kids - suspect it's becuase they want everyone to be at the same level to make their lives easier? dont know - but I am not impressed by it.

To the OP, my DD is a swot and generally finds the homework she gets (in reception) very easy, so we supplement what she does. Until recently, her books were way too easy (but she was recently reassessed and put up 4 levels by the teacher), but we just read the school books and at home we had her reading her Enid blyton books - She loves Amelia Jane at the mo, and I have just got her some Worst Witch books too. Tbh, it is much better having easier books at school and doing your own thing as now she is getting harder and therefore more appropriate books for her, they are deadly boring! so in a way I kind of miss the dead easy school books she could read in 5 mins flat and then move onto our much more interesting ones!

We also have an agreement with the school that for homework, she does one page of the standard homework, and one page of harder stuff that she is interested in (as she finds the homework terribly boring too sometimes). For us this is a good compromise and works well. Something like that might work for you too?

(Please note though, that we don't force it, she does actually ask to do the extra, more interesting stuff - like she actually asks if she can go to school at the weekends, and thinks it unfair that she has to take a week off school for the feb half term!)

I agree with the school-the last thing your DC needs is more homework. There are masses of exciting, interesting, original things you can do at home. Play games, cook, join the library,act out stories,paint, learn to knit etc etc etc. She has years and years of home work-enjoy her being little.