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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

How much homework for Yr1?

35 replies

JustMoon · 09/02/2010 14:19

I am a little concerned at the lack of homeowrk my DS has. In Reception he used to bring home all sorts of bits of homework, most noticably writing practice (which he definately needed!).

He is now in year one and brings home next to nothing. He has his reading book which he returns everyday (but he is a great reader so not very challenging)and has maybe five spelling words to learn every 3-4 weeks, when he gets the new words I rarely have to teach him how to spell them as they are quite basic and he spells them without pausing! Other than this he gets nothing.

My nephews are in reception and yr2 at another school and get loads of homework and my friends DD in Yr 1 at another school gets loads too.

I am worried, should I be? Parents evening is coming up, should I question this?

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ArcticRoll · 09/02/2010 14:23

My dc weren't set any formal homework until year 3.

PollyParanoia · 09/02/2010 14:42

Mine used to get some in reception and now gets none. Sometimes I'm a bit concerned, but mostly pretty relieved. It's if enough to make a difference, it's completey onerous. If it's not enough to make a difference, it's completely pointless. I'd rather spend the time doing what we want to do.
Having said that I was thinking of asking the teacher why they no longer get any. Like I say I'm a bit torn on the issue and would love to be told that studies show that it's much better to have none...

Original poster

JustMoon · 09/02/2010 14:44

Polly is your DC in Yr1? I juts find it a bit odd that recption children seemd to get quite a bit and now he's not. I don't want him chained to the table doing homeowrk but I guess it's that old thing of noticing what others are doing and wondering why mine aren't!

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Original poster

JustMoon · 09/02/2010 14:45

Arctic, what do you mean by formal?

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pigsinmud · 09/02/2010 14:47

My dd1 is in yr1 and she doesn't get homework. They're little children and don't need homework.

She has her reading book and that's it. I'm sure it's better to have none. They need to play and relax.

Ds2 is in yr5 at a diferent school and his homework is stressing him out. Better off without it!

ArcticRoll · 09/02/2010 14:50

JustMoon-sometimes they had handwriting sheets and they had reading diaries but that was it-I wouldn't worry about lack of homework-they will have plenty in the future!

moonmother · 09/02/2010 14:56

My Ds is in Yr1, he has his home reader, which we read every evening and is changed daily.

He has weekly spelling (7) practise, and is tested at school on Thurs

He has homework set every Friday which must be handed in by following Weds- this consists of maths/literacy worksheet to complete.

Hulababy · 09/02/2010 15:00

In the Y1 class I work in the children get NO homework at all. They have reading books, which they change, with their parents as and when they want. They have no spellings, no writte homework, no maths, etc. Yet they are all learning perfectly well and achieving well too.

My DD goes to a high achieving prep school. When in Y1 she got daily reading and spellings once a week. At a weekend she had a piece of written homework which would take up to 10 minutes. DD enjoyed te written work so this was fine, as was the reading - something I think it very important to do regularly. However thespelling lists and tests are pointless and IMo have no real value at all. DD could and sill can, get 100% in every spelling test, yet in her written work elsewhere they do not transfer across (dyslexic tendancies whch don't help) and this is not uncommon amongst children.

Why would you want your child to have more homework at 5 or 6 years old?

Lizcat · 09/02/2010 16:06

As hulababy my DD is at high achieving non selective school and in year 1 we get a reading book each night, 5 minutes of written work based on guided reading once a week and 10 spellings (words that they have wanted to use in their literacy).
She is a bright girl which PIPs has identified with huge potential, but she finishes all her extension sheets in class time and so the teacher sees no need to send any more.

satc2bringiton · 09/02/2010 16:16

My DS brings home a reading book everyday.

Once a week they have to do a bit of writing. I.E write down some words beginning with 'th', things like that.

sarah293 · 09/02/2010 16:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

redskyatnight · 09/02/2010 18:51

Wish my child had no homework ...

He gets daily (or as frequently as we like) reading book, plus spellings (which have to be done every day - Read/Say/Cover/Write method). Plus each week a list of "suggestions" for homework based on what they are doing in class comes home - we normally aim for 10-15 minutes of writing but he could be at it all weekend if he wanted.

Original poster

JustMoon · 09/02/2010 19:37

Hulababy, I didn't say he should get more my point was they seemed to get more in reception but it has stopped in year one and this does not seem to be the case in other schools in the area.

I just wanted to see what others got and whether it was something to discuss with his teacher at parents evening.

You said your own DD got homework at this age and enjoyed it, my DS also enjoys learning and I don't think there is any harm in doing a bit of writing practice once a week.

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SofaQueen · 09/02/2010 19:39

DS1 gets reading each night, 16 spelling words a week, 3 dictation sentences, and about 30 minutes total of other work.

Original poster

JustMoon · 09/02/2010 19:41

Blimey sofaqueen that sounds like a lot!

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Hulababy · 09/02/2010 19:42

I thouht in primary (or infants at least) the maximum homework was supposed to be 30 minutes a week incluing reading.

mimsum · 09/02/2010 19:50

the primary my dcs go to only starts setting homework from Y2 - and even then it's only 1 very quick/easy task a week - no spellings until Y4

they are, however, encouraged to read every night from reception

I can't see the point in homework for very little ones - just being at school all day is enough, and home should be for playing/relaxing/reading/doing sports/music etc

I'd rather my dcs had no homework in primary - it's usually completely pointless - and regardless of the amount of time and effort put in, it's always given a "fantastic" or "excellent" and a sticker

I know the argument is that kids need to get used to doing homework otherwise they'll have an awful shock when they get to secondary, but we didn't have homework in primary and somehow I managed to cope - in fact, weirdly I actually quite looked forward to getting homework as it seemed really grown up

ds1 used to kick up a hideous stink every week when it was time to do his homework, but after a term in secondary he just got his head round it, and now he does it as soon as he gets in from school and then he's got the rest of the evening to do the things he wants to do = his teachers have a very sensible attitude to homework though as they work them hard during the day and expect them to do lots of extra-curricular stuff and realise that's not going to happen if they're sent home with 3 hours of homework every night

Original poster

JustMoon · 09/02/2010 19:52

I would have thought a lot of infant school children would take more than half an hour a week reading? I don't know the guidelines but even in this short thread there seems to be a fair variation.

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SofaQueen · 09/02/2010 19:58

The extra work is usually something fun - this week it was a math board game, a practical experiment for science, a very short english sheet, and a math sheet with took 5 minutes. DS1 actually enjoys doing his homework.

Spelling takes no more than 10 minutes a week for DS. I know that those who are struggling don't have to do the dictation or the 6 extra words.

I agree that it is the reading which takes the bulk of the time, but (thank God), I don't have to listen to DS read anymore as it was taking up more and more time.

Original poster

JustMoon · 09/02/2010 20:03

I think it can be fun if it's done the right way, my DS loves maths because in his words 'it's not maths, it's puzzles and problem solving'!

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orienteerer · 09/02/2010 20:05

DS is in Yr 2 and has only ever had reading every night and one worksheet at the weekend.

orienteerer · 09/02/2010 20:06

Sorry, forgot, he has spellings each week as well.

smee · 09/02/2010 20:11

We just get reading books and one bit of proper homework at weekends, which is maths or literacy based, takes about ten minutes and usually involves some art too - eg use these six words to make a sentence, write the sentence then draw a picture about it. I don't like homework in theory, but have to admit I quite like seeing what they send them home to do/ what DS can do iyswim. Not that that validates it

PollyParanoia · 09/02/2010 21:07

Justmoon - yes my ds is in yr 1. In reception they used to get sounds to do and then they had a bit of writing in first term but nothing since Christmas. I am leaning on the side of chilling about it. He reads the sports pages of the newspaper (well the football tables) and we make up sums for him so I'm not sure what else homework would add and would be yet another thing to procrastinate over.

seeker · 09/02/2010 21:40

Homework is completely useless in primary school - apart form reading practice.

Read, read,read and read again - but that'a all.

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