Opinions please - Homework in Reception. Dd's teacher has asked to see me - tell me what to say to stop me being rude to her!

[Littlefish]

First of all, I am an experienced Early Years and Primary Teacher. Dd is my only child and is just reaching the end of Reception.

I have tried very, very, very hard to remove my professional hat in all matters relating to dd's teacher and Reception year, in spite of there being numerous occasions of poor practice. The children are basically being taught like year 1s, with very little play.

However, the matter of homework has really got me vexed.

I absolutely disagree with homework for Reception children (actually I disagree with homework for any children until year 6), beyond reading and phonics work. I read with dd every night and we practise her sounds and tricky words.

Last term, she started bringing home a photocopied maths worksheet each week which we were supposed to do with our child and then return to school. The homework is unrelated to anything they're specifically doing that week, and the same homework is given to all children, regardless of their stage of development.

Sometimes we do this sheet, and sometimes we don't. Dd is really strong with numbers, problem solving and reasoning, can recognise, write and sequence numbers up to 100, knows all her doubles up to 12 + 12 and all her number bonds up to 10 etc (Sorry, I'm not trying to be smug, that's just what she can do). The homework is frequently much too easy for her e.g. count a group of up to 10 objects and write the number.

We haven't done the homework for the last 3 as it was all too easy. I sent a note to dd's teacher explaining why we hadn't done it and she has asked to see me.

Added to this, the children were told that their homework was their responsibility and that if they did not do it, they would be moved down on the zone board (behaviour board).

I'm already heavily biting my tongue on all the other issues, and I'm really worried that I will be rude to her! She is a very brusque character, not parent friendly at all. At dd's last parents evening, she told me that dd "isn't pushing herself in writing"

FFS! She's only 5!

Is it worth voicing my objections to the homework, or should I just shut up and let her tell me off, for the sake of the last 4 weeks of term.

But if the teacher has been told that they must give out hw, and she doesn't really agree with hw, and has therefore set it really easy for the class (it may be simple for the whole class not just the op), she may be thinking

'Damn they aren't doing their hw I'm going to be in trouble, let me say they will move down, then it will get them spending the 5 minutes a week completing the sheet'.

If the policy is there for hw to be set, then it must surely be school policy for hw to be completed, wouldn't the school have one of those parent/teacher charters, that parents sign to say they are doing xyz at home?

The whole behaviour board is another story! Dd came home in the third week of term and said "only boys go in the red zone".

I was horrified that the provision was so inappropriate that 50% of the class (ie. all the boys), were unable to access it without falling below the teacher's behaviour expectations. It worries me so much that the school's provision for boys is so wrong.

I asked dd the other day who gets into the gold zone most often (good behaviour), and she reeled off a list of girls' names. Once again, the names of those most frequently in the red zone were boys.

Dd has been in the red zone once - for "wriggling on the carpet". This was in the first half term when she was still 4 .

rainbowfizz - there was nothing in the home/school agreement about homework - I've checked.
grumpypants - sorry about my preferred style of homework .

Feenie - no, it's not school policy to punish Reception children for not doing their homework. The teacher apologised to me about it when I raised it with her.

SaliMali - that must be very hard. Will your teacher be retiring soon?

Haven't read all the responses but I sort of agree with qt that it's not good to teach your DD that homework can be ignored by choice if you want her to respect her teachers as she gets older. On the other hand I am totally with you on the at reception year getting homework, and worksheets at that! Will they be sent out to work after school next to help clear the national deficit?

I would definitely go in to see the teacher but I would also make an appt with the head and say that not just as a parent but as a fellow professional in teaching you are concerned about this approach to reception year homework. I wouldn't hide your professional interest; I'd use it and open up a discussion. That might make it better for the other kids who follow your DD into reception. But I would be inclined to just encourage your DD to do the easy homework quickly for the moment and see it as a game to do it quickly and get it over with, rather than telling her she shouldn't have to do it.

"If the policy is there for hw to be set, then it must surely be school policy for hw to be completed, wouldn't the school have one of those parent/teacher charters, that parents sign to say they are doing xyz at home? "

No, it isn't school policy for it to be completed, because how would you enforce it?
What about the children who never ever do it because their parents don't care if they have any or not - how do you police that at primary level?
And don't get me started on parent charters - not worth the paper they are written on, imo.

Thank you EightiesChick. I'm really not a rebel by nature and I do want her to rezpect her teachers. I'm just struggling with this one issue in particular.

Thank you for your thoughts on seeing the Head.

respect

"Is it worth voicing my objections to the homework, or should I just shut up and let her tell me off, for the sake of the last 4 weeks of term."

No it isn't. She deserves it IMO for being an arse but no, it isn't worth the grief. Save your energy for next year. Hope you get a sane teacher for yr1.

BTW as to hw being completed! Bollocks to that. If a child can't do what is being set, or finds it impossible to concentrate long enough to complete it, that message needs to get back to the teacher. Parents shouldn't be forcing children to complete hw they find impossible.

I agree with you on the homework. I'm not sure why you made a point of complaining about it being easy though??

Orm - I'm keeping my fingers crossed for next year! I'm sure there will still be homework, but I'm hoping that it will at least be more appropriate.

I agree with you too - I know at least two children in dd's class who would struggle with the homework. It's absolutely pointless in any year group to simply give everyone the same worksheet.

DS#2's teacher always makes it clear that hw shouldn't be done if a child can't do it. Otherwise she'll be marking the parents' work. Which seems a bit pointless.

Debs - it's not so much about it being too easy for dd, it's more about it being inappropriate to be giving everyone the same thing.

I didn't complain to the teacher that it was too easy, I simply wrote to her to say that as dd could already do the things in the homework, I didn't feel it was necessary for her to complete the worksheet. I probably didn't explain that very well in my OP.

Since the teacher has asked for a word, it probably is about not picking and choosing which h/w dd does and establishing good habits blah blah

The h/w isn't differentiated and seems a test of how supportive the parent is, rather than progressing your dd's learning.

I think if you've felt sufficiently strongly that dd doesn't do it/you've put a note in her planner, then you should hear what the teacher has to say (just in case there is a rationale you're not privy to) and then should stick to your principled guns and say you object to h/w at such a young age but if dd must do it, the maths/reading etc should at least be differentiated.

Thanks Dinah. I will definitely go and hear what she's got to say. I'm just not very good at being told off . Dd's teacher is unfortunately one of those teachers who talks to everyone as though they are 5 years old. She even calls me "mum" - as in "Mum, please could you bring in a cereal box tomorrow". FFS - I've got a name. You've only got 20 children in the class, you could at least manage to learn my name after nearly a year!

YAB a bit U.
I don't think your DD sounds particularly talented at Maths.The things you are describing ,most of the reception children at our school can do (although there is only 8 of them!).
I don't see why you don't just get her to do the HW it surely wouldn't take more than a couple of minutes?

Oldandgreynow - I didn't say she was talented at maths, I said she was really strong with numbers, problem solving and reasoning. what I was trying to point out was that being asked to count a group of 10 objects wasn't appropriate for the stage she was at.

If all the Reception children at your school are the same as this, then I'm sure you will see what pointless homework this is.

What is the point of doing homework which she won't learn anything from? We already do reading and phonics every night, so she is in the habit of undertaking regular home study. Anything beyond that is just not necessary at Reception age.

I agree with you littlefish-I cant imagine anyone would be questioning your right to complain if for instance the teacher had sent the wrong level of reading book home all year, or for that matter if every child in the class had been given the same book.

Homework for the sake of homework is utterly pointless, doesnt help your dd learn, doesnt tell the teacher anything about where she is in her learning.

I would go and see her with an eyebrow raised, see what she has to say.If she starts to give you grief you have a huge amount of ammunition. Stay calm and enjoy yourself....

Cathpot - That's a really good comparison regarding everyone being given the same book. Unfortunately, out of 20 children, 10 of them are on the same book/stage! She simply swaps them over each week .

On the reading issue (and this really wasn't supposed to be a stealth reveal of information), dd picked up one of the books I had brought home to plan guided reading for my class, and read straight through it. It is 2 stages above the level she's reading at school! Shall I add that in just for good measure when I meet the teacher .

I sympathise with you but I think you have not handled it very well. You should have spoken to the teacher much earlier on and explained that you are not happy with the homework because it is too easy, and ask teacher to explain why on earth she expected your dd to do it. Presumably you have noticed her reading books are too easy too, and that is also pretty pointless for your dd.

Simply not doing it was not very helpful and I fear the teacher is going to try and lecture you about your parental responsibility and all that guff and probably not listen to your viewpoint.

My twins are in a class of 29 comprising of 2 yeargroups (Rec and Y1) and so the teacher has a huge range of books and homework to set. I spoke to her about differentiating homework soon after they started and it was done - it need not be such a drama if the teeacher is cooperative, but you need to talk to her.

With 4 weeks left til end of term, not sure what realistically you will achieve though Littlefish especially if she is intractable as you describe - otoh I'm not sure I could stay biddable if it was not a two-way discussion but a patronising telling off. That's why I'd send dh

Is the yr 1 teacher any better?

KickButtowski - I didn't realise that I needed to go and speak to her about the homework to be honest, until it was too late, and she asked to see me. Yes, I think she is going to try and lecture me. I'll probably be alright for about 2 minutes . Yes, I had noticed that her reading book was too easy, but decided that with only 4 weeks to go, it wasn't worth doing anything about and that the next teacher would re-assess dd in September. You see, I really am quite reasonable .

Dinah - I don't know what the Year 1 teacher is like. I will do my very best to be supportive though .

Just repeat in your head over and over "it's just 4 weeks, leave it it's not worth it" over and over and try not to bite back.
Can't wait for next week's thread title "AIBU to have rammed hw sheets in teacher's face......."

• I'm absolutely not brave enough to face AIBU, even though I've been on here for 5 years!

Hi Littlefish,
I would suggest a quiet word with the head to discuss the school's homework policy. You don't have to be too specific, and that way you could potentially benefit future children in reception, as well as your kid next year.
I am also against homework for young children - I have no idea why some people think it is necessary.
And I would be really annoyed if I found out that if I forgot (which is of course the case, because my dd wouldn't remember by herself), my dd would get told off at school.