Extra "projects" being sent home by school

[Triggles]

Anyone else's school do this? The teachers are always sending things home like "scavenger hunts" (find 4 different things that are green outside, find two different types of rocks, etc etc) and "number searches" (count certain things in different scenarios such as a football game or supermarket etc etc) and so on.

These "projects" always have a deadline, and then whoever turns them in gets a prize, generally a sweet, which the teachers hand out to those children in front of the whole class. So some get a sweet and some don't, quite openly.

Now personally, I've always felt these things come under "parental homework" as it's another thing in the long long list of things we have to do. To be fair, I understand they're trying to "make learning fun" for the kids, and that's great. But this becomes such a pain for us. It's all I can do to get the reading done with DS2 during the week. We had 2 different "projects" sent home to do over the break, and honestly, we didn't do either. We had things to do, places to go, then we got ill for a few days. Some of the things on the "scavenger hunt" list could not have been found in our garden, and would have required us to take DS2 to a park or public area like that, which honestly we just couldn't do for a number of reasons. (and dammit, that's why we have a back garden, so we don't have to go through the whole park thing!)

I spoke to the TA and asked them if they insisted on doing these "parental homework" projects, could they PLEASE reward the children by putting their reward in their bookbag to take home with them, rather than doing it in front of the other children that didn't fniish it and didn't then get a sweet. I think it's cruel first of all. DS2 didn't understand why the teacher gave sweets to some children but not all (including him). It seems highly unfair to punish the children because their parents cannot get these things done with them. Sorry, but I am up to my eyeballs in things I have to take care of... the LAST thing I need is two lists of things I'm expected to "do" as homework with DS2 during the week off school, so that he can get a sweet and not be upset in front of the other children. Not to mention, they're always banging on about eating healthy and then they reward them with sweets?? Surely they can come up with some other rewards.

Ok. Rant over... grrrrrrrrr I HATE PARENTAL HOMEWORK!!!!

no really... rant over now.....

We dont have this, but every holiday my DS gets 'research projects'. He is in year 6 now but ad had them every year in KS2. It sometimes feels like they havent had the time to teach it in the class so they get the children to do it at home.

Yes DD gets them all the time. They have a writing project to complete once a month and they get a gold, silver or bronze award certificate for completetion. Then in the holidays they are given a holiday diary and every day for the summer holds they have to enter their learning activities they have done. On top of that there is MyMaths to do, FROG learning website to do and another website that I can remember and also their usual reading, writing and spelling daily. Its a hell of a lot for a child to do each day of their holidays. But they are of the belief that the childs learning goes lapse and so when they start school again they can carry on where they left off. They get awards given for completetion of the whole diary. We did it for the first week of the summer hols and it worked out she was practically putting in a whole school days hours doing it which is rediculous when its holidays, so we halved it as we were unable to go or take DS or DD anywhere the first week during the day.

I have reached a point where we just don't do them. We try to incorporate reading and numbers and such into different things that we're doing, and he's only 5 for heaven's sake! The holidays are for being OFF school, and I want that time off as well! They probably think I'm awful for not doing it, but I just don't need the extra hassle.

DS (ASD) got school holiday homework in half term which required daily writing, a drawing of his facial emotion, and for him to say how he was feeling and why. I could have cried.

His school are usually good though and I have had the homework and home reading discussion with them a few times. I now know homework is optional (a closely guarded secret it seems) and pick my battles over which things we do and which we don't.

The sweets for homework is silly - they could do stickers or certificates or pencils or rubbers or a star board on display. No need for sweets in the classroom IMO - even more so if not all children will be getting one.

That's what I thought - a bit like punishing the children when it's really up to that parents at age 5 to make sure it's done

oh yes. projects.

ds1 just handed is Tudor project in....he has been working on it for weeks! - since middle of Sept.

HOWEVER, his school have a learning log system and they can pick amy of 5 tasks to do (or all of them) that week so it wasnt too bad.