Primary school - is amount of homework a good thing or a bad thing?

[tacal]

Hi all,

Ds age 4.8 started primary school last week. He has HFA and is young for his year group, most other dc's are age 5.

The school is small and ds seems happy so far. Communication from school to parents is not good and homework seems alot.

DS has had homework every night since day one. It is not even just one thing it is a combination of things and we have even had to sign a homework schedule to say we will commit to it.

Is homework every night at this age the norm? I dont think the other schools in our local area have given out much homework yet. I worry that ds is not getting the chance to just settle in and enjoy school before all the hard stuff.

What do you think? Is alot of homework a good thing or bad thing.

is he in a state school or private school?

Our children are at an independent primary, and they have homework every day, right from reception. It's not always a huge amount, but something nonetheless every day. Usually to be done that night. It has worked really welled for our son with aspergers. It's a consistent routine - tea, then homework every night. I reckon that if it was less frequent, he'd actually find it harder to commit to.

thank you for the replies. my ds does like routine and we are in a good routine of doing this homework. I just worry how he will feel as it gets harder for him because he is quite behind his class mates in all areas.

the homework is

Monday - reading book, sound picture dictionary and alphabet mat
Tuesday - storyboard and words, and alphabet mat
Wednesday - reading book, sound picture dictionary and alphabet mat
Thursday - storyboard and words and alphabet mat
Friday - sound picture dictionary

for the sound picture dictionary we have to find pictures starting with the letter they did that day in school. Ds then has to cut out the pictures and stick them on. Ds helps me look through his old magazines for pictures. He can not use scissors but can stick them on.

reading book is eight pages

alphabet mat, he has to focus on six letters at the moment and increases by one each time.

story board has 7 words to make up a story and amount of words increasing each time

It is manageable but takes up quite a bit of time. I thought they would have let him settle in a bit before giving him this much homework.

He has been in school for 7 days. It is a state school.

Greener2 - I agree I think I should have a chat with the school about it.

It doesnt seem like that much written down but when I open his homework bag it always looks like loads.

Probably when ds can actually read a word and recognises some more letters it wont seem so bad.

That does sound a lot.

Sounds a lot. My son didn't have homework per se, in Reception, just reading books to take home. In year 1, however, it suddenly shoots up and we have struggled but we do what we can and I make no apology if not completed and it's not been questioned.

I guess you can just do what you can and shouldn't have to explain if you don't get through it all, they should accept the reasons why. Maybe have a chat with the SENCo and make your views known.

I would have a word with the other Mums and find out if all the children are having the same amount of work to do, also if there are Mums with older children at the school they will have more of a handle on how it pans out. When DS started in reception he had a lot of homework to begin with and then it suddenly tailed off after the first half term and then appeared intermittently. School wanted them to get used to the idea of doing the work at home, as much as what they learned from it.
The teacher may also have a baseline they are keen to get the children to, so that they can learn together as a class and some children may be given extra work to doif they need it. It is a fine line to tread and you are only a few days in. I would definitely mention any issues to the teacher first before you get the SENCO involved as you want to stay on side with the teacher, not look as if you are going over their head.

thank you, glad you agree it is alot. I have been speaking to the other parents and they are all saying they think the homework is alot.

Sunnymeg - that's a good point, I should be finding out how the older children are getting on with their homework. If it is too much or is a manageable amount.

sophj - I agree that I should not have to make an apology for any homework we have not managed to do, but I feel a bit pressured to get it all done. I will try to be more relaxed about it.

I will have a word with the teacher or SENCo about my concerns.

Thank you
x

I like that attitude too ArthurPewty. A weekly reading book was what I had expected.

I dislike homework in primary under Y6.
Although I do like the idea of setting 30 minutes brisk exercise a night.

Me too Silver! At the moment ds has a run around the park after school and plays on the swings etc. He also has a football lesson and swimming once a week but I am already feeling he will have to cut back on these things because of all the homework.

But I can see that the homework is good for him too. Just have to find the right balance.

Homework is utterly pointless until ks2/3 IMO.

ds2 reading only. He is in yr6 now & still only has minimal homework as he just cannot cope with much of the work his peers are doing.
He is working at yr1/yr2 level so gets appropriate homework for that level.

That seems like an awful lot of homework. I would expect a reading book, nothing else.

mymatemax - I think my ds will need appropriate homework for him. As the class moves on I know he will get left behind. Do you agree the homework with your ds's class teacher?

Badvoc and Humphrey - it is alot and while some homework could be good for my ds I think too much homework is pointless. I will have to raise this with the class teacher when I get the chance.

tacal - He often brings the homework home as he hates to feel different in class. His TA writes in his diary anything that she expects him to do & usually it is a variation on what the rest of the class are doing.
She is also very good about not pressurising him if he doesn't do it.

He is in a small class at a small primary so setting individual work is easy for the teacher or his TA

thank you mymatemax, that is useful for me to know. My ds is also in a small primary with a fairly small class so hopefully his teacher could take a similar approach. I will discuss it with her.