homework help

Bella73

Having read this thread I have to admit being quite scared for our little children.

The poor little chap is only 6 and yet someone posted that at that age you HAVE to be able to describe emotions and have empathy! Or there is something "wrong" with him. What nonsense.

Basically I read OP first post and his enjoys maths and spelling but hates Literacy. So therefore everyone has decided he has a medical condition??

Well I must have a medical condition the. As I hated Maths all through school....no I do not have a medical condition, I was crap at it and still am.

Just because a small child has a melt down over some homework doesn't mean they are autistic/have Aspergers/whatever please just give the child a break.

My elder brother didn't really do emotion and empathy at that age either...he is perfectly normal and got a good degree and lovely family now but definitely not autistic or anything else but he is exceptionally bright academically.

Bella73

Having read this thread I have to admit being quite scared for our little children.

The poor little chap is only 6 and yet someone posted that at that age you HAVE to be able to describe emotions and have empathy! Or there is something "wrong" with him. What nonsense.

Basically I read OP first post and his enjoys maths and spelling but hates Literacy. So therefore everyone has decided he has a medical condition??

Well I must have a medical condition the. As I hated Maths all through school....no I do not have a medical condition, I was crap at it and still am.

Just because a small child has a melt down over some homework doesn't mean they are autistic/have Aspergers/whatever please just give the child a break.

My elder brother didn't really do emotion and empathy at that age either...he is perfectly normal and got a good degree and lovely family now but definitely not autistic or anything else but he is exceptionally bright academically.

Spendless

I agree with you Bella. I've got a son who is similar at double the OP's son's age. I've also got a daughter who can describe stuff with a wild imagination at a click of a finger and articulate it well on paper, but is rubbish at maths (trying to explain earlier tonight to her how much 66% was fun -not!)

I've got a Grandmother still alive in her late 80s who attended Grammar school in the 1930s, they were streamed under Classics and something else, I've forgotten, but Classics were for the girls who were good at English, History, Music, Art the 'arty' subjects and the other one was for those who were better at Maths, Science, Geography. So, this isn't a 'new' thing that often kids/people are good at one lot of subjects and pants at others.

The OP's son sounds like to me he has got frustrated at being asked to do work he struggles with when pressure is being put on him to do it- sounds like a normal 6yo to me.

maman

I understand the view that there might be some over-reaction and that OP's boy just doesn't like Literacy especially if he feels he's no good at it. That's very possible.

I'm still of the opinion that destroying his book and screaming and screaming is an extreme reaction and I don't think punishing him is the way forward. As he's already on an IEP I'd use this as a way of getting him help with his particular issues, whatever the cause and whether he has a label or not. That's what IEPs are for 'Individual Education Plan'.

mountainofdebt

maman wrote: »

I understand the view that there might be some over-reaction and that OP's boy just doesn't like Literacy especially if he feels he's no good at it. That's very possible.

I'm still of the opinion that destroying his book and screaming and screaming is an extreme reaction and I don't think punishing him is the way forward. As he's already on an IEP I'd use this as a way of getting him help with his particular issues, whatever the cause and whether he has a label or not. That's what IEPs are for 'Individual Education Plan'.

I totally agree that it is an extreme reaction but could it be a reaction to the pressure that the poor lad feels he's being placed under by teachers and (this is not a criticism) the OP?

Rather than expect him to immediately go into a full blown descriptive mode why not accept one adjective per noun for now and then develop it slowly that he increases the number of adjectives per noun.

julie03

i also have a child in the same year and he can't do empathy in literacy either, they are either happy sad or cross, he also finds it hard to express why. Ask what they were wearing or where they have been and at what time and he can answer exactly.
i did ask his teacher if he should be able to answer this at this age and she said dont worry, he is a typical boy, good at maths and science and factual stuff.

The amount of homework your son is being given at 6 is far too much, when does he get to be a kid, its far too much pressure, they don't get given that in year 6 in my sons school. typical amount for my 6yr old per week is 1 set of spellings, 1 maths work sheet and he has a read write inc. work book that he has to do 1 page he also has a reading book that he should read as much as he can every day

I also have an 11 yr old with aspergers and they are similar traits, but my 6 yr old is definately not autistic, just a typical boy.

maman

mountainofdebt wrote: »

I totally agree that it is an extreme reaction but could it be a reaction to the pressure that the poor lad feels he's being placed under by teachers and (this is not a criticism) the OP?

maman wrote: »

I read your original post and then scan read the rest so forgive me if I'm repeating things.

First, I'm disgusted with the pressure on a 6 year old from the school. Sounds like they're pursuing 'outstanding' grading at the expense of childhood.

Totally agree and here's my first post to prove it!

I am disappointed to hear comments like 'typical boy' have been used though julie. Next thing we know girls won't be expected to do science and maths.;)

jellyhead

maman wrote: »

Totally agree and here's my first post to prove it!

I am disappointed to hear comments like 'typical boy' have been used though julie. Next thing we know girls won't be expected to do science and maths.;)

I think girls and boys develop slightly differently, and at that age a girl is more likely to talk about feelings than a boy. I don't mean to be sexist, but I suspect that boys are more likely to struggle with this area of literacy at a young age than girls. Of course not all boys will, and probably a fair few girls do too.

I don't like the phrase 'typical boy' though, it sounds a bit dismissive and patronising, if that makes sense? There's no such thing as a typical boy.

Poppy9

maman wrote: »

I am disappointed to hear comments like 'typical boy' have been used though julie. Next thing we know girls won't be expected to do science and maths.;)

Is it so wrong to acknowledge that boys and girls have different strengths, weakness and traits at different times of their development? If we don't acknowledge this how can we find ways to help and engage them in their development.

Every child has their own talent and strength but equally they will have their own weakness. Schools however do not have the resources to work on each individual child constantly so have to ways to engage the majority to leave time to help the individual.

I say this a mother of a DD who was met with a comment from her A level mechanic maths teacher that "girls don't get mechanics" when I complained about his teaching, or lack of . I told him that he should not spout such nonsenses when faced with a class of 17 year olds who had chosen the subject so obviously felt they had the ability.

pmlindyloo

I have read this thread with a good degree of sadness.

Why is it that because a child can't do something he is immediately labelled as autistic/has aspergers/something is wrong.

This child is six years old.

I am appalled that he is being kept in at play times to complete this homework and horrified that things have reached such a stage that the child is becoming stressed and reacting so badly and that the OP is so concerned.

Get yourself to the school and tell them that under no circumstances is your son is to be kept in at playtimes to complete the homework. Homework is not compulsory at this age.

Tell them that your son is so stressed by this that you do not want any literacy homework until after Christmas. In the meantime you can read together (not just before bedtime as asking questions can prevent sleeping) and talk about the books. If your son is finding it difficult to talk about the emotions of someone then so be it. Do it for him. 'Johnny is feeling sad because he's lost his ball. Look at his face - he looks sad, doesn't he? I expect he thinks his mum might tell him off because he's lost it' - blah blah blah. Try to relate it to something that has happened to him.

Children can find it extremely difficult to explain feelings. They need experiences of it themselves and words to express it.

It appears that your son is very good at Maths. It may be that he comes across as a very bright boy in other things and the teacher expects him to be good at everything. Just not the case.

Please, please take control of the situation and give him back his young life, full of fun and loving every minute of every new experience.

Why oh why do schools expect children to be little authors, full of wonderful expressive language and description. How many adults can do this? Not many. How many of want to do this? Not many.

Please get things in perspective.