Homework for 5 year olds

ViolaLass

This is an old thread.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

My youngest (born in June) absolutely detested the homework she was set every single night and throughout the holidays. In the end, the prospect of another meltdown was too much and I stopped doing it for a while, because I didn't want to put her off learning altogether, and just threw in occasional questions and reading/maths 'what's that over there, I can't see it clearly?' type of things.

She wasn't particularly enthused with Biff, Chip and the rest of the Oxford Reading Tree family either - she'd tolerate the stories centred around Flippy the dog, but would far rather read the same words in different contexts (superhero comics were far more interesting to her, and probably got her reading a wider variety of words, too).

I wasn't popular at school with the teacher, but hysterical children sobbing because they want to go to bed early rather than try and put words into sentences that aren't even in the correct form to be used in a sentence and wail that their hypermobile fingers hurt from having to hold a pencil for hours, was less appealing than a disapproving NQT's face.


Offspring still scored well above the expected targets at each keystage.


Conversely, I used to beg for homework because I was bored at home. I'm not convinced a compulsory element to homework at primary is a better approach.

Coinmachine

Floppy not Flippy

rob7475

I'm 35 and never had homework until I got to secondary school. I got good GCSE grades and now have a good career.

I think schools expect far too much from children now and forcing too much learning and homework on them will just end up making them not enjoy learning. At primary school, the time they spend in lessons each day should be ample for the learning required. Once they are home, they should be able to enjoy being children.

Learning doesn't have to be all about spelling, maths and reading. We take our son to many places and he learns lots of things from the places he visits, from animals to the environment around him etc.

Fireflyaway

I think learning outside school is good. It grows independence and consolidates classroom learning and teaches a child that the more effort you put in the more you get out.
The amount you describe is double what my 11 year old has but I think it shows the school cares. I don't think my child's school can be bothered. Doesn't mean its too much, I think it depends on the child. If its really time consuming and a battle every time maybe it is, but it doesn't sound too onerous. By a book, I'm guessing its something like biff and chip with just a few words on the page? Better to get in the habit now and not get behind.