How much homework for 6 year olds

My DC had 'projects' to do, partly at home. The youngest had to spend hours on hers in year 6 (and I had to take her to various places). When she got to senior school they covered a lot of the same work in the first year so she got bored.
DGD1 had a lot of homework in the last half-term (again!) for the School Eidsteddfod; she wanted to do it, even though she was poorly, but, like last year, it took up most of half-term. What if parents want to take their children away for a break?

"A story, a page of reading" is that not educational?
Well, of course it is, a page of reading could take five minutes with a parent, and reading a story is enjoyable as well as educational. Most parents would do that anyway, and every child enjoys being read to.

We're talking homework, not five minutes reading to mum then snuggling down for a bed-time story!

I don't understand why you have picked me up on that.

Our grandson may be tired when he comes home from school, but he is soon racing around when we are there
and that is the best thing for him, especially out in the fresh air!
Craft projects are great for rainy weekends

You don't have to "force" children to do things, you have to be crafty and interest them
And I agree with you there pompa - but this is homework set by the school, not a choice of craft or choosing something that interests the child.
you are telling granny to suck eggs here

(although I do dislike board games)

Sorry Jamila, I wasn't intending to pick you up.

There seems to be views many ideas of what "homework" means. I seem to have been criticised for a view that a "structured" time should be set aside for a learning activity rather than a child just being stuck in front of a screen all evening. For a young child a regular story/reading at bedtime fulfils that.

I agree too about not having to force kids to be interested in everything around them. Well... almost everything. I would have had to force Minibags to read her School Reading Books. She thought they were dull but she read lots of other books, books she had chosen, so many in fact that she totted up an impressive total of borrows from the library next door to the school.

Homework set by the school is simply unnecessary at primary school age. Some educationists argue it's pretty useless at secondary school age too if the pupil is not motivated. And where does motivation come from? From home, before they ever get even to nursery school.

Lost in translation pompa

That's OK,I just think that after hours in school a 6 year old needs to bounce on the trampoline, ride a bike, a scooter, just play in fact.
Having set homework from school at 6 is too much.

Hear, hear.

So having decided that homework for little ones is unnecessary, do you keep quiet or do you speak your mind?

I would argue for keeping quiet.

We should speak our minds, shouldn't we? My DD is a very good speaker- of-her-mind but she doesn't want to make DGS the odd one out in his class. It's all done to impress OFSTED and get the right SATs results, of course. I doubt the poor teachers are actually in favour of homework as, after all, they are the ones who have to mark and record it on top of an already heavy workload.

What sort of a message do we give our youngsters, if we are arguing the schools are in the wrong?

I kept quiet until I was contacted by the HT about Minibags not doing any (I didn't sign the homework book to say she'd done it). Then I wrote a letter explaining my reasons. HT accepted that. I gave each teacher a copy of the letter as Minibags moved up the school.

There has not been a single complaint about her work or her homework at secondary school and she gets a string of excellents on her bi-monthly progress reports, both for effort and for behaviour. She also gets high marks.

Since this same approach (let kids play when they are not at school) has worked for at least three generations of my academically successful family, I reckon it's a good approach.

The message we are giving is that sometimes it's worth arguing your case.

I reckon most teachers and headteachers don't think homework for young children is a good idea but they have to set it in order to get some boxes ticked for the government.

The other main argument, in addition to the pointlessness (meanness even) of homework for young kids, is that it's none of a school's business what a child does when it's not at school. Their in loco parentis remit ends when the child walks out the school gate.

PP. It depends on who you mean by keeping quiet. As far as my opinions go, whilst I would discuss them here, I would never interfere with how my children decide to bring up their children. If they ask for my opinion, I would still be cautious.
As far as the parents go, I think, if they have a problem, they should discuss it with the school.

Yes, the dreaded boxes. I've done plenty of that in my time. Whoever thought up boxes (it must be to do with ease of recording results on a computer) needs putting in a box and dropping off a cliff.

That's what we did, pompa, except that we thought it was the school that had the problem. Not necessarily their fault if they are required to have a homework 'policy'. But we as parents are not required to agree with a school's homework policy even though we delegate the school time educating to the school.

Pompa - I think we are talking generally here but I agree with you about not interfering with our children's decisions about their own children unless asked to do so - and preferably not even then!

I don't think we're arguing that schools are in the wrong so much as that some imposed education 'policy' is wrong.

it was something OFSTED nagged schools about. Stupid for 6 year olds except a bit of reading and maybe spellings for year 2.....maybe?

My granddaughter is 6 and I have overseen homework quite frequently. I find the reading books supplied by the school can be tedious and her lack of enthusiasm with them is evident. I confess when she is at our house and is now reading with greater fluency,I let her choose one we have here that she often asks to read such as Superworm, Stickman Room on the Broom. I then enter that choice into her reading diary instead of the one she has been asked to read [bad grandma] Whilst I understand school reading books are structured to build up phonics, some are just plain dull maybe I'm wrong, but I think enjoying the content is most important at a young age rather than submitting to the mind numbing tosh provided. We generally have a happier outcome when the reading is enthusiastic rather than forced. She also has a book where they are expected to do a once a week maths task, usually over the week-end, not a great favourite with her but once she gets going she's OK. There are further termly options and they are expected to do a certain number of these. Several we have done together baking a cake, writing the recipe and method, writing about an animal of choice, A list of menus for a pretend cafe, A pirate poem. All of which need adult help. She is reasonably happy to do them, but I wouldn't want to have to force a child of that age, I think it's counter productive. I like to go off piste with her learning anyway she seems to like looking at maps, I have bought her a globe and she enjoys learning about The Equator, North and South Pole, Africa, and facts pertaining to those places such as where different animals live, how hot or cold it is etc. etc.

Terribull - your DGD is lucky to have you as a Grandma. I love the globe idea and will be getting one for my younger DGC who are 6 and 4. I agree about boring school reading books as well.

I think those weekend school projects (yes, mine get them, too) are unfair on working parents with limited time. My DD and SiL take their two swimming on Saturday mornings and SiL sometimes takes DGS to a football or rugby match in the afternoon while DD takes DGD to ballet or to a party. On Sundays they tend to go off on a family day trip somewhere. If you've got to fit in baking cakes and writing poetry as well it doesn't leave much time.

A speech and language therapist friend says that formal homework is just schoolwork that doesn't fit into the school day. I wouldn't disagree and also struggle to persuade our DGC that their school/homework is more fun than playing, reading, crafts - it's a chore as it has to be done. Difficult for the under 10's.

do you keep quiet or do you speak your mind?

If a lot of parents feel the same then perhaps they should get together and quietly but firmly speak their minds; however, if it is Government policy and 'tick-boxing' the head teacher may not be able to do anything about it without being labelled a 'failing school'.

DGD2 (4, but not at school yet) found some old Peter and Jane books the other day; she asked me to read them to her and seemed to enjoy them, talking about them and pointing out what they were doing, but I was very bored
I also can't stand Biff, Kipper and Chip (although Floppy the dog is OK) - who on earth thought up such daft names for characters?

The Owl Babies, Stickman, Room on the Broom etc - much better!
We have just bought a globe.

DGD1 has just started bringing home spellings (Y3)