How much homework for 6 year olds

I think reward charts are all well and good in primary, but at secondary many kids see right through them. I remember asking one of my sons why he didn't bother putting his up in year 8 or 9, he replied "they are irrelevant they won't get you through your GCSEs". One boy in his class who had precious few, ended up at Cambridge

Luckygirl I agree wholeheatedly with all your posts, and others. I recognise all the angst of homework in one set of GCs, and have always disagreed with it, but gone along with it to appease DD. And yes if they can't learn enough in 6 hours at school then the school is crap, but acknowledge the threat of SATs etc - heinous IMO. Children should be allowed to be children and PLAY.

Pompa please ease up on the poor little things. play does not need words such as structured and educational applied to it. they should be free to learn through their own imaginations and not dictated to by adults. Yes to the bedtime story, a rule never missed in our family. But this is for relaxation and the pleasure of listening to a loved one before going to sleep.

And TV doesn't have to be the only alternative to homework. My DGCs screen time is limited. They all have a Useful Box in which all sorts of things are deposited from loo roll inards to crayons and they are encouraged to dip in and create - either in play or an object - without the guidance of a parent all of the time. This allows them to explore their own creativity.

They will have so much studying to do later on so just let them be and be happy.

I would point out that this thread was originally about 6 year olds. All my comments relate to that age (my Gs is 6)

Yes sorry pompa I think I digressed a bit going down memory lane ending up in planet senior school. My original comments apply however to my granddaughter who is also 6. A small amount of homework, age appropriate, reinforcing elementary reading, spelling and numbers is possibly a good idea if the child is happy to co-operate, if not, it becomes an onerous chore. As previously stated some tasks set require an adult overseeing them and this assumes that they are prepared to do that. Things I objected to doing with my own children were fart arsing around making a guitar out of cereal packets and elastic bands when one son was in infant school. A project about a European country in year 3, not writing a small amount about holiday in France/Italy/Spain, but a lengthy evaluation and apart from the newly arrived Finnish girl who still had Finland firmly established in her mind, most didn't have the wherewithal to carry out this task.

But what if pompa doesn't want to miss an opportunity to educate her GS sometimes in a more structured manner? Even following a simple recipe with a child requires structure, and an organised approach. Yes there is room for creativity in life, but in my mind it has to be balanced with discipline and a certain stamina to stick at the task. I often find being the dictator with my GC earns their wide-eyed amazement and respect! ... (but then, I get plenty of practice at that during the school day too!)

LOL, I obviously never had cooking as homework, on the very rare occasion when I cook/bake the kitchen looks like the scene of a nuclear holocaust.
I do bake bread occasionally. (good for getting hands clean after working on car )

We set that too*Terribull*!
In our school the children were asked to write a small project on a European country during the Easter holidays. One child returned with a huge illustrated booklet all about French wines ... dad had obviously gone to town to involve the child in his favourite activity. We did hope he had stopped at actually offering any to his son to taste!

If you want to make a musical instrument with a 6 year old, try a kazoo. they are simple to make with a cardboard tube and will sound just as good as the commercial product (or bad, depending on your opinion) and are simple to play in tune, children love them as they are noisy. There are instructions on YouTube.

When I started teaching (so long ago now) I remember there was a theory that all learning should be play for very young children and if you made it as interesting and as much fun as possible they would just do it as a natural part of their day. Although I wouldn't say this was entirely valid I think it should be applied to homework. It is bad enough that a 6 year old should have to sit and be subjected to a day with such structured work, it shouldn't be allowed to impact on home life. In some other countries school doesn't start until 7 and these children progress very well. The years before school are spent in nurseries where learning is through play and activity and the benefits of this are very evident. Skills learned in play are transferable and children who are riding a bike, playing football or climbing trees develop gross motor skills which can also improve fine motor skills. So a 6 year old doesn't necessarily need a worksheet to improve his writing. The trouble is some parents regard homework as a sort of Holy Grail.

pompa thanks for the advice but I really don't want to revisit instrument making ever again Happily son took up real guitar in teens, at which time we contemplated on whether Eric Clapton or any of the other greats started out with a guitar constructed from elastic bands and a Cornflake box. Maybe we shall never know the answer to that!

Trisher

I have a photo of the group that eventually became Joe Brown's Bruvvers, the bass player (Dave Platt) had a tea chest/broom stick one string bass, so a cardboard guitar could have started a career.

I now make wooden Kazoos which we play on some of our ukulele numbers.

I get landed with the homework since we collect and feed the GCs. They come in, play- outside if it's fine then 6 year old does about 10mins of reading and spelling practice before dinner. She usually does Squeebles stuff too but that's her choice. I think it's hard for parents and children when you don't get in till 6 and have to cook, do hwk and have down time. Older GC has 10-20mins, depending on whether he chooses to do it all (1 sheet maths, 1 English+ spellings per week). I'm not too worried about reading as he curls up with a book once ipad time is over. Bonus is I know where they are up to and can help when they are stuck e.g. Mixed and improper fractions. Keeps my brain awake too. They don't seem to mind, but I do do it with them even if sometimes I'm only sitting there.

My GD has been diagnosed with Global Development Delay. She spent as extra year in Nursery (as an August baby this didn't present too many problems). Now in Reception, although she is progressing nicely, the staff are giving her extra writing and lessons, while the rest of the class are playing. As a result, she turned round to my daughter the other day and said that she didn't want to go to school because she didn't want to write, she wanted to play! D went and spoke to her teacher, who was understanding fortunately, but we have yet to see any difference in GD's attitude to school as she has been sick at the end of the last week, so hasn't been in!
She also has school set homework - exactly the same as other pupils. Most of the time, D ends up doing the homework with her - but writing the answers for her! And some days GD is so tired, it's all she can do to eat and fall into bed!
I would echo what many said here - let infants be children for the first few years, by the time they hit 9+ is plenty of time for them to consider homework as the norm.

MadGrandma you have my sympathies. One of my sons is dyslexic and it took me a long time to realise how tiring reading and writing were for him. I think many teachers don't appreciate how much effort children with difficulties have to put in. And an August birthday makes a huge difference. I hope your GD readjusts to school and finds it easier.

Crikey who knew homework was such a minefield ?

Our 9 yr old and 6 yr old both get homework and the 4 yr old brings a book of his choice home from pre school .

None of them mind in the least. They come in get changed, drink and a biscuit then we crack on. If we run into trouble with something like math, then we get out the buttons and work through it.... At that stage we'll probably deviate off into how are buttons made or how many things do up clothes or some such stuff.

I sit with them when they're at ours but they do their own work.

They all love reading although now our 9 year old is a 'free reader' she's struggled to find a book that catches her attention , so I've just bought her Black Beauty - an oldie but a goodie !!

I'm with pompa - every experience is a learning experience , might be formal or informal but as 'play' and 'educational' are interchangeable in our house I don't see the problem .

A lot of countries don't send their children to "formal" school until they are 6, some at 7!
it is shameful to send children who are barely 4 to school. They are far too young. They shouldn't have to have only a September intake.
When my children were little we lived in Jersey. No1 DS started school there. It was wonderful they way they eased the child in. He was born in July, so in September he was invited to school for one afternoon a week. the following term he went every afternoon, and it was only in the term he was 5 that he did a full day's school. By then he had learned the school rules etc., and felt comfortable and was mature enough to do a whole day. They also had a teacher in once a week during the long holidays for the children to change their reading book; mine couldn't wait.
Homework for a 6 year-old? Surely not more than a reading book only if the child _wants- it.

Can't see any need for it apart from reading, having said that my six year old grandson loves his homework, even if he has had to explain some of it to me, they use different names for things now like digraph, I did English at college after 'O' and 'A' level and don't know half the modern terms!

As a mum of four children, homework was the bane of my life at primary age. It simply wasn't a 'thing' when I was at school and apart from reading, I fail to see how it's beneficial. It wouldn't surprise me if the children that don't really need it are the ones that do it religiously, whilst the ones that might benefit, don't, because of family circumstances.

I got fed up of the amount of HW my dd received at her international school and it was impinging on our out-of-school time. I told her teacher dd would not be doing HW when we had other fish to fry and the teacher was absolutely fine with it. She said that it was only given out because some parents wanted it and that she herself felt it was pointless.

As for the argument that we're ending the wrong message to children by disagreeing with the school - schools would still be beating our children with canes and slippers if we followed that line of reasoning.

Does anyone have any scientific research as to whether HW really enhances children's chances in life?

And don't get me started on the class bear and how his (her? it's?) exploits have to be written up. We got landed with him/her/it one weekend when the GDs were sleeping over and I read through the book that accompanied him/her/it.

Blimey! That bear had travelled further than I have, been to venues I've never visited, and had a social life second to none, all religiously written up by reception children and ilustrated with photos.

Well our printer was out of action so when Barney accompanied us to Tesco (and yes he did ride in a trolley - GD2 {age 4} insisted) we stuck our till receipt into his book. Make what you will of our purchases Mrs Pulley

Thank you all for your comments. Certainly an issue that's got a lot of mixed opinions, but they are all very interesting and appreciated. A few of you have mentioned that it may not be compulsory,so she is going to speak to the teacher and find out.My GD reads and writes well, and is read to every night. Books are important in our family.

Anya
When the class bear came home (for a whole half-term) they forgot to take him with them when they went away. So he stayed at home and minded the house.
Flat Stanley is another one! He has to be sent as far away as possible and be photographed with a friend or relative, then sent back with photo.
www.flatstanleyproject.com/
Perhaps interesting - but the person/child at the other end (who doesn't attend your DC's school) has to do a lot of work too.

How on earth did I ever learn to read without all these interesting literacy projects?

You can argue that reading regularly but not in school develops a good habit..but ony if it is done willingly! Same with any other tasks school sends home with younger kids..if there is a real option to do/not do and the child chooses to do it then no problem. The issues arise when kids are reluctant to do it..in that case don't make them! And certainly don't do it for them! Learning is something children need to want to do,if it is always a battle it seems to me it is defeating the object.

Little kids gain masses from conversations, playing out, slobbing out, watching TV, listening to music etc etc as long as it is part of a mixed diet and not the only thing they ever do! A bit like adults really!

My younger DGD has weekly 'homework' tasks that always state, take no longer than xx minutes doing this.. anything from 10-30 mins. This week she was asked to draw a "clock" of her day to reinforce the teaching about time she had in class. She also reads to an adult every day...often me in the car park before we go into school! She is always keen to do it so OK but if she was not I know her mum would not push it.

Just of the phone after talking to DD who lives at a distance. Her DD is in top class primary and is beside herself with anxiety about the SATs. She is up to her eyes in homework that neither she nor her parents can understand. her teacher is thoroughly unhappy - and has told my DD so - at having to teach to the exams in a way that undermines true education.

In the circumstance in which they find themselves where DGD is making herself ill over this homework, I would talk to the teacher and simply say that she is not going to do it.

At six, my daughter did homework and my son didn't. By the time they both hit year thirteen she had written the equivalent of the novel in homework and he still hadn't done one single bit.

Bit embarrassing since I'm a teacher.

Last week, in their respective jobs, she wrote a report about finance that major banks would be consulting and he wrote an outline plan for sending shipments of books out to children in African schools. Goes to show something or other!

I don't think six year olds should be worrying about homework. Some reading is a good idea though.