How much homework for 6 year olds

Yes, DG now 5 loved it a couple of years ago. He's still fascinated by numbers. CBeebies also recently did a good series on Space, his current passion!

There is - or used to be - a good CBeebies programme - Numberjacks - which DGS3 really loved and never suspected he was being educated.

Of course children's tv was different them. I was unimpressed last weekend by Mr Maker who was showing small children how to make things in one minute flat ... Why? Oh dear.

It's become ridiculous. When I taught infants sometimes they would spontaneously bring in drawings, writing, or models which they'd done at home - simply because they wanted to. I'd take a few minutes to show what they'd done to the rest of the class. I'm sure others did things and didn't bring them in too.
Of course they were encouraged to read at home but I heard them all read at least once a week. At one time we were 'supposed' to hear every child daily. Some teachers did this but I preferred to spend a bit longer with each child less often. They learned to read, and also to enjoy books.

I did not have school homework until I was 11. My 2 older brothers did not get homework from secondary modern school, so my mother said I should get school work done at school.

I so agree that teachers know what their pupils are capable of and they adjust their demands and teaching accordingly. They do not need to make them jump through these hoops - it serves no purpose whatsoever - political window-dressing that is all.

I think the process is a complete waste of time and money! Teachers will know already which children know the things the test is checking! But I totally agree that if everyone plays it down most children will cope with them OK.

Thank you Penstemmon
DGD took the Welsh equivalent last year; many parents were getting very uptight about it and made their children nervous. DS and DIL were relaxed about it, DGD did very well indeed and she is the youngest in the year group.

www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/439447/Sample_ks1_EnglishGPS_paper2_questions.pdf

The expectations regarding how we assess 6/7 year olds are very different and schools live and die by the outcomes. I do not condone the system at all but in case you have not seen the test papers for Year Two (top infants) thought you might want to see one!

When my DSs were at school one of the teachers was regarded as excellent by many of the parents because "he sets homework". Really he was fairly useless. A few of us knew this. One of the pieces of homework set was "Write a poem about a mirror" We decided most of these would be written by mums and doubted if he would actually mark them. We did consider sending in Sylvia Plath's poem, just to see if he spotted it, but chickened out.

What do they do in school all day??
How did we ever learn anything??

I haven't read all the posts, but here where I live in the States, I think the HW has really gotten out of hand! Two pages of math plus reading and spelling almost every night for a 7-yr-old? Math, "English language arts," vocabulary (separate from the language arts HW) and reading almost every night for a 9-yr-old? Fortunately, my DGC are bright children, but the little guy has already begun to resent HW. And, IMO, it's crazy!

Frankly, Tessa, my first inclination, if I were a young mom and my 6-yr-old resisted doing HW, I would let it go, for a while/let her decide if she wants to do it or not - see if the teacher even complains. With the pressure off, she might even choose to do it sometimes.

Well, unless it's going to affect her in a bad way, like not being promoted (or whatever the word would be in the UK). Then I agree with the idea of sitting down with her and maybe, taking turns giving answers or whatever gets her through it.

As a former Infant School Teacher ,and as his Grandma, I was quite shocked to see my 7 year old DG's homework list pinned to my DD''s fridge. This was 2 weeks ago and the homework had to be done by the end of March. He had to choose one task from 4 subjects and the tasks were allocated either 5 or 10 points each! According to the number of points achieved he could earn a gold, silver or bronze certificate!
SATS are coming up soon!!!
Thank goodness I was able o teach my classes without tests and homework being all important.
Luckily my DG is quite bright and copes with these demands but I fear for those who struggle or lack supportive parents.

All that blood being pumped around the body with all that jumping must stimulate the brain

Trampoline is good - better than homework.

So that is Y5&6?
I think we agree, especially about being pushed for time and children being full of beans after a pick-me-up (time for the trampoline rather than homework?)

Jalima I said at the start of my post that I don't think homework beyond reading and spellings before age 9+ is necessary so I was thinking of 9-11 yrs with the comments that followed.

Having had four children myself, I don't go with the 'he/she is worn out' after school argument for older children. A drink and biscuit, a bit of 'down time' when they first get home and they are usually full of beans again within an hour! Certainly plenty of energy for playing on their ipads!

I think it is often the case that the parents are worn out / pushed for time if working long hours and don't want to have conflict with / push their children over homework.

I do think schools need to be sensible about what is set, but two of the biggest problems re homework today are parents lack of time and reluctance to push their children to do something they do not want to do.
Of course they do not want to push their tired little children at home to do something they do not want to do unless it is for the children's good and I don't think homework, apart from reading, for tinies is necessarily good or appropriate. It takes time away from what we both agree is important:

Conversations, playing WITH ADULTS, trying out making, baking and exploring in the garden / at the beach where opportunity allows - all these things build skills and understanding.

Imperfect I think the biggest problem is that it is set at all (apart from encouragement to read and be read to) until Y4 at least.
Some of these children are barely out of toddler-hood. DGD was 4 years and 2 days when she started school.

My GD1 is only 4yrs old, in Reception class, she has homework each week but the school make it clear that Parents and Careres should not make them do it if it's a struggle. The head says if it continues to be a struggle each week to have a word with the class teacher!! Maybe that would be an idea. Could there be something else your GD could do and take evidence into school to share?

In the schools I have worked in, homework has always been set from reception up. Personally, I would be happier with nothing but reading and spellings until 9+.
What we have noticed is that regular reading, with and to children, including the very young is slipping. This seems to be because of pressure of work, but it is worrying. And I wonder how many who protest about homework actually do so because they don't like feeling guilty about not getting it done, rather than it being a necessarily bad thing.
It is eye opening to work in schools and see the breadth of ability - or lack of. It is very evident if children are not read to / encouraged to enjoy books. It is very sad when children develop a negative attitude to school learning - usually fostered by parents.
To me, learning in the home has never been separate from learning at school. Conversations, playing WITH ADULTS, trying out making, baking and exploring in the garden / at the beach where opportunity allows - all these things build skills and understanding.
I do think schools need to be sensible about what is set, but two of the biggest problems re homework today are parents lack of time and reluctance to push their children to do something they do not want to do.

I can't really remember my two having homework until secondary school. Just a bit of reading practice sometimes.

Have always worked in education, first with infant children but now in senior school with key stage 3/4,...young children learn through play..we can call it by all sorts of 'labels' ..I think 'formal''homework' unnecessary at 6yrs and stresses parents.... be interested and encouraging in what they do.

The only homework I can remember the children doing at 5/6 was a tin with 10 words on little bits of paper which they had a week to learn and a book which they could either try to read to me or I could read to them.

Couldn't have said better myself Thatbags

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.