unreasonable school project?

Ok here's what I would do as a retired primary teacher.
1.Start her looking at her own clothes discussing what they are made of, then move on to other people's clothes.
2.Collect some old clothes that don't fit anymore. Some of hers and some other peoples.
3. Let her try them on and then discuss what else they could become.
Sleeves of too small jumpers make hats/leg warmers. Cardigan from an adult will make her a coat if sleeves are shortened. Adults T-shirt might be a dress.
She might come up with her own ideas and just need a little help making things fit.

this homework is getting ridiculous i thought as i was reading it oh this will be for gcse not a five year old let her make a cinderella dress she can stick on sequins ribbons etc

PINTEREST EVERYTIME.
Does 'materials' mean fabric or materials? If it's the latter then materials cold be anything....
Paper cups
Cardboard
Plastic bags...assortment of colours
A trip to a charity shop...sheet, clothes, tablecloth etc
Use anything & have fun. A glue gun (used by adult), staples, cellotape string etc for attaching pieces together. I doubt the teacher's intention wasn't to cause stress. I imagine it's all a little tongue in cheek fun. The more outlandish the better probably. Have fun!

Thanks for clarifying..I was not sure. Sounds as if it needs a bit
more background information!

PECS, when I started the thread I described the task straight from the flyer. I suppose it's for the adult involved to interpret it.

It is GCSE level not for 5 year olds..

However, a net skirt so that she has to put a piece of elastic round her waist, add a bit to tie it, is good for measuring.
I liked the idea of the 'scarf skirt'.

It is too ambitious a task for reception or Y1.

I've been reflecting on the OP and honestly, struggle to imagine any primary school reception teacher asking children to do this. Much less sending a flier home as described here. This is GCSE or a level stuff not reception class

Gosh, thanks for all the posts, didn't think I'd get so many replies. You sound a very creative lot. Think I'll print out the ideas and suggestions, and give them out to the mums at the school gate.

Thinking of doing the blanket poncho and a skirt made out of net curtain. It won't even need any sewing as it is the sort that has an opening to thread a tension rod in, so could thread some elastic through and knot it at the back.
It won't teach sewing so I might make some holes for her to thread some ribbon through.

I'll leave the materials in different cupboards so when we go to 'look' for something to use I can 'suggest' we use the strategically placed blanket and curtain

I feel happier about helping her now, thanks.

izabella, so sorry that happened to you as a child. Just shows what effect these things can have on children.

My niece is relatively affluent, but took exception to the Christmas jumper day at her daughter's school, so cut out a star from felt and tacked it to her daughter's school jumper. I don't know if she got teased, but whatever mums do can be wrong in one way or another, too good and the other kids resent you, not good enough and you're teased.

Anyway if nothing else it will be a lesson in trial and error.

I am no good at arts and crafts.....so all the fiddly homework was done by the other clever grandma, who was very, very good at all things arty .

If parents don't have time for an hour with their kids at the weekend then don't do the project. Simples! If they would rathe do something else with the kids do it! I, as were many others on here, ( & as are my DDs) was a ft worker with 2 x primary aged kids. We found time to do stuff socially and homework. For some it is really tough to fit it all in when shift work is factored in but for some it is about priorites.

What about using a fabric carrier bag? The handles are the shoulder straps and the bottom can be cut open and repressed. No sewing, minimal cutting, easy to measure. Child can draw on the front with some felt tips. A blouse or suntop. It will have a seam down the front but so what.

I I were you I would contact the school and ask exactly which leaning objective for 5 year olds have been set, and will be met, through this project. There are some examples of Design Technology tasks here www.theschoolrun.com/5-at-home-design-and-technology-projects-for-primary-children
You will see the first are very easy and cutting and measuring doesn't actually come in to it until Key Stage 2.
The reception learning outcomes are here www.peartreeprimary.co.uk/serve_file/89864
And none of them are met by this project.

Er … excuse me - this is a challenge for a 5 year old? It's ridiculous. Or is it a challenge for the parents/grandparents? The comments on this thread seem to take it for granted that the child (or their children/grandchildren) will be doing this as part of a 'family' project. That's OK if it's acknowledged as such, but it's certainly NOT a project for a 5 year old. I would clarify with the school what the rationale is for presenting a child of that age with a challenge which s/he can't possibly complete without the assistance of an adult.

I have an 8 year old, and am short on time and have absolutely no craft skills. It really annoys me when they come home with this type of stuff to do, totally unreasonable in my opinion.

PECS
Ah! I see. Thanks for the explanation.
I do think that an activity which didn't involve the parents or GPs would be more suitable.
Yes, measuring, dexterity and innovation are all well and good but some educational ideas are a little bit silly.
Imagine plonking a tape measure, scissors, needle and threads plus plastic bags/materials, buttons and bows on a table and expecting your 5yr old to figure it out.
Have 2 working parents got that much time to spare?
Are GPs the unpaid school helpers?
I think GPs do a heck of a lot for their AC nowadays and not all are in good health but they help financially, physically and often share their home when marriages break down.
Now it's hoped, if parents work, that during school holidays the GPS will step up to the plate to entertain, feed and taxi their GC to and from activities and help with 'assignments' handed out by the children's schools.
This may be ok for some GPs however, it might be too much for others regardless of blood ties and loving their GC.

My problem with this is that it is meant to be done in the half-term holiday. Done in school with appropriate guidance I think it would be a fun project. I know that 'Trashion' shows are all the rage with Primary Schools at the moment and I'm sure the majority of children would find the work enjoyable.
However, if you're a harried single parent dealing with guilt at having to work at half-term anyway, if it's a struggle to find suitable child care, or if a holiday has been booked, then it's going to be one more burden to be managed. My daughter is a working mum with three children, including a five year old, and would bend over backward to do this with her son, but I guarantee he would not 'learn' much about the process because it would be a case of her getting on with it I expect.

There is an expectation, rightly or wrongly, that parents would like to be involved in their youngsters' learning. Homework is a real ' divider' in my experience. Some parents want it, others do not. Some parents love " drill & rote" type homework some do not. Some love project homeworks some do not. There are of course lots of in between styles too! Obviously communication is all! Schools have a responsibility to explain their policy and expectations & parents & carers have a responsibility to take note and ask for clatification, meetings etc!
I agree that any homework set should be able to be done by all the children ( sometimes with parent/ carer support ) & school should offer homework club for kids they know may struggle. However it is important that parent/carers know that teachers are aware of the children's capability and will not be impressed by obviously adult work!

So much homework sent home by younger children is obviously beyond their capabilities, and the work is done by family members instead. Just how does this benefit the child in their education?

This sort of project reminds me of the ones devised for Design and Technology, replacing domestic science, when students were told to create a meal suitable for an aeroplane journey, without having any knowledge or experience of food preparation, nutrition or cookery. Completely impractical.One does need to learn some basics otherwise these projects are valueless.

One may not sew buttons on first when making a garment, but would know how to thread a needle and sew a seam, however badly. I taught many children in Years 4,5 and 6 who really could not thread a needle and had no idea about anchoring the thread/ finishing off securely, because they had spent their time in earlier years on precisely these daft, unstructured projects. The emphasis is all on the design, not the practicalities, then the made object falls apart and the children are frustrated and discouraged.

You only have to look when the small children do an Easter Bonnet parade! Some creations by relatives show they think ‘winning’ is better than child participation. It doesn’t send a good message to (most) of the children does it?

* Gabbriella* thanks for your suggestion. However this project is within the Y1 science curriculum about 'materials' ie fabrics, plastics, metal etc etc. and IS part of the basics the government wants our children to learn!,

Personally I think you are way overthinking this and are really thinking it out from an adults point of view scarves make the most wonderful costumes without any sewing at all just tying ( if you don’t have any charity shops usually have loads)
Break it down
1 ) she can draw a costume and arrow to the drawing “made from” ..... Name the recycled item
2) ‘Brainstorm’ the fabric ( just s modern word for talk about/ explore) can be a fifteen minute chat about plastics, cottons reusable material etc she probably knows nearly as much as you anyway
3) measure yourself this is important and easy enough for you both to do together
4) make a poster kids ....love making posters

A scarf round her waist to make a long or short skirt depending on the scarf size a scarf tied around her chest for a top and a turban style round her head
You can add a long thin one as a belt
I have a lovely pic of two grandkids who did just this when playing in the bedroom they found an old sunshade to add to the pic and honestly they looked really good they were a bit older ( but had no help) but it could easily be adapted I wish I could put the pic up but don’t want to identify the girls

Personally I think the only thing wrong with this project is that it is worded for an adult to read unless you have worded it yourself

I'm baffled! I read this as being a GCSE project but the idea of doing something like this with a 5 year old seems dotty to me.
Its too complicated and far too demanding of adult time. I'd ban homework up to year 6 and then only introduce half an hour max each evening, in preparation for year 7.

It's one thing to give parents or carers ideas of inexpensive and interesting things to do together over half term but this is in another league. What happened to doing some weeding or planting seeds, baking buns or a cake?
It also further disadvantages children whose parents have no interest in supporting their education. Grump.

May be you are over thinking the project, find a pair of old trousers cut off a leg, teach your grand daughter to thread a needle and sew a hem, thread through some elastic and she has a skirt. If she did want to be a Princess why not? She is bound to have a little skirt or dress with a full skirt, cut up a shirt and make a under petticoat sprayed with starch so it has the old fashioned ‘can can’ petticoat. Go to the Charity shops with her, look up old fashions, and learn about textures colours. Have fun, and let her be challenged, she will learn from it, and you will have fun with her in the process. I talked to my five year old grand daughter, now I need to help put the dressing up clothes back in the box?

My five uear old DS got sent a similar project which like yoy I did panic about. They had to make something useful for the home out of recycled rubbish basically. My biggest worry was that Im in a wheelchair with one hand and my DH wont touch crafy etc due to OCD and a phobia of glue, glittwr etc. I panicked and was about yo phone thw school when I got my approved food order delivered (dried goods I order onlune) my son had answered the door to the delivery guy (we know him and were expecting him) and I found them both in the kitchen emptying the box, I said he didnt have to thinking he was just helping put away as he did at timwa when I was bad. But he said my DS had plans for the box for hia homework and he asked for some seloptape and they took lierally minute sbetween his deliveriwa to make a shelving unit out of the box and other interal boxes (normallt has 5-6 smaller boxes inside seperating goods). Seemingly my DS had already came up with the idea and hadnt worried about it at all. He then sat most of the day on my kitchen floor paper mache-ing it with newspaper and glue. It took no effort from me and only a little assistance from our delivery guy who told me my DS had already known what he was going yo do and had been waiting for his "big box" fron the shopping.

I think your thinking too kuch into what the allocated homework means. They dont relaly expect a 5
Year old to do immaculate stitching and planning. Cutting up some old clothes and refashionung them into something else is good enough. Youtube "repurpoaing old. Lothes" or "old tshirt hacks" etc. It isnt too haed for a child to design a garment and find a few old clothes and measure and cut to fit. Instead of measuring themselves a trick i learnt is measure an item of clothing they wear that is similar that does fit. My son oftten makes things from other items its a kids imagination, all this honework does is help thwm show how they planned and measured it. My child has been a roman all week as soon as he geta back from school he wrapps an old sheet round him, with an old belt and puts on his bike helmet with a bit of cardboard at the front. Why dont you talk to the child and ask what they would like to do. But explain that the work is theres and your only there to help. Ulyimately homework is for the child not for an adult so it should be their own work, they wont get good marks for letting an adult do it.