Homework

[col]

Does anyone feel like their child gets too much or that it's to hard?

 

The reason why i ask is that DD8 only has to read her book every night and on fridays has her art hw and her main HW which most weeks is to find a picture or count pennies.

She goes to a special school and she has comeon in leaps and bounds this year. To the point that she over taken DD7 in learning.

 

DD7 who is mainstreamed with 12.5 *support* has her reading book, SALT, specialist teaching HW every night. On fridays she has a maths sheet, has to read (should i say i do) a sheet of paper and answer at least 5 questions AND then write a letter which has at least 5 points that she has got to include.

The problem is that when she leave school she is either too tired, or too hyper. Both ways hinders her ADD as she is very distractable, she doesn't concentrate. IT just takes forever.

The house is too small to have a "quiet" space for her to concentrate.

 

I have been through this with her school a few times as her HW most of the time goes in, majority of it not done. I thought it got sorted as her SALT sheets should be done at school anyway it's in her statement. And they will try and do some of it at school.

 

HOWEVER it coming up to her statement review and a month ago was told by her teacher and the HEAD that unless i tried and get it done at home they will be hinting at lack of "parental support" at home.

How am i surposed to do homework with a chid who can't concentrate as the house is just to noisy and distractable. OR that as she has been trying so hard to concentrate at school she just wants to let off steam.???

 

The only thing that has made progress at school this year is her speech. (Although i get the she's doing really well all the time from her LSA!). She is still on the same reading level that she was as last year. Her maths is really bad. Basically she's 2 years behind in her reading, writing and spelling. Her private EP assessment has dx her with dyslexia.

 

She's leaving this year as it's infants.

 

But just wanted to know what other parents who's child are in yr 2 coped.

I'm just feeling like a bad mother at the moment that maybe i should of pushed her HW at her more. Even tho she gets really angry and does growl scream and shout as well as the other stuff.

[Paula]

My son is now 12 and has attended a special school since he was 6.I can count on one hand the amount of times hes received homework over the past 6 years from the school.When he does get it he never does it.I try to say hey we should do this he just says no and i think sod it.I just explaine to the school he refused and its left at that.

 

Id personally think sod it and not bother if its causeing youre child so much upset.If the school starts moaning tell them to come to youre house and try for themselves if they can do any better.bet theyll soon shut up about it.

[BusyLizzie100]

'lack of parental support' is a bit rich. I'd try and nip that in the bud ASAP. Surely the most important thing is the overall learning that your child achieves, not necessarily whether it's at school or at home. Plus, your child gets Statemented support at school but (presumably) you don't get support at home. AND you're not a teacher, AND kids tend to never do anything for their parents when it comes to work.

 

My ds2 is currently in Y1, but I am dreading Y2 next year. My ds1 was in Y2 last year, and what you've described sounds like a lot of homework to me!! He's in Y3 now and gets 2 pieces of homework a week. And that hardly ever gets done because he pointblank refuses.

 

Is there anyone useful from PArent PArtnership or suchlike who could support you at the Statement Review meeting? I know it's horrible to sit there and be faced by all the 'professionals' - it can be very intimidating. Don't let them overwhelm you!

 

Sorry can't be of more help.

 

Lizzie

[col]

They didn't say parental support but that is what they were hinting at. That they will have to write something about her not doing the HW......I'm waiting for their reports to see what they have written before i can plan my defence. Have spoken to an ADD support group and have to ask the lady to e-mail me as i can't remember what she said.

I wouldn't touch PP as i had a negative experience with them a few years ago. Have also got a meeting with her paed coming up so will be asking his advice as well.

[BusyLizzie100]

You never know, the fact that it's mentioned in the Review may work to your daughter's advantage, just so long as they don't do the 'lack of parental support' bit. Sounds like you are actually trying to be as supportive as possible, just from the fact that you're seeking advice from the advice group and the paed!

[col]

If i wasn't supportive i wouldn't of forked out ?462 on a private EP assessment which dx her with dyslexia. We have now bought her a memory booster game and toe for toe which hubby has got to do with her as i can't pronuce some of the words. I've explained to the school that with my past history i have problems reading a book out loud as i don't know how to pronuce some words.

 

My support is in different ways. For instant they thought there was a problem with her hearing, i phoned up CDC and got her tested. Which is a lot quicker then the going via letter s to the GP etc. They thought she still got problems with her eyes. I toke her to the optican, her eye sight is perfect (IAN don't start ok!!) they were still not happy so i went back to the optican and had her tested again. They still weren't happy and they think that my optican is more of a quick stop. They wanted me to visit someone else.

So i phoned the optican up and she wrote to the GP and she has got an app with the fast track eye clinic next month.

I have also been chasing up the occupational therapist as she was kinda discharged but i think it could be visual perception related so hopefully she will have an app with them soon.

 

If you can understanding what i,m trying to say. I am trying to help her but i am not going to plonk a tired or very distractable child down at a table to do HW when she's not in the right frame of mind.

[Canopus]

Every term my school issued my parents with a form to fill in. One of the questions was whether I got too much, too little, or about the right amount of homework. What the form didn't ask was whether the homework was too trivial or too difficult.

 

I think kids get too much homework nowadays, but a high proportion of it is work for work's sake rather than a real learning experience. The explanation the school makes is that the homework reflects the classwork. Often teachers set rather trivial tasks that verge on the pointless and expect kids to complete them.

[BusyLizzie100]

Col, I agree with you. Forcing someone to do homework in this way is just going to be counterproductive.

[col]

She read her book tonight, she was fiddling about constantly. I had to remove her finger from her mouth about 4 times. Remove stuff that she picked up and fiddle with. Her eyes were all over the place. She was adding words, skipping them or saying them wrongly. The only reason why it wasn't worse is that DS was asleep and DD8 is having a sleepover.

[Kazzen161]

There is a recommended amount of homework that a primary child should have - 1 hour per week for a year 1 or 2 child -I am sure she is doing more than that.

 

http://www.parentscentre.gov.uk/educationa...chool/homework/

 

gives the Gov guidelines.

 

Karen

[col]

ty for that will be keeping a diary of how long it takes for her to do her HW and how she feels. Also a sleep diary. That way i can give the school and LEA an insight on what she's like at home and how she interacts with her siblings.

[col]

Less then a week now before the show down at DD7 school. Have not recieved any reports from the school yet. Have heard that the LEA EP has phoned the head, but the head hasn't told me about it. Tried to corner her today but no joy, will try tomorrow.

 

Have got a slight bone to pick with them, how is a child who has a reading and spelling age of a under 6 and numeracy of a 6 year old expected to do year 2 homework???????

Have managed to have a quick look at some other children HW tonight and most of the time she is getting the same stuff!!

Last week homework was really nasty, and it got to the point that she couldn't do 4+1 and i was asking her what comes after 10 she says 20. So i go 9, 10...............it took 2 attempts then for the 11. Then i say what comes after 11 and she goes 20 again!!

Used the 2 yr old building blocks to help her count and she kept losing track and having tostart over again.

[LittleRae]

Hi Col

 

I know how frustrating it can be - been there! A child in that state is in no condition to do homework. I would try to stick to the time guidelines laid down by the school and after that, whatever's not finished doesn't get done. If even this amount is too much, then I'd go back to the school. After all, you don't have an assistant at home to help.

 

If she is doing the same homework as the other kids, then obviously the teacher is not 'considering her needs' and 'differentiating the work according to her ability'. Never mind lack of parental support, where's the support of the teacher? I'd be looking to get homework - amount, level of difficulty, etc. stipulated in her statement. You could also get stated that if you think she's had enough, then you stop, and no consequence should be suffered by the child.

 

Good luck

 

A

[Karen A]

I decide how long we will spend on Ben'shomework-if he only gets some done or needs more help than I feel is OK I make a note in his book.I also write down how I have helped.D'S mum is also right to say homework should be differentiated-its the child that needs to learn not the parent.

[lisa]

I'd also write to the school and explain exactly why your daughter finds homework difficult. Put it in writing so if they do try to go down the "unsupportive parent" route, your reasons are clearly documented for the review. Basically, your daughter isn't being supported sufficiently in school and the work isn't being differentiated to address her disabilities. They also need to take your home life into consideration. You have two disabled children, one in a special school which makes life difficult at the best of times, you have enough to cope with without sitting for hours doing homework that isn't appropriate for your childs. Possibly say that you'll do homework with her for one hour per week but anything not completed after this hour is returned unfinished.

 

My daughter is in year 4 and her class get quite a bit of homework, WE DON'T DO IT!

 

I've told the school that I will do the work with her if I can but have said that emotionally, after a day at school she isn't capable and I'm not about to make matters worse. I used to spent hours trying to get her to do homework with meltdown after meltdown until it got to the point where I decided enough was enough. My son has AS too but we manage with him (although he doesn't see the point of homework) to get through it. My daughter just can't cope.

 

Lisa