Finding The Right Balance With Homework And Your Child.

[Shell]

Hi All,

Just wondering how you find the right balance with homework and your child?

I find it really difficult to sit down Monday to Wednesday with Alex because I work and by the time I get back and cook tea and give him a bath/shower its like time for bed.

I think I am going to have to speak to the teacher about it because its difficult enough but being on my own and having Alex its not easy to be able to sit down with him to do homework when he's only got 30 mins quality time really with me before he goes to bed.

I just wonder how you manage to find the balance with your child?

There is a book in Alex's bed and its a spelling book and says the date of the 04th March but there is no letter in there or anything explaining anything so because I only have one child and not had any experience I am like do I have to learn to spell these and for him to do it on a different piece of paper or what because I aint sure.

Shell.xx

[Karen]

Shell benjamin used to get spellings in year 1....they had a book with them in, and i used to test him, with him writing them on a different piece of paper...i also used to do them in a different order everytime, as kids are good at memorising things.
they have stopped doing them at his school now as they found although the kids knew how to spell them in a test, when they wrote them in a sentance they went back to spelling them how they sounded.....lol
He now has a task card every week to do....this week he has to look in the dictionary and find words beginning with b that have 5 letters in them.
thats the only homework they get...they have a reading book for us toread to them, and they have a reading book they have to read to us too.

[jayne]

u read the word out and alex spell them on paper then u can help him if any r wrong i know home work for small kids r a pain but when he is 10 he will be like zach he does it all by him self but i did get stressed a few years back when i tried to do zach and olivia at the same time i was a nutter 2lots of english 2lots of maths 2 book 2spelling our is fri to mon which the kids was with dad all day sat me sun but we was having family time so sunday about 6 was not happy hour here it will get easier i promies take care and good luck with the teacher if the work not handed in at our school they have to stay in for play dinnertime til done which help my 2 get it over and done with

[Dancing_Queen]

It sounds like Alex has a lot of homework. Louise & Charlotte get their homework on a Friday, which will be a numeracy sheet or something like that. They have reading books which are changed every week, I try and read those with them in the week and they also have to do it as a part of their homework at the weekend. They each have a reading day at school as well.

They both each have a list of spellings which are sent home every Friday and they have a week to learn them and are tested on the following Friday.

[Clare]

Shell when Ryan has spellings we practice them at all sorts of times you don't need to be sitting down with a piece of paper and a pen. try getting him to do his spellings in the car on the way to school. Chloe used to hate writing them down but she enjoyed spelling the words out loud.

It is hard wondering if you are doing enough with them but school is where they do the learning at this age home is just practise don't beat yourself up. xx

[Karolyn]

Shell, think i commented on this one before, I would suggest for lack of communication from the school that you have a quiet word with his teacher and see what is expected. I can totally sympathise with the late days he is home, because by the time they get home the last thing you and they want to do is school work since they have been there all day.

My friend has her son is in the morning and afternoon cubs 5 days a week. He gets home about 5.30 everynight so they do some spellings in the morning....and again some reading on sunday afternoons.

It is fustrating, but i think on the days that Alex is in school clubs those are the days that he just reads to you at bedtime. It is difficult to get the balance right.

Let me know how you get on.

[Shell]

Hi All

Well we do try but Monday and Tuesdays stand no chance, Wednesdays he is with his Dad and then Sunday's he is with his Dad all day also so its just one big circle. When we are in the car we do spellings but he says it right one minute and then spells how it sounds next.

I just think that they shouldtell you what is expected instead of just putting books in your bag expecting you to know exactly what is required.

Shell.xx

[Dancing_Queen]

Hi Shell. Sorry If I'm speaking out of turn here, but if Alex is with Lee all day Sunday, could he not do some of what is required? Surely half hour out of a whole day wouldn't be a big issue and it takes the pressure off you a bit.

[Lyn]

Heather i was gonna say that shell i think alex should take his homework and an hour on a sunday lee should help him out. im saying this through experience i use to take my homework on a sunday to my moms and she would help me only for an hour so we dont waste most of the day but i do think lee should help out with this.

I can also understand about finding the time i find it difficult with izzy cause of alexie being about so now i tend to wait till alexie goes to bed then izzy does her reading book. and as she has an activity that comes with the book we do that everyother night or else we are there for an hour then its her bedtime. Homework izzy comes home with sentences ie she has to read the word then tell me a sentence but i leave that till sunday afternoon.


i wouldnt worry to much shell reading i would do when he is in bed let him read you the story spelling could you not just ask him words whilst having breakfast getting dressed etc then the days your not at work then sit with him and go through them all


hope you sort something out but i would ask lee to help out on a sunday and even on the wednesday even if its just listening to alex read his book it dont really take that long im sure half hour wont hurt lee xxxx

[Shell]

Lyn,
Thursdays and fridays aint so bad at all and we did sit down and many a time I will say to him how do you spell such words and he will do it but then he just loses interest.
I think when they have been at school all day and then they have to start again its a task.
Monday to Wednesday we are up so early because I leave the house at 8am to get him to fun club and then get in at 5.30pm so its just such a long day for him the last thing he wants to do is homework when he's been out the house 9 and half hours.

Shell.xx