8 year old homework...help!

[di]

Our teacher was a beast...several lads in the class would get nosebleeds for day dreaming(she'd walk up behind them and bang their head on the table)...I once got a lovely matching bump to my country dancing partner...we got our heads banged together for a wrong step or two
Problem was...she'd also taught all our parents and the fear remained ingrained in their minds all those years later so she was never challenged.

[janeyo]

I had a problem with my 6 yr old (in yr2, july birthday) who is now a free reader at school. Yes he is one of those like Two Sheds mentioned who has just read the second Harry Potter to me and his comprehension matches!

He stopped bringing books home from school as they were all too boring he said -who wnats to go go back to 'biff and chip' or peter rabbit when you are capable of so much more?! As a result he wasn't getting as many 'smileys' as they get one for completing books. (this is school reward system)

I had a little word with teacher (it helps that a- I teach at the school but not his year, and b- I also volunteer in my son's class weekly as well) about this and now he is allowed to go to other classrooms to choose books. (There are 3 yr2 classes in the school). She has also said that because he is so good at reading he is allowed to put our books from home into his reading diary and they now count towards his smiley tally. I guess she also knows I will be making sure he has actually read them!

Maybe you can have a quiet word and see if she can do something similar? Quite often the teachers and TAs are so busy the books don't get swapped around classes as often as they could and if you have a little bookworm in your life as I do, it's frustrating!



as a teacher, I always make sure I only set homework that backs up what we have done in class - unless it is a research homework to find out something new or a related topic. There is no point asking children to do a homework in something they have not yet covered in class. Homework is meant to reinforce the learning done in class

[Two_Sheds]

the Oxford Reading Tree books...boring..

I hate them, hate them (sssh!) flipping Biff & Chip & Kipper - who knows anybody with those names? We need books featuring Jaydean, Chardonnay & Keyley

[binley100]

........don't forget Mercedes........

[di]

I hate them, hate them (sssh!) flipping Biff & Chip & Kipper - who knows anybody with those names? We need books featuring Jaydean, Chardonnay & Keyley

I can see their place in reception and maybe year one,but beyond that???Of course a child that's struggling to learn the basics isn't going to be enthused by yet another...'Oh No...poor Dad' ending!
The Juniors have got a great selection of new books geared towards those that are still struggling....if it's not exciting it's not going to make them want to read.
BTW...slightly posher names down this way please

[di]

Well,that week seems to have been a one off.The last two weeks have been more suitable to their age and relate to what they're working on...although I may be having words with the teacher about 'Pharoah'

[Two_Sheds]

That's good then Thanks for the update. I remember having to learn how to spell onomatopoeia when I was about 10 (and I could)

[bigt1888]

That's good then Thanks for the update. I remember having to learn how to spell onomatopoeia when I was about 10 (and I could)

show off!!!

[di]

That's good then Thanks for the update. I remember having to learn how to spell onomatopoeia when I was about 10 (and I could)

...but you missed the spelling error above...but don't worry,I spent a week checking her spellings and didn't notice until another Mum pointed out that Pharaoh was spelt wrong on the spellings sheet
(archaeological was last weeks trickiest)

[Two_Sheds]

show off!!!

Spelling comes naturally, but I can't do mental maths, physics or chemistry

[bigt1888]

Spelling comes naturally, but I can't do mental maths, physics or chemistry

im the opposite...a bit of the rainman about me when it comes to numbers but a cant speel at al!!

being and electrician helps with the physics..

[Jelliebabe]

Spelling comes naturally, but I can't do mental maths, physics or chemistry

I find "mental" maths hard too! LOL

[Hilary B]

Interesting comparison with a lot of Asian countries where children do a lot more 'schooling' and homework than here, but much of the learning is 'rote'. The basics seem to be acquired well by these methods, but it really doesn't strike me as compatible with our social standards these days, and it doesn't seem to bode well for the creative/imaginative capabilities....