Education, homework and how to write with joined up writing...

[jojo]

Ok, not sure if you can class this as a rant, but I personally don't think it is, so I'm posting this in the normal section.

So my son is 6 years old and into his 2nd year of education, they call it year 2, but I call it infant school, and it's a state school also, if that make any difference?

Anyways, I appreciate the need for education, and a good early start can only lead to a bright future for our next generations... but the amount of homework he gets is bordering on the ridiculous! But I don't remember getting any homework at all when I was his age?! And ok, I'm not exactly a banker/lawyer neither, but homework started in secondary school for me, is this the sign of the times? Do your 6-8 year olds get a whole load of homework in this day an age?

I'm not moaning of course, but I see my little one being stressed doing his homework at home after school, and I'm worried about him, but at the same time, I don't want him to turn out to be a bum or chav!

Just to top it off, the school he goes to has a ridiculous policy where you are not allowed to use the tail of a 'g'(as in the letter 'g') to join up with the next letter, e.g. when writing the word 'tough', he can join the fort four letters upto 'g', but where the 'g' hooks at the bottom, he has to stop, lift his pen/pencil, then write the 'h' separately! Now it just so happens his teacher is head of his school year, and that she made a point to my wife about this, and as a result, my little one got additional writing homework to correct the way he uses the tail of the 'g' to join upto the next letter as a normal person would!

So my missus asked if he would be marked down for this, the answer she got was, 'not really, but the 'other' teachers wouldn't be happy marking his work', this was followed up with 'but when he goes into year 5(3 years away), he can choose how he writes his text, in joined up or separate letters if he so wishes'

Which kinds of defeats the point if changing the way he is writing it now in the first place!

This isn't just my son involved in this, there's another girl in his class with the same issue, and she has had additional homework for the same reason.

I've told my missus to speak to another teacher in the school for a second opinion, or even arrange to speak to the headmaster directly, as I feel it's a stupid practice.... and unless my son will get marked down for writing it, in my opinion, the write way, then I'm not going to bother to ask him to change the way he writes!

Thoughts on this anyone?

 

[One Spoke]

Like you, I never had any homework at all until I started secondary school.

My daughter has just started year 2, but for the last 2 years, including reception, she has had homework to do.

From speaking to other parents with kids at other schools she does seem to get more homework than elsewhere, but then her school has fantastic OFSTED results!

Sure it must be the way of the world these days?!

PS I will never get the hang of the year numbering system they use these days - 1st year was first year of secondary school in my day. Sure it's the Yanks' fault.

 

[Ads]

My daughter is the same age, 6 and in year 2.
She's always had quite a bit of homework too, since year 1.

For example:

Each week they have a spelling test which consists of 15 words. Not only do they have to learn the words at home (at least half of them are the same kind of level/difficulty as "development" or "anxious" etc) they also have to write a different sentence for each word for homework.
This is joined by a maths type piece of homework too, or a 'write a story' piece.
Plus she has to read a short book each night. AND if we forget to sign her reading record JUST ONCE she misses playtime the next day!!!!! Unfair or what!!

As for the 'g' thing.... hold on, isn't it correct TO USE the tail of a 'g' to join to the next letter?? e.g. 'g' to the 'h'.
And they're telling him NOT too??

and

 

[jojo]

As for the 'g' thing.... hold on, isn't it correct TO USE the tail of a 'g' to join to the next letter?? e.g. 'g' to the 'h'.
And they're telling him NOT too??

and

Yes mate, as illustrated in your pics! I don't do joined up writing myself, as my writing is crap and untidy, but even I know the 'g' and 'h' joins up like the above, but it's a policy in this school to keep them separate??!?!

The school has very good OFSTED results also, as mentioned by OneSpoke. And I really don't want to upset any teachers who end up giving my little one a hard time, but I find this policy ridiculous!

 

[johnnythepie]

Jo
Id have a word with the education authority, as this is tantamount to segregating your little un as special needs.In fact ive never heard of so much ********.The stress that this will cause him is tantamount to bullying.Any chance of him moving school?

 

[jojo]

Jo
Id have a word with the education authority, as this is tantamount to segregating your little un as special needs.In fact ive never heard of so much ********.The stress that this will cause him is tantamount to bullying.

Hmm yes, I feel it's BS too, I will see where my other half takes this, the parents of the other girl are apparently Barristers of some sort in the court of law I have just heard, so it 'might' get interesting without my intervention...

Any chance of him moving school?

No chance at the mo' we specifically bought this house back in the day for planning to getting my little one into this school, and it worked!

 

[johnnythepie]

Alot at stake then.

 

[Keeno]

Reply from my Mrs (a primary teacher - year 4)

 

[Keeno]

Sorry, there was a explaination and some advice on the end of that but it seems to have been lost by the board :-s

Anyway it was something along the lines of, it's impressive that he's writing in cursive at his ages reagardless, but it may be that his teacher is following a school policy albeit a little to closely! her advice is to set up a meeting with her and have a proper discussion where you can both put across your feeling, opinions and reasons.
She suggested that pulling him up on a tiny detail like that and giving him extra homework for it will cause him to focus on his writing and not the content pf his work which at his age is utterly wrong. She also reckons that the amount of homework is about right (obviously minus the extra he's been given) but 15 spellings a week is far too many. Her year 4's only get given 10, AND that's in a public school...

Hope this is at least a little helpful!

 

[jojo]

Well, it would appear that the other girl in the class has gave in and decided to write the 'g' and the next letter separately. The issue here is not the joining of the letters, but the hook at the end of the 'g', the teachers must find it difficult to read the writing of the 6 year olds they teach! In the example above for instance, the 'h' is allowed to join the 'g', but you can't use the tail of the 'g' to join the next letter?!

Of course my son was taught by his mother at an early stage so as to not fall behind the other kids, do i'm not worried about him personally. Just finding it petty to be spoken personally about this silly issue of using the tail of the 'g'.