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Post by serrakunda on Apr 25, 2015 12:24:06 GMT
Home educators I salute you!
big sigh
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Post by moo on Apr 25, 2015 12:36:26 GMT
Wrestling here too serrakunda.... we are both taking abreak...
Back to the grindstone in a mo....beam me up Scotty.....
Xx moo xx
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Post by serrakunda on Apr 25, 2015 12:47:46 GMT
I'm suddenly finding dusting my picture rails and skirting boards a very attractive activity and most theraputic
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Post by pingu on Apr 25, 2015 20:00:21 GMT
You have picture rails !!! ? I havent seen one for years, not since clip frames took off !!! skirting boards here need dusted if you feel a desperation to do so !!
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Post by kstar on Apr 25, 2015 20:40:21 GMT
Starlet's homework is to create an ecosystem in a shoebox... I can't even get her to do a couple of pages of reading without battles and we are supposed to create an ecosystem in a box?!?!? I'm not sure if it's her homework or mine... Because clearly this isn't one she can do on her own! Grrrrrrrr!
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Post by mrbop on Apr 25, 2015 22:17:48 GMT
Ours, with absolutely straight faces, deny ever having homework right up to the point the teacher gives them an ultimatum/deadline of "tomorrow". We do find out when we see "homework erratic" on the school report! :-)
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Post by serrakunda on Apr 25, 2015 23:02:10 GMT
I have a very tradionaal Victorian house, I put picture rails and sash windows back in
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Post by caledonia on Apr 27, 2015 8:13:33 GMT
I have told the school that I am not prepared to do the homework battle. I have enough on my plate with DD and her problems and I focus on getting her clean and healthy and taking responsibility for her possessions. If school want her to do homework then they can tackle it. They don't like it but I am sticking to my guns despite them telling me that she will fall behind which shows that they don't get her at all.
good luck!
Cale x
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Post by sooz on Apr 27, 2015 12:18:50 GMT
I had a word with the senco, told her how hard I was finding homework with snooz. I said, I can teach him all sorts about the world around us, and I do, he soaks it all up.....but getting him to sit still and focus on writing for example......it's enough to send me scatty.
I salute his teachers lol.
Homework has been a lot less lately......phew.
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Post by monkey on Apr 27, 2015 18:10:50 GMT
We had last week's home work sent back today "could do better. Try again" Not to mention this week's homework too. Need to think of a suitable response......
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Post by kstar on Apr 27, 2015 18:26:44 GMT
I have also tried telling Starlet's teacher about homework and she said it was fine and just to do what we could. Then the other week Starlet came home in tears because she had to miss golden time to catch up on homework :-( I was not happy!
Now we do it but pay lip service to it, and if I have to do it myself to save the hassle then I do!
And this from a teacher lol...
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Post by pingu on Apr 27, 2015 19:50:57 GMT
My ds2 had a major adjustment this year, getting a timetable for the first time, with homework required in by different days for each subject !. School report at end of first term just commented " Organosation is not his strong point and this will clearly be an ongoing issue......." ,!!!
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Post by kstar on Apr 27, 2015 20:10:22 GMT
I read an article about a primary school in America which banned homework... But instead the children had a log to record family activities, time spent outdoors, visits to museums, the theatre, sightseeing, board games... Anything that the school felt was a healthy use of their time!
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Post by larsti on Apr 27, 2015 21:22:25 GMT
What an enlightened school kstar :-) The only thing is, I'd feel I was being spied on (no pleasing some people!)
I remember DD aged about 6 writing a story about 'what we did in the holidays' and she said 'In the summer holidays we watched TV and went shopping' :-0
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Post by leo on Apr 27, 2015 21:41:31 GMT
I well remember the horror on one set of parent's faces when they realised that for Monday morning 'news' week in, week out their child had written, 'We went to the pub. I had crisps. Mummy and Daddy had a drink.' The parents obviously had a 'discussion' about this when they got home - because the next Monday their daughter wrote, 'Daddy wanted to go to the pub. Mummy didn't want to go. I had crisps. Daddy had a drink. Daddy slept in the spare room.'
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Post by larsti on Apr 27, 2015 21:50:25 GMT
The other method that teachers have of spying is to ask the chidren to keep food diaries :-)
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Post by esty on Apr 27, 2015 21:59:19 GMT
Little minnow starts big big school in September. Luckily his best friend has got in as well. Friend is in FC. Both have Homework issues so me and FC have decided to double up. Friend and LM will do homework at mine one evening before Free Running and the following week they'll do it at the other house before football. Neither would ever perform at the other one's house! ;-)
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Post by mooster on Apr 28, 2015 7:38:25 GMT
We are on the final straight - 6 weeks and 4 days to go until it is all over - much chocolate involved and careful thought about "is now a good time to suggest some revision?". AS's school has given very little homework over the years for which I have been very grateful as it stopped many a battle. We just did lots of reading. This year has been a bit of a shock though but we are nearly there and I am giving myself treats with every piece of revision I do!!!!
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Post by larsti on Apr 30, 2015 20:40:42 GMT
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Post by sivier on Apr 30, 2015 21:52:57 GMT
Leo, that's priceless!!!
Sighs here too. DD is only 6, just has a bit of handwriting practice and a few words to spell each week, and even that's hard going...
Can see her point, too - ''But mummy, we did learning ALL morning..."
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Post by lankelly on May 1, 2015 21:15:04 GMT
I agree it's awful pressure on them and us.No homework here unless Moptop instigates it.He knows it's needed,still he can't choose to do it at home it's just not possible given his control issues and avoidant personality. We told school it has not ever happened in four years more than five times but we read to him every day and its increased his ability to listen, his inflexion and interest in a good plot, character or dialogue. He has just begun to read a book for his pleasure....school haven't made homework an issue they don't fuss us either. He has found a very good competence at visual maths but will not write at home. They can't make him nor can we. Not sure how this translates to big school later doors the line...
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Post by caledonia on May 11, 2015 11:12:58 GMT
Had a meeting at school on Friday about DD's report (which was amazing much to all our surprise!). The two big issues were homework and being late. School SEN head and Year head said I should be more forceful with DD and her homework and make her do it as it was important for school. I pointed out that getting her up, showered, dressed and out of the door to school currently took nearly two hours every morning and that that should give an ideal of how difficult things were at home. She seemed surprised til I showed her a diary I have been keeping about DD and her behaviours when she looked a bit taken aback. Nevertheless 5 minutes later, she lectured DD on the importance of homework and how if she wont do it at home she would come and find DD at lunch and break and take her to the SEN room to do it there. DD looked very serious for a few seconds then smiled sweetly and said I am in the SEN room every day anyway. And I am not doing homework. The look on SEN's face was a picture - guess she will need to be more tough with DD.
Re getting to school on time DD said she has plenty time to get there on time if she wants to but she doesn't so she just wanders along and looks at stuff. Again school were slightly lost for words. I am impressed that she can find enough to interest her to make a 15 minute walk last 30 minutes +
Think it is dawning on them that DD is slightly more complex than we first thought!
Cale x
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Post by caledonia on May 12, 2015 9:00:11 GMT
hi Tokoloshe
I agree that the chats we have with our children are more important than doing homework. If I can get DD to engage with me in discussion about a subject then this has a double benefit! We interact in a positive way and she learns. She asks totally random questions that make me think so we both learn.
Also we do our form of homework. DD hates science but I have started putting things in the context of things she likes so biology relates to how dancers move and singers sing, chemistry relates to what happens in the body when you move or sing or eat and physics is all about dancers movement. I am lucky that I am a scientist and am able to do this for her. When she comes home exhausted by a 3 hour dance class and sore legs we relate that to respiration, the heart and lung system, bones, muscles and ligaments and lactic acid build up and she seems to take this on board. Gymnastics covers force, movement, opposites etc.
To me this is better than her sitting struggling through science homework she is not interested in. Perhaps I should make work sheets for her to do and send them in instead! To be honest, this is what teachers should be doing to make their subjects more accessible to students and giving homework that relates to a child's interest even if it is just to relate it to a sport or activity they like watching. HHmm perhaps I should have pursued my thought of becoming a science teacher only I don't like teenage kids too much having to deal with them at home!
Cale x
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Post by pingu on May 12, 2015 20:09:13 GMT
Ds1 struggled with homework in primary school, because mainly of his dyspraxia making writing difficult. I had to ask the teacher to pull back a bit on the homework as he was getting too stressed ( he wanted to do well and to please her, as he respected and liked this particular teacher and wanted her help to catch up with schoolwork) Problem solved in secondary because he can use the computer. Ds2 is emminently capable, just lazy, but is now getting the message , as he doesnt relish having to do it at school instead !! ( which in his case seems reasonable ) We too read a lot , and discuss things and it all helps, but i have slightly different feelings about homework to most folks posting here, If you have a child who is struggling with schoolwork then i totally agree that it is more important to get them interested in things and learning generally by reading , discussing, etc, and if you have a child with behavioural ior learning issues then there are much bigger issues to deal with than homework. But for those who can cope with it, i really do think we should back the schools. I have seen homework help and have number of benefits, particularly in reinforcing what they are learning at school and helping them develop the skills of indipendant working and learning. If i had let ds2 off when he made a fuss, or even ds1 then i am firmly convinced that neither of them would be doing so well now. What they missed at school before they came here is enough of a handicap to them ( mental arithmetic and times tables shaky for both , ds1 still struggles with expressing himself adequately in English and is desperate to get at least a level 4 in English and Maths ( near enough o level scottish exam) ds2 finds the arithmetic he is shaky on keeps him behind his classmates and he hates that., homework gives him a chance to catch up. I do think none of us can judge others, we have to go by what is best at the time for our own children, i am just saying that i dont agree that all homework is necessarily bad. It depends on the child and the circumstances and i think teachers need to recognise that.
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Post by caledonia on May 12, 2015 22:09:24 GMT
Hi Pingu
In an ideal world DD would do her homework - DS does his much to his disgust that he has to and his sister does not. But as you rightly said, her behavioral issues are more important at this stage. I worry that she will fall behind but she seems to be holding her own - she has an amazing memory - but I am sure the time will come when she needs more. Hopefully by that time we will have her behavioural issues down to a manageable level - I don't kid myself that we will every get them under control - and that homework will be easier.
Hopefully when we move she will go into an academy that specaialises in the performing arts and as she is so interested in this homework might be more appealing too........
I wholeheartedly agree that teachers and schools need to recognise that homework is not always the right thing for a child and their family but as so many parents seem to opt out of parenting I guess teachers can find it tough to distinguish between parents who are doing what is right for their children and those who just don't care.
Cale x
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Post by pingu on May 13, 2015 22:58:10 GMT
Good luck with the letter Tokoloshe. Oh how i recognise the meltdown at not being able to do an item of homework , before change of school we had a lot of that with ds2 's maths !
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Post by caledonia on May 14, 2015 9:26:35 GMT
Oh toko
of course she is unfocussed at the moment with everything that is going on. While she will be loving the peace and quiet without the drama Oyster created, she will at some level be feeling guilty about feeling glad it is just the two of you and also missing Shrimp. I am so glad that the after-school club seems to understand Shrimp and her emotional struggles and so sad that the teacher and the school counsellor don't.
I too am branded a lazy parent but try and wear my badge with pride as I know I am doing what is best for DD At this time.
DD has started taking words from the cards in Pictionary and writing sentences with them as she told me she doesn't know what enough words are. All off her own back or is it bat? I am never sure! she is letting me check the writing and correct the spelling etc as it is her game that she is in control of and I am delighted.
Cale x
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Post by serrakunda on May 14, 2015 9:46:24 GMT
I expect I know what the answer would be but surely in she is not keeping up in class it's up to them to find ways of helping her keep up, rather than you try and do homework when you are both tired at the end of the day
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Post by serrakunda on May 14, 2015 11:41:27 GMT
I thought in modern parlance 'bad' means 'good'
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Post by caledonia on May 15, 2015 15:59:09 GMT
ah the old cc-ing in people - that always works well!
I love your sneakiness toko.
Cale x
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