Parents Home and gymnastics

[Rapunzel]

Any tips?
Including gymnastics, dd1 does 8hrs extra curricular stuff (plus commutes) a week (which I know isn't loads compared to a lot of people) but as she's getting older her homework is increasing.
Also her homework isn't focusing on the areas I'd like, so I'm trying to get her to do extra maths, but it's all pretty jam packed. What do you do?

 

[MILgymFAM]

We are at gymnastics 6 days a week, between two DDs, and with both in middle school from 7:30-4pm daily it could be a problem with homework, reports, and studying. One thing that helps us, and I know that it isn't a solution for everyone, is that we do not watch television during the week, any of us. We own a TV (but don't have cable), but we only watch family movies on the weekend. Also, no reading or gymnastics videos allowed unless homework and studying is completed. I find we have plenty of hours in the week, and have had no trouble doing all the hw thrown at the girls, so far. Older DD is a straight A student and younger DD is all As and Bs.

 

[Rapunzel]

Sorry that was meant to say "homework" in the thread title.

 

[Iwannabemargo]

P&F is year 6 so doesn't get much homework, just once a week. Its given out on a Thursday and has to be handed in on Tuesday so Thursday night is homework night. Gym is Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday, plus her brothers have activities on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays an Saturdays. So far its all been doable but Next year could be fun.

 

[Faith]

DD gets her homework on a fri, to be handed in the following thurs. Gives her a week- she usually does it sat aft/sun when she doesn't train.

She does have teammates who get homework to be handed in the following day, which is a struggle.

As for the homework not focusing on areas- maybe a chat with the teacher to get him to set more appropriate work, rather than try and fit in extra?

 

[Rapunzel]

P&F is year 6 so doesn't get much homework, just once a week. Its given out on a Thursday and has to be handed in on Tuesday so Thursday night is homework night. Gym is Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday, plus her brothers have activities on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays an Saturdays. So far its all been doable but Next year could be fun.

Dd is yr 5, and has so much homework! Eg this week - 15 spelling words to learn, plus look them up in dictionary and write definitions. Then a list of 12 "useful words", put them in a word puzzle and then alphabetise them. Write a space glossary of 10 words, write 75(!!!!) sentences using different collective nouns, learn the collective nouns (test 7 days after being set), spell your name using the French alphabet, extension, learn French alphabet, practice factors of 3 up to 1000, read to an adult every day! She has 5 days.Although if she just did it instead of argue/procrastinate it would take a fraction of the time. But I'd really like her to work on her maths more.
I like the idea of no weekday tv but then I think we all need our downtime, but certainly should probably restrict tv.

 

[Rapunzel]

As for the homework not focusing on areas- maybe a chat with the teacher to get him to set more appropriate work, rather than try and fit in extra?

Yes, I need to do this (when I have time ), I was thinking about kumon to help her maths but can't see where it would fit! So will definitely be speaking to her teacher this week.

 

[Iwannabemargo]

Blimey - P&F gets 12 spellings, and Topics ! At the moment its space, so she has written a story about a trip to space. S9ometimes they do some mathletics.

I am not a fan of too much homework. In a few weeks we have a comp requiring a Friday overnighter and her brother has his first trampolining competition on the Sunday (about 2 hours away), so that week I shall let her teacher know she wont be turning in any homework. She is currently testing at level 5/6 in school so am really not worried.

 

[Rapunzel]

Blimey - P&F gets 12 spellings, and Topics ! At the moment its space, so she has written a story about a trip to space. S9ometimes they do some mathletics.

I am not a fan of too much homework. In a few weeks we have a comp requiring a Friday overnighter and her brother has his first trampolining competition on the Sunday (about 2 hours away), so that week I shall let her teacher know she wont be turning in any homework. She is currently testing at level 5/6 in school so am really not worried.

I am not a fan either! We're learning the collective nouns in the car on journeys, but there's a lot of huffing and puffing.
Good luck with the comps, hope they go well.

 

[Rapunzel]

And while I do think it's a lot of homework I will fully support her getting it done & support the teacher issuing it.

 

[Iwannabemargo]

Ah, see I'm the other way, if its too much I just march in and say not doing it. We do times tables in the car on the way to school, but she knows them all anyway, and we go through the spellings if I remember. But no, I am of the opinion that if it can't be done in the 7 odd hours she is in school all day then something is wrong.

 

[Faith]

DD gets;
spellings (10 usually),
a literacy project- write/research/present as an extension of what they do in class.
maths- worksheet with bronze/silver/gold levels. They all have to complete bronze, have a go at silver, and gold if they want- they usually know which they're expected to do.

Sometimes a puzzle sheet, word searches and the like.

DD2 is very similar format, but obviously at her level.

 

[Rapunzel]

Ah, see I'm the other way, if its too much I just march in and say not doing it. We do times tables in the car on the way to school, but she knows them all anyway, and we go through the spellings if I remember. But no, I am of the opinion that if it can't be done in the 7 odd hours she is in school all day then something is wrong.

I understand that too.
I can't wait for the day when I can say she knows all her times tables!

 

[Faith]

I still don't know my times tables! Past 5 anyway . Never suffered for it...

 

[Rapunzel]

I still don't know my times tables! Past 5 anyway . Never suffered for it...

Don't tell DD1!

 

[gymbeam]

I'm so thankful we attend a school where minimal homework is part of their philosophy. Instead, they give recommendations of real world activities that families can do relevant to their current units of study and we work those in when convenient. Its the perfect fit for a gymnast.

 

[Aussie_coach]

But why do you want more homework? Research has shown very little benefits to homework prior to the last few years of high school.

Apparently in the lower elementary years homework is actually associated with a negative impact on learning and by the upper primary years there is a neutral impact. Students who do no homework in other countries gain the same educational benefits as students who do homework.

By the middle school years the benefits are negligible, there are some benefits but they are so few it hardly justifies the effort. In lower high school there are some benefits but real benefits don't show up until about 11th grade.

 

[Iwannabemargo]

lol she was always a pain. We went to a different primary for her big brother and it was a 20 minute car trip so we used to do times tables in the car on the way, and way home. He is 5 years older, so we would be singing away and then he would get stuck and a little voice would pipe up 144 from the back ! From then we coined the phrase "quiet in the cheap seats" It definitely has helped her being the youngest and being competitive, she naturally strives to beat the others.

 

[Rapunzel]

But why do you want more homework? Research has shown very little benefits to homework prior to the last few years of high school.

Apparently in the lower elementary years homework is actually associated with a negative impact on learning and by the upper primary years there is a neutral impact. Students who do no homework in other countries gain the same educational benefits as students who do homework.

By the middle school years the benefits are negligible, there are some benefits but they are so few it hardly justifies the effort. In lower high school there are some benefits but real benefits don't show up until about 11th grade.

No, I don't want more homework. In an ideal world, she'd have less homework so I'd have more time to practice times tables in the car instead of collective nouns. But tbh I don't want to go too far down the homework vs not path. I understand there are a lot of different opinions & completely respect that.
But I just wanted a bit of insight onto what other families do to manage homework, extra curricula activities and life.

 

[Iwannabemargo]

If she is struggling a bit with maths, some of the old methods really work. There is a proven link between activity, music and memory, so singing the tables and clapping out a rhythm can really help them stick. Even as I type this my foot is twitching and my brain is doing the 7 times table - I know saddo