How much work should dd do in holidays for gs?

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ginx
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Re: How much work should dd do in holidays for gs?

Post by ginx »

Mystery, she can skim read but I can't help worrying she might miss important parts. Skim reading is useful, but I'd rather she tried to follow every word. I think it is important, and helps her identify any words she doesn't understand.

Like you, I have no idea how much the school expects. You're right, I can't imagine teachers want loads of marking at the beginning of term.

You're spot on, actually - I would like dd2 to do 20 minutes of reading AND continue her hours of skim reading :lol: and it seems I may be in luck, she is happy to do this.

Hopefully 20 minutes reading, 5 minutes writing and her usual skim reading will be fine. She's very happy, her new books have turned up, she won't come out of her bedroom for hours now - she'll be skimming for hours :lol:

So I'm happy too. I still feel, as Amber said, some of the girls will have worked flat out over the summer. But lots of members on here, including teachers, have made me feel a lot better - Mystery, I'm not concerned at all - it's all sorted, following the excellent advice I've received on here. Thanks, everyone. This forum is so useful. :D
mystery
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Re: How much work should dd do in holidays for gs?

Post by mystery »

Ah good - because I did think that everything you said about her reading sounded positive. Yes, skim reading could involve skipping a lot, but does she? Are you sure she is not just a good speed reader?
yoyo123
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Re: How much work should dd do in holidays for gs?

Post by yoyo123 »

Just let her have a relaxing holiday...the work will soon build up in secondary, she has had a hectic year, what with Sats and eleven plus. Childhood years go so quickly, if you must do work, visit museums. castles, big cities.

Libraries are running a fantastic reading challenge

http://summerreadingchallenge.org.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
ginx
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Location: Warwickshire

Re: How much work should dd do in holidays for gs?

Post by ginx »

Thanks, yoyo123. We do go out, every day, because we'd go mad if we stayed in every day - and it is lovely to go out with all of my children with no time constraints.

She's been busy making friendship bracelets all afternoon, she wants to cycle round distributing them to all her friends tomorrow.

I'm beginning to wish I'd never mentioned her reading homework.

But the reading scheme is fantastic, dd2 considers herself too grown up to do it, but ds2 who is 7 thinks it is great, and has already read one book - so we are going to the library tomorrow to tell the librarian all about it.
Okanagan
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Re: How much work should dd do in holidays for gs?

Post by Okanagan »

I'd have thought that if she lists the ones she's already read, and then just does some of the reading log stuff for books which are new to her they'd be happy with that. It's probably meant as suggestions rather than asking them to read all of them.

ds doesn't have a definitive reading list, but there are some suggestions/examples given, and he only actually has to analyse and write up one. He has quite a lot of other holiday work though - Art, Dance, Drama, Music, French, German, Spanish, Opening Minds, PSHE, maths, a science investigation and a technology (cooking) task. Just the task sheets, let alone the work (some of them are projects to produce booklets or posters for example) add up to a fairly thick folder. To be fair he has already done the languages ones, and about half the PSHE which is the biggest one, but there's definitely too much to leave it all to the last week!

To be honest after having to work during last summer's "holiday" because of the exam at the end of it I'd been hoping he could have more of a break this year - so we're trying to schedule it so that he does at least get at couple of weeks where he's not actually going to do any of it apart from the reading (you could argue that he's doing a lot of PE holiday work though, which he hasn't actually been set, as there's plenty of sport on his agenda!).
mystery
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Re: How much work should dd do in holidays for gs?

Post by mystery »

Oh no. The dreaded posters even before the first day of term. Ginx's reading list sounds wondrous by comparison.
ginx
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Location: Warwickshire

Re: How much work should dd do in holidays for gs?

Post by ginx »

Looking back, I'm really glad that when my older two started at our comp, there was no work given for the holidays at all. Not even in the grammar stream.

When they started school, a lot of the homework was to cover their books - then add the dreaded sticky backed plastic - nightmare.

Mystery, you're right. Dd2's reading list is a piece of cake by comparison. She read a new book last night (too quick, yet again) and said it was good but "weird". That's what I want; for her to read books that are "weird" as they make her think - well, I hope they make her think.

Okanagan, sounds like your ds has a lot of work to do. Rather you than me - especially after last summer. Although ours is only the reading and reading log, dd2 is refusing to do any in France. That's fine by me. We did nothing in France last year either, it's a break.

I've told her I'm not nagging her to do her reading, but I will be checking from the reading log that she's done something. I enjoy chatting about books with her, it's my kind of thing - now, maths, German, science - I could not discuss. Dh had the joy of helping ds1 with simultaneous equations last night. Dh could not do them, after a long time on the computer he worked out how, then had problems explaining to ds1, who is going into year 11. They look impossible to me. Homework! Ds1 wants to do this as he can sit Maths early if he does well in mocks - in September. I don't think he will do well enough, but am impressed he wants to try. This is the first time ever that ds1 has shown any interest in doing any homework in the holidays. Perhaps he is finally realising gcse's are important. :)
mystery
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Re: How much work should dd do in holidays for gs?

Post by mystery »

Why do you think she read it too fast?
Amber
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Re: How much work should dd do in holidays for gs?

Post by Amber »

He has quite a lot of other holiday work though - Art, Dance, Drama, Music, French, German, Spanish, Opening Minds, PSHE, maths, a science investigation and a technology (cooking) task. Just the task sheets, let alone the work (some of them are projects to produce booklets or posters for example) add up to a fairly thick folder. To be fair he has already done the languages ones, and about half the PSHE which is the biggest one, but there's definitely too much to leave it all to the last week!
Good heavens! None of mine has been set anything to do, to which I would say 'thank goodness', but given that there are already signs of boredom setting in, exacerbated by tiredness caused by continual camping, I think a few posters or booklets would be a welcome distraction from attempting to kill each other or winding me up. Maybe I will suggest a little Dance - that sounds like just the kind of summer work which would be guaranteed to produce a reaction here!
mystery
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Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:56 pm

Re: How much work should dd do in holidays for gs?

Post by mystery »

What is Opening Minds when it's at home? It's the only bit that sounds interesting to me. DIY brain surgery?
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