My son has just turned 7 and is in first grade at public school (in Australia). He did Kindergarten twice as he was a bit young to go on to first, and not quite mature enough to handle the workload. He has been doing great until this term.
I’m really concerned about the homework and spelling words his teachers are sending home every week this term.
Each week he gets a new list of 15 words to learn. Many he can’t even read on the Monday – and by the Friday he has a spelling test where he has to be able to read, spell and write the words.
For the most part – this isn’t a problem. He enjoys the challenge and we spend at least an hour every night going over them and practicing.
My problem is the words themselves – they always range from short to long. Many are words like Going, Gone, Push, Pull, Helmet, Bike, Pedal and Ride – these I think are appropriate for his level.
However – this last week he also had to learn Bicycle, Energy, Energetic, and Because … which I believe are too advanced for 1st grade, to be spelling at least.
They haven’t covered the more basic and day-to-day words like House, Tiger, Plant and Print yet – they are supposed to learn Because??
I know he isn’t the only one having trouble – because last week he came home with the same sheet as the previous week – with the words he didn’t get right highlighted. I believe that everyone in the class got the same thing.
It is putting it off his homework because it is so hard. I am having to teach them to him by rote – so he can do the test – and the next week he forgets half of them again. This is defeating the purpose of the education in the first place.
Anyway – I’m going to go talk to his teachers – I just want to know if anyone agrees with me that the words ARE very difficult for his level … or if schooling these days is just that much more advanced? (My friend’s daughter – in a private school – is in 5th grade, and said she only learned the word Because last year).
For the record – I’m an extremely avid reader – and was reading short novels at the age of 4. It is true that it came very naturally to me – and yes, I am frustrated that he struggles with it. But I believe that he is fairly average in his ability and in his class. I’m going to have him assessed for a reading difficulty (like dyslexia) but that is not what I am asking here.
I am in particular interested in responses from teachers or educators or other parents with kids in 1st or 2nd grade.
Well, those words are quite hard. When i was in year one i wasn’t learning words like that. speak to the teacher, she may listen to you.
Teachers like to know what parents think.
I can kind of understand because, since it is a really common word that they use in their writing.
In NZ we use essential word lists so that the kids learn the most frequently used words first.
My bigger issue is that sending home words to memorise is not a way for kids to learn to spell. The experience that you have of your son forgetting how to spell words that he has rote learned. I have older kids and they do the same thing. (I send spelling home because I have to) I’d far rather teach them spelling rules and patterns than send home lists.
By all means, talk to the teacher about your concerns. She may have a reason.
I do think that the words are a little on the difficult side. I would definitely talk to the teacher to see what he or she has to say. It could be that some of those words are in a story that they are reading that week. Or it could be that the teacher had another parent that is complaining that the words were too easy, so the teacher added more difficult ones.