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Spellings, reading logs and homework: how to keep track without asking your child
Debs · Updated 25 September 2026
The short answer
Keep one weekly note per child with three things: this week's spelling words and test day, the books read this week, and any homework with its due date. Fill it in the day the spellings or homework come home, not the night before the test. Then the reading log, the practice and the hand-in day stop depending on a seven-year-old's memory.
"What are your spellings this week?" "Don't know." "When's the test?" "Friday. Or Tuesday." "How many books have you read for your log?" "Loads." Every family has this conversation at 8.15am, usually while someone is looking for a shoe. The spelling list came home on a slip of paper that has since become a paper aeroplane, and the reading log wants a number nobody wrote down.
Why schoolwork is so easy to lose track of
Letters and trips arrive by email, so at least they're written down somewhere. Schoolwork doesn't. Spellings come home on a slip, in the reading record, on the class app or out of your child's mouth, slightly wrong. Homework is set on one day and due on another. The reading log needs a running count across the week. None of it lands anywhere you'd naturally look.
- Spellings: usually a new list each week, with a test on the same day each week.
- Reading: a log or record book that wants a count of books, pages or minutes.
- Homework: often set on a Friday and due the following week.
- Tests: times tables, spelling tests and, in older years, assessments with revision.
Your child is a brilliant speller of the word "Minecraft". The weekly list, less so. Write it down the day it comes home.
Left: a photo of the spelling list takes three seconds and survives the paper aeroplane stage. Right: a quick tally each time a book is finished means the reading log is filled in, not guessed.
Step 1: One weekly note per child
Make one note for each child with three headings: Spellings, Reading this week, Homework and tests. When the spelling list appears, type the words in (or photograph the slip) and add the test day. When homework is set, add what it is and when it's due.
Keep it somewhere you'll both see it. A shared note or family app beats the fridge, because the fridge doesn't come to work with you and your partner can't check it from the car park.
The spelling test is on Friday. The time to find the list is Monday, not 8.45am Friday.
Step 2: Five minutes, twice a week
Pick two evenings, say Tuesday and Thursday. Read out the spelling words and let them write them down, add any books finished to the reading tally, and check what homework is due next. That's it: practice happens before the test, the reading log has a real number in it, and homework goes back on the right day instead of the day after.
What to write down, and when
Most primary schools follow a weekly rhythm. Adjust the days to match your child's class.
| Thing | When it comes home | What to note |
|---|---|---|
| Spellings | Start of the week | The words and the test day |
| Reading | As books are finished | Title and the day read |
| Homework | Often Friday | What it is and the due day |
| Tests | Letter, email or class app | The day and what to revise |
Mistakes we've all made
- Asking for the spellings at breakfast on test day, when the list is "in my bag" (it is not in the bag).
- Filling in the reading log from memory on Sunday night and guessing "about four".
- Keeping the homework due date in your head, where it lives next to the dentist appointment you also forgot.
- One parent knowing the spellings and the other doing bedtime, so the practice never happens.
When to let an app do it (yes, another app, but hear us out)
Debs, your own school admin assistant, has a Schoolwork page for each child: this week's spelling words with a "Test me" button that reads them out one at a time, the books read this week with a running count for the reading log, homework with a Done button, and tests coming up. Photograph the spelling slip or just tell Debs "Sam's spellings are because, friend and school, test on Friday", and she'll remind you the night before. Everyone in the family sees the same list, so whoever does bedtime can do the practice. See how it works.
Questions parents ask
How do I keep track of my child's spelling words?
Write the words down or take a photo the day the list comes home, and note the test day. Then practise twice during the week rather than the morning of the test. A shared note or family app means both parents can see the list.
How do I fill in a school reading log accurately?
Keep a running tally as books are finished, with the title and the day, rather than trying to remember at the end of the week. Many parents keep the tally on their phone and copy it into the log on the day it's due.
When is homework usually due in primary school?
It varies by school and class, but homework is often set on a Friday and due the following week. Check the class letter or app, and note the due day the day it's set.