Is there a way to help your child with homewrok

kelloggs36

The point is that it shouldn't take YOU any time other than a quick 5 mins discussion - surely in your busy day you can find the time to do that? It should be the CHILD who is taking the time out to actually do the work. Teachers with families have the same problems you know - in fact we have even LESS time than average as we have to plan the lessons in our own time too.

My personal stance is that don't force them and give them the choice of doing it or facing the consequences from school. In my class, if children haven't done their homework at home then they will do it during their break or lunchtime. As it is school policy, it isn't a choice whether to do it or not. As with PE, the number of children who 'forget' their PE kits every week is extremely irritating. It is part of the curriculum and therefore a legal requirement for them to take part to their best abilities, unless physically unable.

Back to homework though - the most irritating thing about it is when I mark work which has clearly been done by the parent - completely pointless. The point is to either consolidate work done in class, or to assess what they can do. I can't do either if the parent has done it for them. I would much rather a note be written in to say that the child could not do it at all - although they should be as it is should be set to their level. That way I could spend a few minutes with that child sorting out the issue.

kelloggs36

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

I have to disagee with this, particularly for the older ones. The school day used to be far longer than it is and this is still the case in most of continental Europe.

Not in Germany it isn't!!! They start at 7.30am and finish at 12.50pm. This was the norm when I was there last year.

In France and Spain, the actual working school day was no longer than ours, as they have very long lunchbreaks - of over 2 hours. Many schools here have less than an hour.

Oldernotwiser

Taye wrote: »

I always explain that my child spends 7 hours in school

This links into my earlier point about the length of the school day. I don't know where you live but locally schools start at 0830 and finish at 1400, making a 5 1/2 hour day, including lunch and breaks. I son't know any schools who work for 7 hours, even assuming you've forgotten to deduct lunch, breaks and assembly.

Oldernotwiser

kelloggs36 wrote: »

Not in Germany it isn't!!! They start at 7.30am and finish at 12.50pm. This was the norm when I was there last year.

In France and Spain, the actual working school day was no longer than ours, as they have very long lunchbreaks - of over 2 hours. Many schools here have less than an hour.

I didn't know that about Germany but I do think that French and Spanish scools have much longer hours - many parents on ex pat forums complain about the length of the school day.
As an example
"Maternelle school hours are usually from 09.00 to 16.30 with an hour and a half for lunch. Primary schools generally have 26 hours per week from around 08.45 to 16.30 with 90 minutes or 2 hours for lunch break. Colleges usually start at 08.30 and finish at 17.00, again with 90 minutes or so for lunch. Actual start and finish times will vary according to each local school and should be checked when registering your children there." (College in this context is from about 11 to 15.)

Taught time in the UK is 23.5 hours.

kelloggs36

Some of my university colleagues did their teaching practice in France and Spain and they finished between 4 and 4.30pm and started about 8, but taking off the 2 hours lunchbreak leaves no more hours than we spend in school teaching.

James123_2

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Once upon a time primary education was about more than mastering the basics! Is that really all we expect from 7 years of education?

No, of course not. Schools should help to create well-rounded individuals and instill in them a love of learning. However, as a starting point, primary education should be about the 'basics'. Sadly, many children leave primary education with only a flaky understanding of how to read, write and add-up. All this despite the fact that we start our children in primary ed earlier than almost any other country and that we've been throwing a shed-load of ££££ into education in the last 10+ years.

James123_2

When I taught in Spain we worked from 8:30 - 12:30. The afternoons were set aside for games and activities. This always seemed like a great way of partitioning the day and it certainly got results.

Taye

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

This links into my earlier point about the length of the school day. I don't know where you live but locally schools start at 0830 and finish at 1400, making a 5 1/2 hour day, including lunch and breaks. I son't know any schools who work for 7 hours, even assuming you've forgotten to deduct lunch, breaks and assembly.

Ooops yes i stand corrected, my school start at 8:45 and finish at 3:15 ... so a 6.5 hour day i'll discount lunch so 5.5 (even at work you get coffee breaks) still i think a 5.5 hour day is quite long enough to expect a 5-10 year old to concentrate and stay focused on the task at hand without sending them home with hours worth of work then too.

As i said i don't like homework every night for children so young, i don't mind alittle at weekends if required to get them into habit for when they are older.

However i strongly belive it shouldn't be every night no-wonder kids have no motivation. If they are focus'ed in the classroom they are mentally exhusted by the time they come home, if the children are going to bed at a reasonable time there simply isn't enough hours in the day for extra work.

Anyway i refuse to let my son do homework and have told his teachers so if they have a problem with it they can see me. Yet even though they insist it is SOOOOO important, my eldest is still one of the top student's in his school never mind his year and it doens't seem to be doing him any harm whatsoever. My youngest isn't doing to badly either, granted not as well but he's certainly not dragging behind his peers.

Personally i think the education of children should happen at home as well as in the classroom, but i don't think sending kids home with scraps of paper full of sums is the home education they need, simple things like sitting down with a good book with mum or dad, conversation, shopping even playing can all be educational.

Gingham_Ribbon

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

I have to disagee with this, particularly for the older ones. The school day used to be far longer than it is and this is still the case in most of continental Europe.

It doesn't matter whether others have had it harder. It's a long day and as a teacher I know how difficult the children find it to concentrate by the end of the day. They go from classroom to classroom and spend an hour at a time having to listen, work, concentrate, then move on where they're expected to do it all again and their concentration does flag. Some of them simply won't be able to concentrate on more work straight after school and they'll be much more able to work after dinner, others will want to get it over and done with so they can relax (as they should be allowed to do.)

Ivrytwr3

Is there a way to help your child with homewrok

Yes, whenever they ask how to spell something, point them in the direction of spellchecker or a dictionary!