Homework - 9 yr old -year 4.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Homework is more for the benefit of the anxious parent, not the child. If the teacher is good enough, they should be able to teach the stuff within school time.

[quoted from my niece, a primary school deputy head teacher]

Kids spend more time being made to jump through hoops than learning anything. It's no use if they don't understand it in class, to give it to them to not understand it at home either.

[quoted from niece #2, a secondary school department head]

It's more work for the teacher than anyone else, as the people who demand it, generally do it all for their kids anyway as part of the keeping up with everyone else attitude.

[quoted by niece #3, undecided on speciality yet but heading for 1:1 on current results]

Oldernotwiser

3onitsway wrote: »

Mine is 9, year 4 and gets reading book to be completed in a week - a chapter every night ish.
A project/topic gets given out on a Tuesday, to be given in the following Monday.
A maths sheet on the Tuesday, to be given in on the Monday,
and times tables to be practised all week, for tests on Friday.

I personally think its too much - i'm sure I didn't get homework until big school.

But reading isn't really work when they're 9 and can already read,so that's only 2 pieces of work and practising tables.

patchwork_cat

The point that is being missed by nay sayers is IMO 2 fold - homework at Primary is important to bridge the gap between school and home,to include parents in a child's learning is imperative.

Also as I have already said at GCSE etc. the work can not be covered purely during school time and if you do not give the children an appropriate level of homework throughout their school life it is a very nasty shock when they suddenly have to do an hour a night, they do not develop a good work ethic and it is much more of a struggle.

I have observed that the children that acheive well at secondary school frequently have teachers as parents!! Out of the 5 all A's and A*'s GCSE results at my son's school last year 4 had at least one parent that was a teacher! So to Milliebear whose parents are pushy and middle class maybe they just see this too and want their equally bright children to acheive as well, but not having the inside information they have to nag the teacher they know. Also I bet these 4 kids were given plenty of work at home to develop a good work ethic!

Before anyone thinks I am teacher bashing - I am not - 2 of my grandparents were teachers as are my brother and sister.

MrsAnnie

I wholeheartedly agree with patchwork cat.

And I fail grasp the idea of parents not getting involved in the teaching of their children because they feel that 'education' should be left to the teacher and the school. IMO unless a child is exceptionally gifted, then I think parents should be reinforcing school work at home, either by overseeing homework, guidance with projects or providing other appropriate homework.

Reading a school report and attending parent meetings does not make a parent an active part in their child's formal education.

milliebear00001

patchwork_cat wrote: »

The point that is being missed by nay sayers is IMO 2 fold - homework at Primary is important to bridge the gap between school and home,to include parents in a child's learning is imperative.

Also as I have already said at GCSE etc. the work can not be covered purely during school time and if you do not give the children an appropriate level of homework throughout their school life it is a very nasty shock when they suddenly have to do an hour a night, they do not develop a good work ethic and it is much more of a struggle.

I have observed that the children that acheive well at secondary school frequently have teachers as parents!! Out of the 5 all A's and A*'s GCSE results at my son's school last year 4 had at least one parent that was a teacher! So to Milliebear whose parents are pushy and middle class maybe they just see this too and want their equally bright children to acheive as well, but not having the inside information they have to nag the teacher they know. Also I bet these 4 kids were given plenty of work at home to develop a good work ethic!

Before anyone thinks I am teacher bashing - I am not - 2 of my grandparents were teachers as are my brother and sister.

But homework has only been common in the primary years for the last ten/fiftenn years. It is not essential to success and is often counter productive when it turns children off their learning, or leads to a situation where children are taught a different method to the one taught in school. I don't buy the idea that homework is suddenly a big 'shock' if they haven't had it before secondary. Not the case with previous generations so why should it be so now? Children are extremely adaptable - they very quickly get used to the changing demands upon them - of which there are many in secondary.

Parents can develop a work ethics in their children in plenty of ways - just as they used to - without having to resort to 'more schoolwork'. Surely we, as parents, could be a little more creative than that? Certainly not arguing that parents are not involved in their children's learning - rather that the learning doesn't always have to be 'formal'.

Nothing chills the blood more than the sight of a 7 year old poring over some dull, awful workbook at the kitchen table, when they could be chatting about their day, being read to, talked to, learning through play, having fun etc etc...

dangers

Sore subject in this household! Our school stopped spellings a couple of years ago as the teachers found that the children weren't retaining their knowledge when tested again a few weeks later. We do have a numeracy worksheet to do once a week and we have the dreaded 'Home Learning' which is topic based. Last term we had about 6 weeks to make a 2d or 3d tudor house and write a piece about one of the rooms within the house. The idea behind it is that parents are able to get involved with their children's work. Some parents do the art work themselves and you can tell by the finished articles!
When you live in a very busy household, these projects are not welcomed. We handed our house in last Tuesday, there was a display in the classrooms on Thursday and the next lot of home learning came out on the Friday. We now have an island to produce to include rivers, names of places on the island and special features to the make the island 'perfect'. Again we have a piece of written work to go with it and all of this has to be handed in just after the Easter holidays.
The parents would prefer proper worksheets so at least you know what your child is supposed to be learning and you can support the school that way

(sorry for the essay)

wornoutmumoftwo

I have a 6 year old in P1 and a 7 year ol in P2 and they both have homework four nights a week, to be done that night (mon-thurs). It is done this way to reinforce learning that has been taught in the school that day.

We have been told that at this level homework should take no more than 10/15 minutes respectively, and I love sitting down and helping them. It's usually a maths sheet (10 questions) and a reading book for P1.

P2 get 10 maths questions, spelling and a reading book. My elder son was reading at 3 so is very advanced in reading and spelling, his writing however is attrotious (can't spell tonight) and home work is a battle, for although he is capable as far as he's concerned school work should remain at school (bless him), while my younger boy can't wait to do homework.

patchwork_cat

milliebear00001 wrote: »

But homework has only been common in the primary years for the last ten/fiftenn years. It is not essential to success and is often counter productive when it turns children off their learning, or leads to a situation where children are taught a different method to the one taught in school. I don't buy the idea that homework is suddenly a big 'shock' if they haven't had it before secondary. Not the case with previous generations so why should it be so now? Children are extremely adaptable - they very quickly get used to the changing demands upon them - of which there are many in secondary.

Parents can develop a work ethics in their children in plenty of ways - just as they used to - without having to resort to 'more schoolwork'. Surely we, as parents, could be a little more creative than that? Certainly not arguing that parents are not involved in their children's learning - rather that the learning doesn't always have to be 'formal'.

Nothing chills the blood more than the sight of a 7 year old poring over some dull, awful workbook at the kitchen table, when they could be chatting about their day, being read to, talked to, learning through play, having fun etc etc...

As a parent of 2 children that have and are going through secondary school I beg to differ. It is a nasty shock to some kids at GCSE and I can state this categorically as it was to my DS. You will find teachers who agree with me. I am sure it is incorrect that homework at Primary school is a new concept, I had homework at Prep school some 30+ years ago. I can also remember my Headmaster grandfather spending a lot of time going through maths with my brother when he was less than 11, so there is one teacher that felt teaching at home on a one to one basis was necessary 35 years ago.

In fact I just found a reference to homework in under 10's in 1935. http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6015783 interesting article.

I don't think that any parent is recommending that little Johnny has 1 hr of homework a night at 9, but to sit and concentrate for 20 minutes is not going to stop him interacting or learning in an informal manner. How can we instill a good work ethic in primary age children without formal working at home. Kids have to learn that they can't always only do things that interests them, but that doing them is a means to an end.

I am aware that the teaching profession is divided on this topic and I am afraid that I side with the pro camp, although all things in moderation.

milliebear00001

patchwork_cat wrote: »

As a parent of 2 children that have and are going through secondary school I beg to differ. It is a nasty shock to some kids at GCSE and I can state this categorically as it was to my DS. I had homework at Prep school some 30+ years ago.

Well, forgive me if I like to have a bit more to rest my opinions on than just your (or my) personal experiences. I am not sure though, why it would ever be a shock 'at GCSE'. Surely by then, they've had homework for at least three years!

Prep schools have always been much more focused on piling on extra work - the clue is in their title 'preparatory' (i.e. for exam passing). State primary schools have not traditionally given homework. My own gives very little today.

Lunar_Eclipse

MrsAnnie wrote: »

I wholeheartedly agree with patchwork cat.

And I fail grasp the idea of parents not getting involved in the teaching of their children because they feel that 'education' should be left to the teacher and the school. IMO unless a child is exceptionally gifted, then I think parents should be reinforcing school work at home, either by overseeing homework, guidance with projects or providing other appropriate homework.

Reading a school report and attending parent meetings does not make a parent an active part in their child's formal education.

Well that's me! I'll try to explain why:

I send my children to school to cover the contents of the national curriculum, otherwise I would home educate (which I have considered.) I do not expect nor wish to support a long (enough) school day by doing what I consider to be the basics at home, certainly not at primary school level. If my children cannot master reading comprehension, punctuation, long division etc at school then I believe the school and teachers are failing them and I would reconsider my options. As a non home-schooling parent, I believe I have other things to teach them, so it's nothing to do with lazy parenting, it's about expecting schools to perform their function and having faith in their teachers to do so. Children need down time and to recognise that there is more to life than academics; it's about balance. I also feel this is particularly important for those children who do not excel academically, because they need to find their own strengths and outside interests, yet interestingly they are the ones most likely to be given extra work by their parents, private tutors etc.

I am in my late 30's and do not recall homework until my O Level years. I coped well. I graduated with a 1st and am by no means gifted academically. I do however have two gifted children, so perhaps that has shaped my view of academics being covered during their school day and hobbies, quality family time, playing, sport etc being for outside school hours. The day is too short for homework.

My parents were not involved in my education apart from the occasional bit of homework help for my A-levels; Maths primarily. In contrast to this and despite the above, I am heavily involved and very on the ball as far as my children's attainment and progress is concerned, but I honestly wish I didn't feel the need for this to be the case.

I would be in favour of no homework (and personally I have never seen reading as homework.) The Head of our school has said on more than one occasion that we get homework because parents ask for it; I have never understood that. Is it because they feel it's a form of communication from the school, so they can see how easily/quickly their children do their homework, or some kind of parental anxiety and insecurity being projected onto one's offspring - fear of them failing?

Where has the freedom, fun and adventure gone for today's children?