Homework for children

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  • fainéantfainéant Posts: 2,654
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    Your child's education is so important. Do your very best to support the school in educating your child. They are the experts in education. The children who do best in education are the ones who's parents encourage them every step of the way.

    Doing a bit of homework is a really great habit to get into. I'm completely astonished that anyone could object to it.
    It does have to be relevant, unlike the teacher, far from being an expert, who thought it a good homework task for a class of 7 year olds to check out star constellations when it didn't get dark enough until well past their bedtime. :)
  • dearmrmandearmrman Posts: 21,434
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    So various sites on the Internet is your evidence :D

    Teachers are qualified professionals, who have completed teacher training. I trust the teachers at my kid's school to do what's best. Mine get homework and me or the wife sit with them in the evening and help them with it. We are showing an interest in their school work, we are encouraging them to study and learn and we get to know what they are learning at school. Ever since they were small we've encouraged them with learning and will continue to do this very important job.

    If anyone has a real problem with a school's philosophy they should consider changing schools. Parents and teachers are a joint effort when it comes to education and any parent who does not fully support the school and the teachers will end up with kids who do not value their education.

    I really hope you are encouraging your children, but I sort of get the feeling from your posts, that you might be pushing your children..which I hope isn't the case.

    Not all teachers believe homework is right for smaller children see the previous post from the teacher, or do you not trust their judgement, after all they are a qualified professional?
  • laser558laser558 Posts: 470
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    I am a firm believer in 'childhood' we have been foster carers for a lot of years and have helped many young people but one of the primary policies we have in our house is that however young or old the children are when they are at home if they want to 'play' they can - we actively encourage them to play with toys, computer games, make believe and dress-up we have had 18 year old lads spend the whole of Saturday and Sunday building something out of Lego - and groups of young people (our foster children and their friends from the community) having a Monopoly marathon - now I think that is more educational than a two page essay on the Elizabethan period - which is more relevant - social interaction and learning about building a house - buying a house etc. or writing using different words what you read of a inter-web site?

    Again, I support everything you say here. Tonight, I'm relieved that my son's teacher could not prepare homework for this evening, so apart from reading, we have a free night!
  • John259John259 Posts: 28,322
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    If you or your child doesn't understand how to complete a piece of homework, the BBC's Bitesize web site may prove very helpful. It covers all the main subjects with age ranges from starting school to GCSE.
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize
  • StudmuffinStudmuffin Posts: 4,377
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    The thing I like about homework is that it gives my son one on one time to sort out any issues over a subject he might not quite get. In a classroom full of other kids a teacher cannot do this with every child and I see it as my responsibility to my son, his teacher and his other classmates to make sure he's keeping up fully. He misses several lessons a week due to special classes he has to attend* so the shortfall has to be made up somewhere. At home is the perfect place, there are no distractions, not 20 other kids needing my attention and no stress. 9/10 he does the work himself, I check it and if there any mistakes we go over the how and why and he corrects them. At most it's 30 minutes extra out of his day, it benefits him massively in school and I do not believe this 30 minutes robs him in any way of his childhood.

    *The school provides occupational therapy amongst other things that my son attends.
  • HotgossipHotgossip Posts: 22,385
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    DMN1968 wrote: »
    It annoys me when the teachers set a large amount of homework, yet rarely mark it. What is the point of setting homework if it is not reviewed to see if it has been done correctly?

    Due to the near total absence of marking from my childs teacher, I end up reviewing their homework with them and telling them what is right and wrong.

    I'd be popping in to see the Head. That's not on at all.
  • turquoiseblueturquoiseblue Posts: 2,431
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    dearmrman wrote: »
    I really hope you are encouraging your children, but I sort of get the feeling from your posts, that you might be pushing your children..which I hope isn't the case.

    Not all teachers believe homework is right for smaller children see the previous post from the teacher, or do you not trust their judgement, after all they are a qualified professional?

    I support the school my children attend and my children know that. I believe it's a good school as the children are happy and are thriving. Our house is full of toys, laughter, games and activities. We play with our children and give them loads of attention. Your feelings are way off and you would do well do avoid making such assumptions based on nothing.

    If parents are really unhappy with the way the school operates they should think about changing. Otherwise they should support the school's philosophies as that is what is best for their children.
  • dearmrmandearmrman Posts: 21,434
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    I support the school my children attend and my children know that. I believe it's a good school as the children are happy and are thriving. Our house is full of toys, laughter, games and activities. We play with our children and give them loads of attention. Your feelings are way off and you would do well do avoid making such assumptions based on nothing.

    If parents are really unhappy with the way the school operates they should think about changing. Otherwise they should support the school's philosophies as that is what is best for their children.

    In that case I do apologise to you.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 8,145
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    My two pence worth- imply sons the same age and has been getting more and more homework as the years go on. I don't agree with it at all and have discussed with school - they will keep sending it but he will only do it if he choses (which he often does).

    My problems with the work are two fold- firstly he is the youngest in the year, he is way behind a lot of the others in maths in particular (not due to being slow or any thing else, just because he's a year younger than most) and yet he gets the same homework, this week he got division by 'chunking' something I've never come across and he didn't get it either saying the teacher hadn't got round to explaining it to him individually.

    Secondly- I don't believe all learning can be done from books or taught. I think life offers as much experience as a class room and when he's at home he learns through play, exploration and time spent with me. Forcing him to sit down and do work he doesn't understand only upsets him, doesn't help him learn and stresses everyone out. By doing things fun together he's learnt all sorts, his reading and writing have come on a ton since we started reading dinosaur related scientific journals (yes we are geeks) and he choses to watch nature documentaries over kids tv (not always but a lot of he time). School is for formal learning, home is for relaxed learning.
  • ChawtonChawton Posts: 210
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    If your child's struggling with the homework, then I think I'd write in his / her home-school book that little Johnny (whoever) tried this; did well at that, but is struggling at such and such a point. Please review with him...

    Surely if a child IS struggling with a piece of work, then the teachers would like to know that ... wouldn't they?
  • John259John259 Posts: 28,322
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    bazaar1 wrote: »
    this week he got division by 'chunking' something I've never come across and he didn't get it either
    Google lists numerous explanations, for example here's the one on Wikipedia:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chunking_%28division%29
    and on Bytesize:
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/maths/number/multiplicationdivisionrev2.shtml
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,753
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    laser558 wrote: »
    I would welcome other parents thoughts about the above subject. My son is 8 and attends the local junior school. He has been receiving homework since the age of 6. I confess, I don't agree with the idea of homework at such an age. It is difficult for my son to become motivated for one thing and then as a parent, I end up becoming the teacher and almost doing it for him on a few subjects. I also learnt today, that if a child fails to hand there homework in on time, they are penalised by not being allowed out at break time. Is it only me that finds this quite outrageous? Let's not forget, we're dealing with 8 year old children here. Children who need some fresh air and the opportunity to run about and interact with children, which in my mind is just as important as any academic work. Your thoughts would be most welcome.


    My son has had homework from almost the say he started in school in reception year (Primary 1 for viewers in Scotland:) -that's what it SHOULD be called everywhere, but that's another argument:D )

    Anyway- I am 100% in agreement with you. To compound matters, at a recent parents' evening we looked at the work he's been doing in school and he's hardly done anything. same for most of the class from talking to other parents. I don't really want to speak against teachers, as I am sure they have it drilled into them that they MUST do certain things by the government and education boards etc. But I do have to say that last year I think he had a much better teacher who got the whole class motivated and he did loads of work in school. This year he's been sent home with 'normal school time work' AND homework in his bag a couple of times. What a difference a few months (and a different teacher) makes.

    That's kind of going off on a separate tangent now, so I will leave that part with saying that most teachers are really good and do the job with real conviction. They try their best while the system is what sometimes lets them down.

    I really don't believe children that young should be getting homework. We make sure he does it, but it can be hard sometimes, especially when he keeps getting stuff like books that are way beneath his current reading level etc. He finds it a chore to read them and we find it a real chore to get him to do it. I am sure this pattern is being repeated up and down the country. The teachers have to achieve targets the school and education authority set. Politicians will say that the targets are needed to keep up this country's standing, and not let literacy/numeracy levels drop and keep up with the rest of the world. Well, I bet the rest of the world, or at least those on the top of the ladder, don't stress their kids out with tons of homework all the time, which only serves to de-motivate them. And I really really bet they don't impose such strict targets and curriculums on schools and teachers. They need to just let good teachers teach and realise that children are not a bunch of robots who all react and all learn the same way. I believe school at the early stages would be more better served if the first few years were about the school system learning about each and every child, and less of the children learning about the school system.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,753
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    bazaar1 wrote: »
    My two pence worth- imply sons the same age and has been getting more and more homework as the years go on. I don't agree with it at all and have discussed with school - they will keep sending it but he will only do it if he choses (which he often does).

    My problems with the work are two fold- firstly he is the youngest in the year, he is way behind a lot of the others in maths in particular (not due to being slow or any thing else, just because he's a year younger than most) and yet he gets the same homework, this week he got division by 'chunking' something I've never come across and he didn't get it either saying the teacher hadn't got round to explaining it to him individually.

    Secondly- I don't believe all learning can be done from books or taught. I think life offers as much experience as a class room and when he's at home he learns through play, exploration and time spent with me. Forcing him to sit down and do work he doesn't understand only upsets him, doesn't help him learn and stresses everyone out. By doing things fun together he's learnt all sorts, his reading and writing have come on a ton since we started reading dinosaur related scientific journals (yes we are geeks) and he choses to watch nature documentaries over kids tv (not always but a lot of he time). School is for formal learning, home is for relaxed learning.


    I think you are really spot on with this. The school system should be run by people like you.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 8,145
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    John259 wrote: »

    I did look it up, but to be honest it sounds like a majorly complicated way around division, which doesn't make any blooming sense!
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 8,145
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    I think you are really spot on with this. The school system should be run by people like you.

    Lol, not a chance I wouldn't have the paitience to deal wih parents like me who think they know best (probably because we do know best ;) )

    But yes, I don't believe in pushing him at home, and because of that he often chooses to do his homework, less pressure (that and he's super OCD about things, can't bear being unorganised which is a bit of a pain considering I attend the 'oh shit we are late' school of parenting)
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
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    I'm aghast at how early children are given homework now. When I was at school (mid 80s to mid 90s), we didn't get any homework until about age 10 and that was only once a week. Later it went up to three times a week, and then at secondary school it became full scale multiple subject homework.

    Also no outside breaks were ever taken away as a penalty for not completing homework. In fact sometimes they tended to have the opposite view, that children must be forced outside in all weathers no matter what. But that's a whole other discussion!

    Teenagers have several years of loads of homework to deal with, which is quite enough. I really think primary school kids should be allowed to enjoy their free time.

    The comments about homework preparing you for the real world don't make much sense to me. How many adults come home from their jobs with extra work to complete at home? Not many I should think. School itself should be helping to prepare children for the real world, not the homework.
  • dancingdaisydancingdaisy Posts: 356
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    My son has had homework from almost the say he started in school in reception year (Primary 1 for viewers in Scotland:) -that's what it SHOULD be called everywhere, but that's another argument:D )

    Anyway- I am 100% in agreement with you. To compound matters, at a recent parents' evening we looked at the work he's been doing in school and he's hardly done anything. same for most of the class from talking to other parents. I don't really want to speak against teachers, as I am sure they have it drilled into them that they MUST do certain things by the government and education boards etc. But I do have to say that last year I think he had a much better teacher who got the whole class motivated and he did loads of work in school. This year he's been sent home with 'normal school time work' AND homework in his bag a couple of times. What a difference a few months (and a different teacher) makes.

    That's kind of going off on a separate tangent now, so I will leave that part with saying that most teachers are really good and do the job with real conviction. They try their best while the system is what sometimes lets them down.

    I really don't believe children that young should be getting homework. We make sure he does it, but it can be hard sometimes, especially when he keeps getting stuff like books that are way beneath his current reading level etc. He finds it a chore to read them and we find it a real chore to get him to do it. I am sure this pattern is being repeated up and down the country. The teachers have to achieve targets the school and education authority set. Politicians will say that the targets are needed to keep up this country's standing, and not let literacy/numeracy levels drop and keep up with the rest of the world. Well, I bet the rest of the world, or at least those on the top of the ladder, don't stress their kids out with tons of homework all the time, which only serves to de-motivate them. And I really really bet they don't impose such strict targets and curriculums on schools and teachers. They need to just let good teachers teach and realise that children are not a bunch of robots who all react and all learn the same way. I believe school at the early stages would be more better served if the first few years were about the school system learning about each and every child, and less of the children learning about the school system.

    BiB-If only!

    There are too many targets and now teachers need to contend with PRP...it's frustrating!

    My children work their socks off and I love them to bits. In my experience low ability children work as hard as high ability children, they just don't have the same thought processes and independence that the HA children have. But when you're 45 and your friend is 44 and 3 months there is very little difference between your knowledge and emotional intelligence, there is a world of difference between an 8 year old and a child who is 7 years and 3 months. That's why schools use data which includes proportion of summer babies V winter babies. Although it makes no difference in regard to targets.

    Sorry OP I'm going off on a tangent.

    I think that you need to speak to the school about your concerns. I like to think that you will be pleasantly surprised by their reaction as not many primary school teachers like to give homework. As for lunchtime/break-time detention for not completing homework...that's appalling! But that is just my opinion. :D

    Bazaar- It is ludicrous that any teacher would send home something as tricky to learn as chunking if it has not been taught in the classroom, now that is something that I would expect any parent to come in a criticise me for if I did something like that, not that I would... :cool: lol.
    As for chunking; it's brilliant. Once you learn it you'll never go back and it is far easier to understand the maths behind the maths than the bus stop method that we were taught in school.

    If you think about 82 divided by 6 you would divide 8 by 6 to make 1 and then carry the 2 to the 2 to make 22...where does 22 come from as 82 - 22 is 60? but you haven't divided 60 by 6 to make 10...
    Whereas using chunking you know already that 6 X 10 = 60, therefore you have 22 left and then work out how many 6s can go into 22....

    6/82 = 1 and 6/22 =3r4 = 13r4

    6/82
    6X 10 = 60
    6 X 3 = 18
    60 + 18 = 78

    Counting on using a number line

    78 ^^^82 (4 jumps)
    10 + 3 = 13
    = 13 r4

    This makes sense in my head but I don't have a whiteboard to scribble on. :D
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,591
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    Homework for young children (under 13) is a total abomination. It ruins all our evenings and weekends when we should be relaxing and having fun together which is JUST as important as school work.

    My kids work really hard at school and I absolutely don't believe that doing extra bits at home which most parents help with anyway, improves their abilities at all.

    I would much rather spend my time with my kids having a cuddle, going to the park, seeing friends and family without the miserable spectre of some stupid worksheet hanging over us.
  • Bob_WhingerBob_Whinger Posts: 1,098
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    The habit of doing homework every day is the best preparation for life the school can give. The facts learned are mostly never used again, but the self discilpline of homework (at home on time) does prepare children for life.
  • John259John259 Posts: 28,322
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    bazaar1 wrote: »
    I did look it up, but to be honest it sounds like a majorly complicated way around division, which doesn't make any blooming sense!
    The theory with chunking is that because it is so simple and obvious, it helps children understand what division is actually doing, whereas the traditional method of long division is so complicated as to be beyond understanding and only capable of being learnt as a meaningless process. In a world where arithmetical calculations can be performed far more rapidly and accurately by electronics, being able to do them manually is of little or no value. Only understanding is of value now.

    There are several practical problems though. Only the most able of pupils will ever be capable of understanding anything in arithmetic and maths. Introducing radical new methods of teaching with which parents aren't familiar sets up the potential for a highly undesirable and confusing dichotomy between home and school (as happened in the past with the Initial Teaching Alphabet and "new maths"). Thirdly, some parents find it difficult to understand (because they're not familiar with it), and some parents are fearful of revealing their ignorance to their children.

    However, our children will have to compete in a situation where unemployment is likely to remain very high, and the country will be competing against countries such as Japan, China and India whose school children are pushed much harder and whose educational achievements are therefore much higher than ours.
  • dearmrmandearmrman Posts: 21,434
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    The habit of doing homework every day is the best preparation for life the school can give. The facts learned are mostly never used again, but the self discilpline of homework (at home on time) does prepare children for life.

    So when does a child get to be a child, and how much homework? Every child is different, even if it is half an hour, you have to remember what half an hour is for one child might be a couple of hours for another.

    In secondary school no problem, but for children 6-11 no. Plenty of ways for a child to learn self discipline without it been homework, finishing that jigsaw, colouring a picture, even completing a computer game, but at least they are having fun doing it. All involves a bit of patience and getting the job done.
  • laser558laser558 Posts: 470
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    John259 wrote: »
    If you or your child doesn't understand how to complete a piece of homework, the BBC's Bitesize web site may prove very helpful. It covers all the main subjects with age ranges from starting school to GCSE.
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize

    Hello John. Yes, thank you for that. We do call on that often and definitely worth posting.
  • laser558laser558 Posts: 470
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    The habit of doing homework every day is the best preparation for life the school can give. The facts learned are mostly never used again, but the self discilpline of homework (at home on time) does prepare children for life.

    I don't wish to disagree with you Bob on this but as dearmrman suggests, every child is different. If I take my own childhood for example. My schooling was at a time when homework was not the norm as it is now. If I look back, there is no way I could have been disciplined enough for homework. That came later but I had to come to that realisation myself. I left school with very little by way of qualifications but certainly life experience. I then made the decision to attend a local college and later university. At both institutions I studied and studied hard both on campus and at home. From having nothing, I ended up with a degree and a job that ensured I was comfortable. What I'm saying here is that there is not one rule for all and that surely is a good thing, otherwise we will all end up being autonomons.
  • laser558laser558 Posts: 470
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    red tulips wrote: »
    Homework for young children (under 13) is a total abomination. It ruins all our evenings and weekends when we should be relaxing and having fun together which is JUST as important as school work.

    My kids work really hard at school and I absolutely don't believe that doing extra bits at home which most parents help with anyway, improves their abilities at all.

    I would much rather spend my time with my kids having a cuddle, going to the park, seeing friends and family without the miserable spectre of some stupid worksheet hanging over us.
    I have to agree with you on this one. Nothing else to say but hear! hear!
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 8,145
    Forum Member
    BiB-If only!

    There are too many targets and now teachers need to contend with PRP...it's frustrating!

    My children work their socks off and I love them to bits. In my experience low ability children work as hard as high ability children, they just don't have the same thought processes and independence that the HA children have. But when you're 45 and your friend is 44 and 3 months there is very little difference between your knowledge and emotional intelligence, there is a world of difference between an 8 year old and a child who is 7 years and 3 months. That's why schools use data which includes proportion of summer babies V winter babies. Although it makes no difference in regard to targets.

    Sorry OP I'm going off on a tangent.

    I think that you need to speak to the school about your concerns. I like to think that you will be pleasantly surprised by their reaction as not many primary school teachers like to give homework. As for lunchtime/break-time detention for not completing homework...that's appalling! But that is just my opinion. :D

    Bazaar- It is ludicrous that any teacher would send home something as tricky to learn as chunking if it has not been taught in the classroom, now that is something that I would expect any parent to come in a criticise me for if I did something like that, not that I would... :cool: lol.
    As for chunking; it's brilliant. Once you learn it you'll never go back and it is far easier to understand the maths behind the maths than the bus stop method that we were taught in school.

    If you think about 82 divided by 6 you would divide 8 by 6 to make 1 and then carry the 2 to the 2 to make 22...where does 22 come from as 82 - 22 is 60? but you haven't divided 60 by 6 to make 10...
    Whereas using chunking you know already that 6 X 10 = 60, therefore you have 22 left and then work out how many 6s can go into 22....

    6/82 = 1 and 6/22 =3r4 = 13r4

    6/82
    6X 10 = 60
    6 X 3 = 18
    60 + 18 = 78

    Counting on using a number line

    78 ^^^82 (4 jumps)
    10 + 3 = 13
    = 13 r4

    This makes sense in my head but I don't have a whiteboard to scribble on. :D
    John259 wrote: »
    The theory with chunking is that because it is so simple and obvious, it helps children understand what division is actually doing, whereas the traditional method of long division is so complicated as to be beyond understanding and only capable of being learnt as a meaningless process. In a world where arithmetical calculations can be performed far more rapidly and accurately by electronics, being able to do them manually is of little or no value. Only understanding is of value now.

    There are several practical problems though. Only the most able of pupils will ever be capable of understanding anything in arithmetic and maths. Introducing radical new methods of teaching with which parents aren't familiar sets up the potential for a highly undesirable and confusing dichotomy between home and school (as happened in the past with the Initial Teaching Alphabet and "new maths"). Thirdly, some parents find it difficult to understand (because they're not familiar with it), and some parents are fearful of revealing their ignorance to their children.

    However, our children will have to compete in a situation where unemployment is likely to remain very high, and the country will be competing against countries such as Japan, China and India whose school children are pushed much harder and whose educational achievements are therefore much higher than ours.

    Lol. I still don't get it (and I've got a blooming science degree!) but I think its just the way its layer out (I'm dyslexic and am great with numbers in my head but when they are written in any sort of structure I can't do them!) - I get the theory now thanks to daisy and I think its actually what I do in my head but the writing of it still doesn't make any bloody sense! poor son has no chance (especially when I've discovered my mum is trying to teach him long division instead - we've just had words about that one :D)

    Id sent a note in and not had a reply yet, which annoys the hell out of me! He goes to a small school and there are 12 in his class, there is no reason she can't spend a few mins with him ensuring he understands it.
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