TEACHER'S OR PARENT'S ADVICE REQ - HOW MUCH HOMEWORK SHOULD MY 11 YR OLD GET?

I hated marking the bl**dy stuff.

I'm only ks2 but once the kids had done it they couldn't have given two hoots about it. It was only so the parents could compare...

I had to also give differentiated homework at 3 different levels for maths and english.

I taught yr3 and yr4!!!

Also, when I was at school, there was a lot more rigour - eg do 30 maths problems, 20 physics problems, etc.

As a teacher, I loathe homework. If they don't do it, you have to discipline them, and you have to be disciplined yourself about what you set and when.

How come my school missed out on that one?

..and I grew up to be a teacher too!

I had loads of homework when I was at school 25 years ago.

I'm 31 and a crap proof reader sorry for sp mistakes!

I don;t remember doing an hour a night let alone 1 1/2. I was a a talented 'cellist and spent most of my time at school either doing some sport thing or music rehearsal. I didn't really revise for my exams (none of my friends did!?!?) We all got good ish grade, went to uni godd good ish degrees.

Does anyone else have this memoery of homework or is it just me?
When did homework become this much?

3 x 20 minutes or 2 x 30 minutes, not including reading or projects, seems to be pretty normal for years 7 and 8.

It's not really the quantity of the homework that's important, but the actual tasks that they are being asked to do - and what happens to it when it goes back to school.

"Has anybody got any research to prove that homework actually makes any difference at all? My dd starts secondary school in September and we have been warned to expect 90 minutes or so a night. She will have a train journey and will be lucky to be home by 4.30-5.00. A bit of chill out time takes us to 5.30 -5.45. Then 90 minutes homework - 7.00. Dinner, bath, bed. Where is music practice, sports training, playing with little brother, family time, hobbies, reading, messing about, scouts, dancing....I coulde continue. I reckon if they work them properly at school there should be no need for homework!"

I couldnt agree more katelyle. I hate homework.

Hi

Thanks for that research very interesting and backs up what a lot of parents think. Not sure why some schools do not keep to this and maybe it is a state vs private/grammar thing.

It would be interesting to look at homework policy from year 7 and GCSE results...

I think one hour is reasonable however he is not given any homework in year 7 (even though school say that homework is set). However, my son's friends at private school have huge amounts of homework per day but don't agree with more than an hour a day...

M

Bother, said Pooh!

katelyle, I've found a summary of a set of research papers on homework. From the link below look at the "Time spent on homework and achievement" section. I've not read it all, but the earlier abstracts seem to suggest that for moderate homework amounts (1hr+ or 1-3 hrs) there is a positive correlation between amount of homework and acheivement.

www.nfer.ac.uk/publications/other-publications/downloadable-reports/recent-research-on-homewo rk-an-annotated-bibliography.cfm

Flamingtomato - I think I'm with you on this! My problem is that, however hard I try, I just can't persuade myself that they need to do homework at all! My dd's going to a grammar schoo where, as the head says they "set a cracking pace" during the school day. And they have all sorts of clubs and things at lunch time, and I want her to be outside as much as possible as well. I haven't got a solution, but i want to moan as well!

If I had a solution I'd be a rich lady - but I don't have to not moan just because I don't know the answer.

I think we should make kids stay at school until 18, and spread the education they receive out for another 2 years, then you wouldn't have to ram it all down a child's throat in order to fit it all in.

A 12 year old can need 10 or 11 hours sleep a night sometimes!

So what's your solution FlamingTomato? Should she give up some activities (that presumably she wants to do) to do the homework or get into trouble at school for not doing it? If the child REALLY wants to do the activities then they have to make time for them somehow.

DS1 will occasionally do his homework at school, it suits him sometimes.

We really struggle to get DS2 (yr 5) to do homework at home, so occasionally we arrange for him to do it in the school lunch-break, with everyone's agreement - including his. He's happy to do this and gets it done.

Year 7s in the school where I work have a homework timetable - I'd say its spread at 1 or 2 subjects a day (sometimes they get away with no homework though) but now they are winding down for summer hols - hoemwork has dwindled. Each subject shouldn't take longer than 30mins. Some of the kids who work faster in class end up with less as often the homwork is 'finish off classwork'

45 minutes a night chill out time?

I'd rather have a child that's dim but happy.

I think it's disgusting to be expected to work through lunch just so you have enough time to eat, sleep, and do anything extra curricular - at 12. That's why the sceptical face. What sort of life is that?

The more other activities you want to do the more organisation you need. Sometimes, even if you're 12, that might mean working through lunch if you really want to go out to scouts/dance class/whatever on a 'heavy' homework night. I don't see why the sceptical face? I always used to do my homework on the train & I've seen other kids doing this recently too. If it doesn't appeal, then this might be where reading/some chill-out happens. Music practise might be before school; the 3/4 hr chill time on getting home in practise will often include some playing with little brother, family time, hobbies, reading or messing about. And there's always the weekends too.

I expect that it won't be as much as 90mins every night, so, if she's prepared to be organised, there probably will be time for a fair few activities too.

Mmmm, working through lunch at 12 years old... great.

FWIW my friend used to get set extra homework by her mother and she still resents her for it nearly 20 years later.

Our children are not preparing for life, they are living their life.

Y8 are known for being the underachieving year nationally.

Y9's have SATS and that is what focuses them IMO. Also they only start to improve after Christmas. Until then they are still like Y8's

Forgive me Roisin, but I'm choosing to ignore your post about yr 9s, and going with Fizzbuzz's. (I have to have some optimism, lol)

DS1 is coming to the end of Yr 8, and I'm hoping for big improvements in Yr 9, lol.

He's not doing too bad generally (he's still doing quite well), but he was highly motivated in primary, did well in Yr 7 (but had less homework than expected), whereas in Yr 8 he seems to have lost a lot of interest.

Am hoping the summer break will recharge his batteries and set him up for a good Yr9.

katelyle, don't know the answer, but she should be able to do some at lunchtimes or on the train if she has other activities that she doesn't want to miss.

My experience is that the amount of homework varies, not only according to the schools/teachers, but also very much according to the child. Some will get more done in class and/or do a less thorough job of it at home and so appear to have very little, whereas others make a great meal out of whatever is set producing very detailed projects and so can spend ages on the same homework.

I love Y9, they are my favourite year! They really are much better than 7 or 8 in our school..........and yes they do listen better and concentrate harder.

Fizzbuzz - ROFL at your descriptions of yr9s. Ours are nothing like this at all: they are not laid back, quieter, or more mature. And they certainly can't listen better and concentrate more.