Proposing a "Homework Corner" as a topic.

I support DS7 doing homework because it gives us a structured excuse for him to be doing writing (something he needs to improve on). I don't have it in me to do writing daily without some external motivation. The homework sheet says give your child whatever support they need to complete the task, as long as all writing is their own. I am very grateful for that clarity.

DS12 refuses to do homework (mostly) which I despair at and I don't want to try the most common strategies I hear for this age group (have tried them all in past with little success!). I have a new plan... will be nice to see if it works in a year's time. And to brainstorm with others with similar problem.

Still, I expect that it would be another barely used topic that could easily be encompassed within primary/secondary topics.

It could be cool.

'the most successful children are those where the parents have a role in the process of education.'

Well, there's a scale here and we may differ in exactly where we think our role ends. Not a complete list or precise order:

1. make sure child is fed before and after school [no, unfortunately this isnt a given in the real world]
2. make sure the child goes to school
3. be supportive of the school
4. provide a suitable place to do homework
5. provide dictionaries, books of many types
6. facilitate computer access (for older children. May be library or supporting them in staying to use school equipment after school)
7. engage in intelligent discussion in general
8. make sure child has time to do homework, remind/nag if essential
9. help child look stuff up in books or net
10. help child phrase answers
11. ask mumsnet for help

TBH the most successful children are probably the ones who get 1-8 but are as independent as possible about the content of their work. [my parents were teachers so as a point of principle I never asked them for help]

I'm glad that you have that attitude as a teacher, Bucharest, and that it's not just lazy parents like me. I had a parents' evening for dd last week, and her work ethic was universally praised. I don't think that she would have developed that if she had got used to the kind of hand-holding I see a bit of from some parents. IME, these are usually the same parents pulling their hair out because their kids don't seem interested in knuckling down to anything resembling independent study when they are older.

Why not give it a go

....and a word to the wise (this time with my teacher hat on) the teacher always knows and is always rolly-eyed about "helping" because the same results are not replicated during classtime.

While I was composing that rather dull and worthy post, Bucharest said it much more effectively.

Children shouldn't be assigned homework that they don't understand- I thought it was meant to be reinforcing learning that has already taken place? If my child appeared genuinely clueless, I would send a note in asking the teacher to explain the topic again. If there are particular areas which children are struggling with, it's as well to let them make their own mistakes, IME, as it then shows the teacher what needs firming up in class.

I support my dd doing GCSEs by providing her with the peace and quiet to study, but I don't recall ever having actually done helped her with the educational aspect of homework. She is self-motivated and getting brilliant results because she has been self-reliant and responsible for the consequences if homework wasn't done, not because I happen to be "lucky" to have a kid with that attitude.

So I suppose I still think that parents getting directly involved in homework is counter-productive. I wouldn't refuse to answer a direct question if she were to ask me, mind, if i could easily remind her of some grammar rule or something like that, but I wouldn't go looking for the answers on mumsnet or googling etc, I don't think.

That said, if other people disagree and do things differently, that's entirely up to them, and they could have their topic without me griping about it. Some redundant topics definitely need culling first though.

Oh I'm sure it is demand led. Dd frequently throws a strop and does a "I can't do thisssssss" whinge and demands I help her.

She then goes in the following day and tells the teacher she couldn't do it, so the teacher explains it (hopefully) better.

Her friend meanwhile gets the h/w answers dictated by her interfering mother, who is then all surprised when her daughter doesn't do as well as expected in class tests.

But why should parents be doing this?

What would be the benefit? Your child gets the work done, and the teacher never realises there was a problem either in their own teaching of the activity or in your child's understanding of it!

I think it would be a Bad Thing and maybe cause more parents to get more involved in Junior's h/w than they already do.

Usually a "does anyone know where I can...." shout out in Chat works anyway. Only real interferers are going to hunt out a specific topic surely?

I'm a firm believer anyway in the "if a child/teenager can't do their h/w they ask the teacher not me" school of thought. (and am a parent whose daughter gets 4 hrs a day- at Primary (Italy) (and the maths is already beyond me) and a teacher....

I think you would get more answers if you asked for help in aibu chat

Does it need its own topic? Questions come up pretty often under Primary or Secondary education and get answered.

I've no objection, but don't really see the need.

Tis a good idea I reckon.

Well tbh I don't think primary school age children should have home work , but thats another thread

I don't see the need , but then my children are all grown up and did their own homework so what do I know.

Only if we can cull all the useless and unused topics please.