Would/do you help your year 3 child with their homework?

[snowbelles]

Would/do you help your year 3 child with their homework and make sure they have put it into their school bag and taken it to school? Or are they old enough to do it all themselves and be responsible for bringing it to school and handing it in?

I'm just asking as I am processing some childhood memories and one of them is related to this.

Also when I say help I don't necessarily mean with the actual homework (i.e. answering the questions) but rather helping them remember to do the homework, put it back in their bag and take it into school.

I help my year 6 child. I’ve spoken with the school about this during our special needs student meetings. They do expect the parents of all kids, regardless of special needs, to be helping their kids with homework and organization. It’s a learned skill just like reading or math, but one teachers simply can’t teach fully because they aren’t in the home.

Yes. Did this till they started secondary. We got a big lecture then from headmaster that we should let the kids take responsibility for their homework and sports kit etc. Don't know anyone who didn't check that their child had the right kit on games day though!

I would be encouraging independence but I'd be helping at the same time. So I'd remind them they need to do it, leave them to do it by themselves but checking in to see if they need help. I'd expect them to put it away in their bag for school but I would check they had everything before they left for school.

No, my kids were doing that by themselves in y3. I wouldn’t think it was unusual if their classmates weren’t though.

Yes, I help my year 9 with her homework. I've always helped her in a giving guidance,"have you thought about...?" kind of way rather than giving answers.

Yes, I help my 7 year old and 9 year old with their homework - they’re too young yet to remember and my 9 year old really struggles with that type of executive functioning. My own parents didn’t bother - really didn’t care whether I did homework or not, so I didn’t.

DD's homework is electronic, but it's telling that the school email me (and DH) when it's set, and we provide (and monitor) the device on which it's done, so she can't do it without us. One of us usually sits with her to check she understands it, and ensure she has what she needs to complete it (it's often much easier to do printed out). I'm pretty sure that's normal for her class.

Yes. I still make sure my dd takes her homework book in. She's Y5

As a year 3 teacher, yes I think most of them certainly need help and pretty much all would need reminders.

Even if they didn't, showing an interest is a positive thing.

I usually sit with him and help when he’s stuck. I consider it the parents’ responsibility to ensure it’s returned to school at that age, they’re still quite little.

I’m sorry for you if you were overlooked/unsupported OP

Depends on the child.
Dd1 got on with homework as soon as she got in, finished it, put it in her bag from the day she started school.
DD2 needed a gentle "have you remembered to put your homework in your bag" through to around year 4. She sometimes needed someone to direct her to actually do it rather than colouring in the rest of the page at infant level.

Right the way up to the end of secondary there are times when they have come and asked for help when they're stuck. Sometimes they have even believed that what I am telling them is correct.
Ds needed calming down at the mere hint that he might have possibly have homework. That took him about 2 hours. He'd then complete the homework in 20 minutes on his own and put it in his bag. There are times that's still true at secondary, especially if he thinks the homework is useless or unfair.

I help my year 5 child. Some weeks she does it all herself, some weeks she likes to sit with me and do it and i help prompt if needed. I would always remind her if she hadn't done it and make sure she packs it in her bag.

I would think it’s absolutely normal to help a year 3 child and beyond. I remember helping my children do this and then gradually it moved to prompting before they were reliably able to remember themselves. And then at secondary school we would have a chat about what homework needed doing and how best to prioritise it and just gentle reminders about what to pack for each day. There did come a point when it just wasn’t necessary any more and I guess this will be a bit different for each child but does not necessarily indicate a problem.

I am a secondary teacher and my son is in Year 3. Not only do I help him with homework, but I fully intend to be guiding him with his studies until he finishes his A Levels. Parental interest, involvement and encouragement is THE biggest factor determining school success, in my opinion. My parents did not do this, although they knew no better, and I am determined to not repeat their mistakes with my son.

A condition of my 3 having computers at the weekend is that their homework is done, so they are pretty good at doing it without me having to remind them! They are 10, 8 & 5. 10yr old gets on with it without my help, unless he is really stuck. 8yr old is the same. Obviously I sit with my 5 year old. They usually put their books straight in their bags after homework is done, although every morning I will ask if they have everything, and do I need to sign anything. Trying to help my 10 year old organise himself more, the school encourage this, so if he moans he doesn't want to do his homework, I remind him that he is the one who has to tell his teacher that he hasn't done it, not me!

Y7 (scatterbrain).
First half term I often double checked he'd done everything. I'm now just asking him if he's done his homework, checking he was put a clean mask in his pocket, and checking he's packed his bag - but not checking he has got the right stuff.

Y5, yes absolutely.

Help them / teach them. X

Yes I would. But I am not sure my mum reminded me at that age. Homework wasn't routine so when we got some we did it and remembered ourselves. She was a very loving and attentive mum just not sure homework was something we had to do often. If the school had spoken to her about me forgetting homework she would have made sure it was always done.

Thank you everyone, that was really helpful to gain some perspective.

If any of you are curious, the reason I asked is because of a memory of mine from year 3. In infants homework was always optional and didn't have to be returned into school. I didn't realise but when you got into juniors homework was compulsory and had to be returned to be marked. So I thought homework was optional so I would do it but not return it to school.

Once I was sitting in class and we were having some kind of exciting assembly, there was a guest coming in and we were all really looking forward to it. However, before the assembly the teacher went through who had and hadn't done their homework, it was just a few students who had missed handing in one or two pieces until she got to me. In front of the class she told everyone how I hadn't handed in any homework and so I couldn't go to the assembly. I remember crying in front of everyone whilst everyone went to the assembly and I had to stay behind. I was really shy and a complete goody two shoes so it was really upsetting to be told off in front of everyone. I went home and searched the house for all of my completed homework sheets and brought them in the next day and that was that.

It was a memory I randomly thought of earlier. I don't know why as it was years ago and I never think of it but I was thinking that year 3 is quite young to be fully responsible for your homework.

You’re right OP. A really horrible memory for you