To think that a lot of primary school homework is a waste of time

[Dancergirl]

Title says it all really. Lots of primary homework requires a huge amount of parental input, often stresses me out and is of little educational value.

I would rather spend the time with my children after school chatting to them, playing or just chilling out rather than sticking pointless tesellating shapes on paper. Or helping dd to research the 1980s for a project.

But, prettybird, I hear what you're saying but there are other, less formalised of achieving the same things. If we all attend parents' evenings then we are informed about where our child is at anyway. And if there are serious problems then we should be informed before then anyway on an individual basis.

And what language development there is does NOT havd to be from a book - recipes/maps/reference manuals/internet games/football reports/newspapers - it's ALL reading.

I really will gag if I hear the expression 'reading book' one more time. If the books home from school are 'reading books', then what the hell are all the others on our shelves and in the libraries?

How effective is the teaching in schools if it needs immediate repeating at home?

I loathe homework wiht a passion. DD is given a load on Mondays that she is supposed to spend 45 minutes at least a night on.
She is 9 FFS. I have to say I don't always remind her and it doesn't seem to have been an issue (except with her French teacher).

I must confess,even though my children are fairly bright,I didn't send them to the obviously middle class schools in my town,because from reading school websites,I thought they set far too much homework for junior kids.We had moved to a new area with lots of seaside and countryside and I wanted my children to have the opportunity to get out and about after school,rather than be slaving away over projects they would have been set every 2 weeks in some of the other schools.The less middle class school actually has a a good academic reputation,but you have to put up with the odd swearing and smoking outside the school.I sound really posh;I'm not really.

YANBU and it is a pet hate of mine.

Many of the worksheets are badly worded and ill thought out, and some make no sense at all.

I reserve particular hatred for the "This Is A Fun Game For All The Family!" activities.

It isn't fun. Don't try to fob me off.

I don't know, I am doing DD's home work with her this term and I think it's very helpful. She is in Y1, state school, and she gets given a folder of specific homework once a week (usually on a friday for handing in the following wednesday). There is often a maths (related) game in it, some writing practice, a few words to learn to spell and some other bits and pieces.

She is in a class of 30 with a teacher and a TA. Wide range of abilities in the class, so not enough one to one to (ideally) go around. Think the homework is a good way of keeping the parents involved and keeping the learning going. The school is v relaxed about it getting done... last week we were a bit flat out with other stuff, and didn't manage to maths game. DD was a bit anxious about not having done it, but her teacher was fine about it and we have played it this week as well, and her younger brother enjoyed joining in ("can you show me a 3...?").

It keeps me aware of what she is doing, keeps her going, and we (on the whole!) enjoy doing it together.

Doesn't make it any less stressful when you realise on tuesday evening that you have completely forgotten about the bloody homework and you have totry and get it all done before bed time......!