To wonder why people are against homework in Primary school?

[EmGee]

I'm intrigued by this after reading some responses on another thread about homework in primary school. A good number of responses were against homework.

My 6yo is in her first year of primary school (in France though, not UK). In France, this is the year kids are taught to read and write (in cursive). She has reading homework every night, often words to practise writing. Once every month or so, she has a 'dictée' (kind of like a spelling test) on words and sounds learnt during this time. In addition to this, she has English homework twice a week (she is in a French school with a bi-lingual section, so she has two hours a week of English with a native English-speaking teacher with the other bi-lingual kids) - this consists of a two-sided worksheet to complete, and eight words to learn for a spelling test every week (4 x phonetic words, 4 x sight words).

Homework is given right up until the last day of term and then you are given holiday homework. For the Christmas holidays, there was (for French) 5 sheets with exercises to do (not particularly difficult, mainly revision of sounds, words, basic grammar rules), review all the words learnt that term, and to aim for 15 mins reading a day. Luckily no English homework to do.

It sounds a lot, doesn't it? I've been told it gets worse and next year, she will have 16 words of English to learn plus story-telling as well as reading and of course, the French homework increases with a heavier emphasis on the dreaded dictées.

I felt very stressed and rebellious at the beginning of this school year although now we are getting into a routine but it means being very organised especially evenings where there is an after-school activity. I should add that on Wednesdays there is no school but the other days are long (9-5).

AIBU to suggest that homework is not such a bad thing? We are told 20-30 minutes an evening is enough at 6 years.

My dd's get homework pretty much every night. If it's not a book it's reading words or some subject of the week.
'Great' I hear you reply. Not great when you both work ft (me 6 days a week), really not convenient for some to be juggling so much.
I didn't get homework til I was in senior school. It's an overload of information, and quite frankly, it's OTT.
My dd's are in reception and yr1.

I am very much in favor of homework regardless of age. It gives dc a chance to reinforce what they have already learnt. It also is a way of starting good study skills which will help them later on

Agreed.

Twinklestein there's not really a lot of essay writing in Reception...

In Yr 4-5-6 yes, absolutely - but somehow my DDs managed to do all that during their time at school. That kind of long work was never sent home.

They did get spellings and times tables to learn, no French vocab until Yr7 though.

Both DDs doing very, very well in school and managing homework effectively.

there's not really a lot of essay writing in Reception...

O rly?

That's why I said:

I'm not sure homework at 4/5 is necessary or makes much difference, but further up the school it's important

I think it's useful to introduce the idea of homework in a slow and gradual way. But holidays should be down time without you having to worry about doing it before going back - particularly in the half terms. If you've been away for the one week off then come back to a pile of homework age 8, it's crap and stressful. When the whole point of the holiday is to have a break.

I have 3 boys (y4 and y6), its a mile walk to school so we're rarely home till after 4pm between them I have to fit in time they're at exH's swimming 2x each per week, Cubs and scouts and a dance class one of them takes. Weekends are busy with football and seeing friends or camping in the summer. Hwk is given out Thurs to be in Tues.... I loathe the battles and the need to get it done over the weekend. I have a designated hwk evening on a Thurs but sometimes they want to have a friend over or bake a cake or go to the park..... All things I prefer to the hwk battle. If I leave them to it they don't do it, am dreading the eldest having nightly hwk at secondary next year. He's bright and able but loathes writing, will do maths, reads for pleasure voraciously but hwk like "design a poster for..." instills a chill. Here's hoping secondary will improve his attitude and the other two will realize they're lucky still to only have one hwk per week.

On the one hand homework is useful to teach them that some things just have to be done whether you want to or not. In the other hand we both work full time. DD doesn't get in till 6.30. Bed time at 7.30. I won't have seen them all day as I'm out before they're up and they have to eat. Finding the time is the issue. The school assumes one parent is at home full time. Thankfully she's bright and gets it but 'winging it' whilst an important skill it's not what I want her to learn is the only way.

How you can you improve in English essay writing and comprehension, if you don't go home, write essays and have them marked?

By instilling a love of learning and an understanding that creative writing and reading is fun, perhaps? Lots of people have pointed out the lack of persuasive evidence that homework makes a difference to academic achievement in the longer run. I'm sure that might not apply to everyone, and the more competitive minded might like to get things marked rather than improving just by having fun. But it's one of those situations where one size does not fit all. Schools - and parents - have to bear that in mind and find ways to work around homework issues, depending on the sort of child in question.

Sorry, Twinkle - got a bit snappy there.

I still don't think homework is necessary in primary at all, though - it's perfectly possible to learn the art of homework management once in Yr7 and gradually.

IME all schools assume there is a parent at home all day and teachers are astonished to discover that other people have jobs too.

Yy Schnitzel we forever get letters saying come to the phonics work shop at 10am

I think I don't place so much importance on primary homework because I never did a single piece of homework myself until I was 11; not even reading or tables.

Has it made any difference to my life?

Not a jot.

There's more to life!
There has to be time to enjoy being a child - it else what's the point

I like it. Mine have reading, Mathletics, a weekly worksheet, weekly spellings and a biweekly project. They are 6.
I also do story writing, coding and dictation with them each week, because I'm mean.
They enjoy it and they seem to get a lot out of it.

I think homework is only useful and effective if it is personalised to each child. Homework should be an opportunity for children to consolidate and practise something they have learnt that week in school. Too often, the same homework is sent out to every child. Some of the children have mastered the skill and don't need to consolidate. Some haven't "got it" at all and it either knocks their confidence because they can't do it, or it get's done by parents and is therefore of no benefit. So it only actually benefits a small number of the children it has been set for.

As a primary school teacher, I don't have the time to set individual homework. Nor do any teachers I know.

Project type homeworks overcome the issues to an extent but I dislike the way they highlight the vast differences in parental support. The finished projects are usually no reflection of the child's learning. They're just an opportunity for competitive parents to show off!

Reading/spellings/times tables are much more useful. Flipped learning (research) based homework can be useful but again depends on an individual's access to the Internet and/or a parent's willingness to help them.

I hate homework for primary school kids. I also hate homework for secondary school kids. And I say that as a secondary Maths teacher. I actually think that for a lot of kids it feeds into a negative cycle of feelings towards school, which stops them working so hard in lessons.

I just think they've already done this in school, if that isn't enough why not keep them on a bit longer and do some more? (Our school finishes at 1.10pm)

I've no aptitude or interest in doing homework. I've done my days' work thanks. Get home if I'm lucky at 6 bloody 30 in fact. I'm not in the mood for homework.

Do the bloody work at school. If it needs reinforcing DO IT AT SCHOOL. If spellings need memorising, do it at school. I am not a teacher. have they any idea what working ft is actually like and the kind of pressure people are under? And please don't mention the last minute requests to MAKE something.

This is the homework for last week for my 4yo (we're in Ireland btw)

This week's list included instructions in gaelige - that I could not easily decipher, and a request to use gaelige around the home.

My gaelige is terrible

Wilting-well, then, it's a good thing that you have that homework to do because you clearly need the review!

JK. How miserable.

And regarding the poster who wrote about being bored at school until she transferred schools and got homework-I was also hideously bored at school, and the last thing I wanted was more school in the form of homework! I wanted time with friends, to play frisbee, and talk, and time for reading and for my after school job.

An interesting point made by my Greek friend is that they don't learn English like we do ... So they have no idea about certain aspects of it!! Therefore can not help the child at home.

I am not a fan, unless it's targeted and interesting. Making an outfit from rubbish or Greek day costume etc is not a child's homework but for competitive parents - as seen by the prise giving for "best submarine"

Some excel at maths English or arts - where's the PE homework? Where's the consolidation? Where DC struggled with fractions - here's a sheet!!

I think homework from Reception is a good thing as it teaches them to expect working at home as part of their routine.

BUT it has to be an appropriate amount! So for Reception perhaps only 5 mins a night, working up to maybe 20 mins in Year 2?

I got my first piece of homework when I was seven - overnight maths work. My grandparents picked me up that afternoon so I went to their house (awesome grandparents house full of treats you don't normally get!), helped my Grandma with gardening, and completely forgot about my First Ever Homework. Next day the teacher ripped into me in front of the entire class ("oh, you were at GRANDMA's! Well that's no excuse...") and made me miss break time. I remember feeling so humiliated and also that it was kind of unjust that it was the first ever piece - kind of understandable that we might not have got the habit for it yet!

I think secondary and onwards is fine for homework (when kids have a bit more independence and can mostly get on with it on their own, asking for help when they need it), as opposed to primary when their time is really dictated by adults and when they may well need one-on-one parental encouragement / involvement to get it done - it just seems like makework for the parents!

Holiday homework gives me rage. I'm not allowed to take my kids on holiday in school time, so school shouldn't be allowed to make my kids do school in holiday time.

I may get a flaming here, but the fact is that these homework projects are often set by childless teachers, who have no idea of the impact they have on family life. Family life which may be hugely pressured anyway.

Look. When you had children, you must have realised that they would have to go to school at some point and consequently would have homework. Plan your "family life" around it, for goodness' sake. Why do you think leisure activities with your family should take precedence over education that you knew would be compulsory a few years down the line when you had your children?

As for the "parent" who's instructed the school that her child is not to be punished by being kept in at lunch for not doing his homework - outrageous. Why do you think you can dictate a school's rules?

I object and I'm a secondary teacher! But I object up until 5. My daughter I 3 and she got homework at preschool... And guess who did the homework-- muggings! Of course we talked about it but I don't think it had enough educational value for her!