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Original poster

Why do infact school age children get homework???

42 replies

LadyTophamHatt · 30/06/2006 12:54

I asked this on another thread but thought I start a separate thread but thought I'd ask the MN masses...

When I was in infants and junior school we only had one teacher, no teaching assistants, no parent helpers, nobody except the teacher.
We never had homework...ever!!!

So why when each class has at least 1 but normally 2 helpers do the children get homework?
How much do they need to learn and why can't all those adults fit it all into the school day?

Ds1 is in Yr 1 and gets reading books changed everday or when he's finished, spellings on a tuesday for a test on friday. Maths or english homework on af riday to hand in on monday.
FFS he's only 7!

DS2 is in reception and has to learn his "bones" (basically flash cards of high use word....cut bone shaped!) and reading books changed whenever he's finished/confident the last one.
FFS he's 5 but only 2 weeks ago.

It's just wrong IMHO.

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SecurMummy · 30/06/2006 12:57

I'm with you - I don't see why they need to spend their precious out of school time doing schoolwork, IMO young children spend too much time in school anyway never mind have extra to take home!

I kmow homework is necessary later on - but if they are doing it now does that mean that they will get a corresponding reduction in homework at secondary school because tehy have put the extra time in now?

figleaf · 30/06/2006 13:00

I'm with you too. I've got a degree so the play based primary ed that I had, did no harm. We start far too young - I blame the SATs and league tables.

Original poster

LadyTophamHatt · 30/06/2006 13:01

I remeber starting senior school and getting my first lot of HW.
I was soooo chuffed! I felt like a grown up

HW at 4,5,6,7 is wrong wrong wrong.

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southeastastra · 30/06/2006 13:02

my 4 year old gets it and i ignore it, sorry i know i am a bad mummy.

ambercat · 30/06/2006 13:02

We seem to be quite lucky with our school, ds1 in y1 gets his reading book changed a couple of times a week and thats it! no spellings or maths yet. Apparently it all changes in y2!!

dd is in reception and does have a maths diary with simple exercises in but ther is no deadline and we are just asked to do them with her if we have time and she is keen, it is very relaxed which is how it should be, they are 5 and 6 !!!

I don't remember ever having homework in junior school either.

Original poster

LadyTophamHatt · 30/06/2006 13:05

at our old school they had HW in NURSERY!!!!

Ok it was only simple games of opposites or counting but WTF....nursery!!

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SecurMummy · 30/06/2006 13:06

Yes - I remember that too LTH!

Now it appears that dd will be changing her hw when she starts senior school as now she will have 1hr per night instead of 20 minutes....huh?

PrettyCandles · 30/06/2006 13:06

I imagine there are two reasons. The 'nice' one is that children do better at school when their parents are involved in the school and take an active interest in their work, so homework encourages this. The other reason would probably be that teahers have so much admin work and have to fill out so many forms and meet so many tarkets, that they don't have the time to dedicate the sort of attnetion to their pupils that we had at school.

FWIW, I recall homework from about age 6 or 7, being about 10 words of spelling a week, and half a timestable to drill.

Original poster

LadyTophamHatt · 30/06/2006 13:09

But PC, there are often 2 or 3 adults working in some classes...so why isn't there time???

Sorry I know you haven't got the answer to that.

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catrin · 30/06/2006 13:11

Agree that it is wrong but the Government states that all children from Reception up have to receive homework. Ofsted check to see if schools are doing this. IME children get 'homework' in nurseries attached to primary schools as a subtle push for parents who ignore their children and never do anything at home with them.
Unfortunately the school I teach in has the kind of parents who would lynch me if I did not provide regular homework. Can't win...

figleaf · 30/06/2006 13:12

My son is 8 and gets 25 spellings a week, a book and a literacy and numeracy sheet to do! I hate learning the spellings, it steals his life!

LIZS · 30/06/2006 13:13

Agree with you - dd in Receptiong ets a reading book a night , if she's read it, sight words to practice and "Look, Cover ,Write" type "spellings" although think this is just to get them into the habit as they've only in the las 2 weeks actually been asked to memorise them. tbh I suspect it is partly to do with managing parental expectations, that they should demonstrate at home what they are learning in school.

Poshpaws · 30/06/2006 13:14

See, you should not have moved LTH (congrats btw).

Ds1(4) gets a new reading book every week and numeracy homework (boardgame, counting shoes, etc) once a week.

Original poster

LadyTophamHatt · 30/06/2006 13:14

DUR....just seen the typo in the title

infact should obviously be infant.

Seems I need to do some HW too

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foxinsocks · 30/06/2006 13:14

I think it is different at every school

Mine are infants - ds is nursery and gets nothing and dd is yr 1 and gets reading twice/3x a week and 5 words to spell once a week and that's it. Must say I am greatly relieved that it is not a school that doles out ridiculous amounts of homework.

LucyCampCat · 30/06/2006 13:15

My dd is in year 1 and gets 3 reading books a week, spellings and Numeracy worksheet every Friday. The spellings are for a test the following Friday and the worksheet is to be handed in on the Wednesday! waaayyyy too much!

I totally agree with reading practice but spellings and numeracy should be alternated weekly.

maretta · 30/06/2006 13:19

Learning spellings. What a waste of time that was. I'd forgotten them all 15 minutes after we'd done the test.

Original poster

LadyTophamHatt · 30/06/2006 13:20

poshpaws, how are you finding B.Hill?

although Ds2 seems to get a lot more HW now than when we were there, it's so much more relaxed in general.
Your headmistress used to put the chills down my spin...she's one imtimidating lady.
It is a FAB school though.

(I was up there a while ago with SIL, and although I;ve never met you I looked out for anyone who I thought might be an MNer...I wonder if I saw you??)

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SoMuchToBits · 30/06/2006 13:20

We never had homework at all until we went to secondary school. Ds (in reception) just gets a reading book every night, or whenever it is finished. The headteacher at our school, is of the opinion that he would rather children do other things when they get home, e.g. music, sport, brownies/cubs and,yes, PLAYING, as they get enough academic work during the school day. So, homework is kept to a minimum, which I think is a good thing. Most kids are tired when they come home, so trying to do anything that requires concentration at that time of day is a bit of a waste of time IMO.

PrettyCandles · 30/06/2006 13:23

God only knows, LTH.

I've chatted with people recently retired from teaching, who have 30+ years of experience, and without exception they all said that, compared to the begining of their teaching careers, they had less time to spend on individual pupils, that there was more form-filling and target-meeting, far less time for pastoral care, far less stress laid upon pastoral care, far more practicing for standard tests, and no time to lead classes in interesting directions by following the children's lead, rather than sticking strictly to the curriculum.

Poshpaws · 30/06/2006 13:24

DS loves the school. I love it too, but I know what you mean about the headmistress and some of the other teachers too [fear emoticon].

Were you at the school? Does your sis have children there? I go to the little playground every afternoon, so if you let me know next time you're up, I'll have a little MN sign made to wear around my neck

Glad yours have settled in well down in Sussex.

PrettyCandles · 30/06/2006 13:24

And mostly they had bigger classes (30+ being the norm) and fewer assistants.

alligator · 30/06/2006 13:25

I remember getting loads of homework in primary school. Had to do reading, spelling and times tables in infants and then later sums and writing too (I went to school in Ireland.....so maybe it was to make up for the fab long hols we had ). I hated written homework and was crap at spelling but the times tables I can still remember and still come in useful.

I dont think that kids should get much if any homework in infants except reading and then very small amounts at junior level (spelling and times tables being the obvious starters) which is gradually increased as they reach senior school so that they get used to it.

Gobbledigook · 30/06/2006 13:29

Agree LTH. Ds1 is in reception and only has his reading books to do so it's not bad at all. They get spellings from year 1 I think - I'm not too bothered about that. I deffo had spellings in primary school plus times tables. Other than that, nothing though. I know they get more and more as they go up the school but I agree with you and think it's ridiculous.

Original poster

LadyTophamHatt · 30/06/2006 13:30

Yes PP, my SIL has a DD in Yr1.

Lots of my friends would still be in the little play ground as Ds2 was in nursery last yr and would have started the same time as your Ds.
Are you in Mallards or Swifts? Ds1 was in Mallards and Mrs "S" (if she's still tehre) was a right grump, Mrs "B" is lovely though, she was FAB.

Sorry hi-jacking my own thread.

Ithink I might ask the teachers at the next parent evening why the HW level is so much for such young children....

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