Why do infact school age children get homework???

[LadyTophamHatt]

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.

Hmmm, now I think about it we prob did have spelling to learn when I was little BUT I remember learning them in school, all of us spelling them out loud, and times tables too.

I certainly don't remeber having lists of spelling etc at home to learn but I suppose we must have.

There are several reasons for h/w in reception.
I guess the most important is simply to get them into this habit at a stage when they can most easily be programmed.

In Reception & PR DS got 5 books a week to read, each taking around 20 minutes. There was no pressure for him to complete them, and when he was sick, or when lots going on, we didn't do all 5.
Supplemented from age 3-4.5 by sheets of "new words", and number lines.
There was a sprinkling of little "games" filling in missing letters, counting things etc.

He's now 5, and has just finished the "syllabus" books that average kids finish between 8 and 10, though about 20% don't finish before leaving primary. Only real issue was that the faintly more adult these in books aimed at 10 yos slightly unnerved him. (bullies for instance).
Of course if this weren't England, achieving the national standard for basic literacy would be impressive.

So, yes we see homework as good, as long as it leaves their love of reading intact. If reading becomes a chore, then you're in trouble, hence our supplementing it with Cat in the Hat, Thunderbird comics etc. DS2 at 2yo loves Spiderman, though I can't even guess what he thinks is goin on. When he finished learning basic reading, we made a bit of a fuss that he now chooses his own books like a grown up.

Given that it's around 20 minutes, our view is that it's nice interactive time and reading with them reinforces the fact we see it as important.

In response to hijack : He is in Mallards. Mrs S has actually improved over the last few months and Mrs B has become rather matronly, seemingly ticking the children off and telling the parents every trivial thing (or what we perceive as trivial, anyway).

I will definately know some of the mothers and children you know, then, as I have basically introduced myself to most of them

Ohhh really Mrs B was always soooo lovely.

I really surprised!

Just realised my neighbour's daughter would have been in Mallards last year with your DS1: initials AB? (last hijack)

TBH DC the thought that it is in order to get ot my children whilst they are easily progranmmed has ade me feel faintly sick - and even more determined not to supprt huge homework loads for my childrn

Some schools locally bring home 'words to learn' but ours don't do that because they use a phonics approach to learning to read. They don't 'learn' those 45 reception words by bringing a few home each week like they do at surrounding schools because that's not how they do it. Thank the Lord.

Ds2 doesn't get any homework in Reception except reading, and DS1 in Y3 gets one bit each of Literacy and Numeracy, and spellings.

The spellings are a complete waste of time, though, because he usually knows them all. Of course they don't bother correcting misspelt words on his work, so the words he can't spell, he's never going to learn at this rate.

But I never had any homework in primary school, not even reading homework - no spelling, and I think my mum made me do my times tables.

LadyTophamHatt, you might like this
and even ofsted doesn't think much of homework in primary school!

"Faintly sick" ?
Wow.
By programming I mean getting good habits in early.
DS1 & 2 are as distinct from robots as it is possible to get.
I don't believe that helping their character grow conflicts with this. 2.0 & 2.1 are typically the noisiest in any group of their peers, but are noted as being polite, and yes this does include shouting at other kids to make them say please & thankyou

But I don't see homework as some sort of panacea.
Spending time talking with your kids is as least as good for the development of their nets, indeed kids get lots from any direct interaction. Also a bit of running around is good as well.

But I observe that many parents dump the kids in front of the TV, which is not quite the same thing.

I didn't have any in infants or junior school. I do remember we finished later in the day though (only about half an hour later).

Dd has had homework at infants. I presume it's partly to get some input from parents too. We do it - a bit of reading, spellings etc which I don't mind within reason and only if she's not too tired. The school seem to agree with this too, but they expect it to be done once they're in the last year of infants.

I don't agree with sending home projects in the holidays which she's had once or twice. We do it but I think it's too much at infant age.

I assume there will be even more once she gets to junior school. I intend to make sure she does only what she can reasonably manage - I still think that juniors are very young for too much.

I will also add what a pain homework can be if you have other younger children at home to sort out in the evenings - but although that is a real problem for us, I doubt the school feel it's relevant!

I refuse to do it, I decide what goes on after school in my house thank you very much and if DD's get asked, they tell their teachers they were busy riding, swimming, chasing Aslam in the back garden, being kids.

Yes, homework is hassle for parents. There is a conflict between the long working hours of British parents and helping their kids at school.
Certainly you can make the case that our 3rd world education standards correlate rather shamefully with this. Back when I had a proper job, was occasionally a real pain to do h/w, and of course sometimes I didn't get home in time.

DS2 sees DS1 doing homework and demands to be given a book to read. At 2.5 his reading is a bit limtied, but sees reading with mummy, daddy and nanny as a normal thing to do, and is something he enjoys.

it's the way that school stretches into family time that I object to.
I read loads with my kids, practise numbers and rhymes but I'd object to being told to read some stupid school book with my kids in our family time. I never did hwk at primary school and managed to get a decent education. I never did much hwk at secondary school either, come to think of it. My 2 aren't at school yet so maybe I'll chagne my mind when I see the fascinating hwk that gets set and how my kids are still full of energy and dying to do more school stuff when they get home. Or not.

Ooh DominiConnor you do just make me larff and larff, sooo funny.