What age for doing homework independently?

[scrappydappydoo]

At what age were your DC responsible for getting their homework done on time and without any input or reminders from you?
DD is yr4 and her teacher says she should be wholly responsible for it as she needs to learn to manage her time. I'm struggling not to interfere as I don't think she's ready for that yet. (I don't help with actual work but constantly remind her it needs to be done) Do I need to cut the apron strings or just nod and smile at the teacher and carry on nagging?

It isn't linear. many primary school students develop this ability, only for it to drop off again in teenage years, when growth spurts, tiredness and the opposite sex all conspire to distract! Mine were fairly independent from about 10-13, then needed encouragement and guidance all over again.

Without any input or reminders?

I'll let you know. DS is 15 and I still say "have you done your homework yet?"

He doesn't get input unless he asks for it ("Mum, I can't do this maths question...")

My dd is in Y5 (youngest in the class) and there is NO WAY she would manage her own homework schedule without me to timetable and plan out her time- given the chance she'd play all night every night and homework would never enter her head without me reminding her (and rightly so)! Oh, and shes academically able if that has any significance?

I think primary homework and secondary homework are different things. Mine went to a "moderate homework" primary, and were both pretty good at writing in their planners what needed doing and by when. They mostly only got homework in English and Maths, it was pretty predictable/recurring about what needed doing and by when. Certainly in Ys 5&6 I would be saying "what needs doing this weekend", we set aside a period of time to do it and would check/help with maths questions when asked but that was it. We had to sign the planner daily so we could see that it was written up etc.

Secondary is quite different - there is a homework timetable that is mostly adhered to (sometimes they get a bit of unscheduled work to finish off what they were doing in lessons, sometimes no homework set even though timetabled) but there are multiple pieces every day on different timelines. In Y7 we went over it with DS very carefully: we only had one 9pm panic when we realised a piece of work was due in the next day, but we did need to help and nudge him to keep on top of it. I think every child, even the super organised ones would need some sort of help in Y7. Now in Y8, he seems to be on top of the system and we mainly just ask what he has and when is it due. We see marks for homework by subject every half term, and they are pretty consistent, so I'm assuming he is doing what is expected of him. I certainly don't check content, although I do help out with vocab testing when asked, which he quite likes me doing (currently doing 3 languages - aaarrgghh!).

With projects, we do sit down with DS and try and scope out what is expected of him and what the timetable for it is. He had to do a big one before Christmas with a v vague title and DH and I chatted it through with him and helped him marshal his ideas. I also suggested proof reading it may be a good idea () and when he did something that needed work gluing on a board have helped with the cutting and sticking (at his request). But nothing more than that - content wise he is on his own.

Very helpful thank you. Once reminded that homework needs to be done DD will sit and do it independently. We do help her practice spellings and weekly maths tests. It's just this whole learning to schedule her own time I wasn't sure about at this age. I'm not sure I've got it sorted for myself yet!

"I'd love to know where these 'stressed, over worked' children are, certainly not in my household."

I keep wondering this - especially since I keep reading about what dreadful hothouses my kids' schools are! Not from where I'm sitting...

My Dc have all become independent at different ages. DS wasn't totally even in sixth form.
DD1 pretty much by year 9 (then it was just the occasional "have you finished your homework" on a Sunday evening).
DD2 is pretty much independent in year 7, occasionally I remind as I don't think going to bed late because you forgot to start you homework is a good thing.
All can need input, someone to bounce ideas off, advice etc. even now.
Year 4 seems a bit ambitious.

I know lots of stressed over worked DC BTW.

Year 4 seems a bit young to be expected to remember but it depends on the child.

DD is year 1 and will remember to do it if its something she wants to do, DS is year 6 now and has been pretty good about doing his homework since the start of year 3 (although i still ask if hes done it).

my little brothers and sisters (yrs 6, 7 and 12) still need nagging but Dbro3 (yr 10) has been doing homework the night its set with no reminders since reading homework in reception, Dbro2 has finally started doing homework having gone back to college at 28, I don't think he ever did any when we were kids though and he still ends up chatting to me on facebook in the middle of the night having had to sit up to get it done, but then i can't criticise hin for that as im in my final year of my degree and generally up late for the same reason.

My little brothers' sisters' schools all expect an adult to check and sign their homework diary each week up until year 11, so I'm guessing its not uncommon for secondary school children to need a little nagging

Not sure whether it helps, but I collect DD from school in the evenings (Y3). She works quite quickly in class so homework is often "nothing" or about 10-20 minutes (plus a few spellings that she seems to just know after one look). she is in a selective school, so I know life will become tougher in a couple of years' time.

On our walk home I'll often slip in the "do you have homework tonight?"
50% of the time she'll try to polish it off as soon as she gets in.
At the moment I remind her the rest of the time, but I am tempted to let her forget her worksheet.

TBH the school is a firm believer in the ethos that it is great to make mistakes, as long as you learn from them.

DC has to describe her homework tasks in a book (so I tend to sneak a look). I am sure the school would be delighted to see my postgrad efforts at yr3 homework (but I just scribble in the diary if I have helped her, which will usually mortify DD so she doesn't ask too often)

Ds in y4 is responsible for doing his own homework without adult input. I'll check his prep diary when he comes home to see what he's got and sign the diary when he shows me the finished product but I leave him to his own devices and don't make any corrections. He is at boarding school and the approach is the same there.

Op my yr4 and yr7 both do their hw independently although I ask them if they have any hw almost daily. So far my yr7 hasn't any detention so I think she s ok although I can't comment on the quality of her work but at least she s meeting deadlines. My yr4 seems doing hers accordingly too. I don't care whether she does it on the dinning table or sofa or desk or floor or her bed or while in the toilet as long as she does it on time. For younger children I think it depends on their school. For her current school the hw can be done by herself and the hw are set in support of things that they already learned in classes. So she should be able to do them independently mostly. However her last school was a bit of a pain as they sent work home often came with a statement said "Dear helper ........ please help your child to ......" I really hated such hw. Tbh I would not know how to help her without being in their lessons, being a TA or a teacher !