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Original poster

COD, can you spare me a minute or two please? re homework

29 replies

unknownrebelbang · 19/02/2008 19:39

DH has a governors' meeting soon, and homework will be on the agenda.

I know you've said before that homework has been shown to be of limited educational value, so I was wondering if you have any links he could research before his meeting?

(primary school.)

TIA.

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Original poster
unknownrebelbang · 20/02/2008 19:01

.

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hanaflower · 20/02/2008 19:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
unknownrebelbang · 21/02/2008 19:04

Thanks for that link Hanaflower. Will take a look.

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DualCycloneCod · 21/02/2008 19:08

yes oyu need to rea that thread from last week there wer a couple of good links on there.

also i think someone clevereer than me will find proper data

DualCycloneCod · 21/02/2008 19:09

how logn haev you got
can ask our deputy who is very clued up on academic research to give me some

filthymindedvixen · 21/02/2008 19:12

do you know, I nearly started a thread last week when ds1 asked me ''what exactly is the point of homework, mum?''

I blustered and flustered and talked bollocks about the school/parent realtionship and good discipline and preparation for 2ndary school. And ds1 just calmly looked at me and answered: ''I see. So there isn't actually any point...''

Original poster
unknownrebelbang · 21/02/2008 19:16

If it's the thread I'm thinking of, I've got the links and will read them (or rather get him to).

Meeting is next Tuesday.

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Original poster
unknownrebelbang · 24/02/2008 20:22

How old is he FMV?

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Original poster
unknownrebelbang · 25/02/2008 10:03

Any other views or links?

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HonoriaGlossop · 25/02/2008 10:35

I think homework in primary is a sop to parents who want the whole 'look' of school to be right; book bag - check, uniform - check, homework - check

It probably also ticks an ofsted box about the home/school work the school does

But in terms of the actual child, I think freedom and not bringing school home is far more valuable at this age than a bit of re-inforcing what is done in the daytime.

Maybe your DH could do a bit of checking on whether homework forms part of ofsted's opinion on the home/school relationship? If it does then he perhaps could have a couple of things in mind to show or suggest how this wouldn't be compromised if homework was not given.

I fully expect the people at the meeting to be very open to what's best for children of course however if it may bring them down a notch in ofsted they won't agree it I'll bet!

StringyBogies · 25/02/2008 10:40

there are a lot of parents who love having some guidelines on how to extend their learning at home. not all parents are confident about what level a child should be working at and how to move them on.

imo (as a teacher) hmwk should be based on something that a child has been learning that week.

doing hmwk with parents gives a good message to children that school is important. you are, after all, their role model.

children should see the importance of homework, as should parents.

cornsilk · 25/02/2008 10:44

What about children who have struggled all day long at school and are absolutely knackered when they get home? Why should they have to be put under pressure in their own home to do something they find incredibly difficult? It is a massive source of confrontation in our house. However left to their own devices (subtly guided by me) my children will paint, draw, play - it's easy to distract them from the TV when we're having fun together. If they do their homework I reward with time on the PS2 and we need a breather form each other after the effort of the whole thing.

HonoriaGlossop · 25/02/2008 10:46

Totally agree with you in secondary, Stringy, and perhaps in the last year of primary to prepare them

But I think there is more to childhood than school and freedom and OTHER things need time too.

And there are many other ways for a child to see that you value their schooling and to be role modelled that learning is a good thing to do

And as to the importance of homework, IS there any? I think that's the debate! As I say supporting school and learning is important but that does not have to be with homework. Remove that element of the 'importance' of it and what IS the importance of it?

cadelaide · 25/02/2008 10:55

I went to a "maths evening" at ds's junior school recently, where they show you how they teach maths nowadays.
It was very useful but when it came to the "any questions" bit one of the parents asked why the children don't get more homework. Others joined in and I was the only one in a group of 40 parents who was happy with the amount of homework our children are receiving.
The school puts emphasis upon nightly reading, they have a list of 12 spellings weekly and an occasional sheet of maths homework (about once every 4 weeks).This is Y4.

HonoriaGlossop · 25/02/2008 11:06

Blimey that is interesting cadelaide - DS gets exactly the same homework and he is in year 1 - he's five

StringyBogies · 25/02/2008 11:31

i would say if it's a struggle with the kids then there is too much hmwk or it's being pitched at a level too high.

in yr 1 hmwk should be a 30min-1hr job once a week. i don't think spelling are necessary at that level.

it's a way for children to consolidate what they've learnt for the week.

some sort of reading should be done most days but that may be you reading a bedtime story or them reading their sch books iykwim.

also, hmwk should be varied in subjects so occasionally you should get a task to do painting or maybe cooking etc. i think the problem lies with teachers ramming lit and num every week.

i would also say that if the hmwk is too much/difficult, you should discuss with the teacher.

homework is important but i think the issue here is that there is too much being set.

StringyBogies · 25/02/2008 11:34

btw, i'd just like to add that there are a lot of parents whom, without any direction, would let their ch sit and play on a ps2 all day and night.

we as teachers have a responsibility to give guidance and ideas to them.

also, a lot of children actually enjoy homework!

HonoriaGlossop · 25/02/2008 11:43

stringy, that's a very good point

My antipathy to homework is partly to do with the amount ds gets, every day is just relentless; and the fact that it is as you say, only ever Lit or Num

If it was INTERESTING or FUN it would be better!!!!

However I still believe that freedom and leaving school at the door is more valuable for young primary school children. I know there are some parents who let their children on PS2 all night but to be honest in DS' class these parents don't support the homework anyway and they are a TINY minority

StringyBogies · 25/02/2008 12:16

it's a shame. i think homework should be something fun, like you say, a project to work on.

ideas of things to do for parents who need it.

unfortunately, teachers have to give out what the schools dictate to them. for eg i had to give out spellings in y1 even though i think they contradict the 'sounding out' approach to writing in the early years. i refused to test them. what a stupid amoutn of pressure to put on kids. spelling are very rarely useful words anyway!

hmwk needs a rethink.

HonoriaGlossop · 25/02/2008 12:22

There seems to be absolutely no emphasis nowadays in school on children's readiness

My ds cannot read, therefore he has no impetus internally, that makes him want to write or do spellings.

I'm not at all worried, he is only five and he will be reading before too long THEN he may get interested in the rest.

He has now started to say he HATES literacy

All I feel I can do is point out to him that literacy also means reading, and he loves books and being read to, so he doesn't hate it all...

cornsilk · 25/02/2008 12:23

The children that enjoy the homework are the children that enjoy schoolwork. My ds does enjoy some of his lessons, but homework is always literacy/numeracy in a worksheet format. Lets face it, most teachers don't have time to put as much effort into planning what homework they set as they put into planning what's taught in class. Also, good teaching is largely in the delivery of the lesson.

cadelaide · 25/02/2008 12:41

I'm beginning to think I really like ds's school, for all sorts of reasons including the homework thing.

Despite the request from the bunch of parents for more homework (as per my post of 10.55.) ds was not set any homework for the half term. He says his teacher told the class "...for the half term your reading book is your homework, try to read every day".

Oh, and the school was classed as "outstanding" in an ofsted report last year, fwiw.

filthymindedvixen · 25/02/2008 14:03

aagggh! The children had to write a 'persuasive' letter to the head about why they felt homework should be banned - the head has turned round and decided they don't get enough homework and has upped it to to twice a week!!! (That's 3 separate homeowrk items twice a week BTW)

DS (who suffers as cornsilk's child suffers) is distraught. It used to take us all week to do the amount set before.

cornsilk · 25/02/2008 18:46

fmv - isn't that more than the recommended amount suggested by the government? He sounds like a nightmare Head!

Original poster
unknownrebelbang · 25/02/2008 21:29

HG, Ofsted in quoted in the homework policy (in that it's a positive thing).

Stringeybogies. I think there are other ways to show that school is important. I think the fact that DH is chair of governors gives an indication of this.

Cornsilk - DS2 really struggles academically, so homework on top of a long day at school really is a pita. He spends little time (if any) on the PS2, unlike his brothers, who rarely have a problem with homework.

I expect homework in secondary (and in primary tbh). Although this is to be discussed generally at the meeting, it is an issue for us personally with DS2. He thrives at out of school activities, so would rather him do those, because they boost his confidence.

I particularly don't like them doing projects as homework. The last one they did, they spent hours on them (DS2 and DS3 currently in the same class), and they often require far too much parental involvement, although thankfully the teachers can spot when parents have gone into overdrive.

Thanks for your thoughts.

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