Homework Rant

[AICM]

As a teacher I'm taking a risk ranting about parents on this site but I thought you might like to see the other side! Here goes. Some comments about my homework ALL from parents evening last week:
Homework is too hard.
Homework is too easy.
There is too much homework.
There is not enough homework.
I'm too strict about deadlines.
I'm not strict enough about deadlines.
Homework should only be academically focused.
Homework should be more fun.

I appear to have upset everyone!

On a serious point what do you want from homework?

Hi AICM
My ds1 is 4 years old and is in reception class. I don't think he should have any homework, but yet he brings home a worksheet every night
What age group/year do you teach?

No homework! My ds in Yr 1 and it naffs me off he has spellings, maths and reading to do. I'm fine doing the reading (which is a chore anyway) but resent doing the other stuff. Let them play!

we are doing the creative curriculum op and the homework has halved. We just get a bigger project in the holidays working towards researching and making something about topis they are learning about.

DD2's doing Egypt for the first half of the year
DD1's doing WW2 and has started reasearching planes which she will be building

They still get some stuff home but not 2x every Friday to hand in Monday. I find this is better and the kids enjoy the holiday projects. Last year they done the Tudors andd built a castle, dd2 designed a park and built it.

Spellings
Tables
2x homereaders
Prep for big write on friday

Poor you AICM

I'm a parent, not a teacher and I sympathise with you. My 2 dc's are so different, with one (ds9) needing more homework because he gets it done so quickly and gets bored and one (ds11) probably needing less as he finds some topics challenging. What our school have done for ds9 is provide the homework with optional extra bits as extension exercises, which he always does, but I know some others don't. This way the children can get as far as they can in the time allocated. The timetabling of homework is important too. Maths and science on one night caused a tidal wave of indignation until things were swapped around a bit....The key is to set a time limit - do as much as you can in xxx minutes tonight, then have fun playing! DS11 could do with several sheets on one maths topic to really consolidate stuff. This is generally forthcoming if I ask for extra. The most important part of homework is the feedback. As they get older, some constructive criticism (not just a smiley face and well done) and encouragement are really important so they can learn from their mistakes. HTH. Good luck!

I agree 100% with Notjustclassic but I suspect teachers are not allowed to refuse to hand out homework

I'd be happier with a project, or a list of things to chat about over a half term. That way the time element goes, which is what causes the stress.

I'd prefer no homework until secondary. Reading book, fair, maybe something like spellings or a worksheet okay once a week in KS2, and maybe sending a sheet of "suggested activities to support learning" (or some such) for parents, which is optional.

I don't understand the POV of parents who seem to want lots of HW for tiny children.

aicm.

as a parent
if you say (in a letter and seperate instructions) that you are going to send homework home with an aim or learning objective make sure there is an aim or learning objective. and don't complain the children have used too much paper if they have done extra work. it is very demotivating for them to get it wrong, when your instructions were not clear in the first place.

I would like tasks to be clear, not using ambiguous language. it would be nice to be told when it was expected back(with a proviso that sometimes life gets in the way) and how long it should take ( eg we expect about half an hours work.)

as a teacher
i would expect the homework you send home would be too easy for some and too hard for others, take too long for some and be too quick for some because although you can differentiate, you can not send home 30 individually tailored pieces of homework. setting a suggested time limit may help, though dd really got into one piece of homework and worked at drawing a map outside for over an hour, restricting it to 20 minutes would have been counter productive. she has also got into going for walks around our local area to see lots of buildings which is an extension activity to the homework. I would expect to be available to answer questions though and provide feed back on homework. perhaps you could include a space for the childen/parents to fill in a comment about how they found the homework.

and whatever you do someone will find something to moan about.

You are right, you probably can't please everyone.

I like it if homework isn't handed out each night. I work part time and the days that I work are long and hectic. The kids are out of the house at 7.45 and don't return until 6.30 at which point they need fed. Once we have had a quick tea I find the kids are tired and really not interested in any homework. I'd rather be given 3 or 4 days within which to do the homework so we can fit it in when it suits us as a family.

I also don't like big projects that require lots of parental involvement. I feel homework should be for the kids, not the parents. I'm happy to support learning but don't want to spend my weekend helping to make models etc.

I'm sure though that there will be other parents who will say that they want homework every night and love spending time doing large projects!

I'd like no homework until secondary.

I'd like no homework at all in holidays - children need to have a break

I'd like homework to add to what is being done in school instead of being endless repetition

I'd like homework that does not require parents doing it instead of the children a lot of parental involvement

I'd like schools to understand that family time is precious and there are many families where both parents work, leaving little time for homework - and in my house, family time will always, always be more important than homework.

I'd like parents to stop moaning their children aren't getting enough homework, given how little evidence there is that homework actually improves learning oucomes.

DS's school used to send home a list of optional homework ideas that linked in with the work being done at school. This suited us as DS hated homework so we mostly didn't do it, but occasionally there would be something he'd be really interested in and we could pursue it further.

DD loves homework and can't get enough of it (odd child). So this method would also have suited her and we'd just have ended up doing everything.

I think a weekly piece of homework (along with daily reading/weekly spellings) throughout primary school is fine. Preferably starting from Year 3, but earlier may get the children into the habit.

We have a lovely letter every week telling us what the children have been up to, and a piece of homework to consolidate this. (DS is in Year 2).

However, DS in Year 5 is given 'optional' homework as the teacher had exactly the same problem as the OP last year - he thinks this is the way to please all the parents. I think it's a cop-out! It makes my job so much harder - homework was a battle without it being optional.

I think that for infant children, homework should be restricted to learning words, and reading books.

I think that Juniors should get one piece of literacy homework a week, and one Numeracy, that should expand on knowledge they have gained in the classroom. None in school holidays though. Also, a term-long project related to the topic they are studying.

I don't like the fact that my DS's school gives out loads of homework for infant children, but I DO agree with their policies on Junior homework - so you can't have everything!

The term-long projects that they do, this term, DS1 has done a project on sea-creatures , and has researched thoroughly (himself). DS2 is currently reading the Horrible History book on Romans as research for his project. Over the school year, each child will have done one History project, one science project, and one geography project.

I would like homework to be something that has already been covered in class and the children can complete relatively independantly (of course unless it didn't quite sink in straight away during class time). Everyone has their views on what kids should be doing etc. It would be wrong to think you could please everyone. I'm not afraid to own up and say that if the kids aren't given homework in the holidays we sometimes (not every holiday) choose to do a little. They are way less tired than normal so take it in. I don't have much time to spend with them during term time so this is our opportunity and it does mean we can back off when they are extremely tired during term.

A must for us though is to be given enough time to complete homework. We have to have a weekend....

I HATE homework with a passion!

However, I do understand why it's a necessary evil, and will always support the teacher in ensuring it's done, on time and to an acceptable standard.
I've also been quite frank with the children about my dislike of it, but also very clear that it's not optional, and I want it done to the best of their ability. Maybe by luck or judgement, this approach has worked with both of them.
Unfortunately, ds has a teacher who's a tad on the lazy side (the kind of teacher who WOULD make you think that teachers only work between 9 and 3.15) and I've had to approach school to get this addressed, and it's being addressed.

To the OP, I know you can't win, but as long as you make an effort to make the homework reasonably interesting and relevant (ie not setting EXACTLY the same every week just with different numbers and words, so HEAR ME DS' TEACHER!), you'd have my support.

I would object to holiday homework though, and would send it back to school with a note explaining to the teacher that I don't bring work home to do when I'm on holiday and I don't expect my children to either!

I'm with pointy on this. At the age of around 7, children need 11 hours sleep. They spend 7 hour at school, let's say plus 1 hour each getting ready morning and evening, an hour for tea, leaves them with three hours where they don't have to do stuff other people tell them to - unless they have a club or after school activity which can leave them with only two hours.

Let's give them those two hours and let them play, freely, at home with the people that know them best.

And PLEASE don't expect parents to teach their kids the times tables. That is such a copout.

Another one who objects to homework at primary school.

I hate the fact that so much of it is internet based. , I hate the fact that I have to spend so much time on setting up the computer, trying to get DS to concentrate, explaining what he's got to do etc.

Why can't teachers do the teaching? Both my brother and I are academics with degrees, and neither of us had homework until secondary school.

Yep, us too. No homework til secondary school.

I think reading is nice, writing is nice, sending home maths puzzles for fun would be nice.

And why am I made to feel like sulky teenager when I complain about homework?

I do not think there should be any homework at all....ever.

All teaching should be done in school with a teacher present.

If a child is struggling in a certain subject then there should be after school homework clubs [with teacher present] to iron out any problems, no point in coming home with a problem and I have no idea what ds is talking about.

My child is 9 and I have ordered a maths help book for me so I can catch up on the new ideas of teaching but I am not a teacher, I have not been trained.

The teacher is paid to teach so for gods sake teach!

Pop, we have 30 kids in the class you have one. We're teachers not miracle workers .

I think a bit of homework is good for children, as long as they begin to take responsibility for it and understand the repercussions of not doing it.

I think any homework where the parent has to sit with the child for the entire duration to help them is too hard, and not worth it.

The best homework I have received has had clear instructions, a deadline date and a time range eg 20-30 minutes. My daughter often spends longer but that's her choice and IF we are pushed for time I can say 'the teacher said....'

I think sending KS2 reading books home is a pain because DD wants to read her own books, not the schools. But I understand not all children will feel like that.

Spellings and Times Table tests good, although I am finding i need to help with the spellings and not the maths so perhaps the levels arent right.

Having witnesses a waggly fingered parent in the classroom nearly every morning last year I sympathise so much with you. The only request I would make is if spellings are being learnt following rules please could you let the parent know about these spelling rules as some of us didn't learn them at school [hsad]. As an aside once I found out about rules my spelling also dramatically improved.

I am very happy with the progress made by my DS and feel I have what I want from homework. It takes account of my DS's progress and allows him to move towards more difficult work without pressure.

There are two extremes of:

1. Learning is entirely the school's responsibility; to
2. Parental bootcamp.

Somewhere in the middle is best imho.

My DS is new to reception and the exercises set are voluntary and you can do as much or as little as you want. Support at home takes between 20-30 mins each day. My child spends more time at home than he does at school and this isn't too much.
. Numbers, word bags and books are only changed when they are mastered;
. Fortnightly set electronic games are not mandatory;
. Project set each half terms can be as much or as little as you decide.

Teacher and Head held a meeting in July and made it clear that they expect parental involvement; at least reading every day. There were twice as many applications than there were places.

STITCHING MOSS.........................It is your job to teach.