Boys, writing, homework <sob>

[IceColdBitchy]

How, how, how do you get a reluctant boy to write the homework. When you know he can do it, his teacher says his should be able to complete it easily but he just refuses to write - even when given the option of using a computer.

Task is to write a set of instructions. Ask him and he can tell you. But because it involves putting information onto paper he is refusing. Point blank.

Not even phased by the threat of losing break at school if he doesn't complete it.
Literacy based tasks are a nightmare. Maths is done with an hour of getting home on the night set.

I suppose the fact that he will now write in school is a bonus but homework is hell. And it is all sodding attitude and stubborness.

Treats for completion have no effect
Tried taking stuff away until it is completed very little impact.
If i sit with him it makes me want to spontaneously combust. If i don't he wonders off.

Anyone found a solution?

Ds is 7.

Do you people see a bit of a theme developing here? I am a teacher who many times has been enlisted by parents to do homework tutoring, for this very reason. Mostly children will just get on with it if it's not a parent.

But obviously a private tutor is not an option for the vast majority of families. So what is the solution...

I have always felt that giving homework and EXPECTING it to be done or else to young primary school children is total rubbish.

Sorry to derail your thread Bitchy - Not very helpful to your current predicament!!!
Hopefully other people will have wiser words.

justonemorethread. I like the homework as it's just a little once a week, and it is SO revealing to me of what my ds struggles with, especially in terms of his comprehension, but also forming letters etc. It's also encouraging to look at his work since September and see the improvement. I'm sure he has books at school with work in, but as parents, we don't see them other than v briefly at parents' evening.

You say "I would start to worry if a child's family obviously never spends ANY time re-inforcing what is learnt in school, reading or practising things that they haven't quite grasped." How do you know what they are other than at parents' evening? Teachers don't get together with us at the end of every day to say, "Well today he really struggled with forming 's' and had trouble understanding this exercise..." I wouldn't really have a clue where to start without the guidance of homework.

I have to say that I agree with so many points in this thread - partly with Justonemore that homework is too much to expect at this young age.

Then I agree with MerryMarigold that it is only once a week (and actually in our school it is four per half term, none the first couple or last couple of weeks usually) and perhaps your only indication of how they are doing.

Having said all that, DS did his written homework yesterday, without too much problem but no real enthusiasm, the writing was appalling. Then today in the course of a game he wrote out a score card and the writing was vastly better, so motivation for the task in hand makes a big difference.

Merry - that's why I said 'but don't ask me how to fix it!!'
I would obviously take an unrealistic amount of involvement from the teacher (I'm a sec. school teacher who briefly taught primary in a private school with smaller class sizes abroad, so my vision is very skewed).

ok. NO MORE DERAILING! I have been very unhelpful.

Sorry bitchy.

(please don't whack me with your feather duster)

Hey, it was an interesting point of view, justonemore!