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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Teachers, what happens when homework is not done on a regular basis?

33 replies

ARTAF · 23/03/2012 21:57

Please tell me?
Do those kids just fall behind?
Or does the school rely on majority of parents doing it so they have time to do the homework during school time with the children who have not done it at home?
My P1 child gets a lot, not counting reading (15 min). About 20 minutes a day.
It has come to my attention that quite a few mums just don't do it.
Some have even informed the teacher their child will not be doing homework.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

blackcoffee · 23/03/2012 21:58

alcatraz

amistillsexy · 23/03/2012 22:05

My children rarely do homework.

As far as I know, it is a requirement that school's set homework, but the government haven't made it the law yet that the children actually complete it!

In my son's school, much of it is ill-thought out photocopied 'busy work', which the children find uninspiring and demotivating.

I will occasionally look at the homework and create a more useful, enquiry-based activity that fulfills the learning outcome, but generally we just get on with having a family life when at home. I find that the learning that takes place outside school is usually the stuff that my children remember, use and develop.

stargirl1701 · 23/03/2012 22:08

Depends on the child tbh. On the whole, the children who would most benefit from homework don't do it but it ties into their entire approach to life. These kids tend to have dysfunction in their lives that is quite pervasive.

The average and above average kids tend to learn effectively in school. Homework lets their parents see what they are learning and how they are getting on. Project type homework, with an element of pupil choice, is probably the best as it is very motivating.

As a teacher I plan to have my kids opt out of homework after infants (phonics/early reading) because I think I'd rather they enjoyed their time after school pursuing their own interests. I detest worksheets in the classroom so won't be welcoming them into my house.

These are, of course, just my personal opinions. The Govt. (Scotland) have a different one . I still issue homework every week to every child whose parents wish it.

exoticfruits · 23/03/2012 22:33

Mine would have had to have done it at playtime, they didn't wish to choose to miss it so they handed it in on time.

skybluepearl · 23/03/2012 22:38

my son is above average and we rarely do homework. i feel like I'm letting him down but there is so little time as he is in bed at 7pm

exoticfruits · 23/03/2012 22:47

I don't actually agree with it as a teacher, but as I had to set it I made sure they all did it.I had a sheet to tick off and I just kept on until they handed it in. Some were a bit late but they got there in the end.
It simply isn't fair to set it and then allow some to not hand it in.

Feenie · 23/03/2012 23:16

I keep a checklist and dob them in to their parents on parents' evening. I have better things to do than chase homework. I also object to having to differentiate the homework - for types of parents. Differing homework goes to parents who do it for them, parents who helps where they should and parents who don't give a moneky's (I am also one of those parents).

Waste Of Time

exoticfruits · 24/03/2012 07:21

I hate it, but I can't see the point of issuing it and then just accepting that some don't do it. It isn't fair on those who do it.
I had to set it so they had to do it.
Right at the start of term I made it plain that it wasn't a choice. I gave plenty of time so they couldn't play the 'I was at dance class and didn't have time etc' card.
I had a list of names and dates and homework monitors who went through the pile and ticked them off. I then asked where it was if it was missing and set the new deadline. They just get used to it after a short while and get ticked off on time.
I never had to do it, but rather than miss a playtime I would have used some time on Friday afternoon for free choice and they would have to have done it first. However they got the routine without even using it as a threat.

I am pleased that mine had a school with a tough policy. I never had to police homework. When they didn't want to do it I just had to say 'OK leave it, but you explain to Mrs X' and they just got on and did it. This doesn't work if they have a wishy, washy teacher who will just let them get away with it.

littlemachine · 24/03/2012 08:46

I don't set homework for my classes but parents are welcome to ask for it and to ask to borrow games and activities to take home. I might suggest/offer certain activities that will suit a particular child's needs, but it is still optional.

exoticfruits · 24/03/2012 11:14

If it was optional then I wouldn't chase it up or set it for those who didn't want it. However, it wasn't optional in the school so I chased it up.

You have to go with the system. If isn't optional everyone needs to produce it. If it is optional then you only give it to those who want it.
You can't have-'it isn't optional but I'm not doing it!'

mrz · 24/03/2012 11:21

I set home because some parents want it. I don't chase it up and only set it for those children who return their homework book.

Dustinthewind · 24/03/2012 11:23

I set homework because it is school policy and I will be pulled up by the head if I don't. I try and make the activities as interesting and varied as possible.
I do not complete homework activities in class. I don't nag about it, although I do keep a checklist on the wall of who has completed it, and remind them.
It is usually the more motivated, interested and those who get support from home that complete the homework.
With things like reading and tables practice, it has a positive impact on them accessing and understanding many other areas, so those children that do tend to make better progress, because they have the tools they need.

exoticfruits · 24/03/2012 12:58

I am talking about junior age DCs.
I wouldn't go chasing up infants-and I would make sure that, if they had to have homework, it was something useful and not a deadly worksheet.

Marthasfishbowl · 25/03/2012 09:50

As a teacher I would say that for every parent who loves it there's one that hates it.
I try to set open ended tasks that aim to get children to explore something different (that's related to whatever we're doing in class). In other words, it won't matter if they don't do it but they might enjoy it if they do.
As a parent I merrily ignore 'worksheet' homework. If they can do it independently, what's the point? They're not learning anything and they could be doing somethin far more worthwhile. If it's obviously linked in to next week's work though I do make them do it.
I do try to foster a love of books & listen to my children read (though not always the reading scheme book because they get bored 'barking at print').
I help them learn times tables.
We practise spellings (because I don't want them to be embarrassed by not performing well in the weekly test; not because I think it particularly helps them learn to spell).

Marthasfishbowl · 25/03/2012 09:51

something

AChickenCalledKorma · 25/03/2012 13:51

I didn't make DD1 do homework in Yr1, because it was becoming a major battleground. Checked with her teacher, who was completely relaxed about whether it was done or not. DD1 was doing well otherwise and she didn't want to turn school work into a source of conflict.

I thought the teacher's attitude was v sensible.

asiatic · 25/03/2012 17:07

It's important at secondary level, if set correctly. Not at primary level. My daughter's school set detentions at lunchtime to do it, and she was happy enough to go along and do it then, prefered it to running around outside anyway. Even if she did any at home, she didn't hand it in because she prefered the lunchtime detention. I set hw at primary level, and make a show of chasing up any that don't fo it, while secretly thinking it shouldn't be done. It is the parents mostly who do it anyway.

ariadne1 · 25/03/2012 19:24

Research has shown that homework for primary children does more harm than good.I'll try and find the link

exoticfruits · 25/03/2012 19:29

My feelings as a teacher ariadne-it didn't stop the fact that I had to set it. Parents wanted it and parents got it.

Feenie · 25/03/2012 19:43

It's the differentiation that annoys me most.

Differentiation for pupils = totally part of my role

Differentiation for parent involvement = total waste of my time

avoidinglibelaction · 25/03/2012 21:29

My DCs school sets HW across the whole school - DD2 in YRR normally gets linked to topic activities which are to get the parents involved and actually seems to be useful she enjoys it - great. DD1 Yr 3 is lucky to get a scribbled piece of paper with something on to do as in teacher has just remembered its HW - sometimes relevant sometimes differentiated no follow up if DD forgets to hand it in. She always finds it easy and when she asks what's the point I do find it hard to reply. DS Yr6 gets it sporadically and is rarely relevant and never interesting and there are no comebacks if he wasn't to do it - but I follow the line that if a teacher asks you to do something you have to do it- I work hard to support the school and to encourage my DC to do as they are asked in spite of the strife of HW. He's going to need to do his HW next year so I feel this should be a practice year. The teacher does it in class for those who haven't done it in school and once when he had spent a long time on designing and writing about a creature she told him it was rubbish and something a three year old could do - I told him next time not to bother

CURIOUSMIND · 25/03/2012 22:44

I would love my children to do quality homework, not a random copy from various website without going through teacher's head.
In the case it is bad quality, I am strong enough to allow my DCs not to do it.
In the case it is a good piece, I would love to help them out(learn together).
I prefer the latter, but it depends on the teacher's performance.

nalubeadsgirl · 26/03/2012 18:05

I hate finding homework (quite a low ability class, lots of SEN's but then some very bright ones at the other end) as I have to find 3 lots which all meet the same learning objective, hate marking it, hate the palaver I have to go through to get the kids to hand it all in (would you believe it takes over half an hour to collect one week's homework and hand the following weeks out?!)

If I didn't have to, I wouldn't send it home. Spelling tests I actually disagree with - they don't actually help children to spell at all. However, I still send home spellings weekly because it is expected.

Parents - vote with your mouth! Tell your school's Head if you think H/W is a waste of time. I would rather give HW to those children who actually take the time to do it, and are obviously enjoying doing it. Sadly, far too many parents see it as some kind of evil, so don't sit down with their kids and work with them. The whole purpose of the HW I send home is for parents to work WITH their kids. One kid told me last week, his mum refused to help him because she saw it as 'my job' not hers.

From a parent point of view, I understand that the last thing you want to be doing is homework with your kids!

Sigh!

juniper904 · 26/03/2012 20:09

I hate having to set homework, especially maths investigations. We always get a handful of parents complaining it's too easy, a handful of kids who don't even know where their books are, and then some parents irate that it's too hard.

In the same day, one parent complained to me that the maths work was too hard so her DC hadn't done it (others managed), and also complained to the deputy that we didn't set enough maths...

So we don't set enough, but when we do, it's too hard for one parent, and too easy for the rest

PicklePete · 26/03/2012 20:58

Reception - we get weekend homework - which varies a lot from colouring in; a set of 30 number bond sums ; do a drawing and write a litttle story about spring in addition to 2 reading books. Ds had to write 36 words of his choosing with different sounds in them the other day which was best tackled in bits as I thought it too much for one go but we persisted.

It is a bit demanding to find time at weekend but I think it is important to see what they can and can't do , so we can discuss it if necessary, help in a fun way if required. I wouldn't care if other children were not doing it. . I know many feel early years are all about fun and play - and at times I think it may be a bit too much for reception but if it mirrors their classroom work then I am happy to go along with it.

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