Homework - which option would you prefer?

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As in what would suit your family life and preferences best? This is for a year 4 class by the way.

Should I give nightly homework 3 times a week, issued one day to be returned the next, or issue homeworks on Thursday to be returned the following Thursday?

Children get spellings and reading books at the start of the week.

Any thoughts?

DCs school gives HW out on Monday and then expects it back on Thursday. Its a right PITA.

I don't think anyone is arguing that extracurricular activities are a good thing, RevoltingChildren, but the value of homework, especially in primary, is much more in dispute.

I'd much rather my DDs spent their time doing something that will widen their horizons than doing endless worksheets though.

DD2 is in primary and has homework sent home on Friday, which is due in Wednesday. This works well enough - DH and I both work f/t so we need the weekend to get it done.

DD1 is in secondary from September and will probably get a lot more homework but has been used to doing something pretty much every weeknight so we will build on that.

My favoured option would be no homework...

Other than that I would support the approach taken at Chrisdriver's school - we had something similar last term for DS1 and it worked really well. DS1 is normally quite keen to avoid homework but ironically was motivated when he realised his peers had done extra work in some weeks, so he wanted to do more himself to catch up. Completely unheard of!

If that's not an option, then I like homework issued weekly, with a shorter timescale than you suggest, simply so the marking is completed before the next lot of homework is carried out - I think leaving marking for a week is too long. DS1 would typically get homework on Wednesday to hand in on Monday, and on Wednesday would then get the next lot of homework together with the previous one that had been marked. It's probably more pressure on the teacher but I think quick feedback is important for the kids.

My very least option, as a working mum, would be any homework to hand in the day after it was given. Chances are it would simply not get done in this house, or if it was done it would most likely have been accompanied by much household angst.

I give it out on a Monday for the Friday and last year my son (yr3) got it on a Friday to be given in the following Thursday. I am not a fan of homework and it was a battle every week with my son but the days worked well for us. I think pff that Thurs-Thurs would be best.

My reply was to bluglue who thought there should be s nightly turnaround.

I see very little value in homework at primary other than reading & spellings/tables

in ds primary,homework every day mon to thurs but none at week end. preferred it that way as theres regularity etc. always got done despite many activities

Sorry, Revolting - we're on the same page then!

As for nightly turnaround - well, obviously teachers don't do real jobs so they shouldn't be allowed lives, either.

Have done both systems. Over the weekend is much better. We had Friday to Weds for DS in y3 (last yr).

My problem isn't so much DS's extrcurric activities, but the combined ExC activities of all the DC which keeps me so busy, plus DS HATES homework. I have to handhold & cajole with him for an hour to the exclusion of needs of everyone else in the household to get a bare minimum done; I struggle to always find time for that in the week.

I think that daily homework should be part of the marks gained in secondary, though. Astounds me that HW counts for nought.

I agree with the weekly vote. All well and good to have something for next day - but real life interevenes. Parents may be working that evening (we have a lot of hospital workers in our area working shifts), clubs (as have been mentioned) and of course they may have been ill.

I would add that if you have some form of VLE (Virtual Learning Environment like Moodle, etc...) a really handy thing for parents is to also post the homework on-line (especially things like spelling lists). That way if the child forgets to take home the homework or is ill - you can just get on-line, download the homework, print it off and get started.

HTH