What are your views on homework for primary school children? I am struggling to see the point.

[MehgaLegs]

OK reading, reading is fine. I am happy to sit and listen to them read. Spellings are good, times tables to learn also fine and DS3 in reception needs to learn his letters so flash cards and while you are at it here are some flash cards with Floppy, Kipper et al on them, learn those too please. Now DS2 has some maths, addition but not the way I was taught and then he must read this passage and answer the questions in full sentences. DS1 please bring in 50p for a cookery lesson, an old item of clothing to make a shopping bag, money for a disco ticket, books for the book swap and a lucky dip prize for the school fair, then get a dice and some counters and a pair of scissors, cut out all these dominoes and then play a making plurals game, followed by a maths game involving multiplication (again, nothing like the way I was taught)DS4 sit still and don't interupt.

I have just emptied the book bags.

If they must have homework I would like it to be the sort that they can all sit around the kitchen table and do, alone. whilst I cook tea in my pinny and entertain DS4.

Like most things, it's getting the balance right. Sounds like you've got a lot on at the moment though!

My view is that it's not necessary (apart from home reading, obv).

None of mine ever had primary homework and they have all done fine. (Shopping bags, disco tickets, lucky dip prizes etc have always happened, however...)

Do you dare say "no, we won't?" or will your boys get it in the neck if you do?

My kids don't do ANY homework, and they are in years reception and Year 2. All they have are reading books. Sounds like you have a mountain to climb! Is any of the actual homework checked or marked?

Imo that sounds awful, and I'm a teacher. Like you no problems with times-tables, reading and spelling, they need to be done at home.

In the last few years of primary they ought to do prep instead imo where they consolidate their learning from the day, at the end of the day, and then go home and forget about school. Maybe a couple bits of either Maths, English, Hist, Geog etc at the weekend. But otherwise are they really testing children's knowledge or just the supportiveness of the parents?

We had a good routine, one doing piano two doing homework.

So often DS1's homework is a sodding game, not soemthing he can sit and do.

I feel bad because I fear I am giving out negative homework vibes which is obviously a bad thing for when they reach secondary education.

I just feel that giving then homework at this age puts pressure on the parents and results in negative attitudes (or is that just me )

Mine are Rec, Year 2 and Year 3. I was a primary school teacher, we never gave homework apart from reading and spellings.

Ds2 in Yr2 gets loads.

I have spoken to other parents. They have similarfeelings, I feel an uprising may be on the cards.

As I said mine had no homework at primary and it didn't cause problems when they had to start doing it at secondary.

I think it probably is a good idea to give them a bit, just in Y6, to get them used to the idea; but when they're younger than that, after 6 hours at school they need to switch off and unwind, not have even more work to do at home

I'd rather get dd used to doing homework than have to cope with shock and horror of having it thrust upon her at 11/12.

When I was in year 1 (45 years ago!) we had spellings to learn every week. It wasn't a problem. We recited our tables everyday from reception to year 2, by which time we knew them without thinking. I still do. And I still know the alphabet backwards!

It's all such a mish mash too. I am sure it creates far more work for the teachers and I think this is reflected in the photocopied sheets hastily hole punched and stuck in their folders.

One teacher never sets homework in the holidays (hurrah) but the others do (ya boo)

We coped barnsatple - I don't remember ever doing homework at primary school (apart from tables and reading)but knew full well I would have to at secondary.

Ah but they are good at the piano Ruby. So when they all fail their exams because their crap mother didn't have the patience to do their homework -for- with them they can make -my- their fortunes with music.

oh bum my crossings out didn't work.

I agree MehgaLegs. When DS (in year 1) wants to do his hand-writing homework (joined up ) I often say "you don't have to do it tonight" mostly because I have to take DD1 to ballet straight after school and chase after DD2, before carting them all home, feeding, bathing, doing reading etc. I don't want to dampen his enthusiasm but how are we meant to fit it all in???

Also, like your DS, he gets maths packs every week and they are all games to be played with an adult. What's wrong with a bit of solitary addition, subtraction, tables, eh?, like in my day

I sound so negative but I'm not, I just agree it's too much too young and everyone is so busy, blah, blah ...

At my childrens school they have maths homework every Wednesday and English or topic work on Fridays along with spellings and reading. This is a cross school policy from yr1.

DD is no problem to get her homework done. DS (ASD) can resist but I believe it helps him to realise that "schoolwork" is not just to be done at school. It would be very difficult for him if homework only started in secondary, transition will be a big enough change.

I think there's a big difference between Infants and Juniors. At Infants- no, didn't really see the point. It's mainly about the parents forcing them. They'd be better off with more playtime.

In Juniors, I think it's a different kettle of fish. They are growing up and should be turning more inpendent. Ds (Yr3) takes responsibility for remembering his homework but likes to do it near me for support. Dd (Yr 6) does it on her own. For both of them, I can see that homework is beneficial in teaching them that their own independent efforts are going to make a difference in how well they do. (Particularly for dd who has been off sick a lot and has had to catch up).

They're not babies anymore, I think it is time they started learning this.

I think homework for infants is a total waste of time (except for reading and sharing books), and has limited value for junior age children. I was talking to someone the other day whose child (4) gets half an hour a day! I was appalled. She thought it was teaching him a valuable life lesson. At four for heavens sake! Many teachers only set it because parents want them too ime.

Hate homework. Every other weekend is ruined by a stupid flaming project.

Spellings, tables, maths, reading = all good.

But - trying to get ds to research and write projects on such subjects as Clarice Cliff and natural gas is sheer hell.

And from what I've seen in the classroom, not one kid has done their own project. I know at secondary school they have to do continuous assessment project work, but I think this should be ended forthwith. It's not fair on boys, or those without helpful/knowledgeable parents, good resources, involved (cheating!) teachers, or those without the means or the wherewithall to buy the work off the internet.

Homework should be additional or preparatory learning, not something that actually gets a mark.

Agree it's pointless for infants (beyond reading/times tables/spelling) and I'm not keen on it for juniors either. I remember in the last year of primary we were suddenly given homework to prepare us for high school - I was outraged!

cr, "Many teachers only set it because parents want them too ime" - hear hear.

(Who are these mad people? Own up, please!)

riven, presumably he doesn't have to have the paper on the day it comes out? Could you ask a friend/relative/neighbour to pass theirs on the next day?

DS2 (Y3) is supposed to have 30 minutes a day, Mon-Thurs, but because he's dyslexic it often used to take him an hour so I had a word with the teacher.

In theory it's not bad because it's structured.
(1) Spelling list (look, say, etc.)
(2) One unit of maths homework book (maybe 20 questions)
(3) Memory verse: variation on say aloud, write out, etc.
(4) Times tables (variation on write backwards, forwards etc.)
(5) 10 minutes reading

Sometimes he has to do something in his handwriting book, usually if he hasn't finished it in class.

This is the kind of homework that if your kids were reasonably able you could sit them at the table to do it while you got on with making tea. I'm totally torn because on a practical level I find homework a PITA and resent the fact that I have to arrange after school activities for three kids around the fact that DS2 cannot do his homework without me sitting next to him, but it does get them into good habits for later ...