I would like to tell you a fact about my dd1s class re: homework, could you imaine you were me and give me your view please

[TrinityRhino]

at the start of primary 4(this year) dd1 started to come home with sheets alongside her reading
once a week
she would have about 6 comprehension questions per sheet about the book

usually this is given on a thursday
tonight I asked her if she had a reading sheet tonight

she said
'we don't have them anymore,
the teacher said that some mums had said they were too hard and so we dont have them anymore.
the teacher says she isn't going to tell us which mums said it'

I'd be annoyed.

I think every family can make time to ask some questions about a reading book!
Is it the tree-top stuff?

DD is year 3/4 so she is just turning 8 and has these sheets. It takes about ten-fifteen minutes and isn't 'homework' IMO.

I know parents who complain about these sheets, but they say they don't have 'time' yet go from after school extra curricular activity to after school extra curricular activity.

What is really going to benefit their child more?
Dance classes? Or being able to read and comprehend??

Hmmm?if this were me (my dd is in yr 4 aged 8.5) I would not be impressed that the teacher had told the children what the (anonymous) parents had said - but would probably be pleased by the reduction in homework.

There?s plenty of time for homework in secondary ? apart from spellings and tables I find primary homework patronising ? dd is always hugely busy out of school ? there are two instruments to practice, out of school clubs, words to learn for choir and drama, books to read (and we are quite capable of discussing these without a list of questions from school), cookery and science experiments to try out, playing and socialising and play dates, dens to build, dolls house furniture to make etc. etc. The junior school years between age 8 and 11 are really the only time they get to do all this before homework gets serious and I object to the school telling me how to use this time.

silverbirch, you said
"books to read (and we are quite capable of discussing these without a list of questions from school)"

The question is are all parents?
Maybe some parents automatically discuss reading books with their children, which I assume is the aim of these sheets, but not all do.

Not many 8 or 9 year olds go to bed at 6.30 - so I don't think that has to be taken into consideration here just because the odd reception child might

SueW - don't know where that's got to then!! So if the school was able to listen to them read every day you don't think they should bring reading books home as well?

TBH, nappyaddict, it's a difficult question for me personally to answer because DD is a v bright kid who is addicted to reading and will do so at any opportunity - curled up on the sofa, relaxing in bed before going to sleep.

My feeling though is that school is the equivalent of adult work and what is necessary should be attainable within the 'contracted' hours. What anyone does outside that should fit within family life. How many complaints do we see on here about parents who bring work home or won't switch off whilst on holiday, slaves to the blackberry, etc?

For some people expanding activities will be sport, for some it will be drama or dance, for other music or art, or academic pursuits, card games/family games, or reading of a professional journal if an adult or going to a conference or a trip to a museum, etc. Or chilling out in front of the TV or preparing and eating a meal together.

I don't like the idea that school dictates what children do outside school, any more than I'd like it if my or my DH's employers dictated how we spent time away from the office.

So what you are saying is home reading should be encouraged by the school but not compulsory?

I would NOT be happy and i would complain

Why don't you suggest that these homework sheets are optional? So if you want your child to do them then the teacher can send them home but if you don't then the teacher doesn't bother?

your dd only gets reading hw and was getting one worksheet with questions a week?...

what annoys me about hw - is the inconsistency !

My dd in P1 (age 5 first year at school) got writing hw everyday about 5 sentences, plus a book to read, plus maths, then at weekend she got a pack to do. (this would take at least half an hour a day)... I think it put her off school.

P2 we moved a few miles and she changed school... much less hw.

now aged 7 and in P3 dd gets a book a week, plus very basic spelling - words like buzz,fuzz etc to be written out 3 times in her hw book. and a work sheet either maths or language.

I would be quite happy with dd getting one work sheet a week to write about a book! I would prefer her hw to be more interesting, it really can get incredibly boring, I would rather she got none than what she is getting just now...

Since when did education become only work for the teachers?
These are our children, surely we should do some of it too?

VictorianSqualor - I agree completely that parents should take some responsibility for education - that is exactly my problem with primary homework - home is our time to do our bit...

btw - I understand that the sheets are very helpful for some children - but it is a one-size-fits-all approach to package it as homework. In our case dd has no problem with reading/comprehension. Spending time on other things - and especially free time to explore / play - is more important in terms of raising a well rounded child forus

Agree with you silverbirch.

Too much homework for my dd is tipping the balance too far into constantly doing or worrying about completing school work.

I agree.
I just get the impression that some homework (such as reading which is a normal part of many children's lives) is aimed at those who don't do it, much like the recommendations/rules for packed lunchs etc but if the teacher gave one child reading homework and not another there would be uproar.

I would like hw tailored to individual child's needs, so that is meaningful.

MidnightExp, I think that's a good question. I like homework in that it helps parents have some idea what is going on.

Tailored to individual needs is ideal, but sometimes unrealistic, impractical and sometimes unnecessary.

I used to do some work in adult literacy. Basically I was helping parents who struggled to read, do basic maths etc. Their children were at such a disadvantage and it was so rewarding. The classroom teacher had plenty to do nad feedback was that some children who had struggled improved. Funding was removed after 2 terms! Very sad.

oops..forgot to add PortandLEmon summed it up for me.
I would speak to teacher if you WOULD like your dd to have homework. Speak to other parents too?