homework

[paulz]

Help !! any parents out there got any ideas how to get my kids to do their homework? We've tried all the usual things, working at the table with them, tv off [or on] music & radio likewise. The very mention of the word brings that glum sulky look to their chops every time. Tried bribery [or rewards], even asked the school to rename it - Maths club, practice, exercises everything. Our main problem is that if at 9 they are finding it an issue, what will happen when they get an hours worth every night? Someone must have a way that works share it with us please!!!

[tracymort]

I think at 9 its too young to get homework anyway! at secondary school its okay (stll too much though, i was up until 2-3am then doing homwork) there's plenty of time for stress when they grow up. i know i want my sons to have fun and not worry about these things. i was a boff at school, all A's and i spent most of my childhood doing my homework. I wished i'd played more! i think it would be nicer if children started off learning social skills, cookery, gardening, the enviroment etc and then at around 7 ish they start on the academic stuff. if homework is seen as a chore they won't learn from it so what's the point?

[paulz]

Tracyh Couldn't agree with you more, I think if they can't learn it all during class time then there's something wrong with the system - or the amount being taught. I know teachers will argue that they are testing that the children can do what they've been taught during class, but this should be accomplished by simple tests. For example since daughter's been at school she learnt no less than 6 diffreent ways of adding up, magic pairs, blocking, chunking, sentences. Like fools we started her off at an early age with tens & units. They don't do this till later!! All my ranting aside, we still have to contend with the fact she gets homework which has to be done, can someone help us make less painful?? Thanks

[KARL]

This will not advise you how to do the homework, rather to get it into perspective (a bit like trachy's). Our son in secondary gets very little homework and when we asked at the annual parents' evening last week we were told that this was because he doesn't need to since he copes so well and has completed all tasks at school. At primary he sometimes got homework, but not an awful lot and he polished it off pretty smartly (was given additional work by the school to stave off boredom, at our suggestion because he and his brother before him were going bananas over repetitive simple work which they did far ahead of the rest of class - pace was set by the slower end of the spectrum). If your child is coping well (as you did) then it might be well in order to take this up with the school and establish whether the load is not excessive or more likely too immature and unproductive at that. For info, ours went to a state primary (village school) followed by private secondary and after complaining at primary that school was $%^&* annoying, they both really took off in secondary and actually enjoy/enjoyed school. In my view it is/was due to being given the freedom to go as fast as they could and wanted to - and state/private is not the point, school policy is. I sympathise with your thoughts. Continue asking and raising more detailed points on this forum and someone will put their responses to you. Good luck.

[GroovyLady]

I really don't see the point of homework at all.Children have to do loads of work at school,so who wants to do it at home as well?Except of course,when kids have a permanent illness and have to be tutored at home.