What's the benefit of homework?

[Butterfly Dawn]

in class we always had to.swap with the kid next to us and mark the homework- putting the right answer for those done wrong.

This child needs help. from parents and teacher. how long since a teacher looked at her books? least twice a week a teacher can go through the class and look at books. math especially has time for this.

I think here is a good example of falling through the cracks.

I think the question now is what should the op do?
talk to the parent? talk to the child? both?
I think the wording and approach will need to be thought out carefully here if any involvement on the ops behalf is to be of help. many parents don't want yo be told they aren't involved enough with their child.

[sepata]

But that's because that's one of your family's values, tfb. Just as you make a very conscious effort to ensure homework gets done, a family whose value is that play is a child's work isn't going to make the same effort because it doesn't hold as much importance to them.

[wysiwyg]

I am sure there can be value in homework, but agree with ausgirl there seems little value in the way it is going with this girl. Maybe she doesn't realise is wrong so therefore can't put her hand up to ask, maybe her parents can't help because they have problems with maths themselves (teachers outlining how they manage to fit in homework with their own children kind of misses the point - not all parents have had a great education themselves so either struggle with simple things or have little regard for education due to their own experience). I dont see anything wrong with self marking and some kids probably never need it checking but would have thought that teachers would check occasionally just to get a feel for who they should be keeping an eye on.

[Sopdet]

Anybody can find research to support what they believe. The only proper research is peer reviewed research which isn't always open to the general public for access.

I think kids should have homework, but it should be building on what they have learnt in school. I like what TFB said about it.

I have friends and relatives that are teachers and honestly they can tell when the child hasn't done any additional work outside of school.

[misty]

It really depends on the kid in question as to whether it is beneficial or not.

Personally, for my kids, I'm not a fan. I don't have the time (or patience especially whilst extremely morning sick) to sit down with them and do it properly with them. And if it isn't being done properly, then it isn't of any benefit.
And in the case of my eldest (who is severely dyslexic) it can actually be detrimental, and she can actually 'unlearn' things she previously knew, if she spends too much time on it or is not in the proper mind frame to work. Luckily, her school and teacher are very involved in her education and understanding of these issues. As such, she still gets homework (and has a whole stack of supplementary homework), but there is not pressure on her to do it, it is completely controlled by her how much and what and when she does stuff. Nothing designed to take her over 15mins to complete. This works for her and us, the main benefit being that it keeps her interested in academic learning, rather then causing her to hate it. It doesn't really improve her grades at all, but we are all ok with that, so long as she remains eager and willing to learn at school (where they have to proper tools and resources to help her).

As a result, we don't push the homework with our son in Kindy either (and I don't place a huge importance on it at this young age either). Thankfully, the school has homework set up so that they have it over the weekend, so he will generally sit down and do it in one hit on the weekend with DH.

[Beach Mama]

But that's because that's one of your family's values, tfb. Just as you make a very conscious effort to ensure homework gets done, a family whose value is that play is a child's work isn't going to make the same effort because it doesn't hold as much importance to them.

There can be a balance though, if your child goes to school and is assigned homework, but as a family you choose not to assist your child to do it or place no value on it (whether you agree with it or not) you are placing them in a position that when they do go to school they will either be a/ behind in classwork if it's work that is continued on with the next day/week b/ in trouble with the teacher for not completing it ( I used to follow up with a note home as to why work wasn't being done on a regular basis- if there is a genuine reason then that was fine). I guess what I am saying is that if you strongly disagree with homework, have spoken to your childs teacher about the problems you see with it, and still can't find a resolution there will definitely be come conflict between home and school if it's not being done. Your child in a way is being told, "your teacher wants you to do this - but we don't so you don't have to do it". In the early years might not be an issue but as they head to senior primary and then secondary I could see problems with it.

As for the value in it - it does depend on what is set and what purpose it has. Much homework is set without thought and is simply used as a "study habits" tool, but I have also seen well thought out homework directly linked to what kids are learning in class that they WANT to follow up and continue with at home with parents as well as bringing back what they find to school. It's definitely one of those issues where people will always be divided and there is no right or wrong answer - I guess we all need to find schools we are comfortable with that sit aligned with our own philosophies of what schooling is with homework included.

[Cass72]

I actually quite like homework. I think that the benefits far outweigh any objections. Children can learn to work on their own. Apply the tools that they learnt today and refresh them in their head. It also gives them life skills (developing independence and taking responsibility for example).

FWIW DS1 never "got" math. He was always in the "dumb" class (his words, not mine). Until we met a teacher in year 9 who realised that he wasn't dumb but rather quite intelligent. He's doing a double-degree at uni (Engineering and Science) not bad for the "dumb" kid huh?! I helped out where I could and if neither of us knew an answer we googled it - how did my parents get through our schooling years without google?? I encouraged him to ask his teacher if he didn't know an answer. Most teachers (if not all) were quite happy with an unanswered question or two, provided that they could see that he had attempted it and, asked for their help in completing it.

Sorry....I'm rambling.... and all over the shop today!

DS1 was telling me the other week that his lecturer at Uni said that the optimal time to re-read notes etc from a class/lecture for retention of knowledge is 5 days later. I'm not sure if this is transferable to young little minds though.

I think it's important that they are given homework from a young age to give them the tools to cope with it as it increases and the expectations become higher.

Sopdet, what you say too about I have friends and relatives that are teachers and honestly they can tell when the child hasn't done any additional work outside of school. It is obvious and I see this with DH's children. DS1 has often helped DSD over the phone with her homework and, when they were living with us, she was doing a lot better. Sadly, homework/schoolwork is not highly regarded in her home and the results at the end of the year are rather telling. DSS and I struggled a lot last year while he was doing a course at CIT. He kept telling me that the homework/assignments were bull**** and that there wasn't any point. I argued that there was - no homework, no assignment, no results, no certificate, no job! I dragged him kicking and screaming, resisting at every opportunity, through that course.

TFB - awesome comments

[Heaven]

This reminds me of that article a couple of days ago...

Homework hits home as schools outsource teaching to parents

PARENTS don't have time for home teaching duties, say couriermail.com.au readers in response to a story on state reform designed to improve results.
Others say that many parents don't have sufficient numeracy and literacy skills to pass on to their children.
However, Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek does not believe it is too much to ask for parents to get more involved in their children's schooling.
The Minister was responding to an article in The Courier Mail saying that parents would be asked to teach their children literacy and numeracy at home.
"The more we can at least aim for it instead of what's happened over the last few years which is handing everything over to schools and saying you're responsible for everything means children aren't getting the great results they could get if their parents were involved," said Mr Langbroek.

"It's not necessarily making sure that they're teaching brand new concepts to their children, but making sure they're reinforcing the things that (students) are being taught at school."
Earlier it was reported, MUMS and dads will be asked to teach their children literacy and numeracy at home under a state reform designed to improve student results.
Parents will be called on to play a bigger role in education under new instructions from Education Queensland to schools.
The move is recognition of research showing children learn much more from their parents than their teachers.
Parent body P&Cs Qld welcomes the idea, saying "it is the parent's responsibility to be the educator".
Principals are also supportive, saying the idea would counter the shift in responsibility from parents to schools.
Under the instructional framework, state schools are being told to consider running training and developmental courses for parents and to invite them in as guest teachers.Other initiatives include setting practical literacy and numeracy activities that involve parents, providing parent literacy and numeracy workshops and sending staff into homes to explain the jargon used in schools.
"Parents and the broader community play a vital role in supporting successful learning outcomes for our children," the framework states.
It says a key marker of success will be parents being acknowledged as the first teachers of their children.
Some schools, including Redbank Plains and Glenala state high schools, have already demonstrated remarkable improvements in student results.
Queensland Teachers' Union president Kevin Bates said the framework was about "valuing parents as part of the education process", not just telling them about it.
"It has got huge merit and it has got merit because what it recognises is that education doesn't just take place in school," Mr Bates said.
He said research showed school was responsible for about 20 per cent of a child's learning, family about 40 per cent and social about 40 per cent.
"In that sort of a situation we have to realise that clearly schools can do a lot, but they can't do it all," he said.
EQ deputy director-general Lyn McKenzie said the new framework was about turning "good schools into great schools". She said the teachers would not be doing less.
"It is about how can we help the parent add value to their child," Ms McKenzie said.
"Unless we work with the families in helping them understand how to assist their child in their learning then it will be more difficult to go from good to great schools."
Qld P&Cs CEO Peter Levett said the group backed the framework. "It can be as simple as reading to your child or asking them at the end of the day how school went," Mr Levett said.
"It comes back to ... that parents are the first teachers of their children and that responsibility continues throughout your child's education.
"Obviously there are parents that are time poor (but) it is the parent's responsibility to be the educator and that is not taking away from what the school is doing, it is adding to it."
Queensland Association of State School Principals president Hilary Backus agreed.
"Over the last 15 to 20 years there has been a massive shift to schools being asked to be responsible for elements such as teaching your child to swim, sex education and behaviour, which previously were clearly the responsibility and domain of parents," Mrs Backus said.
She said parents without a good education could make a difference by demonstrating they valued learning.



Homework hits home as schools outsource teaching to parents | The Courier-Mail

So it would seem what makes homework beneficial or not is parental involvement, as you would expect... "He said research showed school was responsible for about 20 per cent of a child's learning, family about 40 per cent and social about 40 per cent."

But that's because that's one of your family's values, tfb. Just as you make a very conscious effort to ensure homework gets done, a family whose value is that play is a child's work isn't going to make the same effort because it doesn't hold as much importance to them.

I would hope they would. Even though I believe play is most important for young children and they shouldn't have homework after 6 hrs at school, if I chose to send my kids to a school and this is the way they do things then I would have so support my kids to do the best they can in that environment. I would guess that most people who don't help their kids with their homework just don't have time, or don't feel they can, or don't want to, rather than they are opposed to it.

[LuluHB]

I would hope they would. Even though I believe play is most important for young children and they shouldn't have homework after 6 hrs at school, if I chose to send my kids to a school and this is the way they do things then I would have so support my kids to do the best they can in that environment. I would guess that most people who don't help their kids with their homework just don't have time, or don't feel they can, or don't want to, rather than they are opposed to it.

I don't push my kids to do all their homework, and in fact hold some of their homework back from them, because I am opposed to the amount they get. Its ridiculous. My almost 6 year old has a minimum of 1 hour's homework each and every school day, and then weekend activities. Yesterday when we got home from school I told them to put some old clothes on and shoved them outside with no homework done at all. There needs to be a balance, and in my view there is far too much pressure put on small children. DD1 is very eager to do school work, but many of her classmates are already resisting doing any homework at all.

[Floweryfields]

Disagree. DH and I both work, DH full-time

TFB I was trying to write a diplomatic post as I am not a parent and to say I think parents should make time for homework when I've not been there would be judgemental. I can't put myself in the shoes of the parent and say what they should or shouldn't be doing as I just don't know what their homelife involves.
ETA the family has 3 school aged and 4 non school aged children.

[Heaven]

I don't push my kids to do all their homework, and in fact hold some of their homework back from them, because I am opposed to the amount they get. Its ridiculous. My almost 6 year old has a minimum of 1 hour's homework each and every school day, and then weekend activities. Yesterday when we got home from school I told them to put some old clothes on and shoved them outside with no homework done at all. There needs to be a balance, and in my view there is far too much pressure put on small children. DD1 is very eager to do school work, but many of her classmates are already resisting doing any homework at all.

Wow, that's full on I would not be cool with that at all. Totally agree with you, that is my issue with homework. So much pressure for young kids these days. I imagine I would be resisting homework and have a pretty negative view of learning if that was me. I must be hard to balance though? On one hand that is what is expected from the school and you don't want your child to fall behind, on the other hand the homework is just excessive and there's too much pressure. I'd probably talk to the teacher about my concerns.

[LuluHB]

I have to say with all due respect too TFB, you have one child. I have three. That makes an enormous difference to how much time you can give to each child so to say that all families can handle the burden of homework is unfair. There are mums on BB that have 4 and 5 kids and I have no idea how they manage to spend any time with their kids on a one on one basis.

Heaven - We're very fortunate in that DD1 is a very bright little poppet and we've always read to her, played her never ending games of rhyming words, opposites etc so while we don't always encourage the structured homework, there is learning stuff going on ITMS. DH was actually on class duty today and he came home shaking his head. His job today was to get the kids to read to him from the five different levels of readers. He said our girl and one other little girl were the only ones able to read from the highest level, whereas some of the kids were struggling on the lowest level and unable to even name some letters, with a lot of kids then somewhere in the middle. Clearly those kids that are struggling need more involvement from their parents but you have to wonder if they're already so far behind, is the amount of homework the chilren are assigned going to change anything? There will sadly always be parents who don't spend time with their kids so you can only hope the teachers are able to prop them up a little

[wysiwyg]

Ausgirl - I think your post was fine - I also think it is unfortunate that your post which was really asking about homework in a specific situation has been derailed into a more philosophical discussion about homework by the posting of the link to Alfie Kohns stuff. Personally from what you describe this child is slipping through the cracks in my opininon and none of us have suffcient information to be able to say anyone is at 'fault' - is prob a combination of things. Could you suggest to the girl that she speaks to her teacher?

[sangie]

I don't push my kids to do all their homework, and in fact hold some of their homework back from them, because I am opposed to the amount they get. Its ridiculous. My almost 6 year old has a minimum of 1 hour's homework each and every school day, and then weekend activities. Yesterday when we got home from school I told them to put some old clothes on and shoved them outside with no homework done at all. There needs to be a balance, and in my view there is far too much pressure put on small children. DD1 is very eager to do school work, but many of her classmates are already resisting doing any homework at all.

Wow that seems like a lot for 6 year olds, I hope they don't keep increasing it every year hun
Homework definitely has its place but like others said, it has to be age appropriate and I think it has to allow the child to have a good balance of work/play/family/exercise time.

[diannescruffy]

When DS17 was in primary school he never got homework and I was one of those mums who would complain to teachers and asked for homework to be given out. In high school he struggled to the max when he received homework as he had never had any before. The primary school did change their homework policy and to me DS14 is proof of the benefits of homework to this day. As far as helping out I do as much as I can, DS14 not only does his own but happily helps out DD11 with hers.

Regards,
Dianne

[~clover~]

LuluHB - IMO that is way too much homework! My DD2 is in year 3, she does 2 home reading books a night (2 nights if she has trouble the first, my choice), then she has a 'Wonder Book'. She has a week to complete each item in her wonder book. They research how something works, explain it in the book & draw a picture. This week was flying a kite.

She'll be getting extra soon though. Just to help her catch up with her maths. Nothing major.

I will say that having a larger family isn't really an excuse for not making time for home work. I have 4 kids, 3 with homework (not to that scale though) & I did work the first 6 months of last year.

I don't have 4 kids & work til 5 pm, but if I did they would all sit at the table while I cook dinner like they do now on our busy days. We have at least 2 days a week where we have sports & other things on & we don't walk in the door til 5 or later. The second we're in the door home work is done. I do what I need to do while they do their work. DS & DD2 are usually done in 20 minutes. DD1 takes a bit longer. Close to an hour some nights, but she is able to work independantly.

Everyone has different circumstances. Its up to them to figure out a way to make it work. I do think though that if my 6 year old had an hour of home work each night I'd be speaking to the teacher & possibly principle. Thats way too much.

[wysiwyg]

LuluHB - that sounds like an awful lot of homework to me.

It worries me - mine aren't in school yet so don't have to deal with homework, but at the moment they are picked up from daycare at 5:45 four days a week (I am hoping that I can change the situation before DD starts school but that may not be possible and she may be in after school care) - so by time they are home is 18:00 - now I assume in the first few years of school at least you don't want them going to bed any later than 20:00 - so you have a max two hour window to have some dinner, and to do whatever homework and reading, and spend some time relaxing together as a family. It isn't so much about whether you work or not but about the amount of time you have with child or children each evening after school before they need to go to bed. I have always thought time spent with children after school is really important (whether doing homework or not) and I am going to do everything I can to try end up with a job or DH end up with a job where we can finish work earlier but current experience leads me to think it isn't easy.

I suppose I always think what is the "problem" that giving lots of homework is meant to solve - I and alot of my generation had very little homework apart from reading in primary school (even at secondary school I don't remember being inundated), seems plenty of people did very well on that model so why the 'focus' on homework now - if it is because there is too much to cover during school hours maybe a better solution would be to cut out some stuff. The article Heaven posted above is interesting - about the importance of the parental involvement vs just homework - when I was a child most people had a parent at home for them when they got home from school (primary) so lots of time to do fun stuff, eat, do homework etc - there was no such thing as after school care - that after school window is being shrunk for many families but the amount of homework is increasing. I totally believe in the importance of the parent as the key educator, and do not think it is sole or main responsibility of the school at all - quite the opposite really and think that I would find having the small amount of time I would have each evening to be the 'educator' monopolized by homework not much fun at all.

Anyway not sure how mine will get to do homework as DH has a bad back and says he refuses to let our children carry those ridiculously oversized bags they seem to have from starting primary :-)

[AnyDream]

I think there are pros and cons to homework, especially in the primary school setting. Reading, however, is very important. I would rather have kids engaged in a daily reading program (with rewards attached) than just going through the motions of "doing homework".

Having said that, one of dd's schools had a matrix approach. Each fortnight they would bring home a matrix with 9 different things on it. The activities ranged from physical activities, family/social activities (eg to discuss something or do a particular thing with a family member), arty/creative things, etc. only 1 or 2 things were compulsory for the fortnight. Everything else was up to the students & the family's capacity as to how much they did. This system worked brilliantly, as it encouraged learning activities right across life. That's a much better goal for homework than just repeating mindlessly boring tasks over and over again.