School homework

[curriechick 10]

They all three know their times tables even the youngest as I say their parents do spend a lot of time with them, teaching and encouraging learning and sometimes in ways they don't even know, through games, role play and visits it museums and galleries. My daughter did speak to the other teacher in the class about the abrup way the child was spoken to and this was duly noted, and she got all the answers right it was the time, she had to think when the questions were given in an alternative way and she ran out of time.

[Evei 10]

I think it depends on what the homework consists of. If it is set at such a young age, it can sometimes still be fun. For example, it might be a challenge to find 3 different shapes at home... which many children would enjoy doing with the family rather than only doing things like that in school. It also gives parents an opportunity to be involved in the child's school learning.

 

I think this hits the nail on the head, the fact that schools feel they have to set homework so that parents spend time doing something with their child. Good parents in my veiw do things like this everyday without having it set as homework, it is part of everyday interactions of child and parent and the majority do it.

 

As a child my parents would always ask what I did at school that day when sat around the dinner table, if there was something we had been doing they would ensure they made the links themselves and try to develop the interest in that area. I used to love a trip to the library (and the sweet shop on the way back) to get a book on whatever we were studying at at school and it was seen as a treat not a chore!

[growup 10]

They all three know their times tables even the youngest as I say their parents do spend a lot of time with them, teaching and encouraging learning and sometimes in ways they don't even know, through games, role play and visits it museums and galleries. My daughter did speak to the other teacher in the class about the abrup way the child was spoken to and this was duly noted, and she got all the answers right it was the time, she had to think when the questions were given in an alternative way and she ran out of time.

 

I wasn't trying to say ur grandchildren didn't know their times tables (sorry if it sounded like that). I was making a general statement about the importance our education system now places on primary school children knowing different elements of ancient egyptian culture and the like (which is nice for them to know and something fun for them to do), instead of focusing on basic skills.

[curriechick 10]

No, sorry I didn't read it like that so you caused me no offence at all, I was just reiterating how much pressure they had put on her and how upset she had become because of it, and it upset me to see her like that too.

[rapido 10]

It's totally wrong that children of this age should be getting any homework at all. Any schools that practice this are doing it for their benefit, not the children's.

Kids are not educated in schools for the pleasure of learning and personal, academic development; they are taught to pass exams so that the schools do well in the league tables

It's no wonder that the amount of children being home educated in Sheffield is increasing every year.

I'd have something to say about it if my kids got loads of homework at that age and i think I'd have a lot to say to the evil git who sent a 4 year old to the head for not doing homework. That's not a teacher.....it's a sadist.

[curriechick 10]

I agree, my daughter is a teaching assistant and she says they have to reach certain targets and try to get to the top of the league table to encourage more pupils, yet the school where she works has a waiting list even for the nursery it is such a good school.

[alandalus 10]

Not normal, but normal is a relative term ....

[Zebra 10]

My five year olds have been coming home with homework, which I object to enormously. At this stage I feel they should be asked to read as much as is realistic, which will set them up to learn consistently in every other subject. By reading they learn other things anyway.

Their father and I are the kind of parents who answer questions and go looking up information with the kids on the internet and in books anyway. I often feel aggravated that school have dictated that we should fill a 30 odd page project book on some tail chasing fluff. It isn't even vaguely possible for the kids to do their homework without parental interaction, frankly I have better things to do with my kids in those hours after school and before bed than draw/label pictures of healthy foods (they are well aware of what is and what isn't healthy and we don't need to draw pictures to evidence it), write what address they live at, city they were born in, D.O.B etc (since again they know all this and more besides). I see zero benefit to what they are meant to do, except chewing up time when we could be doing something useful or just behaving like a family.

 

There are studies which suggest that the brain will only absorb so much information in a day, surely 6 hours a day is sufficient? Those who home educate manage to teach the same curriculum and often manage it (with better exam outcomes) in 6 hours over a whole week - which would suggest there's something wrong with how schools do it.

 

Personally I feel the whole education system needs reviewing because frankly, for Joe Bloggs and society it's failing as a structure.

[Missdan 10]

My grandchild has had homework since she was 3 as well from a Rotherham school. I didn't know it wasn't compulsory though, she has always done it, even though health matters take up a good hour each evening and now she is older and the homework more it's proving difficult to fit it all in and for her still to have a childs life after school and before bed, she is 6.

[vickycound 10]

my son is 5 and started Y1 in september just gone he brings homework home 3 times a week every monday is maths AND spellings on a wednesday is reading and kite words and on a friday is a few lines to write about what they have done at school that week.

personally i feel this is discusting and they should't be doing it at their age i do encourage him to do it however as the 1st time he brought so much homw i refused for him to do it and when it was duein the teachers asked him why it wasnt finished (even though i told them he had done his reading but not the rest as i didnt agree with it) god only knows what else she said to him as now he comes home sits at the table and starts to do it himself other wise "the teachers shout because they havnt done their homework and they go back on the catterpillar" (the catterpillar is something they move along after reading each time at home each time they reach a mulitple of 10 they get a reward).

i agree on giving kids a challenge but come on this is just taking the michael when will they have chance to be kids if they are sat at a table all day everyday with a pen in their hand!!?

[sallyh 10]

Kids this young should be having fun at school without home till year 3 I think.