Why does my Primary school child have to do so much “dreaded homework”?

11 Feb 2010

Achieving the right balance of supporting children with their homework is one of the many major challenges faced by parents. However, for schools this can also present its challenges. I have lost count of how many times I have heard from other parents that schools have "got it wrong" or "don't know their child's needs" or asked "why does my child have to do so much dreaded homework?"

These comments are usually followed up with comments that schools set homework which is too easy, too difficult, too much, too little, too vague or too confusing! On the flip side, having worked with hundreds of schools, I am also all too familiar with some of their frustrations that they at times may feel unsupported by parents, which is illustrated by unreturned or only partially completed homework.

For what it is worth, I would like to offer my own views on the subject as both a former teacher, father of 5 children and someone who has delivered an educational service to both schools and parents for several years, and therefore both directly and indirectly shared the joys and frustrations of both groups.

Firstly, I strongly believe that the needs of each child are best met when school and parent are able to work together. This requires regular communication and cooperation, which is at the very core of the service provided by right2learn and one of its founding principles. Of course, meeting children's educational needs requires much more than communication. As anyone who has children or works with them soon finds out, they are all different, and what works for one child will not necessarily work for another.

This brings me back to the subject of "why children have to do so much dreaded homework".  I should start by asking the question of "is homework necessary?" i.e. whether or not children should do all their learning at school and home time should be purely family and fun time? To appreciate the need for homework, we have to consider how education and learning work. Children's education is by definition a continuing process and not a static state. Their needs, strengths, areas for development, knowledge and ability will evolve throughout their childhood and of course adult life. As such, a subject a child will struggle with today, may seem much easier to them tomorrow, next week, or next month.

The real point is that for the learning to stick it has to be consolidated. I'm sure we can all remember when our child took their first tentative steps as a toddler, or made that first wobbly journey on a bike? For me, I recall distinctly that once getting over the elation of witnessing these momentous achievements, my very next instinct was to put my child back on his feet or on the bike to repeat the process. This was partially so that he or she could continue to experience the joy of the achievement they had made and also show off their prowess to others. More importantly as a parent I was endeavouring to reinforce their newly learned skill, in order to build their confidence further and ensure they became even more accomplished.

With education it works in much the same way. Education at schools is conducted as part of a structured scheme of work, with planned lessons and outcomes, which includes reinforcement and consolidation of learning, with many subjects being covered again albeit in more detail in subsequent terms and school years. However, as with the learning to ride a bike scenario, the most important and effective reinforcement of learning can be where it happens immediately. Whilst teachers will attempt to do this with practice of knowledge and skills taught, there is a danger of trying to cram in too much learning at once for the child, which can lead to a somewhat confused understanding.

I remember all too well my frustration when my own son seemed to have forgotten some of his Maths skills in primary year 6 needed for the 11 plus exam, that I was confident he had learned the year before.

Hence the value in homework. Rather than schools trying to pass on the responsibility of children's learning to parents, this is part of a tried and tested process for reinforcement of learning of subjects which will have been covered within school, where it is hoped that further repetition and practice will consolidate and confirm the child's learning. This also provides a means for the teacher to individually confirm the needs of each child and subsequently plan further activity.

So, having stated some of the potential benefits and reasons for homework, what of the questions of whether or not is it "too easy, too difficult, too much, too little, too vague or too confusing"?

This in my view is a very different question, and one for which I feel the answer comes back to the founding principles of right2learn, i.e. communication and cooperation between parents and schools.

The fact is that any homework given may at times be too easy or too difficult for a particular child. By definition this is part of the process of establishing whether or not children have grasped a subject. The assumption is that other children within the class find the same homework too easy or too difficult? The same assumption tends to be made by parents relating to whether homework is too much or too little, too vague or confusing.  

Where parents have concerns, my advice is that they should raise these directly with the teacher concerned. In particular, parents should ask questions about the teacher's expectations in relation to homework. For example:

• How much time is your child expected to spend on homework?

• Is your child expected to be able to do the work without support?

• What does the teacher suggest if the child cannot do a piece of homework?

Often the very process of asking these questions can alleviate frustrations from both parents and teachers, by creating greater understanding of the issues around the subject of homework and the experience for the child. The outcome may or may not be that the parent becomes more satisfied with the particular approach being taken and thus gain increased confidence that their child's needs will be met. However, at the very least it is to be hoped that the discussion process will arm the parent with a better understanding of what the teacher is trying to achieve, and subsequently become better equipped to support their child with homework and ultimately contribute towards reinforcement their learning and achieving their individual potential.

Thoughts? Any comments are welcome. From either parents and/or teachers.

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