Homework can work
While I appreciate some of Professor Hattie’s view on National Standards I am a little perplexed around his view that homework is a waste of time for most children.
I like homework because it keeps me, as a parent, connected into the school. I know what my child is studying, I have some feel for their progress, and it is a way that my son and I can work together to increase his skill set.
I got quite a shock when I moved my son from a kindergarten that set weekly homework to a primary school that only encouraged reading homework and no more. I am concerned that by removing homework we are removing one bridge between school and home. Homework can encourage children to think more widely, to use problem solving skills that aren’t available or fed to them by their teacher. Homework can also encourage children to take their interests outside of the classroom back into the classroom.
Like National Standards, homework can assist a parent to gauge how well their child is progressing. I certainly hope that the removal of homework is not a union-designed mechanism to pull back on National Standards.
Professor Hattie encourages parents to set their own time together for learning with their children. From my experience, a lot of parents don’t know how to do that. Homework, even just an investigative question to answer, can guide parents that don’t know how to open up the world of learning to their children. I am an active parent and have a few activities up my sleeve and even books to refer to for ideas but that can take time. The upside of homework set by teachers is that it is focused at the child’s learning level, and for some parents it is a whole lot faster having a starting point than umming and erring about what could be set – the television remote is definitely their friend.
I do understand that some parents find homework a difficult time of the day – they struggle with it themselves, or they have just rushed home for work to cook dinner and million other chores BUT good parents still find the time to do the homework. By removing homework set by teachers I hate to say it but a whole lot of parents who don’t have the tools to think of parent-led homework ideas won’t do it at all. Do we then risk mediocrity? No need to do extra work to go the extra distance, is there?
I am even an advocate for homework at five years of age. I have seen it work for three and four year olds so why not five? At five, the child is being set up in all sorts of other routines and standards of behaviour within the school so why not homework, expectations, learning strategies and the like? Hell, they could even have competitions to see which kid can find the most words beginning with the letter ‘p’ and have a bit of writing practice at the same time. Oh wait, dirty word that ‘competition’ stuff.
I really do understand that some kids don’t like homework. I also understand some parents don’t like it… and the teachers that have to mark it – or encourage the children to share it in class. Homework should stay. Homework can encourage lifelong learning. Homework can help parents parent better, and teachers teach better.
February 15th, 2010 at 11:35 am
Great well-reasoned comments.
February 15th, 2010 at 11:54 am
I disagree.
Homework is a signal that a teacher has failed to cover in 6 hours what should only take 3. Even given the inefficiencies of school, the teaching process should not encroach on a child’s free time — at least at primary school (and arguably later, too).
“After school”, is after school. It is the child’s time, to spend as they (or their parents) choose. Some choose sport, or music, or drama, or dance, or crafts, or technology, or playing (and what is wrong with that?) or other creative activities. Why should schools encroach on that time?
Primary schools are wrong to steal more freedom from individuals. Let children grow up without even more state control.
February 15th, 2010 at 12:00 pm
Major – Isn’t it funny how we managed to do homework when we were at primary school AND still managed to do sport or music or drama or crafts or technology AND play? What’s changed?
February 15th, 2010 at 12:08 pm
Major, i couldn’t agree more.
A lot of homework, especially in the younger years, is simply make work, it doesn’t extend the learning. Homework designed to extend learning outside the classroom can disadvantage students with lesser access to resources outside school, or who have their time alloctaed to other activities, as you specify.
And finally, homework is an insidious corporatist ploy to teach people to take work home and do it in their own time, without remuneration.
February 15th, 2010 at 12:09 pm
The reason that they have to do work at home is that they spend half the school day stuffing around with feel good activities which makes it easier for the teacher to ‘relate’ to the kids.
If they can’t get through what they need in six hours why don’t they extend the school day??.
I’d rather bond with my kids doing something we both enjoy.
February 15th, 2010 at 12:09 pm
Typical PC “equality” theory at work here. Some kids are failing at homework. Solution ? Make all the kids fail !
February 15th, 2010 at 12:10 pm
Primary School homework ususally covers the basic facts, and is important for parents so they have some hands-on involvement and knowledge of their child’d progress in these critical building blocks.
Intermediate School homework should be developing the child’s research skills and learning how to complete projects, plus also some regular reading.
And High School homework should be all about developing key study skills that they will need in university. NCEA allows too many kids to do the bare minimum to get by, and then they find themselves inadequately prepared to work on their own once they get to Uni.
February 15th, 2010 at 12:15 pm
I like reading with my littlies as homework usually in the evening after dinner though…thats about it though
February 15th, 2010 at 12:16 pm
“I’d rather bond with my kids doing something we both enjoy.”
What a piss poor dessicated dead shit of a parent you must be. When I was at school my parents and I ENJOYED collaborating on my homework.
February 15th, 2010 at 12:18 pm
I’m with Jadis on this one. When you have little kids, reading, counting and basic skills like learning the alphabet are fine and you soon learn which topics are your childs strengths and weaknesses.
By the time they are at school, you are not completely in control of their learning. While reading and helping with spelling are important, how are parents to know that kids need help with calculating numerators and denominators unless they bring homework home? Or even if children are up to fractional math?
February 15th, 2010 at 12:21 pm
Research tends to suggest that homework does little to alter pupil outcomes in elementary / primary education. However, parental support for learning in the home has shown to be important to a child’s achievement also. The research is pretty clear that homework *does* assist pupils at secondary level. Homework has a use at all levels of education as it builds study skills and inculcates time-management which is particularly important when they get to high school.
February 15th, 2010 at 12:23 pm
As the man says “let them read comics”. Oh they do, MSM, TVnews, Parliament, facebook, texting.
Nah that’s not real comics. Bring back Superman.
Go outside and fucking play you lot. Get down and dirty, have sword fights and chase the dog. Learn about interrelating to a bunch or playmates instead of consulting your phone screens.
February 15th, 2010 at 12:32 pm
Yep, Viking, as you know I am a big advocate for dirt, climbing trees, playing – I think there’s plenty of room for homework AND play.
February 15th, 2010 at 12:34 pm
Major – Isn’t it funny how we managed to do homework when we were at primary school AND still managed to do sport or music or drama or crafts or technology AND play? What’s changed?
Not at 5 years old. We never had homework at that age. (In fact, school is not compulsory at age 5.)
Nowadays, mum’s working too.
I agree that parental involvement in their child’s learning is the key. We used to talk about what we learned today in maths, in science, in writing, in whatever. There was no need of homework for the parent to know that we’re doing fractions.
I challenge schools to publish their homework policy on their website, so that parents can take that into account when choosing a school.
February 15th, 2010 at 12:39 pm
“Go outside and fucking play you lot…”
Except we subdivided all the good backyard cricket/rugby/soccer sections, and to build a tree-house now requires a resource consent.
Every playground is exactly the fucking same as the next one, since OSH got involved. Long gone are the days when fathers held working bees and built a playground on a Saturday that would resemble a fortress.
What about trolley races down the roads/footpaths? Air-rifles, pocket knives, tomohawks, double-happys?
Stop blaming the kids for not living a life so free as we did.
February 15th, 2010 at 12:43 pm
AF,
Thanks for the affirmation of my parenting skills. maybe I’m not perfect. Not sure my middle class aspirational guilt is strong enough to overcome the need for my kids to wind down at night though.
Much more fun to read and discuss Pokemon or NZ Cricket.
February 15th, 2010 at 12:46 pm
We have two at primary school level who both get homework every night, related to what they are studying – one is 5, the other 7.
It is a great discipline for them and, even though its hard for us to sometimes fit it in, we try and make it a priority.
Admittedly my wife does most of the work with them, and I get dragged in if the maths sums get too hard – I guess that is likely to increase as time goes on.
They are at a private christian school but I think the homework focus that the school have will continue even under the National Standards regime. I don’t recall getting homework as a child until I was in my senior years at Primary School.
February 15th, 2010 at 12:54 pm
Homework is definitely a good discipline, and as the parent of Y4 and Y8 children I’m happy for them to get some to do. However, some studies have shown that the children that benefit from homework are those who are already doing well at school, and it just makes those who are struggling feel even worse about their success (or lack of) at school.
At the end of the day, the kids whose parent interact with them a lot (whether doing homework or just doing things like identifying the different flags of the Olympics competitors) will, on average, be the kids that do well.
February 15th, 2010 at 12:56 pm
Homework is an opportunity to practice what you learnt at school and to identify areas that you do not understand so that you can feedback to your teacher and fill in the learning gaps. Homework provides a range of new experiences within the subject matter and allows the student to expand their range of experience.
Homework like all learning is optional if you don’t want to learn you wont. Students who take learning seriously generally succeed those who do not often fail. Taking all the available opportunities to learn certainly helps, homework is an opportunity to learn in a different environment. Homework is not compulsory if you dont want to do it dont but dont expect to be at the same level as those who do and dont complain when you get left behind.
Parents often say I cant help with the homework I dont understand it, you dont have to, all you have to do is ask questions like…Have you done your homework? That homework you had trouble with did you ask your teacher for help? Do you understand it now? ……………. Insist on good learning outcomes.
To those who say after school is for music drama sport etc. Is music practice in your own time homework? Is sports practice homework? or do your kids just turn up for the game or the end of year concert.
February 15th, 2010 at 1:02 pm
or..perhaps you ..and others..just use (school-set) homework as an extension of that child time-minding provided by the state..?
takes that pressure off you..?
homework sucks..and achieves s.f.a..
..let them play/read/learn…
phil(whoar.co.nz)
February 15th, 2010 at 1:05 pm
<It is ridiculous to have homework for 5-10 year olds
All it does it stress the parents. It does in my case also stress the children.
What is this teaching my kids?
Dont spend your free time playing, get stressed and do work. Great teaching.
What are you trying to achieve having your child do homework?
Answer – You imagine that you are giving your child an advantage over other kids and that some day they will grow up and be brain surgeons and save the world.
From a parent that has a child that does not like homework, struggles to learn – Get over yourselves. Accept what your child's capabilities are and stop trying to mould them into perfect human beings.
February 15th, 2010 at 1:09 pm
I’ve got 2 primary school kids and I completely support the idea of homework. Practice is undervalued as a component of learning.
February 15th, 2010 at 1:10 pm
the best ‘homework’ parents can do..?
get the nippers addicted to books..from a very very early age..ie..read to them as babies..
my boy used to look at me with a w.t.f.are you doing? look on his face..heh..!
and take them to the library on a regular basis..
phil(whoar.co.nz)
February 15th, 2010 at 1:10 pm
I’ve heard something like this before when I was talking to a primary school teacher. She told me the only reason she continued with homework is because many parents (like Jadis) demand it.
Beyond reading and maybe the odd maths sums and equations and some remedial stuff for struggling children, I think since there’s no real proven benefit to homework, stop encroaching on these poor kids free time and just let them be kids!
February 15th, 2010 at 1:14 pm
This articulates pretty clearly what I believe good homework assignments can do: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NQM/is_3_43/ai_n6361599/
February 15th, 2010 at 1:15 pm
Beware of the low flying helicopter parent.
February 15th, 2010 at 1:16 pm
when my boy was 11..i sat him down and told him i had a ‘deal’ for him..
that i was ideologically opposed to homework..but realised most schools demanded it..
so..the deal was..that he could have total control of his time..and the amount of time/energy he put into homework was up to him..
that i would never ask him..’have you done your homework yet?’..
my only condition in giving him this freedom to run his own life..as he saw fit..
..was that his school reports had to remain excellent..(and i mean ‘excellent’..)
it’s been four years now…and it seems to be working a treat..
..we have never had a homework-squabble.and don’t look likely to have one..
..and he has kept his side of the bargain..
..(we do go on library-runs tho..on a regular basis..)
phil(whoar.co.nz)
February 15th, 2010 at 1:21 pm
get the nippers addicted to books..from a very very early age..ie..read to them as babies..
For the first time ever, I agree with philu about something.
February 15th, 2010 at 1:25 pm
all you rightwingers..with your eager acceptance of the fascist demands of homework..
..just prove how anal and uptight you are..
..not to mention ‘control-freaks’..eh..?
..is this also down to the ‘fear’ that first led you to embrace conservatism..?
http://whoar.co.nz/2010/threatened-anxious-become-a-conservative/
phil(whoar.co.nz)
February 15th, 2010 at 1:25 pm
Jaris (as you clearly state) homework for young children is primarily for the benefit of the parents not the child.
Young children need time to play as much to learn and after a long school day they need down time before having dinner and going to bed.
If you really want to send quality time with your children after school go to a park with them or kick a ball around. If you want to find out how they are doing at school talk to their teacher.
February 15th, 2010 at 1:28 pm
Major – me too! I was about to applaud PhilU. We’re big readers in our house too. I also like your ‘deal’, Phil.
Personally I don’t use school-set homework as an extension of ‘child-minding’. I also, at this stage, don’t have dramas over doing the work – probably age and personality related. I think of homework as something that is done by the child (and with some guidance from the parent) – hardly child minding is it?
February 15th, 2010 at 1:37 pm
Some bloody deal Phool has done!
“I tell you what kids, along with this deal re the homework I am going to set a piss poor example for you by bludgeing from the tax payer for the rest of my life and by smoking copious amounts of mind wrecking dope”
February 15th, 2010 at 1:40 pm
My son does prep from 19:00 – 20:30 every school night except Friday. He enjoys it. Spends a lot of his prep time reading once he get’s his official study out of the way. Hasn’t done him any harm – he won his school’s Y9 science award last year and was pipped at maths by one point.
Someone above mentioned that homework was good practice for independent study when kids go to Uni. I agree.
February 15th, 2010 at 1:43 pm
you are going to be ‘gutted’..eh bro..?
..when it is legalised..as it will be..
..it’s now a matter of ‘when’..not ‘if’..
what will you find to rail against then..?
why not try and face those anxieties/fears..that first made you a tory….eh..?
..that could be a useful exercise for you..and those..if any..around you..
..eh..?
phil(whoar.co.nz)
February 15th, 2010 at 1:45 pm
I’m going to take the middle ground here…
Firstly I agree that the content of homework has little affect and that playing outside and reading books is better for their education and social skills.
But, homewok at high school level begins to prepare students for the discipline required at university to self teach and be self-motivated to study. NCEA has taken away this initiative…. and many kids out of school have a huge shock when they get to varsity.
I agree with Philu here – in that I focus on the outcomes rather than the process. Give the ‘who, when, where, what, and why’ – but never the ‘how’, let the parents/kids come to their own method I mean as long as it works who the fuck cares!
February 15th, 2010 at 1:46 pm
giving them the freedom to manage that time themselves..
..is a much more potent ..’practice for independent study when kids go to Uni.’
..than you dictating that time..
(‘yes daddy..!..i love homework..!’..
(..really..?..you don’t think he dosen’t knopw by now what you want to hear..?..
..meh..!..)
phil(whoar.co.nz)
February 15th, 2010 at 2:05 pm
“Oh wait, dirty word that ‘competition’ stuff.” – I am disturbed to read Jadis that you consider competition to be a bad thing. That seems a strange thing to say given your previous posts.
February 15th, 2010 at 2:13 pm
Brian – I don’t think anyone is arguing that year 9 students shouldn’t be doing some form of homework, it seems that the point Jaris was making is that very young children (5 and 6 year olds) should also be doing homework (mostly for the parents benefit).
February 15th, 2010 at 2:28 pm
YesWeDid… I am pretty sure I made a few more points. That particular one was for the likes of you who like a bit of sensation. Homework for five year olds looks a little different though it can still be a supportive tool in learning. And, while it is a useful tool for parents (to help know what is happening in the classroom) that isn’t its only use. I’m pretty sure I went into some depth on that point.
February 15th, 2010 at 5:53 pm
Garfield – for some little, tiny reason I think I might have been a little sarcastic in that particular comment – may be because I do think competition is necessary and even a good thing. Did you pick up the sarcastic note?
February 15th, 2010 at 5:55 pm
I’d agree with Jadis if the homework my children were / are set actually encouraged that spirit of learning of which s/he speaks.
But when I see my youngest coming home with the same crappy photocopied “work sheets” that were given to my oldest which concentrate on multi-choice or simple questions so the teacher can spend maybe a minute on marking it, then I join the “homework is a waste of time” camp.
Sure, not all teachers do that, but the majority seem to. Therefore I’ve always followed the same course as philu, pretty much… keep good grades and I’ll be proud of you. So inevitably I get back variations of “s/he’s smart, but doesn’t hand in much homework”. Well tough.
I do impose a slightly stricter regime than phil, though… I nudge them towards activities that they might find interesting and from which they will hopefully learn something, even if it’s not on the curriculum. That might be anything from buying them an electronics kit to a telescope to learning how to steer a boat. Otherwise the X-Box tends to monopolise the attention and that’s not a good thing… but nor is coming home from school and being hunched over a faded “answer sheet”.
February 15th, 2010 at 6:38 pm
I enjoyed doing homework as a kid. I could sit quite happily writing away or doing lots of maths problems for fun. In my eyes homework is an important discipline. It has the benefits of reinforcing ones learning, and for the parents to judge how the child is progressing (teachers are fallible and can give inaccurate representations at times).
I’m not suggesting a child should be bogged down with homework, nor am I suggesting it has to be rigorous but I do believe it has benefits in the all round bringing up of a child.
February 15th, 2010 at 6:38 pm
(‘yes daddy..!..i love homework..!’..
phool – do you teach homework like the armed robbery of a chemist shop while high on smack?
February 15th, 2010 at 7:12 pm
i got a little confused when Hatties research says that class size is not important but also says that the feedback/feed forward you give to students is one of the most important factors in their success/progress. I would have thought that a smaller class size would lead to more opportunities to have one-on-one time with students so that you can give them quality feedback/feed forward….
February 15th, 2010 at 7:32 pm
MC. Go read Hatties research/ Do your homework. Aha that’s what this is about. Amazes me all the bullshit that spouts forth from the some of the homework brigade who often post on here about all sorts of stuff without even bothering to “do their homework”
Seems like, do as I say not as I do. Now kids ain’t stupid, they can smell hypocrisy and double standards a mile away.
February 15th, 2010 at 7:48 pm
“..I do impose a slightly stricter regime than phil, though… I nudge them towards activities that they might find interesting and from which they will hopefully learn something, even if it’s not on the curriculum..”
oi..!..i’ve been a soccer-dad since he was five..and could count the games i’ve missed on one hand..
..plus..i advocate taking yr offspring to ‘interesting’ movies..
..(that can be done at home..by dvd/..etc..)
..leading them to interesting/challenging movies gives them heaps..
..and you should also try to be open to what they have to teach you..
my boy has got me into a genre i may have ignored..(and i’ll bet one most of you have ignored..)
..graphic novels..
and if you doubt the validity/artistic-power to be found in the ‘comic-novel’..?
..can i suggest you start with one called ‘maus’…
..and then ..wipe your tears..and move on from there..
also music..music..music..
the boy had bfm as his soundtrack for much of the tme..
(and he now likes drum & bass..heh..!..not my favourite/choice..but there ya go..eh..?..)
phil(whoar.co.nz)
February 15th, 2010 at 8:02 pm
yeah d4j..it was decades ago..
d’yareckon i’m out of the recidivist loop yet..?
and actually..having a habit the size of a horse..(thanks mr asia..!..)..
..and not being high on smack..and actually jonesing-out..in a rather major way..
..was the stimulus for the deed..
thanks for asking..!..again..!
..(aren’t you getting bored with that ‘slur.’.?
..you have been trotting it out for over five years now..
..maybe time for a pause..?
..to think up a new one..?
d’yareckon..?
(just ask if you need some help..eh..?..)
phil(whoar.co.nz)
February 15th, 2010 at 8:13 pm
phool – I do NOT need help from you but you are right that I should refrain from talking about the chemist shop again. Everybody deserves a second chance and it’s great to see that you support your childs sport. There is something about being a sideline dad. The children love dad being there. Homework sucks – sport rules.
February 15th, 2010 at 11:33 pm
Are you sure he’s not still doing it?
February 15th, 2010 at 11:46 pm
I don’t have kids so I don’t know, but how common is it these days for kindergarden-level children such as Jadis’s kids to get homework? I was surprised to hear that they get it at primary school, let alone kindergarten.
February 16th, 2010 at 12:23 am
philu:
If you like graphic novels, check out “Sentences: The Life of M.F. Grimm “. A former drug dealer who lost the use of his legs to his habit, is a talented hip-hop performer (though personally, I think that phrase is oxymoronic
) he tells his life story in graphic novel form. Beats Superman et al, IMHO (though Maus is good).
Interestingly, NBC seem to have invested quite a bit in hiring people to create an online graphic novel to supplement their “Heroes” series. The phrase “lipstick on a pig” springs to mind…
February 16th, 2010 at 8:11 am
Willtruth – I know that a few of the kindergartens near us do homework. I should note that when I say homework for three and four year olds it is a task that is set to be done over a week. It could be collecting pictures from a magazine that all have the same theme or start with the same letter. It could be a way that gets them practicing their fine motor skills – pencil skills and the like. It could be drawing their garden and where possible writing the words of items in their garden. All homework topics are related to the current topic area. So, if they are learning to grow plants in their kindy garden then it might be life cycle related or placing items in order. As you can see this type of homework involves the parent and promotes discussion between the parent and child.
The homework is not compulsory, though most of the children do it because they want to do it, and others get a little encouragement from their parents, while others don’t do it.
February 16th, 2010 at 9:23 am
“..Are you sure he’s not still doing it?..”
yes..he is..
the most recent was when i suggested he give yoga ‘a go’..(for a month trial-period..)
he now likes it..and we do it together..
he likes it because..(in his words..)..it makes him feel ‘stretched..and stronger.’.
that’s another good example of ‘good homework’..eh..?
..yoga..
(it should also be widely available/taught in prisons..but that’s another story..eh..?..)
phil(whoar.co.nz)