primary school homework

[Crackle]

The crowning glory of all my shoebox projects and an afternoon I'll never get back

 

[marknotgeorge]

Yes, this. Addition, subtraction, multiplication, division. It's a whole different way of learning now. Often the homework sheets just have sums and it's up to the kids to explain to the parents how it is supposed to be done before the parents can then help then work through it,

I've noticed this. Mad Scientist's now in the home straight of Year 7, and over the Easter holidays had been given some maths workbooks to do, and hour or so every day. I helped her on one of the days she spends with me, part of which was calculating means. What I learned as short division is now the bucket method, apparently.

 

[ClichéGuevara]

My daughter and my niece are the same age and went through school together. My sister pushed my niece academically, I encouraged my daughter into activities and social situations.

My niece always seemed to have masses of homework that kept her in most nights, my daughter did not have much if any.
School feedback was that my daughter was a delight to teach, once they could get her to stop laughing and chatting and start work, my niece got really good reviews, but was very upset at showing her parents anything much less than academic perfection. I've no idea why there was such a difference in homework. The school were happy, so I left it at that.

At college, my daughter was self motivated, and spent any spare college time in the library with friends to get her work done, so her free time was her own, my niece needed to be pushed.

My niece has better grades and emotional issues, my daughter enjoys life, friends, a good partner and a job she loves and that offers vocational training for progress.

I guess it's about balance, and what suits the individual and giving them enough encouragement and guidance so they have the freedom and confidence to choose their own path. Teachers don't generally get the luxury of choosing though.

Maybe I'm irresponsible, but when ever my daughter is faced with a choice, I usually say pick the one that's the most fun, and I'll support her what ever. Some choices turned out wrong, but we got over them with little fuss. Maybe, as a single dad, I had the luxury of being able to devote more love, time and attention on her.

I guess some depends on how much a future employer rates experience over qualifications, but my daughter says she's got the qualifications she needs for now, and will collect the others if ever she needs more.

 

[subaqua]

We have spent a lot of time teaching our kids the basics. However we have to be careful as the methods they now use are very different. Number lines etc. I had to learn their way before I could help them with any homework as my way of maths, which although gets the same answer, is a very different process.

However, there's so much to learn in life which I can;t expect the school to do that will help them massively academically in the long run. I'm talking nature, science, art, social skills. This is done by engaging with them and introducing new experiences, helping them to understand and learn from them. We also invest a lot of time in reading, both fiction and non-fiction with them.This, I believe, is the primary role of parents and what we strive to do.

Getting them to do some more sums for 2 hours at the weekend does not give them the down time from that part of the learning process to take on the new ideas from those listed above.

Last summer, we had 2 weeks in Scotland. It was spent exploring, climbing, playing, fishing, by the sea. Evenings were spent playing card games/tricks, teaching drafts, playing squares and an awful lot of reading. Both kids, in those two weeks, had a massive development shift. They came back different kids. No homework in sight. Neither learning works in isolation but both are critical for both personal and academic development.

so they did science , nature, english and maths all without realising they did. and without you realising they were doing it too. thats the best way of getting kids to learn . you might have called it "topic" in your time in school , it is still topic based teaching but the buzz word is " cross curriculum"

as for the bit i bolded , poor school there. a good teacher will show multiple ways of doing things. and generally let the pupil choose which way they want to do things. some things are laboured over as they are part of a progression and need to be understood for something much later in curriculum to be understood properly.

a good school ( the one my boy goes to does , as did the different one daughter went to ( catchments changed- we live 2 metres too far and are only 250 metres from the school !! )) will run basic lessons in how to help your child/understand the "new" methods of teaching.

my wife who is coming into the end phase of her teaching career is laughing at some of the methods being touted as new, which her dad who was a brilliant headmaster was told were not good methods to use at the end of the 70s . it all comes round in circles. there is nothing new in education.

 

[subaqua]

[QUOTE 4236256, member: 45"]Which raises another issue. Often the school don't explain the methods the children are learning to use.[/QUOTE]

see my post above Oh and if you are not sure - ASK the school. they will help you as it makes for better levels !

 

[Markymark]

so they did science , nature, english and maths all without realising they did. and without you realising they were doing it too. thats the best way of getting kids to learn . you might have called it "topic" in your time in school , it is still topic based teaching but the buzz word is " cross curriculum"

I'm not disagreeing with you. My point is that parents at the weekend should be doing this, I want to be free to do this. Instead we have to find 2 hours for dry academic questions. It's not about not teaching them stuff at the weekend, but allowing them to learn other ways.

And no, it's not about the time, but about their energy and learning capacity. After 5 days at school, giving them more academic questions will hamper the capacity and energy they have to learn and broaden their minds on the 'cross curriculum' as you put it.

As for teaching methods, my understanding is that they start one way, then encourage mental arithmetic and learning new ways when they get toi yr 3/4.

 

[subaqua]

I'm not disagreeing with you. My point is that parents at the weekend should be doing this, I want to be free to do this. Instead we have to find 2 hours for dry academic questions. It's not about not teaching them stuff at the weekend, but allowing them to learn other ways.

And no, it's not about the time, but about their energy and learning capacity. After 5 days at school, giving them more academic questions will hamper the capacity and energy they have to learn and broaden their minds on the 'cross curriculum' as you put it.

As for teaching methods, my understanding is that they start one way, then encourage mental arithmetic and learning new ways when they get toi yr 3/4.

you don't need to do it all in one 2hr blob though, and the main reason it gets done that way is that sadly too many parents don't do any support with the kids.you sound like you do. its not wanstead church school is it

 

[Markymark]

you don't need to do it all in one 2hr blob though, and the main reason it gets done that way is that sadly too many parents don't do any support with the kids.you sound like you do. its not wanstead church school is it

....I don't do religion, especially not in schools!!!!

 

[growingvegetables]

Yes, this. Addition, subtraction, multiplication, division. It's a whole different way of learning now. Often the homework sheets just have sums and it's up to the kids to explain to the parents how it is supposed to be done before the parents can then help then work through it,

I hate to sound cynical - but maybe there's a little method in the madness? A wee kid who manages to explain their "new" method to a parent "in their dotage" us a kid who has mastered it!

Doesn't help the kids whose parents'/guardians' experience of school/learning was desperately negative.

There's been a few negative comments about some parents in the thread. An example (and I'm NOT singling you out! Honest!)

... the parents that are too busy to help with homework, or the parents who have not even taught the kids to go to the toilet or spell their name along with many other such things before joining school.

There just IS NOT an easy answer to motivating kids for educational success - if their parents have been failed by the education system of their day.

As for pointing the finger at, and blaming those parents .............. well, words fail me. Sorry - but that stinks.

 

[ClichéGuevara]

I hate to sound cynical -.

Me too, but I can't be the only one that sees something that's probably none PC yet childishly amusing about this topic and your username.

 

[growingvegetables]

Me too, but I can't be the only one that sees something that's probably none PC yet childishly amusing about this topic and your username.

Nice one

PS - You owe me a keyboard!

 

[subaqua]

I hate to sound cynical - but maybe there's a little method in the madness? A wee kid who manages to explain their "new" method to a parent "in their dotage" us a kid who has mastered it!

Doesn't help the kids whose parents'/guardians' experience of school/learning was desperately negative.

There's been a few negative comments about some parents in the thread. An example (and I'm NOT singling you out! Honest!)

There just IS NOT an easy answer to motivating kids for educational success - if their parents have been failed by the education system of their day.

As for pointing the finger at, and blaming those parents .............. well, words fail me. Sorry - but that stinks.

hang on. it was never down to schools to toilet train kids FFS, that is a PARENTS JOB . NOT A TEACHERS. the clue is in the job description .

teach em to read , yes, teach em to write, yes, teach em to do arithmetic , yes . teach them how to use a toilet - NO.

sadly there are lots of Parent for whom kids are a fashion accessory and do not want to put themselves out in helping their own kids.

 

[growingvegetables]

sadly there are lots of Parent for whom kids are a fashion accessory and do not want to put themselves out in helping their own kids.

One for the "No s*** Sherlock list".

And entirely misses the point I made. Trust me - I wasn't thinking fashion accessory; and sure as hell, the parent(s) weren't thinking fashion accessory.

 

[User169]

This is how homework should work, courtesy of Michael Rosen:

"Great moment on the train:

Pre-school boy with his grandparents. Non-posh. Boy (about 4) looks up at the moving LED sign about travel info.
Boy: What are they saying, Grandad?
Grandad (reading) "Customers are reminded to take care of their bags and possessions to prevent crime, when travelling."
Boy: What does that mean?
Grandad: Watch your bags or they might get pinched.

I've been thinking about this:
1. The boy initiates a bit of literacy. He knows it 'says' something. He's curious. He asks.
2. Grandad straightaway tells him exactly.
3. Boy thinks about it and realises he doesn't understand. He knows what to say to get clarification. (In the jargon, he has 'metalanguage' (i.e. language about language) to get what he wants.
4. Grandad translates the sentence into everyday speech. (In jargon, he changes register) so that the boy can get it.

Wonderful stuff."

 

[gavgav]

My nephew had some English Language homework, over the Easter holidays, a crossword of "terms" and me (with an A-Level in it) Dad, Brother, @Rickshaw Phil and his brother and sister all tried to assist with the 4 he couldn't do and none of us could do it either!