School homework

[Eliza.D]

My son has just began his new secondary school and has already been bombarded with homework. Whilst I agree that childen should do some homework I do think that after a long day at school (leaving in the morning before 8 and getting home at 4)children are tired need to relax. He has been set homework in every subject and i can't see that changing. If anything it will become more intense.

It is still very early days so will need to see if the homework is marked by the teachers and more importantly if he gets some of it wrong will it be corrected and explained to him where he went wrong.

At primary school he got his share of homework, mainly math sheets and spelling tests and evening reading all of which was managable (if a little strssful at times)but this is alot more than I expected.

Am I alone in this and will it get better or worse and is it really necessary to set so much?

[Huggers]

Hi Eliza, the amount of homework does leap dramatically once they start secondary but perhaps it varies from school to school exactly how much. It can be a bit of a shock.

The key is organisation- work out what has to be in when and don't try to do it all at once or leave it till the last moment.

My daughter (now year 8) had no problems last year as she is good at organising herself and just gets on with it.

It doesnt seem to have got worse. I think the beginning is worse because we are not used to it.

But My son started year 7 last week and needs lots of help keeping on top of this. He already has four assignments and we've done one.

I am keeping a chart of what has come in and when it needs to go back.

When he comes home he has a drink, something to eat and maybe a little relax (but not telly- as he would then go into another 'zone')- then we do it, maybe only fifteen minutes/twenty, then he can relax again.

On a positive note he is actually taking homework more seriously than at primary-(though still trying to do as little as he can get away with)

Hope this helps!

[Ann]

I agree it is a bit of a shock but they do get used to it. Boys especially can have problems with organising themselves and will often leave it to the last minute if not kept in check.

I also think the secondaries do thid from the beginning so the children get an idea of what's expected from them. I like Huggers comment ' we've already done one', as my son's homework has often felt as if it was mine!

For what it's worth homework setting is usually a good sign that it's a good school. From my experience the better teacher are the ones that regularly set and mark homework.

Year 7 can be tiring but I'll bet your son adapts quicker than you think.

[Eliza.D]

Thanks for both of your comments.

I will sit down today and work out a system to check what needs to be done and when.

I think we just finding it all a little overwhelming at the moment.

[Curly]

My child has just started Year 7 and has had some homework to do every night but it has been manageable and I think he made more of it that he needed to. You may need to speak to his teacher if it becomes too much. Most schools do seem to give one to one and a half hours per night.

[Ko]

i can't comment on schools these days, but when i went up to secondary school (20 years ago now!), we went from the primary school 'having homework 3 times a week' to having homework in 3 subjects every night!!

if the homework was a continuation of what was done in class that day, it was best to do it that night while everything was fresh in the mind. i got home, had a snack and small break, then worked to hopefully finsh it before dinner at 7pm. then after that i was free to relax. towards the end of the week when i was getting more tired, i would leave a couple of things to do over the weekend. it was good to have a routine every evening, made it much easier to get it done.

[womanofdulwich]

I think they often pile it on to begin with and it can tail off. But quite often a school issues homework timetables- so there are not 6 things set one day- I must admit I only managed to retrieve this from bottom of sons bag once - but was helpful- plus many schools issue a homework diary/ journal - which you can check - but sometimes boys can forget to write it down. I have a timetable pinned up above kitchen table. and when I get home I say " any homework " ( no ) - then look at the timetable and say, "oh you had french today and no homework or vocab then? " amazing what turns up with these kinds of prompts. I would try and get homework done as soon as you can, so that you can factor in a "night off" if necessary because of all those other after school activities sport etc, as they are usually too tired to try much after that. If you have more than 3 things a night- that you can pace that way- I think that is too much and you should check that the teachers coordinate it better. My son is year 9 and has often done work in breaks/ lunch hours (he has got away with this for 2 years- )and homework is often finish off what you were doing in class- and if you are more able this may mean you don't have that much to do.

[EmmaG]

I'm a secondary school teacher and completely agree wth you about h/w being a pain after a long day at school. However, I've found many parents complain if their kids don't get lots!!

Once they've settled in, the school should issue a h/w timetable. Each subject gets a different night of the week to set h/w. It's not the night it's set that matters, but the day it's due. I'd tell your boy to write the h/w in his planner under the day it's due, then he can plan ahead and do a bit a night.

The other thing to consider is joining the school h/w club where they stay and do an hour after school before coming home. It's done and dusted then and they can relax when they finally get home.

[Curly]

EmmaG - do you have any suggestions for when the child comes home and doesn't know what to do becuase he hasn't fully copied down what the teacher wrote on the board? He said there wasn't enough room in the small box in his planner.

[EmmaG]

Bless him - he needs to go to one of his chums (or ring them up) and ask what they were meant to do. If he regularly gets long and complicated instructions that won't fit in the planner, he needs to start writing it in the back of his exercise book where there will unlimited space, and keep the planner jsut for a reminder. He could always go back to the teacher the next day at breaktime and ask for details again.

All these things are teething problems and staff do make allowances - promise!

[Curly]

Thanks. We did ask his friend and he had done the same thing! Do all boys have no common sense? We will send him back to the teacher.

[sillywoman]

My boy was the same last year when he started yr7. I found a quick email to his teacher often clarified what the homework was. It took my boy all year, but he seems to have the homework diary thing cracked now. Touch wood.

[Ko]

Curly Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> EmmaG - do you have any suggestions for when the

> child comes home and doesn't know what to do

> becuase he hasn't fully copied down what the

> teacher wrote on the board? He said there wasn't

> enough room in the small box in his planner.

do they still get a rough book / jotter to make notes in? he could write the details in there.

[EmmaG]

My experience is that yes, boys struggle to get organised and write down the salient information. They'll soon identify an organised boy whom they will rely on for information.

[Pugwash]

As a 'Old time Mum' my 2 girls were completely different in their homework approaches. The older one - had to be nagged, the younger one - had to be encouraged to stop working as very often spent hours perfecting her essays etc.

They got home about 4.30 made themselves a snack, used to watch 'Neighbours' then did some work before evening meal and went back to it after meal. Both had homework each night in their primary school which took them about an hour, so were used to a routine when changed schools.

GCSEs - usually had homework for about 3 - 4 hours a night including at least part of a weekend.

A levels - about same amount but had more free time during day.

[Bumpkin]

Oh my goodness, this brings shudders to me as I remember my whole life at times being consumed by homework / revision / music practice etc. Even after well over 10 years out at work, I still have the odd moments of relief that when I go home, work is over and I can relax and enjoy the evening. Poor kids, hope they get some decent time to get out and socialise with others or just plain enjoy themselves!

[intexasatthe moment]

Bumpkin I completely agree .

I read Pugwash's post with horror and thought sh*t ,my school age kids aren't doing that !

Still,perhaps their lives won't be ruined like mine was by excessive school work.

Loads of A's ,good degree ,and absolutely no social skills ,no confidence and a life long belief that to get by in life and work you have to put in every ounce of effort you possess.

[womanofdulwich]

i think 3-4 hours at gcse is ridiculous nowadays. 1.5-2 hours max. more for revision. otherwise they will burn out.

[sillywoman]

Extract from sons school planner (not called 'homework diary' now apparently) from last week;

"French: lern somefing (sic)"

Errr, well, yes . . . . !