I may have mentioned before that Easter is my favourite time of year. The holiday is just long enough to be fun for the kids without the boredom of the long summer holidays.
We’ve not been able to get out much but there have been a few sunny days spent in the garden, and the kids have had lots of activities from making chocolate treats to customising their Littlest Pet Shop toys.
This week, however, we have been plagued by one thing…Homework!
Now, my kids don’t mind doing a bit of homework usually, but in the holidays they just don’t seem interested. They will do anything to get out of it. To be honest, I’d do anything to get out of it too, but it needs to be done. We had a rather harsh letter sent home before Easter about how important it was for the children to complete their homework. Talk about laying on the guilt!
When I was in primary school I didn’t get homework. I probably wouldn’t have minded that much, but I’m still in two minds as to whether homework is appropriate for younger children.
The Little Man has already completed his. He didn’t want to and he fought me all the way, but all he had to do was write down a number line in twos from 2 to 100, and learn some spellings and shapes. He’s in year 1.
Boo, in year 4, had six weeks of homework to catch up on. They’ve been swimming on Friday afternoons and because of this the school had not sent homework home. So they were given the whole lot to catch up on during the holiday! Boo is a good girl and although willing, even she has struggled to complete it, and with just a few days of holiday left she’s only done half so far.
Star, in year 6, has her Sats coming up in May and has been given a pile of previous test papers to work through. She is the worst when it comes to homework and it’s really difficult to get her to do it. We’ve have a real time of it and so far she’s completed one paper. For the last few weeks before the holiday she had been staying at school for an extra hour and 40 minutes for three days a week. I really think they are putting a lot of pressure on the kids taking Sats.
When I complained on my Facebook page I had mixed results. Some mum’s said they get their kids to do their homework by offering incentives, some said they refused computer time or tv until the homework was done and some said they were totally against homework in the school holidays. After all, if you have a break from work you don’t want to be doing your job at home!
So, what do you think? Is homework for primary kids a good thing or not during school holidays?
I think primary kids shouldn't have homework in the holidays. 6 weeks worth is really harsh. I think they should have some down time to relax, the moment they go into year 7 they will have lots of work. Give them a break I say! #wotw
Oh no! My two hate doing homework. I think my youngest gets too much where my eldest at secondary school gets hardly any.
That seems a bit unfair that Boo had so much to catch up on. I wouldn't be happy with the school at all.
I think they do put too much pressure on kids doing their SAT's….The school my youngest goes to has had the YR 6's in during the holidays every day for 4 hours. It's too much.
I don't mind homework on a normal week but during the holidays our kids deserve a break!
My daughter's school doesn't send any homework during the school holidays which I think is absolutely right – that's the point of the holiday! She gets plenty during term time, so I think they have the balance right. Of course, there are still the parents that set projects and homework for their own kids during the breaks – that's their prerogative, of course. My girl will still read every night and write in her journal, so that's enough for me! Hope it doesn't all hang over your weekend, thanks for sharing with #WotW
I don't think primary children should have homework at all. Let kids be kids and do what they want with their free time. They are adults long enough. If they choose to spend that time writing or doing sums then fine, but just as fine if they want to spend a week rolling around the garden in a cardboard box.
Hi Anne, I think the holidays should be a time of play and relaxation. Maybe the schools could encourage reading a good book over the holidays, but as for laying on too much homework, don't they do enough already?
Over here the amount of homework the children get from a young age is crazy, but the homework classes make a fortune from it as many parents opt to send their children to do it there.
Young children should be out exploring and using their imagination and not stressing about homework.
Hope yours get theirs done without creating you too many gray hairs!
xx
In the Philippines we are bombarded with homework nightly! I remember getting some punishment for not doing it in grade school. In here my son doesnt get any but we do have some this half term. My son finished half of it and we still need to finish some arts one. I actually welcome it as I am out of ideas on what to do with my son. So with me its a great help. #wotw
I tended to do my work as soon as I got home and got it out of the way but I think that was from year 7. Primary school sounds too young to me for homework. #wotw
As my kids have got older, I've got less and less intense about homework. I really don't think that in primary school, it should be given any kind or air time to be honest. They have years ahead of them for studying and should be playing. My son also has SATS this year but has only really had a bit of maths and some spelling/grammar to do. Our school agrees that this new lot of SATS is utterly ridiculous! I'm inclined to agree. I hate the fact that our children have such pressure put on them from this incredibly young age.