Getting a handle on homework

Most primary parents have wished their children weren't given work to bring home. But, by approaching it the right way, you can make it a plus, writes Louise Holden

'It's too hard. There's too much. I hate Irish. I can't do sums." Homework in primary school is tough, and that's just for the parents. It's hard to watch a bleary-eyed eight-year-old labour over maths homework well into the evening when you can't, or are reluctant to, help. There are guidelines for the length of time primary pupils should spend working after school, but when homework is a three-hour trial of frustration, cajoling and bad temper, guidelines are a fat lot of use.

"Many parents complain to me that their children are spending too much time at their homework," says Peter Darcy, a primary principal. "They are disappearing into their rooms at four o'clock and three hours later they still haven't finished. The parents feel it's unfair and the children are frustrated."

When things get this bad it's time to look again at the culture of homework, says Darcy. Allowing children to work unsupervised is one of the main problems, in his view. "Parents are busy with other children, with jobs, with housework, and it's very easy to let the child off to do his own thing. The children are doing homework in rooms where there's a TV, Internet access, a PlayStation or a lot of background noise and distraction. It sends the wrong message to the child about the importance of homework."

But what is the importance of homework to primary children? There are no State exams in primary school (at least not yet), and the new primary curriculum emphasises active and experiential learning over book learning. In fact, set texts are being phased out in many subjects. Is there a need to do homework at this level at all?

Brian Gilsenan, author of The Essential Parents' Guide To The Primary School Years, explains why homework matters. "Homework is given consistently in small quantities and is extremely useful for a number of reasons. It acts as a form of communication between school and home. It allows parents to see how their child is progressing in different areas. It helps a child to develop self-discipline and independent-learning skills and it demonstrates to the teacher that the child is absorbing what she hears and does in the class."

Viewed from this perspective, homework takes on a different value. It's not about whether your child succeeds in dividing 435 by five on a Tuesday night. The important point is that she spends 10 minutes every evening practising sums in a quiet environment with a supportive adult in the background.

"I advise parents to move the homework area to a quiet spot, preferably downstairs where the adults are, and set aside some time each night for homework and nothing else," says Darcy. "If, after a few weeks of this routine, the child is still spending too long at homework and not getting finished, then there may be a problem. Either the child is having difficulties or the teacher is giving too much. Either way, it's time to talk to the school about it."

Darcy recommends being a supportive presence at the homework hour but not getting too involved in the homework itself. The point of the exercise is for children to work independently. Answer questions and give guidance, but don't get too hung up on getting the right answer down on paper. The learning experience and the routine of daily application are the most important aspects for the child.

If problems persist, it might be worth checking to see if the school has a policy on homework. Eileen Flynn, who is national co-ordinator for school development planning, helps schools work out homework policies that satisfy everyone. The School Development Planning Support service advises schools to share information with parents about how much help should be given, how long children should spend doing homework and what parents should do if there are problems.

As each school, and each child, is individual, hard and fast rules can never apply, Flynn cautions. "At parent-teacher meetings, parents express concerns on a range of topics relating to homework," she says. "There's too much, it's too hard, they can't help with Irish, they don't understand the 'new thinking' in the curriculum, the children don't 'borrow and carry over' in sums any more . . . . Lack of information can cause a great deal of anxiety. A school homework policy goes a long way to addressing that."

Since the introduction of the new curriculum, some parents might be a bit nonplussed by the approach. "Pat and Anne" are long retired; your child is more likely to be reading the newspaper now. In the spirit of the new curriculum (which is well worth familiarising yourself with: see the resources below), make your home a learning environment in which sit-down homework plays an important but small part.

If you're not that confident at Irish, for example, stick on TG4 and ask your child to explain what she understands to you. Emphasise confidence and fluency in spoken English by talking to your child about current affairs, television programmes, films and books. Encourage writing at home by getting your child to write shopping lists or keep a diary. Relate maths to everyday tasks by involving children in weighing ingredients or paying in shops. Try and think metric - get your child to watch your speed in kilometres as you drive.

The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment has produced a very practical handbook to help parents reinforce the new curriculum in the home. Your Child's Learning is available online from www.ncca.ie/j/par_prim.htm or from Government Publications at (01) 647 6834.

To order a copy of Brian Gilsenan's very accessible guide to the new primary curriculum, check out www.primaryabc.ie.

The full curriculum is available on the Department of Education and Science website, www.education.ie.

Next week: Homework at second level