Last week I published a post about homework and how I was a little concerned about the amount my reception aged daughter, Helen, had been expected to do over the last academic year. As we’re now in the midst of the school holidays, I’m curious to know what other parents think about kids doing some work over the summer break?
Do you think the summer break should be an education free zone? Maybe you swing the other way and have booked a tutor to keep your children busy between now and September?
I sit in the middle on this one. I have bought a few Biff, Kipper and Chip books to read and I’m encouraging her to do a little writing practice. We’re not going overboard, just 10 minutes a day to retain the skills she learned over the last year (needless to say, it isn’t happening every single day).
I’ve also bought an analogue clock because Helen’s expressed an interest in learning how to tell the time. I think it’s quite a telling sign of the age we live in that we didn’t have an analogue clock in the house! It says a lot that she’s already learned the basics and we’re only two weeks into the holidays.
I’m relaxed about it, if she doesn’t want to do any work then I don’t push it. I know the summer break is a special time for kids and I don’t want ruin that. The thing is she is very curious to learn and so I don’t feel too bad facilitating this if it’s what she wants to do.
Where do you stand on this? Are you an Eagle Dad or Tiger Mother with a work schedule planned out or have you locked all pens, pencils and books away until September?
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4 thoughts on “I have a problem with homework No 2”
Being an eagle dad sounds cool, until I googled it, now not so.
I agree with you, there is a need to maintain the skills learned over the year (I remember feeling like I’d forgotten how to write when I went back after 6 weeks off) but at a nice fun pace with no pressure. Rather than giving homework, guidance for parents on what areas to practice and revise should suffice. There are some brilliant learning websites that can make having fun educational, but given the pressure on kids to do so much homework and learning through the year, they need the summer to balance themselves out. If schoolwork was given it would go one of two ways anyways in our house: all done in the first week to get it out the way; or left until the day before school starts and panic completed hahaha.
We’re making learning fun. Treasure hunts to find numbers, making books that kind of thing. I don’t want to do too much but I think it’s good to retain the skills taught over the preceeding year.
Our daughter starts school on sep. Being a terribly ambitious perfectionist I am very concious of this. We have received weekly home from preschool and I must admit I havnt embraced this. My moyher in law bought the whole box set of biff et al for her 2nd bday…. I def subscribe to the let kids be kids as they have plenty of time to do all this homework lark. My biggest concern is that I dont make the success of my daughters progress a reflection of mine. I had very pushy unforgiving parents and to say it has fooked me up a lottle would be an understatement so for the moment I am more than happy to let my run around the garden starkers eating worms 😉
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