Homework Zone
What is homework? Homework is school work that is set by a teacher for the student to complete on their own by a particular date. The whole point of homework - and indeed coursework - is to assess the level of understanding of the individual pupil. Whether or not homework is good for children always seems to be a hot topic as some feel that all school work should take place within the classroom while others feel that the discipline to work unsupervised is an important skill to acquire.
Knowing where to get help and advice with homework is always a difficult subject. Some children prefer to suffer in silence rather than ask their teacher for help - though that is precisely what they should do first - as they worry that it will make them look stupid. Just because others seem to know what they are doing you should never take that for granted as they might be in exactly the same position.
Homework can also create difficult situations for both parents and teachers as - more and more often - some parents can be far too helpful when it comes to homework and teachers often feel that they are marking the parent's work rather than the child's. These parents are not really helping their child as unless the teacher is aware that there are problems they will move on to the next level rather than go over it again within the classroom.
What can a teacher do? Well they usually wait for a Parents and Teachers Day and then drop hints that the child appears to work better at home than they do in the classroom and enquire as to whether or not it is their own work. Some parents would argue that the risk of embarrassment - should they get caught out - is a small price to pay for a year's good homework grades but it is important to remember one thing. Although these children will get good grades for their homework, their examination results will be very poor indeed. The key is to assist with homework by offering advice and guidance and not do the work for them.
It can also be difficult for parents who feel unable to help because they do not understand the subject well enough to assist. Where can they get help? Well there are lots of websites that can offer assistance and can even make learning fun for both parent and child. You will find some of these sites by visiting the links below.
BBC Sites| Key Stage 1-3| GCSE| GCE| Help For Parents| Help For Teachers|