Making homework fun

Monday, October 21, 2013

Making homework fun

Homework is the cause of numerous tantrums and arguments in many Kiwi households.

Parents simply want to encourage and spur on their offspring to ensure they don’t fall behind their classmates, while their children simply want to do anything but schoolwork the moment the bell goes for the end of the day.

But homework shouldn’t be a chore.

With the recent shift from homework to home learning there is now more emphasis on enjoyable activities with parents/caregivers and children at home.

For some, this change was seen as yet another softening of standards. For others, it was the end of a pointless exercise. There is debate about whether or not homework helps.

Education expert John Hattie argues it does not, saying there is “zero evidence” homework helps to improve time management or study skills. However, he acknowledges that though it is a waste of time for most, it does work for some children. Of course there can be exceptions, if students are lagging in mathematics, parents cannot rely solely on school lessons to help them catch up.

For some, homework is the way to catch up. Some studies suggest that homework does improve grades, especially for older children. Others have said that though it does have some benefits, those are outweighed by the downsides – anxiety, boredom, fatigue and emotional exhaustion in children, and damaged family relationships.

Professor Hattie believes it is more important for children to interact with parents rather than spending “some hours on some project”. The key is the interaction with parents. Children will gain nothing if interaction with parents turns into more time in front of the television or computer screen. It’s about making learning fun. A lot of children hear the word “homework” and turn off straight away. Homework often has negative connotations, but by making learning fun you will be surprised at the number of children who all of a sudden have a lot more interest.

Instead of traditional homework, pupils can be given challenges, including tidying their bedrooms for a school term and planning and making a meal for their parents. If children are doing this at home because they are excited about it and want to do it rather than filling in some worksheet or doing something so removed from their every day lives, then, I think it’s fantastic. They are switched on to learning and can see learning in a whole different context.

However, there will still be some homework that needs to be done each night – like reading and spelling for about 10 minutes. You can’t assume a child is going to go home at 3.30 pm and sit in an orderly environment to do a set task on a given day and be supported by a parent and bring it back the next day. Sometimes, as much as that child might want to, the situation might not be conducive to that. Sometimes too, parents can take the lead. That might mean parents saying, “look, you’re cooking the meal tonight guys; we’re going to the supermarket and we’ve got this budget”. That philosophy could turn the kitchen bench into an altar of education.

ENDS

© Scoop Media