Should Homework Be Eliminated In Primary School?

As a psychologist, former play specialist at Great Ormond Street Hospital, Mum to 3 grown up children and founder of Musical Minis, I am often asked for my views on various subjects. Recently I was asked to share my views on whether homework should be eliminated in primary school for an article for Costco Connection. I debated that it shouldn't be. Here are my thoughts:

It is important to state from the outset that homework needs to be appropriate to the child’s age and stage of development both in content and time in order for it to be worthwhile.

Homework provides a highly powerful opportunity to form a partnership between home and school. When this link is established, children are proven to have a more positive outlook towards school which influences their happiness, ability to focus, and their academic attainment. Ultimately, homework can help children gain far more from their schooling, both in and out of the classroom. One reason for this is that when parents support their child’s homework, they are demonstrating that they value their child’s education and believe that school is important. By embedding this belief and motivation, children are given a life-long message which will enable their success.

Similarly, homework provides an opportunity for parents to gain an insight into what their child is learning at school. This again seeks to foster a home-school relationship, especially as many parents reveal that their children do not talk to them about what is happening at school. Lots of parents are also unfamiliar with the teaching styles and content that their children experience, either because they were educated in a different country, or simply due to the fact that a lot has changed since many parents were at school. Consequently, when parents sit with their children, they can get a picture of what their children are learning and how. This experience may also be useful in helping to identify certain difficulties the child may be having in grasping a topic. Parents could be in an important position to highlight these, which can then be discussed with the teacher in order that the child can be best supported. It is again important to note that when parents support their child with their homework, this does not mean that the parent does the homework, which can obviously impede on its value.

Homework is also important for maintaining and aiding the progress of the child. Considering their younger age, new information needs to be revisited and revised frequently in order for it to be retained. This is especially important during the holidays where even a week off can be a long time to go without practicing a skill such as reading and writing for a young child. It also provides the opportunity for things to be taught and explored in a different way that might not be possible at school due to practicalities. For example, children can be encouraged to go on a nature walk in science or do some cooking in maths. This can also be a key form of enjoyment for the child and considering children progress most when they see their learning as play, this can be highly beneficial.

Setting homework at a young age is also crucial for creating the foundations for life-long learning. For example, if children have regular homework in primary school it will build up the self-discipline they will need in order to succeed in secondary school, especially as formal exams approach. Similarly, this is a skill that children will continue to use throughout their lives in university or the world of work. Children need to develop this strong work ethic at school in order to understand the importance of meeting deadlines, learning independently and establishing a good routine. They need to be able to practice and formulate these skills whilst they are young and before they become critical to their formalised academic success and future working lives.

By providing children with an opportunity to do homework in primary school, you are setting them up to be lifelong, effective and efficient learners, which I believe can only be considered as highly valuable.

To read both sides of the debate please click through to Costco Connection on this link . What do you think?