Last week, I talked about the importance of parents’ involvement in their kids’ homework. Today, let’s discuss the homework day. Should kids get homework at all? Should they have homework every day? Whenever homework is needed? On Mondays? On Fridays? What do you think?

As a parent, you have probably debated the homework timing question before. This question is especially important in the early years of schooling, when your involvement is essential. Over six, seven, sometimes eight years of primary school, you may deal with different teachers and different schools with different philosophies about homework. Some of them will consider you as an important part of your kids’ homework and others will not.

Do not get me wrong here. I am a strong believer in homework and my criticism is aroused only when homework does not take into consideration that parents are an important part of their kids’ success in their homework assignments.

In the early years, reading with your kids is essential. Kids who read with their parents 5 to 10 minutes every day are more successful than kids who hardly see their parents in the afternoon. Whether we like it or not, many kids spend their afternoons in after-school care from 6 or 7 am until 6pm, going straight to dinner, shower and bed. I remember hectic times when we read the Prep and Year 1 “readers” in the car on our way home.

In the past, teachers gave homework depending on what they managed to cover in class. Many times, homework was any assignment the kids did not finish at school. When this happened, the more advanced kids were the lucky kids, because they finished their work quickly in class and never brought any homework home.

Today, most of the homework is monitored. Most teachers cannot just give homework as they like because they have to follow homework policies. However, each school (or like my daughter’s school, even each teacher) can make its own decision regarding the homework routine.

Here are some common approaches schools take towards homework.

Homework as needed

Regardless of the day of the week or any particular routine, homework is given as required for extra practice, completion of assignments and projects involving people or things not available at school.

Advantages:

Teachers can be flexible with class progress and give more or less homework depending on need
There is no particular day for homework, so kids can freely participate in after school activities and manage their own time

Disadvantages:

Parents cannot set a routine of helping their kids
Parents need to check every day if their kids have homework and need a good communication channel with the teacher to monitor their kids’ homework assignments
Kids cannot develop a homework routine
Kids cannot plan their time around homework, because they do not know when they will have it and how much

Homework given on Monday, returned on Friday

Advantages:

1. Teachers can plan their homework ahead and can easily monitor completion

2. Kids have 5 days to complete their homework and learn time management skills – planning ahead, scheduling and estimation of length of homework

3. Kids can participate in activities around their homework in the later part of the week and on weekends

4. Parents have 5 days of the week to help their kids

5. Weekends are free of homework and available for family leisure

Disadvantages:

Teachers must plan their homework ahead of time
Teachers do not have the flexibility to cater for class progress
Parents may be working all week and unable to help their kids

Homework given on Friday, returned on the following Friday

Advantages:

Teachers can plan their homework ahead and can easily monitor completion
Kids have 7 days to complete their homework and learn time management skills – planning ahead, scheduling and estimation of length of homework
Kids can easily participate in afternoon and weekend activities around their homework
Parents have 7 days of the week to help their kids
Parents can help their kids on the weekend

Disadvantages:

Teachers must plan their homework ahead which could be a challenge
Teachers do not have the flexibility to cater for class progress
Kids may not like doing homework on the weekend

Homework is given on Friday, returned on different days

For example: Spelling returns on Tuesday, Math on Wednesday and so on.

Advantages:

Teachers can plan their homework ahead and can easily monitor completion
Kids can complete their homework on the weekend, but may still learn some time management skills
Kids can easily participate in afternoon activities around their homework
Parents have the weekend to help their kids
Parents can plan their week around the due dates

Disadvantages: