How Much Homework Should Your Child Be Getting?

More often than not our children tell us they have too much homework but it is important to take into account what exactly the government and the Department of Children, Schools and Families have set down as the appropriate amount of homework to be done by children at home.

It is also worth noting at this juncture plans which are afoot to reduce the amount of homework that children have to do and these plans are nearing finalisation.

Why Does My Child Need to do Homework?

Homework is set for a number of reasons; the main reason being that it encourages children to learn on their own and also to improve their own independent learning skills. In other words homework is set to encourage children to work on their own and not simply rely on a teacher setting them work within a classroom environment.

In addition to this homework is designed to help back up what is learned in the classroom and to show that the child in question is capable of understanding – and is understanding – what is being taught to them within a classroom environment.

How Much Homework Should My Child Be Bringing Home?

Depending on the age of your child will depend on how much homework he or she is set during the course of a school week. Of course it is important to remember that homework is not only a means of allowing your child’s teachers to see how they are doing; it is also designed so that you – the parent – can also see how they are progressing.

As we have already mentioned the amount of time spent during the course of a week producing homework depends entirely on the age of your child.

Primary School Children

If your child is attending a primary school they will be expected to produce between thirty minutes to two and a half hours worth of homework in the school week. This breaks down as the following:

• Year 1 & 2 : 60 minutes per week
• Year 3 & 4 : 90 minutes per week
• Year 5 & 6 : 30 minutes per day

Secondary School Children

By the time your child has reached secondary school education he or she will be expected to produce between one to two and a half hours of homework per day. This may sound a lot but you should also take into consideration that during their time at secondary school they will also be expected to produce coursework and revise for examinations.

The times break down as follows:

• Year 7 & 8 : 30 to 90 minutes per day
• Year 9 : 60 to 120 minutes per day
• Year 10 : 90 to 250 minutes per day

This may perhaps sound like a lot as we have already mentioned but you should take into consideration that coursework for GCSE examinations also play a large part in the amount of time spent on homework whilst in secondary school education.

Motivating My Child When It Comes to Homework

As many parents know trying to keep a child interested in something like homework especially when there are such things as video games, television shows and the Internet to distract them can be difficult. It is important to remember that your child has a limited attention span especially when the subject might not be something that particularly grabs their attention.

With this in mind it is reasonable to allow them to take breaks if they are struggling and also to spend time alongside them trying to offer guidance and support where possible.

If you are in any doubt as to the amount of homework your child has then you should contact their form teacher or head teacher and ask as to how much homework is being allocated during the course of a week; this is not an infringement on their ability to learn but simply a helping hand at a time in their life when it is needed most.

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