Three R’s: routine, routine, routine
When her daughters Roisín (six) now in senior infants and Caoimhe (seven) who is currently in second class, originally started primary school in Roundwood, Co Wicklow, she found herself wondering why there was a need for it at such a young age.
“I grew up in California. In the States, children don’t really get homework until they are about seven or eight – they do most, if not all, of their learning in the class.
“The six to eight hours of school is perceived to be the place where they do it.”
However, now that she is attuned to the Irish system, she is in favour of it.
“I think it is a very good thing to be able to work with them – I think it’s good to help them and work with them, though I find things can vary according to the teacher in the earlier years.
“When Caoimhe was in junior infants, for example, she didn’t get any homework. However, when Roisín was in junior infants she had a different teacher and got quite a bit of homework.”
These days, says Nugent, editor of Irish Quilting Magazine, Caoimhe spends up to an hour on her homework – “but she does work slowly and I think it should really take about 40 minutes.”
“We have a fairly regular routine – they come home about 3pm and they get a snack, then my husband Kevin, who also works from home, helps Caoimhe, and I work with Roisín. Caoimhe tends to do a lot of writing and maths whereas Roisín has to say her sounds and do her words, so it is more of a dialogue. Roisin and I work in a different room and go through her sounds. It only takes 20 or 30 minutes.
“I think homework is a good idea. It gives us a routine scheduled time with the kids – when you have a family or home-based business, you tend to be pulled in different directions, so homework means you have to stop and sit with them.
“When a child comes in and says they want to make cookies, for example, it’s easier to put them off and say ‘later on’. However, with homework you don’t deny the child your help – you have to sit down and that it with them.
“Homework gives me an insight into what they are doing at school. I am quite amazed by what they’re doing – they seem to be very advanced compared to what I was doing in America at their age.
“What Roisín is doing is quite challenging, but she’s faring very well with it, and we are very pleased with how she is getting on.”
Routine is very important, believes Nugent. “Children like routine and everything goes more smoothly whey they have it. Homework can get mundane and boring so I try to make it fun.
“They get a little reward in the shape of some TV after they have done their homework.
“Praise is also very important – for example when they do a good job and finish their homework properly we’d make a big deal of it – we might even do a little dance!
“Little children thrive on that sort of thing.!”
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