Help

Suesole · Post by **Suesole** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 9:49 am

Hi My son is bright and can do most of the work quite easily, we are studying with AE tuition here in Slough, but he does get an awful lot of homework approx 1 hour everyday incl weekends. How can I encourage him to do it ? Thanks Sue.

stevew61 · Post by **stevew61** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 10:23 am

Hi Suesole,

I have looked at these people and thought it was intensive and expensive ( maybe you get what you pay for ! ). One hour a night is a lot, probably to much, leading to a lack of motivation. They seem to do a lot of time consuming vocab. work.

What are you trying to achieve? I presume a place at a Slough grammar, why not work towards that goal on a DIY basis over the summer, I found thirty minutes four times a week was the most we could do in the run up to Reading School exam last year.

They do claim good results, maybe only the strong survive.

I have not answered your question because I think encouraging a child to do one hour a day every day is counter productive.

stevew61

Catherine · Post by **Catherine** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 10:41 am

Hi Suehole,

Didn't use them but know about them as well...heard same comments...

I tend to agree with stevew61 about DIY. You would find lots of support from this forum...

A suggestion that worked for us, if you don't want to go down the DIY route... You could try splitting the work into two sessions. One session doing things, one session discussing things, with a big gap in the middle...

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 11:58 am

We're using them too,to my mind alot of it is irrelevant,going too far iykwim and not enough time actually spent on any one part to really know it .My child usually takes about half hour to do her homework ,though lately it has been taking alot longer as she's wound down for the summer hols and is reluctant to sit down and do it.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 12:08 pm

oops,realised you wanted tips.Don't know what to suggest,mine doesn't seem to understand at the moment that if they just sit down and do it instead of using every avoidance tactic in the book to get out of it it would be done in a fraction of the time and they could then get on and do what they want to do.the spelling and vocab they usually do two pages in the morning,we always have loads of time in the morning,always early, and two pages during their reading time in bed, to split the work up a bit.Over the summer,I'm planning to just go through the books so far and set them any questions they've got wrong so far to check they do get it and just for the odd bit of practise.

Catherine · Post by **Catherine** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 12:38 pm

a short break...

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 1:21 pm

After the short break, you could try bribery... Financial inducements worked with my daughter. Focus on what it is you want to achieve; with us, it was no moaning from her. I offered her a sum of money, and deducted a certain amount per moan.... Not ideal parenting, but useful for short term emergencies.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 2:01 pm

Yes,a small break though I do have a few papers they can do if they get bored heh heh!

katel · Post by **katel** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 4:17 pm

If he is bright and can do the work easily, why does he need to do an hour's work a night? Is he going to keep up that level of work right up to the exam? It seems far too much to me!

Catherine · Post by **Catherine** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 4:59 pm

katel wrote:If he is bright and can do the work easily, why does he need to do an hour's work a night? Is he going to keep up that level of work right up to the exam? It seems far too much to me!

Some tutor groups in Slough give what I consider an excessive amount a homework, but such a large proportion of grammar applicants use them that parents fear that less homework will not lead to success...