According to the Ministry of Education, Sport and Youth, homework constitutes the first social contract between school and family. Through their children’s’ homework, the parents are able to see the work that is being done in class while the teachers can see the parents’ interest for their children. Above all, one can detect and children’s understanding of what is being taught.
Creative tasks for homework that support the work which is being done in class are necessary because they help children work by themselves, to create, to become autonomous and responsible. Thus, homework should not be done at the expense of their free time. The tasks set for homework should have the following characteristics:
should be carefully graded and relevant to the age and abilities of the pupil.
should be related to the interests of the pupils and be creative and pleasant.
should be related to the children’s and parents’ means.
should be completed in a short time.
should be done by children themselves without the constant help of parents. The parents’ role is to guide their children how to work and not what to do. At the end they will make sure that the work has been done in a satisfactory way.
The role of the parents for pupils in Grade 1 is especially essential. The parents’ supervision, continuous guidance and help are necessary, as children of this age are not yet ready to study on their own. Homework for pupils in Grade 1 is significant since they need continuous revision of what has been taught in class until they acquire the reading ability. Both the parents’ attitude towards homework in general and the extent and manner of their intervention in particular are also of great importance.
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