Tianjin International English-Chinese School

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freemexy

Age: 2023
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Parents often ask me how much homework they should be doing with their child
each night, and ‘why doesn’t my child get any homework from her
Montessori class?” Well the answer is simple really - school for the
young learner should to be a loving, stress free, and positive first
experience. Homework in the early years and primary setting can have a
negative impact and place unnecessary stress on busy families when faced
with the time constraint dilemma of trying get homework done before
bedtime. Homework is a daily battle of trying to get a child to sit down
and do several pages “worksheets”, or “extension work”, or
“consolidation” work – in other words a downloaded worksheets the
teacher got off the internet that is frequently unrelated to their
school day. I can also tell you from experience with my own children
that this type of homework is rarely engaging for your child and can
develop in the child a negative feeling toward homework and learning, as
well as animosity towards their teachers and parents when forced to do
this monotonous chore.international school in Tianjin

Homework is never assigned in the early years of a Montessori school, and rarely in elementary. In the older grades homework will
usually consist of project work and assignments where students can work
at their own pace to really sink their teeth into a subject – just like
they do at school.


Many recent studies have told us that for older elementary students certain types of homework may improve test scores. However, other
correlating studies have told us that doing homework does not
necessarily lead to achievement in school at all. In Finland, which is
renowned for producing some of the most high-achieving students in the
world, children don't begin elementary school until the age of seven,
and don't receive homework until they are teenagers, concepts that
directly mirror Montessori philosophy.


But what people in Finland do do, and what the parents of children who are successful in school do do, is read to their children.One of my
favorite ‘educational’ books is called Reading Magic by Australian
author and educationalist Mem Fox. In the book she brings to light the
truth that by just reading to your children everyday, they will learn to
read. It’s really that simple. In her wonderful book Fox recommends
reading three books a night with your child, one favorite, one familiar
and one new book. It’s also ok to just read the same book three times.
Why the repetition? Basically, that’s how we learn. To break up the
monotony (for you) try playing silly games as you read, like turning the
book upside down, or reading it backwards, or in gibberish, varying
your facial expressions and your voice: games that emphasize early
reading skills like rhyming, word substitutions, and how to hold a book
and turn pages correctly (it’s always fun to do it the wrong way and
have your child correct you) will really bolster to your child’s
literacy skills!

Posted 04 Nov 2019

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