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Primary education: listening and observing
Primary education: listening and observing

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3 Home–school communication

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Figure _unit5.3.1 Figure 1

Homework is a daily activity for most children that takes their time, energy and emotion, not only for them but for their families as well. One reason for giving children homework is to help schools communicate with parents, and for parents to know more about what their children are learning in school.

Parents and teachers can, and should, work together to support children’s learning. Good teachers know that parents are children’s first and most significant educators. For effective homeschool partnerships, teachers need to keep parents well-informed. Digital and online technologies have made communication between home and school must faster and easier. Most primary schools now have websites, and even Twitter accounts where parents can see children’s homework and get quick updates on their progress.

One reason many parents do not get involved in their children’s homework is that they lack confidence in, for example, maths or writing. Creative homework, like the examples you saw in the video of Activity 2, are more inviting for parents. Most parents would be happy, for instance, to help their child cook, draw, observe the local environment, or build a simple model with recycled materials.

Homework should be a beneficial learning experience, where parents can participate. Teachers can design homework assignments where children interact with their family or their community. Read the case study in the following section for an example.