I Take Back What I Said About Homework

If, like me this body looks a little weird to you, I asked and she drew the dress as part of the body – hence the lumps on the side.

A little while back I was told that my Grade R would have homework.

Needless to say I was a bit taken aback.  I don’t remember having homework till I was like, in Grade 3.  I think.  Maybe.  Not that I ever remember doing homework at home, but anyway, that’s a whole other story.

We are now three weeks in and getting her homework book in her backpack is one of the highlights of her Wednesday.  We have a whole week to get through two pages that have about 5 activities on it.  Some days we do a couple of tasks in one day and then skip a few days and then do the rest.  She is very determined to do it all and make sure that she gets it right – I think impressing her teacher is very high up on her priority list, as it used to be on mine.

(I was that girl that thought that getting the dust off the erasers or washing the black board or massaging my teachers shoulders during break time was the coolest thing ever.  I’m not even sorry that I was such a huge nerd, the truth is if I could go back and do it again I would still do it the same way.  I am who I am and I’m not sorry about it.)

Way back while I was growing up, I would pretend to be the teacher and write out tests for my younger brother, which I would then dramatically mark in red pen.  Every cross would make my day, making it as thick and dark as I could.  I thought I had such power hiding in that silly little red pen – like that’s where the power of teaching is.  Also I may have been a terrible big sister.

Now that I am spending time trying to explain things to her at her level and help her to understand it, I suddenly realised that the power is not in the red pen ticking or crossing, but in the words and encouragement I give her as she grapples with something new.  I mean that’s obvious right?  But it suddenly struck me as to how much they still learn from us, even though they go to school.  That big red cross is more of a reflection of the combined teaching that you and their teacher provide them with, than it is of the child isn’t it?  (Provided the kid is actually keen on learning)

So yes, homework may be a bit much at such a young age and it may seem like we are asking too much of our little kids.  But carving out 10 minutes of the day to solely focus on her and seeing her use the knowledge that she is getting at school has been so very wonderful for her and I.

We actually look forward to doing homework.  Who would have thought.

Long may it last.