Dear Parents’ Toolkit… Should I help my child with their homework?

“My pet rabbit had a cold!” is perhaps not as classic an excuse as “the dog ate my homework”, but one of our Parents’ Panel heard this. Homework may have changed, but the excuses aren't getting any better…

The mere mention of ‘homework’ might bring back memories of anxiety from your own time at school, and children today are likely to face the same worries, at least some of the time.

Homework has evolved in recent times to become more digital in approach - from notebooks with spelling tests being filled out at the kitchen table, to student apps, websites and online documents.

BBC Bitesize Parents’ Toolkit spoke to 31 parents across the UK about how new technology, teaching and after-school motivation can make homework and parenting a bit of a minefield. However, it can also be something that connects us with our children…

As parents, there’s a generation of differences between how you learnt at school and how your child is being taught.

“As an older dad my schooling was from a distant era.” - Les from London.

A large part of this change is that, more and more, homework is being completed digitally.

Richard, who says he was raised with ‘limited technology’, worries that his children may become too reliant on technology…

“It is so easy for children to find answers to homework by asking smart devices and using their phones, which means that it’s not quite as effective as if they had to actually work to find the answers.”

Completing homework online is very different to how most parents remember their own school years, which can create a disconnect in understanding it. Some parents, like Justin, who feels passionately about ‘critical thinking and mental stimulation’, have even given their children extra tasks in preparation for adult life.

Many of the parents on our panel worry that technology-based homework is less focused, as pop-up notifications and other apps might provide a constant distraction for bored or stressed students. As Lola explains…

"I know I work better when my phone isn't within arm's reach!"

However, there are undoubtedly benefits to this new way of working. Some of the panel recall the lockdowns of 2020 and 2021 and the key role technology and online classrooms played during the extended periods of home-schooling.

And more recognise the benefits of online homework in 2023, with parents like Naomi, whose daughter is in Year 8, finding it easier to monitor their child's progress on a screen, and Mark, who has a eight-year-old working between online and paper homework…

"To be honest the online homework is easier in one aspect that it explains it all for them and really you just set them up." - Mark

This hybrid method, using paper and online homework, is a common way of working for the children of our panel. Younger children are sent home with physical books to read, while some older students are asked to submit answers online and then bring in their written working out in a notebook.

Online homework is clearly a contentious topic for the parents on our panel and they are all aware of the pros and cons, but what about the perspective of a teacher?

Joanna teaches at a secondary school in Greater Manchester and says that using digital homework platforms allows teachers to monitor and guide students much more effectively.

“They’re a valuable tool, students can ask questions in the chat about homework I’ve set and if they're struggling, I can give them individual guidance – it's especially useful for helping students to stay on track or understand assignments,” she says.

Parents may worry that for instance, students may be plagiarising work or cutting and pasting information into their homework, but Joanna says…

“Teachers are trained to recognise the pupil voice, they can spot when a child has written something that isn’t in their own style or way of speaking.”

Joanna suggests some of the positive aspects of online homework…

• They can access work at the click of a button – if they forget what the homework instruction was, they can quickly find the assignment again.
• Unlike a homework sheet, they aren’t likely to lose or forget their assignment.
• Depending on the system used by the school, they can contact the teacher for guidance.
• It's more environmentally friendly not to print homework sheets and research documents onto paper.
• Teachers can track progress and address issues. E.g. where a student hasn’t digitally completed their work.
• Researching and studying online helps them become independent learners and to understand different sources of information.
• Students can use the system to plan and schedule their homework more effectively.

The amount of homework being set for the children of our panel varies a great deal, based on their age, of course, but also their school and teachers' preferences.

Lola explains that her 11-year old son only takes 15 minutes to complete his maths homework. "He does the maths homework on his phone in the car on the way home from school and he has finished it by the time we get home from the school run."

"I don't think this will adequately prepare him for secondary school and he will have a bit of adjusting to do."

And while Chris B's eldest son gets a 'fair amount' of homework in secondary school…

"My youngest child's school have decided to do away with homework and just encourage children to read and send them home with spellings to practice."

Others, however, feel that the amount their children receive can be too much to handle.

“I feel like homework is great to imbed the knowledge but at the same time children, like adults, need a break to just be kids after school and have down time,” says Kylie, whose daughter is seven.

Helping with homework can be especially challenging when you don’t know what is needed. The curriculum has changed since you were in school, and what your child is expected to do at home, as well as how you are expected to help them, will have changed with it, especially since COVID.

“I think it would be helpful if parents knew what was expected of their secondary-aged children in regards to homework. I feel my son is left to his own devices when it comes to homework. I ask if he has homework and he says no or else it has already been done,” - Nicola

Many of the parents on our panel feel that different teaching and learning techniques makes it tricky to help your child with their homework.

For parents like Emma, who want to offer a helping hand, “the only thing that bothers me about that is the way the teachers teach. It may be a completely different way, so I don't want to end up confusing them”.

The internet can be a great learning resource and it can also help parents to refresh their knowledge as their children enter secondary school and the work becomes more complicated. BBC Bitesize has loads of up-to-date videos, guides and quizzes to help your child with homework, revision and learning.

For more support around the tricky subjects you might find in your child's homework, try to set up a quick chat with their teacher.

For Jonathan, being involved in his child’s homework is important as he can tailor tasks to suit their interests and learning style.

“We sometimes have to be very creative with our approaches. During COVID we were needing to teach him about shapes, perimeter, volumes, angles etc. He loved being outdoors so we would incorporate it. We would find sticks and make shapes out of them and he would tell us the names of the triangles we laid out for example. He is very visual and practical”.

During your child's time learning at home, you'll have noticed which styles of work they appreciate and which they struggle to engage with. Perhaps they're a mind map learner? Or do they prefer watching videos? Many of our panel recognise the benefits of focussing on their child, rather than the homework itself.

This way, at least, you might avoid a tricky reunion with your least favourite subjects. Like Nicola and maths…

“My older son has asked for help with his maths homework before and it went way over my head! I had to Google to get a reminder on how to do algebra.” - Nicola

Helping your child with their homework isn’t just limited to solving maths problems, it can also come in the form of emotional support. Sometimes, all your child needs is the reassurance that they have the abilities to succeed.

Laura, who works in a primary school, can see that the pressure of getting good marks is stressful, but “as a mom I just try to reassure him that as long as he does his best, that's good enough”.

Sometimes your child might need your help with their homework, but it’s also good for them to learn and make mistakes on their own, with you giving them a little motivation. Claudia came to the conclusion that it is better to help them help themselves…

“Sometimes as parents - and especially when they are younger - we tend to get more hands-on with their homework (sometimes even doing projects for them), but that won't help them to understand what is needed from them, and the way to learn is making mistakes and learning the whys and hows to make it better.” - Claudia

Dave, who co-parents his 14-year-old daughter, thinks there can be a harmonious space between helping and doing their homework for them.

“I think that there should be a balance of involvement, participation and support. This should stem from a mixture of parental investment, but not intrusion”

Whether you work with your child to answer questions they’re struggling with, offer some much needed motivation, or leave them to get through independently, being engaged will help you understand about what they are learning and how they learn.

Parents like Emma enjoy the involvement homework offers, “I like to see what they are learning about and like to be involved and ask questions as I am genuinely interested.”

Homework may have changed since you were in school, but this doesn’t have to create distance between you and your child - it can be a bonding experience.

If your child is finding the increase in homework at secondary school difficult - Bitesize Support have these Homework Helpline videos that offer advice and help them get through their homework mountain.

For more tips on learning at home - look at our Parents' Toolkit learning collection.