Homework and Learning Mathematics: Peter Grootenboer Describes His Children's Experiences with Homework and Makes Some Recommendations for Appropriate Homework Tasks

The other day I happened to be home when my three children arrived home from school. After the usual greetings and discussions about their day, as a good parent I asked the obvious question: "Do you have any homework?" My post-primary son gave me a monotone "Maybe," and then after collecting what seemed to be about two full packets of biscuits, he got out his homework, his iPod, his portable gaming console, and his phone, and sat in front of the television. It seemed to me that he was doing some exercises from a textbook, listening to some music, playing a game, texting with his mates, and watching the TV all at the same time. Knowing about the capacity of millennials (Zevenbergen & Zevenbergen, 2007) to multitask, I realised that all is well, or at least any interference on my behalf is not going to improve the situation, so he was engaging in the important task of doing his homework (until he got hungry and had to stop to get more biscuits). My two girls are both in primary school, and they both also confirmed that they had some "maths homework." The one in her final year of primary school (Year 7) produced a page with 120 "expand and simplify"-type exercises and she was required to "finish them by Wednesday" (today was Tuesday). This was not as bad as initially thought because she had already completed 24 in class, meaning she had a mere 96 to go. Excitement and enthusiasm were not high! As a supportive parent I tried not to sound too incredulous at her predicament, and instead said that, "It will help you pass the test" and "It shouldn't take too long once you get on a roll." I do not think she was convinced.