• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Go to Expat Living Hong Kong
Get our Newsletter

Lifestyle Guide To Moving To & Living in Singapore - Expat Living HomepageLifestyle Guide To Moving To & Living in Singapore - Expat Living

Moving to Singapore and not sure where to start? Expat Living is the essential lifestyle guide to living in Singapore.

Menu
  • Living in Singapore
      • Living here
      • Neighbourhood Guides
      • Schools
      • Property
      • Work And Business
      • Finance
      • For Guys
      • Environment
        • UFIT TennisOutdoor activities – group fitness classes, tennis, cycling etc.
        • feng shui focus lucy richardsonExpat Journey: Lucy Richardson
        • Forbidden Hill fathers day gifts15 Fabulous Father’s Day Gifts and Things to Do
        • weddingTop 20 wedding venues in Singapore, for all sorts of couples
      • View all
    Close
  • Things To Do
      • Things to do
      • EL Events
      • Calendar
      • Competitions
      • Noticeboard
        • Muswell Hill comedy Pangdemonium dinner partyPangdemonium brings Muswell Hill to Singapore
        • looking for clues treasure hunt time heistWin big in the Civic District treasure hunt
        • As You Were ArtworksWhat’s on this week and beyond
        • The National Stadium - Sports Hub Best venues for concertsTheatres in Singapore plus venues for events & concerts!
      • View all
    Close
  • Kids
      • Enrichment
      • Kids Things To Do
      • Mums & Babies
      • Schools
      • Tots & Toddlers
      • Tweens & Teens
        • pre & post baby items cleaning by pramwashWhen did you last clean the baby pram?
        • Nexus International School students reading in library learning experienceLearning for the Future at Nexus
        • Forbidden Hill fathers day gifts15 Fabulous Father’s Day Gifts and Things to Do
        • fishing 3aHoliday fun and outdoor activities at this Adventure Camp
      • View all
    Close
  • Homes
      • Home Decor
      • Readers’ Homes
      • Furniture
        • feng shui focus lucy richardsonExpat Journey: Lucy Richardson
        • European bedding best mattressBest mattresses for the best sleep!
        • antique furniture singaporeAntique furniture shops – plus vintage and reproduction furniture!
        • Where to buy lamps in SingaporeWhere to buy lamps in Singapore – lights galore!
      • View all
    Close
  • Travel
      • Asia
      • Australia & New Zealand
      • Rest Of World
      • News
      • Travel Offers
        • ideas for a long weekend awayPlan ahead for that long weekend away!
        • international health insuranceProtecting your health overseas in 2022
        • Krabi Thailand beachfront villas for beach holiday in ThailandBeachfront villas in Krabi Thailand – perfect for your next beach holiday!
        • New ZealandYour mini guide to New Zealand
      • View all
    Close
  • Wine & Dine
      • Asian Cuisine
      • Western Cuisine
      • Bars & Clubs
      • Groceries & Speciality Services
      • Recipes & Classes
        • Pizza12 great places to get the best pizza in Singapore
        • Farmers market - butcher - meat shopTop butchers for good-quality meat
        • Sugarhall DaquriLatest bars in Singapore: New drinking spots!
        • M&S Meat Free NuggetsPlant-based nuggets – here’s what we think!
      • View all
    Close
  • Style & Beauty
      • Fashion
      • Hair & Beauty
      • Beauty Offers
        • hydrating products skinTried and tested: Hydrating Products for Dry Skin
        • ARIANE ZAGURY 2A Curated Fashion House for All
        • Frizz TreatmentIn need of a quick fix for frizzy hair?
        • Spray tan singaporeGet a golden glow quickly with a spray tan!
      • View all
    Close
  • Health & Fitness
      • Dental
      • Fitness
      • Medical
      • Wellness
        • injuries to hip and hamstring injuriesInjuries to hip muscles & hamstring injuries – how to treat them!
        • UFIT TennisOutdoor activities – group fitness classes, tennis, cycling etc.
        • overweightWeight gain and your health – How a GP can help
        • PainWhat is pain and how do you treat it?
      • View all
    Close
  • Shop
    • PRINT MAGAZINE
    • DIGITAL MAGAZINE
    • BOOKS
    • Close

Crushed by “parent homework”?

7th May 2019 by Monica Pitrelli 3 Min Read

https://expatliving.sg/what-is-parent-homework-owis-international-school-singapore/

If you’ve got school-age kids, then you’ve almost certainly done parent homework. This is the homework that goes straight from teacher to parent, gliding right over the child due to their age or inability. Ever cobbled together a costume for book character dress-up day? Or trawled through photos for an “All about Me” preschool project? Congratulations: you’ve completed parent homework. In the right amount, it can be fun, but for families with multiple kids, forget it. My oldest child’s international school in Singapore recently asked for parent attendance at five events in a two-week period. Yikes!

Teachers – and most parents – agree that parental involvement is crucial to learning. But where to draw that delicate line between participation and burden? And, if we all weren’t so darn busy these days, would this even be an issue?

We talked with two primary school teachers, ERIN SMITH and MARJIE SWEENEY from One World International School, to get the teachers’ point of view on this hot topic.

Is the concept of “parent homework” on your radar as teachers?

Erin: In OWIS’s Primary School, we don’t give parental homework. It’s not part of our student-led, inquiry-driven pedagogy and philosophy. We hope parents facilitate learning at home by asking questions about what their children are learning. And, we reiterate the skills and concepts taught at school through our Learning at Home projects. Each project spans four to five weeks, but they’re not mandatory. And we don’t call the projects “homework”.

Marjie: Our Learning at Home projects are things that students can do by themselves with the support of a parent. There is no homework sent home during the holidays. Children are encouraged to read, though; as such, teachers might send home an age-appropriate reading list.

Marjie OWIS parent homework

Is the level of parent involvement decided on a school-wide level?

Erin: All home activities are decided at a grade-wide level. Grade leaders, along with the PYP Coordinator and grade teachers, have regular meetings to decide what these projects and tasks will be.

Some parents want to help a lot – others very little. How do you balance varying expectations?

Erin: It’s best to ensure we always have regular opportunities for parents to be involved in their child’s learning journey. Whether it’s volunteering for an event or running the PFA, there are many levels to our parent involvement. We want parents to feel welcome and a part of our learning community. We understand that some parents have busy lives. That’s why OWIS uses Seesaw, an excellent communication tool that enables parents to view their child’s learning and interactions on a weekly basis. Even though parents may not be physically at school, they can see their child in action with a touch of a button.

How important is it that parents are willing to provide some support to teachers?

Marjie: I personally feel this isn’t a prerequisite. However, if teachers want parental support, with things like reading, we actively support this. We also encourage parents to be involved in other aspects of the OWIS community. Parents can volunteer to be mystery readers and help with events like International Day and Book Week; or they can join the Parent Friends Association, which, among other things, helps decorate the school for big celebrations like Christmas, Chinese New Year and Diwali. These are all events where it’s great to have parents around.

Erin: We also have Class Representatives in every class from Early Childhood to Primary. This is a parent who volunteers to be a liaison with the class teacher. They support their child’s teacher with non-academic events and requirements.

Many households have two working parents; how does OWIS decide how many times to invite parents to school?

Erin: We have two parent/teacher conferences a year as well as one student-led conference. In addition, we have a Meet the Teacher evening and a Curriculum evening, both of which are optional. We always invite parents to events such as International Day, Sports Days and class assemblies, too.

Marjie: There are two to three events that parents are expected to attend. These are linked to feedback about their child and curriculum information. If parents are unable to attend, evening teachers can arrange an alternative date.

One World International School
21 Jurong West Street 81
6914 6700 | owis.org

 

Read more articles in our Schools section:

What’s beyond the school gate?
Top international schools in Singapore

Get the latest events, stories and special offers
sent to your inbox.

By signing up, you'll receive our weekly newsletters and offers, which you can unsubscribe to anytime.

Categories: Living in Singapore Schools Tags: International Schools Kids Living In Singapore Schools

You May Also Like

feng shui focus lucy richardson

Expat Journey: Lucy Richardson

finfluencer financial scammers

Scammers and finfluencers!

sports schools in singapore students jumping sack sports activities

Discover the sports programme at this international school

Primary Sidebar

  • Competitions
  • Noticeboard
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • advertise
  • Contact
  • Privacy

© 2022 Expat Living Singapore, All Rights Reserved.