Summer holidays are (usually) synonymous with disconnection and small pleasures; But also summer school notebooks or other work to deepen what students have learned during the course. Given the difficulty of this pandemic for the little ones, some teachers feel they deserve a well-deserved break. As Cristian Olivé, candidate for the Educa Abanca Award for the best teacher in Spain and member of the Master in Teacher Training in Secondary Education and the Baccalaureate of the Pompeu Fabra University, for whom it is essential to take into account the opinion of children: “Perhaps the debate should be initiated at home about whether they want to do academic tasks in the summer or whether they are more inclined to leisure activities. Ultimately, students have the right to decide what kind of summer they want to enjoy. I`m sure many will want to check the content, but others will want to let off steam and run like never before. But is it really necessary for children to do their homework in the summer? Let`s see what the experts say. The Congress of Deputies also called on the government in 2016 to legislate on homework to “recognise the right to effectively dispose of the child`s free time” and “ensure that homework respects pupils` time and needs”. The coronavirus has changed our lives; also education. For months, the virtual has imposed itself and opened up new realities: computer screens, phones and tablets have replaced classrooms and blackboards; Teachers in mainstream schools have become online teachers; Parents trying to maintain their daily work with telecommuting suddenly act like their children`s teachers; and students who even missed going to class. After a hasty end to the course, the summer months serve as preparation for the return to school after Covid-19. Well, should you do your homework during the holidays? How to return to normal with the utmost certainty and avoid anxiety in students? Ãlvarez gives us ideas: â Holidays are the time to play, to enjoy the environment, nature, cultural life, with the family. It`s time to learn how to cook to deepen your knowledge of measures and healthy lifestyle habits. What will you see in grandparents© for Christmas? Well, the activity will consist of searching on the Internet for the itinerary of the trip and creating a guide that will allow us to know, for example, the culture and geography of the destination.
The expert also©suggests watching the classic Christmas movies we watch with them every ± years, but in English©, “which will help develop the language” or write a Christmas journal± or “that will promote redaccian skills.” Do crafts, develop your motor skills, and it`s a good idea to encourage reading more, because “emptiness is not a duty, it is a necessity, a pleasure that should be part of our lives”. Thousands of schoolchildren have nearly two and a half months without classes. Schools hung the sign “We`ll be back in September” and closed their doors. An old debate is opening: should children do their homework on vacation? However, the perception of many parents is that there is an excess of exercise and activity. Programs have become more extensive with Lomce, which means teachers don`t have time to teach the entire curriculum. This is why he is sometimes sent home, which does not leave time to address in class. According to the OECD, Spain is one of the countries that levies the most tariffs. The opinion of this international organization is that “they are a burden on students with socio-economic disadvantages” who have fewer resources to do them under conditions. These duties have been the subject of all kinds of demands by parents` associations, which have even led strikes against them. There are experts, such as the Pedagogical College of Catalonia, who believe that these activities should be streamlined but not regulated. Experts point out that when children do their homework in the summer, they need to be customized according to each individual`s needs.
“The typical batteries of 50 assignments that teachers send to the whole class in June to do during the summer are useless,” says Gamero. The question may not be whether leaving homework is the right thing to do or not, but how much and what kind of task remains. Holidays, on the other hand, are an opportunity to relax, so your students will definitely enjoy free time. Recommend readings that allow them to have fun, places to study, and activities to explore. “Many studies (White, Heyns, Cooper, Downey, etc.) have shown that those who do not engage in intellectual activity during the holidays, no matter how small, suffer from a loss© of learning,” says Arroyo. Therefore, the key is that children continue to learn ± almost without realizing it, with activities completely different from homework and traditional routines, presented in a way that is enjoyable, fun, different, challenging, easier to do and to which they devote little time during the day, but which are constant.