‘Here is the reading homework, now it’s up to you to take care of it’

Parents’ experiences of conducting reading homework

Abstract

Reading homework is a widespread tradition within the Icelandic primary school system. When a child begins primary school, they are quickly subjected to the demands of daily reading homework, manifested through a reading booklet, and from that day on the parents are expected to ensure and confirm that the child reads at home every day. This reading homework is considered such a natural part of children’s school routines that it is rarely scrutinised; few question whether it is justifiable to impose the same requirements on all families without considering the diversity in life situations regarding occupation, family composition, and other circumstances that might affect their capacity to shoulder the responsibility. Therefore, it is urgent to take on these unasked questions and examine whether the current practice of standardised reading homework, which places a great deal of responsibly on parents in an out-of-school context, aligns with the equal educational rights of children. The purpose of this study is to contribute to a dialogue about the collaboration between schools and families regarding literacy and reading instruction. The objective of the research is to explore parents’ experiences of conducting their child’s reading homework and examine how different family circumstances are reflected in its implementation.

This study is based on 13 semi-structured in-depth interviews with 15 parents of primary school children in grades 1–6. Since the study aims to explore how different family circumstances are reflected in implementation of reading homework, we sought to recruit participants of various ages, occupations, locations, education levels, family compositions, ethnicities, etc. Data analysis took the form of thematic analysis, as the process emphasised bringing forth the voices of the parents, trying to understand their experiences, and identifying patterns.

The main findings show a significant difference in opportunities that parents in the study had to meet the school’s demands of daily reading. The narratives of the parents shed further light on how home circumstances influence whether and how parents are able to meet these demands. The research results provide insight into the difficulty of finding time and space for homework in households with more than one child or in which both parents work full time. Most respondents experienced stress and anxiety related to reading homework. Parents who did not manage to make their child read every day also reported feeling shame about this. The study also reveals that parents found the reading materials provided by the school to be lacking in quality, and therefore felt compelled to acquire books for their children themselves. Furthermore, most participants in the study held the view that reading was important, but also perceived that the structure of standardised reading homework had a negative impact on their children’s interest in reading, as it made the reading too forced and rigid. Study participants also mentioned the need for more resources to support them when they are unable to meet the requirements for daily reading. Participants also perceived that the school also lacked sufficient resources for those children who do not receive reading instruction at home.

The fact that different home circumstances might ultimately determine whether children receive the necessary training contradicts declarations of equal educational opportunities for children. The results of the study indicate that standardised reading homework practice, where the same objectives apply to the entire group, can increase inequality among students rather than diminish it. Children not only receive varying levels of educational training based on how well-prepared their parents are to assist with homework, but may also encounter bias from teachers at school based on the level of support they receive at home. These findings suggest a need to reconsider the ways in which reading instruction takes place within the school system and to explore alternative methods that better accommodate the diverse circumstances of each student.