It is extraordinarily difficult to force a wilful child to do anything. My now-12-year-old daughter was very reluctant to learn to read, but we insisted that sh

It is extraordinarily difficult to force a wilful child to do anything. My now-12-year-old daughter was very reluctant to learn to read, but we insisted that she read to us every night from her second year in primary school onwards. It was exhausting and emotionally demanding work that myself and my wife dreaded doing every evening, but now she's a good reader, and enjoys it. Would she have become a good reader anyway? I have no way of telling, but wasn't willing to take the risk that she mightn't, reading is too important As for homework - in our house it absolutely must be done. It's like brushing your teeth - no excuses, ever. I don't care that it's often useless and boring, what I care about is that their teachers stay engaged with my kids, and staying in the loop with homework is essential to that