24-07-2025
Study first, screens later: Japanese kids have summer projects to do
A recent poll conducted by Gakken Educational reported that 81% of 937 parents and guardians of elementary school children had concerns about 夏休み中の過ごし方や学習の進め方 (natsuyasumi-chū no sugoshikata ya gakushū no susumekata, how to manage time and learning during the summer holidays).
According to the report, 41% of respondents said their top concern was that 夏の間は学習習慣が乱れてしまう (natsu no aida wa gakushū shūkan ga midarete shimau, study habits are disrupted during summer).
良い習慣 (Ii shūkan, Good habits) are difficult to build, but they fade easily. Without healthy 食習慣 (shoku shūkan, eating habits) and 運動習慣 (undō shūkan, exercise habits), the risk of 生活習慣病 (seikatsu shūkan-byō, lifestyle-related diseases) increases. For Japanese parents, managing their children's 学習習慣 (gakushū shūkan, study habits) is also a worry.
Known for its tutoring schools, Gakken suggests that working on the following actions will help keep study habits on track during 夏休み (natsuyasumi, summer vacation).
学習計画のサポート (Gakushū keikaku no sapōto, Supporting the management of study plan)
読書習慣を促す仕組み (Dokusho shūkan o unagasu shikumi, Building a framework that encourages reading habits)
学習環境の整備 (Gakushū kankyō no seibi, Organizing the study environment)
The reason the list includes 読書 (dokusho, reading) is because most elementary schools ask their students to submit 読書感想文 (dokusho kansōbun, book reports) when 二学期 (nigakki, second semester) begins in September.
The survey also reported that 読書感想文 are the most challenging summer homework assignment for parents because they're expected to nudge their little ones to pick a book, read it and then write a report about it even though their children may be distracted by summer fun.
A simple question, 宿題はやったの？ (Shukudai wa yatta no?, Did you do your homework?) isn't enough in such cases. On an online forum hosted by Benesse Corporation earlier this month, one parent posted: 毎日やることを子どもに決めさせて計画表を作り、それが出来たら遊んでいい事にしました (Mainichi yaru koto o kodomo ni kimesasete keikaku-hyō o tsukuri, sore ga dekitara asonde ii koto ni shimashita, [I] let my child decide daily tasks, made a schedule and allowed playtime once the tasks were completed).
With that in mind, asking your child things like, 今日はどの宿題をやるの？ (Kyō wa dono shukudai o yaru no? Which homework are you going to do today?) and following up with それが終わったら遊んでいいよ (Sore ga owattara asonde ii yo, [You] can play after finishing it) may work well.
Grammar components based on the irregular verb する (suru, to do), such as ～したら (~shitara), ～してから (~shite kara) and ～した後で (~shita ato de), are all handy when you make a plan around 宿題 (shukudai, homework), as that word is typically paired with する, as in, 宿題をしたらおやつを食べていいよ (shukudai o shitara oyatsu o tabete ii yo, you can eat a snack after doing your homework).
The particle ～たら (~tara) is often used in a hypothetical context, such as 雨が降ったら延期しよう (ame ga futtara enki shiyō, if it rains, let's postpone [it]). It can also be conditional, or work as a proposal: 宿題をしたら出かけよう (Shukudai o shitara dekake yō, [We'll] go out if [you] do your homework), ゲームの前に本を読んだら？ (Gēmu no mae ni hon o yondara?, How about reading a book before playing a game?)
Meanwhile, ～してから and ～した後で focus more on the order of things, such as 犬の散歩をしてから出勤する (inu no sanpo o shite kara shukkin suru, [I] head to the office after walking [my] dog) or 課題をした後で友達と会う (kadai o shita ato de tomodachi to au, [I] meet my friend after doing my assignment). As for book reports, 心に残った場面をメモしてから書き始めると良いでしょう (kokoro ni nokotta bamen o memo shite kara kakihajimeru to yoi deshō, it's better to take notes on memorable scenes before writing).
When it comes to 学習環境の整備, keeping digital devices out of reach can help improve focus. The term 'screen time' is commonly written in katakana スクリーンタイム (sukurīn taimu), and many parents struggle to manage it by saying, この動画が終わったら今日はおしまい (Kono dōga ga owattara kyō wa oshimai, When this video finishes, that's it for today).
一般的に子どものスクリーンタイムは一日二時間未満にすべきとされていますが、半数以上の小学生のスクリーンタイムがそれ以上で、学年が上がるごとに増加していく傾向にあります (Ippan-teki ni kodomo no sukurīn taimu wa ichinichi ni jikan miman ni subeki to sarete-imasu ga, hansū ijō no shōgakusei no sukurīn taimu ga sore ijō de, gakunen ga agaru goto ni zōka shite-iku keikō ni arimasu, Generally, screen time for children should be kept to under two hours a day, but more than half of elementary school students exceed that amount, which tends to increase as they move up in grade).
Summer homework assignments such as 絵日記 (enikki, picture diaries) and 自由研究 (jiyū kenkyū, free research projects) have a lot of potential in terms of providing off-screen activities, and 自由研究 can provide an opportunity for parent-child bonding. That being said, my daughter's teacher advised me, 自由研究は子どもの興味を広げられる機会なので、工作や料理など自分で決めた課題に取り組んでください (Jiyū kenkyū wa kodomo no kyōmi o hiroge rareru kikai nanode, kōsaku ya ryōri nado jibun de kimeta kadai ni torikunde kudasai, The free research project is a chance for children to broaden their interests, so please let them choose and work on projects like crafts or cooking by themselves). Although it's called research, anything a child puts effort into making is usually considered 自由研究.
