August 27, 2011 7:24 PM
I hate homework - what about you?
I remember when my kids started school after many years of homeschool. I hated that they were gone nearly 8 hours - and then so frustrated that they brought home homework. What in the world were they doing all day?Anyone who's spent at least a year homeschooling knows that you can accomplish all the required curriculum - and much more - in fewer hours than kids spend in school. And homeschooled kids score higher on achievement tests and skip grades going into school - all without doing after-hours "homework."
I must admit, I am about as anti-homework as a parent could be. American families with kids in public and private schools have so very little time to share. And there's so much to do: sports practices and games, music and dance lessons, meal prep/eating/clean-up, laundry and chores. Why not give us a break? Why not work harder - or let unnecessary school fluff go - to finish school work in the generous time allotted to it. Why not respect and stop encroaching on family time?
What do you think?
Is Homework Out of Control?
August 21, 2011As the school year begins, districts across the country are facing growing pressure to come up with new guidelines for the nightly workload, which many parents and educators feel has gotten too heavy, leaving kids stressed and sleep-deprived. Several districts, including ones in New Jersey and California, have passed regulations limiting weeknight homework, covering all subjects, to 10 minutes per grade (e.g., 30 minutes for third grade) or eliminating it altogether on weekends. But the movement is controversial. In July, the Los Angeles Unified School District instituted a policy for the coming year in which homework accounts for only 10 percent of a student's grade but suspended it after a public outcry.
"Studies show that once you get past 10 minutes per grade, achievement either remains flat or declines. The brain needs downtime to process information," says Cathy Vatterott, author of Rethinking Homework. Not all educators agree. "Homework fosters the motivational skills children need, such as responsibility and the ability to delay gratification," says Janine Bempechat, an associate professor at Wheelock College in Boston. We have a feeling we know where kids stand on the matter.
--Madonna Behen
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Comments
Boy, I thought I was the only one who thought that!!
I've been saying for years that I didn't believe in homework for the kids.
Posted by: Sue from Buffalo | August 27, 2011 7:37 PM
This is a major reason I would like to continue homeschooling, to keep sacred the time my husband has with the kids in the evenings, instead of spending time on homework.
Posted by: Addie | August 27, 2011 11:15 PM
AMEN. DITTO TO EVERY WORD!!
Posted by: marian | August 27, 2011 11:38 PM
My grandmother was a school teacher in a one room school house in the 60s. She always hated homework and thought a teacher wasn't doing their job if the kids had to do work outside of the classroom.
My kids aren't school aged yet, but I do plan on homeschooling. Partially because I think it's ridiculous when my friends with older children talk about their 1st grader having over an hour of homework a night.
I have a friend whose 3-year-old was given homework from preschool! And she (the mother) thought it was great! If I had to use daycare/preschool and my child was sent home with homework at age 3, I would be pulling them out of that center the very next day.
Posted by: Bree | August 28, 2011 5:53 AM
I'm glad to see some homework as it allows a parent to get a peek at what fundamentals are being taught and give an "as you go" idea of whether the child is mastering the material. I am against a lot of homework that involves more than that.
What I find appalling at some schools is that the teachers are sometimes inadequate in teaching the material and assign tons of homework, letting the parents do the teaching as they pore over it with their kids. I have seen this in the good school districts where they can get away with this due to heavy parental involvement. I've seen it in private schools as well. Some of these schools are proud of the large amount of homework they assign. They should be ashamed that they can't fit the curriculum in all that time they have.
Posted by: Cath Young | August 28, 2011 9:23 AM
I completely agree. I am a teacher, and my classes work hard from the time they enter my classroom until the bell rings. Thus, I have very rarely ever assigned any homework! I usually don't have any need to.
Posted by: teachermom | August 28, 2011 2:31 PM
Homework kept me from learning life skills that I so badly need/needed as an adult. Mom let me off the hook with a lot of chores because my homework load was so heavy. :( Let's get on with real life skills here people, homework only takes us so far...
Posted by: Lisa | August 28, 2011 3:06 PM
I agree that given how many hours they have my children at school, homework should not be necessary. I particularly dislike homework that is just "busy" work and not actually teaching anything. For example, my 2nd grader routinely had assignments such as: write your 20 spelling words down using a different color for each letter, or cut the letters out of newspapers and magazines. In these cases, I would have him copy the words 2x each or have him do the assignment until the timer goes off and send it in with a note that our family values dinner, religious ed. and chores and going to bed on time, and there was not time after completing these things for the child to complete the assignment. I am not very popular with the teachers, but if they say the guideline is 20 minutes a day for 2nd graders, I set a timer and after 20 minutes they stop and I send it in. I have had to go in to meet with the principal when the teacher took recess away for incomplete homework, but I believe if it says in the handbook that the children are assigned 10 minutes of homework per grade level, I should not be asked to give up more family time than that just because a teacher assigns it. Now, my children are very bright, they are all in the gifted program and do well so I feel comfortable doing this. They also do not take advantage of my policy to shirk their work. I will also devote more time to more interesting homework such as research projects, book reports we can talk about together or other enrichment type activities, since I consider these family time as the child with the assignment presents his/her research to the rest of the family over dinner. I guess my point here is that I may send them to school, but they are still my children. I often tell them the worst thing a school or teacher can do to them is tell me they have done something wrong, so they shouldn't worry about what the teacher might say if the assignment is incomplete, as long as I know they are doing their best. They are my kids, I get to decide how they spend their time. My oldest hits Middle School this year, when grades might actually start to count, so I might have to revisit my policy, but I will never relinquish control of my childrens' time just because the school says I should.
Posted by: Danielle M. | August 28, 2011 4:48 PM
Danielle -
I felt like I was reading a manifesto - and a really good one! Passion AND common sense. And I am so with you about letting the schools know who is boss when it comes to my kids. We take vacation during the school year to save money and avoid the crowds. The school frowns on this, but I've just stood my ground that this is what works for our family.
I've noticed if they don't sense any weakness, they eventually have a grudging respect . And I think it's important for kids to know that we are in charge - have just delegated the reponsibility.
Love your style - thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Barbara | August 28, 2011 7:12 PM
Well, the closest I've been to really holding my ground on something (with the teachers) is not allowing my kids to attend school when they have "pajama day."
Year after year after year. This one particular Catholic school has Pajama Day during Catholic Spirit Week where even 2 of the Junior High teachers wear pajamas, robes and fuzzy slippers to school. I have one child left at that particular school and she knows that (as long as I'm not sick or something) we'll get to go to the Botannical Gardens that day and do something educational rather than wear/see others wearing pajamas all day in school.
I think I'm the only parent that does that;however, I know that some just send their kids in sweats. I just think that the whole idea is highly inappropriate.
Posted by: Sue from Buffalo | August 29, 2011 8:21 AM
My kids haven't started school yet so I don't have experience w/kids and homework yet. But. I would have to say that if my kids were away for 8 hrs a day and then came home w/an hour or more of homework (for elementary school), I would NOT be happy. Sounds like they are giving busy work to keep kids busy and out of their parents' hair, so to speak. Or, they are trying to keep parents and kids from being too bonded (ie, they almost take over as the parents). That's just my impression from reading the comments. I certainly could be wrong.
Posted by: Michelle | August 29, 2011 9:18 AM
I agree with you 1000% Sue!
Schools should quit the gimmicks and fun and stick to teaching. I think you should start a nationwide movment - maybe a Facebook group -
Posted by: Barbara | August 29, 2011 10:45 AM
John Taylor Gatto, a New York state teacher of the year, describes homework as a form of surveillance "where students might otherwise use free time to learn something unauthorized from a father or mother, by exploration, or by apprenticing to some wise person in the neighborhood."
Posted by: Melanie | August 30, 2011 7:01 AM
I absolutely hate elementary school homework that is busy work. I can see spending 5 minutes a night going over spelling words or math facts and making sure that your child has books to read or is being read to, but that's all the homework we ever did. We did have one teacher who assigned what I considered a waste time homework, so we just didn't do it. There were never any repurcussions but I think I lucked out with having a lot of independent minded parents in that classroom so there were too many of us to fight.
Posted by: Maggie Dee | August 30, 2011 11:04 AM
I wholeheartedly agree w/ you Barbara, and others who are against too much homework. I homeschooled for 6+ years and with the kids in school now it is a totally different ballgame. I don't mind them being in school so much, but I dread the homework. It is a tough battle every night w/ an ADHD kid, a laid back middle schooler and a high schooler who is an over-achiever (wants to stay up much too late every night til every "i" is dotted and every "t" is crossed.
I'm giving some thought to voicing my concerns more this year, as now I'm getting the hang of the whole "school" thing.
We have 5 kids and we value our family time as well. I may have to revisit this post and maybe come back and ask for more advice later.
Thanks for posting this.
Blessings!
Posted by: Debbie | August 30, 2011 9:25 PM
