Homework

[Lynda/WA]

What are your feelings on homework? Do your kids get too much or too little. How much should be the average?

One school district (in CA?) banned homework saying that is was unfair to children from disadvantaged homes. What do you think about that?

[Jeff]

Catering to the LCD is really infuriating. Set high expectations and people will follow, set low expectations and people will also follow. Does the environment adapt to meet our needs or do we need to adapt to the environment in order to survive and ultimately thrive?

Is studying and homework the same? I don't really consider reading a text chapter that coincides with classroom discussion homework. It seems homework many times is geared to be easily graded or a way to quantitatively look at performance. (ie it fits the system for efficiency instead of evoking a desire to learn.)
Homework, grades, rewards, etc. can really have a positive effect on learning if appropriately cone, but can also have an extremely negative effect.

[AnnW]

How is homework unfair to the disadvantaged? Don't they learn the same material in school as the "advantaged"?? I truly don't get it? I would understand if it was doing work on a computer or having to go to the library after school, but worksheets, writing a paper, studying from their school books??? What difference does economics play in that? And if they are saying it's cause the parents don't help..well, last I checked it's the KID'S homework, not the parents.

I think the homework level in our elem school is really fair, and not just busy work.
DS is spending an INCREDIBLE amount of time on homework!!!! The other night he had homework/project in every class..he worked for 4 hours straight. He is in all g/t classes so we are trying to figure out if the work load is just too much for him, if he is just being super careful and therefore going slower, or if that's just the normal workload.

[TXmom]

Well, we haven't been overwhelmed yet this year, but I do remember some really stressful nights last year. We just have to be careful that any homework the kids have is taken care of right after school if we have evening plans on a school night.

I think homework has its place as a reinforcement tool. I know some opponents of homework argue that it's not the parent's job to teach. I've never felt that I'm taking the place of the classroom teacher when I'm helping my kids with homework. I do like to check over what they've done so I can help them correct their mistakes. I feel like successful schools require both the teacher and the parents dedication. I think my kids benefit from the extra practice they get from homework.

I do know a middle school teacher from another town who said he cannot give homework because the kids without support at home won't do it, and he'd end up failing too many kids.

A cool thing that my ds's teacher gave out at curriculum night was a PARENT homework pass for nights when we need a break from helping with homework.

[Linda/NE]

Homework had been a big topic at school board meetings last year. My son's teacher was targeted as one who gives too much homework and the school lost 2 families because she was unwilling to compromise on the issue. Now, my son has never had so much homework that he hasn't been able to finish it--except when he's been sick and wasn't able to even start it until 4 or 5 in the afternoon.

He came home the first week and said that his teacher told the class that she didn't want to hear any complaints about too much homework. She said she will be keeping notes of how well they use their time in school so she can let the parents know why they have so much homework. Ds said one day that she kept moving from subject to subject and he didn't get much time to work--he had a lot of homework that night, but that is the only time he's had that much.

In our school, I think the kids who have the most homework, or find it hard to complete the homework, are the ones who piddle around in school, don't start homework until later in the evening, or are involved in so many extra curricular activities that they don't have time to do their homework.

I believe homework should basically be the work the child did not complete during the course of the school day. There are times when other forms of homework are beneficial to the learning process, but assigning a bunch of math problems or worksheets just for busy work I don't agree with.

I think homework for the disadvantaged homes maybe more than just not having the parents there to help. There are also the factors of children not being able to concentrate on their work because of abuse, hunger, or the parental responsibilities the children may have to take on for the parents.

The scenario that comes to mind is a somewhat older child (middle school - junior high) who comes home from school to a drunk father in a rage. The mother is maybe working or incapacitated in some way. There are younger siblings. This girl maybe needs to shelter the younger ones from the father's rage, do the housework, fix the meals, etc. By the time she would get to homework, she could be completely exhausted.

There is no magic formula as to what is most beneficial to the children. On one hand some poeple in society are crying out for better schools/academic learning, on the other these same members of society are complaining about having to help their children with homework.

I believe a child's education is a joint effort between the teacher the child and the parent. If one is not willing to work with the others then it creates a weak link.

[Lynda/WA]

Ref - homework discriminates against disadvantaged families.

According to the articles I read it was for a number of reasons. Access to computers and libraries was part of it.

They also said that students from poor families are more likely to have responsibilites at home or jobs. That one didn't fly with me at all since aren't wealthier kids involved in more extra currics? Plus, when I was growing up we had a farming type business in addition to mom and dad's jobs. We frequently spent after school working for the family business. Homework came after supper. I found it made me more effective. I spent less time at school chatting, time on the bus went to homework, and I knew better than to procastinate.

Another reason was that poor parents are more likely to be at work and unable to help the child at home. From the arguements it sounded as if anti-homework people were both claiming that teachers are unable to answer the questions of all students and at the same time were claiming that the parents may not be available (or unable) to answer them! I'd argue the reverse. Allowing the parents to answer questions for their own child reduces the number of students the teacher has to deal with. That would allow the teacher to help the disadvantaged students more.

They concentrated on poor vs middleclass and up families. I don't remember there being much mention of families in which a parent is dysfunctional (such as an alcholic).

[Jeff]

Originally posted by TXmom


I do know a middle school teacher from another town who said he cannot give homework because the kids without support at home won't do it, and he'd end up failing too many kids.



How sad. I can't imagine not helping my children and I can't imagine having my children in a system that would allow such circumstances to control the curriculum