To Homework, or Not to Homework. Is that the Question?

If Shakespeare were alive today, he may be having the last laugh watching neurotic parents debate about homework -- for elementary school that is. The conversations heard around the school yard goes something like, "What grade does homework start? Why isn't my kid getting homework" Are the other 2nd grade classes getting homework? I heard we were doing away with homework." My first bit of advice is, Relax. As a mom to a first and fourth grader, the amount of homework that journeyed through colorful cardboard folders, through rain, wind, snow and the occasional lost backpack, has been tame. And nobody lost any sleep over it.

Recently the homework topic manifested at our parent back to school night when my son's 4th grade teacher explained her homework philosophy. For this year, regular homework will consist of a weekly reading log that goes home on Tuesday and returns completed the following Tuesday. Kids are required to read at least 30 minutes for a minimum of any four nights during the Tuesday to Tuesday week period. My first thought was, "sounds fine," but then I wondered why not just do it Monday through Friday? Then the answer surfaced. She explained that the fourth grade teachers observed over the past few years that the kids have robust after school activities. She emphasized that these kids are so busy and tired, that the teaching staff decided to spread out the work over a longer period rather than condense into the "school week." I could not help wonder what all these kids are doing after school, because if you guessed it, my kids don't do too much. They attend the after school program where they can play chess, run around, do art and (drum roll) homework. I understand that sports, music lessons, dance class, to name a few, are probably consuming a few hours a week but how many hours? And how many activities? I suppose enough for teachers to realize it's time to lighten the load.

The other day, I had an interesting conversation with my neighbor on the bus during my commute home from work. She told me her 4th grader takes guitar and violin lessons. Her son, in 6th grade, plays piano and saxophone. They both play soccer, take swimming lessons and are not allowed to play ipad during the week. Well of course, who has time for electronic media when you are training for the Olympics and auditioning for the Boston Philharmonic. I started to wonder perhaps it's not the homework that needs to go?



Balance is key. I can see the point for the case against homework for elementary schools. But I can also see the benefits of some homework to reinforce their learning and to offer parents a glimpse of what their kids are doing all day. My son's 3rd grade homework was mostly a set of repeatable drills that took no longer than 30 minutes a night but reinforced his learning and made him feel responsible, independent and organized. Admittedly, the onset of the weekly fundations literacy homework packets was anything but fun and gave me panic attacks. As a naive parent I assumed the burden of my kid's homework until we figured out a routine. As for now, my kids are not drowning in activities, so no worries here about over scheduled child syndrome. I think the slightly tamer stance on homework benefits all of us. If homework is not able to be joyful, at least it can be manageable.

Comments

Anonymous said…
great blog!

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