It's Time To Kill Homework
Somebody please...make my 2nd grader's teacher stop giving homework.Sure, putting vocabulary words in ABC order, doing two pages of math problems, writing 3-5 sentences in a journal and reading for 20 minutes might not seem like a lot to you, but this afternoon my son was crying halfway through the second page of the math problems.
I don't blame him. He was so miserable, I wanted to cry too.
What do we think is so redeeming about making kids do homework? We work all day and we sure as heck don't want to bring work home with us, so why do we expect our kids to do so?
I think we think they're going to end up as failures if they don't have homework.
Without homework, kids will bomb the almighty standardized tests.
Without homework, the next thing you know China will be the only super power.
When I first started teaching, I assigned tons of homework to my students. I believed they needed as much practice as possible because they were so far behind on so many key concepts.
The problem was that unless I checked all that homework and talked through the answers, there was no point to assigning it. Kids don't learn when a teacher just collects the homework and lets it sit in a bin without reviewing it.
"Who has the answer to number three?" How many times did you sit in a class and hear a teacher ask a question like that? I'm sure you remember the times kids (maybe even you) responded to the teacher's query with the wrong answer.
If the teacher says, "No, that's not correct," and moves on to someone else who has the right answer, all you're left with is a wrong answer on your paper. Hearing someone else say the right answer doesn't teach anything.
Kids learn by deconstructing how they arrived at a correct or incorrect response. If the teacher isn't going to take the time to reteach the concepts that led to the kid getting to that wrong answer, well, what's the point?
One of my favorite education experts, Alfie Kohn wrote a great piece back in 2007 about how homework needs to be completely rethought in our culture. He says,
"Homework in most schools isn’t limited to those occasions when it seems appropriate and important. Rather, the point of departure seems to be: “We’ve decided ahead of time that children will have to do something every night (or several times a week). Later on we’ll figure out what to make them do.”I thought about that as I heard my second grader sob, "I hate this. I hate this homework!"
What could I do but tell him to suck it up and finish it? He has no choice in the matter. If he doesn't finish the homework, he gets a bad grade. He gets in trouble.
My son wanted to write in his school journal about how much he hates his homework... but he said his teacher said if he did that, he'd show it to the principal.
The rabble rouser in me says, DO IT! After all, he'd be writing the truth... and the truth is a whole lot of kids hate homework. And, they'd be better served by doing homework (what educators call "independent practice") in class with the teacher monitoring them and available if they have questions or get stuck.
Speaking of principals, let me get wonky on you again and go back to Kohn's thoughts about homework because I think his sentiments apply a whole lot to what passes as education in our high-stakes testing, competitive education, "Waiting For Superman" environment.
Kohn says schools,
"need principals who question the slogans that pass for arguments: that homework creates a link between school and family (as if there weren’t more constructive ways to make that connection!), or that it “reinforces” what students were taught in class (a word that denotes the repetition of rote behaviors, not the development of understanding), or that it teaches children self-discipline and responsibility (a claim for which absolutely no evidence exists)."Hmm... If we all think education needs to prepare kids for the realities of a 21st century global economy, maybe we need to shift our approach to homework into the modern era.
I admit I considered telling my kid all the answers just so I wouldn't have to deal with the completely crushed spirit and the deluge of tears. I'm sure there are lots of parents out there who've felt the some way, and plenty more who've actually gone there and done that.
In the meantime, I'm prepared for more tears and more hours trying to convince my son of the value of homework - even though I don't really believe in it myself.
*photo courtesy of Flickr user Jaqian
Comments
I think it's kind of funny that you mentioned China, because those kids are doing work ALL day and even go to school on Saturday. Growing up I read two hours a night in addition to my homework. In the summer I read two hours each day and did math workbooks. My mom is old school and is Chinese, born in Taiwan. Even though she worked the double shifts as waitress 6 days a week and the dinner shift on the 7th day, she always made sure that I was on top of my school work. And I knew for as long as I could remember that my job was school and that I needed to do my best so that I could get into college. Heck, I knew that I wanted to go to UC Davis ever since I was 8 years old. I personally think that my mother pushed me even harder because I was half black and she didn't wanted anyone [other Chinese] saying ANYTHING negative about her child. And the fact that we left Taiwan so that I could have the life that I would have never been able to have as a half black child in Taiwan. When I was in HS, she worked extra shifts so that I could have a tutor for chemistry and math.
My eldest is in the 4th grade. His homework consists of one or two worksheets and reading 30 minutes a day. The worksheets are supposed to be a review and something that should take less than 20 minutes and can be done on his own. In fact, ever since the 1st grade his teachers have stressed that homework is not supposed to be a battle, it's a review which should take 15 to 20 minutes without parental help. They use it as a tool to make sure the students are actually understanding what is being taught in class. As in, do they know the material on their own without coaxing?
My daughter who is kindergarten has about 10 minutes of homework consisting of writing a particular letter 6 times and then some activity like draw two things that rhyme with bus. And then I read to her for 15 minutes every night.
I personally believe that practicing math facts keeps you sharp and that reading is a wonderful thing. It triggers the imagination, expands the vocabulary, and invites critical thinking via discussion. Something the average student is lacking.
I also see homework as a means for parents to see for themselves where their child is academically so that they can give them assistance if necessary. I think 1-2 hours of homework each night for an elementary student is excessive. But 20 minutes of review/practice to see where their skills are and some reading, is not a big deal to me. My kids just get it done, then go outside to play until dinner time.
I do really hope that you will be able to come up with a solution for homework time with your son. I believe that aside from our love and acceptance, the power of being able to read and instilling a love/craving for learning are the two most precious gifts that we can give our children.
Both my sons hate homework but one has the personality to not question it and just do it. My youngest questions everything and the very idea of homework does not make sense to him, even when it's very easy.
Yep, I lived and taught school in China so I know what that's like there. Kudos to your mom for doing what she needed to do for you. ;)
I'm not against kids working hard or excelling academically, I'm all for that! But I'm not sure our current system of assigning homework contributes to learning as much as it should, and I don't think the homework my boy's getting is furthering his understanding. My kids read all the time and write all the time - whether they're in school or it's summer vacation - we probably could practice math more! ;) I guess I don't believe homework helps unless the teacher's going to review it with the class and take the time to reteach on the spot.
I interviewed Sal Khan, (you can read it at http://bit.ly/9jmSbh) -he's the founder of the Khan Academy. I dig his ideas of flipping around where and when we give kids independent practice.
stophomework.com also has some great tips on how parents can change homework policies; it's a site run by one of the co-authors of The Case Against Homework, which I also strongly recommend!
(I know of two principals who are trying to get their teachers to assign less homework, and having support from parents could really help. For all you know, the Principal would support your ideas and help get them implemented in your son's class!)
Also, your son should be able to write WHATEVER HE WANTS in his journal as long as it's not a threat. I always told the kids that they could say what they were feeling without getting in trouble. No threats, but they could talk about feelings. For a lot of them, it was the first time they were ever told their feelings were OK.
My older son had trouble with homework in elem. school (forgetting to bring it home, doing it but forgetting to turn it in, not being able to do it because of long hours of baseball team practice, etc.) We placed baseball and sleep both as higher priorities than homework -- baseball because it was so helpful to his emotional and social growth.
Luckily, at all the 3 elem. schools he went to - a state school in England, an intl. school in Japan, and a regular state school in Japan - the term report cards did not contain letter grades. There were evaluations of various facets of learning, behavior, etc., marked Very Good, Average, or Needs Improvement -- that kind of thing. Basically, the report cards were quite nebulous in tone, and never caused us much trouble, whether his homework had been done or not.
Personally, I think there are so many more important things to work on in elem. school, than just grades, so I would not like to see elem. schools giving term letter grades to the students.
P.S. Luckily, my older son matured some at around the time he started 7th grade, and was able to step up to the plate and get A's and B's. He's in 10th grade now.
I am little bugged that why US parents so stressed out on 20-30 mins homework but has no problem to have kids involved in the sports 2 nights a week, 2 hrs a time. My first grader played soccer in Kindy and that was 1 Sat/week but next semister will be 2 x a week and 2 hrs each time. (practice/game) that just seem ridiculous when you hearing those very same parents complaints about HW>