One of the most interesting pedagogical debates being argued about today focuses on whether or not students should be assigned homework. If so, in what amounts? If not, in what grade levels? I’ve looked at a lot of articles on the subject, and I have to say I agree with those who see a need for a serious reduction in the amount of out-of-school work that’s being assigned to students. The anti-homework crowd isn’t pushing an end to all homework in every grade level. What seems to make the most sense to me involves no homework for kids in elementary school, some creative and worthwhile exercises for middle school students (though no more than a half hour a night), and around an hour and half a night at most for high school students.
I’m not some fanatical extremist who lives in a shack out in the woods, and I’m not the only person who thinks homework is doing more harm than good in our educational system. The American Educational Research Association had this to say:
“Whenever homework crowds out social experience, outdoor recreation, and creative activities, and whenever it usurps time that should be devoted to sleep, it is not meeting the basic needs of children and adolescents.”
One of the most interesting perspectives on the no homework policy comes from Etta Kralovec and John Buell in there book End Homework Now. Rather than looking at homework from the dogmatic perspective of how it affects test scores and what role it plays in the ‘sinking in’ of classroom topics, End Homework Now focuses sharply on what homework does to the families’ free time, the students lives, and the communities they live in.
The premise I’m most inclined to agree with is this: People’s lives are getting busier. The amount of hours in the average workweek continues to rise. More and more children are raised in single parent homes. Homework is being assigned to kids and families with no time to complete it. This cycle of overworked students and parents adds stress to the family that need not be there, and all this extra work ends up taking away from the precious little unstructured family time that’s left. One result of all this is that kids don’t have time to be kids, and parents don’t get the meaningful time they need to instill their own values on their children. Another is that young students end up with a bad taste in their mouths over the subject of homework, and find ways to avoid it, or cheat, rather than engage it willfully. In reading the blog posts of teachers who’ve adopted this policy, I’ve noticed that many have had incredibly positive results. By allowing students more free time after school, they came to school refreshed and more willing to learn.
But isn’t homework a necessary part of a child’s education? First, let’s dispel a homework myth: homework is the key to academic success. The research is in on this topic, and the results are all over the radar. Research results regularly contradict one another in determining the value of homework, especially in the secondary level. Most researchers, however, have agreed that homework in elementary school has little or no bearing on students’ academic achievement. Proponents of assigning homework have maintained that for young students, the content of the homework is less important than the discipline that comes from doing it regularly. Students will learn self-discipline, deadline sensitivity, time management, and all the skills that will help prepare them for life as an adult. There’s one problem with that, and Kralovec and Buell put it best:
“asking children to perform tasks before they are developmentally ready proves counterproductive to development . . . Lacking solid evidence, homework supporters ask us to take on faith the notion that homework can instill desirable character traits.”
Link to Etta Kralovec and John Buell’s End Homework Now.
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February 21st, 2008 at 4:41 pm
I enjoyed both this posting and the link to the introduction of End Homework Now. I found myself nodding in agreement at the close of one sentence and shaking my head in consternation at the beginning of the next. I don’t know if there is an exact formula for giving out homework. Brad states that homework should not be given to elementary kids, “some creative and worthwhile exercises” given for middle school lads, and then an hour and a half for the high school tikes. I like the creative description, because to me that is what is important. I just don’t think you can follow a formula of how much is appropriate and when. Far more important is what the assignment is, not how long should be spent doing it.
One of the real problems, in my opinion, is the busy work that is far too often assigned. It is this work that is labor-some and tiring. This is a major cause of the dislike that surrounds schooling. So, creative assignments are in order. Too many teachers assign vocabulary or recitation type questions. These are boring and can be done in school. If you are making a child do school work outside of the classroom environment, make it interesting; something that can’t be done in the classroom. Give them the opportunity to explore, use materials from the outside world, take advantages of their surroundings when they aren’t in school. Isn’t that what homework should focus on? Utilize the home environment as another place you can learn.
I generally agree with the rest of his comments. I think they are insightful. I do like what he has to say about the home environment these days. Life is getting busier and faster. We often do not have enough time in the day for basic needs, things that MUST get done, let alone some busy work that the teacher assigns that can be done in the classroom. Home life is hectic enough. Why not utilize this opportunity and combine the home and the work. Assignments could be given that not only benefit a school subject but also aid in the family dynamic.
There is a passage in End Homework Now that touches on this very opportunity. I know Dr. Rozema will particularly enjoy this because it talks about one of his favorite Presidential families, the Clintons. “One reason we have written this book is that the subject of homework is once again on the political agenda in Washington. President Clinton has emphasized the importance of parents spending more time helping their children with homework.” (Buell & Kralovec p. 4) Think how wonderful this could be. Not only would the student be furthering their understanding of a topic by having interesting and relevant assignments that could be completed as they become closer to their parents. I personally believe that parents need to take more interest in the child’s academia
In closing my response, I am aware of the difficulty it is to pin down an exact answer. I don’t think you can provide an equation for the amount of homework given based off age. I think regardless, it should be something that utilizes time spent outside of the classroom as well as parental involvement. I think if the assignments are interesting, then the kids will carry that interest with them into the classroom.