by Happy Today!!
Down With Homework, Say U.S. School Districts – WSJ
What a way to get parents and students attention than by announcing a ban on homework. I saw this headline and had a few reactions, which seemed to match a few detailed in the article.
As an elementary school parent, I feel homework is a vital part of the educational process as it allows for independent processing of academic lessons. My IJ loves school and he understands the materials better when he has an opportunity to practice and review materials without the teacher giving verbal prompts. It also helps me to see what he struggles with as well as which homework assignments are to easy.
It allows me to communicate with his teachers while also giving me ideas of ways to incorporate teachable moments throughout the week which align with the his academic lessons.
As a Pre-K parent, I feel some of the homework my Win is given is beyond what he can do alone. But I was made aware of this fact when I enrolled him in his program. This advance notice ensured that we understood that our parental involvement would be not only required but also encouraged. While Win doesn’t like school he does like homework because he gets 1:1 time which allows him to make mistakes without his classmates’ reactions.
But the fact that my Pre-K son is aware of his preference for doing his work at home does indicate that emotional resilience is just as vital as academic achievement. It reminds me that children learn in different ways using a variety of tools.
However, I was more concerned with our reliance on test scores only as a means of measuring academic achievement. Knowing that some people don’t perform well on tests makes me sad that school systems and marking this the only method of measuring academic achievement.
So I guess long story short, I want homework for my kids but I want it to be graded. However, I do think homework given should be in moderation and is best served for school breaks. This is to ensure cognitive retention while ensuring kids can demonstrate mastery of skills in a variety of ways.
Homework allows students to begin to develop an appreciation or aversion to continual learning. How it’s handled will determine the achievement of future goals. But at the end of the day, my kids are happier to do their homework when it doesn’t occur every day AND they get opportunities to just be kids.
What are your thought on homework? Did homework enhance or inhibit your love of learning?
Til next time,
“As an entrepreneur, you never stop learning.” Daymond John
Leave a Reply