http://www.king5.com/news/education/more-seattle-schools-adopt-no-homework-policy/316306604 So... discuss.... less than brilliant way to make sure kids are stupid?
Why did you leave out that it's only elementary schools? Anyway, don't kids learn multiplication and division in 3rd grade? That's when it was taught in my school, and that's probably the appropriate time to start assigning homework, IMO. So I'm not really down with this.
If they are the only ones smart enough to be angry, we have bigger problems than I thought. The idea most kids will spend additional time at home on useful activities is fantasy. Video games and TV will benefit. This is a win for teachers because they will have less work.
The point of doing homework in elementary school is to set them up for the expectation of school work later in middle and high school.
Honestly, outside of math and special projects or essays, I see no reason for homework at all. Ever. Maybe reading and studying assignments, but worksheets and vocabulary words are for the birds.
Yeah same. Plus whatever else the student was unable to complete in class. Otherwise, no thanks. Aren't there several studies about the harm done from burdening kids with too much homework? Wouldn't they be better suited living their lives and being active (IE not in front of TV).
No wonder we are ranked at the bottom of developed nations in terms of grade level education. Just look at the replies in this thread.
There have been a slew of studies released recently that conclude that homework in elementary school does not help retention. At this age in their life, its more important that Parents spend time with the kids and that kids read more by themselves. 3 hours of homework each night keeps the kids mentally tired and therefore they have a harder time learning. Also, studies are showing that MORE recess actually helps kids learn, so some schools in our area are adding a second recess to the day.
I have a wife who is a 3rd grade teacher and a son currently in 2nd grade. My wife only assigns that they read 20 minutes per night and has 1 math worksheet that they have all week to complete. My son's teacher gives nightly homework, reading, and is expected to study for a Friday spelling test each week. 2 extremes in the same household. My son is not enjoying school because of all of the extra work he has to do. He hates the homework and, at 7, isn't a great speller yet. He's still strictly phonetic. It's too much. A hour of work every night on top of what they spend the day doing for elementary aged kids is too much. My 5th grader has less homework...so much less that he typically gets it done in the bus line before he gets home. My youngest isn't retaining anything...he's just doing whatever necessary to get through it. It's more of an exercise in survival than it is a learning experience. While I was going through classes to get my national soccer coaching license, one thing always stuck with me. If you have to coach at game time, you didn't get it done in practice and you've failed as a coach. Yes, there are always things to work on but it shouldn't be more than reinforcement. Reading and a few math problems are one thing. There's obvious benefits to reading everyday. But all of the other stuff is too much and is only causing a negative effect.
Yes. I have a first grader. They do not have much home work at all. One assignment per week. All the kids we know are way ahead of what they teach in school. One of our neighbor kid who is 6 knows multiplication and division, including negative numbers additions/subtraction. The kid knows more about the solar system than me because he enjoys reading about them so much. I do not think my kid is specially gifted, but I fully expect my kid to get 1400+ on SAT and have completed calculus level math and other AP science classes in high school. The problem with teaching in school is that the kids are very unevenly distributed in terms of knowledge when they come to the school. You have kids who do not know the alphabet in the same room as kids who are at second or third grade reading levels. Some kids can not count to ten and some are doing multiplications.
They are in class all day. They shouldn't have to bring home work. Teachers, school system being lazy. 6-8 hours a day is MORE than enough time to prepare these kids
Gotta keep lowering that bar to make sure everyone gets over it. Next we'll eliminate quizzes and tests. Eventually we'll just hand out diplomas as participation trophies.
One of the most important things a grade school education should encourage in our children (we have 2) is a love of learning. A desire to go to school. Both of my kids managed to acquire that desire and it stuck with them. They didn't have homework worth mentioning until the 4th grade, but all during elementary school there were science projects or practicing for choir - stuff to do at home, which they loved. So some homework? Maybe later in grade school the last couple of years, but before that simply encourage learning! Don't make school drudgery. Make it as fun and exciting as possible. And parents have to be involved in the process. Driving a group of students on a field trip in our van (now gone, thank god!), or helping in the classroom from time to time was a part of it I enjoyed, but I had more time for that than many of you might have. Grade school is incredibly important. Anyway, my thoughts on the subject.
I don't recall ever having more than an hour of homework in elementary school. But with the studies, it's definitely worth trying. The no-homework policy does require more parent involvement to read at home, and I can see it working well for middle class families. It might be tougher for single parent homes or lower class families.
I was raised by Jesuits. Education and dedication were not optional, it was necessary. Even then, they only gave me in high school 90 minutes a night of homework. Some of these public schools are giving students 2-3 hours of homework a night. That is insane. The school day needs to be more efficient.
I don't know enough about the science of education/learning to have a strong opinion on this. For young kids I think it may be the right call, but the at-home responsibilities should increase with age/time. I generally think the "here's your work, if you get it done before you leave, no homework" philosophy is a good one.
