Editor’s Note: A recent American Journal of Family Therapy concluded that schools may be demanding children do far more homework than is generally recommended. L.A. Dads Group member Whit Honea weighs in on whether schools should ban homework.
I must admit, I am not a fan of homework. My wife isn’t either, and our kids love that about us.
It’s not that we have an issue with the needs of education, far from it. We have devoted our lives to a constant quest for knowledge and the science that is wonderment. But childhood is short and the days are shorter still, what with kids in school for seven to eight hours at a time, often far longer than state requirements dictate for educational instruction, followed by an extracurricular activity or two. Throw in dinner, a chore if they have one, and we are often pushing bedtime long before anyone cracks a textbook to start homework. And that cracking that can last three or four hours, depending on the subject, and all of this without baths, reading, or any semblance of quality time with the family.
Busy work wastes time, opportunities
That doesn’t seem right. Our time together sharing their childhood is fleeting fast. I would much rather my kids spend these golden hours in a game of catch or deep conversation, walks or anything that keeps that “cat’s in the cradle” song from echoing through my head.
That said, should a larger project require attention at home that is understandable. If something isn’t done in class despite sufficient time allowed, then by all means, bring it home and finish it. But to give kids extra homework that has no bearing on the coursework at hand amounts to busy work, especially if the child has proven themselves beyond the need for such assignments.
While most teachers, overworked as they are, understand this, there are the few who wield homework like a power play, which seems unimaginative at best and often uncaring. Generally speaking, adults don’t care to bring work home with them once they leave the office, so why should a 10-year-old? Maybe a homework ban is the solution.
Ban homework, preserve childhood
The popular argument is that children need to experience hardship and obstacles to prepare for such things in real life. I understand the theory, but I cannot endorse the practice. Aren’t they living real life now, and shouldn’t childhood err on the side of magic? Life most assuredly will have hardships and obstacles ahead that a level of preparedness would help them over, but why worry about a swiftly shutting window when the world outside isn’t going anywhere? Learning is everywhere, and there is as much education in baking, hiking or watching the tide roll in as there is in a packet of worksheets and the things gained by rote.
Perhaps that is the difference. I care little for a letter grade, the value assigned by one person upon the work of another. I want my children to learn: right, wrong, and the reasons for each. I hope they swell with knowledge because they know nothing but to crave it, not because someone shoved nightly down their throat.
Education does not stop when the school bell rings. Rather it expands and grows to fit the vessel we give it to fill. Give it everything and put the pencils down. They’ll be sharper still come morning.
* * Listen to Whit discuss his parenting book on The Modern Dads Podcast * *
I agree with you Whit. To simply give busy work is a waste of time. If there is a meaningful educational goal, then go for it – within reason.
I think some parents feel that if teachers don’t give h.w. then they are not doing their job or the children are not learning.
Thanks, Larry. We have some parents like that at our school. I throw shade their way whenever the opportunity presents itself.
Well said, Whit. The Principle at my son’s elementary school once casually stated in a parent meeting that, “Studies show homework isn’t effective at improving learning, but as long as everyone else is going it, we have to do it.”
It’s like some kind of Tiger Mom work ethic by which we are giving up family time for an endless hamster wheel of empty workbook tasks.
The fact of the matter is our schools teach little to nothing positive about how to engage socially or connect emotionally; little on how to grow as human beings. That work is done at home during what you call deep conversations (and games of catch).
Our children are being cheated out of their childhoods and for what? So educators can show kids are “working hard.” It’s time to end homework. It’s not only a waste of time, it is robbing our children of crucial family time.
Exactly. Ours, in my humble opinion, is a society that could use a bit less manufactured pressure and a lot more personal connection.
That reminds me, I’ve got Algebra pages 23-24, Odds only, due tomorrow!
The answers are in the back of the book, FOR CHECKING ONLY.
I would love for my child to have time to practice their music, read a book of their choice, and I would especially love to see my children and have time to talk to them at some time other than when they are scarfing down their dinner so that they can get to their homework! My children are in the 9th grade, and they are frequently still up doing homework until midnight. The principal said at orientation in the beginning of the year that “We love our homework!”, but just this week, an English teacher told me that the school has a big problem with cheating. Sooooo, put 2 & 2 together! The kids cheat because they can’t possibly have time to all of the homework – especially the ones who have part-time jobs, and their parents are pressuring them to “get more hours”! I have recently run into 2 students who graduated, but left college after the first sememster, because they just couldn’t take it anymore, and one was a honor student who graduated early and went straight into a prestigious engineering program. We are teaching our children to hate school, not embrace education!
I read a great quote somewhere that, to paraphrase, stated that kids cheat because our society values grades more than learning. I think there’s something to that.
I am looking for people to help me right a proposition; have shorter school days everyday.
It relates to HW; more time to do it and then move on to better things. And for those who work the kids get to do the HW at school.
I have the ideas, arguments, etc.
As I’m sure you are aware, that sounds like something that would need to start at the district level, and then, hopefully, set an example for others. I wish you luck!
Whit, your article is a sight for sore eyes (sore from hours of overseeing 4th and 7th grade homework) and weary minds. I’m so glad I came across it in a sponsored feed. You mention that homework can be legitimate when it represents work unfinished in school when ample time was provided for same. Also, that homework bearing no connection to coursework is unmeaningful. What about homework that may, indeed, bear a connection to the coursework (e.g., reinforcement of the day’s math lesson with 1-2 pages of problems), but which contributes (along with other assignments) to a lengthy “second shift” at home that compromises family time, shuts out other forms of engagement / learning, and can also involve frequent and unpleasant parental yelling / kid pushback? I find that though my children’s homework may incorporate relevant learning material, the 3-4 assignments given by multiple teachers really add up to many more minutes of homework than perhaps they intend or are aware of. While no one single assignment is itself soul-crushing, taken together, they are….whether topically relevant to coursework or not. Appreciate any comments you may have to offer about the burden of cumulative and collective homework amounts, even when those assignments may bear relation to the in-class instruction. Thanks!
We had one teacher last year that gave my then 6th grader nearly three hours of homework each night—that was just one teacher and it was ridiculous, mind-numbing stuff. He usually had a collective hour of homework from his other five teachers, but those assignments were greatly affected by the fatigue and pressures of the former. And holy cow, the tears and the yelling. It was awful.
There is a popular movement where parents are opting out of homework, and while I think as a policy that would be wonderful I didn’t/don’t want to put my boys in the position of being different or viewed as a problem by his instructors. I have, however, on a few occasions written notes to teachers and explained that homework was not completed due to family activities or whatnot, and excused my kids from the consequences (typically an incomplete or poor grade on the assignment in question). It’s not a win, but it’s something.
I totally agree and I’m a TEACHER!!! I get so much criticism from some of my fellow educators when I am unapologetic about not giving my students homework. I teach middle school and many of my kids have all kinds of things going on after school. Also, I hate worksheets! A child can learn a concept from doing a few carefully selected questions/problems rather than a million of them.
Thank you. You’re doing it right! I’m guessing the kids actually enjoy your class more than others, and where there is comfort there is learning. < That's not an actual saying, but it seemed appropriate.
I agree with you, particularly for elementary school-age children. My youngest daughter has homeschooled since grade two. She is now applying to selective colleges. In one of her essays, she thanked her parents for giving her the “gift of time” and for allowing her to “live her childhood.” I am a former classroom teacher. Now I work as an educational consultant and work with kids and families. I’d love to ban worksheets.
That ‘s great. I bet those essays made you feel pretty wonderful (and rightfully so). Best of luck to her in the application process.
Also: “Ban the worksheets!” I would wear that t-shirt.
You’re all appeasers of a lazy narcissistic education debacle. Teach your kids, people. Govt cant do it for you.
Whit
Homework is not just for the kid learning on his own, it’s so you can help your kid understand the material. It’s to help the kid develop study techniques. It’s so you can teach the kid that learning is a high priority. It’s also to give the confidence to the kid that doing homework and learning material is a good thing, as opposed to what many other kids are telling your kid: that it’s not cool to be smart and it embarrasses them and if he doesn’t stop being smart they’re are gonna beat the hell out of him.
That is what the govt schools do…babysit, and coddle bullies. Social promotion and PC forgiveness of “disadvantaged” “students” cause bullies to discourage your kid from learning. Homework is critical to raising a good kid. If he becomes a feral kid, like millions have become, he will have to compete by street merit and not by book learning merit. Not that we don’t need some of both, but the declining govt education system is becoming a babysitting gladiator academy. Teach your kid. If he even gets homework, help him strategize how to solve it. If he doesn’t get enough homework, give him some you make yourself. If he gets no homework, pull him out of that Turkish prison and put him in a private school or home school him. Think. What is going thru your head that makes you think kids shouldn’t learn books at home if theyre not learning them at school? Be a parent. Teach your kid. Get him away from ferals. Or you will lose him.
Inspirational. Thank you.