I just received a newsletter from Love and Logic with some practical information on homework that I just had to share with you.
Dr. Charles Fay outlined the following appropriate guidelines for homework.
- It leaves time for the child to contribute to the family by doing chores.
- It leaves time for the child to play and enjoy being a child.
- At least 95% of the content should represent repetition and review of things the child already knows how to do correctly.
- The parent helps only as long as the interaction remains positive.
- It’s the child’s work…not the parent’s work.
I have spoken to many teachers who feel that parents should try to avoid doing homework along with their kids. One teacher, Ms. S, gives homework to see how much information the child has processed and retained from the actual lesson. It gives her clues as to whether the child needs some extra support integrating the material. It also helps her gauge her effectiveness, whether or not she is giving over the information in a way all her students can understand. Her student’s homework also lets her know if she is able to move on to the next topic in the curriculum or if she needs to spend more time on the current topic.
Another teacher, Ms. B, gives her students homework specifically to cultivate responsible behavior. She wants her students to take ownership of their schoolwork and finds that some simple homework tasks do the trick.
Let us know what you think about homework! It is that time of year after all…