Homework!!

[AmyJ]

I put this in this forum becuase I wanted to get a wide variety of opinions on this. I also didn't make it a poll because I wanted to hear people's thoughts on the subject (and I stink at making polls :) ).


I am a third grade teacher and I have really been thinking about my philosophy on homework. My grade level had decided, long before I got there, that all third graders would have daily homework in Math and Language Arts. Having always assigned homework in tha past, I went along with the program.

Well, as the year is coming to an end, I am re-thinking my homework policy.

Here are some questions I have......

What is your general feeling on homework in elementary school?

What do you feel the purpose is/should be?

If you are a school -aged parent, what does your child get out of homework?

What do you wish they would get out of it?

What would you like your child's teacher to know about your feelings on homework?


I sent home a similar survey to the parents of my students. The results have been enlightening to say the least, and I wanted to broaden that perspective.

TIA!!

[TxTeacher]

I'd like to answer from the perspective of a soon-to-be-teacher (and as someone who has been both a student and a student teacher at the same time :awink: )

What is your general feeling on homework in elementary school? I think some homework is necessary and useful for students of all ages; of course, the amount and degree of difficulty should be age-appropriate. I would say no more than an hour a night for 3rd grade and up; no more than 30 minutes for children in 2nd grade or younger. These are the time limits I'd consider appropriate for elementary aged students, not older ones.

What do you feel the purpose is/should be? I think it's a great way to give students additional practice and get parents involved in what children are learning. Plus, homework gets children to use the skills they learn in school outside of class, and can even be a way to help pull them away from TVs and video games. Even though it's not the teacher's job to monitor such activity, I think it helps parents by giving children something more productive to do, and personally, I think a lot of what children do at home (especially watching TV and movies) affects their behavior and performance at school.

I didn't answer the rest of questions, because I can't speak from the POV of a parent.

[Lojswife]

Another teacher perspective :)

What is your general feeling on homework in elementary school?

I think that is a good way to develop study/learning habits at home. (before high school)


What do you feel the purpose is/should be?

Totally for revision/practice. I give out a homework contract on the Friday that is due the following Friday. It is 1 A4 sheet with spelling, math and a few language activities. The kids in my class can choose to do it all in one night, or do a little each night (I do this for grades 2 and 3).
They are also given 2 home readers to read over that week aswell. I believe that homework for this age should not be more than 20 minutes a night...

I do expect them to practise their spelling nightly and basic facts (+, - or x depending on what we are learning)

If I give them a project/assignment to do, I hand out the question at the beginning and have them answer a bit each week (instead of the language activities) and then give them 2 weeks off homework (except for spelling) to compile it and complete it before it is due.

Homework should not be something that a parent has to *think* about...they should be there merely to support the child.

[MelissaM]

Parent presepective! :)

What is your general feeling on homework in elementary school?
I think it is good for a number of reasons, mainly though becuase it gives me a very clear indication of what William is doing in school. The themes of their homework usually match what they are doing all day so it acts as a resource to me. As well, it gives me a chance to sit with my kids and help them if necessary. In Will's school they give three pages of homework - Math, Reading/English and Writing on Monday and it is all due on Friday. That is the only homework they get so it gives them time to really have a look at it and work at their own pace without worrying that they will have more piled on them the next day.


What do you feel the purpose is/should be?

Review and practice of terms and concepts learned during the day. I really don't like the idea of NEW things being brought home to learn.

If you are a school -aged parent, what does your child get out of homework?
Hmmm.....I really don't know. William wings through his homework so fast that he is obviously not needing it to "learn" or "study". I assume that he gets the extra time of practice so that's a good thing.


What do you wish they would get out of it?
I would hope that homework will solidify what he is learning during the day. As well I think at some point it needs to start teaching him the basics of time management skills.


What would you like your child's teacher to know about your feelings on homework?

I like the way they give them all of their homework in one bunch and then do not give them anymore during the week. This is a good system in my mind. I don't like the idea of a child struggling over homework...especially if it is a concept that the parent doesn't understand (new ways of teaching Math or something). To me this is just too much stress both on the parent and the child.

[Jayne]

Parent of a 2nd grader - Tylor!
What is your general feeling on homework in elementary school?
I am all for homework in Elementary school. I have to say that my son (a 2nd grader) has not had one single piece of homework this year and I am really upset by this and have voiced my complaint, along with several other parents, at Tylor's school. That said. Prior to this they had homework every single night in grades K and 1. I believe as somone posted before that the time frame of doing homework should be relative to the childs grade/age so about an 30-60 minutes for a 2nd grader.

What do you feel the purpose is/should be?
I feel that the purpose of homework should be to enhance what the child is learning at school. Get parents more involved with the childs schoolwork and learning, and I feel it also provides me with the knowledge of what my child is learning at in his day to day classwork and I can enhance it if I so choose to.

If you are a school -aged parent, what does your child get out of homework?
Well Tylor used to get reinforcement I believe. Not only would he be learning his facts and what not from the teacher but also from the parent so he really understood what he was learning and also so he realized that I took an interest in his work also. Now without any..we go over his papers he brings home from school and if he has anywrong, we work through them but it isn't the same.

What do you wish they would get out of it?
I wish he would get a better understanding of what he is learning.

What would you like your child's teacher to know about your feelings on homework?
I would like Tylor's teacher to understand that by not giving the 2nd graders homework this year I believe she has set them up to fail. She has also made it harder for the parents to succeed with added learning at home. I agree that homework should be grade/age appropriate and not the main activity for the childs evening but it should also be a way to get parents more involved in the students learning and she has taken that away from us.

Sorry..I am a bit bitter towards the 2nd grade cirriculum at my son's school and towards his teacher.

[Billy]

My son, Kyle, is in 3rd grade..
What is your general feeling on homework in elementary school?
I think it's great way for them to practice the skills they are learning in class and to improve upon them.
What do you feel the purpose is/should be?
I feel that the purpose of homework should be to enhance what the child is learning at school. Get parents more involved with the childs schoolwork and learning, and I feel it also provides me with the knowledge of what my child is learning at in his day to day classwork and I can enhance it if I so choose to. ITA agree with Jayne on this :nod:

If you are a school -aged parent, what does your child get out of homework?
Definite reinforcement of what was taught in school, extra "learning time" and one on one help if he needs it. It definetly helps him..
What do you wish they would get out of it?
I thik Kyle gets exactly what he's supposed to get out of it...further understanding and knowledge of the subject.

What would you like your child's teacher to know about your feelings on homework?
I think she's doing a great job with their homework. Kyle generally brings home 2 to 3 pages of homework a night, occasionally only one and on Fridays there is none. There's always one that associates with their spelling words that week and the other(s) have to deal with math. I'd tell her she's doing a great job! It's never more than he can handle and it's things at this point that he can handle with ease.

[AmyJ]

Thanks for all of the responses so far! I am really appreciative of the thoughtful responses!! :clap:

Jayne~ Thanks alot for your response. I was glad to get your take on it, with Tylor NOT getting homework. An interesting angle to look at.

[bunybomb]

What is your general feeling on homework in elementary school?
I feel it's necessary to help prepare for the school years to come.

What do you feel the purpose is/should be?
To review lessons being discussed in the classroom.

If you are a school -aged parent, what does your child get out of homework?
A way to review classroom lessons with parents.

What do you wish they would get out of it?
Learning responsibility and prioritizing.....that will come with time.

What would you like your child's teacher to know about your feelings on homework?
I feel homework should be age appropriate. 10 minutes per grade (i.e. 3rd = 30 minutes) which includes weekly spelling/vocabulary, math review and daily reading. I would like this time structure to be factored in during special projects as well, so students don't feel overwhelmed with it all. Too much homework cuts into family time.

[miacat]

I don't have a school-aged child right now, so my feelings may change. I always had some homework as an elementary school student. Just a little, not too much. Usually some math worksheets, spelling, reading. Also, special projects like a leaf collection or a report. The problem I had with many homework assignments is that they seemed to have no purpose. In my opinion, homework should build on what is taught in school, not just exist for the sake of giving out homework. I really despised the worksheet type of homework which I felt was a huge waste of time and not valued by the teacher or student. As a student who didn't NEED extra reinforcement of what was taught, I resented the fact that I had to do it just for the sake of doing it. I would have rather been assigned something that was not just regurgitation -- a home science experiment, for example, and kids could write up the results and orally report back to the class-- developing several skills at once! Or a creative math problem that you could do at home (i.e. counting household things for young children, or using ingredients and weights on food packages to calculate something). This would not be so boring, and could also involve parents.

I agree with the 10 minutes per grade level per day. And I think it is a good opportunity to involve parents with what is being taught and how their child is progressing.

[Theresa]

What is your general feeling on homework in elementary school? I think it's a great idea. Kids need to get into the habit of studying outside of school.

What do you feel the purpose is/should be? To expand lessons being taught in the classroom. To teach kids the importance of prioritizing. To prepare them for high school and college where there will be a lot more homework required of them.

I won't answer the rest because my children are still small, but I would like to add that I think homework should be easy enough for the children to do on their own, but it should present a bit of a challenge. It shouldn't be so hard (in elementary school at least) that the parents end up having to do it for the child. That teaches them nothing. The parent should just be there for support or to help the child figure it out on his/her own.