So another benefit of not sending homework home is somewhat of a protective one. You have only to attempt “new math” to see that. Non-teachers sometimes make the mistake of assuming that because they went to school, they know how a classroom should be run. However, unless you have an education degree, you don’t have the same level of expertise as a trained teacher. You are your child’s first teacher, and that’s important. Parents aren’t experts on content or pedagogy Reviewing the corrected work that comes home is also a great way to see what’s being taught and how your child is performing. Make sure you read the communications that come home via class newsletters or are posted by your child’s teacher on school apps, as those typically have “what we’re working on” information. You can also learn about what’s normal for your child’s age (cognitively, social-emotionally, and physically) with a book like Yardsticks. Familiarize yourself with the standards for your child’s grade level, which are readily available online. But homework isn’t your only window into what your child is learning. “How else am I supposed to know what they’re teaching my child?” It’s a valid concern. There are other ways of finding out what your child is learning So while you can probably make a case that there are benefits for older students doing homework (but no more than one and a half to two hours a day), there’s no reason your kindergartner should be coming home with it. But what stands out to me from the research is this: There is no correlation between academic achievement and homework for elementary students and a moderate correlation for middle and high school, which diminishes as more homework is assigned. The research (not to mention how it gets interpreted) is mixed at best. Repeat after me: There is no conclusive evidence that homework improves student achievement. But since when has “that’s the way we’ve always done it” been a good reason to continue with a practice? Fellow parents, it’s time to take a long, hard look at homework. I have school-age kids, and I can understand the discomfort around uprooting tradition. In fact, many parents seem to positively associate homework with teacher and/or school quality. Not everyone agrees, and some of the most vocal opponents of homework bans are parents. Many teachers (even entire districts) are getting on the no homework train. I’m just not convinced that the positives outweigh the negatives, and I’m not alone. If I could change one thing about my past teaching, it would be homework.
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