Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Does homework eliminate a child's love for learning?
Video was done by Connect with Kids
With all the discussion on homework, I figured I do a little digging of my own on the topic. What I discovered was the the controversy against homework discussed the burden being placed on the family to complete the work. In addition, those opposed to homework argue that it stresses kids out and it doesn't allow them time to focus on family and extracurricular activities. More importantly, I learned from the video above that excessive amounts of homework impedes on an efforts to foster a love of learning in these children.
In conclusion to my research, I would argue that homework can be beneficial in learning when it is limited to 10 minutes per grade (for example a first grader would have 10 minutes of homework, a second grader would have 20 minutes of homework, etc.). While it's important not to frustrate our students with homework, it's a great way to extend their learning past the classroom. I like the suggestions that were previously made about having homework center around interviewing parents, and particularly emphasizing reading what is enjoyable for the child.
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I agree that homework can be important to extending learning. It can be a great way to continue to hone the skills that you already have through extended practice. It can also take learning into a next context, and engage your family in it.
Where I think we go wrong is when we penalize kids that don't bring their homework back. Is it necessarily their fault (particularly when young, 1st, 2nd, 3rd) that they didn't finish it? How can we level the playing field? And how can we make homework truly engaging and not simply look like busy work?
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