The Great Homework Debate

Hello

We talk a lot about homework at the beginning of each school year. I've found that some parents like a lot of homework and those that have students involved in extra curricular activities would prefer a little less homework. I am a third grade teacher and my entire grade level uses a homework packet. I personally prefer to assign homework daily. I like homework to be a reflection of the day's standards. I check homework daily for completion not right/wrong. I choose certain assignments to use as the next day's review. I still struggle with 100% return of homework. I've tried silent lunch and no recess. When I use homework in the form of review and divide my class up into teams for a competition and rewards, I notice the next day a lot more students turn in their homework. For my students, positive reinforcement works better than the negative reinforcement when it comes to homework behaviors.

Hello Kim,

I read your blog, and based on my experience, I've found that it really depends on the grade level that you're teaching, and (of course) the level of which you as a teacher expect your students to achieve. After reading about how you provide homework to your students, it is my view that obviously you expect your kids to perform on a high level. Personally I think you are doing a fantastic job at the way that you are assigning homework. I do not think at all that it is too much. It is very necessary to keep our kids 'educationally active' at home as well as at school. Providing enough homework is essential for a more attentive mind and attention span on the next day(s) of instruction. Keep up the Good work!!

Sincerely,
Gary Page
EDUC 6610
-Walden Univ.

I have prepared a daily homework sheet. It is not much and is very limited in activites. It is usually spelling and math practice and reading for 30 mins everynight. Every so often I put in a writing prompt and some sentence fixtures. It takes the children no more than 20 mins to do the activities and then the 30 mins of reading. Since I have been doing this I have gotten a great deal more homwork in, better reading fluency, and comprehension.

Hi Kim,
I am just wondering how you find the time to prepare 20 differentiated homework assignments for your class. I could use a little help with that. (I also teach 2nd grade.) I struggle with this concept too. Trying to give meaningful homework - not too much- not too little.
Thanks!

After reading many of your responses to homework, I like what Garrick had to say. I believe that packets can be busy work, and I think that every grade level should be assigned homework. However,the amount of work given should be based on the grade level. Homework should also be work that is given to reinforce what has been previously taught in the classroom. Last, but not least, students should be expected to read every night and keep a reading log, regardless of the age or grade level.

I am a 9th grade teacher of Mathematics in New York. Homework is something my students struggle with each night. When a student has at least 5 different classes a night and each one gives you homework, it is hard to complete all that homework and still have any kind of life. Even just spending time with your family. It is my belief that a homework assignment should be qualitative and not quantitative. I can give 4 or 5 problems that will assess a student's knowledge just as well as an assignment of 20 problems. This allows the students to complete it faster, and when there are fewer problems the students are more likely to complete the assignment. I think too many teachers have had the idea that homework is something that is done just to keep the student busy instead of testing a students knowledge informally.

Jeremy

I am a 8th grade math teacher and have found that homework no matter how much is assigned to students will always be too much. The kids are supposed to have at the most 2 and half hours of homework per night. I was assigning homework every night because the more you practice the better you do. When I was grading even just on completion I still would only get half of my classes completing it. I have recently went to assigning homework monday through friday and allowing my students to pick two days to complete their homework. It has greatly increased the number of students who turn in homework. If a child completes all four i give them an extra credit point. This gives them the illusion of choice and allows them to practice at the same time. There are still flaws to my new idea but it seems to be working out better than the 4 days of homework. I was told if they practice in class for 45 minutes why must they spend 45 more minutes at home on the same concept. Hope this helps a little.

I teach in a middle school. Our school, like some of the others, has a rule of 10 minutes per grade. The problem we have is that one or two teachers try to take the entire time themselves. We do not have a way of dividing the time equally among all the teachers. I teach math and I try to give the students a minimal amount of problems. The studnets do have a 45 minute study hall each day so they can do a portion of their work. We also have some parents that want a lot of homework but most appreciate that I only give a small amount so they can do their other work. I have a daughter in middle school and many nights she is up very late working on homework. You can never please everyone when it comes to homework.

Hello Katrina I am First grade teacher so I can understand your problem. There is always conflict when it comes to homework. Administrators want more, parents want more or less depending on how interested they are in schooling. Our district requires homework on a daily basis. So what I try to do is give my students a book a day to read with their parents that is in adddition to their reading program. This helps the families to dedicate themselves to read and enjoy time together reading. Also I try to send home vocabulary and word games that reinforce memory and increase their vocabulary. I also send home a writing journal that they could draw and write anything they want but they have to return it so I can compare what they do in class and create mini-lessons based on thier errors. I also use this as a basis for their spelling lists. Hope this helps.

I believe that homework should definitely be given to reinforce the skills being taught in the classroom. Parents need to know what their children are working on in school. I am a parent of a fifth grader and a second grader. As a parent, I often catch myself wondering if my second grader has too much homework too often, but as a teacher I know that she needs more practice at her age to master the skills being taught. Homework should be given in at least one subject each night, not including a minimum of twenty minutes of reading time.