Are kids given too much homework?

My grandson and granddaughter do their homework on an iPad and then send it to the teacher before that particular class begins. They also take their tests on the iPads. The school gives each child an iPad at the beginning of the school year.
 

What is the purpose of homework?

In the early years it should be to practise something already learned in class to help them reach mastery. The same thing applies to learning spelling lists and maths facts. Parents can help by hearing them read and by reading to them. None of this should be onerous and none of this should block out time for sport, games, music or dance.

Around age 10 homework tasks should lead the child to discovery of information. Research skills need to be introduced by the teacher and practised at school before sending them off to the library on their own. Sources should include books as well as online sources. Maths tasks should include simple problem solving exercises which must be introduced in class and practised there first before handing out sheets the kids are not ready for.

The point I am trying to make in a very roundabout way is that homework needs to be something the child can actually do by themselves. Too often we see kids defeated by a homework task that is poorly designed and unclear about what they have to do. Parents are equally confused about the task and feel helpless to guide their child. That kind of homework is not only useless, it is counterproductive to learning. It turns kids off and makes them doubt themselves.

Homework should never be given to simply use up a child's valuable time. It must add to the child's skills in some way. I was told I had to practise piano for an hour each day but never guided in how I should go about this. I needed a coach but there was no-one in the house who could do this for me. I would have been much better off playing ball outside in the street, getting some exercise. I remain hopeless at piano playing.
 
Warrigal said:
What is the purpose of homework?

In the early years it should be to practise something already learned in class to help them reach mastery. The same thing applies to learning spelling lists and maths facts. Parents can help by hearing them read and by reading to them. None of this should be onerous and none of this should block out time for sport, games, music or dance.

Around age 10 homework tasks should lead the child to discovery of information. Research skills need to be introduced by the teacher and practised at school before sending them off to the library on their own. Sources should include books as well as online sources. Maths tasks should include simple problem solving exercises which must be introduced in class and practised there first before handing out sheets the kids are not ready for.

The point I am trying to make in a very roundabout way is that homework needs to be something the child can actually do by themselves. Too often we see kids defeated by a homework task that is poorly designed and unclear about what they have to do. Parents are equally confused about the task and feel helpless to guide their child. That kind of homework is not only useless, it is counterproductive to learning. It turns kids off and makes them doubt themselves.

Homework should never be given to simply use up a child's valuable time. It must add to the child's skills in some way. I was told I had to practise piano for an hour each day but never guided in how I should go about this. I needed a coach but there was no-one in the house who could do this for me. I would have been much better off playing ball outside in the street, getting some exercise. I remain hopeless at piano playing.
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Well said!
 

I can't speak for America but here in Britain, schools seem to be open for fewer hours these days. Without homework, there isn't enough time to spend on each subject properly.
 
Patio Life said:
Our exchange student from Ukraine had an 8 hr school day. ,,,,Kid is insanely smart and very well educated.....Our exchange student from Denmark has a 6 hr school day, no tutors to go to, homework is handed out but not expected to be turned in. There are no sports at his school. He speaks 3 languages fluently. He can't do much math and has very little interest in education...... He is smart but doesn't have any real goals yet. He is 16.
Our exchange student from Brazil had one or two hours of homework each night. Education is very important. She spoke two languages fluently. ......It's different everywhere, all the kids seem to turn out just fine.
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It's different everywhere, and we are lacking with our barely can read populace. We need the education systems other western countries have. We may have kids that 'turn out just fine', but are poorly educated.
Has anyone looked at McGuffey readers? We look at them when we go to living history museums that have an old school house and some of the books that were used. The reading level required to understand those books that were used on 14 year olds is beyond a high school graduate now.
 
Schools in the U.S. since WW II, have functioned as a free babysitting service.
Kids attend school to socialize and be cool.
They need all the homework they receive.

American schools academics will remain pitiful as long as the teachers remain uninvolved and without strong parental concern.
They are desperate for teachers and will employ inept people.

Parents lack the time or concern to assist the school to assure the kids are actually learning.
You can trace this to the times when both parents were employed.
Sadly, it requires both parents working to provide the 'goodies' ; the kids education run a poor second.
 
jerry r. garner said:
Schools in the U.S. since WW II, have functioned as a free babysitting service.
Kids attend school to socialize and be cool.
They need all the homework they receive.

American schools academics will remain pitiful as long as the teachers remain uninvolved and without strong parental concern.
They are desperate for teachers and will employ inept people.

Parents lack the time or concern to assist the school to assure the kids are actually learning.
You can trace this to the times when both parents were employed.
Sadly, it requires both parents working to provide the 'goodies' ; the kids education run a poor second.
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Depends on the kid too. My daughter wanted to learn, spent hours on homework every night and entered the honors program.

My sons were laid back and didn't take school seriously. Both learned a trade and have good jobs. My daughter went to college developed bi-polar disorder and couldn't hold a job.

School is just a small part of a person's life and you just never know how things will turn out.
 
jerry r. garner said:
Schools in the U.S. since WW II, have functioned as a free babysitting service.
Kids attend school to socialize and be cool.
They need all the homework they receive.

American schools academics will remain pitiful as long as the teachers remain uninvolved and without strong parental concern.
They are desperate for teachers and will employ inept people.

Parents lack the time or concern to assist the school to assure the kids are actually learning.
You can trace this to the times when both parents were employed.
Sadly, it requires both parents working to provide the 'goodies' ; the kids education run a poor second.
Click to expand...
Its passing the buck.... teachers are suppose to do their jobs ..babysit.....
 
I have 11 grandchildren, they average an hour, sometimes more homework each day, they all play sports are active in church and make good grades. two this year are seniors and play sports all year both were in school plays, as well the older ones have part time jobs. do they have to much home work they say sometimes.
 
I have spent my whole career in education so I have strong feelings about this topic. However, when I retired I do not follow topics dealing with education. To me, it's a topic, like religion or politics, that I choice not to discuss. Glad to be retired. Sorry!
 
No, kids definitely do not have too much homework. What they have too much of is the idea that you can get something for nothing. Learning takes effort and time. Part of the notion of "too much" comes from the fact that they do not use their time productively. Of course your tasks will take longer if you don't unplug from your games, music, and other distractions. Perhaps what we need to be teaching them is how to be productive with their time.

I can guarantee you that the majority of my freshman college students were so woefully unprepared for college that it boggled my mind. What did they spend 12 years in the public school system doing? Apparently not learning to read, write, and do math.
 

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