Too Much Homework
I’ve been a subscriber of Parenting magazine for 15 years; ever since I was pregnant with my now teen. But now with my youngest being six-years-old *sniffle* I felt like I had pretty much outgrown the magazine. I no longer worry about breastfeeding or potty training or what type of cry means what. Now it’s more whine, eye roll and yelling than crying.
But just as I was about to give up my dear friend, Parenting decided to call me back. This month they have split in to two magazines; Parenting Early Years (which is the old here’s-what-to-do-with-your-baby magazine) and the new Parenting School Years (for those of us with elementary school-aged kids). Since I have three kids in elementary school I signed right up. And I like it already.
One of the articles that really stood out to me was The Less-Homework Revolution by Nancy Kalish. Kalish and Parenting Editor-in-Chief Susan Kane also appeared on the Today Show to talk about the homework issue. In both the article and on the show they talked about how homework has gotten out of control in schools (especially elementary schools) these days. Third graders are starting to come home with hours of homework to do each night. And they can’t keep up.
Kalish says so much homework is really decreasing family time as well as causing health issues in overworked kids. Too much homework causes…
- sleep problems,
- stomach aches,
- kids to hate school, and
- burnout before kids even reach middle school.
With more schools cutting P.E. classes to make more room for academics, plus hours of homework at night, kids have no time to be active. And we wonder why they are fidgety and won’t sit still? They’re working full 40 hour weeks plus overtime. At 10-years-old.
Kalish states a Duke University review found “almost no correlation between homework and long-term achievement in elementary school, and only a moderate correlation in middle school.” According to the National Education Association kids should have 10 minutes of homework per their grade level. So 10 minutes in 1st grade and 30 minutes in 3rd grade. And a TOTAL of 2 hours a night for high schoolers.
So what can you do if your kids have too much homework?
- Contact the teacher, but in a non-confrontational & cooperative way. Kalish recommends saying something like “Jonnny has been pretty overwhelmed with the homework and is starting to hate school. What can we do?”
- Leave the teacher a note. Write it on your child’s homework letting the teacher know the your child tried, but just couldn’t complete the homework and you decided a break and a good nights sleep was important.
- Set up a parent-teacher conference to talk about some alternatives you can both live with.
- Encourage other parents to speak up to the teacher, principal, or school board.
- Come up with a homework policy.
Keep an eye on how much homework your kids have. Make sure they aren’t spending all night long studying. Try to encourage them to read for pleasure more. And tell them to get active.
Parenting Magazine is lame and has no respect for fathers. The magazine is called ‘Parenting’ but, aside from a singe page for fathers, it is really Mothering Magazine.
If you’re not already reading (and you seem the type), check out Brain Child Magazine. It is the parenting magazine for people who want to see the bigger picture. It is less ‘how to’ and more ‘why for’. Based on the content of your blog, I really think you’d like Brain Child.
Homework, too, is lame. School is lame. Someone should fix the entire school system. I didn’t have as much homework in high school as my 11-year-old neighbor has in middle school.
Of course, my 11-year-old neighbor has Google and all I had was an out of date set of encyclopedias we got at a yard sale and which was missing the M-N book. So, maybe there is more homework but it is easier to get the answers? Or maybe kids are just more distracted and it takes longer?
—Isis
i do not want homework
I am thrilled whenever parents and teachers discuss the Homework Problem. And, believe me, it is a problem. Besides the fact that homework does not increase student achievement and it ruins family evenings, studies show that too much homework can actually be harmful students. Nancy Kalish’s book should be required reading for all parents and educators. http://www.family-homework-answers.com/homework-manifesto.html