Homework: Two sides to the story (2)

Johnny and Jimmy (Fictitious names, can you tell?) are in Ms. Jones (Fictitious name, again, can you tell?) 5^th grade class. Ms. Jones assigned what she thought was a reasonable amount of homework, considered about 10 minutes per grade, a total of about 50 minutes for 5^th grade. Jimmy raced home from school and began his homework immediately, hustled through it, and ran out to play. Johnny, on the other hand, dragged his feet on the way home. His mother prodded him to begin his homework right after he finished his snack. Then two and a half hours later, he finally completed it. And that was right after dinner, right before bath. Even though the names are fictitious, the circumstances are not. The length of time it takes one child to do homework can be radically different for another child. The first child’s parents will not be concerned about the amount of homework given. appearing reasonable. The other child’s parents, however, might have a different opinion about the amount of work assigned. If it appears that the teacher is assigning too much homework, it’s time for honest communication.


If I were Johnny’s parent (Just hypothetically thank goodness, I’m too old to want another child. Happy with my grandchildren), I would first find out how long the teacher THINKS the assignments should take. Next, I would find out how long the assignments are taking the other kids in the class. If other children are completing the assignments with only REASONABLE assistance within a reasonable time frame (and the operational word here is 'REASONABLE'), I would next make sure that Johnny was doing the homework in my presence. This would reduce the amount of off-task behavior that could be a problem. If he were applying less than optimal diligence, I would help him organize and give him set times for completion of each part. And I would set a timer for him, breaking the tasks into smaller components. If this doesn’t correct the situation, there may be something else going on. I would watch Johnny to see what areas were the most problematic. I would then communicate again with the teacher. He might be having difficulty at school also. Remember, the amount of homework teachers think they are giving can be experienced differently by a variety of children, depending upon their skills and family structure. So, parents, this is just a little bit of advice from an old teacher about homework.

Homework: Two sides to the story

A parent's sigh of relief as cool evenings claim September is often tempered by the word "homework," the word that often strikes terror into the hearts and souls of both children and parents alike. Parents often ask me about the purpose of homework. Well, my answer, because I work with children with disabilities and children at-risk for school failure is likely to differ from other teachers. I think, and this is my opinion, is that the purpose of homework is to reinforce that which has already been taught and learned in school. It is not to add new knowledge. Notice that I said, "Taught and learned." I say this because if the content has not been originally taught, then kids cannot be expected to do it. And even if the content has been taught but kids haven't learned it, then they can't be expected to do it either. Homework that is new information places the parent and the child in untenable positions, forcing the parent into the role of the teacher or the child failing in class. (I think about the evenings struggling over science projects or new math and smile inwardly.) So, the first thing a parent wants to know is whether anything that comes home has already been taught and learned in class. Here's just a little caveat. Homework can be a thermometer. It can tell a parent how well a child is learning. If a child is needing excessive help or is struggling inordinately over certain concepts, don't wait for the report card. There could be a problem. There might be a mismatch between the child's skills and what is demanded in the classroom. That should be an immediate heads up. So, be alert, parents, and watch how your kids do their homework. Since this is the season, I'll talk a little bit more about this tomorrow.