Managing Homework

Thankfully, the little girl in this picture is not in school yet. But some day she will be, and she will bring home… *cue “Jaws” Theme*… homework.

I recently wrote a persuasive essay about homework for a creative writing class. I was so impressed with how I organized my ideas about homework that I thought I would share it here. 🙂

My writing here will sound different than my usual blog posts because I was writing it in a formal voice. But I believe in what I said here, and I practice it with all of my children who are in school. I have had more than one meeting with my children’s teachers about them turning in incomplete homework this year. But that’s ok! It’s all part of the process.

I hope you enjoy it! And Happy Homeworking!

Homework in Elementary School Needs A Paradigm Shift

“I hate homework!” my 7-year-old son screamed, just before his slamming bedroom door rattled the house. “Me, too,” I mumbled as I angrily threw his pencil against the table. Once again, our homework session had spiraled out of my control. These episodes had become more frequent ever since I had received a call from my son’s teacher saying that he wasn’t turning in completed homework and I needed to ensure he did it. We dreaded every afternoon, Monday through Thursday, knowing the hell we faced as I tried to force him to do homework he hated. Friday, the day in which there was no homework, was heaven!

Many parents feel as I did: responsible for their child’s homework and that the only way out is to eliminate it. They fear they will be blamed for not having done enough should their child fail. As a result, stress levels in homes rise as parents try to ensure that homework is done on time. Children balk at being forced into anything and begin a battle for power. Many of my personal acquaintances have even admitted to doing their elementary child’s homework for them to avoid fighting. Although teachers are aware of this, they still feel obligated to assign more homework to try to boost test scores. It is a messy situation for all involved. Homework among elementary aged students should cease to be seen as the parent’s responsibility and a way to improve academic performance. Instead, it should be viewed as an opportunity to teach the life skill of accountability. 

Time Magazine reported on a homework research study by Harris Cooper, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at Duke University. In data from 1987 to 2003 he found a direct correlation between homework and academic performance in students enrolled in junior high and high school. Those who did homework generally performed better on tests than those who did not. However, he reported only a weak correlation in elementary school students, recommending that more research be done. Without a definitive answer as to whether homework is effective in increasing elementary age test scores or not, it seems unwise to completely eradicate it from schools. But, neither can we swing the other direction and expect unreasonable amounts of homework to be done by five to ten-year-olds and their parents in the hope of guaranteeing academic performance.

While the benefits of homework in our current elementary education system are unsure, it is undeniable that it can cause undue stress to parents and children, and create rifts at home. In my case, I could see the problems homework created between me and my son. I became anxious about his future teenage years and prayed we would still talk to each other by then. I knew something needed to change. I questioned why Ifelt responsible for hishomework. I saw I was robbing him of a great life lesson by taking that responsibility from his shoulders. He was the student, and he needed to do the work or learn from the consequences of not doing it.

Knowing his teacher only assigned what he could do and that it shouldn’t take very long, I informed him I was happy to help if he needed me but I was no longer going to force him to do his homework; that was his job. I told him of the consequences. First, at home, he would be allowed to play with friends only after his responsibility was done. Second, if he failed to complete his homework, he would receive a failing grade at school. He was elated by the freedom he suddenly felt.

He didn’t do his homework that night. Or the next.

I received another call from his teacher to let me know my son had been staying in from recess and had a failing grade in homework because of too many missed assignments. I explained to her we had been practicing accountability at home and he was responsible for his homework. I understood that missing recess and a failing grade were natural consequences of his choice. His teacher was very supportive of what I was trying to allow him to learn.

After experiencing these consequences first hand, my son started to change his attitude toward homework. He still hated it, but he shouldered the responsibility of its completion on his own. He learned that life was better when he did it. He got to play with friends at home, he got to play at recess, and he was incredibly proud of the ‘A’ he brought home on his next report card. He knew he had earned it. There can be no real success without the potential of failure. Life at home improved greatly as the power struggle we had been locked in melted away. My stress dissipated as we continued to place the accountability for his homework where it belonged. On him.

While the verdict is still out on whether homework is a good thing for young students’ test scores and the world of early academia, it is certain that it can serve as a wonderful opportunity for parents and teachers to unite in teaching accountability. Life lessons such as this are only learned when children are allowed to feel the weight of their choices. Homework is a wonderful tool for this. It is much easier to learn the price of failure in grade school when the cost is relatively low, rather than when tens of thousands of dollars are on the line as a young adult in college.

Works Cited

Reilly, Katie. “Is Homework Good for Kids? Here’s What the Research Says.” Time,August 30, 2016. www.time.com