Asian students spend 3.5 more hours on average doing homework per week than students in the U.S. Oak Knoll Elementary School in Menlo Park, California, is considering eliminating homework altogether. Duke University reviewed numerous studies and found almost no correlation between homework and long-term achievement in elementary school and only a moderate correlation in middle school.
A study by MetLife found that 38% of high schoolers and 28% of elementary students reported being very stressed out by their homework. Is homework really necessary? Most teachers assign homework as a drill to improve memorization of material. But according to the U.S. Dept. of Education, most math teachers can tell after checking five algebraic equations whether a student understood the necessary concepts.
The National Education Association (NES) recommends that homework time increase by ten minutes per year in school. A third grader would have 30 minutes while a seventh grader would have 70 minutes. Patagonia Schools Superintendent Denise Blake supports this recommendation, but only as a guideline. Blake says that she first asks whether the teacher ensured that learning occurred at an independent level prior to assigning the homework, so that the student who is learning the new concept has achieved some basic control of it. And, she adds that homework should never be given if the student was not guided through the concepts in class prior to the assignment.
Superintendent Blake calls her model of instruction “Gradual Release.” Teachers introduce a lesson to explain a new concept. Then, the teacher and the students work through the concept together. And finally, students demonstrate their learning of a concept within the classroom, with only minimal support from the teacher. Then and only then is homework assigned to strengthen what has been learned in school.
By using this model, Superintendent Blake believes that high school graduates should be well on their way to becoming independent learners and ready for large quantities of work at the university level. Blake feels that parent involvement should be kept to a minimum. Many studies show somewhat negative effects when parents are asked to help students with homework. The parent’s role is to facilitate– to provide a quiet place in the home that can be observed by the parent.
Superintendent Christopher Bonn deals with the same dilemmas with elementary school students in the Elgin School District.
He says, “There is research that supports increasing homework time ten minutes a day per grade in school. But other research suggests homework isn’t beneficial and only causes frustration, anxiety and tension. Unfortunately parents in the U.S. rate the quality of a school by the amount of homework assigned.” Bonn feels that “Homework is only effective and necessary when it aligns to the curriculum being taught. It engages the students and allows them to practice concepts being learned in the classroom.”
Concerning parents, Bonn feels that “homework should never require parents to re-teach or explain the concepts sent home. Chances are parents won’t be able to assist the student with homework. If I send home questions about graphing linear equations or solving quadratic formulas, many parents wouldn’t be able to assist their children.”
In conclusion, Superintendent Bonn says that “homework needs to be effective and help the students master concepts. It should not be additional time to make up work not understood. Having these elementary school kids read, rewrite a rough draft, study spelling words, practice tables or research information about a topic are all appropriate examples of homework. It isn’t the quantity of homework that is essential– it is the quality.”