Put questions over the merits of homework to a side for a moment and focus on a much more important question: What is the benefit of giving homework that doesn’t reflect a skill or skills currently taught in the class?
Too often teachers photocopy a random comprehension exercise or mental maths worksheet and call it homework. That isn’t homework – it’s time wasting!
Homework should reflect the concepts and skills covered in class during that week. If it doesn’t, it shouldn’t be prescribed:
A WILLIAMSTOWN family is in a stand-off with the local primary school over homework for their nine-year-old daughter that they believe is of “little to no value”.
Mother Lara Wood told the principal of Williamstown North Primary school, Jim Cahill, that she and her husband had decided they would not force year 3 daughter Leia to complete out of school work unless they felt it was more valuable than free time.
Ms Wood said she was “very surprised” to receive an email from Mr Cahill saying compulsory homework is school policy and if Leia did not complete it her grades may be marked down and she may be kept in at recess or lunchtime.
“I was really taken aback (that) he was saying I really don’t have a choice, if she doesn’t do the homework she’ll be kept in, which really upset me that she would be feeling punished,” said Ms Wood.
Whilst I don’t condone Ms. Wood’s protestations – she does have a point.
Click on the link to read Cats vs Homework. What Could Help Children More?
Click on the link to read New Graph Revealing How Much Time is Spent on Homework Around the World
Click on the link to read What is Your Position on the Homework Debate?
Click on the link to read The Adult Version of the Dog that Ate my Homework
Tags: benefits of co-ed classrooms, Homework, Homework debate, purpose of homework, useless homework
Topical Teaching 
October 25, 2015 at 11:04 am |
I don’t condone Ms. Wood’s protest either. But I agree with you – she does make a good point. Sometimes teachers give homework that is actually of no benefit to the student. It’s important that homework actually engages the student and reinforces what you’re teaching in the classroom. Homework can be a necessary evil, but it definitely doesn’t have to be useless, like it so often is.