by Jackie Bauer
Have you ever heard parents say something like this? “Jenny has at least two hours of homework every night. She has no time to play.” Or, “I’m concerned because Mark doesn’t bring home much homework.” Or, “Anna’s assignments are so erratic, one night she has two hours, the next two weeks she has nothing.” Maybe you’ve even uttered one of these complaints yourself.
Homework is a common concern among parents. Perhaps the discussion needs to start by asking: What’s the purpose of homework? Homework can serve both trivial and useful purposes. There’s a simple way to sort out the difference.
Homework should be
- work that reinforces a lesson.
- an opportunity to practice new concepts.
- a means for challenging children to think more deeply on a subject.
- a tool for stimulating independent learning.
Homework should not be
- busy work, assigned to fill time or to make it appear that learning is occurring.
- work for which the student failed to utilize allotted school time.
- work resulting from lack of teacher preparation.
- more stuff on which to base a grade.
Finding balance
How much is too much, or how little is too little? In his book Homework Without Tears, * Lee Canter says it is not unusual for a high school student who is adequately challenged and takes responsibility seriously to have at least one hour of homework nightly. He argues that younger children need more sleep and have a shorter attention span, so they should be doing lesser amounts of homework.
But there are many other variables too. Multigrade classrooms often require more homework than single-grade situations. The amount of time students have during the day for completing assignments is always a factor.
A partnership issue
The amount of homework assigned needs to be a point of on-going discussion between parents and teachers. Parents need to recognize that there can be a wide range of parental preferences in this regard. Teachers need to set reasonable expectations for students.
After-school athletics, sport clubs, recreational programs, music lessons, and so on can become a problem if such activities put too much demand on the time students need to complete assignments. Every parent needs to assess how time is being spent in order to maintain a reasonable balance to physical, emotional, social, and academic development. That balance needs to include opportunities for spiritual growth, as well. An honest evaluation may suggest it’s time to set some new priorities.
Christian life is tied to having Christ at the center of everything. Part of becoming well-rounded Christian citizens also involves learning a work ethic. Such a work ethic can be encouraged through classroom assignments intended to be done at home. Parents need to learn how to use these as opportunities to encourage and guide. If it accomplishes that, meaningful homework has served its purpose well.
* Lee Canter and Lee Hausner, Homework Without Tears: A Parent’s Guide for Motivating Children to Do Homework and to Succeed in School, (New York: Perennial Library, 1988). These authors have also produced teachers’ guides for specific grade levels.
From Lutheran Parent November-December 1996 © 1996 Northwestern Publishing House. All rights reserved.