Last week I had the privilege of giving tours to some prospective families for our program. A conversation with one of the parents sparked an issue that I have not discussed in awhile and is the inspiration for this post.
There is a debate among parents and educators around homework and its benefits and drawbacks. As a former teacher at the early childhood, elementary and middle school level I have encountered this debate numerous times. Some feel that homework is very important and is a reinforcement of skills learned at school repeated at home. Others feel that there is no benefit to homework especially in the early years and even into the later years.
Although there is no conclusive evidence on the benefits of homework, here is where I stand: Like most things, it is not for every person/child and you can always argue both sides of the debate. Yes, the traditional idea of homework probably does not conjure up any fond memories nor does it benefit the child or the family dynamics. What it can do if assigned and executed properly is foster a love for learning and make a home school connection. There is evidence that students are more successful when parents are involved with their education. Homework, primarily in the early years, should have the following attributes:
1. Assigned weekly not daily
2. “Assignments” to choose from
3. No penalty if not completed
Assignments should be things that are interactive like reading (forced reading is another debate to be had in another post) together, cook a meal with your parent/guardian, hop on one foot 5 times, how many times can you find the letter L when you are at the grocery store? This is homework that can be enjoyable and not feel like work to preschoolers. It shows that you are invested in their learning and it connects school to home. It is another way to bond with your child and it doesn’t have to be daunting. A balanced approach to learning is beneficial in so many ways.
So the next time the great old homework debate rolls around, ask yourself “What do our homework requests look like?”
What kind of homework requests are you seeing? We’d love to hear!