Why do parents think it's ok to toss out homework? What do teachers think of this?

[Anonymous]

What is your reasoning behind tossing out homework or not making your kids do it? If you teach how do you feel about this? Have you seen any changes one way or the other when kids don't do their homework?

[Anonymous]

When my kids were in elementary it would never have occurred to me to throw out or have my kids not do his/her homework. DH and I are rule-followers generally and have tried to instill in our kids a respect for teachers and school generally. Having said this, my kids are in college now and many years of stupid, makework assignments, pointless school policies on things like excused absences, testing, etc. has soured me a bit on education. Knowing what I know now I would be somewhat more inclined to make up my own mind about when it's okay to not do the homework or other assignments. Rules are important, but they can lose legitimacy when unreasonable.

[Anonymous]

Two of my kids have LDs When they come home, they're exhausted. They've given their best at school and are done by the time they get home. I'm not going to push homework - for what purpose. Research is pretty clear that homework at the elementary grades provides little benefit. And, my kids have private therapy appointments after school. There's no way I'm pushing homework on those days.

At the beginning of the school year, I make sure the teachers are aware of what my kids do after school and my position on homework. We also have it written into the kids' IEPs that home work will be kept to a minimum and that time will be made available during the school day if it's required.

[Anonymous]

My kids do it. That said, we've hardly ever gotten much homework in FCPS. We've had to supplement every year.

[Anonymous]

There came a point early in my children's education where I started doing all the pointless crap such as word searches or assignments that involved a huge amount of cutting and pasting (e.g. cut out every word and definition pair from this ill-formatted vocabulary list and glue them on index cards).

[Anonymous]

I excuse my kid from doing busy work homework as long as she already knows the concepts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There came a point early in my children's education where I started doing all the pointless crap such as word searches or assignments that involved a huge amount of cutting and pasting (e.g. cut out every word and definition pair from this ill-formatted vocabulary list and glue them on index cards).

This. The only thing I told DS to write instead of do as directed is a cut and paste thing. I hate cut and paste work. No point doing that after they can write.

[Anonymous]

We have a rich home life and our child is exceeding academic expectations without worksheets. After school it is important that we have time to read together, spend time outside, or visit with friends. DC also has music lessons and practice. Family time or high quality enrichment is more important to us in the early years. I am more accepting of homework after about third grade.

[Anonymous]

My kid is in PK. An arts and crafts project comes home about once a month. If my kid wants to do it, fine. If not, also fine. The assignment isn't teaching anything he can't learn in a million other ways and I'm not going to turn homework into a battle when he's only 4.

[Anonymous]

We do all the homework packets but I never return the reading log. We read but I always forget to fill out the log and when I do remember I can't remember what we read.

I am typically a rule follower but this I couldn't care less about.

[Anonymous]

I'm a teacher and I don't think anything about it. I give the student a zero. Life is all about choices.

[Anonymous]

I am amazed about how cavalier people on this thread are about homework. What a horrible message to send to your kids. How arrogant. "I'll decide if my child does homework or not. The rules don't apply to us." Ugh. I hate people like you.

[Anonymous]

Of course I toss out homework.

After it gets graded and returned by the teacher.

I keep the most original ones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a teacher and I don't think anything about it. I give the student a zero. Life is all about choices.

Yes! This is what I strive to convey to my reluctant third grader; everything you do at and for school, like homework, will be reflected in your report card.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Of course I toss out homework.

After it gets graded and returned by the teacher.

I keep the most original ones.

Really? We are halfway through the year and I have a ton of returned homework and worksheets.
How do you decide was to toss? I hate to throw any of it away but I also can't see keeping it all.