What happens in MCPS (and others) if your child does not do the homework,

[Anonymous]

If you even can't define what achievement meant in any of these studies and you brought them up in the first place to bolster your argument give me a good reason to waste my time reading these articles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here, 14:44, I agree with your post. That is why we were in private school for so long. We are no longer able/willing to pay for it, but we had fun. Very little homework and DC learned!
I hope to keep his priorities straight. Childhood for the three Rs and fun and games, the teen years are for preparation for the adulthood.

Whoa, don't you prepare your child for adulthood from birth? Everything you do/don't do affects the child. It's hard to change habits, which is why starting such a routine as homework in adulthood (after teaching them it doesn't matter for so many years) doesn't seem like it'll work all that well.

This is a different topic, but I hope you'll see the relation. Giving into your child's tantrums for years, just because he/she is little and cute (or for whatever reason), is going to lead them to believe they can always cry/stomp/yell and get what they want. When you try to change this down the road, it's going to be a huge battle. There are many other examples, but this is one I'm dealing with currently in my classroom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here, 14:44, I agree with your post. That is why we were in private school for so long. We are no longer able/willing to pay for it, but we had fun. Very little homework and DC learned!
I hope to keep his priorities straight. Childhood for the three Rs and fun and games, the teen years are for preparation for the adulthood.

Whoa, don't you prepare your child for adulthood from birth? Everything you do/don't do affects the child. It's hard to change habits, which is why starting such a routine as homework in adulthood (after teaching them it doesn't matter for so many years) doesn't seem like it'll work all that well.

This is a different topic, but I hope you'll see the relation. Giving into your child's tantrums for years, just because he/she is little and cute (or for whatever reason), is going to lead them to believe they can always cry/stomp/yell and get what they want. When you try to change this down the road, it's going to be a huge battle. There are many other examples, but this is one I'm dealing with currently in my classroom.

15:12 here. Sorry, I meant the teenage years, not adulthood.

[Anonymous]

I would really suggest that you go in and meet withthe teachers and principal at the public Also, talk to other parents at that school. My DD was in private last year We were reluctant to sitch her, but it turns out, that we are very happy in her public school. There is a perception in some private schools of what public is like and that perception can be very far from reality I really thought she'd spend all of her time on useless worksheets and that has not happened. My DD is younger (second grade) bt she gets a lot less homework than I imagined. Last year, she got almost no homework and I really feel that put her behind her public school peers a little She did not learn some of the basics as well as her peers this year did.

Anyway, I'd just encourage you to make a decision based on facts and actually find out what is expected. You might be surprised (or you might decide public school is not for you).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you even can't define what achievement meant in any of these studies and you brought them up in the first place to bolster your argument give me a good reason to waste my time reading these articles.

You want me to summarize all 120 studies? Dr. Cooper, a researcher from Duke isn't good enough for you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wonder why academic homework carries such a perjorative note but the more athletic homework ... the better?

Are mind and body so distinct?

The problem is there is no solid evidence that academic homework (for younger students) actually helps them learn. And there's evidence that it can actually be detrimental. So why engage in it? Because we've done it for 100 years?

I agree that homework probably isn't necessary for kids in elementary school (I say this despite my dislike of Alfie Kohn). But the question posed is not, "is homework a good thing?" The question posed is, "what will happen if my son doesn't do homework in school?"

Homework is in fact a requirement in MCPS (whether or not you or your kid like it). Given that, students need to meet that requirement.

If you don't like it, either lobby the MCPS Board of Education to change the policy (good luck with that), or find another way to school your child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You guys could go back and forth forever, as the researchers and those in the field of education do.

Bottom line: For now, it's a requirement. Do what you feel is best for your child, knowing the consequences.

And if you teach your child it's a requirement for others, not for him, you're not doing him a favor. Think about it.

Yes, this.

[Anonymous]

OP here, 14:44, I agree with your post. That is why we were in private school for so long. We are no longer able/willing to pay for it, but we had fun. Very little homework and DC learned!
I hope to keep his priorities straight. Childhood for the three Rs and fun and games, the teen years are for preparation for the adulthood.

Interesting perspective. My own philosophic style with my children focuses on preparing them for live. Concepts such as honesty, hard work, responsibility, accountablity, following rules and fun are all concepts we begin to teach early in their lives. Completing school homework in a timely matter embraces some of the above concepts. My own style does not distinguish child from teenager from adult when it comes to life's long preparation. Interestly, some get it early. Some never do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Homework is a form of repetition and practise. It doesn't matter the playing field (debate stage, hockey rink, orchestra, or at home). Of course, balance is key and healthy. The assertion that school homework should begin in high school (or middle school) is as ludicrous as a future division 1 swimmer starting swim lessons in high school.[/youtube]

I agree that some repetition and practice is necessary in the early elementary years. However, most of that should be accomplished during school hours. SOME homework -- about 10 minutes per grade level in the early elementary years -- seems reasonable to me. But more than about 30 -40 minutes a night for a fourth grader, shouldn't be necessary.

[Anonymous]

You want me to summarize all 120 studies? Dr. Cooper, a researcher from Duke isn't good enough for you?

No. Yes, why should Duke and researcher = truth?

You don't have to summarise all 120 studies. Just answer a simple and straightforward question about the studies you proudly use to bolster your argument that homework is a waste of time for school children.

What does this Duke researcher mean by achievement?

[Anonymous]

OP -- to answer your question -- I think you'd have a big fight on your hands, if you just told your fourth grader not to turn in any homework -- or if you just picked and chose which homework he turned in. If it were first or second grade, I think you'd have more options.

However -- if you send your fourth grader to public school, and he consistently comes home with homework in, say, math, "reviewing and practicing" skills he has already mastered, you are within your rights to ask the teacher and if necessary principal, to defend why it is mandatory that your child complete this homework.

Of COURSE your child's teacher has pretested your child in the skills being taught. What teacher wouldn't pretest before attempting to instruct children? Ask the teacher for the results of those pretests, to demontrate that your child did not have accuracy on those math skills.

Then look at the math homework, and ask the teacher to defend his r her assignment of that particular set of math problems, as being the best way to review and practice the skills being assessed.

If your child truly has mastered, say, long division with 4 digits by 2 digits, then there really isn't any need for him or her to review and repeat them ad nauseum in homework assignments. You can agree to have him or her just do a few so the teacher can spot check that your child is maintainning the skill. But meanwhile, you should be prressing for the teacher to instruct your child in math skills he or she doesn't already have -- isn't that a big goal of MCPS these days?

[Anonymous]

I agree that some repetition and practice is necessary in the early elementary years. However, most of that should be accomplished during school hours. SOME homework -- about 10 minutes per grade level in the early elementary years -- seems reasonable to me. But more than about 30 -40 minutes a night for a fourth grader, shouldn't be necessary.

You are very specific about homework duration down to minutes. What data are you using to arrive at your timelines or is this your gut feeling?

[Anonymous]

In elementary school, our curriculum doesn't allow too much time for the study of basic facts or what I feel is enough repetition and practice. This quarter, I'm supposed to teach 85 math lessons in 45 days.

The students who do their homework and study their facts at home are much farther ahead than those who don't. Similarly, the students that do their word study homework each night do the best on their tests and usage of the word patterns in their daily writing. It's great that Duke researchers have published all these studies, but I'm speaking from my first-hand experience.

Knowing the difference completing homework makes (on many different levels) will influence the bringing up of my own children, who will most definitely be getting their work done every night.

[Anonymous]

As a physician, teacher, scientist, researcher and parent I think you are spot on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would really suggest that you go in and meet withthe teachers and principal at the public Also, talk to other parents at that school. My DD was in private last year We were reluctant to sitch her, but it turns out, that we are very happy in her public school. There is a perception in some private schools of what public is like and that perception can be very far from reality I really thought she'd spend all of her time on useless worksheets and that has not happened. My DD is younger (second grade) bt she gets a lot less homework than I imagined. Last year, she got almost no homework and I really feel that put her behind her public school peers a little She did not learn some of the basics as well as her peers this year did.

Anyway, I'd just encourage you to make a decision based on facts and actually find out what is expected. You might be surprised (or you might decide public school is not for you).

I don't want to approach them because I am afraid that if they find out that I am intentionally cutting the academics short, they could do something horrible to us.
He is in a very good private school now, and I do not think that he will be behind. The child in our neighborhood is in the same grade, and she gets twice the math thqat he does. She got homework EVERY night in first grade. DC got it only once a week back then.