Reply to Gaithersburg ES Abolishes Homework

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]My kid is in kindergarten now. Her ONLY homework is for her parents to read to her every night for 20 minutes. We then complete a log that lists the title and author of the book. For each book she has a pre, during and after-reading activity (really, just discussion).

I wonder how many of the students in her class of 18 actually get read to each night. I am a HS teacher and I am not exaggerating when I say MOST of my students are not reading on grade level (in fact, I have several that read below a third grade level - and these are 11th and 12th graders). I am sure this is because there was NO ONE reading to them while they were growing up. So I have to agree with the PP that said if no parents are there to help with homework, they sure as hell aren't taking 20 minutes to read to their kid each night. And I am including "babysitters" - get real!

I remember seeing somewhere something about most of the learning is done before kindergarten. Basically, if you weren't already reading to your kid before they got to K, your kid was already behind.

I also have to disagree with last poster who said she doesn't make her kid complete drawings. It is not overdone at all I can't think of a single kindergartener who doesn't LOVE drawing, especially since most aren't fully reading or writing yet.

And the first teacher makes perfect sense. [b]It is wrong to "outlaw" all homework just becuase you think what the teachers are giving out is terrible (and most of it is). The principal has the responsibility to train her teachers and have them give meaningful practice at home, not just abolish everything[/b][/quote]

But the research doesn't support it.  Even "meaningful practice" is meaningless [i]at this age[/i].  What [b]is[/b] most effective for student achievement is reading, and that's what she has assigned.  In the article, it states the principal "and her staff" evaluated the homework, and came to this conclusion.  I do not know anyone at GES, but the tone of the actual article makes it sound more like it was a schoolwide staff decision.  The principal is the leader, so of course she is going to be the mouthpiece.  Here's something interesting on the subject: [url]http://www.readingrockets.org/article/31470/[/url]  It gives links to legitimate studies that outline the negatives (and yes, even a few positives) of homework.  Basically, low-income students and elementary students do not benefit from homework, older students sometimes do, and too much homework diminishes what positive effect it would have.  Also, in Japan, the trend is moving away from homework.[/quote]

The link you provide does not even support your premise.  At no point does it say anywhere that homework is "meaningless".  What is says is that CERTAIN students benefit from homework while others don't (low income students for instance).  The ones that benefit should be penalized because of the poor performance of lower income students?

[b]The system needs to come up with other strategies to address the acheivement of lower income students but taking homework away from those that can benefit is not the way[/b]![/quote]

Thank You! You are a blessing.[/quote]

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