The joy of homework

Did you do your homework? Yeah Mom, bye.

That might not be enough involvement.

Homework can have many benefits for young children. It can improve remembering and understanding of schoolwork. Homework can help students develop study skills that will be of value even after they leave school. It can teach them that learning takes place anywhere, not just in the classroom.

Homework, if not properly assigned and monitored, can also have negative effects on children. Homework can lead to undesirable character traits if it promotes cheating, either through the copying of assignments or help with homework that goes beyond tutoring.

How much homework should students do?

Experts agree that the amount of homework should depend on the age and skills of the student. Many national groups of teachers and parents including the National P.T.A. suggest that homework for children in kindergarten through second grade is most effective when it does not exceed 10-20 minutes a day. In third through sixth grade, children can benefit from 30-60 minutes of homework per day. Junior high and high school can benefit from more time on homework, and the amount may vary from night to night.

Reading at home is especially important for young children. High-interest reading assignments might push the time on homework a bit beyond the minutes suggested above. For young children, shorter and more frequent assignments may be more effective than longer but fewer assignments. This is because young children have short attention spans and need to feel they have successfully completed the task.

Types of homework

Homework assignments typically have one or more purposes. The most common purpose is to have students practice material already presented in class. Practice homework is meant to reinforce learning and help the student master specific skills. Preparation homework introduces material that will be presented in future lessons. These assignments aim to help students learn new material better when it is covered in class. Integration homework requires the student to apply many different skills to a single task, such as book reports, science projects or creative writing.

How parents can help

Research also shows that parent involvement can have either a positive or negative impact on the value of homework. Parent involvement can be used to speed up a child's learning. Homework can involve parents in the school process. It can enhance parents' appreciation of education. It can give them an opportunity to express positive attitudes about the value of success in school.

But parent involvement may also interfere with learning. For example, parents can confuse children if the teaching techniques they use differ significantly from those used in the classroom. Parent involvement in homework can turn into parent interference if parents complete tasks that the child is capable of completing alone.

This information from the U.S. Department of Education gives you some things to think about, but it is always good to ask your child's teacher to guide you regarding homework.

The source of the information is from the Coeur d'Alene School District and the U.S. Department of Education. Send your helpful tips to: amors@roadrunner.com.