Homework for students: Yay or Nay?

[jarofthoughts]

Currently there is a debate going on in Norway about whether students and pupils should be given homework or not.
As a teacher I have my own opinions about this subject, but before I weigh in I thought I should get some comments.

Do you think that elementary school students should be given homework/assignments that have to be done at home?
Why/why not?

 

[bobhikes]

Currently there is a debate going on in Norway about whether students and pupils should be given homework or not.
As a teacher I have my own opinions about this subject, but before I weigh in I thought I should get some comments.

Do you think that elementary school students should be given homework/assignments that have to be done at home?
Why/why not?

Yes its good practice
Yes it allows the parents to get involved
Yes it stops them from watching TV and playing video games.

NO! for the weekends
No for more than a total of 45 minutes work a night.

 

[Onkara]

@OP

I think it can teach students time management and other skills e.g. research, perserverance, self-dependency, problem solving alone etc. All are practical skills for work or post-graduate study for example.

The underlying concern for me is if curriculum based agenda, which is not completed in the dedicated class time, is being pushed into home/free time. This I would be against as it basically means class time is not being used correctly and that is a concern.

Secondly teachers have to mark and assess homework in theory. This means extra time on top of lessons and class preparation time. The question arises if this is good use of teacher time. Also if no guided post assessment is done of student's home work then again, is there any real value? Time management skills can be learnt in other ways after all.

 

[ChristineES]

I think homework is a good thing.

 

[Madhuri]

Yes, but not a huge amount. I think half an hour in the afternoon is a decent amount of time to spend on school work. And then keep the weekends free. That's how I remember my primary school experience and I found it helpful.

 

[jarofthoughts]

As mentioned in the OP, I have my own theories on the subject, and being a teacher, I also practice what I preach. So here is my take on the matter:

1. Homework teaches the pupils to work independently and to regulate their schedule. These are valuable skills which will come in handy later on and not teaching them this would be a disservice.
2. Homework should only be used for either repetition of material that has already been dealt with in class or for assignments that the pupils are capable of handling on their own.
3. Homework should almost always be limited to a 30-60 minute workload. Exceptions can for instance be special projects that the class is working on that sometimes take up more time than what is available in class. Kids need time to play as well.
4. The assigned homework must be adapted to the level of the pupil(s) in question, meaning that if you have a pupil in your class that is already struggling with the subject you must tailor the homework to his or her capabilities. The same goes for pupils who are ahead of the class average, although this is usually easier.
5. Homework should have a clear relevance to previous and later classes. This means that it is not always necessary to check and correct the homework of each and every pupil (although this should of course be done on a regular basis), but that the homework must be tied in with the classes at school.

So, for me this is a tentative 'yes', but as you can see, with some conditions attached.

 

[Quintessence]

In elementary school, I'd question it's value. I don't recall consistently getting homework until middle school, and even then, it wasn't significant until high school. In that unstructured time free from homework, I spent hours as a kid cultivating other skills that just weren't taught in the classroom because my parents encouraged such things. I didn't play video games or waste away on television; I did arts and crafts, played outside, read lots of non-fiction, etc. I spent hours just being a kid and exploring the world around me with insatiable curiosity. I'll grant not all kids are going to have that childhood experience, but I think on the whole it was more fulfilling that whatever homework I would have gotten at that age.

 

[Oneatatime]

Homework gives students extra time on subjects to better learn them which otherwise most students wouldn't commit. It also teaches them the basics of time management which is valuable whatever you do.

 

[ChristineES]

I think homework serves another function: to let the teacher know if the student is understanding the work. When you have 30 or 40 students, it would be kind of hard to follow how the students are doing, but having homework let's the teacher see if they "get" it or not.

 

[YmirGF]

As mentioned in the OP, I have my own theories on the subject, and being a teacher, I also practice what I preach. So here is my take on the matter:

1. Homework teaches the pupils to work independently and to regulate their schedule. These are valuable skills which will come in handy later on and not teaching them this would be a disservice.
2. Homework should only be used for either repetition of material that has already been dealt with in class or for assignments that the pupils are capable of handling on their own.
3. Homework should almost always be limited to a 30-60 minute workload. Exceptions can for instance be special projects that the class is working on that sometimes take up more time than what is available in class. Kids need time to play as well.
4. The assigned homework must be adapted to the level of the pupil(s) in question, meaning that if you have a pupil in your class that is already struggling with the subject you must tailor the homework to his or her capabilities. The same goes for pupils who are ahead of the class average, although this is usually easier.
5. Homework should have a clear relevance to previous and later classes. This means that it is not always necessary to check and correct the homework of each and every pupil (although this should of course be done on a regular basis), but that the homework must be tied in with the classes at school.

So, for me this is a tentative 'yes', but as you can see, with some conditions attached.

Works for me. I never had any problem with homework though. It was usually so damned easy.

 

[Thief]

Currently there is a debate going on in Norway about whether students and pupils should be given homework or not.
As a teacher I have my own opinions about this subject, but before I weigh in I thought I should get some comments.

Do you think that elementary school students should be given homework/assignments that have to be done at home?
Why/why not?

Some types of subject are speech worthy to the point.
Speak of it well enough and further investigation is not required.

Some items take time and effort to 'gel'.

Most classroom events last less than one hour.
If you can pronounce the info thoroughly....no homework.
If you need more time than that....how else can the learning task be done?

 

[jarofthoughts]

I think homework serves another function: to let the teacher know if the student is understanding the work. When you have 30 or 40 students, it would be kind of hard to follow how the students are doing, but having homework let's the teacher see if they "get" it or not.

Also true.
While tests can give you valuable data points on specific topics and subjects, homework gives you a more consistent view of the quality of your pupils' work.

 

[jarofthoughts]

In elementary school, I'd question it's value. I don't recall consistently getting homework until middle school, and even then, it wasn't significant until high school. In that unstructured time free from homework, I spent hours as a kid cultivating other skills that just weren't taught in the classroom because my parents encouraged such things. I didn't play video games or waste away on television; I did arts and crafts, played outside, read lots of non-fiction, etc. I spent hours just being a kid and exploring the world around me with insatiable curiosity. I'll grant not all kids are going to have that childhood experience, but I think on the whole it was more fulfilling that whatever homework I would have gotten at that age.

I'm sure this is true, however, (and I'm only speaking for the Norwegian education system here) a lot has changed in the last ten-fifteen years.
Exploration, questioning, thinking and learning by doing is a lot more prevalent than it was when, say, I went to school.
Learning by rote, for instance, is reserved only for specific parts of a subject, such as irregular English verbs (of which I know of no other way to properly learn that to rehearse them).

 

[jarofthoughts]

Some types of subject are speech worthy to the point.
Speak of it well enough and further investigation is not required.

Some items take time and effort to 'gel'.

Most classroom events last less than one hour.
If you can pronounce the info thoroughly....no homework.
If you need more time than that....how else can the learning task be done?

Time is always an issue in school and classes are usually reserved for introducing and explaining various topics, discussions, aiding those pupils who require it, and so on and so forth.
When it comes to 'cementing' the knowledge, for instance by doing it enough times, that is work that the pupils can do on their own (provided they have been properly prepared for the task), and this is where homework comes in.

 

[Noaidi]

Homework is not mandatory in the Scottish education system. As a teacher of 12-18 year olds, I’m not in favour of giving a large amount of homework to my pupils. There is an expectation from the older pupils (16-18 year olds) that they will undertake independent revision and study at home and, should any hand in work for me, I will gladly mark it and provide feedback. I feel that this encourages them to take control of their learning without too much teacher input – a skill they will have to use in further education.

With the younger pupils, I tend not to give homework very often. At that age, being in school for 7 hours per day is enough. There is no need to eat into their private time. Due to the rural nature of where I teach, some pupils are on a bus for an hour, travelling up to 25 miles after school. The last thing I want them to do is to complete an additional 30 minutes of work for me when they get home. When I do give them homework, it tends to be in the form of work not completed in class, and is thus not applicable to all pupils.

It's useful to bear in mind that not all pupils have a quiet space or the opportunity in which to do homework. Some pupils are carers for younger siblings or disabled parents, and have enough to contend with without the additional burden of completing assignments at home.

 

[jarofthoughts]

Homework is not mandatory in the Scottish education system.

It's the same in Norway. It is up to each teacher whether to assign homework or not.

As a teacher of 12-18 year olds, I’m not in favour of giving a large amount of homework to my pupils.

Agreed.

With the younger pupils, I tend not to give homework very often.

I prefer to give smaller amounts of homework more often to develop the habit of planning their time around their duties and various activities, but I agree with all the rest.
Homework should always have a set purpose and should never be given 'just because' or out of habit.

 

[Alceste]

I say no to homework until high school, and at that point it should be aimed at students who are preparing to continue an academic career. I think kids need time to play, to use their imaginations, to create, to read for fun, to explore and to learn from their parents and other role models. School days are long and exhausting for children already and every hour spent doing obligatory schoolwork is at the expense of the child's own interests.

That said, motor skills require daily practice to develop. I always give my music students lots of things to work on. The can not develop the skills I am teaching any other way than private practice, so there is no alternative. OTOH, I go out of my way to teach them how to play the music they already love, so they will enjoy the practicing.

Granted, it means I have to learn a lot of country, Hannah Montana and Justin Bieber, but I am willing to do my homework if they are willing to do theirs.

 

[Noaidi]

Homework should always have a set purpose and should never be given 'just because' or out of habit.

I agree. There are some teachers that will routinely issue homework because they see it as 'part of the job', and is thus an often pointless exercise as far as education is concerned. If we are going to request additional time from pupils, then it should be for their benefit, not ours.

 

[lunamoth]

It depends upon the student. Some will benefit from extra practice in things like writing and math, while others need additional work to keep them challenged.

Doing homework is a good habit to develop, so even very short assignments at elementary level can help this.

Plus, my kids have home reading expectations since Kindergarten - 15 min in K, now up to several hours a week in 6th. Reading is absolutely the best way to build your brain, and there is not enough time in school for this.

 

[Thief]

Time is always an issue in school and classes are usually reserved for introducing and explaining various topics, discussions, aiding those pupils who require it, and so on and so forth.
When it comes to 'cementing' the knowledge, for instance by doing it enough times, that is work that the pupils can do on their own (provided they have been properly prepared for the task), and this is where homework comes in.

No doubt you enjoyed chasing the mindless repeat of what you did in class that day.

I for one, happen to be gifted...lucky me.
I could do what little homework I needed to do...and then on my way.

Looking back, I can say with complete arrogance...
Some teachers should have chosen some other line of work.

Sending students home with 'busy' work is not learning.