Homework is of little benefit to students from junior kindergarten to Grade 6, say the authors of a just-released Canadian study, who also found it is often the source of stress and burnout in children, as well the cause of conflict – even marital stress – for many families.I must admit that I was surprised that homework benefits were questionable in the later grade school years.
While research shows some benefits to homework in grades 7 and 8 and high school, there's scant evidence that it improves student achievement in the younger years, say professors Linda Cameron and Lee Bartel of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto.
I found this conclusion comforting.
In fact, studies have shown that reading with, or to, children every day is the only conclusive way to boost their academic success, and Cameron believes that should be the only "homework" for younger children.
This study also concluded:
Not only does homework cut into family time, it becomes a primary source of arguments, power struggles and is disruptive to building a strong family, including putting strain on marriages. Bruni said it even negatively affects family holidays.
It looks like there is a revolt brewing in both the government and private school systems. I don't know how families with children in school do it. We almost never do "school" work in the evenings and I don't see how we could squeeze it in.
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6 comments:
I think my mother should have read to me more (or peanut #3 is making me tired) At first I read that as HOUSEWORK not homework. I kept thinking "how do chores not benifit kids???" I nee to go to bed. I cannot belive how much homeworkmy PS friends kids come home with.
I'm a home schooling parent, and I'm afraid I totally can't comprehend this. It's like a study came out that said breathing was a stumbling block for young students, and they have statistics to prove it. Something must be very wrong with this study.
Heather,
I know just how you feel.
Anonymous,
What the study is saying is that the overburden of schoolwork in the after school hours is causing burn out and other problems. Using your example, it is analogous to hyperventilating.
When I was a public school parent, one day I realized that I was spending hours every evening educating my children. Their homework included Math that had not been explained in class and spelling words that had not even been mentioned in class. That is the bigger question here. Why is it necessary for parents to spend the time educating every evening?
Another breathtaking quote from the article:
"But He said her daughter doesn't enjoy the schoolwork. "To be honest," she said, "she prefers to play.""
Really?!?! Wow!!!
And why is 'he' capitalized? Maybe the people writing this article need to do some more homework.
I know this is years later, but I found the linked article through this posting and had to respond to the previous comment. He is the parent's last name. It is mentioned in the first sentence of the preceding paragraph. They didn't capitalize it erroneously.
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