Homework Myths

Trust me.  As an educator, even I was surprised at my findings when I went about researching solid data on this topic.  

Two things you MUST understand when you read this. 

First, everyone will have an opinion on this topic – generally a strong one too – because all of us went to school, which makes us all experts.  I mean, even I had preconceived ideas as both a student and as a teacher that I found were entirely based on my own experiences in school.  However, what follows is not opinion based on what I think or feel… it’s based on collected information and data. 

Second, know that I approach this with an open mind.  Our year together will not be “homeworkless” but I am also using what research on the topic has proven.  Besides, I don’t know how long ago it was when you went to school, but I should hope some things have changed (for the better) since I was an elementary school kid!

And the last thing to note.  Ever since the onset of tests such as WASL, my students have done exceptionally well in all areas, particularly in Math and Science.  At years end, my students generally advance more than a year in their reading ability, even if they have never done so before.  Top students progress well beyond that, often seeing two years growth in reading and writing exceptional pieces of work.  So while you may feel uneasy with a lack of busy homework, rest assured, your students ARE learning. 

On to the Top 5 Homework Myths…

#5   Homework Improves Student Learning

False – In fact, I was completely floored to find out that homework actually has no significant relationship to test scores or grades.  It should be clarified that learning encompasses a broad scope of things, including attitudes toward learning and actual progress on both standardized tests and other classroom criteria.  According to research, in kids from grades 2-5, the MORE homework that is assigned, the more their grades actually take a dive!

#4 Homework sets kids up for improved academic achievement

FALSE – Harris Cooper has conducted numerous studies in the area of homework and its correlation to improved student learning.  His 1989 study can best be summarized as “There is no evidence that any amount of homework improves the academic performance of elementary students.“  A revision that came a decade later sited very tiny gains in 6th graders on tests and grades, while 3rd graders showed a negative impact – namely more homework was associated with lower achievement!

#3 But Homework teaches routines, responsibility and accountabililty…

FALSE - What I have found over the course of my years in teaching is that students who have involved adults in the household and have a structured, predictable homelife generally do best in adapting to the routine of homework and easily show responsibility for returning it completed and on time.  While these are important skills to be sure, is it fair to grade down those students who have been born into home lives that are less than picture perfect?  They truly do not have control over these factors in most cases, yet homework grades them down because of it.

#2 Ok, but if I do homework on a topic and study about it, I do better on tests that assess that information!  What if homework is centered on what will be tested?

SOMEWHAT TRUE – MOSTLY FALSE – Studies have been done in math and social studies where 2nd-4th graders were given homework on exactly what they would be tested on.  They performed somewhat better on unit and chapter tests, as you might expect.  However, on standardized tests, the type that now drives our schools and curriculum, kids showed no improvement!  3rd graders who had done no homework at all wound up with HIGHER scores on standardized tests! 

#1 More homework is better.  It builds skills in important areas kids will need!

FALSE – In findings from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), which is sort of a national report card, students reported on how much time they spent on homework.  Surprisingly, students who reported being assigned no homework at all didn’t fare too badly!  In fact, “…on the 2000 math exam, 4th graders who did no homework got roughly the same score as those who did 30 minutes a night…scores then declined for those who did 45 minutes…then declined again for those who did an hour or more!”

If you’d like to know all the nooks and crannies about this topic, please consider reading “The Homework Myth” by Alfie Kohn.  It’s both enlightening and rather shocking.

Mr.T

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Coincidentally, the Top 5 List of Results from Homework…

#5 Burden on Parents – particularly true with younger kids, who need help with time management, routine and becoming more responsible

#4 Stress for Children – kids cry, spend hours procrastinating and do everything in the book to avoid homework

#3 Family Conflict – more parent-teacher, parent-kid issues involve homework than any other area I’ve come across

#2 Less Time for Other Activities – many working parents and particularly single working parents do their very best to spend time with their children – having it gobbled up in a stress filled, conflict ridden time doesn’t really seem to match the idea of “quality time”

#1 Less Interest in Learning – Wanting to know things – encouraging the curiosity declines sharply with the negative impact that homework has on kids