Stop the Homework Wars
For years I’ve been suggesting the 10-minute per grade rule that the Parent Teachers Association and the National Education Association recommends. Some teachers are aware of this rule; some aren’t.
When your child is spending an inordinate amount of time on homework on a daily basis – over the 10-minute per grade level, it is time to look at what is actually going on.
Here are several questions you need to ask yourself:
- Does your child understand the assignment?
- Is the teacher giving too much homework? Sometimes teachers don’t realize how much time the assignment is actually taking. [I recall this homework problem as a big issue when one of my boys was in the 5th grade. I spoke with his teacher about it. She had no idea it was taking him so long to get the homework done. She said to write her a note after he had spent 50 to 60 minutes of work time on homework and let her know that he had put in the time. I was fortunate because she worked with us on the amount. She also lessened the amount of homework when she realized she was giving too much.]
- Is there an underlying area of visual or auditory processing that is not working as efficiently as it should that is interfering with your child’s completing the assignment in a timely fashion?
Ten Minutes to Better Study Skills has weekly and monthly project planning calendars to help your child plan their after school homework time out.
Here is a link to an article written by Cathy Vatterott. She addresses many of the same issues I’ve addressed in the past. Cathy’s article goes on to discuss other factors that need to be considered when students aren’t getting their homework done. It is worth the read!
Homework in the Responsive Classroom
Author and educator Cathy Vatterott shares her insights on the meaning of unfinished homework.
Hope this is helpful.
Bonnie Terry, M. Ed., BCET
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