To Give Homework or Not to Give Homework? That is the Question!

 My teaching team and I have had in-depth conversations about homework just about every, single year since I began teaching, 14 years ago.  We wonder about whether or not it's effective for elementary-aged kids, especially in early elementary grades K-2.  We wonder if the homework we give is too much or not enough.   We get concerned about how much help one student may get from a parent or guardian, while others may get little parent help at all.  We also debate about how to account for homework that is turned in.  Should it be graded when returned or should it be checked by parents prior to turning it in?    Is homework primarily about work habits and responsibility, or about reinforcing concepts learned? 

In the last few years, I've heard that research suggests that homework may not be effective for elementary aged kids.   So I've done some research on the homework debate... and it's still as clear as mud!  The researchers seem to disagree quite a bit.  I found that many of the studies are very, very old.   Things have changed so much in the past decade...I wonder if those outdated homework studies support the concept of educating 21st century learners?     

There's another factor to consider in the homework debate... regardless of what the research says, most parents expect homework to be provided.  Not only that, but many ask for "additional" or "challenge" homework.  After all, parents had homework from the time that they were in elementary school all of the way through college.  Most of us have, right?   But, it is a different time now, given that it's a predominately digital world for today's kids.  That definitely makes one wonder about what form homework should take, if it is assigned to students.

As we approach the 2014-2015 school year, I know that my teaching team will once again discuss the issue of homework.  Recently, I looked at some research from the ASCD website (See below).  I found some research-based guidelines to use as a jumping-off point for conversations with my teammates about homework.   

   Research-Based Homework Guidelines

Research provides strong evidence that, when used appropriately, homework benefits student achievement. To make sure that homework is appropriate, teachers should follow these guidelines:

·        Assign purposeful homework. Legitimate purposes for homework include introducing new content, practicing a skill or process that students can do independently but not fluently, elaborating on information that has been addressed in class to deepen students' knowledge, and providing opportunities for students to explore topics of their own interest.

·        Design homework to maximize the chances that students will complete it. For example, ensure that homework is at the appropriate level of difficulty. Students should be able to complete homework assignments independently with relatively high success rates, but they should still find the assignments challenging enough to be interesting.

·        Involve parents in appropriate ways (for example, as a sounding board to help students summarize what they learned from the homework) without requiring parents to act as teachers or to police students' homework completion.

·        Carefully monitor the amount of homework assigned so that it is appropriate to students' age levels and does not take too much time away from other home activities.

 These guidelines are from: 

http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar07/vol64/num06/The-Case-For-and-Against-Homework.aspx