“Homework that students cannot do without help is not good homework and is de-motivating. Homework should make students feel smarter, not dumber,” says Cathy Vatterott, associate professor of education and author of Rethinking Homework: Best Practices that Support Diverse Needs.
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When I thought about writing on the topic of homework, I had nightmares for a few nights. I’m kind of traumatized from my history as a parent. There was the year of the impossible kriya (Hebrew reading) homework – one to two pages – that left one child’s confidence in shambles. Another year, a first-grade teacher assigned writing 10 spelling words – in sentences! – starting after Sukkos. The complaints of hand cramps still haunt me. Another year there were shorashim (Hebrew roots) worksheets that my child didn’t know, so that I was the shorashim dictionary most nights. Then there was the teacher who decided she had no time to teach spelling, because of the dual curriculum, but thought it was a valuable subject. She assigned spelling, along with math, independent reading, and English for homework to make up for her lack of class time. Grandpa was recruited that year to help via Skype. Ahh…and then there was the challenge of Common Core math. There is nothing that so warms the heart as watching your children draw 150(!) circles to solve a basic math problem.
When I had three kids in elementary school, my house became a three-ring circus. One child was writing sentences, the other was studying on Skype, and the third was drawing 360 dots for math. There was not a healthy snack or reasonable schedule in the world that could have improved the mood in our house. That year, my husband was also in school at night. Despite working full time and going to school full time, he called home during his 10-minute break to do the required gemara homework.
And my three-year-old? He was on a computer, tucked out of the way as we tried to juggle all the demands.
Ironically, all the teachers were truly excellent and wanted the best for our children. Unfortunately, our homework experience didn’t align with anything else going on in the classroom.
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As a teacher, I strongly believe in homework. The research attempting to prove that homework is useless is very weak (yes, I have read Alfie Kohn). Rather, research says that, under the right conditions, completed homework leads to students remembering more and doing better on tests. When I was teaching, I could tell right away which students had read their pesukim the previous night and which had not.
The fact is we are a community of families with more than 2.1 children. While as a younger parent I accepted the chaos, at this point in my life, sanity and good relationships have become more valuable. I’m not going to cause my children to burn out at age eight. We are also a diverse community and can’t assume that every parent has the background to pinch hit as a rebbe or math teacher at night. We can’t allow homework to widen the gap between the students whose parents can help and those whose parents cannot.
We are also a community that values education. If there is a way for our children to learn more, we are going to want it. And the dual curriculum makes homework more necessary. It’s not as though it’s impossible to fit in homework. The U.S. has fewer hours of education than most other countries, and our day school children spend even less time on core subjects than the average American student. Doing homework compensates a bit. Homework is also a great communication tool. While I hated the impossible kriya sheets, they clued me in that this was an area that needed attention. I like knowing when my child has begun multiplication, He surely won’t be telling me that!
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What can be done so your house does not look like my house used to? The best approach is for parents and schools to start to dialogue and develop a list of agreed-upon responsibilities for homework. Here are some suggestions:
1) Division of responsibility: Homework is a daily partnership between school and home. Student learning is the school’s responsibility. If a child is behind academically, the student needs remediation and intervention in school. Parents are not, and cannot be, responsible for learning that takes place during the many hours in school. If tutoring or parental intervention is needed, it replaces homework expectations and must have clear goals that parents understand.
Likewise, parents must provide an environment that allows for homework success. Children need supplies, such as pencils and pens, an area to do the homework and time without sports, simchas or chores. If homework is an issue – that is, if the child is resisting or it is too hard, write a note to the teacher, email, or call right away so that the teacher knows what is going on. If life is hectic, clue the teacher in so you can work it out together.
2) Time limits: Some homework is good. Too much is counterproductive, leading to lower test scores and students giving up on school. The rule of thumb is 10 minutes added homework total per grade – not subject. Even in high school, more than 12 hours of homework a week leads to diminishing returns. Think about it: If we assign too much kodesh (Hebrew) homework, it can ruin a lifetime love for Torah. Is giving a harder Chumash test worth it? Weaker students especially can get bogged down and burned out. If homework is taking too much time, let the teacher know.
3) Independence: Students must be able to do the homework independently. Homework that cannot be completed is not just useless but damaging. This may mean practicing how to do homework in school before sending it home. Homework is a great time to practice those skills that the students can do independently but not fluently. Provide tools so the students can be successful. Give graphic organizers for essays, partially completed math problems, and copies of class notes to any students who show a need. When I taught third grade, at the front of every binder were homework helpers, such as lists of shorashim (Hebrew roots) and dikduk (grammar) conjugation sheets, and I taught the students how to use them. There was no excuse for homework not to be done.
5) Parental involvement: Too much parental pressure undermines learning. If parents know what to do, this can be avoided. Parents should receive clear guidance on their expected role; they should not be expected to tutor or teach. Also, it’s best not to set the parents up as homework “police.” The consequences for not doing homework should be in the classroom so students learn responsibility. While it is okay to have parents sign the planner, it would be better for them to ask their children to summarize what they learned from the homework. Summarizing is an important skill and starts a dialogue. It also sends a message that parents are partners and that the school trusts the child to live up to his or her responsibilities.
6) Pick your battles: Throughout the year, a teacher should clearly communicate what skill the homework is emphasizing so parents can pick and choose their battles. If the goal is for a child to learn to compose sentences, a parent can scribe for a child. If the goal is handwriting practice, the parent can compose the sentences.
8) Accountability: If a student isn’t doing homework, be generous and assume there is a good reason. Then have a conversation about what the student needs to get the homework done and to be ready for appropriate consequences if the homework does not get done. Also, if it is important that the homework be done, it should be checked for accuracy. A teacher can check it quickly, or have students or their peers check it themselves.
Homework has so much potential. My children have had some fantastic teachers in Baltimore whose homework has pushed them forward yet through which our home has stayed calm. While homework will probably never be loved, with some sensitivity to family life and a focus on what homework is supposed to be accomplishing, it will be beneficial.
Shira Hochheimer, born and raised in Baltimore, was a rebbetzin and educator in Rochester, NY, before returning to Baltimore. She is the author of Eishes Chayil: Ancient Wisdom for Women of Today (Mosaica Press, 2017) available at Shabsi’s or Feldheim.com.
