What’s For Homework?

Is the daily grind of countless hours of homework providing any benefit to modern students? What is the homework policy of A One-Room Schoolhouse? Is homework really necessary?

Let’s take a little walk together and talk about homework. The good, the bad, and the ugly of homework. Grab a cup of your favorite drink and let’s start with a poem!

Homework! Oh, Homework!

– Poem by Jack Prelutsky

Homework! Oh, Homework!
I hate you! You stink!
I wish I could wash you away in the sink,
if only a bomb
would explode you to bits.
Homework! Oh, homework!
You’re giving me fits.

I’d rather take baths
with a man-eating shark,
or wrestle a lion
alone in the dark,
eat spinach and liver,
pet ten porcupines,
than tackle the homework,
my teacher assigns.

Homework! Oh, homework!
you’re last on my list,
I simply can’t see
why you even exist,
if you just disappeared
it would tickle me pink.
Homework! Oh, homework!
I hate you! You stink! 

When I was in the eighth grade I memorized this poem for an English class assignment. This poem explained my feelings at the time (and currently) on homework. At the time I was attending school for 7 hours a day and doing 3 to 4 hours of homework. People… that is a 10 to 11 hour day! Most professionals don’t work those kinds of hours!

What does the research suggest?

The National Education Association (NEA) reports the following:

• “In the last 20 years, homework has increased only in the lower grade levels, and this increase is associated with neutral (and sometimes negative) effects on student achievement.”
• “But at a particular point, more homework is not a good thing. You’ve heard of the ’10-Minute Rule,’ where you multiply a child’s grade by 10 to determine how many minutes you assign per night. This rule fits the data. So 20-minutes for a second grader is where you’d start. In middle schools, it’s between 60-90 mins for 6th through 9th graders, about two hours later in high school. When you assign more than these levels, the law of diminishing returns or even negative effects – stress especially – begin to appear.”
• “Educators should also remind parents to not place great pressure on their child and to model behaviors, especially with young children. For example, when the child is doing math homework, a parent could balance the checkbook to demonstrate how the skill can be used in adult life, or they can read their own book while their child is reading.”
• “If homework is going to have its intended effects, teachers should ask parents to take part less often as kids get older. If support from parents is withdrawn slowly, it can promote autonomous learning – teaching kids that they can learn on their own and they can learn anywhere.”

In short, at the elementary level, very little homework should be given as it has very little effect on student learning. When it is done at the lower levels, parents should be involved. At the middle and high school level, a moderate amount (1 to 2 hours a night) of homework should be done.  With parents gradually encouraging increased independence.

Homework Guidelines

Based on these recommendations here is a helpful chart to understand research-based guidelines for paper-n-pencil, book-style homework:

Grade Level	Homework Time	Parent Involvement
Kindergarten	0 minutes	N/A
Grade One	10 minutes	Significant
Grade Two	20 minutes	Significant
Grade Three	30 minutes	Moderate
Grade Four	40 minutes	Moderate
Grade Five	50 minutes	Moderate to Casual
Middle School	60 to 90 minutes	Casual to Sparse
High School	No more than 2 hours	Sparse

What does a parent do about homework?

In Rethinking School: How to Take Charge of Your Child’s Education, Susan Bauer suggests a four-step plan:

(You can read my review of this book here.)

1. Keep an accurate account of time spent on homework over the course of two or more weeks.
2. Address the teacher, then administrator if after your accounting you feel the amount of homework is out of line.
3. Accept the consequences (when reasonable… a lower grade might be fine, but missing recess every day is NOT OKAY). Or adjust the child’s schedule (change to a regular class from an honors class).
4. If the school remains inflexible realize that you may be moving towards a more drastic solution. (Read my post about school choice here!)

What is the homework policy at A One-Room Schoolhouse?

A One-Room Schoolhouse is a homeschool support organization, no required homework will be given. A One-Room Schoolhouse supports the family’s educational journey. The following suggestions should be considered:

Elementary Years…

• Daily reading outside of class is highly encouraged. This can be to the student, with the student, or by the student. All reading should be logged for the end of the year portfolio.
• A One-Room Schoolhouse is an active participant in the #1000hoursoutside challenge. The Education Director will issue this challenge at the beginning of the school year and logs will be given. Every student is encouraged to log 1000 hours of outside time each year, including summers.
• In order to complete the Pennsylvania state requirement regarding fire safety, it is recommended that each family purchase and complete The Good and the Beautiful Safety unit. Make sure to keep work samples from this unit to submit in your student’s end-of-year portfolio. If this unit is not completed, your family will need to submit other work samples showing your completion of the fire safety requirement.

Secondary Years…

• Starting at the 6^th-grade level or the year a student turns 12, students are encouraged to participate in science fair competitions at both the local and regional level. This will provide a valuable enrichment component to our science curriculum. Students will be provided with mentorship support, timeline assistance, project development, and material sourcing. A One-Room Schoolhouse has formed partnerships both in the science fair community and in the homeschool community to make this a very successful and enriching experience. Younger students may also participate at the local level. (Blog post to come on science fair soon!)
• At an age-appropriate time, that families (individually or as a group) complete The Good and The Beautiful’s Maturation and Sexual Reproduction unit. Evidence can be submitted in the end of year portfolio in the health section if desired.
• In the science and social studies unit studies, students in the upper elementary and secondary grades may have projects they need to complete at home in order to finish the assignment on time and with adequate effort. History cluster students are also encouraged to play the history game as a family to review history content.

Optional…

• If a family or student has the desire, math and language arts can be worked on during free time at home in order to finish the curriculum at a faster pace.

And That’s It!

Homework does not have to be the relationship wrecking, afternoon killing, family-time sapping experience that many children experience. Join us at A One-Room Schoolhouse where we read and play outside for our daily homework assignments!