Why Homework Matters
Homework is the perennial boogeyman of K-12 education. Any given year, you’ll find people arguing that students, especially those in elementary school, should have far less homework —?or none at all. I have the opposite opinion. The longer I run schools — and it has now been more than 16 years — the more convinced I am that homework is not only necessary but a lynchpin to effective K-12 education.?
It is important to remember that kids only spend a fraction of their time in school. The learning that does or does not take place in the many hours outside of school has a monumental effect on children’s academic success and is a root cause of educational inequity
The pandemic gave us a stark demonstration of this reality. Achievement gaps widened between affluent and low-income children not only because low-income students received less in-person or high-quality online instruction during the years of disrupted school, but also because children of college-educated and affluent parents were already less dependent on schools for learning. Affluent children are far more likely to have the privilege of tutors or other types of supplementary instruction
At Success Academy, the charter school network I founded and lead, we seek to develop students as lifelong learners
We also know that none of these benefits accrue when homework is merely busy work. Low-quality homework is likely what drives the mixed research evidence on the impact of homework on student achievement. It also sends the message to kids that doing it is simply an exercise in compliance and not worth their time. Homework must be challenging and purposeful for kids to recognize its value.
For this reason, at Success we take great care with the design of our homework assignments, ensuring they are engaging and relevant to what takes place in class the next day. When done well, homework can be a form of the “flipped classroom
领英推荐
Students always need a “why” for the things we ask them to do and designing homework this way is motivating for them because it gives them that clear why. Class is engaging and interesting when they are prepared; when they aren’t, they won’t have the satisfaction of participating.
At this point, some teachers may be saying: “I can’t get my kids to hand in a worksheet, let alone rely on them to learn on their own.” And of course, effective use of homework in class relies on creating a strong system of accountability
Educators should embrace setting an exacting norm for completing homework. This should include a schoolwide grading policy
Ultimately, minimizing homework or getting rid of it entirely denies children autonomy and prevents them from discovering what they are capable of. As we work to repair the academic damage from the last 2-plus years, I encourage educators to focus not on the quantity of homework, but instead on its quality — and on using it effectively in class. By doing so, they will accelerate kids’ engagement with school, and propel them as assured, autonomous learners and thinkers who can thrive in college and beyond.
This article was originally published on the Thomas B. Fordham Institute Flypaper blog.
Superintendent of Schools - retired
2 年This is so timely. This issue really never gets discussed enough. Time to look at research, values and philosophy regarding “ homework “. I look forward to this debate.
If you don’t practice a thing, how do you ever expect to become proficient at that thing? It isn’t debatable.
Administrative Officer at Chrysolite International School, Port Harcourt
2 年Homework are very important for student but it should be balanced. The student should also be able to come home and learn informally at home as well. Not overwhelmed with school work after school hours.
Teacher of Spanish at Cushing Academy
2 年I agree with this article.
State Monitor, New York State Department of Education
2 年I agree 100%