The Reasons this Teacher of 37 years Does NOT Believe in Homework

1-Research shows that homework does not increase learning.

2-Much homework is either busywork or test driven.

3-If a child is getting a good education during the day at school they will be too tired to do more school in the evening.

4-Children need time to play, relax, for music, art, and just plain daydreaming. It is crucial to development.

5-Families should not have to give up their family time. Some kids do scouting, church activities, or sports and the pressure of homework should not be added.

6-For some children with learning disabilities, school is a real strain. What the teacher thinks is 30 minutes of additional homework can take these kids another 1-2 hours.

7-Diminishing returns. Children can only learn so much. Research shows that if you push them into the later day that their brain starts dumping learning from earlier in the day.

8-Homework should not be new learning. This is the teacher's job, not the parent's job.

9-Many kids don't need the added stress of more drill.

10-Homework can definitely impact how a child feels about learning. When one of my children had excessive homework, he no longer had time to read for pleasure, which distressed him greatly. My other child hated to read because it felt like more homework. It made both my kids hate school for different reasons specifically the years that they were overloaded with homework.

11-If a child gets sick it is hard enough to make up what they missed in school, not to mention all that homework. I have seen kids who are still recovering with pale faces and dark circles around their eyes sit and cry trying to catch up the homework they missed when out very sick for a week to begin with.

12-Did I mention, homework DOES NOT INCREASE LEARNING.