Homework:  

Every night on Monday through Thursday, your child will be doing some kind of homework.  All homework and classwork assigned on any day of a particular week is due on Friday of that week.  Most often, the homework will be in the form of the following:

1)  30 Minutes of Independent Reading each night with a weekly Reading Log signed by parent with a completed written response each week.  Reading homework may also include pages assigned out of the workbook for the Houghton-Mifflin reading series.

2)  A math assignment each night, which will usually come from the Homework and Remembering book from the math series, but could also occasionally be an independent worksheet.

Monday, March 15th

30 Minutes of Reading; Math--Homework and Remembering 5-17; Behavior Chart signed and brought back

Tuesday, March 16th

30 Minutes of Reading; Math--Homework and Remembering 5-18

Wednesday, March 17th

30 Minutes of Reading; Math--None

 Thursday, March 18th

30 Minutes of Reading and Log; Math--Homework and Remembering 5-19; Spelling Unit 26 and Wordly Wise Lesson 14 tomorrow

Classwork due Friday:

Mt. Language; Matisse Art; Science p. B39 questions; nonfiction summary writing pieces

 NOTE:

*Most Science and Social Studies will be done in class as classwork, but may need to be completed at home from time to time as homework.  

*Each Wordly Wise Lesson is typically a two-week program, although in the late Spring when other subjects start to wind down, we typically shorten the time for each Wordly Wise lesson to one week.

 

TWELVE QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR CHILD WHEN YOU ARE TOLD, "I DON'T HAVE ANY HOMEWORK!"

1.  Did you begin any assignments in class today that you need to finish tonight?

2.  Do you have any specific homework assignments for tonight?

3.  Do you have a test to prepare for?

4.  Have you read to yourself the lessons discussed in class, and can you answer any questions at the end of the lesson?

5.  Do you know the spelling and meaning of each of your assigned vocabulary words for every subject?

6.  Do you know your math facts (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and/or division) quickly by memory?

7.  What is the title of the book you are reading?  Tell me about it (characters, setting, problem, resolution).

8.  What letter are you practicing in cursive?  Practice that letter and make up words which contain that letter.  Practice the entire alphabet.

9.  Are there any art projects that need to be completed?

10.  Do you have a favorite subject you can look up in the encyclopedia and share with your class tomorrow?

11.  Do you know all the words to the songs you are learning in music?

12.  Is there anything else related to school that you know you have to read or work on?

Remember, if your student is prepared for the next day at school, a designated time for reading is appropriate.  Children only become better readers through practice, which is by doing more reading.

LITERATURE REVIEW ON HOMEWORK

    During the 2003-2004 school year, as part of the alternative teacher evaluation process, I was serving on a District forum that was researching and evaluating the ramifications of our current District and school homework policies.  What follows is a summation of the research that has been presented at District Homework Policy Forums for the past four years: 

    Based on the literature and research regarding the use of time, there is a very strong positive relationship between Academic Learning Time (ALT) and both student achievement and attitudes.  Academic Learning Time (ALT) is the time the learner is engaged in an academic task that he/she can perform with high success.  Therefore, teachers should consider the following with regard to homework:  1)  matching the instruction to the students' abilities, and 2)  providing specific feedback to students.

    Teachers have traditionally assigned homework as a way to expand their instructional time, but if it is not matched to the student's ability and the teacher does not have the time to give the proper feedback, then the opportunity to provide effective homework activities is significantly limited.  Additionally, the time it takes to assign, collect, and correct homework, which is not designed to positively affect learning, subtracts from opportunities to plan and implement more effective classroom instruction.

The literature and research, which directs effective practice in homework, is summarized in the following statements:

--The single most important thing that children can do to grow academically is to read (Copple, 1992 and Adelman, 1995)

--The National Commission on Time and Learning (1993) shows that for high school, the more homework time, the higher the achievement (within reason).  For junior high, more homework did improve achievement, but at a maximum of two hours a night.  For elementary school, homework time has not been consistently related to higher achievement, however, it is important for other functions, such as fostering independent study habits and letting parents know how their children are doing.  Time spent by parents reading with their children and sharing other enjoyable learning experiences was found to be linked to school performance.

--Teaching responsibility and time management are important and often used as reason for homework, but this learning can be done with simple tasks (Cooper, 1989; Butler, 1987; and Copple, 1992).

--Teachers greatly underestimate how much time an assignment will take to complete...Therefore, it is a recommendation to not assign homework by time allotments (Ex.--30 minutes a night for 3rd graders, 45 minutes for 4th graders, etc.)  (Butler, 1987)

--High school dropouts consistently report that the inability to complete homework assignments was a huge factor in leaving school (Kralovec & Bruell, 2000).

--No significant difference in academic success has been shown between students who completed weekly math homework and the students who did not complete weekly math homework in two fourth grade trials (Swank, 1999)

--Homework needs to be developmentally appropriate (Kralovec & Buell, 2000)

--Swank (1999) cites Cooper and Harris to say that there is no significant correlation to show that the more homework assigned, the better the student achievement.

--All homework needs to be checked and have feedback to be of value (Butler, 1987).

--For low achieving/struggling students homework does not help--it only frustrates them (Kralovec & Buell, 2000).

--Appropriate kinds and amounts of homework raise achievement levels for students ABOVE PRIMARY GRADES.  Homework is most beneficial when it is:

    1)  Relevant to learning objectives

    2)  Appropriate to students' ability and maturity levels

    3)  Collected and reviewed during class

    4)  Supported by parents

    5)  Assigned regularly

    6)  Well explained and motivational

    7)  Used as an occasion for giving feedback

(Butler, 1987; Holmes & Cross, 1989; Hossler, Stage & Galagher, Paschal, 1988; Weinstein & Walberg, 1984)

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Adelman, N. (1995).  A research review:  the educational uses of time.  Prepared for the U.S. Department of Education.  (ERIC document Reproduction Service No. ED397565).

Butler, J.A. (1987).  Homework.  Portland, OR:  Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory.

Copple, C. et al. (1992).  National Education Commission on time and learning briefing paper.  Washington D.C.:  National Education Commission on Time and Learning. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED372482).

Homes, M. & Croll, P.  (1989).  Time spent on homework and academic achievement.  Educational Research, 31, pp. 36-45.

Hossler, C. & Gallagher, K. (1988).  The relationship of increased instructional time to student achievement.  Policy Bulletin:  Consortium on Educational Policy Studies 1.

Kralovec, E. & Buell, E. (2000).  The end of homework:  How homework disrupts families, overburdens children and limits learning.  (Incomplete reference)

Paschal, R.A., Weinstein, T. & Walberg, H.J. (1984).  The effects of homework on learning:  A quantitative synthesis.  Journal of Educational Research, 78, pp. 97-104.

Swank, A.L.G. (1999).  The effect of weekly math homework on fourth grade student math performance.  Master of Arts Action Research Project, Johnson Bible College.

MORE RESEARCH ON HOMEWORK

"The Myth of the Homework Burden"

from:  American Teacher Magazine December 2003/January 2004

You've probably seen stories in the popular press featuring students and parents complaining bitterly about the nightly homework burden.  A new report from the Brookings Institution, however, says the notion that U.S. students are buried in homework is simply wrong.

Data from various sources indicate that "the typical student, even in high school, does not spend more than an hour a day on homework," according to the study from the institution's Brown Center on Education Policy.  In fact, students' homework loads haven't changed much in the past two decades.  Moreover, most parents think the amount of homework is about right and should be increased, if anything.

Some studies have found an increase in homework among younger students (ages 6 to8) during the past decade, but most of that is because many students who had no homework before are now being assigned a modest amount.

The report argues that it's important to get a handle on the true situation with homework because various studies have shown that homework is positively associated with student learning.  More striking than too much homework are the vast numbers of students who do none. For example, a Michigan study that focused on students up to age 12 found that only 62% of 9- to 12-year-olds spend any time studying at home--down from 82% in 1981.

International comparisons also counter the too-much-homework myth.  The Third International Mathematics and Science Study included data on homework practices in 20 nations.  U.S. students were tied for next to last, doing only about half as much homework as their counterparts in France, Italy, Russia, and South America.

The report also indicates that parents generally are satisfied with the amount of homework teachers assign.  One survey found that 64% said the amount was "about right," 25% said "too little," and 10% said "too much."  It's not that there aren't students who get too much homework, but the distressing examples that receive so much publicity are "outliers" that don't represent the typical student.

The report, "Do Students Have Too Much Homework?" is available online at  www.brookings.edu/gs/brown/20031001homework.htm.

"My Dog Ate My Argument:  The Claim That Kids Get Too Much Homework Just Doesn't Stand Up"

from:  Los Angeles Times  Thursday, December 11, 2003

by:  Brian P. Gill (social scientist at the Rand Corp.) and Steven L. Schlossman (professor of history at Carnegie Mellon University)--co-authors of "A Nation at Rest:  The American Way of Homework" (Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 2003)

At the turn of the century, Edward Bok, the powerful editor of the Ladies' Home Journal, launched an impassioned campaign against homework, arguing that it crippled the physical, mental, and emotional health of children.  He branded it "a national crime at the feet of American parents."  The U.S. commissioner of education agreed, telling Congress that homework was "a prolific source of abuse."  A year later, in 1901, California--along with dozens of local school districts across the country--banned homework altogether for any public school child under 15.

Today, concern about homework is again reaching a fever pitch.  The most recent round is prompted by reports since the mid-1990's that the homework load is higher than ever.  The New York Times, for instance, reported that children are "homework-bound" by the "gross tonnage" of homework.  USA Today reported that the nation was in a period of homework intensification."

These homework wars are a familiar part of the nation's ongoing debate over education.  Since Bok's day, the pendulum has swung back and forth.  One generation of educators worries that students are not getting enough of it (this happened in the 1950's and 1980's).  The next generation worries that children are overworked and overscheduled and that their social development is being ignored.

But today's war, like those that preceded it, is based on several false notions.  The first is that there's a huge and growing homework burden.  That perception is completely contrary to the evidence.

Two new studies--one by us and one by Tom Loveless of the Brookings Institution--make clear that the great majority of American children at all ages do only moderate amounts of homework.  When asked, for instance, how much homework they did "yesterday," most children across the country--in elementary, middle, and high school grades--said they do no more than an hour.

And this is not unique to our times.  It turns out there was no "golden age" when most American kids, willingly or unwillingly, did lots of homework.  Since World War II, the proportion of high school students spending a substantial amount of time studying--more than two hours nightly--has generally varied from 7% to 13%.  Homework amounts peaked briefly during the decade after Sputnik but, even then, not more than one high school student in four studied more than two hours a night.  Little homework is the norm and has always been the norm.

Second, it's not true that most parents object to homework.  Today, as in the past, most parents strongly support it.  A Public Agenda poll in 2000 found that only 10% of parents thought their children had too much homework, while 25% thought they had too little and 64% thought the amount was about right.

A vocal minority can often manage to get the media's attention--as Bok did, and as happened again in the 1930's, when homework was branded a "sin against childhood" by opponents.  But it's just that: a noisy minority, not a representative sample of the population.

Third, and most important, the homework wars--this time as in the past--are narrowly centered on that quantity that is being assigned:  How much is too much, and how little is too little?  Very little effort goes into figuring out how to improve the quality and value of the homework that teachers assign.

In our view, homework is the prime window into the school for the parents to see, understand and connect with the academic mission of the teachers.  It is the primary area in which children, parents, and schools interact on a daily basis.  Yet it gets less systematic thought and attention than any other key component of education.  Other than the admonition that kids should do more of it, we pay almost no attention to how to improve its design and content.  Nor do we do much to prepare teachers to use and evaluate homework, to hold administrators accountable for monitoring the homework load or to cultivate parents' collaboration.  Homework remains an orphan child of the educational excellence movement.

The debate over homework must be redirected.  Moral exhortation--accusing our kids and parents of being lazy, comparing them unfavorably with their counterparts in Japan (as in the 1980's) or Russia (as in the 1950's)--just doesn't seem to have much effect in changing long-term homework trends.

After half a century of failure to increase student buy-in, it's time to rethink how to make homework a more valued part of the pedagogic process.  In addition to promoting academic achievement, homework can inculcate habits of self-discipline and independent study and can help inform parents about the educational agenda of their school.  We must find ways to make homework an interesting and challenging educational experience for students, instead of the uniform, seat-bound, memorization-focused solo exercise it has been.  Otherwise, all our talk about high standards and improving student achievement will run up against the same roadblock that has stymied the pursuit of educational excellence in the past.

"Research on Homework Remains a Mixed Bag:  Impact on Student Achievement Varies for Different Groups of Students"

from:  American Teacher Magazine February 2009

Every few years, the long-standing debate about homework--too much or not enough?--generates a new series of newspaper and magazine articles, usually around back-to-school time.  And each new wave of reporting on homework typically offers less than definitive answers about the proper place of homework in students' education.  One reason for that, as the latest review of research on the topic shows, is the clear lack of consensus--even among researchers.

The newest review was put together by researchers at Edvantia for the Center for Public Education, which is a joint initiative of the National School Boards Association and National School Boards Foundation.

Before reviewing some of the research, it's worth looking at a couple of myths about homework that the report details.  The two main ones:  Homework increases academic achievement; and without excessive homework, our students' test scores will continue to lag internationally.  More on the first one shortly because that's the bulk of what the review covers.

On the second point, the report points out that students in many countries, including Japan and Finland, are assigned less homework but still outperform U.S. students in international comparisons.

There is certainly evidence that homework can have positive effects on student achievement, but the results vary, especially for certain subgroups of students.  Among the findings:

--Older students benefit more from homework than younger students.  One reason may be that younger students are more easily distracted and haven't yet developed effective study habits.  The benefits for younger students can come more in nonacademic areas, such as establishing routines and learning personal responsibility.

--Students from low-income households may not benefit as much from homework as their higher-income peers.  Researchers believe this is because advantaged students have more resources at home, such as computers, and receive more help with their homework.

--The clearest link between homework and learning is with students who have learning disabilities.  The additional time spent practicing skills--but under the supervision of a parent--appears to be successful in helping meet these students' learning needs.

--Homework that prepares students for upcoming lessons or helps them review material that has not been covered recently may have more impact on student learning than homework that simply continues that day's lessons.

Another topic of considerable debate, and of some research, concerns the optimal amount of homework.  Even here, the study suggests that research on homework remains such a mixed bag that school districts should be careful about establishing strict homework policies.  It indicates that a more productive approach might be guidelines that are set at the school level, with input from teachers, parents and students.

There is some research, however, that points to general parameters about the optimum amount of time students should spend on homework.  For high school students, 1.5 to 2.5 hours per night is optimal.  Middle school students seem to benefit from about one hour per night and even less time is optimal for elementary students.

While most media reports on the issue tend to focus on a backlash against too much homework, the report says that 20 years worth of data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress indicate that the majority of students at all grade levels average less than one hour of homework per night.

"The central lesson of this body of research is that homework is not a strategy that works for all children," the report concludes.  "Because of its possible negative effects of decreasing students' motivation and interest, thereby indirectly impairing performance, homework should be assigned judiciously and moderately.  Heavy homework loads should not be used as a main strategy for improving home-school relations or student achievement."

For more information on the homework debate, visit www.centerforpubliceducation.org.

 

Brian Stephen Lees I
Morning Creek Elementary School
Poway Unified School District
10925 Morning Creek Drive South
San Diego CA 92128
(858)748-4334 (ext. 2121)