school with no rules no homework

My son's alternative school doesn't have grades, tests, or homework. Kids decide what they're interested in learning.

• I decided to send my son, Jasper, to a K-12 school called the Arts and Ideas Sudbury School.
• The school is based on a philosophy that allow kids to make their own decisions about education.
• It has no grades, tests, or homework.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Adrienne Bergthold. It has been edited for length and clarity.

When my youngest son, Jasper, was getting ready for kindergarten, I was struggling with where to send him to school. I'd always viewed school as an opportunity to instill a love of learning, and I felt like public school was too stressful for kids because of all the pressure around grades, homework, and tests. Private school is expensive , and I didn't have the patience to homeschool. So I started to consider affordable alternative schooling options in our area.

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I first heard about a local K-12 school called the Arts and Ideas Sudbury School from another mom I was talking to at the park when Jasper was little. I didn't think much of it until I happened to hear the founder talking about the school on the radio. The principles of giving kids the freedom to learn about what they're interested in, without the added stress of grades and tests, really resonated with me.

Arts and Ideas seemed like the right school for Jasper

I looked into it a bit more, and Arts and Ideas seemed like the perfect fit. It was only five minutes from our house, and it was much more affordable than private schools in our area. Before making a decision, I signed up Jasper for the visiting week for families to check out the school before enrolling . After a week of visiting, he was telling me about fractions and holding doors open for me.

He started kindergarten there in 2010 and graduated just last year, in 2023. From kindergarten on, Jasper had so many opportunities to learn how to live in the real world. Arts and Ideas is a Sudbury School , which is a worldwide educational philosophy that allows kids to make decisions about their own education. Along with making and enforcing the school rules together, students can choose what they want to learn about and how.

It's not formatted like a traditional school

At Arts and Ideas, there's no curriculum or formal classrooms. Kids learn by playing and doing what they're interested in. Rather than "teachers," the school has staff members who guide the students in what they want to learn. Instead of sitting in a classroom all day, students have the freedom to play outside, work on a project, or attend workshops on topics they want to learn about, including creative writing, acting, math, and coding.

There's a bulletin board in the hallway where kids can sign up for activities to participate in. If the kids express interest in something they want to learn, the staff and students will work together to organize new workshops. Sometimes, the workshops are at school, and other times they're field trips. Baltimore and the surrounding area have a lot to offer, so the opportunities feel endless.

For example, my son was interested in cooking from a young age because his dad was a baker. Jasper was involved in the school's Kitchen Corp, which cooked hot lunch every Friday. The students would work together to find out what everyone wanted to eat, plan the meals, take field trips to get ingredients at the local grocery store, and cook in the school kitchen for all the students. Jasper got to pursue his interest in cooking, but he also learned important real-life skills like organization, budgeting, math, and teamwork.

There are no grades, tests, homework , or other requirements, which takes stress out of the equation so kids can really fall in love with learning. The only requirement is that students need to attend school for five consecutive hours, including the "core hours" of 11–3 p.m. Students are totally free to do what they want during the school day, except for a few scheduled activities, such as daily chores and school-wide meetings.

Because there are no traditional classrooms , students are with kids who are both older and younger than them all day, which I believe helps everyone learn. Younger kids can learn from older students, and older students have the opportunity to help and mentor younger ones. When my son attended visiting week, for example, he learned fractions from kids who knew math.

To receive a diploma, students write and defend a thesis about how they've prepared to enter the real world. My son graduated in 2023, and he's currently taking a gap year before attending college. His experience at Arts and Ideas helped him get ready for life in the real world.

But more than that, Arts and Ideas gave Jasper a happy childhood and helped him grow into a secure adult. We have so many opportunities to do the work throughout our lives, and childhood should be about joy. Because of his education, I can say my son experienced a childhood free from the stress of anything but getting to know himself.

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How’s that saying go again…too many cooks?

That’s what Diane Tavenner, co-founder and CEO of Summit Public Schools, discovered was happening in her own kitchen.

Tavenner and her husband initially had a great idea: have their teenage son, Rett, cook one of the family’s meals per week. This would give them a night off and help Rett gain a pretty important life skill.

But, being pretty good cooks themselves, they soon found themselves not so much guiding Rett through the cooking process as much as doing things for him.

“We forgot what it was to be a novice,” Tavenner says, “and so, he would ask a simple question, and next thing you know, one of us is in the kitchen doing it for him. And he’s sort of standing back and on the side, and we realize we just took over, we weren’t actually supporting. We were just doing it for him.”

Pulling back, they gave Rett tips, but let him take charge.

“I had to take the initiative,” Rett says.

Sure, there were burnt dishes and some undercooked dishes, but there was also the chance to learn how to learn; a chance to improve by building off his mistakes.

As the weeks progressed, Rett saw his skills develop. He returned to recipes he cooked in the past, and saw how his techniques had gotten better—  this family chore had turned into a real-world, edible aptitude test.

Tavenner, a former teacher, saw this “spoon-fed” approach to learning as being a problem not just in her family kitchen, but in the American educational system. 

So, she created Summit Public Schools, a charter school system with a new approach to education: students have numerous opportunities to improve their grade.

What they don’t have? Assigned homework.

A New Recipe 

It begins with the will to start something new.

“If we want to truly prepare our kids to have a chance to live their best life, we need to radically rethink the education we grew up with, and the message it’s sending,” Tavenner says. 

To keep it in the kitchen, think of the traditional public education system as handing students a recipe and the ingredients.

The message is: here’s what you need to know and if you’re successful, you’ll get an “A” on your first test. 

But in the real world, things aren’t so straight forward — so, Summit takes a different approach.

Students “have the ingredients, but we must learn how to make the recipe,” Rett, who was also a student at Summit, says. 

“People can help you along the way with learning the recipes, but ultimately you must take center stage. That is what self-directed learning is.”

At Summit, students are given the opportunity to change a grade over time if they show continuous improvement.

By allowing students to continue working on subjects to improve their grades, Summit builds in the chance to “fail forward” — to learn from your mistakes. (Like, say, making sure to grease a pan the next time you cook.)

Each student is mentored weekly by an assigned teacher. The mentors stay with students throughout their academic career, providing continued support and offering parents a constant point of contact. According to Tavenner, research has found that mentoring improves a student’s sense of belonging and success beyond grade school.

Those mentors help kids actively engage in their hands-on, project-based work. Through these projects, students may design a house to put principles of geometry to work, grow their own plants, or build a model rocket.  

“Project-based learning is real world learning,” Tavenner says. “Authentic learning. It’s the type of learning where kids are getting really hands-on. They’re asking big questions.”

In addition to its regular curriculum, Summit offers an eight week guided learning program where the students choose the field they’re interested in and get to ask the big questions they want to ask — a freedom not always found in the current public education system. 

The foundation of all of this is giving students agency and autonomy in their educational journey. 

“When you give kids responsibility, they become invested because they actually know that what they are doing means something and that it’s dependable and accountable and all of that leads to growth,” Rett says.

Finding the Ingredients

While attending Summit, Rett felt he had space to learn — the ability, and responsibility, to shape his learning in ways that best fit him. 

Learning how to learn was one of the central aspects of my learning environment.

That environment allowed him to explore one of his passions: history. In one class, Rett and his classmates were split into eight groups representing different countries on the eve of World War I. Each country had its needs, goals, and certain rules to follow, but the students had the freedom to interact among themselves. 

Pushing and pulling against each other made the events come alive: it stopped being just events and dates on a textbook page.

“I think I remember the causes and effects of World War I…far better than I would have if I were in a traditional environment,” he says.

Summit’s ten West Coast campuses have drawn plaudits from the tech industry, and earned her a seat on the board of trustees at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The public charter schools are free to attend, with enrollments on a rolling basis. 

Summit’s approach to education may not work for every student — and Tavenner says that’s ok. She says asking whether an approach to learning can be applied across the board to all students isn’t the right question to be asking. 

“The question we should be asking ourselves is, ‘does what work? For whom? Under what circumstances?’” Tavenner says. 

“And the power of those three questions is actually asking about each individual student.”

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The end of homework? Why some schools are banning homework

Fed up with the tension over homework, some schools are opting out altogether.

No-homework policies are popping up all over, including schools in the U.S., where the shift to the Common Core curriculum is prompting educators to rethink how students spend their time.

“Homework really is a black hole,” said Etta Kralovec, an associate professor of teacher education at the University of Arizona South and co-author of “The End of Homework: How Homework Disrupts Families, Overburdens Children, and Limits Learning.”

“I think teachers are going to be increasingly interested in having total control over student learning during the class day and not relying on homework as any kind of activity that’s going to support student learning.”

College de Saint-Ambroise, an elementary school in Quebec, is the latest school to ban homework, announcing this week that it would try the new policy for a year. The decision came after officials found that it was “becoming more and more difficult” for children to devote time to all the assignments they were bringing home, Marie-Ève Desrosiers, a spokeswoman with the Jonquière School Board, told the CBC .

Kralovec called the ban on homework a movement, though she estimated just a small handful of schools in the U.S. have such policies.

Gaithersburg Elementary School in Rockville, Maryland, is one of them, eliminating the traditional concept of homework in 2012. The policy is still in place and working fine, Principal Stephanie Brant told TODAY Parents. The school simply asks that students read 30 minutes each night.

“We felt like with the shift to the Common Core curriculum, and our knowledge of how our students need to think differently… we wanted their time to be spent in meaningful ways,” Brant said.

“We’re constantly asking parents for feedback… and everyone’s really happy with it so far. But it’s really a culture shift.”

It was a decision that was best for her community, Brant said, adding that she often gets phone calls from other principals inquiring how it’s working out.

The VanDamme Academy, a private K-8 school in Aliso Viejo, California, has a similar policy , calling homework “largely pointless.”

The Buffalo Academy of Scholars, a private school in Buffalo, New York, touts that it has called “a truce in the homework battle” and promises that families can “enjoy stress-free, homework-free evenings and more quality time together at home.”

Some schools have taken yet another approach. At Ridgewood High School in Norridge, Illinois, teachers do assign homework but it doesn’t count towards a student’s final grade.

Many schools in the U.S. have toyed with the idea of opting out of homework, but end up changing nothing because it is such a contentious issue among parents, Kralovec noted.

“There’s a huge philosophical divide between parents who want their kids to be very scheduled, very driven, and very ambitiously focused at school -- those parents want their kids to do homework,” she said.

“And then there are the parents who want a more child-centered life with their kids, who want their kids to be able to explore different aspects of themselves, who think their kids should have free time.”

So what’s the right amount of time to spend on homework?

National PTA spokeswoman Heidi May pointed to the organization’s “ 10 minute rule ,” which recommends kids spend about 10 minutes on homework per night for every year they’re in school. That would mean 10 minutes for a first-grader and an hour for a child in the sixth grade.

But many parents say their kids must spend much longer on their assignments. Last year, a New York dad tried to do his eight-grader’s homework for a week and it took him at least three hours on most nights.

More than 80 percent of respondents in a TODAY.com poll complained kids have too much homework. For homework critics like Kralovec, who said research shows homework has little value at the elementary and middle school level, the issue is simple.

“Kids are at school 7 or 8 hours a day, that’s a full working day and why should they have to take work home?” she asked.

Follow A. Pawlowski on Google+ and Twitter .

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7 Research-Based Reasons Why Students Should Not Have Homework: Academic Insights, Opposing Perspectives & Alternatives

The push against homework is not just about the hours spent on completing assignments; it’s about rethinking the role of education in fostering the well-rounded development of young individuals. Critics argue that homework, particularly in excessive amounts, can lead to negative outcomes such as stress, burnout, and a diminished love for learning. Moreover, it often disproportionately affects students from disadvantaged backgrounds, exacerbating educational inequities. The debate also highlights the importance of allowing children to have enough free time for play, exploration, and family interaction, which are crucial for their social and emotional development.

Checking 13yo’s math homework & I have just one question. I can catch mistakes & help her correct. But what do kids do when their parent isn’t an Algebra teacher? Answer: They get frustrated. Quit. Get a bad grade. Think they aren’t good at math. How is homework fair??? — Jay Wamsted (@JayWamsted) March 24, 2022

Once you’ve finished this article, you’ll know:

Insights from Teachers and Education Industry Experts: Diverse Perspectives on Homework

Here are the insights and opinions from various experts in the educational field on this topic:

“I teach 1st grade. I had parents ask for homework. I explained that I don’t give homework. Home time is family time. Time to play, cook, explore and spend time together. I do send books home, but there is no requirement or checklist for reading them. Read them, enjoy them, and return them when your child is ready for more. I explained that as a parent myself, I know they are busy—and what a waste of energy it is to sit and force their kids to do work at home—when they could use that time to form relationships and build a loving home. Something kids need more than a few math problems a week.” — Colleen S. , 1st grade teacher

“The lasting educational value of homework at that age is not proven. A kid says the times tables [at school] because he studied the times tables last night. But over a long period of time, a kid who is drilled on the times tables at school, rather than as homework, will also memorize their times tables. We are worried about young children and their social emotional learning. And that has to do with physical activity, it has to do with playing with peers, it has to do with family time. All of those are very important and can be removed by too much homework.” — David Bloomfield , education professor at Brooklyn College and the City University of New York graduate center

“Homework in primary school has an effect of around zero. In high school it’s larger. (…) Which is why we need to get it right. Not why we need to get rid of it. It’s one of those lower hanging fruit that we should be looking in our primary schools to say, ‘Is it really making a difference?’” — John Hattie , professor

”Many kids are working as many hours as their overscheduled parents and it is taking a toll – psychologically and in many other ways too. We see kids getting up hours before school starts just to get their homework done from the night before… While homework may give kids one more responsibility, it ignores the fact that kids do not need to grow up and become adults at ages 10 or 12. With schools cutting recess time or eliminating playgrounds, kids absorb every single stress there is, only on an even higher level. Their brains and bodies need time to be curious, have fun, be creative and just be a kid.” — Pat Wayman, teacher and CEO of HowtoLearn.com

7 Reasons Why Students Should Not Have Homework

1. elevated stress and health consequences.

This data paints a concerning picture. Students, already navigating a world filled with various stressors, find themselves further burdened by homework demands. The direct correlation between excessive homework and health issues indicates a need for reevaluation. The goal should be to ensure that homework if assigned, adds value to students’ learning experiences without compromising their health and well-being.

2. Inequitable Impact and Socioeconomic Disparities

3. negative impact on family dynamics.

The issue is not confined to specific demographics but is a widespread concern. Samantha Hulsman, a teacher featured in Education Week Teacher , shared her personal experience with the toll that homework can take on family time. She observed that a seemingly simple 30-minute assignment could escalate into a three-hour ordeal, causing stress and strife between parents and children. Hulsman’s insights challenge the traditional mindset about homework, highlighting a shift towards the need for skills such as collaboration and problem-solving over rote memorization of facts.

4. Consumption of Free Time

Authors Sara Bennett and Nancy Kalish , in their book “The Case Against Homework,” offer an insightful window into the lives of families grappling with the demands of excessive homework. They share stories from numerous interviews conducted in the mid-2000s, highlighting the universal struggle faced by families across different demographics. A poignant account from a parent in Menlo Park, California, describes nightly sessions extending until 11 p.m., filled with stress and frustration, leading to a soured attitude towards school in both the child and the parent. This narrative is not isolated, as about one-third of the families interviewed expressed feeling crushed by the overwhelming workload.

5. Challenges for Students with Learning Disabilities

6. critique of underlying assumptions about learning, 7. issues with homework enforcement, reliability, and temptation to cheat, addressing opposing views on homework practices, 1. improvement of academic performance, 2. reinforcement of learning, 3. development of time management skills, 4. preparation for future academic challenges, 5. parental involvement in education, exploring alternatives to homework and finding a middle ground, alternatives to traditional homework, ideas for minimizing homework, useful resources, leave a comment cancel reply.

Why I Think All Schools Should Abolish Homework

H ow long is your child’s workweek? Thirty hours? Forty? Would it surprise you to learn that some elementary school kids have workweeks comparable to adults’ schedules? For most children, mandatory homework assignments push their workweek far beyond the school day and deep into what any other laborers would consider overtime. Even without sports or music or other school-sponsored extracurriculars, the daily homework slog keeps many students on the clock as long as lawyers, teachers, medical residents, truck drivers and other overworked adults. Is it any wonder that,deprived of the labor protections that we provide adults, our kids are suffering an epidemic of disengagement, anxiety and depression ?

With my youngest child just months away from finishing high school, I’m remembering all the needless misery and missed opportunities all three of my kids suffered because of their endless assignments. When my daughters were in middle school, I would urge them into bed before midnight and then find them clandestinely studying under the covers with a flashlight. We cut back on their activities but still found ourselves stuck in a system on overdrive, returning home from hectic days at 6 p.m. only to face hours more of homework. Now, even as a senior with a moderate course load, my son, Zak, has spent many weekends studying, finding little time for the exercise and fresh air essential to his well-being. Week after week, and without any extracurriculars, Zak logs a lot more than the 40 hours adults traditionally work each week — and with no recognition from his “bosses” that it’s too much. I can’t count the number of shared evenings, weekend outings and dinners that our family has missed and will never get back.

How much after-school time should our schools really own?

In the midst of the madness last fall, Zak said to me, “I feel like I’m working towards my death. The constant demands on my time since 5th grade are just going to continue through graduation, into college, and then into my job. It’s like I’m on an endless treadmill with no time for living.”

My spirit crumbled along with his.

Like Zak, many people are now questioning the point of putting so much demand on children and teens that they become thinly stretched and overworked. Studies have long shown that there is no academic benefit to high school homework that consumes more than a modest number of hours each week. In a study of high schoolers conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), researchers concluded that “after around four hours of homework per week, the additional time invested in homework has a negligible impact on performance.”

In elementary school, where we often assign overtime even to the youngest children, studies have shown there’s no academic benefit to any amount of homework at all.

Our unquestioned acceptance of homework also flies in the face of all we know about human health, brain function and learning. Brain scientists know that rest and exercise are essential to good health and real learning . Even top adult professionals in specialized fields take care to limit their work to concentrated periods of focus. A landmark study of how humans develop expertise found that elite musicians, scientists and athletes do their most productive work only about four hours per day .

Yet we continue to overwork our children, depriving them of the chance to cultivate health and learn deeply, burdening them with an imbalance of sedentary, academic tasks. American high school students , in fact, do more homework each week than their peers in the average country in the OECD, a 2014 report found.

It’s time for an uprising.

Already, small rebellions are starting. High schools in Ridgewood, N.J. , and Fairfax County, Va., among others, have banned homework over school breaks. The entire second grade at Taylor Elementary School in Arlington, Va., abolished homework this academic year. Burton Valley Elementary School in Lafayette, Calif., has eliminated homework in grades K through 4. Henry West Laboratory School , a public K-8 school in Coral Gables, Fla., eliminated mandatory, graded homework for optional assignments. One Lexington, Mass., elementary school is piloting a homework-free year, replacing it with reading for pleasure.

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Across the Atlantic, students in Spain launched a national strike against excessive assignments in November. And a second-grade teacher in Texas, made headlines this fall when she quit sending home extra work , instead urging families to “spend your evenings doing things that are proven to correlate with student success. Eat dinner as a family, read together, play outside and get your child to bed early.”

It is time that we call loudly for a clear and simple change: a workweek limit for children, counting time on the clock before and after the final bell. Why should schools extend their authority far beyond the boundaries of campus, dictating activities in our homes in the hours that belong to families? An all-out ban on after-school assignments would be optimal. Short of that, we can at least sensibly agree on a cap limiting kids to a 40-hour workweek — and fewer hours for younger children.

Resistance even to this reasonable limit will be rife. Mike Miller, an English teacher at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Va., found this out firsthand when he spearheaded a homework committee to rethink the usual approach. He had read the education research and found a forgotten policy on the county books limiting homework to two hours a night, total, including all classes. “I thought it would be a slam dunk” to put the two-hour cap firmly in place, Miller said.

But immediately, people started balking. “There was a lot of fear in the community,” Miller said. “It’s like jumping off a high dive with your kids’ future. If we reduce homework to two hours or less, is my kid really going to be okay?” In the end, the committee only agreed to a homework ban over school breaks.

Miller’s response is a great model for us all. He decided to limit assignments in his own class to 20 minutes a night (the most allowed for a student with six classes to hit the two-hour max). His students didn’t suddenly fail. Their test scores remained stable. And they started using their more breathable schedule to do more creative, thoughtful work.

That’s the way we will get to a sane work schedule for kids: by simultaneously pursuing changes big and small. Even as we collaboratively press for policy changes at the district or individual school level, all teachers can act now, as individuals, to ease the strain on overworked kids.

As parents and students, we can also organize to make homework the exception rather than the rule. We can insist that every family, teacher and student be allowed to opt out of assignments without penalty to make room for important activities, and we can seek changes that shift practice exercises and assignments into the actual school day.

We’ll know our work is done only when Zak and every other child can clock out, eat dinner, sleep well and stay healthy — the very things needed to engage and learn deeply. That’s the basic standard the law applies to working adults. Let’s do the same for our kids.

Vicki Abeles is the author of the bestseller Beyond Measure: Rescuing an Overscheduled, Overtested, Underestimated Generation, and director and producer of the documentaries “ Race to Nowhere ” and “ Beyond Measure. ”

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No Teachers, No Class, No Homework; Would You Send Your Kids Here?

Democratic schooling may be the most radical experiment in education of the past 100 years.

In Massachusetts farm country, not far from Boston, a group of about 200 students of all ages are part of a radical experiment. These students don't take any classes they don't specifically ask to have taught. They can spend their time doing whatever they want, as long as it's not destructive or criminal -- reading, playing video games, cooking, making art. There are 11 adults, called "staff members"; no one technically holds the title of "teacher." The kids establish rules and mete out punishments by a democratic process whereby each member of the community has one vote -- which means the adults are "outnumbered" by the kids almost 20 to one. Unlike at most private schools, students are admitted without regard to their academic records.

Sudbury Valley School will this spring find itself one focus of a book by the psychologist and Boston College professor Peter Gray, whose own son attended Sudbury Valley in the 1980s. At the time, Gray was a professor and neurobiology researcher whose work focused on the basic drives of mammals. At his lab, he worked with rats and mice. The experience of his young son, who was struggling in school, convinced him to entirely shift the focus of his career.

"He clearly was unhappy in school, and very rebellious," Gray said of his son in a phone interview. In fourth grade, the son convinced his parents to send him to Sudbury. It was obvious early on that he was "thriving" there, but his father "had questions whether someone could graduate from such a radical school and go on to higher education."

Gray wound up becoming a developmental and learning psychologist in order to do a study of Sudbury outcomes. The results impressed him. Gray described his son as "precocious and articulate"; his problem was not with mastering the material, but with the "waste of time" that normal schooling, with its average pace and rigid structures, entailed.

But not all of Sudbury's students and alumni were precocious learners: "Some had been diagnosed with learning disorders." And while some came from privileged backgrounds with supportive parents who had deliberately sought out alternative education, other parents had been desperate. (Gray notes that most students when he did his study came from public school, not from another private school.) But most seemed to do well at the school, and alumni reported high satisfaction later in life. How was it that students who followed such an out-there program appeared to become relatively well adjusted adults? Gray began to inquire into why.

Nothing enrages parents like the idea that their kids might be educated to do or say or think things they don't agree with, by people they don't trust. Yet as different as parents might be, most could nonetheless probably agree on some things. Many would agree that schools should teach values and behaviors -- like sharing, thinking critically, or empathizing with others -- and not just specific skills. Most would approve a program that teaches personal responsibility. A pretty large number would probably also say it's important to foster creativity and allow the student to discover his or her own interests.

There are schools that purport to directly teach those values. They're called democratic schools, and most parents would never consider sending their kids to one. That's because they're run, in great part, by the kids themselves.

While democratic schools vary greatly, the basic concept is the same. When it comes to governing the school -- whether it's deciding what lessons will be taught or setting curfew -- the decision-making rule is "one person, one vote." A teacher's vote counts the same a student's, whether that student is six or 16. And since, at most schools, the body of faculty is smaller than the body of students, the kids ultimately do have it when it comes to making decisions.

Of the democratic schools that exist today, the oldest is Summerhill , a co-ed boarding school founded in 1921 by the British educator A.S. Neill. It opened at a time when a lot of experiments in bohemian education methods were sprouting -- and failing -- in England. But Summerhill still thrives, with a student body of about 100 and a large international population. The school went through a rough patch in 1999 and 2000 when it was nearly shuttered due to a conflict with Ofsted, Britain's national school accreditation body, over what inspectors described as the rude and unruly behavior of students. After a long legal battle, the school was saved, and by 2007, it had been accredited for the first time in its history. Inspectors gave it a stand-out review, praising the students as "well-rounded, confident and mature."

Sudbury Valley is to some extent America's Summerhill, although it is less well known here than its British counterpart is in the UK. The "free school" movement in the U.S. was at its peak in the late 1960s and the 1970s. To a great extent, its ideals meshed with the aims of the anti-war movement, black power, and other ideologies of the era. So did the schools' countercultural, vaguely anarchic vibe. It was in this context, in 1968, that a professor of the history of science at Columbia decided to leave his university teaching post and found a free school in rural Massachusetts. For the past four-plus decades, it has quietly and effectively graduated generations of students. The school is little-known outside education circles, but it has spawned about 20 schools around the world that are run on Sudbury (that is, democratic) principles.

For the younger kids, age mixing replaces the teacher-student dynamic. Both traditional education and Sudbury work to some extent because they take advantage of the " zone of proximal development ": the category of things that a child can do with help but not without it. Children learn, according to some theories, when they work with a more skilled person to master activities in their zone of proximal development.

Theoretically, a school doesn't have to be democratic to allow age mixing, and some Montessori schools (for instance) allow a limited amount of it. But as Gray notes, the rigid, age-tracked curricula that are used in most schools make meaningful age mixing almost impossible. Conversely, a Sudbury school where all the kids were the same age "simply wouldn't work."

In some ways, it's the democratic meeting that allows the school to run: It takes a potentially lawless and chaotic setup and gives it structure. It's a mechanism for dealing with bullying (which is almost nonexistent at Sudbury) and with disruptive behavior when just a warning from another student won't do. It's also a way of evolving sophisticated laws for the community. "The school," says Gray, "has a very thick rulebook."

He gives an example. "A number of years ago, there was a new teenage student who was coming to school in a black leather jacket with a swastika on it. And so, because it was offensive, it led to a desire to make a rule in the school meeting saying that you could not display a swastika on your clothing in the school." The proposed rule provoked a discussion over the limits of free speech that was, in Gray's view, "worthy of the Supreme Court."

Students quickly hit on the fact that there was a tension between limiting speech and the democratic values of the school. "There were all sorts of people taking part, mostly teenagers and staff, but every once in a while a young kid would say something too. And those who weren't talking were listening, rapt, learning about history, about Nazism, about why wearing a swastika might be exceptional, why it might be different, say, than wearing a hammer and sickle." The meeting ultimately decided to pass the rule, and it led in time to a larger rule prohibiting hate speech at the school, and distinguishing between hate speech and regular speech.

Most of the major democratic schools that exist today have good track records. Sudbury's founders have been eager to tout their students' success at meeting the demands of the "real world." Gray tells me his research indicated that about 75 percent of Sudbury graduates went on to college, and that those who didn't reported fulfilled lives.

The measure of success partly depends on what you consider a good life outcome. When Summerhill -- the famous UK free school -- celebrated its 90th anniversary in 2011, the Guardian ran reflections from a handful of its alumni. (The British, who have a tradition of strictly hierarchical boarding schools, have been fascinated by Summerhill practically since its founding.) Among the group were several artists, a dentist, and a writer, and many commented that their education had made them "like being themselves."

As Gray admitted in our interview, it's hard to know whether other factors apart from school influence these students' success. Parents involved enough to research and send their children to such an unusual school probably already give their kids a leg up, compared to less attentive parents who expend less energy on school choice or have less time to focus on it. And with a yearly tuition of $7,800 (prorated if multiple children attend), many students who attend Sudbury are relatively privileged economically.

Writers like Jonathan Kozol have asserted that low income kids stand to benefit from alternative education methods as much as wealthy ones. The question of implementation, however, is vexed, and data on the efficacy of democratic schools are heavily anecdotal and therefore subjective. Since democratic schooling has never been tried at scale with kids from low-income or troubled backgrounds, it's difficult to know exactly how it would work for them.

As with all schooling, whether democratic school appeals to you may depend on what you value more. Would you rather your child be prepared to advance economically and socially, or would you rather he be an idiosyncratic thinker? Would you rather teach your child to operate successfully in the bureaucratic structures of the real world, or would you prefer that she learn to participate in a near-perfect democracy? It isn't an either-or choice, but democratic schools heavily stress the latter values. Even some parents and teachers who consider themselves progressive think the schools lack balance. The Sudbury model could be criticized for not teaching kids the basics they need to learn to function as adults, though proponents say most kids wind up teaching themselves the skills they need to function anyway. You could also argue that, on a more abstract level, a certain shared basic knowledge helps makes us human (or American), and that Sudbury students lose that. (This is the ethos behind core curricula at universities, for instance -- and one totally opposed to the Sudbury philosophy.)

Sudbury survived, but most of the democratic schools founded in the U.S. in the 1960s and 1970s failed. In an article Gray co-authored in 1986, he and Sudbury staff member David Chanoff asked themselves why:

It is true that numerous so-called free schools were started in the 1960s and the 1970s and that most of them failed as institutions. ... People do not want to take chances with their children. When parents and teachers see that children, genuinely given a choice, do not choose to engage in the kinds of activities that everyone thinks of as "school activities," they understandably become nervous. "What if my child falls behind and can't catch up? Maybe he is being spoiled in this school, developing lazy habits, lack of discipline. Perhaps he will be unable to get into college, get a job, keep a job. His life may be ruined." In many ways, conventional schooling may not be appealing, but at least it is known, and the known is less frightening than the unknown. The fact is that in the United States today we have virtually no models of people who have "made it" without conventional schooling. Consequently, we have a nagging feeling that such schooling, whatever its defects, must be one of the essential ingredients of success. ... And so when an alternative school begins to look not at all like school, that is, when it becomes a real "alternative," it is seen by the adults (and many children too) as failing and is either closed or modified.

Many agree that the generation of Americans now in their teens and 20s had some of the most over-supervised and over-structured childhoods in U.S. history. It will be interesting to see whether these trends will continue, or whether these next-generation parents react to their own disciplined upbringings by becoming more hands-off. If they grow to resent the way they were raised, democratic schools may come to look like a pretty appealing option for their own children.

Editorial: How can kids learn without homework and rigid deadlines? Quite well, it turns out

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The usual system for grading students is, bit by bit, going by the wayside in favor of one that emphasizes learning over traditional measures. It’s a healthy shift, though traditionalists no doubt are raising their eyebrows and muttering darkly about lowered standards and kids skating through school. The skepticism is especially likely now that the changes are being hastened by the realization that the current system puts students of color and those from lower-income households at a distinct disadvantage.

So-called mastery-based grading and a very similar method known as specs (for specifications) grading have been written about in academic circles for decades. But schools have stuck to an outdated system that relies heavily on students’ compliance — completing homework, behaving in class, meeting deadlines and correctly answering questions on a one-time test — as a proxy for learning, rather than measuring the learning itself.

That’s been a disservice to all students, whether they are academically gifted or struggling. It rewards students for grade-grubbing and has them feeling like failures when conditions at home — such as crowding, the need to work a part-time job to help the family finances or caring for younger siblings — make it especially hard to meet all the course requirements on a rigid deadline.

If there were a valid reason for this, that would be one thing. But obeying arbitrary and sometimes unfair rules doesn’t translate into better learning. The goal should be assessing the skills and knowledge students gained and how well they think. Mastery-based education and specs grading, and some of the elements that go with them, put the emphasis back on learning. Imagine that.

It shouldn’t matter, for example, whether students get a sterling grade on the first chapter test on human anatomy, or if they learn from their mistakes and go on to ace a second test. Students who redo an essay, even two or three times, in ways that show they’ve grasped concepts of research and critical thinking, and can write cogent and well-organized sentences, are showing that they’re gaining important skills. That willingness to try and try again until a skill is mastered is something to celebrate, not penalize with points off for multiple efforts.

It sounds vague and perhaps airy-fairy, but education experts point out that, in some ways, this kind of grading is more rigorous. Under the specs model, students are graded pass/fail on their tests, but they don’t pass unless they do well — usually at a minimum level of 80%, or a low B. There’s no passing with a C or D. It’s the opposite of skating by; students don’t move to the next level of skills with minimal grasp of the material.

Rather than being given a grade or a comment that they failed to meet a couple of deadlines, students receive specific information about their progress and what they need to do to move forward. This system transfers more of the responsibility for learning to the student.

Several states, including Vermont and Maine, already have adopted this model for their public schools. A middle school in Brooklyn, N.Y., witnessed phenomenal improvement in students’ scores on standardized tests after a few years of mastery-based learning, even though it is in ways the antithesis of a one-time, standardized test. And in case this seems like just the latest instance of touchy-feely liberal thinking limited to the Northeast, Idaho adopted mastery-based education in 2015.

The concept’s roots lie in the 1960s work of Benjamin Bloom , an education psychologist at the University of Chicago who said that given the right conditions, almost any student could achieve at high levels. Now the Black Lives Matter movement has raised awareness that traditional schools are assessing the learning of students — especially Black and Latino children — in ways that both discourage them and fail to hold them to high expectations. In addition, more than a year of remote learning has familiarized students with how to use technological tools to learn; in the classroom, those can be used to individualize instruction so that teachers have a chance to work with small groups.

The Los Angeles Unified School District is shifting toward this new model of grading this year by encouraging teachers to give kids a chance to redo tests or reports and to base grades on what students have learned, not on their work habits. It’s off to a slow start, but that’s the better way to go when introducing an era of assessment so radically different from how it’s been for the last century.

Teachers need time to understand, embrace and start incorporating these practices. And they’ll need training, administrative help and aides to help instruct small groups and track progress.

In other words, careful implementation is as important as the reform. This is where new education initiatives tend to fall apart. Too often, L.A. Unified has used changes in course and grading requirements to lower its standards. Kids can’t infinitely skip school and miss deadlines; that’s not how college or the work world operate. Students should be given extra time to learn, but the schools can’t keep a student in middle school indefinitely, while he or she builds crucial skills.

Mastery-based learning gets students to think about their own progress and encourages them to take their skills as far as they can. If done right — and not as an excuse for lack of progress — it could reinvigorate classrooms and give students a sense of control over their own educational destiny.

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Where the school is without classrooms! Netherlands’ School sets new benchmarks in Innovative Learning

This school in netherlands has the formula for holistic development - no classes, curriculum. setting new standards of truly innovative learning, the school allows the child to choose..

We all dream of schools which are open spaces of learning, filled with joys and laughter and possibly no books! Well, Netherlands has found the formula. A school in Netherlands has no classes, no classrooms and no curriculum. Yes, you read that right! The educational institution does not believe in limiting learning with education. The student can choose what he wishes to learn and take his own unique developmental journey.

Break from the conventional? True. The Agora School in Roermond, Netherlands has 250 students and a long waiting list. School's entire approach is centred around projects as it focuses on "learning, not teaching". Students at Agora range from 12 to 18 years in age and each of them is given control over their own educational journey. They are able to explore and learn about topics and things which interest them.

Students can choose from diverse subjects such as German mountain guides, Mongolian horses, blacksmithing, Harry Potter patronuses, tables and skateboards. Each staff member at school is responsible for nearly 17 students each. They have to ensure that there are tangible results and genuine development. Staff also works with each student on ways to continue developing the learning journey. 

Rob Houben, Manager of the Agora School in Roermond, the Netherlands said, "We get around 70 requests a week from all over the world from people wanting to come and see what we do here." He told online publishing platform Medium.com that "And I turn most of them down, I just don't have the time to do all that!".  Houben can also be called the school's principal or headteacher. 

Houben describes Agora "as a blend of a university (where you have knowledge), a Buddhist monastery (where you can think), a theme park (where you can play) and a communal marketplace (where you can trade and swap things)". 

Students at school are encouraged to customize their desk. A student has the front of a car attached to his desk which was made with the use of local scrapyard. Students say what they enjoy most about Agora is "the freedom to explore and learn whatever they want".

Houben told, "People look strangely at us. They think because of their school experience you have to have things like four mathematics lessons a week, but in the Netherlands, that isn't the case. The government only asks you to bring students to a certain level within a certain time period."

Agora permits ubiquitous mobile phone and Internet use. "All our children have Chromebooks for free, so they (students) have access to the Internet all day. We allow them to use their phones, all day, because you need to learn how not to use your phone in certain moments. And you don't learn that when you put your phone in a locker or container because then you have to have a container your whole life," according to Houben. Agora tracks the students' progress through Egodact which is a piece of software designed by three students.

Get latest news and live updates,   Latest Education News , updates from Education Minister, CBSE News and other Board Results

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Do No-Zero Policies Help or Hurt Students?

No-zero policies spur serious—and productive—debate among teachers. We look at the big insights on both sides of the argument. 

With a no-zero grading policy, the glass is always half full.

The controversial grading policy—which is rising in popularity across the country—sets the lowest possible grade for any assignment or test at 50 percent, even when students turn in no work at all.

Schools systems like Fairfax County Public Schools and the Philadelphia School District have adopted similar approaches in recent years, arguing that they give all students a chance to succeed. These changes in grading policy are moving in tandem with national efforts to abolish letter grades  and minimize the value placed on AP exams and SAT scores in favor of assessments focused on students’ skills, competencies, and work samples.

“I think grades oftentimes become an indicator of ‘completion’ and not necessarily a movement toward proficiency of content standards,” Jennie Frederiksen wrote on Facebook. “Teaching is hard work. Let’s have grades that reflect actual learning.”

But others feel differently. A no-zero grading policy allows students to do minimal work and still pass, pushes students forward who haven’t mastered the content, and doesn’t teach students the real-life consequences of not meeting their responsibilities, according to many of the 300 members of the Edutopia audience who reacted to our Facebook post “ Is Our Grading System Fair? ”

“We are creating a generation of entitled people who are hitting the colleges and the job market with major holes in their abilities to survive,” wrote Tom Bannan on Facebook, reflecting on the lack of forgiveness for poor or unfinished work in real-life work environments. And the actual cause of failing grades isn’t tough grading systems or pitiless educators, according to many who joined the Facebook thread. “Zeros don’t create holes,” said Lara Morales. “Kids choosing not to do their work creates holes.”

Giving Students a Second Chance

For many in favor of a no-zero grading policy, it comes down to equity. Many educators argue that home-life factors create barriers to student learning, that low grades encourage struggling students to give up, and that teachers who can’t get their kids to comply use grades to punish rather than to assess knowledge.

There are a wide variety of home-life factors—like learning disabilities, learning English as a second language, or working a job to support their families—that impact students’ abilities to succeed academically, teachers noted. If a student misses a major assignment or assessment due to a home-life situation and receives a zero, that’s much more difficult to come back from academically than a 50.

“I work with students that don’t always know where they are sleeping or whether they will be eating when they go home,” says Polly Pennington Wilson. “Sometimes there are outside factors that affect student success. Grades run second to those concerns.”

But the equity argument was just one dimension of the criticism leveled at zeros. A significant number of teachers simply considered it draconian arithmetic—a grading strategy that, once triggered, torpedoed any record of progress and learning across the remainder of the grading period.

“If you are using a 100 point system, 0’s are unfair,” said Edutopia audience member Stephan Currence. “Which student has demonstrated greater mastery: student A: 100, 100, 100, 100, 0, or student B: 75, 80, 90, 80, 90? Mathematically, it is student B with an 83 average, but student A has clearly demonstrated greater mastery.” Even demonstrating consistent mastery for months can be undone by a single zero, in other words, and for many teachers that feels unjust.

Still, some educators assume that giving very low grades—zeros, in some cases—communicates to students that they need to work harder. That’s not how students see it, explains Sarah Duncan, the co-director of the University of Chicago’s Network for College Success , an organization that works with high schools to improve grades and graduation rates for entering freshman.

“Instead of working harder, the vast majority of students who get an F tend to withdraw, try less, and come to school less because they’re taking an F for what it actually stands for: failure,” said Duncan, refuting the argument that zeros create greater accountability in students. “They interpret an F as ‘You do not belong in this environment.’”

The research tends to corroborate that perspective: According to a 2014  literature review that explored the history of grading spanning almost 200 years, grades increase anxiety and decrease the interest in learning for students who struggle.

Finally, a few teachers worried that no-tolerance grading policies are often used as a classroom management strategy—and they’re the wrong tool for the job. “I feel like teachers are not being equipped with the tools to address behavior so they are using grades as a way to try to get kids to comply,” said Currence. “This does not help the child, or parent, understand where they are in terms of learning and what is necessary academically to succeed.”

Just Passing Through

Several of the educators participating in the conversation had direct experience with no-zero policies, however, and felt that in practice they simply didn’t work well.

“[Our 50 policy] had unintended consequences that undermined instruction. Many students learned to subvert the system and would do nothing two quarters [of the] year, collect their 50s, and do well during the next two quarters and on the final,” said Rachel Kent of her school’s adoption of the policy. “In essence, they were smart kids who didn’t want to do the work (or didn’t want to come to school) and knew they could take half of a year off and still pass.”

The same logic drove Leominster Public Schools in Massachusetts to rescind their no-zero grading policy. “We really felt that after years of doing it that way, kids just weren’t learning to be responsible,” said Sky View Middle School Principal Tim Blake, as reported by the Sentinel & Enterprise News .

While teachers who spoke in favor of zeros recognized that the grade can dampen enthusiasm for learning, they suggested that no-zero approaches had a similar effect—with potential long-term consequences for students.

According to these educators, a no-zero grading standard allows students who haven’t mastered the content to slip by, and then move on to increasingly harder subjects, the next grade level, or even to college completely unprepared, putting students in a hole they might never climb out of.

“Why boost a kid’s GPA when they clearly don’t know the subject and lack determination?” said Alo Torres. “If they aren’t ready for the next grade, let them fail. It isn’t a punishment. On the contrary. It is help. It is making sure a child will be successful by not just passing them along before they are ready.”

According to Christina Arenas, a community college professor, high school students are often shocked when they get Ds and don’t move on or coast through. “If your boss gives you a deadline and you miss it, what happens?” asks Arenas. “At some point, our job as educators has to be to prepare them for the real world.”

Maybe It’s Not a Zero-Sum Game

Given the complex range of factors to consider, perhaps both strict pro-zero and no-zero strategies are too inflexible. Giving students productive feedback requires nuance—all children are different.

Already, there is evidence that teachers are starting to find their way back toward the middle. According to our audience, some educators in schools with a no-zero policy give a slightly higher grade to students who put in effort. Teachers with more flexibility say they give slightly lower scores to students who don’t try at all. Others put students’ original scores on their papers, but mark 50 percent in their gradebook so students and their caregivers know the grade that reflects their actual understanding.

To help him remember the reason behind every 50, Jimmy Araujo, a high school biology teacher, uses place markers in his gradebook to note distinctions in student performance.

“NM stands for non-mastery. AB for absent. NHI for not handed in regarding homework assignments. DNA for did not attempt,” Araujo wrote on Facebook. “These allow me to communicate to students and parents better to distinguish where the student needs help.”

Overall, according to the experts, neither no-zero nor zero policies are silver bullets. Grading is more about the feedback provided and expectations set by the teacher to contextualize the grade.

“If you hand me an essay that’s really lousy, do I say ‘F, do better next time,’ or do I say ‘I’m not going to grade this. I expect a much higher quality of work from you. I wrote comments on it. Come to my room at lunchtime, and we’re going to work on it together, and then I need you to turn it in next week,’” Duncan said. 

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Why homework doesn't seem to boost learning--and how it could.

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Some schools are eliminating homework, citing research showing it doesn’t do much to boost achievement. But maybe teachers just need to assign a different kind of homework.

In 2016, a second-grade teacher in Texas delighted her students—and at least some of their parents—by announcing she would no longer assign homework. “Research has been unable to prove that homework improves student performance,” she explained.

The following year, the superintendent of a Florida school district serving 42,000 students eliminated homework for all elementary students and replaced it with twenty minutes of nightly reading, saying she was basing her decision on “solid research about what works best in improving academic achievement in students.”

Many other elementary schools seem to have quietly adopted similar policies. Critics have objected that even if homework doesn’t increase grades or test scores, it has other benefits, like fostering good study habits and providing parents with a window into what kids are doing in school.

Those arguments have merit, but why doesn’t homework boost academic achievement? The research cited by educators just doesn’t seem to make sense. If a child wants to learn to play the violin, it’s obvious she needs to practice at home between lessons (at least, it’s obvious to an adult). And psychologists have identified a range of strategies that help students learn, many of which seem ideally suited for homework assignments.

For example, there’s something called “ retrieval practice ,” which means trying to recall information you’ve already learned. The optimal time to engage in retrieval practice is not immediately after you’ve acquired information but after you’ve forgotten it a bit—like, perhaps, after school. A homework assignment could require students to answer questions about what was covered in class that day without consulting their notes. Research has found that retrieval practice and similar learning strategies are far more powerful than simply rereading or reviewing material.

One possible explanation for the general lack of a boost from homework is that few teachers know about this research. And most have gotten little training in how and why to assign homework. These are things that schools of education and teacher-prep programs typically don’t teach . So it’s quite possible that much of the homework teachers assign just isn’t particularly effective for many students.

Even if teachers do manage to assign effective homework, it may not show up on the measures of achievement used by researchers—for example, standardized reading test scores. Those tests are designed to measure general reading comprehension skills, not to assess how much students have learned in specific classes. Good homework assignments might have helped a student learn a lot about, say, Ancient Egypt. But if the reading passages on a test cover topics like life in the Arctic or the habits of the dormouse, that student’s test score may well not reflect what she’s learned.

The research relied on by those who oppose homework has actually found it has a modest positive effect at the middle and high school levels—just not in elementary school. But for the most part, the studies haven’t looked at whether it matters what kind of homework is assigned or whether there are different effects for different demographic student groups. Focusing on those distinctions could be illuminating.

A study that looked specifically at math homework , for example, found it boosted achievement more in elementary school than in middle school—just the opposite of the findings on homework in general. And while one study found that parental help with homework generally doesn’t boost students’ achievement—and can even have a negative effect— another concluded that economically disadvantaged students whose parents help with homework improve their performance significantly.

That seems to run counter to another frequent objection to homework, which is that it privileges kids who are already advantaged. Well-educated parents are better able to provide help, the argument goes, and it’s easier for affluent parents to provide a quiet space for kids to work in—along with a computer and internet access . While those things may be true, not assigning homework—or assigning ineffective homework—can end up privileging advantaged students even more.

Students from less educated families are most in need of the boost that effective homework can provide, because they’re less likely to acquire academic knowledge and vocabulary at home. And homework can provide a way for lower-income parents—who often don’t have time to volunteer in class or participate in parents’ organizations—to forge connections to their children’s schools. Rather than giving up on homework because of social inequities, schools could help parents support homework in ways that don’t depend on their own knowledge—for example, by recruiting others to help, as some low-income demographic groups have been able to do . Schools could also provide quiet study areas at the end of the day, and teachers could assign homework that doesn’t rely on technology.

Another argument against homework is that it causes students to feel overburdened and stressed.  While that may be true at schools serving affluent populations, students at low-performing ones often don’t get much homework at all—even in high school. One study found that lower-income ninth-graders “consistently described receiving minimal homework—perhaps one or two worksheets or textbook pages, the occasional project, and 30 minutes of reading per night.” And if they didn’t complete assignments, there were few consequences. I discovered this myself when trying to tutor students in writing at a high-poverty high school. After I expressed surprise that none of the kids I was working with had completed a brief writing assignment, a teacher told me, “Oh yeah—I should have told you. Our students don’t really do homework.”

If and when disadvantaged students get to college, their relative lack of study skills and good homework habits can present a serious handicap. After noticing that black and Hispanic students were failing her course in disproportionate numbers, a professor at the University of North Carolina decided to make some changes , including giving homework assignments that required students to quiz themselves without consulting their notes. Performance improved across the board, but especially for students of color and the disadvantaged. The gap between black and white students was cut in half, and the gaps between Hispanic and white students—along with that between first-generation college students and others—closed completely.

There’s no reason this kind of support should wait until students get to college. To be most effective—both in terms of instilling good study habits and building students’ knowledge—homework assignments that boost learning should start in elementary school.

Some argue that young children just need time to chill after a long day at school. But the “ten-minute rule”—recommended by homework researchers—would have first graders doing ten minutes of homework, second graders twenty minutes, and so on. That leaves plenty of time for chilling, and even brief assignments could have a significant impact if they were well-designed.

But a fundamental problem with homework at the elementary level has to do with the curriculum, which—partly because of standardized testing— has narrowed to reading and math. Social studies and science have been marginalized or eliminated, especially in schools where test scores are low. Students spend hours every week practicing supposed reading comprehension skills like “making inferences” or identifying “author’s purpose”—the kinds of skills that the tests try to measure—with little or no attention paid to content.

But as research has established, the most important component in reading comprehension is knowledge of the topic you’re reading about. Classroom time—or homework time—spent on illusory comprehension “skills” would be far better spent building knowledge of the very subjects schools have eliminated. Even if teachers try to take advantage of retrieval practice—say, by asking students to recall what they’ve learned that day about “making comparisons” or “sequence of events”—it won’t have much impact.

If we want to harness the potential power of homework—particularly for disadvantaged students—we’ll need to educate teachers about what kind of assignments actually work. But first, we’ll need to start teaching kids something substantive about the world, beginning as early as possible.

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Watch CBS News

NYC Parents, Students Weigh In On Whether They Support No-Homework Trend

April 25, 2017 / 7:17 PM EDT / CBS New York

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork)  -- Now that a number of New York City elementary school students no longer have homework, how do their parents feel about all their free time?

As CBS2's Elise Finch reports, at P.S. 11 in Chelsea, students in kindergarten through fourth grade don't get homework at the end of the day – at least not the kind most adults remember doing, like worksheets and book reports. Those tasks are a thing of the past.

"I love it," one mother said.

"My daughter does ballet, my son takes guitar," another woman added.

"We have family time and we get to do other things," one said.

At P.S. 116 on Manhattan's East Side, Principal Jane Hsu and her staff also did away with traditional homework assignments two years ago. Her team researched the pros and cons of homework for elementary school children and found that four other things have a far bigger impact.

"Playtime, downtime, family time and reading," she explained.

Hsu said students choose to do things like cook with a parent or sibling, read about something that interests them, play with friends or just relax.

"Students absolutely love the creativity that they are given and the ownership over deciding what they're going to do after school," she said.

The students that Finch spoke with said they love not having traditional homework every single night.

"You can do more free stuff," one girl said.

"Go on the iPad, have playdates," a boy added.

"I would normally spend time with my family or spend time with my friends," another girl said.

Their parents, however, aren't convinced this is the best thing for their children.

"It's a way to check in and be connected to your kids and what they're doing," one father said.

New York City schools are not required to assign homework of any kind, but NYC Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina says homework comes in many forms.

"Having a very strong dinner time conversation where there's a specific question that goes home every day to discuss with your family, to come back prepared to discuss it in school the next day is just as important as doing two pages of worksheets that ultimately don't even get marked," she said.

Administrators at each school are free to set their own policies when it comes to homework. Parents are free to assign their children homework if the "no homework" plan doesn't work for them.

At P.S. 116, where students have been homework-free for two years, teachers report no change in students' academic performance -- positive or negative.

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Poland’s kids rejoice over new rules against homework. Teachers and parents aren’t so sure

Ola Kozak, 11, sits at the table where she used to do her homework at the family home in Warsaw, Poland, Friday April 5, 2024. Ola is happy that Poland’s government has ordered strict limits on the amount of homework that teachers can impose on the lower grades, starting in April. Julian enjoyed doing his homework. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

Arkadiusz Korporowicz teaches history to 5th grade children at Primary School number 223 in Warsaw, Poland, Wednesday April 3, 2024. Poland’s government has ordered strict limits on the amount of homework that teachers can impose on the lower grades, starting in April. in Warsaw, Poland, Wednesday April 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

Pawel Kozak and his wife Magda Kozak, parents of three, stand at their home in Warsaw, Poland, Friday, April 5, 2024. They have different opinions on the decision by Poland’s government that ordered strict limits on the amount of homework that teachers can impose on the lower grades, starting in April. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

Children enter a classroom at the Primary School number 223 in Warsaw, Poland, Wednesday April 3, 2024. Poland’s government has ordered strict limits on the amount of homework that teachers can impose on the lower grades, starting in April. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

Julian Kozak, 9, sits at the table where he used to do his homework at the family home in Warsaw, Poland, on Friday April 5, 2024. Julian is not very happy that Poland’s government has ordered strict limits on the amount of homework that teachers can impose on the lower grades, starting in April. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

Ola Kozak, 11, right, and her younger brother Julian Kozak, 9, sit at the table where they used to do their homework at the family home in Warsaw, Poland, Friday April 5, 2024. Ola is happy that Poland’s government has ordered strict limits on the amount of homework that teachers can impose on the lower grades, starting in April. Julian enjoyed doing his homework. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

Poland’s Education Minister Barbara Nowacka announces restrictions on the amount of homework for primary school children, at school number 223 in Warsaw, Poland, Wednesday April 3, 2024. Opinions are divided on what results can be expected from the strict limits on the amount of homework that teachers can impose on the lower grades, starting in April. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

Pawel Kozak, father of three, speaks at his home in Warsaw, Poland, Friday, April 5, 2024. Pawel and her wife Magda have different opinions on the decision by Poland’s government that ordered strict limits on the amount of homework that teachers can impose on the lower grades, starting in April. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

Magda Kozak, mother of three, stands at her home in Warsaw, Poland, Friday, April 5, 2024. Magda and her husband Pawel have different opinions on the decision by Poland’s government that ordered strict limits on the amount of homework that teachers can impose on the lower grades, starting in April. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

Julian Kozak, 9, sits at the table where he used to do his homework at the family home in Warsaw, Poland, Friday, April 5, 2024. Julian is not very happy that Poland’s government has ordered strict limits on the amount of homework that teachers can impose on the lower grades, starting in April. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

Magda Kozak, right, spends time with her son Julian, 9, at their home in Warsaw, Poland, Friday, April 5, 2024. Neither of them is happy that starting in April, Poland’s government has ordered strict limits on the amount of homework that teachers can impose on the lower grades. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

Children walk in the corridor of Primary School number 223 in Warsaw, Poland, Wednesday April 3, 2024. Poland’s government has ordered strict limits on the amount of homework that teachers can impose on the lower grades, starting in April. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

Children with flowers wait for the arrival of Education Minister Barbara Nowacka at Primary School number 223 in Warsaw, Poland, Wednesday April 3, 2024. Poland’s government has ordered strict limits on the amount of homework that teachers can impose on the lower grades, starting in April. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

Julian Kozak, 9, plays with his cat at their home in Warsaw, Poland, Friday, April 5, 2024. Starting in April, Poland’s government has ordered strict limits on the amount of homework that teachers can impose on the lower grades. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

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WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Ola Kozak is celebrating. The 11-year-old, who loves music and drawing, expects to have more free time for her hobbies after Poland’s government ordered strict limits on the amount of homework in the lower grades.

“I am happy,” said the fifth grader, who lives in a Warsaw suburb with her parents and younger siblings. The lilac-colored walls in her bedroom are covered in her art, and on her desk she keeps a framed picture she drew of Kurt Cobain.

“Most people in my class in the morning would copy the work off someone who had done the homework or would copy it from the internet. So it didn’t make sense,” she said.

The government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk enacted the ban against required homework this month amid a broad discussion about the need to modernize Poland’s education system, which critics say puts too much emphasis on rote learning and homework, and not enough on critical thinking and creativity.

Under the decree, teachers are no longer to give required homework to kids in the first to third grades. In grades four to eight, homework is now optional and doesn’t count towards a grade.

Not everyone likes the change – and even Ola’s parents are divided.

“If there is something that will make students enjoy school more, then it will probably be good both for the students and for the school,” said her father, Pawel Kozak.

His wife, Magda Kozak, was skeptical. “I am not pleased, because (homework) is a way to consolidate what was learned,” she said. “It helps stay on top of what the child has really learned and what’s going on at school.”

(Ola’s brother Julian, a third grader, says he sees both sides.)

Debates over the proper amount of homework are common around the globe. While some studies have shown little benefit to homework for young learners, other experts say it can help them learn how to develop study habits and academic concepts.

Poland’s educational system has undergone a number of controversial overhauls. Almost every new government has tried to make changes — something many teachers and parents say has left them confused and discouraged. For example, after communism was thrown off, middle schools were introduced. Then under the last government, the previous system was brought back. More controversy came in recent years when ultra-conservative views were pushed in new textbooks.

For years, teachers have been fleeing the system due to low wages and political pressure. The current government is trying to increase teacher salaries and has promised other changes that teachers approve of.

But Sławomir Broniarz, the head of the Polish Teachers’ Union, said that while he recognized the need to ease burdens on students, the new homework rules are another case of change imposed from above without adequate consultation with educators.

“In general, the teachers think that this happened too quickly, too hastily,” he said.

He argued that removing homework could widen the educational gaps between kids who have strong support at home and those from poorer families with less support and lower expectations. Instead, he urged wider changes to the entire curriculum.

The homework rules gained impetus in the runup to parliamentary elections last year, when a 14-year-old boy, Maciek Matuszewski, stood up at a campaign rally and told Tusk before a national audience that children “had no time to rest.” The boy said their rights were being violated with so much homework on weekends and so many tests on Mondays.

Tusk has since featured Matuszewski in social media videos and made him the face of the sudden change.

Education Minister Barbara Nowacka said she was prompted by research on children’s mental health. Of the various stresses children face, she said, “the one that could be removed fastest was the burden of homework.”

Pasi Sahlberg, a prominent Finnish educator and author, said the value of homework depends on what it is and how it is linked to overall learning. The need for homework can be “very individual and contextual.”

“We need to trust our teachers to decide what is good for each child,” Sahlberg said.

In South Korea, homework limits were set for elementary schools in 2017 amid concerns that kids were under too much pressure. However, teenagers in the education-obsessed country often cram long into the night and get tutoring to meet the requirements of demanding school and university admission tests.

In the U.S., teachers and parents decide for themselves how much homework to assign. Some elementary schools have done away with homework entirely to give children more time to play, participate in activities and spend time with families.

A guideline circulated by teachers unions in the U.S. recommends about 10 minutes of homework per grade. So, 10 minutes in first grade, 20 minutes in second grade and so on.

The COVID-19 pandemic and a crisis around youth mental health have complicated debates around homework. In the U.S., extended school closures in some places were accompanied by steep losses in learning , which were often addressed with tutoring and other interventions paid for with federal pandemic relief money. At the same time, increased attention to student wellbeing led some teachers to consider alternate approaches including reduced or optional homework.

It’s important for children to learn that mastering something “usually requires practice, a lot of practice,” said Sahlberg, in Finland. If reducing homework leads kids and parents to think school expectations for excellence will be lowered, “things will go wrong.”

AP writers Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark, Michael Melia in Hartford, Connecticut, and Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul, South Korea, contributed.

Homework – Top 3 Pros and Cons

Pro/Con Arguments | Discussion Questions | Take Action | Sources | More Debates

From dioramas to book reports, from algebraic word problems to research projects, whether students should be given homework, as well as the type and amount of homework, has been debated for over a century. [ 1 ]

While we are unsure who invented homework, we do know that the word “homework” dates back to ancient Rome. Pliny the Younger asked his followers to practice their speeches at home. Memorization exercises as homework continued through the Middle Ages and Enlightenment by monks and other scholars. [ 45 ]

In the 19th century, German students of the Volksschulen or “People’s Schools” were given assignments to complete outside of the school day. This concept of homework quickly spread across Europe and was brought to the United States by Horace Mann , who encountered the idea in Prussia. [ 45 ]

In the early 1900s, progressive education theorists, championed by the magazine Ladies’ Home Journal , decried homework’s negative impact on children’s physical and mental health, leading California to ban homework for students under 15 from 1901 until 1917. In the 1930s, homework was portrayed as child labor, which was newly illegal, but the prevailing argument was that kids needed time to do household chores. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 45 ] [ 46 ]

Public opinion swayed again in favor of homework in the 1950s due to concerns about keeping up with the Soviet Union’s technological advances during the Cold War . And, in 1986, the US government included homework as an educational quality boosting tool. [ 3 ] [ 45 ]

A 2014 study found kindergarteners to fifth graders averaged 2.9 hours of homework per week, sixth to eighth graders 3.2 hours per teacher, and ninth to twelfth graders 3.5 hours per teacher. A 2014-2019 study found that teens spent about an hour a day on homework. [ 4 ] [ 44 ]

Beginning in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic complicated the very idea of homework as students were schooling remotely and many were doing all school work from home. Washington Post journalist Valerie Strauss asked, “Does homework work when kids are learning all day at home?” While students were mostly back in school buildings in fall 2021, the question remains of how effective homework is as an educational tool. [ 47 ]

Is Homework Beneficial?

Pro 1 Homework improves student achievement. Studies have shown that homework improved student achievement in terms of improved grades, test results, and the likelihood to attend college. Research published in the High School Journal indicated that students who spent between 31 and 90 minutes each day on homework “scored about 40 points higher on the SAT-Mathematics subtest than their peers, who reported spending no time on homework each day, on average.” [ 6 ] Students in classes that were assigned homework outperformed 69% of students who didn’t have homework on both standardized tests and grades. A majority of studies on homework’s impact – 64% in one meta-study and 72% in another – showed that take-home assignments were effective at improving academic achievement. [ 7 ] [ 8 ] Research by the Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) concluded that increased homework led to better GPAs and higher probability of college attendance for high school boys. In fact, boys who attended college did more than three hours of additional homework per week in high school. [ 10 ] Read More

Pro 2 Homework helps to reinforce classroom learning, while developing good study habits and life skills. Students typically retain only 50% of the information teachers provide in class, and they need to apply that information in order to truly learn it. Abby Freireich and Brian Platzer, co-founders of Teachers Who Tutor NYC, explained, “at-home assignments help students learn the material taught in class. Students require independent practice to internalize new concepts… [And] these assignments can provide valuable data for teachers about how well students understand the curriculum.” [ 11 ] [ 49 ] Elementary school students who were taught “strategies to organize and complete homework,” such as prioritizing homework activities, collecting study materials, note-taking, and following directions, showed increased grades and more positive comments on report cards. [ 17 ] Research by the City University of New York noted that “students who engage in self-regulatory processes while completing homework,” such as goal-setting, time management, and remaining focused, “are generally more motivated and are higher achievers than those who do not use these processes.” [ 18 ] Homework also helps students develop key skills that they’ll use throughout their lives: accountability, autonomy, discipline, time management, self-direction, critical thinking, and independent problem-solving. Freireich and Platzer noted that “homework helps students acquire the skills needed to plan, organize, and complete their work.” [ 12 ] [ 13 ] [ 14 ] [ 15 ] [ 49 ] Read More

Pro 3 Homework allows parents to be involved with children’s learning. Thanks to take-home assignments, parents are able to track what their children are learning at school as well as their academic strengths and weaknesses. [ 12 ] Data from a nationwide sample of elementary school students show that parental involvement in homework can improve class performance, especially among economically disadvantaged African-American and Hispanic students. [ 20 ] Research from Johns Hopkins University found that an interactive homework process known as TIPS (Teachers Involve Parents in Schoolwork) improves student achievement: “Students in the TIPS group earned significantly higher report card grades after 18 weeks (1 TIPS assignment per week) than did non-TIPS students.” [ 21 ] Homework can also help clue parents in to the existence of any learning disabilities their children may have, allowing them to get help and adjust learning strategies as needed. Duke University Professor Harris Cooper noted, “Two parents once told me they refused to believe their child had a learning disability until homework revealed it to them.” [ 12 ] Read More

Con 1 Too much homework can be harmful. A poll of California high school students found that 59% thought they had too much homework. 82% of respondents said that they were “often or always stressed by schoolwork.” High-achieving high school students said too much homework leads to sleep deprivation and other health problems such as headaches, exhaustion, weight loss, and stomach problems. [ 24 ] [ 28 ] [ 29 ] Alfie Kohn, an education and parenting expert, said, “Kids should have a chance to just be kids… it’s absurd to insist that children must be engaged in constructive activities right up until their heads hit the pillow.” [ 27 ] Emmy Kang, a mental health counselor, explained, “More than half of students say that homework is their primary source of stress, and we know what stress can do on our bodies.” [ 48 ] Excessive homework can also lead to cheating: 90% of middle school students and 67% of high school students admit to copying someone else’s homework, and 43% of college students engaged in “unauthorized collaboration” on out-of-class assignments. Even parents take shortcuts on homework: 43% of those surveyed admitted to having completed a child’s assignment for them. [ 30 ] [ 31 ] [ 32 ] Read More

Con 2 Homework exacerbates the digital divide or homework gap. Kiara Taylor, financial expert, defined the digital divide as “the gap between demographics and regions that have access to modern information and communications technology and those that don’t. Though the term now encompasses the technical and financial ability to utilize available technology—along with access (or a lack of access) to the Internet—the gap it refers to is constantly shifting with the development of technology.” For students, this is often called the homework gap. [ 50 ] [ 51 ] 30% (about 15 to 16 million) public school students either did not have an adequate internet connection or an appropriate device, or both, for distance learning. Completing homework for these students is more complicated (having to find a safe place with an internet connection, or borrowing a laptop, for example) or impossible. [ 51 ] A Hispanic Heritage Foundation study found that 96.5% of students across the country needed to use the internet for homework, and nearly half reported they were sometimes unable to complete their homework due to lack of access to the internet or a computer, which often resulted in lower grades. [ 37 ] [ 38 ] One study concluded that homework increases social inequality because it “potentially serves as a mechanism to further advantage those students who already experience some privilege in the school system while further disadvantaging those who may already be in a marginalized position.” [ 39 ] Read More

Con 3 Homework does not help younger students, and may not help high school students. We’ve known for a while that homework does not help elementary students. A 2006 study found that “homework had no association with achievement gains” when measured by standardized tests results or grades. [ 7 ] Fourth grade students who did no homework got roughly the same score on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) math exam as those who did 30 minutes of homework a night. Students who did 45 minutes or more of homework a night actually did worse. [ 41 ] Temple University professor Kathryn Hirsh-Pasek said that homework is not the most effective tool for young learners to apply new information: “They’re learning way more important skills when they’re not doing their homework.” [ 42 ] In fact, homework may not be helpful at the high school level either. Alfie Kohn, author of The Homework Myth, stated, “I interviewed high school teachers who completely stopped giving homework and there was no downside, it was all upside.” He explains, “just because the same kids who get more homework do a little better on tests, doesn’t mean the homework made that happen.” [ 52 ] Read More

Discussion Questions

1. Is homework beneficial? Consider the study data, your personal experience, and other types of information. Explain your answer(s).

2. If homework were banned, what other educational strategies would help students learn classroom material? Explain your answer(s).

3. How has homework been helpful to you personally? How has homework been unhelpful to you personally? Make carefully considered lists for both sides.

Take Action

1. Examine an argument in favor of quality homework assignments from Janine Bempechat.

2. Explore Oxford Learning’s infographic on the effects of homework on students.

3. Consider Joseph Lathan’s argument that homework promotes inequality .

4. Consider how you felt about the issue before reading this article. After reading the pros and cons on this topic, has your thinking changed? If so, how? List two to three ways. If your thoughts have not changed, list two to three ways your better understanding of the “other side of the issue” now helps you better argue your position.

5. Push for the position and policies you support by writing US national senators and representatives .

More School Debate Topics

Should K-12 Students Dissect Animals in Science Classrooms? – Proponents say dissecting real animals is a better learning experience. Opponents say the practice is bad for the environment.

Should Students Have to Wear School Uniforms? – Proponents say uniforms may increase student safety. Opponents say uniforms restrict expression.

Should Corporal Punishment Be Used in K-12 Schools? – Proponents say corporal punishment is an appropriate discipline. Opponents say it inflicts long-lasting physical and mental harm on students.

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Natalie Leppard Managing Editor [email protected]

© 2023 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved

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A School With 7 Students: Inside the ‘Microschools’ Movement

Parents, desperate for help, are turning to private schools with a half-dozen or so students. And they are getting a financial boost from taxpayers.

By Dana Goldstein

Photographs by Audra Melton

Dana Goldstein visited three microschools in the Atlanta area, and attended a national microschooling conference.

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• News & Events
• Why We Say "NO" to Homework

I care about my kids' learning. That's why I say tree forts win over homework.

It's back-to-school time.  Time to write THAT letter again.  The letter to my child's new teacher that explains why our family bans homework .

That's right.  I care  about my children's learning.  That's why I believe tree forts win over homework.   Quite simply, I believe homework has no place in a young child's life.

The trouble is, the American education system doesn't agree with me.  Homework starts in preschool in many cases, and it only goes up from there.  They even establish quotas: Ten minutes per grade. My son's in third grade now, which means thirty minutes a day.  What a surefire way to get kids to hate school.  Elementary-aged kids don't need homework.  For seven hours they've had to focus on the academic sides of their brains with grown-ups telling them what to do.  When school's out, it should be OUT.  Kids need time to get other needs met.

What do kids need?  Time outside.  Time with family.  Time goofing around and picking their nose. Time pursuing their own interests.  Time doing family chores.  And an early bed.  There you have it: Play, family time and sleep.   My kids get 10-11 hours of sleep each night.  Instead of homework, kids would do much better in school if they got their full quota of sleep and were in bed by 7:30 or 8pm.

Logs in the park...

Here's what my children spent their time doing after school yesterday:

• Building tree forts
• Dancing on logs
• Negotiating game rules with other kids
• Prying with levers
• Hunting for toads

Prying with levers...

I don't know yet how our third grade teacher will respond.  What the principal will say.  So far we've been lucky and our unusual stance has been met with puzzled acceptance.  We don't mean to be trouble-maker parents.  We just mean to stand up for our children's learning by giving them space and time to roam.

Here's a copy of the "anti-homework" letter if you'd like to read more:

"Dear      ,

Can we talk?  We’d like to support you in the classroom, and at this early stage I don’t know your views on homework, but…

I don’t believe in homework for children ages 11 or under.  Homework becomes important in high school, with a year or two of “practice” homework in middle school.  I know that’s not how most of American education works right now.

As a parent, perhaps you understand.  There is such a short amount of time in every day.  School learning takes up most of the day, and when school is out kids need space and time for other things.

My son gets home around 4pm. He gets into pajamas around 8pm. In those short four hours, he -

• Has an after-school snack, talks and unwinds from his day
• Plays/ pursues his own interests
• Goes outside and climbs in tree forts
• Giggles with his brother
• Does family chores
• Practices piano
• Has a family supper
• Reads his own book and listens to a bedtime story

These are all more important uses of his time, or any young child’s time.  My view is homework interrupts home learning. Homework tends to give school /learning a bad name and when given too young, kids learn to resent it instead of value it.  Kids don’t need to “practice” the routine of homework.  That can come much later, in middle school.

The only type of “homework” I value at this age is reading at home.  In our family we already do this every day. 

When homework does become important, I view it as the child’s responsibility.  We will take an interest in what our kids learn in school, but not tell them to do it.  No parent signatures signing off on assignments, etc.  I also don’t believe in the practice of adding 10 minutes a day per grade, or any arbitrary amount of time.  Learning doesn’t work by filling a quota of minutes.

I realize this is not the prevailing view in education right now, and perhaps flies in the face of the school's policies or your own ideas.  Can we talk?  I’d like to find something that’s comfortable for everyone and make sure your goals are supported as well as ours." 

Well?  What to you think?  Would you do the same?  It takes courage to buck the system, but childhood is worth it.

We say "no" to homework and "yes" to dancing on logs.

Starlighting Mama is the blog of author Heather Shumaker, the "renegade" parent behind It's OK Not to Share and It's OK to Go Up the Slide p ublished by Tarcher/Penguin. Curious about what happened? Read the post Homework Letter Update or other homework posts .

307 responses to “Why We Say "NO" to Homework”

"When school’s out, it should be OUT. Kids need time to get other needs met."

I am in complete, total, and absolute agreement with you! This is a FANTASTIC post that I'm going to share with the social media on Twitter, Google+, StumbleUpon, and Reddit.

Further, if I were you, I'd send that same letter to the editor of my local paper and ask them to print it, along with the name of your new book.

Glad you agree and THANKS for sharing! It's hard taking a lonely position.

Heather, I agree completely with what you say in your article. I have to say though, that what worries me even more are the situations in which parents load their children up with so many extra curricular activities, that all the time that would normally be free time is so structured and goal oriented that in the end the child is not able to play in an unstructured environment and ultimately has no free time anyways.

And then they have absolutely no idea HOW to spend their "free time".

which is a shame..I agree 100% with you.

This approach is great except and I totally agree in allowing children to stretch this part of their development....However,what about the parents who don't use this philosophy at home and do not do any kind of stimulating "natural learning?" The child is planted front of the tv or video game and the parents have no real one on one interaction on a personal level. There are also parents focused on bringing home enough income to provide the basics to feed and clothe their children. They have to do this by working two jobs and are exhausted when they get home. Then there are the parents who just don't care about spending time motivating and challenging their children during their time at home. There is no structure, rules or accountability.The homework would not get done regardless, but the child is not given opportunities to expand his/her depths of those important "non academic" that are essential to children's total development. All of this is good in theory, however it does not always happen in real life. Regardless if the teacher gives homework or not.

Kris: I think part of the point of this article is that kids should have a decent amount of time to decide for themselves what activities to pursue. Things on the list above like "goes outside and climb in tree forts" don't really require any adult enrichment. I'm a firm believer that kids get the most out of their time when adults just leave them alone. Obviously, you have a point that if the adults have trained the kids to plant in front of a screen when they get home, it won't work, so I'm all for sending them outside.

I agree with you 100 percent. If kids have all this homework, what are they learning in school. We do our work in 6-8 hour a day, why can't teachers.

I agree somewhat with this article, however, YOU have no idea how much time teachers put in! I am a teacher and parent of 3 who hates homework. Your comment offends me.

For a similar viewpoint look up Alfie Kohn.

Hi Heather, I found your article after sitting here in frustration and getting ready to search the internet for Arizona laws regarding homework.

My son is in 2nd grade at a fantastic Charter school in Scottsdale. Believe me when I say that it's fantastic because it is, and so is my son's teacher. It's one of the very slim few good schools in Arizona. Only 20 students "max" per class vs. the public schools "30 +" per class, which is an added bonus:)

I have never been a big believer in "homework." Yes, reading, but not extra work that was already done during the 7 hour long school day. So, I was quite shocked last night when I opened my son's back pack! Spanish homework, spelling words to write over and over again, common core math (which I despise the common core method), writing a story using the weekly vocabulary words, reading for 20 minutes or more, and now a new internet homework site. We logged on and my tired son could not figure out the math and started throwing a fit, crying, and kicking the computer table. My heart just broke. No child should have to be this tired, first of all. And second, have to do 2 hours or more worth of homework in 2nd grade.

I talked to him for a while and calmed him down - asked him to go play a song for me on the new drum set I bought for him last week. I did his homework last night and I don't feel guilty. And, I will continue to do his homework for his so long as I know that he knows how to do it. This "homework" is ridiculous. I want my son to play with his dog, his cat, his drums, his mom - sit down and eat dinner, laugh, talk to me, jump on his trampoline - whatever he wants to do. Not homework.

Thank you for sharing your letter:) I am going to put it to use in my household...

I am also in Arizona. We have great homeschool laws. Really consider it. I homeschool my 1st and 3rd grade sons and it isn't as hard as you would think. All of our school work takes less time than what your son's described homework above takes. Both of my boys rock standardized tests and they are both performing at or above grade level in every subject. There are TONS of homeschool support groups for socializing opportunities and co-op learning opportunities. I'm in the West Valley and after moving here from Seattle and seeing how horrible the schools are here generally speaking, we opted to homeschool and would never go back now.

IM a student at imagine coolige in arizona and i love this lady. i have alot of homework that i do on the bus... not at home.

Hi! As a retired teacher and parent to 3 beautiful daughters, I must disagree. For example many of my students were only going to learn addition, subtraction facts etc. by extra practice at home. I taught grades 1 and 2 and every Monday I sent home the homework for the week so the parents could decide when and how to do it. This also kept the parents in the loop - they knew what was being covered in school. I did not send a staggering amount of work home - on average 20 minutes per day - why does it have to be all or nothing?

7 hours is enough. Why 20 more minutes? I can teach them effectively in 2 hours a day, why can't you manage it in 7 hours? I know that you have MORE kids, but you also have more time. That is a huge reason we homeschooled. 2 hours, sometimes 3, and we were DONE, and then we learned life, play, family, community. Well rounded, educated kids with little effort. (and I know it is successful, my oldest is an air traffic controller)

Wow Qtpies. Way to be a bit judgmental there. If you are not a classroom teacher, you have no idea how hard it is to teach everything that needs to be taught in 6 hours. It is entirely different with your own children. I've done both. And guess what? My oldest is in college on a full mathematics scholarship. And he went to (gasp) public school! So I know it is successful.... Now see how silly that sounds? The great thing about education today is that there are options for everyone! Both ways work if parents are involved. And for what it is worth, I actually agree with the blogger. Most homework in elementary is just busywork.

Wow. Why can't classroom teachers manage to teach them "effectively" in 2 hrs? Well - they have 30 kids and only one of them. That's why class size is such a huge issue in education. Of course it is easier to teach one or two children the same amount of material in 2 hours. I think most teachers would love to have a 1:2 teacher-student ratio, but that's not really feasible. When you have a 1:30 ratio, and in those 30 kids you have so many different capability levels, of course it's going to take more time to effectively reach every student.

I'm not terribly certain Qtpies7 is trying to be judgemental, I think she just believes very strongly in her personal decision to home school.

Anecdotally, I'm interested in schooling my son at home. The public education system was a complete nightmare for me. I had undiagnosed ADD. Because I wasn't hyper active, my teachers had no idea that I could be staring a hole through them and every word they were saying would be going right over my head. I was well behaved, "aced" tests without studying, but I was also disciplined repeatedly and publicly shamed in front of my classmates for being messy and not doing my homework in particular. I'm a daydream prone, right brained thinker. The public education system in our country is very supportive of and practically tailored to left brained thinkers. And, if you do a little digging, you'll find that our present school system was set up to assist in churning out perfect little factory workers that would excel in the industrial environment after graduating school. There are several wonderful TED videos available on youtube that help perfectly illustrate and confirm that this can be verified historically.

Qtpies7 doesn't condemn you for choosing to send your children to public school or hate teachers, I'm guessing. She just very firmly believes in her decision to homeschool. Homeschooling isn't possible for every family and every situation, but when it is possible, it can provide a holistic environment that supports learning as well as supporting a healthy childhood. And it CAN be done in just a few hours a day. Please don't take offense! 🙂

Basically kids will be having one of many state testing situations going on that will take 2hrs in itself.Along with continual testing for timed reading or math test on a weekly basis .Kids are out of the class so much, band assemblies, social work, speech, OT, PT,pictures, buddy reading gym,music,art other pullouts for this and that. I always say, a parent should sit in a classroom everyday for a week. Their jaw would drop when they see, so many classes have a "revolving door" And then they have these tests showing how kids have been improving, can they accurately test due to so much time taking away from actual teaching.Some do show improvement, others lack so much cause they are hardly ever in their class. I have students tell me they are not not able to do this or that because they are not in the classroom very much. I am an assistant in a classroom every day, the entire day.

First, it is very ignorant to think that teachers have "ALL THAT TIME" to teach them. There is no way you can teach 30 kids science, reading, English, social studies, Spanish, physical education, music, art, along with lunch and recess within 2 hours. Second, i agree that there is too much homework in elementary that is not truly meaningful practice. But homework is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY even at such a young age for several reasons. One is that repetition and revisiting the information is imperative to retention (there is soooo much research on this). Second they actually get more one on one attention and instruction when parents help them work through their homework. And third, they get to see their parents put value on education (home and school must be linked). NOW, what I think should happen is that homework should be focused on reading, writing and math only, and that is should be limited to 10 questions each twice a week. It should not be every night, and it should not be every subject, and it should never be just busy work, but practice with key concepts. Those are my two cents as a teacher myself.

I completely disagree that homework is absolutely necessary in the elementary years. My stepdaughter (who we had custody of) attended public school and the "10 min per grade level" rule what a joke. Perhaps that's what the teacher's thought they were assigning but it NEVER EVER took that little time. By high school my stepdaughter would arrive at school at 6am for dance team practice, get home at 4:30pm. Start homework by 4:45pm, take a dinner break for 30 min around 7pm and then continue with homework until between 11 and Midnight EVERY NIGHT. 6 months of the year the dance team took EVERY Sat. from 7am-8pm. The school system held our family hostage. She could have had a fulltime job and put in less time. It was ridiculous. She is now 25 and finds working full time easier and less exhausting than school was. That combined with our move to Arizona (where the schools are TERRIBLE) solidified our decision to homeschool our now 6 & 8 year old sons.

I don't think you read my comment carefully or you misunderstood it. I agree that the 10 min rule per grade is rediculous. What I'm saying is that in elementary there should only be a few short assignments a week. But it is so important that parent are involved in their children's schoolwork, and that the kids get a chance to practice skills outside of school. But it should not be every night. I think it's great that you homeschool, but not everyone can do that and you shouldn't judge the teachers if you haven't experienced being one. It's completely different from homeschool. Complicated and overwhelming don't even begin to describe it. There are soooooo many reasons why homework is beneficial, but the real problem here is when teachers give TOO MUCH homework, or assign things that are not important. You also need to think about the districts policy on homework. Many districts have strict rules for teachers and require them to assign a certain amount of HW. So it is not even the teachers that are always at fault. Teachers don't have the freedom and flexibility that they used to. Just think about both sides before you judge and try to compromise and understand that not all families and children are not like yours.

April, I too am a teacher, 4th grade, and I so disagree with you. I think the point that many teachers and parents miss here is that the parent is supposed to be in control of the house, not the teacher, school, or government. If the parent does not want or believe in homework then the family should feel safe in sharing that with the teacher, and not live in fear of being judged by the teacher. Teaching our youth is a team effort. Try it on for size sometime, instead of your own beliefs on the matter ask your parents. I did and found overwhelming response in agreement with Heather, they just don't feel like they can tell you that. So instead like the one comment, they do the homework for the child in secret so as not to have to deal with you. Listen to your parents. The kids you teach belong to them. We (teachers) work for them. I also tell my 4th graders and their parents that I believe in science and until science shows me that homework leads to better grades, test scores, and or learning, I will continue not to assign homework. My students are expected to read every day, and practice spelling for no more than 5-10 min., never math. My parents thank me constantly for giving them peaceful tear free evenings, where they can be free to work on family skills, chores, relaxation, and just to be free of one more very stressful thing in their super busy lives. If they want more I am able to suggest tons of free learning sites, math programs, etc. That is up to them, the parent, again these are their kids. Do the research. Not one study has shown that homework does any good in grade school and to the contrary has shown ill effects. I mean no disrespect for the teachers who believe homework is the only way, I just ask us to take another look at it, and be partners with the parents. They are after all the child's first and most important teachers.

But homework drove my grades to the ground, screwed me out of a chance to go to a good college FOR THEATRE--a subject not even taught at my schools. I wanted to major in singing and dancing, but my inability to multiply exponents took that away. Thanks to homework, me and half of my friends have anxiety so bad they had to shove drugs in us. I was screwed out of a career because I couldn't do well on subjects I will never use and pages of mindless drivel that took me away from my family and planted me with mental disorders that made my peers use me as a punching bag

@Qtpies7....you may of course have your opinion and I'm very glad that you had the opportunity to pursue the education for your children that you valued, that you were able to instruct them at home, and that they are "successful," which I imagine amounts to more than just the fact that they are gainfully employed.

However, do not assume for a second that you understand a teacher's school day, particularly within the confines of a public system. Also, please do not advertize homeschool as the only viable option, as you might want to check your privilege on this one: not every parent can afford to not work outside the home. You are in the minority, and quite privileged, to have this option available to you.

7 hours is a long time to be in school, but the teacher does not spend 7 hours teaching. Here is what that teacher does that you did not have to as a homeschool teacher: prepare, decorate, and organize a classroom to keep students interested and give them a comfortable working environment; design curriculum, units and daily lessons (assuming you used some sort of send away program to gain an objective view of your child's learning); differentiation for 20 to 30 students, some of whom have diagnosed learning differences, some of whom may just have it rough at home in various ways; various classroom management tactics; schedule in time for specialists (Music, Art, PE, etc.); make sure 20 to 30 students make it down to lunch and then out to recess; make sure those same students all make it back; lunch duty simultaneously; pastoral lessons (treating each other kindly, sharing, etc.); get all 20 to 30 children out the door safely at the end of the day.

That's not even taking into account the prior to school and after school meetings with administrators; emails and phone calls with parents; extra help after school with those who need it; the marking of the work for those 20 - 30 students; the conflicting state and federal standards one has to meet and fill out paperwork for; and of course, the joy of standardized testing.

I am a middle and upper school teacher at a private school. I have a great job and understanding administrators. I don't have to meet state or federal standards because I'm at a private school. Still, I get to work at 7:30 AM, leave on most days at around 6:00 PM and usually have an hour and a half of work to do when I arrive home (except for weekends, when it's more like 4 or 5 hours of work). I don't really believe in homework, even for my middle schoolers, unless it truly supports what we've done in the classroom that day. But Please, PLEASE, don't blame the teacher for not being able to teach everything you could teach in 2 hours to just your own children sitting in your home. Have a little perspective.

Very well stated.

I agree with you. I think there is a place for homework, it's not that painful. Third grade home work has parents talk about behaviors and learning how to interact with other kids, once a week. Otherwise it's flashcards and a little reading time. The rest of the night they are outside playing. Yes, I make sure the kids also get 10-11 hours of sleep each night. Not every kid gets math and reading and needs help with one on one practice at home. They are all not cookie cutter personalities. I think you also lose connection if you aren't reviewing what is being taught in the classroom and how it is being taught. I think it's great if you are happy with your choice, but making it a movement of standard practice isn't beneficial to all the kids. It just gives them an extra 20 minutes of play time each night. Not a huge sacrifice. Your child may benefit from this freedom, but they may not. You just don't know that answer until they grow up and let you know.

This is the method my school uses for my kindergartner and first grader. But here's my issue. I work full time. So my kids are dropped at daycare at 7 am and picked up at 5. That entire 10 hours, except for 20 minutes for lunch and then 2 20 minute sessions of recess (school and aftercare) is spent with them being told "sit down, be quiet and do as we say". I then have to bring them home, Rush them through dinner, force them to do more schoolwork (and the "20 minutes" turns into 1.5 hours with my ADHD child) then bath and bed at 8. It's just too much. Kids need time to be kids! It also makes me the enemy in my own home. I'm the mean mommy that makes them do homework!! Then the homework is silly! The little one gets books sent home with a calendar that I'm supposed to mark with all these random "ways to read". Maybe some kids need tricks, but she just plain old READS and I was told that wasn't enough...even though she is reading the same books her big sister brings home after we have had the same reader for 2 weeks! Could I quit my job? No, not really. I cover the medical insurance for our family and what it would cost if I wasn't providing it, would cut my husband's income in half, which would not be enough to live on.

Hello!! I have a child that is in grade six. It is now Nov. And my childs class is on there third teacher.The other two teachers left for personal reasons. Yes that sucks!!! Confusing! My question to anyone is ,is it mandatory to have homework?? Or no homework. Because I was told that my childs teacher will not be giving out no homework at all. This teacher said that it is not needed at all to her students. Does not believe in giving out homework.That really bothered me as a parent. Not to mentioned it was brought up in front of my child. I believe it completely discourages my child to study and do homework in the future when she hits high school. I believe homework prepares them from what is to come in higher grades. Iam from Vancouver Canada. Help!!

Tracy, I'm not sure if you received a response. The short answer is check your school district's homework policy. It should be documented on the school website either in the student handbook or the code of conduct. I found that our district had a really unclear policy and the school administrator's are leveraging that to accommodate the ridiculous mandates coming out of Common Core. I have been leading an ardous battle & not getting very far on the issue to eliminate the backbreaking homework load. My 6th grader averages 20hrs/wk on homework. The extra homework despite what some believe actually doesn't increase performance, and there's so much research that proves it. In fact, research shows an adverse effect. Of course, not all families and children are the same, and as a parent you have the right and choice to support and enrich their learning at home if you feel that not getting homework doesn't round them out. Our approach is very different. Our kids do a great deal of extra learning, including art classes, piano, reading, and learning-based programs after school. All things you can't get with the repititious nature of homework. Hope that answers your question. 🙂

I share the teacher's position about no homework at this age, but I can hear you're frustrated and want your family to be supported by the teacher. Try setting up a time to talk to your child's teacher about your concerns. Most teachers would be glad to point you to additional resources you can try at home. Perhaps you'd like the teacher to explain that homework and studying become important in high school so you don't feel undermined. Different families and schools take different approaches to preparing kids for high school when they are in grades 6-8. Some like "practice" homework, some don't. Grade 6 is still young and your child has learning to do in other directions. Best wishes.

The schools 20 to 30 mins of homework was 7+ hours for my daughter. Just because you can do it in 20 mins doesn't mean everyone can. She is Dyslexic, has Dysgraphia and the bones in her hands are older than her chronological age. We are still investigating the hand issues. And instead of SpEd helping us, I was told I wasn't doing enough or she was just lazy.

Home Schooling Is Good Since It Seems To Produce Brighter Kids Their Is Only One Thing That Must Be Ruled Out With Application For Home Schooling Is To Be Sure The Children Are Not Victims Of Incest Rape Or Incest Molestation The Children Of Incest Are Oftentimes Homeschooled To Keep Them Out of School. Watch. That Must Be Checked First Before It Is Approved And If Found Then Child Removed. Other Then That I Support Parents HomeSchooling Our Public Schools Are Not The Best.

This concept is so logical. You are right on target. My personal experience includes a great dread of "homework", even in high school. College classes were enjoyable...homework got done. Many children lack the family interaction and proper rest which are so necessary for successful learning . Send that letter ASAP! Nice job.

Thanks, Bonnie! It can be so hard to value rest and family time. Successful learning is a complex mix of life.

Brava, Heather! What a refreshing philosophy in this day and age. Good for you for challenging the collective wisdom of public education.

I received my copy of your book the other day and am looking forward to reading it, once I get my current book finished. Best of luck with the book and its promotion.

Refreshing to hear - scary to do! Glad you got a copy of "It's OK Not to Share...And Other Renegade Rules." I guess I am turning into a renegade.

I taught middle and elementary school for thirty-two years. Heather is exactly right!!!!!!!!!!! In the elementary school this was my philosophy and I had to endlessly defend it. I did not have trouble with parents or children but with many of my fellow teachers and administrators. I had high expectations for my students and expected them to work hard for the six hours I taught them. Play is a child's work, as it is said. Family time is precious. Lessons in the fine arts, religion, sports are not provided to any great extent by schools. Many educators feel assigning a lot of homework makes them look like they are doing their job and or are good teachers. Most homework is just checked in and sometimes not even that. There were times my students individually chose to do work at home for fun and bring it in. I got poems, pictures of stories we had read, math problems etc ... all student produced. I would always check it and high five them. I read the book, No Homework...it makes sense. I was so happy to read this blog. Thank you.

I'm curious, what did you do with the students who did no work in the classroom? I have been teaching for 5 years now, 5th and 6th grade. I have high expectations for my students, but there are those who, no matter what is done, do not do their work at school in the classroom, even with a variety of assignments to meet each learning style. No matter how many emails or phone calls home, no matter how many trips to the office, the students still don't care. There seems to be a huge lack of parental support. I do my best to give the students time in class to do their work, and whatever is not finished in class becomes homework (yet some still don't do it). How can I avoid assigning homework if work is not being done in the classroom? (and yes, I do try to make the assignments meaningful while aligning to the state standards).

To AG, You can lead a horse to water...

Heather sounds like she is supporting whatever the teachers are doing in class. She's reading to/with her kids, she supports curiosity and discovery, and creative thinking.

I don't know what kind of neighborhood in which you are teaching, but if the kids are not doing the work in class, the parents are not supportive, and they don't care about punishments (trips to the office, etc), then homework isn't the fix either.

That's a bigger problem that can't be fixed with homework.

My son is in kindergarten and he has 5-15 min of homework each night, after a 7 1/2 hour day. Homework now, does not guarantee admittance to Harvard, or an amazing career, or a financially successful one. It doesn't guarantee future "happiness", which is what this is really all about.

You can't dictate TRUE learning. If the parents of the children in your classroom aren't interested in supporting their learning, that is a shame, but ultimately, it's up to individuals to make the right choices for themselves.

Personal responsibility is what it comes down to. Not what makes the schools or politicians look good.

When my son comes home with homework that is really homework for ME (because it requires so much help), I resent it. I am a parent who reads to my children. I am a parent who has always valued outdoor play, nature walks, museums, arboretums, botanical gardens, aquariums, walking the dogs (as a family responsibility and pleasure), teaching in the home, cooking/baking together, and learning in any number of ways. So to be told I need to read to my children each week in the homework letter, really irks me.

And if the reason is simply that a parent is uninvolved because s/he is working two jobs to make ends meet, homework is only adding to their work load and stress levels.

More homework is just not the answer.

Thank you to Heather for a great letter. After wrestling with this issue for a few months, I have decided I am going to compose my own letter on my son's behalf.

Best of luck with your own letter. We are the best advocates for our children, and true educators will be your allies.

It is not your fault, problems at home most likly incest or other horror at home. Should check home. If nothing is wrong with home then the child most likely has a disability or is just bad.

Karen, You are the teacher we all wanted 🙂

Karen, great to hear from you! Good for you in taking your no-homework stance, and too bad you were constantly on the defense. Sounds as if your students learned tons and had down time to explore their own interests - like poetry! There are several good books presenting in-depth research against homework: The Case Against Homework The Homework Myth The End of Homework: how homework disrupts families, overburdens children, and limits learning

Just wanted to let you know that I love this! My son is in the third grade and this is the first year he has a teacher that doesn't believe in homework other than reading and studying spelling and as a result he is playing outside more. Its only been about a month that they have been back to school but I can already tell a difference in his overall attitude, until I read your article I hadn't made the correlation that homework and his attitude change were linked! I say yea for no homework!

Wonderful! So glad you have a child who's playing outside more instead of doing homework. Yes, individual teachers can make all the difference. Enjoy his third grade year together!

We chose the school that our children go to partly because it doesn't assign homework. Kids are expected to do the work at school, then enjoy what they want to when school is out. The philisosphy of the school is to teach the "whole child." Too many people forget that that there is more to life than academics. And there are learning opportunities in every aspect of life. We do read every day, just as you do. But it's not viewed as "Homework."

"Too many people forget that there is more to life than academics." Yes!

So glad you had a choice of schools and could find one with no homework!

Can you give us the name of your school? It sounds wonderful!

This is wonderful. Thanks for sharing.

Kudos!!! I am going to email my daughters teacher telling her that 1.5 - 2 hours of homework a night is taking away from our precious time as a family and that I will allow my daughter to spend 30 minutes on homework and that's it! If her grades start to decline, which I doubt highly would happen, then I will allow another 15-30 minutes.

Hello Heather,

Thank you for sharing this. I'm curious, when you say that it has been met with puzzled acceptance before does that mean they excused your sons from homework? Did that effect their grades? Did you notice any difference in their schoolwork?

hmmm....sounds like you are a home school mom! We home school and are usually done with our assignments by soon after lunch. I can not even imagine making my kids sit through an evening of homework after school, farm work and part time jobs. They would have to give up sleeping to get it all done. Glad you are willing to go against the popular views to do what is best for your kids. You are a rare breed and I applaud you.

Thinking the same thing Becki. This sounds like a family who would LOVE learning together! Please consider it, and give it a try. Bet your whole family will love it but if not, you can always go back to government school.

Ok, hate to be the only one ( no, I really don't), but I have to disagree. I did all those things as a child and did homework too. So did my kids, and we're all well rounded, college educated, happy, and capable of getting a lot done. I didn't always like it, but then, we have to learn to do things we don't always like in life at all ages. Also, I'm a teacher, I don't believe in a lot of homework, and I don't believe in some arbitrary time plan, but it takes more time than we have in a school day to master the curriculum expected of children today. Whether you agree or not, it is what it is.

I agree with you. I see homework as an opportunity for children to learn self-discipline.

I've witnessed my child and his many homeschooled friends learning self discipline through other activities. I think it just takes us opening our eyes and seeing that there are other ways. Not trying to be argumentative; just trying to say that homework is not necessarily the only way to do that.

Don't you think sitting in a classroom for six hours is enough to teach a child under 11 years old a lesson in self discipline?

You don't learn SELF discipline from other people making you do things.

I think you said it well, "I did all those things as a child and did homework too." You don't say your age, but by average, you (and your kids) did a lot less homework per night than children are expected to do now. That's time that you used for climbing a tree. Also, when I was growing up, my public elementary school offered in the class day, gym, music, and art. My local school offers 45 minutes of art once every two weeks(certainly not music and gym). A child must do after school (tree climbing time) classes in order to have the school experience that I had during the school day. The amazingly, shockingly low test scores country wide speak to how successful piling the expectation of learning more and more, and taking more and more time to do it, is actually working.

Hi Jennifer

I would recommend you read The Myth of the Spoiled Child to grasp a different idea of the perceived need for learning self discipline at an early age. Putting a child through the hell of unnecessary homework is not the answer. Why go through suffering to learn how to cope with potential suffering later.

I am from the UK and did A Levels and refused to do ANY homework that wasn't towards the grade (which almost none of it was due to the emphasis on exams) and I am now a teacher with an honours degree and post-graduate certificate of education. I had to study very hard to get both of those and homework was all it was (since I wasn't actually "taught" anything on either of those courses).

Why do children need to learn how to do things they don't like? If you didn't like being a teacher would you stay in the job? If you didn't like a type of food would you eat it to get used to it?

The attitude of doing things you don't like to get used to it is why kids HATE school. Make school fun and they will want to come. Also, consider Flipped learning, sending home a 5 minute video to watch instead of 20 mins of homework. That way the child and the parent can learn together. Think about it, not all parents can do maths etc. never therefore are no use supporting their child through the homework anyway.

Flipped learning gives you more time in the school day. A lecture can be made into a condensed video and then you have all that talk time you didn't have previously. Looking into new methods of learning can really free up lesson time and make it easier for all involved, you just have to think long term.

Apologies for the lack of proper punctuation in my previous post. Sometimes hitting shift on the iPad for a question mark doesn't always respond so it's a full stop instead. Sorry. 🙁

I agree! Let's make a campaign together! Homework is good! Homework is good! Homework is good! Force our children to do homework! Spank them if they don't 😲 😲 🙌 ! Just because we did homework as kids, our children have to suffer the same thing 😍 ! Out of pure revenge for our selfish teachers, we have learned to be selfish ourselves and have forced our kids to do their homework👿 ! Aren't we proud? Well, are we proud? Think of that! Make your kids 'learn' discipline as you have 'learned' yourself. Force it upon them like forcing a doughnut to their mouth 🍩 🍩, (you know some kids don't like cupcakes)! EAT IT NOWWWWWWWWWWWW! LEARN SELF-DESCIPLINE!! ARRGGGG!

AWESOME! As a special education teacher who has taught High School and Early Childhood programs, I have to agree with you. Research shows that children who are allowed to PLAY do better academically in later years than those who face academic focus in early years (preK-3rd grade especailly). The public school system in America is not set up that way for reasons that I cannot even begin to touch on, however if more parents would take a stand such as yours, our children would be much better learners throughout their school years. Way to go!

That is all great but reality is our national leaders believe our teachers are not doing a good job and so now our jobs--paychecks-- are based on what your child does on the end of the year test. I am thrilled that you encourage reading at home as reading is the foundation to all subjects and in the working world. I remember we got to play outside like your kids do but in our "world" today many do not. I am a teacher in Middle School----there are kids that wasted time everyday and then parents call with why does my child have an "F". Well, zeroes equal "F". If we had more parents like you to take a stand against our POLITICANS and get them to get rid of their riduculous laws added in the last 20 years ----we could have more class time when they give us back the right to discipline the class behavior problems and the special education programs could do their jobs. Right now every one is having to do extra documenting of everything including why they teach what they do????? I am rambling better stop. ONE last thought "not all sizes fit even your world" you are one of the lucky ones. Would like to talk more. Genia Means

I gave all my students A's day one. They'd have to prove me wrong. They never did.

Unfortunately in this day of NCLB, that's not really an option.

Teachers are constantly under fire for not doing a good enough job. All while their class loads are increasing, standards are getting piled on by state legislation, and while they are expected to try to teach to each learner in their diverse/multi-leveled classrooms. Teaching is a stressful job and most people think they know what's it like because they were once in school, but they really don't have a clue until they stand in front of 30 kids and actually have to teach them. As a teacher, I realize that there is a life outside of the school day and I try to be sensitive to that when assigning homework. Meaningful homework should be an extension of the school day. Reading and writing outside of the school day is a really good thing, because it teaches young kids to find a purpose for reading and writing other than just school but for enjoyment. I personally think you should be careful. What are you teaching your children? That learning isn't fun when it's school? That they have an option to say no to anything they don't really want to do, just because they don't want to do it? While, yes, we have a choice, there are lots of things we have to do because it is the right thing, or because there is a need, or because it's required by a job. I would rather play with my 4 year old than grade 150 tests that the district made me give my students any day of the week, but I can't always do that. How about changing your outlook from "We have to do homework." to "We choose to do homework, because knowing how to read, write, and do math will help my children be more prepared and productive citizens of the world." Yes, playing is important, and balance is key, but we also have to teach the importance of education and how it can change our human condition, and also respect the fact that is work.

Erin, If you sat with us as my 10 year old grandson tried/tried not to do his homework, mostly crying then by him - later by me. You would see all he was being taught is how to find ways to not bring homework home so he wasn't subject to the stress, I think your opinion of teaching children to ENJOY any part of the learning process might stand on a weak foundation. I wish I had what it took to stand up to the teacher (my failure due to pressures from grade school) and say "What time I have with my grandson is precious. You can not dictate how that time is utilized." If a teacher can not give the child an education during school hours, you can't have my time to do your job. It is like saying "I used mine all up, now I want yours." Thank you Heather!

With increased standards (what we have to teach in 180-190 days days/depending on your state), higher accountability by the teacher (with no accountibility on the student or parents), and data driven schools, they just don't give us the time in the day to accomplish all that needs to get done. We've practically eliminated recess in most elementaries, we've eliminated some specials time, while they are adding and adding more and more content and literacy standards, to be accomplished earlier and earlier. I think this isn't about "standing up to your teachers" it's about voting for the right legislatures and state superintendent of education. We [teachers] do what we are told, and really have no voice. So, make sure you know who you are voting for, and what their policies are on education. More rigorous standards, or just raising achievement standards on standardized tests, is not the answer to a more fulfilling and meaningful education. Listen carefully. They will tell you what they think. This isn't an education system run by educators, it's an education system run by politicians. That is a shame, if you want my honest opinion.

And, I was that kid who cried at homework. I worked and worked, and by the time I was in high school things got better. In the meantime my mom got me extra help from the local university (she seeked out free help, as she was a single mom and couldn't afford a tutor), and my grandpa sat with me for hours. I now have two masters degrees now, and am working on a PhD. I love learning. I sometimes wonder where I'd be if they told me just to blow it off to go outside and play.

I couldn't agree with you more Erin. Parents really have no clue of the stress, pressure, etc. that is placed on a teacher. Politicians are even WORSE!! Expectations of teachers are extremely unrealistic as it is but they get ESPECIALLY worse when you have parents/grandparents who think like Peggy. Anyone who thinks that 100% of learning should be done inside the classroom is extremely naive. I could go on and on, but it when I see " If a teacher can not give the child an education during school hours, you can’t have my time to do your job." It is just not worth my time and effort to deal with that kind of IGNORANCE.

So if children aren't learning what we teach we need to teach the way children learn. Sit down with paper and drilling information only works for a small portion of kids. My teacher training said there were at least 7 different learning styles.

Peggy, if your grandson is struggling with his homework to the point where he and you are brought to tears, perhaps there's something more going on than just he doens't like homework and should be tested for a learning disorder. While I agree that some schools assign too much homework, I don't think 30 minutes a night is asking too much. Furthermore, some things such as reading and espeically Math require ongoing practice and drilling that, performed during the school day, would take too much time away from instruction time. And if the homework assigned is meant to be an intro to a project or some other function of class room time the next day, what then? Your child goes to school unprepared. You may be better off a) allowing kids to play and eat dinner and get a break before homework time and b) reviewing assignments ahead of time for value to weed out busy work.

Peggy, there was a time when I struggled like mad with homework, and I didn't have a learning disability and I got great grades. It is sometimes just EXHAUSTING to be in school all day (plus 2+ hours per day on a bus) and then have a lot of homework to do. Just wanted to support you in what you're saying. 🙂

As for "knowing how to read, write, and do math will help my children be more prepared and productive citizens of the world", it really depends on what one considers productive. Not all skills are needed for someone to be valuable, and some of our priorities as a society are questionable (more investment bankers, anyone?). I know plenty of "smart" people who aren't great citizens or neighbors at all. I wonder if-- instead of non-teachers arguing about whether teachers are doing their jobs and teachers arguing about how the job they chose takes up too much time--we should bring the discussion up the chain a bit and reexamine whether what they are expected to do is reasonable and effective. It seems like it isn't. We've placed more and more emphasis on "learning" (in quotes because so many forms of learning are undervalued in our system), more and more emphasis on drills and homework and practice, and the results haven't been better. Insane. I think 6+ hours of classroom time is more than enough to drive home the "importance of education." Another hour or few hours isn't going to help for the better.

Homework isn't about teaching the "importance of education," and honestly i'd argue that schools/teachers/classroom time have little impact on how important education is to a child. Parents are the ones who teach their children the importance of learning/education...they just get a different educational experience at school than they get at home (both are educational, just in different ways). I don't value education because of the teachers I had, or the subjects I learned..I value it because it was something my parents valued and something they were very invested in having me value as well.

Please please do not assume it is the teachers fault. Blaming the teacher and saying standu to the teacher is such a horrible horrible thing to say. You should be supporting your kids teachers and standing up to the politicians and school boards. Teachers are extremely overloadedhave so many restrictions, it's not their fault. There are some bad teachers out there but please stop making this a war against all teachers that assign homework. If you want to make a change then write a letter to the super intendent or the governor. But stop ganging up on teachers that put sooooooo much time, love, and energy and give up time with their own kids to teach yours. And go thank a teacher.

What is "meaningful" homework? Mark Twain said he never let education interfere with his learning.

I would say any activity that requires the student to practice a standard that they have not yet mastered. If the student has already mastered the standard I believe there is no reason for that student to be required to practice.

@ Jan: I have that Mark Twain quote on my wall. Love it. @ Brad: No matter how much some kids practice, they may not master the standards within a week, a month or a year or two years....So with your definition, kids who have learning disabilities would just need to do tons more homework?

Back in the 1920s, my grandparents never had homework, not even in high school. They lived on dairy farms and had chores to do - their family's survival depended on it. Both of my mom's parents grew up to be teachers - Grandpa taught chemistry and physics for nearly 40 years, and Grandma taught first grade for over 20. They had chores, yes, but they were also allowed to be kids, and they never forgot that.

I completely agree with you! Young children do not need the kind of pressure that many of the school systems are putting on them in today's day and age! I have been an Early Childhood Educator since 1998 and have a play-based learning philosophy! The job of the child is to play, and the job of the adults in their lives is to make sure play happens! Regardless of their age! Parents need to play more too!

I would love to review your new book on my blog! Please email me at [email protected] to arrange how to make this happen!

I've been lucky that our children's school believes the same thing,last year he had "practice", that's what they call homework, twice and that was looking up some research nothing major. They provide adequate time during class so if the child needs help to understand how to do something they can help them. I love that you are defending your kids right to be kids.

My hubby has been saying this for years. We now have an almost 3 year old and a 4 month old and will probably be taking this stance.

I am so torn already about homework. My daughter just started kindergarten (full day, btw), and they send a homework packet home on Monday that is due on Friday. This was the first week, and she loved it as we have always "played school" and this is part of it and makes her feel like a "big girl". I was the one stressed out about it!! We are still working on figuring out how the weeks are going to go, with a husband who travels 1/2 the week, and a new nanny for her brother some days, etc, and we ended up leaving one page until Thursday night...MISTAKE!! My husband was away, my 2 year old son was getting into everything, and I was the one that ended up losing it. Obviously, lesson learned, but I keep thinking, wow...THIS is kindergarten?? The school also does a program called the 100 book challenge so there is a 15-30 minute reading requirement also. This is not so difficult as reading is readily done in our house, but add it to everything else, and it really is a lot!! I agree with you that homework for a young child is not the responsibility of the child, it is the FAMILY! We are all effected by the need to get it done. I don't think I am ready to ban it from the household, as she is enjoying it, I DO however, need to do better by our family to make sure I am not the one making it an unpleasant or stressful experience.

Sheli, Wait until you see how many children are FLUNKING kindergarten these days. It is a trend. A statement form the teachers that children are not ready to perform in school so young. I was appalled when my grandchild flunked kindergarten. What kind of negative effect does that place on a child just getting started??!!

With the rigors of school and testing demanded by legislators that do not know the first thing about child development many kids are "flunking kindergarten," but better kindergarten than 4th grade.

still kept back and being one year behind same thing whether in kindergarten or 4th grade same problem being a year older then all the other kids. 4th grade in some ways would be better because their is summer school to avoid being kept back. It is very damaging to keep someone back to be one year older then all the others, home schooling would be a better option so he will not suffer that being a year older for the next 12 years. Those kept back once are sometimes kept back again later so will be 2 years behind .

Sheli, We asked kiddo's teacher for the packet on Fridays instead of Mondays. We are a working family, we live 30+ min from kiddo's school, so we were trying to fit homework in between 6:30 and 8 pm -- such a nightmare because we were all tired & hungry. This year (2nd grade) I encourage kiddo to do her homework at homework time in her afterschool program when not in another activity, and by getting the packet on Fridays, we can do a little bit on Sat & Sun early in the day so it lightens the Thursday night scramble.

Our school district doesn't believe kids need a lot of homework. They get spelling words and maybe a short reading assignment or something but never more than 15 or 20 minutes worth for the week. They said studies show homework isn't all it's cracked up to be so they don't assign it very much. It was strange to me, but it is nice since our kids are involved in after school activities and church.

Wow - thanks for all your comments. I can see this topic strikes a chord with families everywhere - no matter what your stance. If you are a firm believer in play for young children, come visit my website https://www.heathershumaker.com which is all about free play and parenting following "renegade" rules.

I agree 100%. I feel the same way you do about homework. It has caused us so many problems. My boys hate the homework-most of it is busy work. It does make them hate school.

My only comment as a second grade teacher is to not send a letter, but to request a time to talk with the teacher either on the phone or in person to talk it over.

This is a great post! I do have a question or two. What about special projects or reports that may be assigned? Class presentations? Do you have your children do them? If not, how is their grade affected? I love this.

Yay! Our fantastic charter school has no homework except for nightly reading and family "bingo" (today my 2nd grader picked "Have a chat with your family about the meaning of 'Don't cry over spilled milk'." from her bingo sheet). We love it! Kids should not have time for homework after school! They should be too busy LEARNING!

Heather -- I am so proud of you!! Things are going to change, and for the better with citizens like you that uphold the moral values that made America what it is/was. My son, now 39 was going to flunk second grade for the second time, when a school nurse advised me to put him in a pilot program. Keith was tested with an IQ of 186. The new school had an open door policy. They took all the walls out of the class rooms. First graders could study with fifth graders and reverse. Kids became tutors to each other. The students choose the area of study for the year. Giving the student respect and responsibility, giving them charge of their own education gave the kids an opportunity to grow. Keith excelled in the new school. In Arizona we have charter schools. If you don't like the public school - you can enroll your child in a charter school. Most have smaller classes and specific areas of study. I know that is not the answer, but it is a start. I believe it will be parents like you that correct the mess we have made of our children education. Sorry public school teachers. I say don't ask me to do your job and I won't ask you to do mine. Thanks!

Public School teachers aren't the ones that have made a mess of education. It's the ridiculous testing and laws that politicians have put in place that have tied teachers' hands that have made the mess. Parents need to speak up via their vote to tell politicians that NCLB is in fact leaving many child behind and is not the answer.

I was a teacher for almost 30 years but at the high school level where homework was the norm. I read your post and your readers' comments with great interest. This topic is an important one that relates to the qualtiy of the school day and education for life. I have been following the news on the Chicago teacher strike and am myself very much in sympathy with them. Teachers have been dealing with very different and very stressful demands under the No Child Left Behind mandate and are now facing even more stringent requirements regarding testing. Some of your readers are teachers -- equally concerned with offering your children a quality education--but their hands may be tied. The quality of education in this country is under assault (mostly) by people who don't have teaching degrees or certificates and have not been in a classroom probably since they were in high school. If you really want to make an impact, you should be directing your concerns to the school board, the administration, the Department of Education, The President, etc. Heather, and all the readers--where do you stand with the Chicago teachers? Do you see the connection?

Tracy, Very well said! I agree with you about those who berate the education system are not well educated. Most of the time the homework requirements are not up to the teacher, but a higher level of authority. I strongly believe the teachers hands are tied. The "no child left behind" has hindered my children, not helped them. My children are advanced, yet I feel the NCLB, tries to bring everyone to the same level, average. So those children that do excel are hindered, because of those that do not. I don't mean to sound like a snob, but I've seen it happen.

I loved reading this article. My son has just started secondary school. He is supposed to get between 45 minutes to 1 and a half hours a day homework. He finishes at 3.45 and can stay on to do homework club until 5. He wants to do this as then home time is home time. He wants to come home and do what he wants. I like this idea too. The only thing I will say is that I wish he'd had a little more homework last year. I think it would have been helpful for him to have had 10 minutes homework a day in his last year of junior school. The work he has been set so far has been easy but because he wasn't used to it, he felt overwhelmed.

I applaud you! Your kids are blessed that you have provided this balance for them!

My girls both have their own variety pack of special needs. When they were in grade 2 and 4, their mainstream support teacher asked how I felt about writing in "no homework" into their IEPs (individual learning plans) I could have kissed her! Homework was always such a struggle! These girls were WELL overwhelmed by schoolwork and needed to NOT be doing more of the same at home. Without homework, the girls were free to LEARN at home (they were not learning anything from the homework!) We still couldn't do much in the way of clubs,and lessons, and sports and stuff... school took SO much energy and added SO much stress.

One teacher was quite concerned that she wouldn't know how to give our daughter a grade if she didn't do homework! REALLY? She spent 5 hours in a classroom with my daughter, which allowed her to hear her answers to questions as well as see all her written work IN class! Based on (grade 4) 40 minutes per day guidelines (gak) 7 days per week that would be 4 hours and 40 minutes of work. You mean to say she couldn't evaluate a child based on 25 hours in class, but she could evaluate a child based on 29 hours and 40 minutes of class and homework time?

We have been home-learning for 3 years now. My girls are loving those clubs and lessons and sports that they missed out on in their early elementary years. Our most "schooly" program is a gem called Wildwood, where they go once a week for a full day of multi-sensory learning about everything from geology, ancient history, business economics, world festivals, philosophy, and more! PLAY is SERIOUS learning! Here they are "in Greece" Well actually in Fort Langley, BC, learning about Greece during one such day filled with experiences that no textbooks or worksheets could ever replicate:

http://www.freewebs.com/wildwoodeducationalenrichmentcentre/apps/photos/photo?photoid=96968867

I have the pleasure of watching my children grow and learn and take JOY in their educational pursuits! One has discovered a passion for ancient history, and spends hours each week on that alone. The other daughter is into all things science, especially geology and botany. They have both recovered from the "math allergies" that they developed in public school. One day in the middle of summer.... actually... one night... it was 10:00 at night... in July, when my youngest asked "please could I do some math in bed tonight instead of reading?" "Ummm ... well... OK I suppose you can!"

.... because we have no homework requirements!

Interesting viewpoint. I can see with that much homework I would agree with you. I'm in the UK and my oldest is 9 - not sure what US grade that equates to, here it is Year 5. He has english once a week that should take no more than 25 minutes and maths similar. So we have chance to do that over the weekend (my 6 year old daughter has maths for about 15 mins and some spellings so they sit together and do it) as well as all the very important things you describe. So I guess we are lucky that it doesn't impact too much.

Definitely in favour of free play, plus we read daily, my son has music practice, we all eat together and bed is 7.30pm for my daughters (littlest one has no homework yet) and 8.30pm at the latest for my son.

I am a third grade teacher and I couldn't agree with you more. This is exactly what I tell my students' parents. You would be surprised how many parents actually WANT their children to have homework! My kids work hard the whole day and they need time to be a kid. Thanks for sharing this.

It sounds like you are teaching you kids that the rules don't apply to them; instead of teaching them how to balance their time to include homework. I'm trying to understand your point of view. I wonder as your children grow if it will change. I too, used to complain about their homework at such a young age. However, with age, comes wisdom. I know my views now are very different now than when first one started school. My kids (2 in HS & 1 in elem, all are extremely intelligent & in the gifted program) are only at school for 6 short hours. That is not enough time to teach them what they need to learn. There are so many distractions in class that it can be challenging to teach everything in such a short span of time. I believe homework is essential. It is a parents/guardians job to assist their child with homework to help them continue to learn outside the classroom. We need to be a team with our children's educators! The American work ethic has become way too lazy! We need to teach our kids to work hard, to go above & beyond to succeed, not just to quit if it gets too hard & look for hand outs. The upcoming generations are already inheriting a strong sense of entitlement. No one is owed anything.....its needs to be reinforced that you need to take pride in yourself & your school work to strive to achieve greatness. I'm not implying this towards you, just our society in general. I enjoy taking the time each night to help my children with their homework. It gives me an opportunity to see what they are learning & how they understand the concepts. (Just my humble opinion)

If my daughter learns one thing in her life, I hope that it involves standing up for things she believes in. It's not that the rules don't apply - it's that they disagree with the rules. That happens everyday in the real world. You must approach the disagreement with maturity and intelligence. This mother was very calm and has an excellent point. It would be very hard to argue with her, especially since the school employees are on her payroll.

If you really believe that 6 full hours in a day is not enough time to educate children well, then I feel you may have a very misguided outlook on education.

Don't most people work for just 7 short hours a day? (Including coffee breaks and procrastination). Maybe bosses of companies need to be giving employees homework (unpaid) to eat into TV watching time.

Children work very hard. 6 hours is a long time for a small child. Look at the academic success of Finland, where no homework is the norm. They outshine UK and USA.

There is no balance possible that would enable a child to get their homework done without eating into their earned recreation time at home. Children will grow up, "with age comes wisdom", so let them learn more when they have such wisdom and play during the only time they will ever get to. There is plenty of time to turn them into rule obeying worker drones during their over-exam taking teenage years.

Same goes for us. My daughter has Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism. She is in 2nd grade, but learns on a 6th grade level. Well, they send home 3rd grade homework and she is bored with it. Do I make her do it? NOPE. It doesn't benefit her. In fact, this is the exact same homework she was sent home with last year. Homework for a 7 year old is preposterous. She should be free of that. All day she's had to obide by social rules she doesn't understand and stay seated when that is really diffcult for her. She is in sensory over load every single day. When she comes home, she gets to be LINDY....not what others want her to be. I am so glad I am not the only parent out there who thinks homework for small children is a really dumb idea. Let them be free!!!

As mom I can agree. As educator I can value your opinion. Only wish half the families spent the quality time with their children. You must also bear in mind that if your child is struggling you will be better able to help support that child at home than a teacher who is trying to work with 20+ kids. Homework provides a window into what the child is learning and you have the opportunity to see how they grasp the subject and whether or not they need additional support.

As both an educator and a mother, I have conflicting feelings on this. I understand your point that in the early grades, children need to play and actually learn by doing so. However, in the later grades, when preparing children for the job force or college, homework becomes a critical assessment of what children have actually learned in the classroom. What I completely object to is meaningless, timed homework. "Busywork" has no place in education. It is not practical or useful. A meaningful homework experience should reinforce what a child learns and challenge them to be ready for the next step. I only assigned homework when necessary, but some of my colleagues were not as generous. I also agree with some of the comments above that you are walking a fine line of teaching your children that rules don't apply to them. I think your approach would go a little better if you designed a replacement homework plan that aligned what your children do after school to the skills the school was practicing at that time. You appear to do that already. One more thought and I will stop... Please be mindful that your children are very lucky that you are not only a caring and interested parent, but also one that values their experiences at learning through play. Many children are not that lucky. The little bit of homework time after school may be the only positive learning experience they get in the 18 hours they are NOT in the classroom.

I have been in a hotel room where a homeless family of five was living. I saw the state of their lives. I have seen the difficulties they faced. The "homework" assigned to the young children was not a positive gift. It was an impossibility. I think it is imaginative to believe additional work after 6 or 7 hours of schooling for children is "positive" for them. Especially if their home lives are challenging. No, it's just more stress because if they need help with it they won't get it, or it's too stressful at home to do a good job, have a quiet place to work, etc.

I agree with this concept completely. My son just started K this yr. and occasionally he will bring home a sheet for homework; however, it takes all of 5 min to complete because it is basically just a repeat of what he did that day. Basically writing his letters. This is why I love the school we are at, I have found out that the majority of the teachers in higher grades send little to no homework home as well. They help the children do their work in class and that only leaves them minimal homework later, with that usually being reading so not a big deal. I understand what some of the teachers are talking about with their pay & the new laws that have been set but that is something the teachers need to stand up against as well. The elementary teachers at my sons school are all great teachers and the children learn everything they are suppose to for the EOG. I don't see why it can't be done in the 6 1/2 hours you have to teach it in. I do sympathize with them about "problem students", although I don't believe in such terminology there is always an underlying problem either at school or at home, and being overwelmed with the number of students, but this doesn't mean the rest of our children should suffer. And for those who said their children were well rounded with doing homework and other things, that's great for you; however, did your child honestly get the family time he/she craved?? Also, she said she didn't agree with homework for children 11 and under. Therefore, from the 7th grade & up your child would have homework & this should be good enough because there is more to learn and less time per class to learn it but should they really have between 2 & 3 hours worth of homework?? Ok I'm finished, but kudos and I'm glad you take a stand every year for your children.

I found a school that agrees with you! My kids attend a small private school that, on principle, doesn't assign homework. And, yes, it's great! Not only do we get more family time, the kids are doing all of their work in school, with a skilled teacher present who can help them when they have questions. This needs to be a revolution: no more homework!

Thank you for sharing this. Homework is always such a struggle. I say "Yes" for no homework!! Family time is more precious than spending the rest of the day doing homework!!

The first thing I did after reading this was emailing the principle of my 7th grader's middle school. This year is an experiment and they have practically no homework, except for an occasional project that comes with the TAG classes. I thanked her for not giving and grading homework. And that's exactly the hardest point for my 5th grader. I could tell her not to do homework, as I have done a few times after sitting through 2 long and painful hours of homework, but her homework gets graded. We can't just skip it. After talking to her teacher she agreed we could go 'a bit easier on her' but my daughter freaks out because she doesn't want a bad grade. HELP!

"No parent signatures signing off on assignments, etc. I laughed at this, as I refused to sign my sons "planner" which he never used! The teacher was adamant that he just write anything in there--what tie the teacher was wearing---what funny joke someone said, and I was supposed to sign it each night?? I don't write junk in my daytimer---and no one else has to check up on it--it is the child's responsibility--not mine! I have 3 sons--2 who have no use for school, and are heavy equipment operators---who should have been steered in that direction, right from grade 8---and one who is gifted, who fell in the middle, did a 5 year university degree, and has a great job, traveling the world, teaching and training about environmental stewardship. The "student" did his homework on his own--never once did I need to ask whether he had completed everything. The other 2---well, they did what they had to do, to get by, and now love their jobs. Not everyone fits into the "school box!"

Elizabeth, I am so glad to read a post from a Mom of kids like mine!

My daughter was the one who played school, made up extra homework, went above and beyond and got her Masters degree in four years. She's now married and a gem of a Mom who is currently staying at home, but is also in business with me.

My son is the one who did the absolute minimum to squeak by and always knew he wanted to work for the railroad. He is 19 and currently the youngest conductor in our area. It's a job which he worked incredibly hard just to get, and will always work hard to keep, but he loves it.

Both of my children are incredibly intelligent, but they are gifted in different ways. They make me very proud.

For one, homework actually was play, for the other, it was sheer torture and often went undone. There is a part of me that makes the boy vs. girl comparison, because I know they learn differently, but classrooms are mixed so kids just have to deal.

My one beef with some of the educator comments I've read is about not having time to get everything done in the classroom. My frustration lies with how many times one of my kids would come home from high school and tell me they did absolutely nothing all day. When pressed to give an account of each hour, I would hear about movies they watched, YouTube videos a teacher would show, or how a discussion would last all hour and have absolutely nothing to do with curriculum. In my opinion, every minute of the class should be used wisely, and there were many times that it wasn't, and my child would end up with homework to make up for all that time the teacher "didn't have."

Conversely, I also agree with teachers who say NCLB is unreasonable, because it is. I got so tired of my kids being taught how test instead of how to learn. That is not what education is about.

Finally, I have to take issue with Erin who "has two Masters degrees and is working on a Ph.D" and used the phrase "she seeked out free help". Really? I have a high school diploma and I know that "seeked out" should be "sought." (I'm also an editor, so those things drive me crazy!) 🙂

Ahaha, I had that thought about "seeked out" as well 🙂 I am a homeschool mama and my main focus is on helping my children develop their strengths - I know many peers who worked like fiends to graduate top of their high school class "just because it was the right thing to do" and then went on to earn Bachelor's and Masters "because it's just what you do" and worked in a career they hated for a few years earning a lot of money because "that's the American dream" and... then quit. Just stopped, changed their lives and realized they would have been happier cutting hair, or teaching English overseas, or yes, being a conductor of a train.

My job is to give my kids an awesome foundation (excellency over the 3 'R's so to speak) and then help them realize their God given interests and talents. That is where the crux of the backlash comes in - we all want that for our kids, and teachers are NEVER, EVER going to be able to do that for our children, even if they want to. More parents should consider home educating!

I agree 100% - there's so much more to life and learning than school! If there isn't enough time to teach the curriculum during 30 hours of school time each week, then let's cut out the many unneccesary assemblies and "skip-a-thons" and that sort of thing. Our kids take dance, music lessons, belong to clubs and play sports, as well as making mud pies, riding bikes and just playing during their after-school hours. This is equally important to school work. For those who advocate homework for young children, think for a minute about the concept of balance. Kids are only kids for a short time; all too soon it will be time for them to "work hard, to go above and beyond to succeed."

Love this letter, Heather! And especially the tone of it. You have a gift of keeping it positive—even the tough stuff!

I'm French. Here, Homework has been banned by law for a few years. Yet school teachers still give lots of things to do at home and are surprised to see those young children tired at school and even tired of school. The idea behind refusing homework was to give every child the same chance. When they're doing homework, some kids get help from their parent while others can't. If a child didn't understand something explained by the teacher, how would (s)he understand it alone? But you're right in your post: a child needs time to grow, time to play, time to laugh, time to sleep and that's more important than learning equations one year early.

This is why I chose an online charter school for my children. They can spend the day playing and do school at night. Their school work takes roughly 4 hours, leaving a wonderfully large chunk of time for play, exploration, and field trips! And best of all, no homework! Ever!

What is the name of your children's online charter? That sounds like a great option for schooling!

I'd love the name of your charter too.

"The only type of “homework” I value at this age is reading at home. In our family we already do this every day. "

We have always placed high value on reading at home (we've read to & with our 2 since they were tiny babies) but I've regretfully come to the realization that we haven't placed enough value on practicing basic math. My 4th grader is not fluent in basic math (incl. times tables), which for some kids is only achieved with much repetition. She understands the concepts taught in class but there is no time during class time to get the information in there so they are fluent (simple mental arithmetic), and this is impeding her ability to progress in that area. I wish more parenting advice had encouraged me to do this instead of focusing solely on reading.

We now include the daily Bedtime Math newsletter into our evening routine, so hopefully it won't be as much of a struggle for our 1st grader.

Seek out some skip counting (essentially the times tables) song CDs. My littles even know their full times tables because they learned it to fun songs 🙂

Hmmmm....here's my stance. I completely agree with you. Couldn't agree more! Your kids are lucky to have a mom who understands that there are more important things than academics all day every day and that play, exercise, family time, and sleep are crucial components of a happy and well balanced childhood. BUT...if you feel that strongly against the status quo of the traditional American education system, I feel you should find another option for you kids, whether it be homeschooling (as our family does) or a charter school or some such option that has the same philosophy as you do on homework expectations. I just think it is unfair to send a child to a school, knowing fully the expectations and beliefs of that institution, then expect your child to be exempted or treated differently based on your personal beliefs. It's unfair to the classroom teacher who has to find another way to fulfill requirements for grades that would be coming from homework assignments and unfair to the other students in the class who don't understand why they have to do homework and other kids don't. Just my two cents. It seems this would be equivalent to signing a child up for a competitive sports team and allowing them to go to practices, but refusing to allow them to compete in meets. You can choose to send them to school or not send them to school, but if you do choose to send them to school, you should take the good (policies) with the bad (policies).

Homework is really a very small part of public schooling, and if a parent won't participate with one small part of public school doesn't mean that the parent/children have no right to participate in public schooling.

The only way schools will change backward practices that have no research to support them is by parents taking a stand like Heather.

In that case, I hope both parent and child are willing to accept the lower grade that may result from a failure to turn in homework.

My kids' school is pretty good. 1st grade she comes home with a "connect the dots and color" thing that she'd do regardless, so I think they're just getting practice of doing homework in. The 2nd grader certainly doesn't have 20 minutes of homework. The thing is, one thing I noticed this year in the 2nd grade classroom were two multi-page project packets called, "All about me" and "The origin of my name" with a question and answer format where the children wrote everything down while interviewing the parents. I felt it was COMPLETELY intrusive. I was originally tempted to give answers such as, "We named her that because my husband accidentally called that name out during an intimate moment and we decided if that was the time we conceived, that would be her name!" ...just for fun.

Heather, while I respect your opinion and appreciate your passion for how your child is educated, I don't really like your strict boundries. Age 11. Wouldn't some kids be age 9? Or age 13? My twins are in kindergarten and we love the 15 minutes of homework each night and I often give them additional learning activities because they enjoy it. You say the only acceptable 'homework' is reading. Why reading? Why not math? I'm in a math career I am passionate about math and my kids are strong in math. They enjoy math worksheets and flash cards. We do those as fun activities. You don't seem to make exception for each child being different.

Something to consider is can't these activities overlap? So of my fondest memories of my father are doing 2nd grade practice spelling tests and practicing vocabulary words. Family time can be learning time.

The last question I pose is why do you believe the teacher should make exceptions for your child? If some other parent doesn't believe in standardized test, does that mean the teacher should give that child a free pass? I don't think a college application will get much attention if the SAT scores are blank because the parent didn't believe in that. Playing by the rules is also a valuable lesson for our children.

I'd love your insight on these topics.

Why the bias to reading over say, math?

Kids build an enormous amount of experiences to build a strong base for math by outdoor play. Building is especially important to making kids strong math learners.

After reading through all the comments, it's plain to see that most parents understand very little about NCLB and the ramifications it has on a regular classroom. We don't have control over state testing, nor are we allowed to voice our opinions, without risking our paychecks. I went into teaching because I loved working with children and watching them light up as they grew and discovered new things. The new laws make it difficult to enjoy teaching the way it once was. Reading is a major 1st grade skill that needs to be practiced in a variety of settings, one of which needs to be within the walls of a child's own home. As a first grade teacher I do 'assign' homework, which is basically geared toward the parents . . . I want them to spend 20 minutes a night reading to/listening to their child read. The number of parents who don't spend even that small amount of time with their child is appalling. I applaud the parents who spend quality time with their child, but based on my classroom observation, you are few and far between. Those that have the money/resources for private school, kudos to you, not every family is so fortunate. As a parent, I too balked at the amount of meaningless homework brought home by my children, but they were able to do what was needed to be done and still have time for those other activities that they enjoyed. I feel for children who don't have the support from home.

If you went into the education sector because you loved teaching children, but your hands are tied to teach them in effective manners... why continue? Why not branch out and start a paid home-school co-op? I had a friend who was a public high school science teacher for several years and was insanely frustrated by the broken system... so she started a business that offered group lessons to homeschool co-ops or other similar gatherings. She makes as much money, actually impacts kids who are interested and has parental support. *Why stay in a broken system?*

The children in that broken system still deserve to have teachers who are in it for the love of teaching, even if their hands are tied more than they should be.

Totally agree with you, Heather! Kids need time to be kids and I am glad someone has the courage to stand up for children against so many "educational experts". My children are just beginning their academic journeys and I hope I can be as assertive as you and advocate for my child's right to be a child and to learn through meaningful, authentic experiences in the outdoors and with family rather than worksheets.

Bravo!!! So pleased to see other parents who value the importance of play in a young child's life.

We still do homework because it's very short and most if it is reading for my kinder daughter or just a few minutes of drawing or verbal discussion. One night the teacher gave a homework assignment telling the kids to help their parents clean for 10 minutes. That's my kind of homework assignment! Also, my daughter has been enjoying homework so if it's fun for her, we are going to keep it up.

I would love it so much if you linked up this post to our Sunday Parenting Party. It would be a wonderful addition. http://www.thegoldengleam.com/2012/09/connecting-at-bedtime-sunday-parenting.html

I agree. Been saying it for 40 years, as a teacher, I don't get much support. There is plenty of "work" at home. If it doesn't get done at school LEAVE it there!

My child attends elementary school in Chesterfield, VA. Last year at back to school night they unveiled their new policy of "no homework" According to the administration, studies have shown that, at least in elementary school, their is no benefit and there may be detriment. I wholeheartedly agree. I was surprised at how many parents opposed this. They were baffled. For me, I loved it. Less homework for me as well. I'm a big advocate for increasing physical activity for kids, and homework decreases available time for that. Having said all of this, over time, it seems that some "enrichment activities" have creeped in. Semantics. But overall, less homework and my child is happier. I'm proud of the school for taking a stance.

I really appreciated reading this article. My kids are a little older now (15, 18 & 20) but over the years we have taken a very strict stance on homework when it comes to homework assigned over the holidays (but this makes me wish we had had a stricter no-homework stance throughout as well). Nothing drove me more crazy than having homework assigned to do over Christmas break or spring break - I banned it and on a couple of occasions I had to write notes to the teacher explaining that they would not be completing the assignments over their break but that they would make every effort to catch up with it during school time once they returned. Actually, there was one thing that drove me more crazy - when there was homework assigned that was a to be done as a group with one or more other students outside of school time. Our family was most definitely an exception in our community - we only allowed our kids one structured extracurricular activity each. Had seen far to many families over the years who dragged their families from one sport to another to piano to dance to ... we strongly believe that kids need the time to simply be kids. SO, when it came to assigned group project homework, it became near impossible for our kids to arrange with other the other students (whether they were allowed to pick their partners or not) adequate time to complete the projects. More often than not, my children took on the bulk of the project themselves simply to ensure that it got done and done well.

Thank you, again, for this refreshing article. I will be sharing it with others.

[...] shared a post the other day that I thought was rather interesting.  A mother had written on her blog that every year she talks with her child’s teacher and refuses to do homework!  At first I [...]

Wow, what a varied amount of responses! I too think homework is silly for younger kids. If you read to your kids, have them read to you, involve them in family life like cooking, reading and measuring from recipes, shopping, and etc they will be learning maths, science, reading. Let them explore the outside world and they will be learning, build your relationship with them by engaging in activities together, they will be learning. I find it interesting that in early education (before formal 5 days a week schooling) the emphasise is fully on the child learning through play, however when they turn 5 and attend school, they all of a sudden are supposed to not learn that way. I will encourage my child to chose what they learn outside of school hours, and the only time I will implement 'forced' learning is if they are having a lot of trouble with a certain area.

Yes both my kids attend(ed) Waldorf schools. I am a Waldorf trained teacher. My son adores going to school and learning to knit a gnome, play the recorder, garden & compost, learn the land of letters and number kingdom. Childhood is a magical time of life. The richer the child's imagination and free time, the more secure and independent he/she will be. Therefore we will have kids that grow up to do their passion, instead of a "JOB" that is soul deadening. Being part of Waldorf in Silicon Valley has been life saving, heart saving, peace of mind saving. Thank you for your writings, keep on telling the truth. We are out here! More parents are catching on each day. It is holy work, protecting children.

That sounds awesome, I really sympathize. But it's probably a great solution for your kids in your environment, no so much for big cities, like where I live: San Diego. We don't have toads and forts to experiment with (we do have chickens and a rabbit though!). But a lot of our neighbor kids have big brothers in gangs and big sisters being hoochie to deal with. They have murderous streets to stay out of. Most elementary teachers that I know design their homework towards parental involvement rather than busy work for the kids -- because there's too much absentee parenting going on in general.

Really, truly, I loved this article, I want it for the world, but I don't think it practical for all situations.

I agree with you, the only thing in our society is that most parents don't seem to want to spend time with the family anymore.They are always too busy and kids even have to have dinner by themselfs - so sad. When I was in Elementary school we only got reading as homework, but that was in former East Germany. I am always surprised that not more parents complain about homework.They tell their kids "oh I am too tired to help you right now, I just worked 8 hours so I need a break" well their kids just worked 6+ hours too, so why arent's they getting a break? Actually, I believe the Parents (at least one of them) should get homework - their homework should be to spend at least 1hour outside with their kids, 20+ minutes reading with their kids,and 30+ min. having a nice family dinner with their kids,and even a few minutes WITH their kids to do house chores with them. That would be so great, instead of just letting the kids sit in front of TV or the Computer.So that gives the parent and kid over 2hours after school of "homework" - then they can do whatever they want by themselfs - and the child should have to check off if their parent did all the stuff with them, maybe even write down themselfs what they did that day. I would love that.While a child plays they can learn so much more, especially if they have an adult near by or play with them who answers questions they have.

[...] I'm completely against homework in primary school. Funnily enough I've just come across a lovely blog post by a mother who opts out of homework for her children: https://www.heathershumaker.com/blog/ ...o-to-homework/. [...]

Great ideals! You really need to add a facebook "like" app or something so I can share this with all my mummy friends, there are so many people that agree with you x

Let's see, I'm new to all this, but I believe there's a "Share" button at the end of the blog post. My facebook page is Heather Shumaker Writer and it's posted there, too. Thanks!

i wish you'd take a moment and research my friend erin kenny. i believe you'll love her preschool .

I looked up Erin Kenny - and you're right, I love her outdoor preschool. Kids need to be outdoors in all kinds of weather, and I especially love that her outdoor kindergarten is inspired by waldkindergartens from Germany. After all, Germany gave us the original idea for kindergarten, a place where children should NOT "read, write or cipher."

I LOVE this! What a fantastic thing to do! This might just make public school bearable for us.

Wonderful viewpoint!!! Thank you for sharing your insight and your sample letter!!!

This is great and I think you are SUPER respectful of the teachers and clearly understand that you have no reason to be anti-teacher. I can see in the comments that many teachers are pointing out the pressures they are under. I feel for them and they are so right: a lot of this comes from above them. Good for you for being a good example of how to stand up for what you believe while still being civil and open to discussion. Seriously, I'm beaming at this.

I love this. It's perfect. I realize that not every kid gets to go home to a place where he or she can play outside, but there should be options for them too that aren't homework. Especially at that age. As for teachers. I appreciate the strain you're under. And I would also never be okay sacrificing my child's happiness for the sole reason of making your job easier. I would rather fight for political change, and I'm happy to do so. I spent 12 years in public school. At least 90% of that time was a complete waste because they never could shove me in the box hard enough to make me stay. I walked out with anxiety and clinical depression. So no. My kid won't be going through that.

I am compelled to dish out some constructive criticism, as I feel you are hindering your effort of making a solid argument for your beliefs to teachers and administrators. If the letter I read above is an accurate sample of the one you send to your children's school, you are inviting a negative first impression. You are addressing educators; therefore, you need to follow the guidelines for formal letter writing, using impeccable grammar and perfect punctuation. You will gain immediate respect for showing your expertise in proper communication. Remember, you are selling the notion there is enough learning during school hours. Will they really buy into it if you send in anything less than an A+ effort? As for your hot topic, I feel our children earn the opportunity to enjoy afternoons and evenings after a long day of learning. Considering most working adults are accustomed to an eight hour work day, should we expect the same, or more, from our children? Unfortunately, school systems nationwide continue to reduce their schedules, leaving our teachers in a bind. (We are down to 160 days this year.) As usual, it comes down to money, or lack thereof, and everyone feels the impact. I accept homework as a necessary evil; but, I find busywork for the sake of having homework to be cruel and counter-productive. Thank you for your thought-provoking post.

[...] read an interesting blog by a parent on her resistance to homework. In “Starlighting Mama,” writer Heather Shumaker explains why her household bans homework. In a nutshell, her kids have [...]

I like the idea and I absolutely abhor homework in elementary school. However, without it being a class wide or school wide rule I think it will make it hard for your child to stay on the same page as everyone else in the class. It also creates a way for for parents to be involved in what their kids are doing in school and leads to many conversations about what your child may not understand and does not have time to communicate or are afraid to communicate with the teacher. From my experience also, if you expect your child to be disciplined in something by the preteen years it is best to start the practice in the earlier years. Getting a teenager to start a new habit is not fun. If you do choose traditional school it is important to teach your kids to follow the rules in place and respect the authority of their teacher. If we let our kids think we can just opt out of a rule that everyone else has to follow because we don't like it they will begin to challenge other things their teacher does. School wide policies have to be fought at a higher level, not put on the back of the classroom teacher who already has their hands tied by policies in so many ways. Teaching our kids to fight battles on the appropriate level in the right places is a tricky balance. I just think there are so many other options out there if you are looking for a more non-traditional way of schooling. I better idea, in my opinion, would be to meet with all the teachers of the grade level your child is about to enter to find out what their teaching philosophies are because while almost all public school teachers have to give homework, the amount and type of homework differs from teacher to teacher. Then you can ask to have your child placed with the teacher that best fits your needs. I think the real key whichever route you choose is positive family and parental involvement. I was never encouraged to do homework and was forced to "play" outside everyday after school. I was always very behind in school and I would have loved for someone to sit down and do homework with me. The homework seriously is not that extensive in elementary school and if the parents take the time to make it a fun and positive time together there is still plenty of time for all the other stuff mentioned too. Like someone else said, if homework is just too painful for a child there is usually something more going on and you would never know that if it weren't for those interactions. I also agree with the person who commented about city kids, that was my situation. We played in the street and kids ran a muck around the neighborhood with absolutely no adult supervision...not something I would want for my kids.

The school district my child attends has a board policy in that teachers are not allowed to assign homework until third grade. With that said my son is in first grade and does not officially have homework, but brings home a practice worksheet with several activities to complete in order to reinforce the weeks lessons. We are not required to complete the worksheet, but I work with my child to complete it. I feel that this is not homework, just reinforcement to aide in the student's learning. I don't see anything wrong with assigning homework as long as it is reasonable for their grade level. I would be a concerned parent if I felt it was too much homework coming home. Children need to know that homework is a part of school. I don't know about you, but I had homework when I was in elementary school and I know my parents did not complain about the homework being sent home.

My concern with your plan is simple - when will your child learn necessary basics required to advance through the rest of their education? If you think that schools these days are able to provide enough education to cover even simple basics, you have another thing coming.

If anything, you may want to do homework to make sure your child is actually learning something. I would suggest expanding on it - use school curriculum as a basis to expand your kids knowledge and sense of wonder. If they are learning about ancient Rome for example, use the opportunity to expand on it by reading more, visiting Rome (via Google Earth or through videos)... If they are learning fractions, make cupcakes and have kids figure measurements based on certain change in the recipe...

Don't shoot me, just my 5 cents worth.

P.S. While most teachers may take this well, you will create some disturbance which in turn will cost your child. If you want to implement a no-homework rule, then fight through the school board, not over your kids backs. If you decide to enroll your kids into school, you should follow their program - it is unfair to teachers and other parents that you are only taking parts of the program that you like.

If you want to have full control over your kids education, then home school.

I think I love you. This is exactly how I feel. My daughter has just started pre-school. She's in school for over 6 hours a day and on top of that she's supposed to do work at home. Quite a bit as she is supposed to keep up with kids who have already been able to read before even starting pre-school. After school she is soooo tired. I am a big believer in free unstructured play and I want her to be able to spend time with her younger sibling, too. I also don't want for all the quality time that I can spend with her to be based around structured learning. I grew up with half-day school. We went home between 12 and 1. Yes, we did have homework, but not a whole lot and not until we were 8 or so. I just don't believe you can have the kids in school pretty much all day AND give homework at the same time. It's not fair on kids and it's not fair on families.

I am against busy work homework but using more learning in daily life. Katie's K teacher gives a packet to do weekly but some is count the steps between... reinforcing skills from school but making it something to deal with the real world. In college I had trouble with math but the class I finally was allowed to use was applied math. We learned about math in the daily world and had to find something where math was used. I found out about the timing of street lights and really enjoyed math in that way. We also learned about USB codes and what they stand for. I loved it. Every subject deals with life, why can't homework deal with life? Allow projects of the child choosing so they are interested and will learn more

Don't like homework or the education system how does HOMESCHOOL sound

I teach 5th grade gifted and high achieving students. I agree with the author completely. Homework is nothing but a waste of time. I do provide enrichment activities, but these are optional, ungraded, and usually take the form of contests such as essays that can win scholarship money or science projects for Week of the Ocean. The families are free to decide how time is spent outside of school.

Spot on Heather. Check out my article 'Homework - Education's Biggest Scam - http://jimbakersonlinelearning.co.uk//Homework%20-%20Education's%20Biggest%20Scam%20.pdf and my Prezi 'Evidence that Homework does not Improve Learning' - http://prezi.com/opl9tpu1yn1z/evidence-that-homework-does-not-improve-learning/

I hope 'the powers that be' shall soon listen and act.

Best Wishes

While I don't disagree that homework can be overwhelming and, depending on the school, nearly useless, I don't agree with a letter to the child's teacher. Mainly because I don't think my child deserves any more or less than any other child in his class, and acquiring some kind of special-snowflake status for him would be more to his detriment than having him do the twenty minutes of busywork.

Children need to keep busy and they need to create. They also need to learn that there are jobs for everyone, that they need to do what they're asked as well, and there are certain parameters of behavior within which they need to operate. Homework is not about corralling a child's imagination, or dampening their enthusiasm, or anything of the sort. It's an education in doing as you're asked, learning what's expected of you, and letting sink in the lessons of the day.

If one is adamantly against homework, I would suggest homeschooling, which would seem to fit better with your philosophy in general; or a school with a no-homework policy. But making your child the exception to the rule does not seem like an acceptable answer to me.

I did not do homework in elementary school. We would get the odd project but they were always more fun than work, like collect leaves or make a family tree. I feel that not having homework at that age made me more independent. I also see that I was more capable of solving problems and more creative. Today when I go to homes of friends with children I see that most of the time the parents do not have the time or patience to help their child with homework. This is because the parents have to get dinner ready as well as do things around the house that could not be done because both parents work. As a child I spent my time outside riding my bike, climbing trees and playing pretend. I am shocked how little time children now spend outside. When I have kids of my own I will not be helping them with homework after school I will be watching them play and enjoy their childhood as all children should be. I would also like to add that not doing homework in elementary school did not set me up for doing poorly, I was always a good student and had great grades and graduated with over a 4.0 gpa. ~From a very successful kid that did not do homework

What I have a real problem with is the "homework" that requires shopping and heavy parental participation! If homework is assigned, it should be something the child can do on their own with minimal support. I agree kids need time for other things, like being a kid, which too many over scheduled children do not know how to do! And preschool or kindergarten homework, ridiculous! That should be limited to "find something at home that starts with the letter A and bring it to school tomorrow". But I understand the value of learning to get tinto the habit of the studying after school routine. Why does it have to be all or nothing? Why can't the homework be about applying what you've learned to your homelife as a young child? Like a choice of come in tomorrow and tell us about the book you read last night, or draw a picture of something that makes you happy to share tomorrow, etc. Let's not start with things that make school and learning agony. That's how it was for me, I hated every minute of it. And I still earned 2 BAs in 4 years, sadly I could not stomach anymore!

Please update us with the teacher's response.

I think that the reason that you haven't had much resistance on the subject from teachers is because most teachers agree. Research shows that homework at such a young age does nothing to improve scores or achievement, and only sets a president for homework in the future. The ten minute rules was put in place by Marzano who researched the topi and found many teachers were over killing. It also is nice to have at hand when parents ask for more. That where the issue stands: 1) many parents feel if their kid isn't doing homework, they're not being supportive at school. I give little homework and I'm always asked to assign more from parents. 2) when I don't assign homework, I'm thought of a bad teacher. 3) not all children Jae the structured home you seem to have. Patents often rely on the homework to keep the kid out of trouble when they're working or dealing with siblings. I would find your letter a bit conduced ding. Again, most teachers would probably agree. It would take little convincing. I'd like to use it to send to my parents though.

All we can say is LOVE.....LOVE LOVE LOVE this and completely agree. (And I was a teacher) You are not alone!!

Sounds like homeschooling would be a perfect fit for your family - then they can have abundant time to live an abundant life as a child! 🙂

[...] for the child to dig into the things that most interest him. She writes a very compelling case: https://www.heathershumaker.com/blog/2012/09/12/why-we-say-no-to-homework/ (found on my FB page).I read her post last week, just moments before stepping out of my home office [...]

This is excellent! I hated that the schools pushed homework on kids at such a young age. Even in preK there was the "fun"work sent home and I balked at it big time. Whenever there was an event at school and I expressed my displeasure about homework to other parents I was always meet with odd looks and many parents disagreed with me. Kids need to be kids! A six year old does not need to write a paper on a president or a 9 year old does not need to make a poster about the way modern cars are better then ones from the 30's. I am so glad there are other parents out there that know children are suppose to learn to be kids and not mini adults.

It's interesting that in our school district our kids' elementary school and middle school have completely opposite homework cultures. The elementary schools buries them in homework from day one while the middle school is adamant that homework should be limited. The amount is minimal and it isn't heavily weighted in the final grades.

When my daughter, a straight A kid, was in fifth grade, she had 2-3 hours per night of homework! When she entered middle school, it dropped down to about 30 minutes + about a half hour of trombone practice because she was in band - so an hour tops. She still aced all of her subjects without the massive homework drain on her time. She's also much more pleasant (imagine that).

My son's in first grade at the same elementary school and I cut him off after 30 minutes regardless of whether he's done or not. That's all I'm willing to invest at his age and anything more is just ridiculous. I will not tolerate 2-3 hours in elementary school ever again.

I believe that each school has a homework culture, likely set by its administrators plus all the state and federal mandates. Teachers also have some leeway despite whatever culture has been established.

My daughter's second grade teacher was extremely open to letting her turn in optional assignments. For example, my daughter hated homework and it was a major battle. Meanwhile, in her spare time, she loved learning about countries and drawing their flags. She'd make entire illustrated books about individual countries! When I showed her teacher these notebooks and explained that homework was crushing her love of learning, she totally agreed and said she'd accept any creative works in lieu of homework. Amazing. So, start with the teacher and work your way up the chain if necessary.

Very compelling article! I just posted a link on my FB page and am curious what the response will be. Thanks!

I think it was in the 70's that parents wanted homework for their children. Now days I hear from almost every parent that Homework is not worth it, it takes too long, cuts out family time, the parent ends up doing it, etc. I wish that the clock could be turned back to how it was before it changed in the 70's! I think kids learn better when the subjects are liked not pressured on them, and there is time to explore them. Instead they are rushed through just to get scores/ grades. Homework is usually dreaded by the student and parent. I totally agree 6 hours of school should be enough time for structured learning, actually home educators can teach all subjects in about 4 hours. It makes you wonder about the public schools hua? Maybe the schools really feel they have to give out homework because they can't teach all they need to in those 6 hours because of the big classes they have, and they feel inadequate. Who knows. I wonder how we all as citizens/ parents could change this homework policy nation wide? Frankly I hate how schools are slowly becoming the parents of our kids, When are they going to let us parents be the parents of our children?!?!?! Yay for the ones who have already put the no homework policy in their families to work, and hooray for those teachers/ schools who let them!

As a mother, I welcomed homework for my children. My children came home from school, had a snack, played outside and did their homework after dinner.

I monitored their homework assignments but did not help them unless they didn't understand a subject and were perplexed. At times one on one was needed for them to understand a concept. Many times I was able to nip a potential problem in the bud so my children would be able to succeed in a particular subject. It also gave me an idea of their progress of learning the subject matter.

After their homework was completed (20-30 minutes) they would continue their playtime.

Completing their homework assignments taught them a sense of responsibility, seeing an assigned task completed and gave them a sense of accomplishment.

Too many parents today use the excuse that "children have to explore and find themselves" so that they don't have to spend 20-30 minutes of their time overseeing their children do homework. It's much easier to just send the children out of the house than to spend time with their children while they do a homework assignment.

Twenty minutes of my children's time to complete their homework did not restrict them from having enough playtime to explore their surroundings and expand their curiosity.

When my children were in high school they would come home, grab a snack and proceed to do their homework. Their sense of responsibility that started in elementary school, served them well through college.

My children are now grown and successful in their careers and thank me today for their wonderful childhood memories.

That is wonderful, however the children of "today", would be very grateful to receive only 20 or 30 minutes of homework everyday. That would be "great"! First graders are bringing home 3 or 4 hours of homework. They are exhausted and sometimes cannot get to bed early and get proper rest. It is getting ridiculous these days, and things need to change for the sake of the stressed out children and their families.

Very interesting. My daughter just started kindergarten. I have another daughter who has graduated. I will tell you as a full time working parent - I do NOT like home work even a little bit. Not to mention by 3rd or 4th grade - I can't remember 1/2 the stuff they are learning without reading it for myself or re-learning it. I also hear there are some "new ways" math is being taught that is quite confusing for the parents, although I have not yet had the pleasure of experiencing this yet. I do not personally agree there should be NO home work. I do absolutely agree that there should not be homework assigned every night and lots of it. Some teachers - some schools assign a home work packet on Friday which is due the following Friday or Monday that is due the following Monday. This allows the student and parent to work on it as their schedule permits. This I am 100% for. This way you plan the home work based on your schedule for that week. If you know you have dance class one night or a soccer game or going away for the weekend -you can plan your week accordingly. This way you are still spending time with your children and being participating in what they are learning and taking an active interest - but you are not forced to do it each and every night when you may get home from work - run to dance class come home eat dinner - do baths, clean up and then fit in home work. Makes for a better experience for both the kids and the parents. In kindergarten there isn't a bunch of homework - but so far September we were assigned math for a month and in October we have do do 8 stories (3 sentences each) - and draw pictures for each story. Worked on it tonight - but tomorrow night I know I have no time. I like being able to do as the schedule permits instead of trying to figure out how to get it done each & every night. That's my vote. Unfortunately some teachers will assign homework every night - I will probably be one of those parents who write a note and ask for it on a weekly basis instead of a daily one.......

After reading your post, I was taken back that I wan't the only person who thought homework doesn't have place in my home. Thank you for speaking up.

I heard about this book on the radio and it reminded me of your post and I wanted to share it. It's called The Homework Myth. http://www.alfiekohn.org/books/hm.htm

Instead of banning homework, everyone who disagrees with the homework practices in this country should get together and ban standardized testing and work to raise awareness about child poverty. That is what has created the homework craze in this country. Parents who cannot or do not support their children's learning and have abdicated parental responsibility to the public school system need to step up.

i have tears in my eyes as i write this. my son and i are barely speaking because i feel he is too hard on my 9 year old grandson with his homework. my son is under a lot of stress and i get that but last night my grandson got here at three oclock and they started right in on homework. i walked away, went outside and just tried to stay away.we ate an early supper because my other grandson had a football game and we were going to it. so aaron finished hi hw at 415. then my son got a call from his exwife that they had sent a whole sheet of paper for aaron to do and to study for a test the next day. we took the sheet with us and his book and the WHOLE ball game he had to do hw. well even tho i never said a word my son was frustrated and took it out on me and i responded back so as i said we are not getting along and he said he wasnt even going to do his hw around me anymore which is ok with me. but my grandson spent from seven thirty in the morning until eight thirty at night doing hw. how much do you think he likes school?

I actually just wrote the letter to my son's first grade teacher letting her know my thoughts about homework as there was a very condescending letter to families in our folder about the benefits of homework. My son is already freaked out that he will be unsucessful in school if he does not complete his homework. (he is still only 5! He turns 6 in November). she has managed to sway him to her opinion and now I have to unsway him to mine! =(

BRILLIANT!!! BRAVE! INSPIRING!

I love this post! I also loved your book, which was by far the most useful parenting book I've ever read. You actually provided tools and effective words to use -- wonderful!

I'm a former high school teacher, and I assigned plenty of homework. If I did it over again, I would assign much less after all the reading I've done on education and unschooling. I pulled my son out of preschool because they did too much academic work and not enough free play, and yes, they had homework. He had just turned three! I plan on homeschooling him for this and many other reasons. I think this letter is wonderful, and if for some reason I do end up sending my son to school, I might have to copy it word for word!

I see the pros and cons to having and not having homework. My husband is a teacher. I am a retired RN who has done a bit of teaching myself. We have a two year old little girl that I now stay home with. Having said that, I help my husband grade tests occasionally. (I grade the multiple choice questions and he grades the open response.) They always upset my husband to have to grade because he knows what a lot of the tests will tell him...the students failed. It makes him feel horrible and like a failure as a teacher, but I have to remind him it has nothing to do with his teaching ability, and everything to do with the laws and regulations. He teaches upper level high school science classes. You would think, teaching upper level classes, he would have students who were more advanced, but that isn't the case. I remember one student, from years ago, that broke my heart. She was taking anatomy and physiology...but couldn't even spell her own name. Why in the world would you put a student, with such a profound disability, in an anatomy and physiology class? It makes no sense!!! But, with the NCLB Act, she had the right to take that class because every child should have equal opportunity. But yet, what does that do to the other students? They have to repeat lessons over again in different ways so that the students who have learning disabilities can try to catch up. Yet, will they ever even start to catch up? If someone can't even spell their own name, can they ever truly understand the concept of cells, and genetics? With that said, he always has TONS of homework to grade and class work. The reason for all of this homework and class work isn't necessarily to enforce and encourage learning at home. It's much more simple that than, because he doesn't even grade the homework. If the student does the homework and turns it in, they get full credit for it. The homework then gets put in OUR trash can. So why does he do all of this homework? So more children can pass the class. He has them do all of this homework so he can pass children he knows would never pass the class otherwise. Do I fault his teaching for this? No. He has one biology class that half of the students are special needs students. His special needs students range from profoundly limited IQs (some have an IQ as low as 30), to autistic students, to ADHD students whose parents don't think they need medications. He even had a blind student one year. Once he got in trouble by the superintendent for allowing a student to hide under his desk during class. (think lab tables) He did his best to explain to the super that the reason for this was autism and the student was severely overstimulated. Then there are the children that won't sit still due to ADHD. Those sit at the back of the class and get up to move around as needed, which in turn disrupts the other ADHD students who need to do something. But you can't space them out in the class room because it would disrupt everyone. To top it off, due to where he teaches, you have frequent fights/disputes between students. He once had his fish tank shattered because someone with a defiant personality put his fist through his tank trying to beat up someone else. But oh, he couldn't break up the fight because, as a teacher where we live, he isn't allowed to use any form of physical contact. To break up the fight, he has to get the campus police involved to help. Now, with all of that going on, he has to teach a class of students and teach on a level that encourages those with a lower level of understanding to continue and believe they can achieve the same as the other students, and has has to teach on a level that encourages those with a higher level of understanding to reach to their highest potential. I'm sorry, my rant is over.

My son has been homeschooled his entire life. In the early grades (prior to about grade 7) we were able to complete his day's schoolwork in a little under an hour a day. Every year, he tested at several grade levels ahead of where his peers were in every subject, so we know that he was not missing anything. When not working on school work, he was exploring his own interests - playing with other children, playing games with me, doing artwork, practicing guitar and recorder, and playing on the computer.

Even when he reached grade 7 level, and even now in 11th grade, he does not spend more than 4-5 hours a day on schoolwork, and continues to at minimum keep pace with his peers. So much of his life, and his opportunity to explore his own interests would have been taken away had he had 7 hours in school, and then to come home to homework after that.

I definitely agree with the writer of this article in that children need time to explore life outside of homework.

I am curious as to what the blogger and other commenters think about kids who like to do homework. My daughter loves to do homework and is excited when she brings something home to do. She is in first grade. She can't wait for spelling tests to start so she can bring spelling words home to practice. She has me make up spelling words for her to practice until then. Should I not allow her to do something she enjoys?

Of course you should allow your child to do homework or whatever activities she prefers to do after school. It's your child, your family and your time.

Likewise, other parents should enjoy the same right to decide what after school activities their children and their families prefer, including whether or not to participate in homework assignments.

As a mother of two, and a first grade teacher, I can absolutely see both sides of this. Here's my question. The only "homework" I ask of my kids is to practice their spelling words for a few minutes each night, and two nights a week they take home their reading book to read the story to their parents. I send home a list of spelling words and suggested that the parents just ask a few words while setting the table, driving to practice, taking a bath, etc... I don't want them sitting at a table reciting like little robots.... The story takes MAYBE five minutes for my slowest readers... my higher level readers it takes maybe 2... The reason I want them to read what I'm sending is because it goes along with the skill we are learning. *Plus many of the kids in my district have no access to books at all* And I really suggested that they use this in conjunction with bedtime stories... just throw it in there! Parents can read right along with the kids.. What are your thoughts on this? I'm honestly wanting constructive criticism here lol!

by kids I mean my students... lol... I call them my day shift kids... and my own children are my evening shift kids ha!

Sorry not read all the other comments too many of them. I'm wondering if you've ever considered removing your kids from school and unschooling them? Unschooling is basically your kids doing what you believe they should be doing outside of school, but the get to do it all the time. It's what we are doing and the kids are thriving.

It is possible to teach the children what they need. In a Montessori classroom there is again 1 teacher for every 24-30 children. The kids never get homework. There are public montessori schools also. I think they teachers also have to look for new ways to teach the children. It makes no sense that they know the system doesn't work so they keep using the same approach. Where we live we have a horrible public school system, but we do have teachers working to change it and they have made a real difference in some of our local schools. My son is attending a Montessori classroom and is in kindergarten. Most of his work is between a 1st and 2nd grade level. He is smart, but not extraordinary. He just has amazing teachers.

As a teacher I totally agree with this. I too believe that the only homework a child should have to is read every day and spend time with their family. Unfortunately my school does not have the same view as me and I am required to send home as much homework as the rest of the grade.

I just read almost all of the comments and as a mother of three children all in elem school 10 years and younger, I have to say I am compleatly overwhelmed each and every night with the amount of homework we have to do. I do not feel absolutly no homework is a good idea because like my 2nd grader he has a spelling test every Friday so every Monday the list comes home and (12 words) every night he has to do something to practice these words like say the word, cover the word, write the word, or write the word out-lining in different colors etc. This seems good he has yet to get less than an A on his tests and is a great speller. But I feel this should be the extent of his homework per night. Instead on top of that he has two two-sided math sheets, reading log, and a worksheet to fill in a period, question mark etc. to me this is crazy! he is only 7 years old it is easy for him but the bottom line he gets upset because he just does'nt want to do ANY MORE school work. He wants to play now. Now X that by three and we are up to three hours a night going from one child to the next. Now as a parent and telling my child he does'nt have to do ALL this homework I feel will be more harmful than good because he will be "that kid" who never turns in his homework, or behind in the class because he was'nt prepared. I would be interested to know what states everyone are from that they send their children to schools who have the no homework policy. I live in NY and this would never fly. I tried speaking to the teachers saying when the child gets burnt out I will not make him compleat she said she understood. I have done it twice and both times my son came home with a paper for me to sign due to incompleat homework. Also for me as a mom doing three hours a night 15 hours a week not including weekends feel that any homework should be a recap of what they have learned, not me spending another 20 min on the computer looking up what the heck the teacher sent home because now adays I am not smarter than my 5th grader.......and he has no idea what the heck he's doing because it was not covered during class because they ran out of time, and I have no idea because half the things I have forgot and the other is all new, back in my day we said borrow today its regroup do everything the really long diffacult way and on top of it don't just show your work, write a sentance explaining what you did. One question takes 10 min to answer. The schools up in arms with parents who don't take interest in their child with homework may consider the teacher takes classes on the new teaching way! us parents are lost half the time I also don't have that extra 20 or so min to teach myself then go back and teach my child! I just may be busy making sure he has clean clothes to wear to school, their lunches made, spend time with my child reading to him because I want to not because I have to, maybe even just watching a show together. I wish there was some balance

I'm totally in agreement with this. I am terrified of what lays ahead for my child.... how the little flicker of genuine interest will be dimmed by terrible schools systems, and I can't afford to send my kids to private school.

The argument that 30 kids to 1 student is valid, but it is not the reason there is homework. I see many private and smaller schools model this and start giving homework in Kindergarten. It's about what they value. They may SAY that it's important in life to be a good person, to be happy, to be content, to know thyself.... but how much of their days is spent learning this vs learning endless (often useless) content. I actually think it is more important for my child to know himself than to know the three ships columbus sailed on or half the other stuff most of us forget. I am perfectly content with my children knowing less, reading later, and catching up in the long run.

Get so sad when I read on Facebook from friends with elementary-age children, statuses like this one: "Jess has been doing homework for over 4 hours and is no where close to done. Beyond ridiculous." This child is in the 5th grade, not graduate school.

in britain you only get homework in secondary school. you start secondary school at 11.

[...] Why We Say No To Homework  (Starlightning Mama) [...]

At last someone gets it. I am a senate candidate for an Australian Political party. Australia is in the process of trying to change the way children learn and teachers teach. I am finding that more and more school work is being off loaded in the guise of homework and less is being taught during school hours. A perfect example of this is the last week of school -because exams are over the children are sitting around in classrooms watching movies and writing about The Big Bang Theory and writing songs about rocks!!! Why can they not in this time work on studies and assignments in school time. The comeback of this is that children do not have the time or energy to pursue outside activities and have the opportunity to excel at their specialised choice of interest. I know first hand as I run a dance school and find as the children reach an age where serious practice and class time in dance are absolutely necessary they can not give this due to homework committements-bearing in mind they already spend forty hours a week at school. Having written to the education department not surprisingly the courtesy of a reply. I will be using this letter as an example of a policy I wish to persue within the Australian government to support this theory. This is not just an American issue but a universal one and I am grateful that you have had the courage to stand up and fight this as I intend to do.

I don't believe in homework for ANY child, including children ages 12 to 19. If you unschool your child, you don't need to ask permission from a school to allow your child's needs to be met. If you unschool your child, he can do all of the wonderful things nature intended children to do in order to learn organically, but ALL day. So while I applaud you for standing up to the school, you will find that as he gets older, they will make it impossible. They already have you convinced that magically at age 12 children would somehow benefit from having one to five more hours of sedentary mind control thrust upon them after school. Rescue yourself and your child now from the public school prison.

After being a teacher for 15 years, a homeschool teacher and a stay at home mom of 5, I see all points on this. I have to agree with the article. By the time my kids get home at almost 4:30-5, sometimes we have what is called a LIFE. Baseball, church, basketball, violin lessons, lunch at the table (EVERY night), and play/bed times. My middle schooler had triple the amount of homework both of the high schoolers had. There were times when he would just break down at night. He was up far longer than my 15 year old and now 19 year old. The use of homework is supposed to be practice. But if they already know what is being taught in school (because it is so watered down), then why do they have to practice? My youngest is my issue now-he has a disability and can not read well at all. So homework becomes a battle. Getting him to do anything after being at school from 7:10-4:30 (if you count bus ride there and home) is almost impossible. His brain is TIRED. My middle schooler and high schooler get up at 5 to catch the bus at 6 am!!! Homework becomes more paperwork. With my 15 year old-she needs the math practice but I don't think homework is accomplishing that. If she doesn't know it in class, she isn't going to know it out of class. We have had to hire tutors to help with math. Don't even get me started on lack of recess time with little ones-that adds to the problem.

How about ONLY three hours of "home" work a day? If you would really like to see your child succeed and exceed your's and their expectation's, try HOMESCHOOLING!! Then, you can have one-on-one time with your child...... him/her learning from and with you, finish in about three hours, and see what a great time you have with all that free time!! The benefits are literally innumerable!!

Heather, I totally agree with you about kids and homework. I wish I had approached my own kids' teachers about this issue when they were in school. Life with them goes by so quickly, and I agree that they need "home learning" far more than homework! I shared this on my social media accounts. Such an important post!

Re-read the article and sent my "we don't do homework" letter to his teacher. I also had the lovely task of letting her know, I wouldn't be signing off on the behavior calendar that was being sent home each night. A star for good behavior. If your child was talked to several times over the course of the day, a number was written in the box as to which rule they were not following. It was demoralizing to me to have to see that, I can't imagine how it would feel to a child. Our school is supposed to be the "responsive" classroom type. =(

Good for you! It is tough to be an advocate for your child. See if you can find some like-minded souls in your local area.

Great article. Our kids' school (k-8) has a no homework policy up to grade 5, so we wholeheartedly agree!

The only way your child or children are going to learn is by doing homework. Dancing in the forest isn't going to help your child/children learn at all i would have to say I'm 100% yes on homework.

My son is in 1st grade and he has math and spelling homework each night. He brings the new packet home every Monday and we work on a page of math each afternoon and practice our spelling. He gets home from school at 4. He has snack and watches about 30 minutes of one of his favorite shows and we sit down to do the homework. It takes maybe 15 to 20 minutes at the most. He still has time to go to soccer practice one day a week and cub scouts one day a week. He also has time to play outside and pursue his own fun activities at home. I come from a family where responsibility is taught early on. I value hard work and I am teaching my son to do so as well.

I disagree. Homework in elementary school is practice for the future. If kids do not develop the study skills early it will be hard for them to adjust later. Homework in high school and college is vital to success. In fact once you get to college the actual amount of "homework" is quite small. You are expected to force yourself to spend many hours a week studying for every class. This is hard for many kids, but because they are used to working outside of class it doesn't come as a total shock. Letting kids be kids and have imaginations is very important, but you also can not tell them that it is okay to not do homework. They could take this attitude with them later in school and run into some real problems. As soon as they get out of elementary school teachers aren't going to care about a letter from their mom saying "we don't believe in homework". Your kids are going to have to go from 0 to 60 way too fast. They will reach middle school and have all of this homework all the sudden and won't have developed the study skills or patience needed to do it.

Nope, I don't agree with you. 20 minutes of homework max plus 25 minutes of reading does NOT prevent my elementary aged kids from also getting outside, doing a few activities, doing a few chores, eating dinner, having down time, and having books read aloud after school. I think the belief that the little bit of homework assigned to younger kids prevents them from play is quite a stretch.

I love homework. Everyone benefits from practice, and it also gives me a way of checking in/ knowing what they're learning at school. Do what you want, but I hope schools don't cower to the vocal no homework crowd. I see a lot of value in it.

My experience is very different from yours. I watched my daughter go form being so enthusiastic about school and the opportunity to learn, to really resenting having so much of her grade being based on how much she could tolerate busy work that did not add to her learning experience in any way. Not all homework is created equal. The Saxon math we've seen in elementary school is well designed to reinforce concepts and practice critical thinking in a short amount of time, but really the only value to doing it at home is so parents can give individual instruction if a child is struggling. On the other hand, requiring a child to write her spelling words three times after she has already completed a perfect test of the list (making up a homework assignment that she clearly didn't need to do to master the standard) is not only a waste of time, but teaches children that "learning" (I mean what else is school for?) is boring, mindless repetition. So for us its more a balancing act. We have to ask the teacher "Why are you assigning this homework? Show us how it contributes to learning." If they can't justify it, I don't allow it. I feel I have to do this so my daughter isn't completely put off school before she finishes elementary.

This is ridiculous. Your child isn't any more or less special than any other child in the class. Why do you get special treatment because you don't like it? What are you really teaching your child? That when every other student has to turn in homework or face consequences, your child just gets to sit there and smile because you don't believe in it. I doubt your child is doing what you listed. Instead, I picture them sitting on a computer, watching television, or more than likely participating in eight million extra curricular activities. Really, you don't want homework because it interferes with your plan for the evening. Enthusiasm for learning isn't ruined by homework. It is ruined by parents who constantly tell their children how wrong their teachers are. If you hate homework, then home school. Don't put it on the teacher. The real problem is that in this day an age every parent thinks their child is the only child in the classroom and the only parent the teacher has to deal with. They aren't and you aren't. There are often thirty other students and thirty other "parents who care" in a classroom. The teacher doesn't want to hear your ideas about homework. If she did, she'd ask.

If parents don't stand up for their beliefs and their children than who will! Of course it is her job to speak up to the teacher, and hopefully the teacher will take her feeling into consideration not only for her child but for the teacher's entire class!

I agree with you. Although I think the idea of a homework free classroom is a great proposal for a school as a whole, your child is going to be the only one in the classroom who doesn't do homework. How do you think that's going to affect him? He's not going to have any more time with the teacher than any of the other kids, and since they're all doing extra work at home, they're going to be way ahead of your child by the end of the year. He's going to feel completely behind and left out. I doubt it will make him feel privileged or superior. It will likely have detrimental effects on him and his grades will probably suffer as a result. Sure, half an hour doing homework is time I'd love to be able to spend with my child playing or doing chores, but I'd much rather sacrifice that time knowing hes learning and he won't be the odd one out in his class than see him suffer academically and socially because I wanted an extra half hour to see him playing. Heather, I'd appreciate hearing your response to this.

You're awesome!!! I wish you were my mum. I hated school and homework always stressed me out even more. I agree that young kids should have freedom. Childhood is getting shorter and shorter as it is and adults always regret not doing things in their youth.

Heather, I agree with all your points. And I'm happy to know there are people like you in this world, you are brave and I admire that. I'm trying hard to reduce homework loads in my kid's school with little success . I have think about doing exactly what you did, but I'm not sure of the school reaction and how that could affect my child. What I want to know is, what happened after you submitted your letter to the school?

I am a mother of two, and I am a school teacher. I think homework should not only be limited in elementary school but also in high school. My high school age student wakes up at 6 am, goes to school at 8am, gets out at 3pm and does homework till 9pm. She only takes a brake to eat with the family. She is not able to play sports, join clubs, or go out for the school play because she has too much homework. Her homework extends into the weekend and pushes her to tears regularly. She had homework throughout her school career and it didn't prepare her for not having any down time, not having time to socialize, not having time for fun! She is still a kid and needs time to enjoy her life. My high school daughter has actually said to me, "If I didn't have so much homework, I would have time to study." Homework is more harmful than helpful!!!!!!!!!!!!!

im a homework mom.

playing is great and should be encouraged!! But great habits are harder to learn as an adult!! my son takes half hour to do his homework and what I find is education is a positive thing in our home. He is a knowledge seeker and there is nothing wrong with a little homework

if your child has a hard time or cries it is probably because they don't understand I have had and still have that problem it is not a negative it requires solution. when he is on a new thing he will tend to get emotional but threw guidance with it is normal he overcomes

my son learns better when he understands! much like me much like you. Get them to sit for couple mins each evening if we as parents show them importance of knowledge, understanding, asking questions, education etc. they will grow to appreciate it and sky is they limits 🙂 yes at elementary age 😉

Just like to as do al 5 / 6 year olds get some kind of homework ?

Not all, but the practice is increasingly common. Most US schools now have homework for kids starting in Kindergarten.

Yeah one more people agreeing And I think that we, teens, (I'm 13) need homework even less! I hate random people saying No to the ban of homework.

I tend to just implement any "homework" as family time. We do it together and that's what the school promotes. I like the window it gives me into seeing what they are learning anyhow. But maybe we've just lucked out with a school where I find the assignments are reasonable.

I agree with you 100 percent. In my kids' school, they start giving out homework in 1st grade. My youngest daughter has an 1 hour to 2 hours of homework every night except Fridays. It is incredibly stressful and we can't do anything on the weekdays because of it. When my older daughter was in that school in first grade, all the parents each wrote a letter to the teacher saying that we banned homework in our homes. Unfortunately, we got a letter back from the teacher saying that we weren't allowed to ban homework and if our kids didn't do it, she would fail all of them and have every one of them repeat 1st grade. It's frustrating but short of pulling my youngest out of school (I want to, but husband is 100 percent against it.) there's nothing I can do about it. My oldest daughter now goes to Junior High and they only give out 15 minutes of homework a night. It's pretty sad when a 12 year old has less homework than a 8 year old!

I'm curious at this point in your children's educational careers, in I'm assuming a public school system, the affect of your no-homework policy stance. It seems you posted this a few years back? I don't mean academically I mean how has taking this stance against an authoritative figure in their lives, panned out for them in the school setting and in other settings? More specifically has your decision taught your children that when we disagree with something we take a stand, prove why we don't want to do it and then just don't do it? I don't like every aspect of my job but I don't tell my boss I'm not doing it (even if I try to say it nicely or back it up with logic). I feel like a better solution to your issue is to choose a private school that has a no homework policy or to homeschool. Homework is the way of the public school system, right or wrong, it's the public school system way!!! (which personally I tend to agree with you. Homework is overrated! I feel it should only be used in moderation and for areas that need to be an extension of the school day). However, teaching your children avoidance as a way to achieve your means seems like a task that might have other repercussions. Fighting a homework policy is a much bigger issue than your child's classroom teacher. Every public school system follows state standards, most standards are taught within the confines of the school day but some may have to be reinforced at home. To each his own, but when I made the decision to allow the public school system to educate my children; I taught my own children to be obedient and follow the rules because isn't that a valuable lesson in life? It's my job to teach my child how to respect authority just as much as it is my job to balance their free time!

I realize this blog post is older, but I would still like to make a few comments, as it is now popping up as a link to view on Facebook. 1. When my oldest was in elementary school he struggled with reading (particularly in 2nd and 3rd grade). I would fight with him for hours trying to get him to accomplish his 20 minutes of reading. I finally decided it was not worth our relationship to try to get him to read and quit. Later (after listening to books on tape with the novel in hand following along), he developed a love of reading and now reads voraciously. I realized later that I was not providing him with books that were at his level, and this was frustrating to him and to me. 2. I now teach 1st grade, and I see a STRONG correlation between students who report reading 20 minutes a night and students who perform well on the timed DIBELS reading test that we give. When parents tell me that they struggle with getting children to do their homework, which consists mostly of reading 20 minutes, as well as a few worksheets they can choose do for a tiny portion of extra credit, I commiserate with them. It is a fine line to walk between encouraging students to get their homework done and maintaining a relationship with the child. Would I encourage a child NOT to read? NO! I want all children to perform reading as well as they can! 3. One problem I see in what the author has claimed: if you are reading, why will you not acknowledge that reading on the teacher's tracking page? It seems a simple enough thing, how does acknowledging what is already occurring detrimental to your child? How is refusing to acknowledge a teacher's missive beneficial? How can reading 20 minutes a night impact a child? See this visual: http://schenkgr4.blogspot.com/2013/04/why-read-20-minutes-pinterest-inspired.html 4. While I am certain that you likely believe and follow through on what you are doing as learning play with your child, there are many parents who say that they believe this, but their actions prove otherwise. There are many parents who would claim "NO HOMEWORK" and then refuse to read with their children, play with them, or structure their time in any way. One way to encourage parents to read with their students is to make it "homework." 5. I agree with others that the "make an exception" policy you are encouraging is asking for special treatment for your child. One parent I had said that they did not bring their work home and felt that their child should not have to, either. They read at home, spend family time together, and that is enough. I encouraged the parent to read the provided book with their child (since they were reading anyway), and turn in the weekly reading log, which I was assured would happen. Then that parent never turned in any kind of consistent reading log, and rarely had the child return the leveled take-home book. Later, concern was expressed that I asked him quietly (as I did all children) where his book and homework were as they came in the door. The student's growth began to stagnate, while others who were returning their take-home books and turning in reading logs grew exponentially. (By the way, many professionals are required to work outside their contracted hours to accomplish all their work.) 6. I tell students and their parents that one of the reasons I ask them to do something at home that resembles school is because I want the students to recognize that learning happens all the time outside of school. The idea that all learning should occur within the walls of a classroom is ridiculously absurd, and yet that is far too often the practice in many homes: school is work, home is play, learning is hard work to be done during school. Is it any wonder that parents who adopt this attitude often complain that their child does not want to come to school? I work hard to make learning in my classroom fun, but it is not nearly as fun to a child as say, the latest Xbox or Wii game. If only they were complaining that they would rather stay home and read a book!

Jeni, I read your comment and had some thoughts on some of your points. 1: I think this is common. 2: When I was in 1st grade (in the 80's) I couldn't read. I had been read to since birth. My family is full of readers. My great great grandfather was a famous writer and editor back when school was barely a thing. My mom had shelves full of books, more then some small libraries. But I couldn't read. I was forced to sit in the hall while my classmates played games. I was told to finish my reading work. But I couldn't read so how was I going to do that? Eventually it clicked and I read everything. I was reading well above grade level. You don't say what you do for children who have trouble with their reading homework. However, if they are not ready to read forcing it on them can do more harm then good. Are you informing your parents that reading TO their child counts as reading homework just as much as the child doing all the reading? 3: Writing it down makes it work. It makes it much harder and you are no longer reading for fun. You can't get lost in the book. You have to remember to write down the time you started, the time you finished, the page numbers. Ug. If it were just a check box next to 'yes, reading happened' then it wouldn't be so bad. 4: Kids NEED unstructured time. That said, the aforementioned check box is helpful to remind some people. It really varies depending on the person. 5: It shouldn't be a 'make an exception' policy. It is a statement. If everyone, or even the majority of parents in a school did this it would change the whole policy. Then it wouldn't be an 'exception'. On the reading log see above. The log is the only 'homework' I am ok with. However it is hard. We read just before bedtime. If we bring the log upstairs it doesn't make it down in the morning in the mad rush to not miss the bus. If we leave it downstairs it doesn't get filled out. It's just a LOT harder then you make it sound. Singling out a child for something their parents are having trouble with of course is going to make them feel bad and cause them to stagnate. 6: Yes, learning does happen all the time. It doesn't happen just on worksheets. Even Xbox and Wii have things to be learned. My family is currently playing a Wii game that encourages teamwork and problem solving skills. We also do dancing games in the winter when we can't go outside, those encourage physical activity (which makes brain connections as well as the better known benefits of exercise), learning the beat (pattern recognition), and exposes them to a variety of musical and dance styles (social studies). So yes, I agree, learning happens all the time. My 4th grader would rather stay home and learn how to build things, bake, and yes read, then go to school and be made fun of for 8 hours a day.

I am an educator and a mom, and I completely agree with this post! Thank you for putting it out there.

I was a child who did not get homework until middle school (both my brother and I went to an elementary school that forbade it) and I deeply disagree with you and believe you are doing your child a disservice. While I enjoyed not having homework for the first twelve years of my life, it was not worth the sharp adjustment that I and my peers faced when we entered middle school and found ourselves surrounded by more disciplined students who had completed homework at a younger age. These students had already struggled with time management and come to terms with the fact that the world did not revolve around their interests. For those of us who had never had to prioritize it was suddenly sink or swim, and many more of us sunk than swam. Many (a disproportionate number, I'm sure) gave up on school altogether and embraced the sinking. You see, entering middle or high school does not instantly un-write years of being told that when the school bell rings and you go home then you no longer have any responsibilities and can do as you please. It just makes you resentful of the new infringement on your freedom and thrusts you into a no-win situation where you are struggling with something that everyone else has already mastered. God help you if you find the subject matter at all challenging! Looking back, I would have traded the years of freedom for homework in order to save myself the tears, discouragement, and despair I faced in middle school. I think that parents who hate homework are really just being selfish because enforcing a homework policy also infringes on the parents' freedom and makes them the bad guy. I hope, for your little one's sake, that you rethink your stance sooner rather than later.

Thank you! I put my 8-year-old into the neighborhood school while she waits to get into my other daughter's Waldorf school. The part few days, now only 11 days into school, I have gotten home from work at 6, bought take-put good instead of making a home-cooked meal, and worked with my daughter straight from 7-9pm. I had to ignore my other daughter. My daughter could not play, interact with her sister, or do anything else today but sit at school, attend after-school care, and do homework.

The reason I think that most people disagree with what you did is that they (a) have one parent who stays home who can help the kids on their homework right after school, and/or (b) the kids have a reasonable amount of homework. Thank you so much for writing this. I am going to take your letter, morph it a bit, and turn it in with Friday's homework. I don't mind having her do some, but my limit is 15-20 minutes, and no more.

Wow. It is obvious to see that everyone has a definite opinion on homework and schoolwork and how and where our kiddos learn. One, for those of you putting a teacher down for not teaching your children during those seven hours away and forcing them to do 20 minutes of homework, you need to take a step back and remember, you have one, two, or maybe a few more kids. You know their personalities, how they learn best, what they love and are good at and yes, for you, teaching your kids at home make take less time than at school but for a school teacher who has 20-30+ children, whom each has a different learning style, each has different family backgrounds on how much they are being taught in home, who each have different personalities and likes and dislikes and preferences, YES IT WILL TAKE THEM LONGER TO DO AT A SCHOOL. So give them a break! I agree that homework at a young age is not always necessary BUT there is value in it. It teaches kids responsibility, it keeps parents in the loop and it helps you as a parent know where your kids are excelling and where they are struggling. Some children need that extra time and some don't. But don't belittle the teacher for doing the best they can with your child. You have known and worked with your child for their entire life, the teacher is just meeting this little person and by the time they feel like they are really getting each and every one of the kids in their classrooms then the year will have ended and they have to start all over again. I don't think whether a child having homework or not having homework is really the issue. The issue is more what each family feels is essential for their child's growth and development. And for the record, homework doesn't ruin the school experience! It is normally a combination of other factors. Difficulty in learning, immaturity, the occasional horrible teacher, bullying, etc. In all the years my kiddos have been in school, their 20 minutes a night has never led to "I hate school!". Not once. So have your opinion but please do not teacher bash. Please respect each persons preference and have some grace. We live in an imperfect world where there really is no set formula for school that works for each and every child perfectly.

Some thoughts about what No homework Means by a father who gave up a career in advertising in NYC to raise his daughter from the age of 3 months until she graduated college:

1. Kids won't be bringing their textbooks and notebooks home each night parents will have no idea what is being taught in the classroom. No idea if the teachers are teaching history and current events accurately or are pushing their own political and social agendas. There would be no transparency and no check on the many teachers who rewrite history and color current events.

2. Parents will be removed from the process of educating their child, clearly leaving that unfettered role to government, unions and individual teachers. Parental check and balance will be eliminated.

3. No homework to do when a child gets home means that homework will no longer be able to teach responsibility and the setting of priorities - that the things you need to do should be done before doing the things you want to do. Homework also teaches them its OK to ask for help and guidance from their parents when they think they need it. It further allows parents to be aware of and monitor their child's educational progress, to see first hand their child's learning strengths and weaknesses, and to take corrective action without having to wait for a teacher's evaluation.

2. No homework means that that conversational icebreaker on how their child's day went socially will have disappeared.

3. No homework means that children will not be practicing what they were supposed to have learned that day in the classroom, at their own pace without peer pressure.

4. No homework doesn't mean kids will be playing out doors until they're called in for dinner like they did in the 50's and 60's. Its more likely that they'll be totally unproductive indoor couch potatoes playing with any one, or all, of their 21st century electronic devices. If the mothers against homework are so concerned about outdoor play time, why don't they get daily recess put back into the school day and have daily before school "get in shape and stay in shape" programs added.

6. No homework means that America's children will fall even further behind the children in countries like Shanghai-China, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, and Hong Kong - China where parental involvement and supervision is so un-21st century America. American children who will be less and less qualified for those high paying careers that demand scientific and mathematical excellence.

7. And of course no homework means less work for teachers and those overworked over socialized mothers who have little time for their kids anyway. No homework won't mean that teachers will teach more or better or that parents will spend more time with their children in learning and growing activities. In far too many homes you're more likely to see mom, dad and the kids at the dinner table with each intensely involved in their personal electronic device. The only sounds to be heard would be forks scraping on plates and fingers stabbing at key strokes.

Thank you so much for each of these points. As much as I was swayed emotionally by the original article, your comments are thoughtful and reasonable and convince me homework really is important.

Wow, you are assuming quite a lot from a simple lack of extra hours of schoolwork at the end of the day. First of all, amazingly, there are parents out there who are able to communicate with their child without a list of pages to read and worksheets to fill out. There are also parents out there who make the time and take the effort to find out what their child is learning and how they are doing without 50 math problems, 36 pages of reading, a social studies map to make and a poster, due tomorrow. What most parents discover during those times is that their children are tired; lacking sleep and crucial time to engage their bodies the way children need to do. While 15 minutes of homework for a 6 year old is no big deal, hours of homework IS a big deal. No homework will not suddenly mean that children will start carrying their phones to the dinner tables in engaged homes any more than having homework will stop them from doing it in neglectful and distracted homes.

At the end of the day, homework or no homework does not significantly improve or detract from parental involvement. Parents who intend to neglect their children, parents who are too busy to read to their kids, parents who allow their children to sit in front of a computer, t.v. or video game all day ***WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO WITH OR WITHOUT HOMEWORK. Homework is not some magical cure all for parental disengagement. Those parents who don't care enough to be involved with their children, their learning, and their moral and character development won't suddenly change their ways because you slap down three math worksheets, a reading log and some science questions. Many of those kids will come home, throw their books on the floor by the door (if they even brought them home) and play video games for the rest of the afternoon, no matter how many letters you send home.

Now, parents of children who are engaged, concerned with learning and are actively parenting their children… well, those parents are going to enrich their child’s life no matter what the teacher in some school is doing. Those parents find time to take their kids camping, go on a nature walk with a field guide to birds, purchase sheep’s hearts from educational companies to enrich their kid’s understanding of how the heart muscle works, buy circuit kits for the kid who loves engineering so they can learn about open and closed circuits, polarity and charge, take their kid to see paintings at the National Gallery of Art by artists like Monet, Van Gogh and Pollock that they have been reading about. But, if there awaits copious amounts of homework, those enriching activities have to be curtailed so that the child’s grades don’t suffer; so that they can pass a test that absolutely shows nothing of how well equipped a child is to succeed in life.

That, my friend, is why responsible, engaged parents want less or no homework for their children. It is HIGHLY doubtful that the neglectful, disengaged parent even knows what homework, if any their child has done- or failed to do. Of course my examples are through my experience with friends and their children. I have chosen to homeschool my child. My child doesn’t hate school. He still has to do some worksheets and tests (not his favorite) but since so much more of what we do is hands on (see the above activities that my 6 year old has done in the last 2 weeks) he doesn’t automatically associate learning with endless amounts of busy work, paper and sitting still. A love of learning should not be sacrificed to teach responsibility. That’s what chores and pets are for.

Awesome! I wish more parents would do this. As a retired teacher I agree completely. I never believed in homework when I was teaching but was forced to give it to my kids. Back then, I could get away with having "Mom or Dad read a story to me" as a homework assignment. The system put a stop to that one too. In England, elementary children do not get homework. They have other things to do after school. I learned this from a colleague who did a teacher exchange one year. Good for you!

I was a good student myself (public school) but I HATED homework. I remember my 7th grade Language Arts teacher assigning a year-long assignment that would be due right before finals and only worked on from home. He told us what (large) percentage of our grade it would account for and left it at that. I knew from that moment that I would spend not a single second on that project, which I didn't. And I still passed. Why? Because I worked during class time. I was there to work (mostly) and my teacher saw that. I did well on assignments and tests and he knew by the end that I had a firm grasp on what he was teaching. I honestly can't recall doing much homework at all. Ever. And what few memories I can conjure up were for sure in High School. And I got good grades. So, I'm with you. Teach your children to be good students and to be responsible for their work in the classroom. If they get good grades, that should be enough. If they don't, work on the areas where they are struggling. Do THAT homework. Implement it then. Free play time is a privilege that is earned by doing what's expected of you in the classroom.

My son is in 1st grade and he has a weekly homework packet and I'm not ready to NOT have him do it quite yet because I know he needs the reinforcement. He's in dual-immersion and learning in Spanish, so we're in a critical period in his school career because first grade is when they learn to read. After that, they read to learn. So, I may very well implement this in our home, too. Just not this year. Thank you for the thought to cogitate.

[…] https://www.heathershumaker.com/blog/2012/09/12/why-we-say-no-to-homework/ […]

I teach high school math. The bottom line is that parents are the parents. Kids are only in the teachers' world for a very short period of time. It is awesome for kids to have parents who are so involved in their childrens' lives.

Too many kids have parents who don't read to them or with them. Earlier comments about teachers having 6 or 7 hours to get the job done are from people who haven't taught classes full of kids with no home support.

Parents should do what they think is right while being supportive of the teacher. Teachers should support involved parents. What bad will happen as long as the parent is monitoring the child's progress? Nothing. It's the kids who are on their own academically who might suffer.

Good job mom.

I agree that there is too much homework in elementary that is not truly meaningful practice. But homework is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY even at such a young age for several reasons. One is that repetition and revisiting the information is imperative to retention (there is soooo much research on this). Second they actually get more one on one attention and instruction when parents help them work through their homework. And third, they get to see their parents put value on education (home and school must be linked). Those aren't the only reasons. NOW, what I think should happen is that homework should be focused on reading, writing and math only, and that is should be limited to 10 questions each twice a week. It should not be every night, and it should not be every subject, and it should never be just busy work, but practice with key concepts. Finally, that being said, if you truly believe that your kids are fine without homework, then you are the parents and I respect that (and appreciate that you are putting more value on family time and individual desires), but you can't expect teachers to get rid of homework all together. They are responsible for more than just your kids. There are kids that don't have such involved parents, and those kids will suffer if they don't practice on their own. So don't think that just because you are such great parents that teachers need to give your kids exceptions. That would be nearly impossible and extremely stressful for teachers to manage and keep up with. Those are my two cents as a teacher myself (one that gives homework, but very little).

I love this! All my grandkids are homeschooled and that is one reason I love homeschooling. I remember years ago, my one son needed new shoes and had so much homework that we couldn't go get them until the weekend. I wish I had your wisdom and courage. I know homeschooling is not for everyone but I agree that you may want to consider it. If that isn't a solution for you, then keep doing what you are doing. Congrats on putting your kids needs in perspective and sticking your neck out.

The fact a child is in an institution for 7 hours a day bothers me which is why we homeschool. My 5 year old is doing first and some second grade work with barely "15 minutes" of "schooling" a day. If you allow the kids to have recess, PE, lunch, snacks, and homeroom at home, school could easily be a 4 hour day within those brick walls (still have the excessive amount of travel time sadly).

I'm a grandma who donates 24 hours per week at a local elementary school. I am of the opinion that anyone who fosters unfavorable ideations regarding the work of elementary classroom teachers, public schools in general, homework, etc., has probably never spent an hour observing what goes on in today's elementary classrooms. May I compare it to a hostage situation wherein the teacher is the victim--too often "bound and gagged" by state and local governmental agencies, school boards, school administrators, parents, and ill-mannered, unruly children. Teachers are not failing our children. Bureaucracy and disinterested parents who are not engaged with their children are the culprits. Too many children need to be given breakfast at school because parents will not. Too many students arrive at school unwashed, unkempt, overly tired and ill-prepared for their day because parents have not implemented the basic discipline of regular bath time, meal time, bedtime or taught the importance of good personal hygiene. The heartbreaking fact is, it's not the children's fault. The natural occupation of a child is "play," but a responsible parent does not permit a child to stay up half the night playing "Minecraft," "Grand Theft Auto IV" or "Call of Duty," sleep in their clothes, then get up and rush off to school without breakfast, or combing their hair or brushing their teeth, or taking their ADHD medications. The education of our children suffers the most at the hands of negligent parents. Just saying....

You aren't wrong here! Parents are so often the problem when children (especially the very young) are suffering. Teachers are very rarely to blame, but the schools are broken (most of them anyway). Parents MUST be involved and must nurture and love and guide and dicipline and most of all PARENT their kids. However, there is a HUGE problem with overscheduling our kids today. The lack of free time is killing our kid's creativity. Without creativity, we cannot solve the world's most important problems. This is why I homeschool. My son (6 and in 1st grade) is working on a 4th grade science text, a 3rd grade social studies/geography text, and has a passion for electricity and circuitry. Who knew? Something we never would have discovered is he had to spend his days so scheduled and tied up that he couldn't explore.

Love this!!! I've been saying the same thing for years! I used to take my son's 1st grade homework packet out of his backpack before he saw it & tear off half of the pages. I told his teacher ahead of time. She didn't like it, but too bad! When my oldest son "dropped out" of preschool, the teacher told me that I was "letting my son control me", give me a break!

I have successfully raised three kids with this philosophy. I am happy & proud to say that two of them are in college & one is in high school. All three have been successful in school. Kids need to be kids! This precious time in their life goes by so fast. Just "being a kid" offers so many learning opportunities in & of itself. These days, kids are so "scheduled", they never get any "free time" to just be a kid. From the minute they're born, it's "mom & me" class, "Gymboree" play groups, etc....then it's little league, ballet, soccer....it's never "just go outside & play".

When they get older, a typical day is not only overwhelming for the parents, but also for the kid! Parents are signing up for SAT-prep boot camps in 5th or 6th grade, kids are playing "select/club" sports, plus school sports &/or activities, taking zero period & AP classes, and expected to get a 4.5-5.0 GPA - all just to maybe get into a good college!

Most kids' daily schedule, by the time they are in high school is...wake up at 5:30am to get to school for "zero period"; take at least 7 classes, most of which are high level AP classes; go to an after school practice/game/performance; get home around 6 or 7pm; hopefully eat a healthy dinner; unwind & then do homework; and, hopefully get 8+ hours of sleep before the alarm rings again at 5:30am....and we wonder why everyone's on ritalyn (a lot of high school & college kids actually buy ritalyn from drug dealers & take it during finals week, so they can "better focus" & "do well on tests"!) . Maybe this crazy lifestyle is the reason why so many kids are stressed out, depressed & on drugs... Things were way better in the 50's. Kids went to a normal day of school, played one sport after school, ate family dinners together....there were no SAT-prep classes, no AP or zero-period classes - and, most kids (and parents) were happier, less stressed, and not on drugs. It's time for American culture to change!

I get that kids don't have enough time during the school year to just run around being kids & playing but what I really don't like is the "we don't have to complete our responsibilities attitude." I worry that this attitude teaches kids that they don't have to fulfill their responsibilities simply because they don't feel like it. Good study habits are nearly impossible to instill in junior high students that have grown up in a lax homework/study environment. Having taught junior high & high school I can assure you that this is a real problem but worse than not fulfilling homework responsibilities is the way this attitude spills over into the classroom & really into life. "I don't have to comply with my teacher or my principal because my mom said so" is what this often translates into. The parent may be well aware of their motives when taking such an anti-homework stance but what children often see is mom &/or dad bucking authority. It's like going to physical therapy & refusing to do the exercises at home that are asked of you. Sure you'll receive some benefit but you won't change your habits or lifestyle in ways that will strengthen you in the long run. One last thing, when you say "can we talk?" you're not asking to discuss, really, you're passive aggressively telling them what you plain & simple won't do. I'll tell you what I would tell you if I were your child's teacher, I would remind you that your child can't be graded on work that they don't do no matter how brilliant they are. Your child's grade would reflect your refusal to help them complete their responsibilities & that, although sad, it is how life works. Sometimes you have to bring your work home with you & if you refuse to do it because you're off the clock well then I suppose your employer doesn't have to reward you with a pay check. Life lessons at a young age are really important & I think refusal to do homework because you don't think it's important or necessary or whatever your reasoning is not teaching the right lesson. I think you may find this to be true as your children simply decide they don't have to do what you say either because they just don't feel like it or have better things to do. I know you know your kids & I of course don't but I've taught hundreds of students & it is very plain to see where priorities lie & where they came from. I would explore you to think twice about this stance & maybe teach your kids how to manage their responsibilities well given the time they have.

Julie I think you need to explore the research on homework that consistently finds NO BENEFIT to hw particularly in the elementary years. The LAST thing I want to teach my children is blind, unquestioning compliance. I want them to be responsible to themselves and their greater good and NOT to baseless social pressures.

Holy run on sentence.

Hmm? I'm pretty sure I have used my conjunctions, comas & periods correctly. Do you have something constructive to add to the conversation?

HEATHER, I think you have great intentions but have unintentionally started a war against teachers. Have you thought about sending this letter to the superintendant or governor instead? You are assuming that all teachers have a choice to give homework, and I just think your letter has caused a very negative argument against teachers. Please clarify and show some positivity for teachers who work so very hard against all odds with our current legislature. Thanks for being a concerned parent, I just think you could really do great things if you go to the true source of the issue.

Actually, I have a degree in education as well as a few others. I am well read on the topic. You might say that I've done my homework! I am well aware of the current best practices in teaching. What is really amazing though, is that for every article you find I can find one that argues the exact opposite. Look, you're going to do what you're going to do. That is obvious. You are not looking for a conversation. Your mind is made up. I'd simply like to suggest to you that your stance is not for everyone. In my initial comment I mentioned that I've taught hundreds of students. In actuality I've taught thousands of kids & while some do not need homework to reinforce classroom learning, the majority do. Without assigned & graded homework most students do not "study." They do not prepare themselves sufficiently for examinations and they typically do not retain as much information without continued paractice. I would also suggest to you that following the rules and accomplishing your responsibilities does not have to be approached as a negative social pressure. That is a spin that we place on rules & responsibilities. It might be better approached for success in life in a positive light. "Let's get our work done so we can go play!" "Come on son, let's read together!" Bam! 20 min done. "Show me what you've been learning in math this week." Multiplication tables reviewed. "Hey, look at that! There's one of your spelling words on the billboard heading to grandma's house! Can you spell it?" It's getting the job done. It's establishing a good work ethic. It's developing a pattern that will serve them well in upper grades and at the collegiate level. Well, good luck to you. We all have our own path but i just dont see how homework has to be such a terrible evil. I hope it all works out, I really do (zero sarcasm intended).

Our kids go to a school where they have no homework. Somehow they are doing as well and in some instances better than their peers at other schools. I feel like we already have no time in the evenings. I cannot imagine adding in homework.

Most of my friends that have kids in other schools just do the homework for them because the kids run out of time. Completely ridiculous and a waste of everyone's time and energy.

Wow, I will just say this goes against every piece of research I have read and current learning brain research. Not that I am against the things she endorses. My guess is her children are probably not behind in school and are average to above average learners. I agree hours of homework is not good either but 30 minutes a day is totally fine and research based and endorsed and leaves time for all the things she mentions. I would be pretty upset if she sent me a letter like this. Also, homework is not new. Not sure why the article claims it is. Everyone I know had homework in the Fifties, Sixties, and Seventies in elementary school too. lol--I know I am old. We even went to school 30 minutes more a day so not sure what the big uproar is about.

The majority of peer reviewed research done on the benefits of homework, especially homework assigned at the elementary level, clearly reveals little to no academic benefit for young children.

I believe my kids are MY kids, and I am best when it comes to deciding what is best for them. Homework studies PROVE that there is no benefit to elementary school kids, there are no studies that have proven homework provides any benefit. That being said the busy work my kids come home with is ridiculous and how about summer work? Since when do the schools have a say in how my children spend the summer? My kids need to spend their days at the beach, go away to camp, go on vacation with their parents be bored you know be kids. I don't enforce the summer homework and only require my kids read. Don't even get me started on Common Core, the panel that came up with this didn't even include a child develop mentalist!

I couldn't agree with you more!! I retired this year after 40 years in early Elem (Mostly Kdg/1st grade) all inner city. I would have loved to have parents of my school kids like you!!! The trouble today for most inner city kids is they never play! Schools today care more about assessments and paper work than real learning. Teachers are so bogged down with paperwork assessments, putting nonsense on walls etc required by outsiders with little actual classroom experience hired to tell teachers how to teach, taking more an more time away from "preparation to teach" and teaching" time. If parents aren't involved with schools and their own kids.... don't blame the teachers...get in their and find out the nonsense they are being asked to do. 75 individual assessments for each Kinder each quarter? How can any real teaching occur. There are too many people who have no clue about how "littles" learn, telling schools what to do. Why would anyone go into teaching to come out with $40,000 in school debt to get paid $30,000 and belittled when you actually want to teach? I miss my kids and co-teachers but not the incessant paperwork. Thank you for proving there are great parents out there doing what is best for THEIR kids.

I am so glad I came across this article and their are others who think like I do when it comes to homework. Thank you so much!

So, you are going to teach your children that they are exempt from following the rules at school. Great. That fits right in with the ideas that are so prevalent these days. No one needs to feel that they are expected to do anything they don't want to do. And then, when they hit middle school, all of a sudden, they have to obey SOME of the rules, and in high school they have to follow all of the homework rules. If you don't like school rules, then homeschool. Then you can put up with the problems yourself and the teacher does not have to deal with your child who is out of place in her class. How is they poor, overworked teacher supposed to deal with a child whose parents have exempted them from the rules. How do you teach a child he has to obey SOME of the rules. I am not a teacher, but have friends who are and your action is crazy.

Linda, I agree. I'm not a teacher either. I DO, however, work as a volunteer in a local public elementary school. This will be the 6th year I have volunteered 24 hours per week (6 hours per day, 4 days per week). I do very much love the children. I love the staff. And yet, each year it has become more and more difficult for me to face the turmoil of the classroom. Turmoil created by disrespectful, undisciplined and irresponsible students. I cannot help but believe these behaviors are but an extension of the home environment in which these children live and learn to emulate the model shown them. Meanwhile, teachers have ever increasing demands placed upon them, accompanied by more and more restrictions--in addition to dealing with unreasonable parents each and every day. I have no clue why any bright young person willing to invest the time, money, and effort required in earning a college degree would want to go into the field of teaching in today's broken and crumbling public school system. It appears to me to be an exercise in masochistic self-flagellation. Still, they do it...because they love and care for today's children and desire to be instrumental in providing students with the tools required in becoming successful adults. God help us all.

[…] Last week, I discovered a blog post from a woman who has completely opted her children OUT of homework, until age 11. She laments that the after-school hours are so very short, so that time should be reserved for family bonding, chores, and the all-important time for the child to dig into the things that most interest him.  She writes a very compelling case: https://www.heathershumaker.com/blog/2012/09/12/why-we-say-no-to-homework/ […]

I loved the article. I am a mother of 4 children, lucky I am also a stay at home mom! Not many people get to do that. I have always supported the public school until last year. I felt that they got to learn about life and social skills that home school children did not. Boy was I wrong! Home schooled children get that and can think for them selves, solve problems other than what is on a test that they have been trained for. I am not talking of anyone else's children just my own, however my kids get home at 4:30 they have to eat dinner why doing homework. I sit at the table and help each of them with problems they can not get, studying, and thoughts on a 300 word essay that my 4th grader has to write. We finish around 7:30 that is just enough time for them to shower and hit the bed. If we have a project or studying math facts for get it. We can not do church activities or sports, music, tumble etc. because we do homework all night. All day in school then all night in home work and yet my children are still getting 35's on the state standardized tests!! Really what the hell are they learning! Teachers I will say are awesome hard working people who work for the joy not the money!! I don't think it is the fault of any teacher it is the fault of the states, government. My kids fight me so much at night because they are so burnt out! They do P.E. 3 days a week and recess only on Fridays that is if they have finished all there in class assignments. If the team at P.E. loses then they have to run because the teacher doesn't think losing is acceptable! If they take a bench mark test those whom did good get to eat an ice cream sunday in class in front of those whose grade was not impressive. I am all for rewards however some children give it their all but still struggle so I don't think that it is fair that they are punished for that. I believe it to be discouraging. This is my children's last year in public school, starting next year we will be homeschooling. And for those teachers that posted about homeschooling being easy because you get your stuff from a send away program, and don't have to plan etc. you couldn't be more wrong! I haven't even started yet and I have already had to plan ahead the curriculum, things for the room,(classroom), projects, testing if I do it, and a whole lot more! Sadly teachers are out numbered, and we are not leaving because of them its just not a place for us, along with the education we find that bullying is another reason for us to leave. My kids do okay but they witness fights daily. To end all I can say is homework is okay I would rather do flashcards and fun learning things with my kids then text book homework, but in the end I don't want our nights to be just homework!

Sorry one more thing. My children are very pleasant well behaved kids, I am a very stern mom whom will still give a swat on the butt! I will not tolerate my children disrespecting any teacher etc. or disrupting the class, but to think that if I don't let my kids do home work that they are some how becoming disobedient, that we are saying its okay to not fallow the rules and then when they have to we have created unruly children for middle school or high school teachers. Really? If I tell my kids F$%& that you dont have to do homework F^%# your school and teachers well then yes they will think they never have to obey. But if you take a positive approach to no homework with out the kids being involved and you talking with the school about it then why would the child have that mentality. Also back to the government, they are the reason kids act the way they do. Because they have not allowed parents to be parents. Kids act crazy because that is what they see at home. And they are allowed to do it at home. If there is no respect at home you wont get it anywhere else. But this has nothing to do with saying no homework until middle school!

Oh my. This has caused quite a stir! I must say, I'm a little confused. What harm is caused to a child if they spend 10 minutes/grade to reinforce the lessons taught in class? Perhaps the families whose children are struggling are at particularly challenging schools. We were in a district that ranks in the top 5% of our state, and although the teacher stated homework would take ~10 min per grade (that includes 20 min reading in 3rd-5th grade), the assignments rarely took more that 10 minutes total, even in 5th grade. Much of the time only 5 min - as in 2 minutes for the math problem of the day and 3 minutes for words of the week. I heard the same from other parents. And that actually gave my child a sense of mastery of the subject he learned, keeping him engaged. I do have a rule that if the assignment takes even 1 minute more than the 10 min / grade limit, we stop. The reason being that more time needed is an indication that my child needs more time to master the topic, or help closing a gap. I think many parents had the same approach because that is what the teachers requested. That way, a teacher can spend more time on a unit than originally planned if a significant number of students are unable to complete the assignments in the time allotted. This, to me, is a large reason why our students score so high. The HW is a means by which teachers can gauge their students' proficiency and adjust their pace/style accordingly. That way when they complete a unit, true learning has occurred, not just checking a box. I'm a fan of finding a middle ground. Too much HW vs. none at all seems too black and white. Why not flex a little?

I think the idea of UNschooling is absolutely lovely, but does anyone know if it's LEGAL to refuse to accept the teachers assignments? Also what about throughout highschool? Also, has anyone allowed their child to refuse to do online school assignments as well?

Why not just homeschool the kids then? It would make more sense than sending your child to a school and just refusing to participate in a large aspect of the curriculum. Is the point just to get free books and lectures without any accountability on the student? What will the kid do when a boss assigns him or her a task? Just refuse because it gets in the way of the figurative tree fort of his or her adult life? I just don't get it.

It wouldn't be an option for my family; both parents work.

Wow! If you are paid hourly and a boss assigns you a 3 hour task and tells you to do it in your own time without pay - are you going to be excited about continuing to work there? Nope. School can be restructured better to allow for lessons and class work during school hours. Parents then use their family time to teach many other life lessons and skills and to set their own priorities.

I have worked as a Teacher's Aid in two different settings. My first observation on this topic is the teacher does not typically have the time to give individual attention to all of their students in any given day. Homework serves as a teaching aid. What I mean is that homework aids the student to review the lesson and work independently on the project that the teacher was not able to give them 1 on 1 attention to. I do not believe that homework should be dismissed entirely. I do believe however, that in certain cases the homework needs to be lessened and in other cases the homework ought to be more conducive to the lesson at hand. Subject matters often converge, because for example you use math in science, you use science in cooking and so forth, but those connections are not important in homework material, the extra relatable material came just become tedious exercises at that point.

My second observation is that Homework helps the student to think independently outside of the school on a school project without the necessity of being in that environment. In other words it mandates that the student develop some critical thinking skills on a school project. It helps the student to realize that they can use their mind about any topic without needing to be in the setting of that topic.

My final point: Homework is often exaggerated. In other words, too much unnecessary work is often given. The homework must not be "homework for homework's sake, because that's what we're supposed to do." Instead it must completely pertinent to the information being presented in the classroom, it ought to add a few "out of the box" ideas about that same subject matter" and it must not be done excessively, and any subject matter not relegated to the particular topic at hand ought to be minimized, especially in grade school curriculums.

Although many teachers I have had did not follow that idea, the teachers I have worked for followed similar patterns.

Time Allotment however, is dependent on the child's own learning ability. In other words a teacher can't really say "I only gave Johnny ten minutes of homework." Johnny's cognitive abilities may make it twenty minutes or even just five. If it is a subject Johnny has difficulty in, it may take Johnny longer, even if the teacher "knows" that Johnny can do it in less time. If it is a subject that Johnny loves and appreciates, he may do it more quickly, even if the teacher does not think that Johnny is interested in that topic.

As a teacher, here is what I do: read twenty minutes (choice of book) practice basic math facts with family (I send a few games home at the beginning of the year so families can play together), and finish any assignments from class that reasonably should have been done (aka kid was fooling around and the rest of the students completed except a few who were talking). I get a lot of parents complaining about not enough homework, but I find that the kids who need the practice never do the homework, and the kids that don't need the practice always do it.

I have to say that I disagree totally! Homework is reinforcement and teaches responsablitly. Homework teaches kids to complete an assigment place it in a safe place and turn it in on time. It also gives me (parent) an opportunity to sit with my child and and observe where they are lacking and help and also encourage! I have a 2nd and 4th grader and we spend 30 min to a hour each day which means thay have about 2-3 hours to goof ! Balance. FYI at our school not all day is learing, PE, Drama, Art etc...

Oh my, I was a kindergarten teacher. I do not believe in teaching reading beyond sounds and letter recognition. I believe kindergarten is for learning to work and play tog. Also language skills, memorization. Some number skills. How to raise your hand when you know the answer and not to blurt out answers. Homework NO unless it is finding something for sharing time and book reading. Singing. I also taught grade one to four social studies, English and art. Assignments are given in class and time is given for most to get them done before the end of the day. Special projects need to be done at home. I am teaching my 11 year old granddaughter how to sew a project for the art show in May. She does the work, fabric choice etc. she is almost finished with her project. I could finish it and it wouldn't make any difference, but she said NO. That is good. She wants it to be her own work. I didn't have homework when I was a kid, we also didn't have letter grades. BUT I am an old lady.....things change , but little kids are little kids. I could go on and on. I was a mom and I hated when the kids had three hours of homework. I usually checked in to it. Have a good day.

[…] you’ve read my “No Homework” post, you know that our family has banned homework for our elementary school-aged kids for several […]

Hello, Reading all of these stories, literally, has me balling like a baby! I remember when I was in elementary.....Getting out of school and feeling relief and excitement to be done for the day. My son is 2nd grade and he too has 2 1/2 hours worth of homework on a GOOD day (no whining and crying) 4 hours on a bad day. He gets 3 packets: about 4 pages each BUT FRONT AND BACK, makes 8 pages each to actually complete. First packet, is spelling which is the hardest for him to want to accomplish. Second packet, all math. Third packet, a mixture of math and spelling AND MEMORIZING THE CONSTITUTION!!!!! Yes, 2nd grade. Then every day he must complete work in his spelling spiral, writing 12 words 3 times each on Monday, writing a funny story using 6 of the words Tuesday, Wacky Wednesday, then Thursday writing the words and adding consonants as 1 point...vowels 2 points. Oh and this is not all. Then he has a book with 6 questions in the back he must answer and they must be in complete sentences; not just answers. Reading for 20 minutes every day. And last but not least....2 additional pages of math every day. The packets come home Friday and are to be returned the next Friday. I am so exhausted with homework that even I begin to see double by time we get to spelling. I don't think I am smart enough to do this but what about http://www.thepetitionsite.com/create-a-petition.html ? Don't know if this would help other people, myself included....but I am a single mom and work out of town. It can be even extra challenging having to spend the few hours a week with my child, doing homework, and having a constant fight. I would rather be building a happy and healthy relationship with my son then always fighting a homework battle and being the bad guy. That is what was so amazing about this blog too and had me crying.....I wish that was my afternoon with my son. But what if they don't do the home work? I fear him not passing 2nd grade because of homework grades. Also, his specific teacher awards them with "cow bucks" for doing homework and if they don't bring homework they get "disciplined"....sitting out at recess while other children play, or running laps, or not earning cow bucks (to use in classroom store like the other kids). Uhhhhhh!!! I sure could use some advice to how to handle the aftermath of choosing not to do homework

What a lot of stress on your family. Thanks for sharing your 2nd grader's story. Your instincts are right - building a healthy relationship with your child is most important and you are being cornered into homework cop role. First, take heart. Most families who refuse homework for their young children have no problem moving on to the next grade. Have courage and talk to the teacher. Tell him/her the impact the excessive homework has on your family - most teachers do NOT intend homework to take hours and hours - and propose what you'd like instead. Maybe it's reading together every night. Invoke the "10 minute" rule if you have to. I'm not a big fan of it because homework really isn't appropriate at all for elementary aged kids, but it could help in your case. The 10 minute rule limits homework to 10 min/grade level, so 20 minutes tops in your case. Other options include changing classes. This teacher uses punitive methods that hurt kids. No kid should be deprived of recess and your son must feel tremendous stress. See if you can negotiate an agreement with the teacher when you opt out of homework. State law says your son has to go to school, but there's no rule that says he has to do homework. Be of good courage.

[…] Why We Say “No” to Homework […]

I am in full agreement of no homework at any grade. I think the entire education system needs to be reinvented. Your letter is good, but I imagine any school is my area would respond with "too bad, homework is required". How would you respond to that? Why does the school system think they can set priorities for our families and dictate what our children should do at home?

Going to school or homeschooling is required - under the Compulsory Attendance Act. Doing homework is not required, especially at the elementary age, though many schools make it seem as if it is.

I'm currently in the process of arguing with our 2nd grade teacher and principal on the whole homework subject. Last week my son submitted an incomplete assignment although he had worked on it for 50 minutes. I sent in an email explaining why he had not completed and the teacher took him to the principal's office to complete his work. I've been dissecting the Homework Policy as stated in the district's Code of Conduct and the language is very vague. It uses language such as "teachers will encourage parents to set aside time" and "in order to encourage positive student attitude toward homework...." and then jumps to "students are expected to complete and submit assignments." There's nothing on homework discipline policy nor how they intend to enforce said rules. I would love to hear your thoughts, Heather, on how your letter can help. I've retained the services of a child advocate and she mentions that opting out can backfire. I still don't have a handle on how. Anyone have any experience with this?

So sorry to hear your struggles. 50 minutes is way too long and sounds as if you were very sensible. I'm not surprised the official homework policy is vague. Opting out - when we opted out the teacher would say "well, he'll get a zero in social studies." A zero in first grade didn't matter and he went on to second grade just fine. Other families have told me their children still went on to the next grade without problem when they opted out. However, the bigger fear here is pressure and punishment on your child during the school day - missing recess, sitting in the principal's office, etc. These are unacceptable responses, but they happen all the time.

You say you have hired the services of a child advocate. Interesting. If you are truly willing to take this seriously, I can put you in touch with Sara Bennett, author of The Case Against Homework. No one has tested this legally yet in the US. In Canada, parents sued to opt out of homework and won. Many other countries are ahead on this. Whatever you chose, stay strong and stand up for your son. His love of learning and his relationship with you is what matters most of all.

Sorry I'm just responding Heather! We've been fighting colds here at home! Thank you so much for such a prompt reply. I''m hoping not to have to go the legal route. But I am very serious about it. Right now, I think I have an out bc the district's homework policy for 1-3rd is really not clear and after having met with the principal I'm sensing that they're not willing to take it too far. Where I may have to go far is the middle school where my 6th grade daughter averages 20hrs wkly on homework. The policy dictates that at this grade level every single subject including art and music give homework for a grand total of 15% of the grade. Insane!!! Both my children are high performers, and this is simply not necessary. I'm in the process of getting help. We'll see where this takes us. And I definitely will reach out if the legal route ends up being what I need.

Not surprisingly many parents in my community are going through the same thing and we are looking to band together to bring about some change.

Wow. I've never heard of a policy requiring every subject including art to give homework. Wishing you and your community all good things as you work together for some change.

[…] why our family bans homework for our elementary-aged kids. You can read more about it here.  (More coming March 8, 2016 – helpful tips on homework and discussion of homework research […]

My daughter's second grade teacher recently left, and instead of hiring another teacher, the district shuffled 8 or 9 kids into each of the remaining three 2nd grade classes increasing the headcount to 35 per teacher. I asked the outgoing teacher how many minuets of actual instruction she was giving during the day and she told me about 180 minutes tops. So they are not actually learning the entire 7 or 8 hours, they are playing outside, lining up, eating snack and or lunch, lining up some more, reading, going to "specials" like art, library, music and P.E. and bathroom breaks. Obs every school is different. I am still kind of in shock and seriously considering home school. I could do so much more with 7 hours...anyways, I think a small amount of homework is not a bad thing because it gives the parent insight into what their child is learning, and is capable of. I'd point blank ask the teacher how many MINS a day is devoted to instruction. Then ask about the remaining 4 or so hours.

i hate homework it is mixed in with 7-8 hours of school...hell no

I love your letter and your approach for your children. I see the validity of your argument, and yet, part of me is glad that some form of homework is being given to children as early as first grade because it can help alert teachers and others to issues that need to be addressed in the home. I wasn't given any homework until the fourth grade, I believe. My parent never helped me with homework and didn't care if I did it or not. So I never did my homework, ever, until I was about fifteen years old and petitioned the juvenile court to place me in foster care or with my non-custodial parent. I was so academically behind that I couldn't be placed in grade level math or science when I eventually did get to live with my other parent. All this meant that I was not prepared, when I graduated from high school, to take college level courses in math or science. The parent who raised me was just this side of criminally neglectful and NO ONE had a clue until I started acting out at 12 and 13. I would like to think that my teachers would have perhaps asked some questions if I were given homework at a younger age and they saw that it was never done. Brief reasonable homework may catch issues that don't otherwise get noticed for at-risk youngsters.

Thank you for sharing your story so eloquently. Such an important point to remember children who are vulnerable in their homes. I believe homework is not the best indicator to use for teachers to catch unhealthy home situations. Even in your case, it seems from your story, that although you had homework starting in fourth grade, nobody noticed you were in trouble until you were in middle school.

I'm a 10 yr old, and this would improve my life ???

My husband and I are raising two of our grandchildren. We have a 5th grader who brings home no homework because she completes it during her free time at school. She is expected to read for 20 minutes a day which she does willingly. We have a kindergartner who brings home a folder on Monday that lists the homework each day through Thursday. This homework is reading for 10 minutes each night, practicing sight words and some type of worksheet. We get home between 5:30 and 6 each night, have dinner, clean up, help with the little one's homework then he takes a bath and what do you know...it's 8:30 and time for him to go to bed. Our granddaughter goes to bed at 9. I only get 2 1/2 hours with our grandson each night and 3 hours with our granddaughter. They're up at 6 in the morning, catch the bus at 7:30 and I don't see them again until 6 at night. Oh and once a week we take one of them to see a counselor (it is staggered so that our granddaughter has her appointment one week and our grandson the next). I feel like we have no pause button and we are constantly moving. Homework for a kindergartner is too much, especially in a household where both adults have to work.

My opinion on homework is that they had a good idea, but took it to far. One, it should be optional, mainly for kids with bad grades, or kids with adverage grades that want better grades. But having all kids do it, almost every night seems a bit drastic. Some strait A students might fail because they dont have the time and cant do their homework.

[…] is a role I knew I never wanted to start. Our family supports learning but bans homework for kids in the elementary school years. When kids are old enough to get homework, they are old […]

[…] thank you to the folks who have read my controversial post “Why we say “No” to  Homework.” I must admit, I was blown away by the thousands upon thousands who read that […]

What do you know I am working on homework right now at 8:00 clock haven't done anything all day to keep me happy video games, going outside, socializing just sitting in my room waiting to get a 1.5 on my current events essay

kids needed more information to learn about there life And they needed more power to control the self......

if they learn this they can do any thing they want .. but First kids have to learn this control there self and learn about there life ......

Some kids learn fast but some does not ....

I never did see the point of homework . When my brother and his wife looked into an alternative school for my niece, the principal told them "We don't give homework . School is a student's job, and you don't take work home from your job !" . I know teachers have to make lesson plans on their own time, but that's teachers' work, not students' . I've heard the theory that teachers sometimes give homework to "keep kids busy" . How students keep busy outside of school ( or if they're busy at all ) is none of the teacher's business . Why not teach our children that life is too short for "busywork" ? Historically, homework ( http://domyhomeworkfor.me/calculus-homework-help ) was frowned upon in American culture . Homework was discouraged not only by parents, but also by school districts . In 1901, the California legislature passed an act that effectively abolished homework . If you try too hard to "keep kids busy". you'll kill their interest in learning completely . There was one episode of "Everybody Loves Raymond" where Raymond and Debra were concerned about the amount of homework their daughter had to do . Raymond made a speech at a school board meeting ( or a PTA meeting ) and said "I want my daughter to enjoy learning, and I'm not sure that's happening !" . We're asking the question "How can we motivate our children to be more enthusiastic about homework ?" . You might as well ask "How can we motivate our children to be more enthusiastic about being punished ?" . After living through the tired old teaching methods our schools use, I often say "I've learned enough for one lifetime !", but I sometimes realize that I really enjoy learning because I don't have to face ( yuck ) tests, grades, and homework any more .

I think that learning an instrument and playing outside is the best kind of learning! Not to mention those students that spend hours every week on sports - is that not enough time spent on 'natural learning'? I do think that reading every night is really important and the exposure the kids get to new vocabulary is unlike anything else. I'm looking at adopting a new homework policy in my classroom at this stage where there is none! All the research is behind it so I can't really argue.

When my sons were in Pre-K, they were giving out upwards of 30 minutes of homework a night...for 4 year olds! One night, one of my son's was having a rough night, so I told him not to worry about his homework and we can just do it tomorrow night. As a courtesy, I wrote a note to the teacher explaining that my son did not so his homework at my discretion because he was having a rough night and that we would make it up the next night. The reply I got was insulting. The teacher wanted to me to sign a "parent contract" that stated I would be more diligent in making sure that my son's homework was completed. I told her that I would absolutely not sign anything like that. I was that parent and it was my decision. The contract was not a school policy, but something that the teacher came up with herself. Either way, it would not have been signed.

It is sad that I have to remind a teacher of who the parent is. Needless to say, my wife and I pulled our sons out of Pre-K halfway through the school year (it was optional anyhow). The teacher then brought on herself to patronize us by saying our children will not be well-prepared for Kindergarten (which they gave out 30 minutes to an hour of homework a night as well).

Homework is out of control to some degree for elementary aged students. I agree that nightly reading (either free or assigned) is the most beneficial and should be the only thing assigned. I also feel that as a parent, I should have the right to call off homework for the night if I feel there is more important things that my children can and want to do....like be kids.

Hello, I am definitely curious about this topic. I have a 5th grader who is very smart and a hard worker. However, her grade in math has slipped down to a "C" since last school year. Our initial response was more practice problems and a tutor, well it did not work she was miserable never had any free time and was constantly told to pick up the pace. Its a new year and we do not want to repeat a year long battle that tears our family apart. My question is this considering she struggles in math should we rule out homework or selectively choose ones to focus on? It seems that she is a "Bad" tester really.

Any advice is appreciated

As far as extracurricular she has gymnastics 2days/2hours each, girl scouts 2x a month only, and she has been chosen to join SECME (a stem group) 1hr every Monday.

Thank you, Concerned Daddy

If It helps we have had parent/teacher meeting every period tests are where we see her struggle the most, at home she demonstrates a decent grasp of the lessons.

Your daughter is lucky to have you because it's clear you form a caring, thinking family. When a grade slips from what was the child's normal, it's good to sit up and take notice. There can be so many reasons so keep working with your daughter to help her navigate this. Girls this age can also, unfortunately, change their relationship to math. Many factors are at work on that point. Here's an interesting article - http://money.cnn.com/2014/10/13/smallbusiness/shine-math-stem/ If you haven't already, ask your daughter. She may have insight. Some kids get anxious with tests and are "bad testers." For others the teacher fit isn't right, or certain kids in the class make it awkward for her. If you think she has a decent grasp of the material that's what's most important. As to homework, decide what works best for your family. Her relationship with math may be what's most important to turn around. You could also ask the school if there's other ways for her to test - to demonstrate her knowledge without the test pressure. Some students, for example, take tests in separate rooms. Keep your focus on her and what's truly best for her, and use grades only as a signal, not the goal. Best of luck!

I agree completely with this.. I am however a mother that has had my children in both public, private and homeschool..Only because I never knew about homeschool for my older children until they were in upper grades.. we did make the switch and we love it..but..I do work 40+ hours a week and so does my husband.. I typically try to use a video guided program that helps to supplement when we can't teach.. I am finding though the highschool units are very heavy handed on the homework and its such that the student could not keep up with the class or knowledge of everything without hours of homework a night..I am hoping maybe someone on here would have a good suggestion for a program that is not so heavy handed with homework..I feel it is just too much.. Any good suggestions for curriculum with video led classes would be great.. I have researched but everything I see has lots of homework..

Thank you in advance..

[…] written about our family’s “no homework” stance for elementary school.  How hard it is to buck the system, and how important it is for the sake of true education, our […]

[…] If it’s a battle then why are you having it? What about homework? Have you considered ‘saying no to homework‘ to open up more free time? If my kids ever go to regular school we will absolutely be opting […]

The homework issue is simple. Children who need extra work often have parents who don't do it with them, so having homework for them is pointless. Parents who take time to do the homework are often the ones whose children least need it so it's pointless. Homework that allows families to research together, and build on their collective knowledge can be great fun as well as being useful... Maybe it's not homework that is pointless, but the type of homework that needs to be changed...? And yes, I am a teacher, and a mum, and a grandma...

I think that we should not have homework because it tack amost all the time we have than we have to eat then we get like 10 min to be kids and go outside and play also we have chores like the bathroom that tack use like 20min so we get no min to be kids so than we hate aver one and some time we get homework on brakes so that is like homework are live

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Because differences are our greatest strength

Homework challenges and strategies

By Amanda Morin

Expert reviewed by Jim Rein, MA

At a glance

Kids can struggle with homework for lots of reasons.

A common challenge is rushing through assignments.

Once you understand a homework challenge, it’s easier to find solutions.

Most kids struggle with homework from time to time. But kids who learn and think differently may struggle more than others. Understanding the homework challenges your child faces can help you reduce stress and avoid battles.

Here are some common homework challenges and tips to help.

The challenge: Rushing through homework

Kids with learning difficulties may rush because they’re trying to get through what’s hard for them as fast as possible. For kids with ADHD, trouble with focus and working memory may be the cause.

Rushing through homework can lead to messy or incorrect homework. It can also lead to kids missing key parts of the assignment. One thing to try is having your child do the easiest assignments first and then move to harder ones.

Get more tips for helping grade-schoolers and middle-schoolers slow down on homework.

The challenge: Taking notes

Note-taking isn’t an easy skill for some kids. They may struggle with the mechanical parts of writing or with organizing ideas on a page. Kids may also find it hard to read text and take notes at the same time.

Using the outline method may help. It divides notes into main ideas, subtopics, and details. 

Explore different note-taking strategies .

The challenge: Managing time and staying organized

Some kids struggle with keeping track of time and making a plan for getting all of their work done. That’s especially true of kids who have trouble with executive function.

Try creating a homework schedule and set a specific time and place for your child to get homework done. Use a timer to help your child stay on track and get a better sense of time.

Learn about trouble with planning .

The challenge: Studying effectively

Many kids need to be taught how to study effectively. But some may need concrete strategies.

One thing to try is creating a checklist of all the steps that go into studying. Have your child mark off each one. Lists can help kids monitor their work.

Explore more study strategies for grade-schoolers and teens .

The challenge: Recalling information

Some kids have trouble holding on to information so they can use it later. (This skill is called working memory. ) They may study for hours but remember nothing the next day. But there are different types of memory.

If your child has trouble with verbal memory, try using visual study aids like graphs, maps, or drawings.

Practice “muscle memory” exercises to help kids with working memory.

The challenge: Learning independently

It’s important for kids to learn how to do homework without help. Using a homework contract can help your child set realistic goals. Encourage “thinking out loud.”

Get tips for helping grade-schoolers do schoolwork on their own.

Sometimes, homework challenges don’t go away despite your best efforts. Look for signs that kids may have too much homework . And learn how to talk with teachers about concerns .

Key takeaways

Some kids have a hard time doing schoolwork on their own.

It can help to tailor homework strategies to a child’s specific challenges and strengths.

Sometimes, there’s too much homework for a child to handle. Talk to the teacher.

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Out for summer: Elated students celebrate end to the school year in Clark County

Evergreen superintendent john boyd marks end of his career with the district.

“There’s no rules anymore!” screamed an excited young student who made a beeline for his school bus.

The bell rang for the last time at Burton Elementary School on Tuesday afternoon, signaling the end of the 2023-’24 school year for Evergreen Public Schools and several other districts across the region.

Many of Burton’s students left the school with a special summer zeal. Perhaps something exciting awaited them at home: video games, outdoor recreation, a newly silenced alarm clock. Freedom.

Burton’s staff saw students off with a sea of bubbles — a tradition the school has kept since it moved into a brand-new building last school year. While also excited for the summer, staff said seeing buses depart for the last time always invites a wide range of emotions.

“I love the excitement of summer, but we always miss the kids that are on their way to middle school next,” Burton Principal Becky Chase said. “Some of these kids were with us when we moved from the old building. They’ve spent six years of their lives with us through all this change.”

In Evergreen, the region’s largest school district, the school year both began and ended with delays — first due to a prolonged teacher strike and then because of an especially chaotic winter . Chase said the rocky start was hard but helped her staff band together.

“The one thing that’s always constant is change. This year isn’t unique,” she said. “What we always have to do is keep our eyes on the prize: giving our students a good place to be successful. When we all get back together, we pivot to focus on that.”

‘Mostly sweet’

Tuesday wasn’t just the last day of the year for Evergreen Superintendent John Boyd. It was the last of his career.

“After 33 years, it’s extra special for me,” said Boyd, who announced his retirement in April after two years with the district. Boyd joined Burton staff in blowing bubbles for departing students. “It’s a little bittersweet after all the time, but mostly sweet.”

Boyd said his time at the helm of the district had its fair share of ups and downs. He noted multiple rounds of $20 million budget cuts and the teacher strike this year. He said he remains proud of the work he accomplished, and he feels the district’s leadership team will carry on effectively when he leaves at the end of the month.

“It’s a phenomenal school district,” Boyd said. “You sometimes get barraged with the negatives, but spend time at any one school, and you’ll see 100 positives to one negative.”

Evergreen’s board of directors is set to interview candidates for the district’s interim superintendent role Thursday and Monday in private sessions. District spokesman Mike Tokito said the board will publicly announce its decision shortly after, likely in early to mid-July.

Related Stories

Los Angeles school district bans use of cellphones, social media by students

Over 429,000 students in the nation’s second-largest school district will be prohibited from using cellphones and social media platforms during the school day after the Los Angeles Unified School District board passed the ban Tuesday.

The Los Angeles Unified School District's Board of Education voted 5-2 , approving a resolution to develop within 120 days a policy that bans student use of cellphones and social media platforms during the entire school day. The policy, which will be implemented districtwide, will go into effect by January, according to the board.

"I think we're going to be on the vanguard here, and students and this entire city and country are going to benefit as a result," said board member Nick Melvoin, who proposed the resolution.

The move is an attempt by educators to curb classroom distractions and protect students' mental health. K-12 teachers in the U.S. have increasingly faced challenges over students' cellphone use with one-third saying phone distraction is a "major problem in their classroom," according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in fall 2023.

On Tuesday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom expressed his support for efforts to restrict cellphone use in schools across the state. Newsom previously signed legislation in 2019 that allowed, but did not require, districts to limit or ban smartphone use at schools.

Going old school: Flip phone sales are surging as folks seek connection without distraction

The governor echoed U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy's remarks published Monday in a  New York Times opinion essay . Murthy called for safety warning labels – similar to those on tobacco and alcohol products – on social media platforms, citing what he considers a mental health "emergency" among young people.

"As the Surgeon General affirmed, social media is harming the mental health of our youth," Newsom said in a statemen t Tuesday. "Building on legislation I signed in 2019, I look forward to working with the Legislature to restrict the use of smartphones during the school day. When children and teens are in school, they should be focused on their studies – not their screens."

Five reasons kids are missing school. Chronic absenteeism is schools' 'biggest problem.'

'Full-time job being the police of the phone'

The Los Angeles ban will expand on its existing policy that prohibits "the use of cellular phones, pagers, or any electronic signaling device by students on campus during normal school hours or school activities, excluding the students’ lunchtime or nutrition breaks." The current policy was adopted in 2011.

For the updated policy, the Los Angeles Unified School District board said school officials will have to consider options for cellphone storage, such as locked pouches or lockers during school hours. Officials will also need to consider age and grade-level appropriate guidelines, along with what exceptions should be made for students with learning or physical disabilities.

The ban has received mixed reactions from school administrators, parents, and students who have noted concerns over student ownership, safety, and communication, and enforcing the policy on a wide scale, The Los Angeles Times reported.

Board member George McKenna voted against the resolution and cited concerns that the policy would be too restrictive. Board member Scott Schmerelson also voted against the resolution saying it was unclear whether the ban would be implemented during noninstructional time and questioned who would enforce the policy.

"I think it's going to be a full-time job being the police of the phone," Schmerelson said.

Supporters of the ban said a similar policy at a district middle school has improved the campus' learning environment, according to The Times.

Board members supporting the ban wrote in their agenda that research "indicates that limiting cellphone usage and social media access during the school day increases academic performance and has positive effects on student mental health." They added that research has shown a correlation between cellphone addiction and increased rates of anxiety and cyberbullying.

School cellphone bans in other states, schools

Parents and educators across the country have expressed growing concern over the impact of cellphones on young people, including classroom distractions and potential mental health issues. As of the 2021-2022 school year, more than 76% of K-12 public schools prohibit cellphone use in non-academic settings, according to the National Center for Education Statistics .

But in recent years, lawmakers have considered legislation restricting smartphone use in schools. Last year, Florida became the first state to prohibit student phone use during class time and to block student access to social media on school Wi-Fi.

In March, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb signed a bill prohibiting students from using phones and other wireless devices in classrooms.  Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed a similar bill  in May that requires school districts to establish a policy governing cellphone usage during school hours.

As of June, lawmakers in at least eight states have considered passing similar legislation, USA TODAY previously reported .

Contributing: Sara Chernikoff and Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY; Reuters

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