Homework, homework, give me a break! 

Anyone old enough to remember that line from a candy commercial? It’s a line that is etched into my memory, but apparently I attributed it to the wrong candy bar. I thought it was for Kit Kat, but it was actually for Summit bars. If you don’t remember those, it’s because they were discontinued in 1984.

This is not a post about failed candy bars though. It’s about homework. Despite the numerous research articles and books written about the lack of benefits of homework, kids of all ages are still subjected to this practice. Why can’t we let it go?

I’m reminded of my experience way back, when my principal gave me the green light to eschew assigning homework. Many parents applauded this policy with one even standing up to share what a gift it had been to her child. Without homework taking up their time, they weren’t stressed on days when there was football practice. Without homework, their child had time to learn about topics they were interested in beyond what we were learning in class. Without homework, there were fewer opportunities for conflict between the parent and child. Aside from one or two skeptics, my minimal homework policy went over well.

This wasn’t a school-wide policy and there was no expectation for other teachers to also follow suit. However, one afternoon a colleague knocked on my door. Mrs. R wanted to know what it was I read that made me institute this idea on homework. I happily handed her my copy of The Homework Myth* by Alfie Kohn. It’s only one text of many that has informed my thinking over the years, but it was the most impactful.

A couple of weeks later, Mrs. R came to return the book to me and wanted to discuss what she’d read. She took issue with some of the arguments made and gave an example of why she still couldn’t give up assigning homework. She recounted her experience with a handful of struggling students, explaining that she had been staying after school and helping them with their homework. After doing this for some time, they were improving. “See. If they didn’t have homework, they wouldn’t be doing as well,” she argued.

What I pointed out was that she was there to support them. If those students had to do the homework on their own or with parents who may or may not understand the assignments, would they have had the same results? She conceded the point. I’m not sure if she changed her own homework policy, but I know our conversation gave her some food for thought.

Even before reading the research on homework, there were signs that it wasn’t working well for my students nor myself.

• It took too much time with little return on investment.
• It created unnecessary conflict at school and home.
• It wasn’t meaningful for everyone–too easy for some and too difficult for others.

Have you seen any of those signs manifested in your own classroom? 

Maybe this post validated your own beliefs and practices or maybe it made you go, “Hmmm…” Either way I’d love to know your thoughts!

And if you want to read more, here are just a few resources:

From Human Restoration Project: This is why we should stop giving homework 

From Edutopia: excerpt from The Homework Myth by Alfie Kohn

From Healthline: Why Homework is Bad: Stress and Consequences

*Bookshop affiliate link