School is back in session and the dreaded “Homework” has begun. There is not much in my house that brings tears faster (both from me and my children). So I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Your kids don’t have to do it. . . At least in Elementary School. Or rather that is my opinion and the opinion of a lot of teachers I have spoken to. Let me explain.
In our home, we have learners with disabilities. Dyslexia, Autism, ADHD, Dyscalculia to name just a few.
When my kids were younger, we spent almost every day immediately after school going to therapy. We would get home just in time for dinner and bed. There was no time for them to do homework, let alone time to play and be children.
If we had a rare afternoon off I wasn’t about to make them do homework instead of taking the time to play and have fun. I did have them read for 20-30 mins a day either in the car to and from therapy or in bed at night before they fell asleep.
We have added into my son’s IEP at various times that no homework or extremely limited homework will be issued. It is a legitimate modification for students in their IEP’s.
Do kids sometimes need extra practice? Absolutely. But, to quote a Special Education teacher I know, “If they didn’t get it at school, they likely aren’t going to get it with 30 minutes of homework either.” They are going to need direct instruction. And I don’t know about you, but when it comes to Common Core Math? I can’t help them anyway.
Is it going to be a positive thing for your children or a negative one? Are they behind in a subject or on target? Is the amount of homework reasonable for your child’s age and personality? These are all things you should take into consideration.
So do yourself and your kids a favor and weigh the benefits of homework at your house.
