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Toward a More Productive Conversation About Homework
Questions for teachers, parents and students, from an educational psychologist
In The Atlantic’s October issue, Karl Taro Greenfeld writes about his experience doing all of his eighth-grade daughter’s homework for one week. Alarmed by the amount of time she spent on schoolwork, and worried about the stress and fatigue it caused, Greenfeld wanted to know: Was hours of nightly work teaching her anything, or was it just causing needless agony? His conclusion: “Give the kids a break. Once in a while.” That’s one take. To get more perspectives, we asked a student, a teacher, and a range of education experts about the value of homework -- and how much is too much.
Robert Couse-Baker/Flickr
Questions for teachers, parents and students, from an educational psychologist
Edward Rooks/Flickr
If I didn't assign it, I'd never get through all the material I need to cover in a year. Plus, giving kids projects and deadlines is an essential way of preparing them for adulthood.
English106/Flickr
"My friends and I realized we didn’t have to do everything assigned to us in order to succeed in high school."
Easa Shamih/flickr
What if my students think my class is too easy? And how will we ever get through A Tale of Two Cities?
Skakerman/Flickr
If affluent kids stopped doing homework, they'd be fine. But for students who are struggling to catch up, it remains indispensable.
Lucy Nicholson/Reuters
Various factors, from the race of the student to the number of years a teacher has been in the classroom, affect a child's homework load.
