EDUCATION

When it's time to get cooking with homework, children sometimes find themselves making a hash of it - a homework mess. Parents also feel the frustration.

"It's tough," says Vancouver mother June Robinson, "especially since my husband and I both work. Our daughter is young [in grade four] and needs help with her homework - like practising math or reviewing her journal. We get home tired, have dinner, and find we've run out of time and energy."

Like many parents, Robinson recognizes the importance of homework. So do the experts: "Half an hour of homework may not seem like all that much compared to six hours of schoolwork, but it may represent the biggest chunk of focused, purely academic work your child does all day." writes Ellen Klavan in her book, Taming the Homework Monster.

Research indicates that students who conscientiously do their homework do better academically. They learn to follow directions, to organize and to manage time. They also learn to work independently and to find and use resources.

"It is the job of teachers, parents, and especially children, to make homework work," says Ann Skelcher, principal of Roberts Creek Elementary School in Roberts Creek, B.C. "Schools can't singularly teach all of the attitudes and enable the child to acquire all the knowledge and skills necessary for a fulfilling life."

How much is enough?

Clearly appreciative of the importance of homework, 80 percent of parents responding to a Today's Parent survey last year indicated that they want to see their children receive more of it. Kathryn Graydon, a mother of four from B.C.'s Sunshine Coast, is not always pleased with the amount of work brought home by her two kids, but she acknowledges that assigning homework is not an easy task for teachers: "The difficult thing about quantity is that you need enough to challenge them, enough so it's not trivial, and that varies with each child." But planning is tough for Graydon, too, especially when one day her fifth-grader brings home nothing and has an hour of work the next.

There are no national Canadian guidelines for homework quantity. But in the U.S., the National PTA and the National Education Association recommend that homework not exceed 20 minutes per school day from grade one through grade three (although kids rarely receive much homework prior to grade three, they should start having some); 20 to 40 minutes per school day in grade four through grade six; and two or more hours per school day for more advanced grades (including projects, which should be spread over time and not left for one frantic, all-weekend rush). In practice, every school is different, and it's usually the teacher's call. If you feel your child receives too much or too little homework, it's important that you express your concerns to the teacher.

What makes "good" homework?

"Probably more important than quantity is the whole issue of quality," says Doug Hamilton, co-ordinator of research and evaluation services for the York Region Board of Education in Aurora, Ontario. He explains that "research does not support homework as a drilling type of exercise." Suzanne Ziegler, former head of research at the Toronto Board of Education, agrees: "Good homework assignments are those which recognize that home is not school, and that the opportunities and appropriate activities differ in the two settings."

When Barry Krangle taught his grade-six class about the electoral system, for homework his students kept journals of the day-to-day events in a recent provincial election. They tracked newspaper articles and had discussions with their parents. His students then invited local contenders to the classroom, and asked them questions based on the information in their journals.

But how about those times when you are unhappy with the type of assignments your children bring home?. Speaking of her daughter, Emily, who is in grade three, Kathryn Graydon says, "She's not being challenged. For example, for homework she was asked to find three things that tell her it's fall." Parents should discuss such concerns with the teacher. However, it is not realistic to expect every assignment to be a prize-winner. With some creativity, parents may be able to enrich an assignment - Emily's homework, for example, could have led to a dinner discussion of seasonal changes and why they happen.

How to help...

Sunshine Coast mother Susanne Keller does not believe in waiting for the shock of that first big assignment. Her son is only in grade one, but he already has a "homework" schedule. "Before my son went to kindergarten, I made time for a story after dinner. We worked with letters and sounds. Now he does much of the reading. We play games like Monopoly where he polishes his math without even knowing it." Keller is confident that when her son finally is assigned serious homework, he'll be set to go.

Inviting children to participate in activities such as writing the grocery list, or measuring ingredients for cookies, promotes learning outside the classroom. "Parents can tell their kids a hundred times a week that education is important, and have little impact," says Ziegler. "But when they show, by their actions, that they need and value what schools teach, the message gets through."

... and not to help

"Dear Mrs. Jones: Billy will not be handing in his homework this week. His dad is away on business and won't have time to do it."

With good intentions, some parents start off cracking a few eggs and end up cooking the meal. Remember: Your child is the chef.

As author Klavan emphasizes, "Doing your child's homework for him undermines the whole purpose of homework." Being overly involved creates other problems, too. Skelcher warns that sometimes parents explain things so differently from the teacher, the child gets even more confused. She advises first discussing the assignment with the teacher.

Graydon says that "keeping tabs on homework is a tangible way for parents to assess progress.... There are no report card surprises for parents who are involved." Vancouver dad Robert Evans, however, found that, in his enthusiasm to help his son, Brian, with a grade-three assignment, he overstepped the line.

"Brian had to draw a picture of his favourite animal and write a sentence about why he liked it. I didn't even give him time to think about it. I found the materials, I suggested our dog as a subject, I told him what to write. Only later did it occur to me that maybe Brian would rather have drawn a dinosaur or something... I felt awful for having taken over."

Battling burnout

Children's frustration with homework is often linked to either not understanding the instructions or not having mastered the required skills. If the problem seems to be that they honestly can't do it, discuss the situation with the teacher, who should offer additional help or suggestions.

If they simply do not want to do the work, think twice before resorting to rewards. As Susanne Keller discovered, bribery can be tricky: "I coaxed my son to finish a worksheet by promising a treat. Before I knew it, he wanted a treat to do things he had previously done happily, like setting the table." Instead of bribery, try to determine the underlying cause of the problem - he may be tired, or hungry, or need you to sit near him while he works.

Discussing difficulties with the teacher is valuable for both parents and teachers, and given the reporting of many children ("What did you do at school today?" "Nothing."), it may be the only way to find out what really is happening. If a talk with the teacher does not satisfy you, Skelcher recommends asking the principal to arbitrate.

Overall, when you take the time and trouble to offer support and encouragement, you send a strong signal that homework is important. And while homework may not always be a sweet experience for children, it need not be a bitter lesson.

Resources

The School Solution, Getting Canada's Schools to Work for Your Child . by Paul Kropp and Lynda Hodson, Random House of Canada, 1995. This guide to education in Canada offers some valuable tips on homework.

March 1997