Why the Dog SHOULD Eat the Homework

Written by: Carrie Lupoli, M.Ed

Homework.  The bane of all existence for so many parents, especially mothers who sit down with their kids, night after night, muddling through the barrage of worksheets and tears; flashcards and arguments.

Does this sound familiar?

For children with special needs, homework can be even more traumatic, challenging and down right unbearable.  Although research is clearly stating that homework has little impact on standardized scores or as a measure of ability, schools around the world are still doling out assignments that parallel an antiquated approach.

By today’s definition and what best practice dictates, homework, if assigned, should be a reinforcement of previously learned skills.  Although I could argue a case for eliminating homework in elementary school all together, by and large, if assigned, it should be a relatively independent time for students to understand the concept of responsibility and task completion. 

The truth is that there is almost no evidence that homework helps elementary school students achieve academic success and little more that it helps older students. Yet the nightly burden is taking a serious toll on America's families. It robs children of the sleep, play, and exercise time they need for proper physical, emotional, and neurological development. And it is a hidden cause of the childhood obesity epidemic, creating a nation of "homework potatoes."

                                                            www.thecaseagainsthomework.com   

Homework is not supposed to be an extension of the school day where facts and content have to be re-taught to the student by the parent or caregiver.  In addition, although many schools do issue homework policies that state a set time that should be dedicated to homework, parents are finding the assigned tasks take much longer than a teacher may anticipate.  “We don’t have the same classroom structure in the home and because it is a more relaxed atmosphere, sometimes I think the teachers underestimate how much time it takes to do some of this work,” states a mother from the U.S. who has two daughters in elementary school.  “In addition,” she states, “because we have two kids in two different grade levels, it takes longer to work with each one and often re-teach concepts, all while folding laundry and making dinner.”

“We also have a lot of after school activities,” states a mother with three boys, in grades Kindergarten through 5^th.  “I have clipboards in the car so they can try to do their homework while we drive to games and activities.  I am often yelling out the answers just so they can get it done.  It’s horrible.”

I recently spoke with a mother of a child who is very smart and also has ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) therefore it is not only difficult to focus on a single task for very long, but he is constantly needing to move and fidget.   His mother stated that she typically has to dedicate anywhere from 2-3 hours a night on her son’s homework.  Although she was told the content has already been covered in school, it is likely that his difficulty with attention has kept him from comprehending it to the level of independence when it comes to homework.  One night, in particular, as they entered into the 3^rd hour of homework where the two of them were “at each other’s throats,” she wrote to the teacher, “After three hours we decided to stop.  He has worked very hard but we couldn’t get it done.”  The teacher returned the work the next day as “incomplete” and made the child stay in for recess to finish the assignment.  This child, who needs to move, run and get his body physically regulated on a consistent basis, was deprived recess which is arguably the most important part of his day.  “I just don’t know what to do anymore,” the mother said, “I want to support my son, but this situation is impacting our relationship and his confidence.”

It doesn’t matter how many times I hear these kinds of stories, and I hear them a lot.  Homework modification is one of the single easiest accommodations a school can make to help a child succeed.  Here were my suggestions I made to the mother:

•  Hold a meeting with the school to discuss the philosophy of homework and that she expects it to be individualized towards her son, if not to everyone else in the class. 
• This philosophy should include individualized homework that reflects work that he has already mastered and would serve as an independent reinforcement of such skills. 
• The homework should take no more than 20 minutes for him to complete in addition to the 20 minutes of quiet reading assigned.  (See the “10 minute rule” link below)
• If he is unable to complete the homework independently, but tried, mom will mark the top with a STAR, signifying to the teacher that he worked for 20 minutes independently and couldn’t do the work.  This would indicate to the teacher that the assignment was too difficult (what great data!) 
• If he simply chooses not to the homework or is irresponsible with committing himself to it, mom would mark an “X” on the top of the page signifying a consequence should be issued because he did not complete the homework due to a behavior. However, because of his disability, he should not be kept in from recess.  An alternative consequence must be issued. (It’s amazing how creative teachers and parents can be when they get into a “think tank” kind of meeting!)

As a teacher, I understand fully the challenges with individualizing homework for each child, however as true differentiation is the only ethical way to teach our diverse students, the issue shouldn’t be IF the teacher can do it but HOW can she do it.

As far as homework goes, as the teacher I would, in advance, plan assignments in three levels:  Homework assignments for those who exceed the standards, those who meet the standards and those who are near the standards.  There are so many parent volunteers willing to make copies and organize such work.  Take advantage of the help and be empowered to commit to a relatively simple but effective differentiation technique.

Now…I just have to say this.  Although eliminating homework all together in elementary school and advocating for a set amount of reading time daily seems like a long shot, it is another idea that could silence all this debate once and for all.

…and the sound of silence…is so nice, isn’t it?

 Resources:

·      “The 10-Minute Rule for Homework” http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/yourlife/parenting-family/2011-08-09-homework-tips_n.htm

5 Tips for Success in Your Inclusive Classroom…and yes, you DO have an inclusive classroom.

By Carrie Lupoli

Whether or not you have any “officially” labeled child with disabilities in your classroom, you definitely have a diverse population of children, for each child comes to you with a unique personality, culture, background and knowledge base.  Each of your students represent various family and economic situations, which will directly impact the diversity in your classroom, as well.  

http://edcompassblog.smarttech.com/archives/5951

Therefore, having a child with diagnosed special needs is not a requirement for a classroom to need to be “inclusive.”  Of course, if you adopt the philosophy of an inclusive classroom, you will be better equipped to successfully integrate a child with special needs at anytime!

1. Market your Philosophy:  It is important that your students and parents know that you recognize the individual needs of each child and that your intention is to respect the unique qualities every student brings.  Keep this philosophy front and center through your regular classroom newsletters, through the read-aloud books you share with your students, to the topics you discuss during morning meeting time.  Modeling, discussing and displaying your philosophy of inclusiveness daily will seep into the hearts of your classroom family. 
2. Change things up!  An inclusive classroom is one that is always moving, active and varied.  Groups shouldn’t be stagnant, meaning that reading groups should be changed regularly and seating arrangements can be mixed up.  Your students need the opportunity to work with each other, in all different ways at different times.  Embracing a philosphy of inclusiveness and respect will give them opportunities, in a safe place, to work with children who may be different then they are, who they may not particularly like or who are at a very different academic level.  Being able to work together in so many varied ways will give them incredible, life long experiences.
3. Speak to the Senses:  Your classroom should be a place where all learning styles are respected and acknowledged.  Kids can be totally distracted during an auditory lecture, but much more engaged if they have a visual in front of them while you speak.  Some students work much better on the computer or one on one with you.  Some will respond to certain reinforcers differently.  Pay attention and document what you are observing in each child.  Target 2 or 3 students a day, until you have specifically observed them all, during your lessons to see if you can determine how they respond to different types of lessons.  A great tool we use regularly at Live and Learn is a Reinforcer Inventory. It gives you an understanding of what motivates them to make great choices or work hard in school.  You will be amazed at how much you will learn about each child!   We adapted ours from a document written by the Center of Effective Collaboration and Practice. Click here for the reinforcer inventory, click here for the scoring sheet and here for the summary page.  All that just for reading our blog!  You're welcome!  
4. Self Reflect with Technology:  When I was a second year teacher, I was required to video tape myself teaching as part of my advanced teaching certificate.  Before watching it, I wrote a reflection about what I thought I did well, what I needed to improve on, etc.  I found that after watching the video, I totally saw so many more ways in which I could improve and I also saw the classroom through the child’s eyes, instead of my own.  Are there children missing the lesson you didn’t realize?  This process can truly improve your inclusive practices. 
5. Daily Assessment:  YES!  How do you know they “got it” if you don’t check for understanding daily?  Although teachers typically plan their lessons at least a week in advance, there must be room for adaptation within these lessons based on the learning and comprehensive of each child.  Are you teaching to the masses and checking off the fact that you “ exposed” them to a lesson or are you teaching to each child, ensuring that you have given everyone the necessary tools, information and learning experiences that have allowed them to meet or exceed the goal you have set for them?  Daily assessments can be simple and shouldn’t take a lot of time.    

• Exit Cards or “Tickets to Leave” are one great idea for informally assessing daily comprehension.   
• Another idea is to keep a notebook with a page for each child and while you walk around, gauging understanding, keep quick notes on what you are observing.  Use your notes to remind yourself of ways you need to adjust your planning in the days ahead.   
• Finally, I LOVE diagnostic assessment that gives us fabulous data on a regular basis.  www.letsgolearn.com has a very easy to administer diagnostic math and reading assessments that are very inexpensive with very clear, structured reports.  Immediately after taking the assessment on the computer, the teacher (or parent!) can access the score.  I like to give these assessments every 6 weeks to track progress and gains objectively.  Because the information on the reports can be presented in broad terms or by specific skills, teachers can see clearly what areas a child may need extra support on or areas in which they could benefit from accelerated material.

As you can see, none of these ideas are directly related to special needs, per se, however an inclusive class exhibits traits that work great for kids with a diagnosis as well.  Good teaching with solid differentiated practices will always benefit ALL and really, can you justify any other way to teach?