Updated: November 20, 2014
Originally Published: March 24, 2009
I have to admit something: I really dislike homework. Seriously, I’m not a fan of doing it, helping with it, or even the fact that it exists at all. And yes, I have a kindergartner. Go ahead and laugh; you’d be surprised at how much homework he brings home!
Every week starts with a packet that’s due by Thursday. It’s filled with worksheets, and let me tell you, most of the instructions are so vague that I’m left scratching my head, unsure of what the teacher expects. Then there are the worksheets labeled “please finish,” which he was supposed to work on at school. How am I supposed to help him complete these? Asking, “Do you remember what you were supposed to do?” isn’t exactly enlightening.
And don’t get me started on reading books, poetry folders, and then there’s “family homework.” Family homework? I went to kindergarten, thank you very much!
I might sound like a grump, but I’m fed up with the nightly battles over homework. I’m exhausted from teaching concepts that my son didn’t learn in class but are somehow now our homework. My husband and I both work, rush home to make dinner, and then it’s time for this never-ending homework cycle. Afterward, it’s bath time, bedtime, and then we start it all over again the next day. My son is often shocked when we say, “Guess what? No homework today!”—which only happens on the weekends.
There’s plenty of research out there indicating that homework in the early grades is largely pointless. It doesn’t reflect actual learning or progress; it just leads to burnout. We have our arguments, and there are tears—some of them mine. By the time he hits first grade, my son might just end up hating learning. What does this really teach a child?
Just to clarify, I’m not against education. I’m a lawyer, I volunteer at his school, and I truly value education, reading, and writing. But I can’t wrap my head around how worksheets and nightly homework help a five-year-old learn anything meaningful. And let’s be real; as kids move up in grades, parents often end up doing the homework anyway.
It’s a cycle that just doesn’t seem to lead to real learning.
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Summary:
In this humorous take on the challenges of kindergarten homework, Jamie expresses her frustration with the endless cycle of nightly assignments. Despite her commitment to education, she questions the effectiveness of homework in early grades and worries about the negative impact on her son’s love for learning.