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Please Don’t Assign Homework Over Winter Break

It sends the wrong message, period.

“Seven more school days til break!” Teachers and students alike have been counting down the minutes until holiday break. We are all ready for a rest from the stress and daily 5:30 am wake-up calls. Students are all looking forward to sleeping in, seeing friends, watching TikTok, and generally resting from the pressures of one thing: homework. Yes. Homework. Schools across the country still give homework over winter break, but here’s my take: Students need a complete break from all school work, and teachers do as well. Why?

Breaks increase productivity and creativity

Teachers need to take a break over the holidays. This has been one of the most stressful years, and we are all suffering from burnout or considering leaving the profession . A true break will hopefully replenish you while also leading to more creative ideas. Once you detach from the daily grind, you can spend time finding inspiration from the world again: through things you read and see for fun, cultural traditions and events, and conversations with family and friends. In addition, b reaks increase productivity in the long run for students and teachers.

It creates space for pleasure reading

Ask high school students when they last read a book for fun, and many will name something they read in junior high or even late elementary school. This isn’t necessarily because the student doesn’t like reading or prefers to play video games. Often it’s because books have become another thing to study in English class and not something to pursue on their own time. English teachers around the country have a great opportunity to “assign” reading for pleasure, without the obligation to take notes, annotate, track pages, and do other school-like tasks. When they return, converse with any students who  read over break, and you may be surprised by the authentic conversations that came with the opportunity to read for fun.

The final product isn’t worth it

Homework, in general, has come under fire in the past few years as not only unnecessary, but possibly harmful. Harris Cooper writes in The Battle over Homework : “Too much homework may diminish its effectiveness or even become counterproductive.” If this is the norm during the school year, we can infer that homework over winter break is going to be even less productive than normal, as students and their families are pursuing rest, relationship-building activities, and preparing for the holidays. Let’s think ahead a few weeks to what type of essay, worksheet, or project quality you will receive in those early weeks of January.

Start fresh for renewed motivation

Some schools use the holiday break as a natural space between the two semesters, as finals have just ended for many high schools and quarter three begins in January. Students are well aware that this break between quarters means you are not in the middle of a teaching unit, so assigned work can come off as extra or unnecessary busywork. They are called finals, after all, and students need a clean break between the successes or failures of the first semester and the beginning of the second. Work assigned between the two may be given without much context (are you really going to be able to present a fresh unit on their way out for break to contextualize homework you are giving?).

It sends the wrong message about work-life balance

Assigning work over break tells students and families that you don’t value their time together, learning outside of the classroom, or cultural traditions. Most teachers don’t feel that way, so don’t let your potential zeal to make it through the curriculum map create that perception. Model balance yourself by talking to your students about your plans over break and asking about theirs. Discussing the power of sleep, exercise, breaks, and quality time with loved ones both in this season and throughout the year might be the most important thing you teach them.

We’d love to hear—will you assign homework over winter break? Why or why not? Come and share in our WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook.

Plus, why we shouldn’t assign work on snow days, either..

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20 Reasons You Shouldn’t Assign Homework Over The Holidays

20 Reasons You Shouldn’t Assign Homework Over The Holidays by Miriam Clifford Many students agree that homework over the holidays really is a form of cruel and unusual punishment. Upon returning from winter break, you’ll probably have a handful of students saying the dog ate their homework or it got blown away in a winter…

by Miriam Clifford

Many students agree that homework over the holidays really is a form of cruel and unusual punishment.

Upon returning from winter break, you’ll probably have a handful of students saying the dog ate their homework or it got blown away in a winter storm. But you’ll probably be surprised to learn that some research suggests too much homework can be a bad thing.  A 2009 article in the Los Angeles Times , suggests that some districts have cut back on the amount of homework in the effort to consider children’s social development. In fact, the San Ramon Valley district modified its homework policy and no homework is allowed over weekends and holiday vacations, except for reading.

The US  National Education Association  recommends no more than ten minutes (of homework) per grade level, per night.

Homework has fallen in and out of favor over the decades.  California even established a law in 1901 limiting the amount of homework teachers could assign. Homework is highly in favor now a days.  With recent trends of information overload, packed activity schedules, and childhood obesity, it’s no wonder educators are reconsidering their stance on homework.

1. Students are learning all the time in the 21 st  century.  According to a recent article in MindShift traditional homework will become obsolete in the next decade.  Thanks to computers, learning is occurring 24/7.  With access to software programs, worldwide connections, and learning websites such as the Khan Academy, learning occurs all the time. According to Mindshift, “the next decade is going to see the traditional temporal boundaries between home and school disappear.”  Try to see if you can bridge the gap between school and home by getting students interested in doing their own research over holiday break.  Rather than assigning homework, create a true interest in learning.  They will often pursue learning about topics they like on their own.  After all, this is the way of the 21 st  century and information is everywhere.

2. More homework doesn’t necessarily equate to higher achievement . Yes, too much homework can actually be a bad thing.  A 1989 Duke University study that reviewed 120 studies found a weak link between achievement and homework at the elementary level and only a moderate benefit at the middle school level. In a similar recent review of 60 studies,  researchers at Duke U  found homework was beneficial, but assigning excessive amounts of homework was counterproductive. The research found homework was more beneficial for older students than younger ones. The study was completed by Harris Cooper, a leading homework research and author of “The Battle over Homework: Common Ground for Administrators, Teachers, and Parents”. Cooper suggests that teachers at the younger level may assign homework for improving study skills, rather than learning, explaining why many studies concluded less benefit for younger children.  Many teachers do not receive specific training on homework. Cooper suggests that homework should be uncomplicated and short, involve families, and engage student interests.

3. Countries that assign more homework don’t outperform those with less homework.   Around the world, countries that assign more homework don’t see to perform any better.  A  Stanford study  found that in counties like Japan, Denmark, and the Czech Republic little homework was assigned and students outperformed students in counties with large amounts of homework such as Greece, Thailand, and Iran.  American and British students seem to have more homework than most counties, and still only score in the international average.  In fact, Japan has instituted no homework policies at younger levels to allow family time and personal interests.  Finland, a national leader in international tests, limits high school homework to half hour per night.  Of course, there are other factors not taken into account in the study, such as length of the school day.  But in itself, it is interesting to see this issue from a world perspective.

4. Instead of assigning homework, suggest they read for fun.   There are great holiday stories and books you can recommend to parents and students.  If you approach the activity with a holiday spirit, many students will be engaged.  They may want to check out the stories on their own.  You can start by reading the first chapter in class and leaving them intrigued.  For instance, you can read the first chapter of  The   Gift of the Magi  and suggest students read it over winter break.   With younger students, you might promise roles in a play for students who read over break.

5. Don’t assign holiday busy work.   Most academics agree that busy work does little to increase learning.  It is best to not assign packets of worksheets if they do nothing to add to student learning. You also don’t want to waste valuable time grading meaningless paperwork.  Some studies show that much homework may actually decline achievement. Assigning excessive amounts of homework may be detrimental. In fact, a  2006 study by Yankelovick  found that reading achievement declined when students were assigned too much homework.  Actually, interesting reading such as  Harry Potter  produced higher reading achievement.

6. Have students attend a local cultural event.   You can let parents know that instead of assigning homework, you are suggesting students attend a particular event that relates to your classroom.  For instance, if you are reading Shakespeare, they might attend a related play or ballet.

7. Family time is more important during the holidays .  Assigning less homework makes it easier for families to have time together. Family studies at the University of Michigan, show that family time is extremely important to achievement and behavior.  Studies on family meals, suggest that students who have dinner with their family have better academic scores and behavioral outcomes.  Perhaps this is only a correlation, but family time is undeniably important to child development. Students spent most of their days at school while parents are at work. When all is said and done, remember what it was like being a kid.  The things you remember most about the holidays aren’t the assignments you took home, but the time you spend with family and friends.

8. For students who travel during the holidays, homework may impede learning on their trip . The Holiday time is the one time of year that many families reconnect with distant family members or travel.  I remember having to pack hoards of books over some holidays to Spain and it was not fun.  I wanted to enjoy the time with family and experience the country fully.  Traveling in itself is a learning activity.  Let students experience their travels fully.

9. Kids need time to be kids.   A recent article from Australia’s Happy Child website,  “What is the value of Homework: Research and Reality”  considers this issue and explains how children need unstructured play time.  Homework can have a negative influence on early learning experiences.  Suggest students use holiday time to do physical activity, such as ice-skating or sledding.    Many kids don’t get enough exercise.  Childhood obesity is a major problem in the United States.    Suggesting students play outside or participate in a sport is a good way to get them to value physical activity.  The holidays are a great time for kids to go sledding in the snow or play with friends outside.  If no one has homework, classmates might exchange phone numbers to play together.  You can suggest this to parents.      If the teacher thinks physical activity is important, students will too.

10. Some education experts recommend an end to all homework .  Etta Kralovec and John Buell, authors of   The End of Homework:  How Homework Disrupts Families, Overburdens Children, and Limits Learning ,  controversially suggests that homework may be a form of intrusion on family life, and may increase the drop-out rate in high schools.  The authors blame homework for increasing the achievement gap due to socio-economic differences in after-school obligations. Consider challenging your own views of the benefits of homework and try to create a level playing field when considering assignments.

11. Send a letter to parents explaining why you are not assigning work.   You might want to take the Christmas holiday as a chance to engage parents to play a learning game or do some art with their kids.  If families know there is an intentional purpose to not assigning work, they may take the chance to spend more one-on-one time with their child.

12. You can make the holidays a time for an “open project” for extra credit.   Students might take this time to do something related to the curriculum that they would like to explore on their own terms.  Before the holidays, you might talk about topics or provide books students for students to take home.  Learning for fun and interest, might produce more meaningful engagement than assigned homework.

13. Suggest they visit a museum instead.   With families at home, the holiday time is a great time for students to see an exhibit that interests them or do a fun activity at a nearby museum.  Sometimes encouraging these field trips may be more beneficial than assigning homework.  You might want to print coupons, a schedule, or a list of upcoming exhibits so that families have the information at their fingertips.

14. Encourage students to volunteer during the holiday time.   The holidays are a great time for students to give back.  Students might volunteer at a local soup kitchen or pantry.  Volunteer organizations are often at their busiest during the holiday time.  Plus, students learn a lot from the experience of doing community service.  I remember visiting a group home during the holiday time in high school and helping kids wrap Christmas gifts for their families.  This is a great alternative to assigning homework, especially for Generation Y who highly values civic involvement.

15. Develop a class game.   You might have the class play a learning game the week before vacation and have them take it home to show their family.  My fourth grade teacher had hop-scotch math.  We often drew with chalk outside to replicate her game at home.  Try to think of a holiday-themed game or one that the whole family can get involved in.

16. Students might learn more from observing the real world.  Learning isn’t just about paper and pencil activities.  Teachers should also inspire students to seek ways to learn from real-world experiences.  They might cook with their parents and practice measuring.  Or tag along with a parent who is putting up holiday lights or building a shed.  Ask students to observe a job around the house or ask their parents about their job over holiday break.  They might be enlightened to learn more about the real world and different jobs they might pursue in the future.  Perhaps some students might be able to go to work with their parents instead of a formal assignment.

17. Go on a hike.   Students learn a great deal from nature.  Tell students to go outside on a walk and be ready to share their experience when they get back.  Did they observe natural phenomena you talked about in science class or different types of rocks you discussed in geology?  Or can you tie their walk into a discussion of poetry?

18. Tell students to visit an amusement park.   If you are teaching physics or math, amusement parks give ample room to explain the laws of physics and mathematical probability.  This outing would allow students to think about the real world implications of science.  You may want to even plan a lesson beforehand that ties this idea in.  On another level, it allows students to create a lasting memory with their own families.

19. Kids need rest!   Everyone needs a mental breather and the holidays are the best time for students to play and take a break from school.    Kids need a full ten hours of sleep and adequate rest.  The vacation time is a great time for students to take a mental breather from school.  With many family outings and vacations during the holiday time, they will have less time to complete homework.  They will come back to school feeling re-energized.

20. Many parents and students dislike holiday homework.   You want parents to buy-in to your classroom community and support your endeavors with students.  Assigning holiday homework is usually unpopular with parents because it may the one time of year they have to give children their undivided attention.  Instead, you might want to take a survey to see if parents agree with the idea.  You can then send a letter with the survey results.  Taking parents’ perspectives into account shows you value their opinions and feedback.  Students prefer some free time too.  Not surprisingly one student created a Facebook page, titled, “Why do teachers give us homework over the holiday.”   If the students know you are giving them a break over the holidays they may work harder for you when they get back.

If you’re still not convinced, check out this  fact sheet  based on  The Case Against Homework: How Homework Is Hurting Our Children and What We Can Do About It  by Sara Bennett and Nancy Kalish.  If you are still going to assign some holiday homework, at least keep in mind some guidelines.

The US  National Education Association  recommends no more than ten minutes per grade level, per night.  If you must assign homework make sure it is meaningful and doesn’t take away from time with families.  And most of all, remember what it was like being a kid during the holiday time. Homework is generally not a part of those memories, nor should it be. Those days playing outside and spending time with family are lifelong memories just as important as school.

Childhood is over in the blink of an eye.

This is a cross-post from opencolleges.edu.au

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The Cornell Daily Sun (https://cornellsun.com/2018/11/25/despite-being-strongly-discouraged-faculty-can-still-assign-work-over-breaks/)

Omar Abdul-Rahim / Sun Staff Photographer

The faculty handbook discourages faculty from assigning work to students over holidays, but they are technically allowed to do that.

November 25, 2018

Despite being ‘strongly discouraged,’ faculty can still assign work over breaks, by rochelle li | november 25, 2018.

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Cornell’s faculty handbook asks professors to refrain from assigning work to students over the break. “Framing assignments in such a way that necessitates academic work over Fall Break, Thanksgiving Break or Spring Break is strongly discouraged,” writes section 6.1.

But unfortunately, if students think they can finally catch up on sleep or bond with family, they might be disappointed as that clause lacks enforcement power, according to Dean of Faculty Charles Van Loan. Faculty in fact have “tremendous autonomy” in how they schedule their assignment due date, he said.

As a result of this autonomy, Van Loan said the best way to convince faculty to abide by the resolution is by telling them that “it’s really important and worthy of their consideration.”

“I have two basic messages to my colleagues with respect to the work-over-break issue. First, announce due dates early so that students can plan. Second, recognize that your syllabus may have been overstocked if you feel pressured into giving sudden work over an upcoming break. Try to be relaxed about dropping a topic or two,” Van Loan told The Sun.

Each semester, Van Loan receives three to four emails from students about assignments they felt violated the resolution. Van Loan then typically emails a reminder to that faculty member about the resolution. When the first version of the work-over-break resolution was proposed in 2011, faculty senators acknowledged intent behind the resolution, but debated the clarity of language in the proposal.

“It says ‘strongly discouraged,’ [so] I think will be inviting a lot of our colleagues to basically disregard this resolution, because I don’t understand it. I’m not required, so what?” said Prof. Wojciech Pawlowski, plant breeding and genetics, in a 2011 faculty senate meeting where this resolution was first discussed.

On the other hand, Prof. Shawkat Toorawa, who taught at Cornell from 2000 and 2016, said in the same meeting that he stopped assigning work over break even before the, recognizing the mental health issues students face.

“[Not assigning work over break] has played havoc with my syllabus, but that’s just life. And it seems to me it is entirely reasonable to expect students to take a break,” Toorawa said. “We should probably take a break. And we should stop calling them breaks if they are not breaks, if they are just long extended reading and working sessions.”

Amidst the debate, Van Loan says that school breaks should not be defined by whether or not someone needs to work. Rather, breaks are a time for a “change of pace” and faculty just need to clearly layout the syllabus in advance and pace the amount of material covered in the class, he said.

Students are also responsible for dividing up their work schedule in the way that suits them best, Van Loan said. Whether they finish their work before break or catch up on assignments during it, he says is up to the students.

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My 8-Year-Old’s Teacher Wants Him to Do Schoolwork Over Spring Break

Care and Feeding is Slate’s parenting advice column. In addition to our traditional advice, every Thursday we feature an assortment of teachers from across the country answering your education questions. Have a question for our teachers? Email [email protected] or post it in the  Slate Parenting Facebook group .

My second grader has been doing hybrid for most of this year, and his school is getting ready to return to full-time, in-person instruction after spring break. Despite the challenges, I think he’s been doing well. At times it’s a struggle to get him to focus, but I think that’s pretty normal for an 8-year-old. He’s been feeling pretty emotional, though, and he’s been pretty hard on himself whenever he makes mistakes.

He’s in the gifted program, and his gifted teacher tells me that he can be a perfectionist. His grade level teacher, however, told me at a conference that she doesn’t think he’s making enough effort, is easily upset and frustrated, and that he hasn’t made as much progress as she wants him to. She gives the students quotas for how many lessons they should complete, and she suggests that students who don’t get them done should work over spring break.

My son is a good student, but he hasn’t met her quota, and I feel like kids should be able to enjoy their time off. I know his teacher is just trying to keep kids on track, but I’m concerned about how much pressure she’s putting on my child. I know he’s working hard to keep up with the amount of work assigned. I know I’m not the only parent who worries about the workload. Should I approach his teacher with my concerns, or let it go and privately tell my son to just do his best and not worry about it? I’m worried all of this will even be more to handle when he’s back at school full-time—my son has already told me he’s fed up with this teacher.

—Isn’t Our Best Good Enough?

Dear Isn’t Our Best Good Enough,

Yes, it is.

Tell the teacher that you’ve decided to give your child the vacation he deserves. Your son is far too young to be learning that vacations are only partial escapes from the demands of the workday. This is always the case but never more true than in the midst of a pandemic.

I would thank your son’s teacher for her concern but inform her that vacations are a time for human beings of all ages to rest, relax, and recharge. That is what your son will be doing because that is far more important than any arbitrarily determined quota that your district has assigned.

Then, release yourself of any worry or guilt over this decision. It is unquestionably the right thing to do.

—Mr. Dicks (fifth grade teacher, Connecticut)

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I am a high school English teacher, and this is my fifth year teaching. I’m wondering if you have any advice about classroom management in a virtual space. My school is hybrid this year, but I have some students who attend school entirely virtually.

When online students don’t participate or don’t meet expectations, I try to check in with them via private chat, but I often don’t get a response. If they don’t respond, I email them, and sometimes their parents, after class. I struggle with these emails. For example, if a student hasn’t participated in a breakout room or responded when I send them a private message, I may try to follow up with them later.

I haven’t met many of these kids in person, and while I try to establish a good rapport with them online, it’s not the same as having them in my classroom. I worry that I am being too harsh or that the proper tone isn’t coming across. If they were at school, I would pull them aside after class and could have a quick conversation, but having to comment on their behavior or participation over email seems to drag the issue out, and I worry that it gives students more anxiety since it’s in writing. If I email parents, it often becomes a game of tag between communicating with the student and parent. Any tips on how to make this less stressful and more effective for me and my students?

—Anybody Out There?

Dear Anybody,

You have my sympathy—I relate to this problem and so does every other high school teacher I know. My advice? Stop emailing and put your energy toward trying new breakout room strategies and building relationships.

There are lots of great ideas out there for how to manage breakout rooms (like here and here ). I have found many of these tips to be successful, such as assigning a clear task for the group to complete and then share when we come back together as a whole group. Some of my colleagues have had success letting students choose their group-mates (with your approval, of course) and then setting up permanent breakout rooms . That said, temper your expectations. There will still be students who log in to Zoom and then fall asleep, leave the room to go make a snack, or watch YouTube instead of participate. And there will also be some students who cannot participate through no fault of their own (their audio isn’t working, their connection is slow, their Chromebook crashes, etc.). Don’t beat yourself up. Just keep doing your best to offer good instruction.

While managing participation in Zoom is challenging, building relationships can feel even more daunting. Yet, as I’m sure you know, positive student-teacher relationships are the bedrock of learning. One strategy that has worked well for me is creating individual breakout rooms so that I can talk with students one-on-one. For example, my students recently wrote an essay, and I made individual breakout rooms so we could have writing conferences. I always start the conversation with small talk (“How was your weekend? How did your debate tournament go last Friday?” etc.) before moving into the academic conversation. These discussions help me to get to know my students and build rapport. While some students are still reticent, most will open up when I’m the only one listening.

Pick a new strategy and give it a go! Afterward, get feedback from your students on which of these strategies is working for them. At the end of the last semester, I gave students a survey and received lots of great information; some students also shared what other teachers are doing that they find helpful.

Finally, don’t underestimate Zoom fatigue. It’s OK to mix it up, especially with older students. Sometimes we stay together in Zoom for the entire block, but there are also days where I do a short Zoom lesson and then give the students asynchronous work (which also allows time for me to have those individual conversations). My students told me they appreciated having a change of pace on the aforementioned survey.

Hang in there! Summer will be here before we know it, and I am hopeful that next fall will bring more normalcy.

—Ms. Holbrook (high school teacher, Texas)

My grandson is 12 years old and has an IEP. He used to have seizures, but is now on medication and so hasn’t had a problem with seizures for a year. But because of his seizures, he has forgotten much he learned at school. His reading is a struggle, and spelling is even more of a struggle. What can I do to try and help him with this? I’ve tried tutoring for him, but I haven’t found anyone with enough patience.

—Forget-It-Not

What can you do? Connect him with experts. Folks who are not trained in this specific disability will not be able to handle your grandson’s needs.

Memory loss is a medical consequence of seizures, so your first stop should be your grandson’s doctor. The doctor may prescribe medication to help but will likely also refer him to a neuropsychologist, who will give him tests to determine the breadth and scope of the issue.

Once the neuropsychologist understands the roadblocks to your grandson’s memory, you can work together to remove them. The neuropsychologist might suggest your grandson see a psychotherapist, speech therapist, occupational therapist, and/or tutor who is trained in exceptional children, or EC. These experts can determine which strategies will help improve his memory and offer you exercises you can do with him.

Speaking of EC, I assume he has an individualized education plan at school. If not, request testing for learning disabilities posthaste. He should be receiving specialized education, push-in services, pull-out services, accommodations, test modifications, etc.

Most importantly, tell your grandson that this challenge is extremely common in patients who have seizures—he’s not alone. Remind him that his memory problems don’t mean anything about his intelligence. If he’s doing the best he can with the hand he’s been dealt, that’s enough.

—Ms. Scott (eighth grade teacher, North Carolina)

My daughter is in second grade in a large, urban public school that’s been fully remote since spring. In first grade, she tested as an advanced learner overall but especially in reading/verbal aptitude. We got the results a few weeks after schools went remote, and she hasn’t received any specific advanced learner programming. She’s doing well, though she has a tendency to do the bare minimum. For example, when she does a reading worksheet she’ll answer questions using the shortest possible sentences, then read a chapter book until the next lesson starts.

I’m not too worried about her not pushing herself, since she reads constantly and her teachers say she’s on track. But there are areas where I think she is behind. Her work is all done online, so she rarely writes anything by hand. Her handwriting is awful and slow (she makes each part of a letter shape by shape and hasn’t progressed to more fluid writing). Occasionally she still makes some letters backward, and her writing is a mix of upper- and lowercase. I would love to work with her on these things, but by the end of the day she’s burned out and extremely resistant. I’ve encouraged her to write letters to friends, and she does occasionally, but it takes a lot of nagging.

Should I be making her practice? Ideas for how to get her on board? There are other areas, like telling time, where she also needs more practice and is similarly resistant to my teaching her, so general strategies would help too. But writing seems the most pressing.

—Pencil Pusher

I think that one of the biggest goals that parents of young kids undertaking an extended period of virtual learning should have is to support them in getting through it with their confidence and interest in learning relatively intact. It sounds like your daughter is, generally, doing fine, and under the circumstances, fine is great. All you can ask for, really. Nagging, resistance, and conflict is not what either of you needs right now, especially if it might sour her on an educational experience that sounds like, all things considered, is going pretty well. So in general, I’d follow her lead and tread lightly. I do think there are a couple of things you can try, but in going forward with them, I’d make sure to keep it light and low-pressure.

Since she’s doing everything online right now, it wouldn’t surprise me if her fine motor skills have lagged some, which is probably contributing to the laboriousness of her writing. Fortunately, there are lots of fun activities you can offer that will help strengthen the small muscles in her hands and fingers and improve her general dexterity without her ever cluing in to the fact that she’s doing a therapeutic exercise. She could try making jewelry—stringing beads, tying knots, and braiding bracelets with embroidery floss are all great. You could offer her a book of sticker mosaics, a Lite-Brite (those are back now!), or a relatively simple diamond puzzle, which will have her carefully placing and arranging small objects with accuracy. Legos, clay, playing Jenga—really, whatever floats her boat and gets her to practice skillfully manipulating things with her hands would be great to encourage.

I do think you can prompt her to keep working specifically on letter formation, but there are a lot of ways to do so without making it a chore. (You definitely don’t want to sit her down with a page of handwriting drills at the end of her school day when she’s drained and resisting!) I would offer some interesting materials—bath crayons, shaving cream, a bit of paint squished around in a plastic baggie, the black paper you can scratch to reveal colors underneath, even dragging a paper clip through Play-Doh or slime—and prompt her to try some letters, especially if you can model it for her. I wouldn’t ask her to practice any more than five to seven minutes at a time—quit while you’re well ahead, and then just let her play. I think that some consistent but quick practice that she enjoys will, in the long run, get you further than a real nose-to-the-grindstone work session that she fights the whole time.

I’m crossing every extremity that your district reopens in the fall. You can definitely raise your various concerns with her teacher then, and perhaps ask for an evaluation by an occupational therapist—but also know that it is not possible for kids or teachers to be hewing to the typical benchmarks right now, and everyone’s going to need extra support in something or other by the time this is all over. She’ll be OK.

—Ms. Bauer (middle and high school teacher, New York)

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My daughter is a freshman in high school, and she recently got an assignment in life sciences that seems inappropriate. The assignment is for the kids to identify someone in their family who died of cancer, and then students are supposed to research that kind of cancer and create a poster presentation to display for the entire school. This seems like a terrible idea, and an invasion of privacy. Should I talk to the teacher?

The Patriot

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• The induction for the Quill and Scroll: The National Honorary Society for High School Journalists will take place on Thursday, April 11.

Should teachers assign homework and assignments over a scheduled winter or spring break?

PRO and CON

Julia Williams, News Editor (PRO) and Kate Gromacki, Co-Editor-in-Chief (C0N) March 12, 2020

PRO :  In recent years, there have been many complaints about homework assigned over a holiday break. Many students disagree with the assigning of homework over break and argue that winter or spring break should be a time to spend with family, not doing schoolwork.

However, the break may have more benefits than people think.

While homework over a break may seen as a burden, it challenges students to sustain the skills that have been developed before the break. Having a long break with no homework allows students to regress and even forget the material that has been previously learned. It is important to exercise the mind in order to maintain the level that has been achieved before a long break away from school.

Assignments over break can be done on a student’s own terms.

While students may wish to complete all of their work the night before its due date, complete the work as soon as it is assigned, or space the work out into increments throughout the break, they are still given plenty of time to complete any given assignments. It is then up to the individual student to complete it.

Homework over break also gives students the opportunity to earn points for doing simple assignments. This can give students a chance to boost their grades in a class while still enjoying the festivities during winter or spring breaks. Assignments over break also give a chance for a lighter workload when students return from the break. In completing an assignment while on break, the students will not have to complete the assignment after the break. This will make the lives of the students easier when they return from the time away from school.

Overall, homework over break does more good than harm. It can help students not to regress and to hold onto the material that they learned before the break. The assignments can be done on a student’s own terms, and allows students to earn points during the holidays. It gives students an opportunity to have lighter workloads when returning from break and will then make it easier to get back into the swing of things after the long winter or spring breaks.

CON :  Break is meant for exactly what it sounds like: a break from school and routine.  Break is a time for rest and recuperation as well as spending time with family and friends to celebrate the holidays and time off.

Patriots are known for being quite involved in school in a multitude of ways. It can be very easy to get caught up in the routine and business of our lives. Break is a built-in period in which students are allowed to take a breather from everyday life and focus on something non-school related while taking a “brain break.”

Researchers from the University of South Florida and the University of California, San Diego conducted multiple surveys involving students and the concept of “over-learning.”   This means taking in excessive amounts of information within a short amount of time. After testing, the survey’s results suggested that “over-learning” is not an effective strategy for long-term learning. In the attempt to avoid “over-learning,” the school system has multiple breaks other than weekends. These must be respected and treated like true breaks without the stress of school work due the day after a break ends.

Now this isn’t to say that one shouldn’t do anything over break because there are different ways to take an efficient break and reboot. In a survey done by The Huffington Post, participants’ social media habits were studied, and the results were measured by the level of stress one associates with his/her life. Those who spent their time on social media found their lives to be much more stressful than those who did not.

The survey results continue to prove that break should be spent exercising the mind and body in ways that are non-routine and unique. Over Spring Break, grab some friends and go on a hike if you’re at home for the week. Take advantage of the time off to partake in activities that wouldn’t be possible during the regular school week.

Time off is allotted far enough in advance for people to schedule events like vacations that can extend longer than a regular two-or-three-day weekend during the school year. This could mean visiting family up North or traveling across Europe. One cannot diminish the valuable experiences that come with traveling and spending time with family and loved ones.

To have homework over break defeats the purpose of a break in the first place. Let this time off be a period of restoration and free time to do something notable.

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Because differences are our greatest strength

My High-Schooler Has So Much Work to Do Over the Break. How Can I Keep It From Ruining Family Time?

By Jenn Osen-Foss, MAT

Question: My high-schooler has so much work to do over the holidays. Winter break doesn’t feel like much of a break! What can I do to keep my daughter’s homework from ruining our family time?

For starters, it’s a good idea to explain to your child why she’s being assigned homework over the break. I teach high-schoolers, and I’ve been known to make my classes do some work during the holidays. Why? Over a long break, homework can be very good for students because it:

Limits the loss (or “regression”) of new skills. When it comes to student learning, there’s definitely some truth to the saying, “Use it or lose it!”

Provides a way to improve academic grades. Teachers will sometimes offer grade-boosting opportunities over the holidays like make-up work or projects that can be completed for extra credit.

Helps teens prepare for college and career by having them work on their time-management skills .

Gives the teacher time to catch the class up on an assignment or two if it’s behind schedule. Doing these assignments over the break can be less stressful than trying to squeeze them in during the second half of the year.

Understanding why homework is being assigned can help improve your child’s attitude about having to do it over the break. As a parent, you can assist your teen in deciding when and how to tackle these assignments . Here are some practical tips:

Pick the best time of day. What time of day is your teen the most productive? Ask her when she thinks she can get the most work done. If she works best in the morning, help her plan a couple of mornings to work over the break.

Make good use of travel time. Do your holiday plans include a long car ride? Traveling by plane? Have your daughter pack homework in her carry-on so she can do it on the plane or in the airport if your flight is delayed. Long car rides can be a great time to listen to an audiobook.

Don’t procrastinate. Taking the first day off to rest has benefits, but encourage your daughter to finish her work sooner than later. Talk about how stressful it will be if she tries to cram all of her homework into the last night of her vacation.

Take a break. Carve out some time away from homework! Your daughter should take a day off to be with family, a day off to be with friends or any other special days she designates.

If you help your teen come up with a game plan for completing assignments and she still seems overwhelmed with work, it’s OK for you to reach out to her teachers with your concerns. But keep in mind that even though holiday breaks may seem very busy to you , there are also lots of times when your teen will have nothing to do. Encouraging her to use those downtimes efficiently can make winter break more enjoyable for everyone.

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Should Teachers Be Allowed to Assign Holiday Homework?

Mikaeel Zohair , Staff Writer

February 27, 2021

Most students look forward to hard-earned breaks, only to be greeted with mountains of homework to do. And let’s face it — no kid likes to do homework over break. The thought of eventually having to get up and do some schoolwork is no pleasant feeling. Holiday breaks are meant to be stress-free times where we can let our minds wander and watch TV all day. Breaks don’t exist as a time for teachers to assign extra work and get an early start on the next unit — yet some still use it as such.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, schools and teachers have had to adapt their teaching methods to accommodate the new era of online learning that we live in. Most teachers have tried to ease up on the speed at which they teach students information, but that means more homework over breaks. There has also been an increase in the number of off-days due to weather issues, resulting in an increase in the amount of work given to students over breaks.

Nonetheless, students shouldn’t have to worry about the science report due next week while they’re on break. Not only can spending time on extra homework affect students’ social and emotional wellbeing, it can also quite possibly lower students’ academic achievements. A 2006 study by social scientist Daniel Yankelovich found that achievement in reading declined in students as the amount of homework assigned increased.

Homework is unnecessary and wastes valuable time in students’ lives. The United States National Education Association recommends no more than ten minutes of homework a night, however, many students find themselves spending hours per night on homework. If students aren’t interested in doing homework during school weeks, then they won’t learn much by doing homework over breaks.

Assigning work over breaks sends students the message that leisure time with family and friends is incomparable to being “productive” and going the extra mile for school. In fact, people find that breaks allow us to detach from work and provides recovery from the stress of school. But not only do students benefit from vacations without school-related interruptions; teachers benefit from not having to plan lessons and grade homework.

Ultimately, teachers should not be allowed to assign homework over holiday breaks. There is substantial evidence pointing to the fact that homework doesn’t contribute heavily to students’ understanding of topics. It is essential for students and teachers to relieve themselves of the stress of schoolwork while enjoying their vacation.

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No Homework over Winter Break

In kids' day-to-day life, they tend to wake up as early as 5:30 am to prepare for school. Many kids and parents always look forward to school breaks. Two weeks to the winter break, and both teachers and kids can't keep calm. During the break, all kids think about is using their devices, having fun with their peers, and napping. Schools all over the country should conclude whether to give homework during the break. Since students need time away from all the school work, this is the best time for them to relax and rejuvenate.

Productivity and Creativity during Breaks

The moment you take a break from work or activity, then there is a possibility you will do my homework better after the rest. Breaks help the brain reset and the body to relax. Breaks help teachers schedule themselves and also increases their innovation. They can use that time to get encouragement, study, have fun, and spend time with the people they love. Both students and teachers need a break since it leads to good performance and productivity. During this break, the students can create bonds either with each other or with other people in society. This break can also make room for cross-culture experiences.

Leads to Pleasure Reading

Teachers should use different techniques to make high school students read. Many a time, teachers of English tend to give students assignments after reading books. Assignments discourage students, and thus, they prefer using their phones more. What if teachers used a different formula of letting students read for entertainment? Teachers will certainly be shocked by how students can read when not under the pressure of being told what to do. If this norm is put into consideration, then students will not only remember the books they read when they were little but also the current ones. Both teachers' and students' talk will be intense since the students would have read for fun and have different ideas.

Is The Final Product Worth It?

During winter break, assignments are less fruitful since students want to spend their time doing different activities such as hunting, camping, or family meetings. As time goes by, homework has proved useless and damaging. Harris Cooper states that too much assignment can either be ineffective or unproductive to the students. Nevertheless, in most cases, teachers may receive poor work from students before the end of January. During the break, most families want to spend time with their children and do other outdoor activities; thus, homework will be useless.

Beginning of Restored Motivation

Students need the winter break because it's the beginning of a new semester. Teachers cannot give assignments since they should start a new unit or rather have finished the previous one. Most schools use the break as a time to relax and reflect. Since during the break students are normally done with their units, then it isn't very worthy of giving them extra work. Most of them will certainly fail to do the extra work by the time schools re-open.

Wrong Message about Work Balance

Teachers should always engage their students. They can achieve this by telling them what they will do during the holiday and also ask them the same. They should show their students that they care about them, spending precious time with their loved ones, and educate themselves on other activities. Teachers should also talk about the effectiveness of sleep, working, and spending time with families. They need to know the basics so that they can apply them.

Does homework over the holidays help or harm? | Opinion

As parents, we too have thought “Oh no!” when our kids brought work home to complete over the break. For students, it can mean tears, sour attitudes and plain old avoidance. For parents, it can provoke unwanted battles with their children, or worse – dreaded “parent homework.”

These negative reactions may be appropriate. There are a limited number of research studies to actually support a strong causal conclusion about the positive effects of homework on achievement.

Positive relationships between homework and achievement tend to be smaller in elementary than in secondary school. In addition, more time on homework has been reported in schools serving higher income families, which suggests that there is a chicken and egg problem — which comes first? Students with higher achievement may spend more time on homework, as might students from families with more time and resources to support their students’ homework completion.

All in all, we are not convinced that homework packets, especially over the holiday break, are beneficial to anyone, let alone stressed out parents and over-scheduled children.

However, there is some evidence to suggest what productive out of school time might look like. Teachers who want to assign homework over extended breaks should consider individual differences of children and families and how assignments could support positive family interactions.

Although it remains unclear whether homework over school breaks will support school achievement, there is some evidence that engaging students academically outside of school time may be beneficial. For example, researchers and teachers alike have observed “summer learning loss,” students returning to school from summer vacation seemingly having lost all that they learned the previous school year.

Although many students experience some slide in reading and math performance during the summer, it appears to be more apparent among vulnerable students who are growing up in low-income households and economically distressed communities. In fact, some argue that summer learning loss is an under-noticed culprit in closing the achievement gap. That is, most children, including struggling students, demonstrate growth in reading and writing skills during the school year.

However, their experiences during the summer can vary widely, with some children (typically more affluent students) having enriching experiences that promote and sustain learning while others do not (typically less affluent students). While the results from empirical research on this topic are mixed, positive findings have led to a proliferation of summer learning programs with proponents arguing for increased academic time out of school to ensure greater achievement in school.

So, should parents schedule party time or homework time during the holidays? The answer: it depends. Much like summer learning programs, quality matters.

Based on important findings of successful summer learning programs, to help ensure the effectiveness of homework and other learning activities, no matter what time of year they take place, parents should balance academic and recreational activities, provide high-quality interactions with children and leverage resources available with community partners to ensure success.

Nicole Patton Terry is the Olive & Manuel Bordas Professor of Education in the School of Teacher Education and associate director of the Florida Center for Reading Research at Florida State University. Alysia D. Roehrig is an associate professor and graduate program coordinator of educational psychology at FSU.

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Legal Homework Rights: What’s the Limit on Homework?

Hi, I just read your article Titled “Can You ‘Opt Out’ of Homework?” ( Click HERE  for the original article. ) I enjoyed the article but I guess I need a more concrete answer to the question of my legal homework rights: CAN I LEGALLY OPT OUT OF HOMEWORK FOR MY CHILD? – Dawn, SOAR ®  Parent

The answer is a resounding, Yes!

You have legal rights to put limits on your child’s homework time.

When homework begins to erode family relationships and/or increases the students anxiety, its time to make modifications. First, try communicating and working collaboratively with teachers and administrators.  If that doesn’t work, then you do have legal homework rights…

Legal Homework Rights

You absolutely do have legal rights to put reasonable limits on your child’s homework time. The legal tool you want to use is called a 504. For a link that provides a quick overview to the 504 law, click HERE .

504: The Legal Homework Rights Tool

Basically, the 504 law refers to legal homework rights (known as “accommodations”) that must be made for a child’s “impairment.”  As you’ll read, “impairments” are defined very loosely throughout the law, and this is done purposely to accommodate all students’ various needs. If your child has a diagnosis of ADHD, Dyslexia, etc. that will help, but it’s not necessary.

I have seen the 504 law used throughout my career as an educator for students and families exercising their legal homework rights.  I have also used it with my own children to get schools to accommodate what I felt was appropriate.

The 504 Process

The actual 504 process includes paperwork and a series of meetings. The meetings typically include a school counselor, a teacher, an administrator, and you and your child. In the meeting, all of your concerns will be documented and specific actions or remedies (like limiting homework) will be recorded. This document becomes a legally binding contract that your child’s teacher and administrator are required to uphold.

Legal Homework Rights: What’s a Reasonable Amount of Time for Homework?

So, what is a reasonable recommendation regarding time spent on homework?

We support the “10 Minute Rule.”   That’s a maximum of 10 minutes times the grade-level of the child. So, 10-minute max for 1 st grade, 20-minute max for 2 nd grade, up to 120-minute max for 12 th grade.

The “10-minute rule” is a great accommodation for a 504, because it is set to increase the limit on homework time as the child progresses through school. We’re not talking about eliminating homework just to create an easy path for our children.  Parents that have significant battles over homework, that can easily last an hour or more, understand that homework reaches a point where it is not productive.

Too much homework is destructive t o motivation, self-esteem, and to family relationships.  So, don’t be afraid to exercise your legal rights. This is the point where we want to pursue our legal homework rights.

In addition to pursuing 504 accommodations, you may want to give your students better skills to handle the demands of school.  To learn more about the SOAR ®  Parent Products, click HERE .

Brian Winter, M.Ed.

Co-Author, SOAR Social-Emotional Learning Skills

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Should teachers assign homework over school breaks?

Most students in school – whether public, private, or international –  can relate to the feeling of looking forward to a lovely break only to have a mountain of homework to complete.

The more diligent will complete it during the first few days so they can enjoy the holiday, but there are several who will wait til the last minute!

But should there really be homework during a school holiday? One teacher known as Sarah recently wrote on BoredTeachers how she believes that it is a mistake to assign homework over the break, even though she used to do it herself.

She wrote, “It’s taken a lot of experience and personal reflection, but after seventeen years of teaching high school students, I am firmly in the “not to assign” camp.”

She said that there was a time when she felt differently, especially when she couldn’t finish teaching a particular unit before a major break or felt like she wasn’t challenging her students enough, so she would assign some short papers or reading over the holidays.

“This was especially true when I personally wasn’t doing anything special over the break except staying at home. I guess I selfishly reasoned that if I was going to be spending part of my time off grading the work that I had already assigned, then they could be spending part of that time off doing homework for me.”

Are students spending the bulk of their school holidays finishing homework? Source: Shutterstock

But what Sarah realised is that she wasn’t the only teacher assigning homework, or who felt pressed to finish teaching what they’re supposed to before the break, which leads the homework to pile up for the kids.

“I was trying to do “all the things”, and assigning work over short breaks allowed me to fit more learning into each semester. Instead of focusing on increasing the quality of what I was assigning, I became more concerned about the quantity, convincing myself that the more I assigned, the better a teacher I became.”

Is homework just busy work?

When Sarah went on to become a Graduate Teaching Assistant at university while studying for her Master’s, she found herself on the other side of the desk and began to realise what was really expected of college students.

“All of my years of telling my students “in college you will need to be able to do this” felt like a lie. Yes, there were skills that I expected from my students that they did need to master to be successful in college.”

“However, skills were more important than me imparting all of the knowledge that I could and having them read everything that was humanly possible, in a single school year. In the end, cutting out a novel or short story was not going to break them, something I slowly realized as I made my return to the high school classroom.”

Both kids and teachers should be allowed to enjoy their breaks and use it as a time to relax and recharge. Source: Shutterstock

Becoming a mother also altered her views on children and the pressures they face in school. She wrote, “Parenthood changed the way I viewed my students. I no longer saw them as just students. They were sons and daughters with parents who were watching their babies grow into adulthood.”

Reality really hit home when her daughter started bringing home homework from kindergarten which seemed more like busy work rather than encouraging real learning.

“When she could have been playing or we could have been reading together for fun, she had to do homework for which I saw no academic value. More than before, I started to critically consider the homework that I assigned and reconsider the value and importance of each assignment.”

“These are the questions I have started to ask myself through every unit: Is this worth my students’ time? Is grading that assignment worth my time as well? What is the ultimate benefit of a given assignment and does the benefit outweigh the cost to both teacher and student?”

Sarah urged other teachers to realise that they are allowed to take well-deserved breaks, and in turn, allow students to enjoy those same, well-deserved breaks.

“We have to ask ourselves how much of a difference that extra work is going to make in the end. I know that some of my fellow educators, especially those teaching high stakes courses in a single semester, will struggle to cut back, and that is understandable.”

“But maybe the rest of us can take a moment to invite our students to enjoy the quiet, teaching them to practice the self-care that so many of us struggle with so that they can return to us after a break renewed and refreshed with hearts and minds open for learning.”

Homework can be good, but not too much 

This week’s homework for parents is making an Easter bonnet and a garden shoe box. What homework has your school set you? pic.twitter.com/Qw1NJcuvGj — Becky Allen (@profbeckyallen) April 1, 2019

However, in a study done by Duke University, researchers found that homework does actually have a positive effect on student achievement, especially for younger children.

Harris Cooper, a professor of psychology and director of Duke’s Program in Education, said, “With only rare exception, the relationship between the amount of homework students do and their achievement outcomes was found to be positive and statistically significant.”

But it is noteworthy to mention that despite the findings, the analysis also showed that too much homework can be counter-productive.

He said, “Even for high school students, overloading them with homework is not associated with higher grades.”

“Kids burn out. The bottom line really is all kids should be doing homework, but the amount and type should vary according to their developmental level and home circumstances.

“Homework for young students should be short, lead to success without much struggle, occasionally involve parents and, when possible, use out-of-school activities that kids enjoy, such as their sports teams or high-interest reading.”

Therefore, assigning homework over breaks is not necessarily a bad thing. But teachers should re-evaluate if students are really learning through them, or they would be better off enjoying a rejuvenating holiday with some light reading or a fun project instead of hours spent poring over difficult homework.

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Should Students Have Homework Over April Break?

Catherine Olohan '22 , Copy Editor | April 6, 2021

(Credit: Adam Richins Photography)

As April Break nears, the omnipresent question yet again takes hold of every student’s brain for another round of back-and-forth debate and conversation: “Should teachers give homework over break, and if so, how much?” 

When I asked around, the first reaction of the majority of students was to respond with a quick and affirmative “no.” Because of course, what middle/high schooler wants to sit inside during their first week off of school in spring completing work, rather than taking advantage of their time off, enjoying the fresh air and the company of their family and friends? I think most would agree that the ideal situation would be to take that “no” and run with it, giving both teachers and students much-needed time off. But how realistic is that? Because of the pandemic this year, Montrose teachers have had less class time to cover the material they need to. April Break falls at the beginning of the end of the year, when the curriculum culminates, the end is in sight, and AP classes are gearing up for exams. It’s reasonable then, to say: “Ok, we can’t take an entire week off from school, but how much homework should teachers give?”

Teachers need to be mindful of the fact that, while students need to complete work, it is equally important for them to take a break and recuperate from long weeks at school. Colleen Casey ‘22 said: “I would prefer to have no work, but if teachers felt like they needed to I would recommend just the equivalent of one night’s work. I wouldn’t suggest any big projects because that takes too much time away from our break.” She went further to say that, when teachers assign too much work over break, she feels like she benefits less from it because she rushes in order to get it done so that she can enjoy time off. Others reiterated that they thought a reasonable workload for each class would be the same amount of work teachers would assign for one night. However, if all teachers assign a night’s worth of homework, the work can pile up. There’s also a case to be made to refrain from work and allow students a deep rest and a more energetic return to their studies following break.

On the other hand, AP classes presented another debate for the answer to the question. Many high schoolers conceded that, while no homework would be ideal, they resigned themselves to a higher workload when they enrolled in AP classes. But, again, the work shouldn’t be so excessive that student’s feel like their break is overflowing with assignments. Grace Marino ‘22 said: “It’s tricky to figure out what to do with AP classes because I know they have to get a set amount of material covered, but girls with one or multiple APs need a mental break too. So maybe if they offered review, or just a video to watch, or take notes on that would be best.” I think that if AP teachers wanted to assign something big, such as completing a chapter in the textbook or taking a full AP practice test, they should give students a wider breadth of time to complete them. For example, Mrs. Whitlock is giving her AP Lang students a copy of a full AP Exam on April 6, not expecting it back until the first class after April Break. The AP Lang students are now at liberty to manage their own time and decide whether they want to take the test before break or during it. This is ideal because students are still benefiting from the work, but if they have plans over April Break it’s not taking away from their free time. This solution is applicable to other classes besides APs as well. 

This question of homework over April Break is not exclusively a high school phenomenon. Middle schoolers, too, have strong opinions about homework over April Break. Gabby Hasenjaeger ‘27 said that having homework over breaks makes her inclined to put it off until the last few days of break, and then she gets tired again before school even starts. As a proposed solution she said: “Little to no homework, but if you wanted some extra credit, or needed someone to explain it then that should be available.” 

One of the main threads I saw in my conversations with people about homework over April Break is that they didn’t want to be overburdened with so much work that it took away from their time off. Breaks from school are designed so students can step away from stress, relax, and recover from potential burnout they may be feeling. Cecilia Ashenuga ‘24 said: “I think it’s important for teachers and faculty to communicate what each are giving their students for break because, when you have six or seven classes, the work can pile up really fast… So from a teacher’s perspective, two to three hours of work might not seem like a lot, but if all your classes assign that much then your break won’t be much of a break at all.”

What I’ve concluded is that teachers need to be mindful of students’ time off, and students need to be mindful of their teachers’ efforts to help them learn and complete all necessary material. There is no one and done answer to this question (no matter how appealing that “no” may sound). Both teachers and students want to relax over April Break, and in order to do so, work must be balanced with leisure. Communication between teachers and students must take place so that everyone is on the same page about the pros and cons of homework, and how to get the most out of April Break, in regards to both academics and relaxation. 

Catherine Olohan ‘22, Copy Editor 

[email protected]  

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Teachers give homework over break, cause outrage

Winter break is called a “break” for a reason, to give students a break from the daily stress of school and homework, but some teachers decide to assign work over break anyway.

Homework should not be assigned to be completed over break because it interferes with students’ days off from school. Students look forward to breaks because, “break is supposed to be time with family and friends and not focus on school,” sophomore Connor Koch said.

Spending quality time with family over breaks benefits students’ academics. According to opencolleges.edu, “Assigning less homework makes it easier for families to have time together. Family studies at the University of Michigan show that family time is extremely important to achievement and behavior.”

Students do not want to have to worry about completing lengthy homework assignments over break since they might lack the time to complete all of them, especially if they are traveling. “Whenever I go on vacation over the holidays it’s stressful to worry about homework,” sophomore Anela Trakic said.

Over holiday weekends or breaks scheduled around a holiday, families may be focused on religious activities, not school. Even if they aren’t going on vacation, students may not have time to complete assignments, therefore making it unfair for teachers to assign work. “Teachers shouldn’t give out homework over three-day weekends because a lot of people celebrate the holiday and don’t have time to do work,” junior Gabi Giro said.

Another common reason assigning homework over breaks should be avoided is to give students a chance catch up on lost sleep. Students often stay up late to finish homework they have procrastinated on or haven’t had time to finish. This leads to loss of sleep, which is detrimental to students’ learning. Being able to go to bed earlier than usual will positively affect students. According to opencolleges.edu, “They will come back to school feeling re-energized.”

Teachers may think that assigning homework over winter and spring breaks will ensure that students retain information they are currently learning in class. Forgetting information over break could be avoided if units and unit tests were all done before these breaks, and students wouldn’t have to worry about studying during their time off. “I have unit tests in some of my classes right before winter break, which helps me make sure I won’t forget things for the test over break,” Giro said.

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Teachers see pros and cons of homework over break

Kentucky School for the Deaf senior Sasha Jones looks for her ornament on the Christmas tree at the Governor’s Mansion Nov. 30, 2010. Photo by Amy Wallot

By Susan Riddell

Whether high school students need to finish a term paper for U.S. History or primary students need to write a book report, student learning can easily continue over the holiday break.

The questions many teachers face, however, are how much homework do they assign and what are the best methods to make sure students still are able to focus on family time over the break.

Lois Conely is in her 28th year as an educator and her eighth year as a middle school teacher at Anchorage Elementary School (Anchorage Independent), a K-8 school.

She said keeping students consistently learning over break is important but doing so should be handled delicately.

“It helps students use and practice their skills and stay somewhat engaged with and connected to content,” Conely said. “Especially during holiday breaks, students may have family gatherings or special activities or they may travel. The students and their parents don’t need to worry about homework assignments during these times.”

Conely suggests handing out an assignment in the days leading up to the break, not the day before one starts.

“I have found it helpful to make assignments a few days in advance of the break and not due for a few days after the break so that if a student wants or needs the extended time, it is available,” she said. “In addition, if you post the homework assignment on your school website and/or notify parents via e-mail that an assignment is due, it helps students who might be unclear with directions or who need the actual assignment.”

Anchorage school district’s holiday break – like many others in the state – lasts two weeks. Conely said she doesn’t normally hand out homework strictly for the break but will offer links to websites. “I don’t do something that’s only online because some students travel and will not have access to a computer,” she said.

In past years, she has assigned a family history project that involved students interviewing family members and gathering photographs and primary source documents over the holiday breaks.

“The project was assigned several weeks prior to the break so that they could plan ahead and then use the time during holiday gatherings when they would see relatives they didn’t ordinarily see,” Conely said. “The actual project was not due for a couple of weeks after the holiday break so they had time to compile and format their work.”

Suggested Reading: How to Handle Holiday Homework

Teresa Hinton has been a 5th-grade grade teacher at Calhoun Elementary School (McLean County) for 13 years and primarily teaches mathematics. She feels strongly that students “need to practice math often to retain those skills” but said that she tends to choose not to hand out homework over the break.

“From experience I have found that most likely the only students who would actually do the assignments would be the students who don’t need the extra practice,” Hinton said. “The struggling students tend to be struggling because they rarely complete daily assignments. I consider the break a ‘break’ and remind the students that we will be ready to start back at an intensive level when we return.”

Hinton said it’s important to emphasize to students that once the break is over it’s time to really focus on learning.

“On the first week back from our break, I stress repeatedly to the students that we are going to be working hard and focusing on what needs to be learned before the end of the year,” Hinton said.

“I try to do a review-type activity when we first come back to help them get back into the flow of things. This also serves as a confidence boost to do something that they should know how to do. Sometimes, especially in math, confidence is half the battle. If the students feel that they can be successful, often times they work harder to continue to feel that success.”

MORE INFO … Lois Conely, [email protected] , (502) 245-2121 Teresa Hinton, [email protected] , (270) 273-3264

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Should Schools Assign Summer Homework? Educators Weigh In

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School’s almost out for summer. Should students clear out their lockers and leave empty-handed—or laden down with stacks of math problems and required reading lists? Will teachers warn of repercussions for failing to turn in summer work assignments upon returning to school in the fall, or simply advise students to have fun and stay safe?

It depends on whom you ask.

It turns out that not all educators share the same perspective on whether to assign summer homework, who needs it most, what it should consist of, and how to make sure it gets done. Education Week put the question to state teachers of the year and representatives of statewide principals associations. Here’s what they had to say.

Play and pleasure reading prioritized by many educators

Play and pleasure reading topped the list of responses to the question: What summer homework should students be assigned? Teachers (of both young and older students) were more likely than the principals who responded to suggest that kids need a break in the summer.

“For young children, specifically pre-K to grade 3, I feel that over the summer children need to have their summer break and be provided with the opportunity to explore, get plenty of physical activity, and play. Children learn from play. Play teaches children about problem-solving and social interactions,” said Tara Hughes, a pre-K inclusion teacher at the Nye Early Childhood Center in Santa Fe who was voted 2023 New Mexico State Teacher of the Year.

“Students should have no formal ‘homework'—worksheets or practice books,” said Lori Danz, who is Wisconsin’s 2023 State Teacher of the Year. She teaches high school biology and serves as a school forest coordinator, overseeing outdoor learning. in the Superior school district in the northern part of the state. “I think it’s good for students and families to get away from that, and learn in authentic ways: hiking, cooking, fixing things. So much learning happens that way. We forget that it’s learning.”

Danz acknowledged that not every family has the same amount of free time or resources available to them during the summer. But she added that many districts, including her own, offer free enrichment activities at local schools during the summer that provide activities such as sports, crafts, and physical fitness.

While “play” was a popular response to the question of what type of work kids should be assigned in the summer, some educators suggested that students of all ages read during break to stay sharp.

“Reading for pleasure authentically enhances many academic skills such as cultivating a love for reading, improves reading and writing skills, develops concentration, encourages creativity and imagination, and allows children to be more open to differences and perspectives,” said Krystal Colbert, a 2nd grade teacher at Mitchellville Elementary in Iowa’s Southeast Polk school district, and another Teacher of the Year.

One teacher took the reading directive a step further. Brian Skinner, a high school special education teacher with the Newton Unified school district 373 in Kansas and the state’s 2023 Teacher of the Year, said he thinks students should spend time regularly writing and reading for pleasure. “Not only that, but I believe it is important to read from actual books versus phones or other technology,” Skinner said. It’s a belief shared by some literacy experts , too.

Which students most need summer work?

Educators offered a range of opinions when asked which students most need summer work. Principals interviewed for this article were more likely than teachers to feel students should be doing summer work.

“How good is a golfer that takes a three-month break with no practice? Even if you do not play nine or 18 holes regularly, you can go the range, you can chip, you can practice putting,” said Jerald A. Barris, a high school principal at the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School in Midland, Pa., and a regional representative for the Pennsylvania Principals Association.

Ed Roth, the principal of Penncrest High School in Media, Pa., believes in math homework over the summer for high school students. “In mathematics, it is important for students to have some review and skills practice so that they do not need to spend the first marking period reviewing prior learning, therefore taking away their ability to cover all necessary content for their current course,” he said. Roth’s perspective, which suggests the loss of skills during summer break, has been well-documented in recent research .

But other educators favor a more tailored approach to summer work.

Danz, the Wisconsin high school biology teacher, said that she believes all students need a break from homework but added this caveat: “You can always find exceptions…students who may need remedial practice.”

Fabiana Parker, the 2023 Virginia Teacher of the Year, agreed. A teacher of English learners at Thornburg Middle School in Spotsylvania County, Va., Parker said “it is essential to take into account the unique needs of each student” when it comes to summer work. She elaborated with an account of her own children, recalling how she established a routine of daily math practice during the summer but only for her daughter who struggled with math and, in Parker’s assessment, needed the additional support.

Other educators said they are more likely to assign summer work to students on an accelerated track. Such is the case for Michael Ida, Hawaii’s 2023 Teacher of the Year. He teaches at Kalani High School in Honolulu. Ida said that, for most high school students, he recommends no summer work other than reading for pleasure. But he makes an exception for students who choose to enroll in more rigorous courses.

“I teach AP Calculus, and those students do have some required review work to complete over the summer,” Ida said. He gives them math problems that he has created—both routine review problems and more substantial problem solving exercises that emphasize logical thinking and communication.

A creative approach to summer work

Summer should be synonymous with creative learning, some educators emphasized. “Summer is a time to continue learning in the way that every child in every classroom should be taught, with a focus on each child’s passions and strengths and in the way that is most effective for them,” said Catherine Matthews, a pre-K special education teacher at Hyalite Elementary School in Bozeman, Mont., and the state’s 2023 Teacher of the Year.

“If a child is struggling with fractions but loves to cook, allow them to practice their math skills while doing something that they love. If they need to practice their reading fluency, allow them to choose books of personal interest,” Matthews added.

Second grade teacher Colbert expressed a desire for kids to experience the type of old-fashioned summer that, for countless students, no longer exists. “My wish is that all kids are outside exploring the beautiful world around them, interacting with their friends and family, growing their inquisitive minds, fostering their creativity, and limiting the use of technology,” she said.

Who’s responsible for making sure summer work gets done?

Assigning summer work is one thing; monitoring its completion is another.

Pennsylvania high school principal Barris said parents are ultimately responsible for making sure their kids do the work. “I believe it should fall on the parents for the most part with opportunities, suggestions, and strategies provided by the school in concert with the community where the child resides,” he said, while acknowledging this challenge. “That said,” he added, “getting my 11-year-old to read and practice his skills in the summer is easier said than done.”

A version of this article appeared in the June 14, 2023 edition of Education Week as Should Schools Assign Summer Homework? Educators Weigh In

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Q: Is it illegal to give homework over a school break(winter, thanksgiving, spring)

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A: Hahahahahaha. No. Andy.

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Student Opinion

Should We Get Rid of Homework?

Some educators are pushing to get rid of homework. Would that be a good thing?

By Jeremy Engle and Michael Gonchar

Do you like doing homework? Do you think it has benefited you educationally?

Has homework ever helped you practice a difficult skill — in math, for example — until you mastered it? Has it helped you learn new concepts in history or science? Has it helped to teach you life skills, such as independence and responsibility? Or, have you had a more negative experience with homework? Does it stress you out, numb your brain from busywork or actually make you fall behind in your classes?

Should we get rid of homework?

In “ The Movement to End Homework Is Wrong, ” published in July, the Times Opinion writer Jay Caspian Kang argues that homework may be imperfect, but it still serves an important purpose in school. The essay begins:

Do students really need to do their homework? As a parent and a former teacher, I have been pondering this question for quite a long time. The teacher side of me can acknowledge that there were assignments I gave out to my students that probably had little to no academic value. But I also imagine that some of my students never would have done their basic reading if they hadn’t been trained to complete expected assignments, which would have made the task of teaching an English class nearly impossible. As a parent, I would rather my daughter not get stuck doing the sort of pointless homework I would occasionally assign, but I also think there’s a lot of value in saying, “Hey, a lot of work you’re going to end up doing in your life is pointless, so why not just get used to it?” I certainly am not the only person wondering about the value of homework. Recently, the sociologist Jessica McCrory Calarco and the mathematics education scholars Ilana Horn and Grace Chen published a paper, “ You Need to Be More Responsible: The Myth of Meritocracy and Teachers’ Accounts of Homework Inequalities .” They argued that while there’s some evidence that homework might help students learn, it also exacerbates inequalities and reinforces what they call the “meritocratic” narrative that says kids who do well in school do so because of “individual competence, effort and responsibility.” The authors believe this meritocratic narrative is a myth and that homework — math homework in particular — further entrenches the myth in the minds of teachers and their students. Calarco, Horn and Chen write, “Research has highlighted inequalities in students’ homework production and linked those inequalities to differences in students’ home lives and in the support students’ families can provide.”

Mr. Kang argues:

But there’s a defense of homework that doesn’t really have much to do with class mobility, equality or any sense of reinforcing the notion of meritocracy. It’s one that became quite clear to me when I was a teacher: Kids need to learn how to practice things. Homework, in many cases, is the only ritualized thing they have to do every day. Even if we could perfectly equalize opportunity in school and empower all students not to be encumbered by the weight of their socioeconomic status or ethnicity, I’m not sure what good it would do if the kids didn’t know how to do something relentlessly, over and over again, until they perfected it. Most teachers know that type of progress is very difficult to achieve inside the classroom, regardless of a student’s background, which is why, I imagine, Calarco, Horn and Chen found that most teachers weren’t thinking in a structural inequalities frame. Holistic ideas of education, in which learning is emphasized and students can explore concepts and ideas, are largely for the types of kids who don’t need to worry about class mobility. A defense of rote practice through homework might seem revanchist at this moment, but if we truly believe that schools should teach children lessons that fall outside the meritocracy, I can’t think of one that matters more than the simple satisfaction of mastering something that you were once bad at. That takes homework and the acknowledgment that sometimes a student can get a question wrong and, with proper instruction, eventually get it right.

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