Should teachers assign children summer homework?

Experts weigh in on the debate of summer homework; to some, it is crucial academic upkeep, and to others, it is pointless busywork. It is essential to understand the effects of homework on students. Several research has been done in a bid to understand this. This text takes a deep dive into the pros and cons of children’s summer homework.

A working vacation

The majority of parents reckon their childhood summers as an actual break from school without academics’ rigidity and rigor. During those times, summer was a large mass of free time that involved serene laziness and incredible boredom in stimulating family and camp vacations instead of a series of science packets and maths worksheets. Harris Cooper, an American leading homework academician, and author note that. In contrast, there are no formal studies on the rising number of summer vacation homework, and he has witnessed a steady rise for the last two years. It is due to the response to high incentives testing and accountability challenges in schools.

No to summer homework

Other parents note that summer homework is pointless busywork that drains the freedom and joy for summer vacation. Sara Bennett, the founder of stophomework.com, notes that children do not have adequate downtime in the school year and require freshness during the summer vacation. A revolutionary way for vacation purists is that children deserve quality, the old-school summer vacation free from deep brain-strain. So say no to homework vacation. Sara Bennett suggests that if the child is averse to tons of homework assignments, the parent should send it back to school with a note that the child did not have time to do.

Safeguard the child’s mind from melting 

There are mothers and fathers, who when the school closes for summer holidays, add more supplementary brainwork even if teachers did allocate. Most parents fall into this category. Therefore, if the children are to do the summer vacation homework, then teachers should protect their minds from the meltdown. Cooper notes that if students are to flex their brain muscles during the summer vacation, it would positively affect the amount of material they can retain when they return. Studies have shown that learners lose almost two months of mathematics abilities irrespective of their economic status, and two months for low-income students.

No learning from children

The summer is a three-month vacation, which can be a long time for students not to engage in constructive learning activities. On the same vein, giving students pages and workbooks of handouts will not work either. It is because for any form of meaningful learning to occur and knowledge retained, we must engage students. Students ought to be engaged cognitively, behaviorally, and affectively and if they get motivated, they would want to learn. The challenge with extended homework assignments is that it needs an adult to monitor the work, and this usually places a heavy burden on the parents’ side.

All year homework blues

The many summer homework assignments remain undone until the last week before the school opens, and this creates untold agony on the side of students. Once handed in, they go to the academic hole without any educators’ feedback and no value to students’ overall grades. Therefore, if children leave the homework undone until the end of summer, then that is their choice and vacation.