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A Florida School District Is Eliminating Homework in Favor of Reading

E

Enzom21

Member
http://time.com/4864442/florida-school-no-homework-policy/

A Florida school district is eliminating traditional homework for all
elementary school students this year, asking instead that they simply read for
20 minutes each night.

The new policy — which will take effect when students return to school in
Florida's Marion County next month — is an example of the ongoing debate
over the benefits and drawbacks of homework, especially for younger
students. The policy will not apply to students in middle school and high school.

Heidi Maier, the new superintendent for the Marion County school district,
told the Washington Post this week that she made the policy decision based
on research showing that reading boosts academic performance for younger
students, while traditional homework might not.

Maier cited research by University of Tennessee education professor
Richard Allington, who argues that reading is better alternative to a traditional
homework assignment.
Click to expand...
 
N

norm9

Member
When I was a kid, we had a log that needed to be signed by my parents that said I read for half an hour a day. That was in addition to homework. Why only 20?
 
F

Fuchsdh

Member
The obvious problem with this is it may just be assuming reading = better academics, when it's just the kids who are readers are likely growing up in better environments which lead to better academics.

That said, I have no idea what kind of homework they're giving young kids these days, and whether it's excessive. I have no recollection of difficult assignments until middle school.
 
DiscoJer

DiscoJer

Member
I don't think it's a good idea. The point of homework isn't really the homework in of itself, but the study habits of getting kids used to doing school work, which they will need in college.

I am a big reader myself, but there is really nothing inherently educational or intellectual about it. It's just another form of escapism, like movies, TV, or video games.

I mean, hell, around 1900, there was a moral panic about the Stratemeyer syndicate books (Hardy Brothers, Nancy Drew, etc, though those particular ones weren't until later, but they had lots of earlier series) like we've seen with D&D and video games and comic books, and rock music. It was seen as a corrupting influence.
 
G

gaiages

Banned
DiscoJer said:
I don't think it's a good idea. The point of homework isn't really the homework in of itself, but the study habits of getting kids used to doing school work, which they will need in college.

I am a big reader myself, but there is really nothing inherently educational or intellectual about it. It's just another form of escapism, like movies, TV, or video games.

I mean, hell, around 1900, there was a moral panic about the Stratemeyer syndicate books (Hardy Brothers, Nancy Drew, etc, though those particular ones weren't until later, but they had lots of earlier series) like we've seen with D&D and video games and comic books, and rock music. It was seen as a corrupting influence.
Click to expand...

There are.... non-fiction books...

And just because any of those things were seen as corrupting influences doesn't mean any of them actually were. I don't really know where you're going with that last paragraph.
 
N

neptunes

Member
Ehhh, the point of homework is building a habit of responsibility (non of which I have) but on the other hand reading has more benefits.
 
0

0ptimusPayne

Member
Glad they're at least trying it out. Never understood being in school for 8 hours a day, just to come home and do more fucking work that can be done while in class. It can be a nightmare for a lot of parents who have to facilitate Homework after school, when there is other things that need to be taken care of when you get off work. You can teach children study habits while they're in class. Hell in Middle schoo back in Ml we had homeroom where we would learn to do independent study and given small projects.
 
J

John Rabbit

Banned
Interesting idea, not sure how they'll enforce it (they won't), but in general there's been a movement away from traditional homework in the K-12 space for a few years now. Studies have shown that except for the highest performing students, homework has extremely little or no relevance to mastery in a subject.
 
A

Agent Icebeezy

Welcome beautful toddler, Madison Elizabeth, to the horde!
hydrophilic attack said:
Homework is basically about rewarding kids that happen to have parents that give a shit. Reading is an integral skill for life. I'm ok with this
Click to expand...

That's a very true statement. My 8 year old gets all As. Why? The parents spend time with him every day to make sure that he is doing homework and we follow up.
 
K

kirblar

Member
Fuchsdh said:
The obvious problem with this is it may just be assuming reading = better academics, when it's just the kids who are readers are likely growing up in better environments which lead to better academics.

That said, I have no idea what kind of homework they're giving young kids these days, and whether it's excessive. I have no recollection of difficult assignments until middle school.
Click to expand...
This is likely the case- the kids who read are the kids who grow up w/ books in the house.
 
H

Haly

One day I realized that sadness is just another word for not enough coffee.
I hope the readings cover a broad range of topics.
 
R

RS4-

Member
The problem is the amount of hw kids were taking home, sometimes it's too much.

In this case, I don't think twenty mins of reading is enough.
 
T

TimeEffect

Member
They wont do the readings. Theyll get a summary from friends. Theyll bullshit their way through. If they dont care before, they wont care now
 
N

neojubei

Will drop pants for Sony.
RS4- said:
The problem is the amount of hw kids were taking home, sometimes it's too much.

In this case, I don't think twenty mins of reading is enough.
Click to expand...

I disagree. Homework helps prepare students for a lot of work they might have to do in college or even in the workplace. I agree that 20 mins of reading is not enough.
 
T

TimeEffect

Member
BassForever said:
Most homework is straight trash, making kids do 20-30 problems a night when they got the concept after 2 is pointless.
Click to expand...

Hardly true. In something like math, a number of questions need to be both practiced and approached from many different problems. A simple lesson can result in problems that result in as much as 30 problems.

Some will try to get kids to think outside the box. Others will pose new problems students havent thought about. Others will ease understanding into a follow up lesson

You dont just magically "get" concepts. Its like refusing to practice the piano because you just "get" it
 
H

Haly

One day I realized that sadness is just another word for not enough coffee.
BassForever said:
Most homework is straight trash, making kids do 20-30 problems a night when they got the concept after 2 is pointless.
Click to expand...

I knew a lot of kids in college who could barely do trig, or string together a couple of coherent sentences.

I agree a lot of homework is junk, but not because kids are "getting it" too quickly and the rest of it being a waste of time.
 
S

SoRuffShoNuff

Member
When I was a kid we didn't have homework at all in public elementary school, they did give it to us when I was in private school though.
 
J

JoJoShabadoo

Member
TimeEffect said:
They wont do the readings. Theyll get a summary from friends. Theyll bullshit their way through. If they dont care before, they wont care now
Click to expand...

Elementary school, not high school. This is the most important phase in a child's life where teachers and parents have to do their job in making sure kids are surrounded by books, language, etc.
 
B

BassForever

Member
TimeEffect said:
Hardly true. In something like math, a number of questions need to be both practiced and approached from many different problems

You dont just magically "get" concepts. Its like refusing to practice the piano because you just "get" it
Click to expand...

Are you an educator? Do you follow the latest science of how people learn? More and more evidence shows homework is an ineffective and in many cases harmful method of teaching content. It doesn't provide academic or nonacademic growth at any age. Your statement is no different from an anti vax or anti gmo comment in terms of gross ignorance of the topic.
 
R

rhandino

Banned
neojubei said:
I disagree. Homework helps prepare students for a lot of work they might have to do in college or even in the workplace. I agree that 20 mins of reading is not enough.
Click to expand...
I mean, I would agree the benefits of homework all day everyday (those assignments helped me to develop an habit of responsibility and to improve the presentation of material I had to deliver to the teacher) but I been helping my brother with his homework for a few years and sometimes I feels it's WAY too much.
 
K

Kieli

Member
Permanently A said:
If its anything like college reading assignments, no one will do the readings
Click to expand...

Most textbooks make zero sense. It's like it was written for people with PhDs and 50 years research experience in the subject.

I'd rather read the notes of students because they make heck'uva lot more sense for 1st time learners.
 
N

norm9

Member
BassForever said:
Are you an educator? Do you follow the latest science of how people learn? More and more evidence shows homework is an ineffective and in many cases harmful method of teaching content. It doesn't provide academic or nonacademic growth at any age. Your statement is no different from an anti vax or anti gmo comment in terms of gross ignorance of the topic.
Click to expand...

But it seems like common sense that if you're learning multiplication that the more problems you do, the better you'll be to answer the question when faced with one, no?
 
E

efyu_lemonardo

May I have a cookie?
BassForever said:
Most homework is straight trash, making kids do 20-30 problems a night when they got the concept after 2 is pointless.
Click to expand...
As someone who teaches math I can tell you most kids only think they get the concept after 2.

BassForever said:
Are you an educator? Do you follow the latest science of how people learn? More and more evidence shows homework is an ineffective and in many cases harmful method of teaching content. It doesn't provide academic or nonacademic growth at any age. Your statement is no different from an anti vax or anti gmo comment in terms of gross ignorance of the topic.
Click to expand...

Get out of here with this garbage comparison!
 
E

ExVicis

Member
Fuck homework. I frequently as a child missed turning in homework simply because I had a bad memory and it just made me grow to become more and more insecure about my own memory and ability to be correct.

Yet whenever test time or an an essay assignment would come I would clear that shit like it was fucking nothing. I applaud this change. Shocked it's Florida though.
 
30yearsofhurt

30yearsofhurt

Member
hydrophilic attack said:
Homework is basically about rewarding kids that happen to have parents that give a shit. Reading is an integral skill for life. I'm ok with this
Click to expand...

Disagree. Homework is about teaching kids self discipline.
Not that it works though. I see a lot of young people who have brilliant minds who have no discipline whatsoever. Ruins theirs careers.
 
X

Xero

Member
norm9 said:
But it seems like common sense that if you're learning multiplication that the more problems you do, the better you'll be to answer the question when faced with one, no?
Click to expand...

The issue is a lot of kids struggle with math, so throwing more problems at them doesn't help.
 
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