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Does Homework Help?

What's your opinion about homework? Do you think that it deepens your child's understanding of lessons at school? Or is it just busy work?  When I researched the subject for a class I provide called "Relief for Homework Headaches" I found that until 7th grade, homework does not help children achieve on any academic measures. After that, there was some correlation with higher ACT scores.

An article in the Sept. 4, 2006 issue of Time magazine explores the topic further. The article is entitled "The Myth about Homework. Think hours of slogging are helping your child make the grade? Think again!" Two new books exlore the topic in great detail. The findings? Homework can even serve as a detriment to academic achievement because kids get burnt out and lose the joy of learning by spending hours doing homework.

What's your opinion?

Needing Advice on Her Child's Friend

A mom wrote to me and asked me to have other parents weigh in on this topic. I said that I'd be happy to get the invaluable advice of other parents. Here's what she'd like some advice on:

"On two occasions my 11 year old son has had a "failed" playdate with the same child. The first one was that the other boy was going to spend the night, but the father called at the last minute and cancelled due to his son's behavior. Today, the mother came knocking on the door and removed her son from the playdate because he missed two homework assignments. This left my son sad and tearful. Due to the families dysfunction in this and other areas, I really don't want him to be friends with this boy, but I know that if I go with that approach it probably won't work. Any thoughts or feedback would be really appreciated."