Homework

Turns out, homework for little kids is completely useless. And every one knows it's useless.

Turns out the main reason kids get homework is that parents want it.

When I shopped around the arguments against homework, I discovered that how you feel about it depends a lot on what you think kids will do if they don't have any.

Maria loves her new school because she loves getting homework.

She bursts out of school holding her homework book up but won't let me look at it in case I wreck it. We can only look if she is holding the book and turning the pages. And we have to look. She bends over the table and carefully practices writing. She proudly shows it off and discusses the varying philosophies she considers in deciding how to tackle a challenge, like writing 'a' a hundred times or copying a sentence written in joined up script. They are teaching her to write in the scrawly writing of an old person. When she discusses her school work she casually drops French words every sentence or so because when she is at school she is entirely French and her mind switches to French mode when she thinks about it.

I asked her why she likes homework.

"It's nice to learn stuff....No it's GOOD to learn stuff. With the maitresse [teacher]. I like it because then it's all quiet. Also IU like it becasue I always make it good."


In other words, she gets a huge sense of achievement.
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