Too much homework?

Hello,

I've heard from a few parents of students from other classes about the amount of homework being given at HBS.  Here are my thoughts.  We're supposed to average about ten minutes of homework a night for each grade level, meaning 3rd grade should have thirty minutes, 4th - forty minutes, 5th -fifty, etc.  I expect everyone to read 20 minutes a night.  That leaves about a half an hour for other work.  I assume that math will take ten to fifteen, leaving only fifteen for anything else.  If math homework ever takes more than twenty, I tell my students to stop doing it and come in and tell me what was taking so long.  There is a major exception here however, and it has come into play twice in the last couple of weeks.    I'll call it the "make your own bed" exception.  Students had three weeks to read a historical fiction novel.  Some waited and waited and waited.  They needed to read over a hundred pages in one night to finish.  (They made their own bed, they have to lie in it.)  Last night I gave two multiplication "mad minutes" for homework.  Now we spent a lot of time on multiplication last year.  Many students know most, if not all, of their facts.  Last night's homework took them about two minutes.  I heard from the ones who hadn't learned their facts.  One spent over an hour on the problems.  They're suffering because they didn't do their jobs last year. 

Here is what I said to those students.  "I don't want you spending an hour on your math homework.  When you struggle on your homework because you don't know your facts, I'd rather that you spend twenty minutes with your flash cards.  I know you can figure out 9 x 5.  I don't want you to.  I want you to spend that time trying to memorize it with your flash cards."

I spent quite a bit of class time on two flash card strategies that I want them to be using.  I talked with them about putting in the time.  The kids that know the facts are no smarter than the kids that don't.  They just put in the time.  When teachers told them last year that they will really struggle later on if they don't know the facts... "later on" came quickly.  It is another case of making their beds.  I hope they spend the next few weeks "remaking their beds."

Our density experiments went really well this afternoon.  Some of the objects that were dropped in the various liquids shocked us by floating or dropping unlike we had anticipated.  It was very neat to see the objects of different densities react to the liquids. 

Persuasive rough drafts should get finished tonight.  We worked on them today.  If your child is keeping the topic secret from you, know that you will be informed very soon.

Have a great night.

Mr. Shea