LAUREE said:
As a teacher, I hate homework. I give one math worksheet per week with about 12 problems on it, due Friday. If they do all their homework for the quarter, they get some extra credit points.
Have you thought about making the math problems more fun? Maybe you could ask the kids to come up with problems, or use AI to make it more engaging?
@Dolph
I taught my kid math using M&Ms. We used different colors to teach addition and subtraction. And he got to eat the ones we subtracted, which he loved! It made math more fun and visual for him.
Emma said:
@Dolph
I taught my kid math using M&Ms. We used different colors to teach addition and subtraction. And he got to eat the ones we subtracted, which he loved! It made math more fun and visual for him.
That’s such a cool idea! 
You could practice homework in class so kids know what it’ll be like in later grades. Maybe have them finish something at 2:00 pm that they started earlier, like a paper they worked on at 9:00 am. It gives them a sense of doing work after a break, similar to homework.
Homework in the US tends to be ineffective because a lot of parents don’t help their kids. It shouldn’t be about learning something new but applying what they’ve already learned. If kids don’t read at home, they’ll fall behind. But the sad truth is that kids who don’t read already won’t start just because they have homework.
Homework can be helpful if it connects to their home life. When I taught drafting, I’d ask students to measure a room in their house and draw it in class. It made homework more relevant.
Washington said:
Homework can be helpful if it connects to their home life. When I taught drafting, I’d ask students to measure a room in their house and draw it in class. It made homework more relevant.
My kid’s in 4th grade. Did you teach drafting to 4th graders?
The trend seems to be moving away from a lot of homework for younger students. Research shows that piling on homework at this age doesn’t really help and can actually lead to stress and burnout. Maybe a balanced approach with light assignments like reading or reflection would be more beneficial.
I’m all for NO homework, especially at this age. My kids spend enough time in school—when they get home, they need to relax and play.