Children: Chores or no chores?

Wait.... what?

A kid who understand the lesson doesn't really need to do 15 problems for homework.

A kid who doesn't understand the lesson is going to do 15 problems incorrectly. That will only reinforce how to do it incorrectly.

I think Sal Khan has this right -- if you're having to do homework, watch the demonstration, lecture at home and work the problems at school where you have the teacher to help you.

That's nice as a theory, but the evidence doesn't support that that's actually what's happening.

There's ample evidence that homework is actually disruptive to the home without providing the educational benefits that it is meant to.

I'm interested in the Khan guy. I don't just think my experience is right.
Which is to say, reading along.

Khan's TED talk:

A list of Khan Academy topics (scroll down a bit): http://www.khanacademy.org/ (AMAZING!)

You know.... teachers complain that they don't get any respect but they (some of them) expect every parent to be a teacher.

I can do the lessons but I'm not a teacher. I care about education and I'm willing to help but I'm not a teacher. I feel like I'm expected to teach half the homework that comes home.

I love teachers. I respect teachers. I wish teachers understood that they were so valuable that every parent isn't capable of doing their job.

I've read about him, very convincing.

As I said elsewhere, I never had help with homework, in my memory (and my memory is pretty good).

I agree, Soz, I don't agree either.

[figure that English out. ]

On average, I'd say that for the most sensible, hard working employees, you can't bet farm kids. They are adults in many of the good ways long before city kids.

This thread is about chores, not homework!

The reality is that most of the homework kids are sent home with is a) not practicing what was taught that day, b) involves too much parent participation, and c) takes too much time.

Boomer, I know we've been around this together before. Kids who get the lesson should practice. Kids who don't shouldn't be shamed for not doing their homework. They should go into school and tell the teacher they didn't understand it. The teacher should then, ideally, give the student extra help. If that doesn't cut it, the teacher/parents/school should come up with a plan of support which may or may not lead to an individualized education plan. I agree that the parents shouldn't have to be helping their kids too much at home. If more struggling students were encouraged to ask their teacher for help, their teacher would have a better understanding of the comprehensibility of their lessons and the pace at which their taught.

Now, I think there are already plenty of threads on education and homework. Can we continue this conversation on one of them?

i personaly think that kids that r a little older should do some chores. start off small with easy chores like make your bed, brush your teeth stuff like that. then when they get older make them harder like doing the dishes, taking out the garbage.

Haha, coming from the mouth of an 11 year old, that's funny.