when i worked on this paper on elementary school math homework with jess calarco and grace chen, i found that there is actually no evidence that elementary math homework improves student learning (there is mixed evidence in middle school for homework, and some decent evidence in high school). but we do it as "rigor theater" -- reassuring parents that school is tough and doing its job.
there are so many better alternatives for communicating what kids are learning with caregivers. this is clearly not working in any of the ways it is supposedly intended.
I loved this. I agree that caregivers feel "disrespected by math class for reasons that are entirely under our control." I feel this was as a teacher during PD when there is too much jargon or I haven't had the opportunity to "buy in" to what is happening. If we can recognize the feeling in ourselves, we can hopefully empathize with caregivers and find ways to connect and communicate when the math isn't obvious.
I'm a father of 4, and a middle school math teacher turned math coach. If I was to give one piece of advice about homework to an elementary teacher and/or other parents, it would be this: PLAY GAMES. There are so many great games out there that build student reasoning that will pay dividends in math class. Some great ones even build fluency and numeracy (i.e. Zeus on the Loose). If you don't know where to start, here are two great places to explore:
Thanks as always Dan for thinking about how and who engages in math, and how it impacts their view on ability (for themselves and others). I consider myself lucky that I didn't have this problem and always felt fairly equipped to handle and good at math (tons of great teachers along the way), but know my partner does not have confidence in calculation/math ability and want to be mindful of how we support as a parent also.
Appreciate also the throw back to setting a Guiness World Record for longest 📎⛓ -- hilarious, wild, love working hard on something 'stupid' but that you're nonethless proud of :)
I hate homework, at all levels, because of all the aspects of my students' lives that are not theirs to control. I know that students need to practice skills, especially at higher grade levels, but I'm just not sold on the idea of homework.
This is an example of teach to the test. Using different problem solving methods is required by state standards and thus students are going to get tested on them. Otherwise, absolutely students should be allowed to use the method that works best for them.
When I taught in elementary I wanted my parents to be on the same page with both me and my students. To do this I did two things: I wrote a small booklet entitled "Parents Working with your Students at Home". In the pamphlets I included vocabulary, ways to solve problems that might be new to parents and lots of thanks for the hard job that parents have. The second thing I did was have a parent meeting one night or afternoon a month at which I previewed for the parents the coming attractions for the next month in math. These classes were well attended and the parents were thankful and felt heard and capable. At one school my evenings were so popular and talked about that other teachers!! complained and I was banned from having the meetings. Nice way to solve that problem.
In Middle school I was teaching at a school where parents saw themselves as quite capable in math (I'm a math professor they would inform me) These parents often turned the homework into something so complicated their children were in tears the next day. I had to ask the parents to step back. I gave them a list of questions to ask that would help them understand what the homework was about, what the child knew about it (they just had decided the child needed their help without asking) and from there give the child the leadership in what they were doing. That was REALLY hard.
Parents need to feel heard. They need to feel valued. The need to feel smart! but they also need to understand that their children are capable and clever and very good thinkers and most of all may not do things the way their parents might, showing them there is really more than one way to approach a problem. So many parents are of the ONE WAY generation and that is very hard to change. The anxiety their children feel is often brought on by their parents' own inability to listen, ask questions, and quietly watch. They don't realize they can learn a lot from their children if they just give them half a chance.
In line with Ilana Horn's comment, the bigger question is why are we giving math homework at all (especially in elementary school)? I worked as a teacher at an elementary school that did not give homework. The different it made in the lives of those kids and their families/caregivers was amazing. It's worth serious consideration (that it rarely gets) in the education community.
when i worked on this paper on elementary school math homework with jess calarco and grace chen, i found that there is actually no evidence that elementary math homework improves student learning (there is mixed evidence in middle school for homework, and some decent evidence in high school). but we do it as "rigor theater" -- reassuring parents that school is tough and doing its job.
there are so many better alternatives for communicating what kids are learning with caregivers. this is clearly not working in any of the ways it is supposedly intended.
https://theconversation.com/theres-only-so-far-i-can-take-them-why-teachers-give-up-on-struggling-students-who-dont-do-their-homework-187896
I loved this. I agree that caregivers feel "disrespected by math class for reasons that are entirely under our control." I feel this was as a teacher during PD when there is too much jargon or I haven't had the opportunity to "buy in" to what is happening. If we can recognize the feeling in ourselves, we can hopefully empathize with caregivers and find ways to connect and communicate when the math isn't obvious.
I'm a father of 4, and a middle school math teacher turned math coach. If I was to give one piece of advice about homework to an elementary teacher and/or other parents, it would be this: PLAY GAMES. There are so many great games out there that build student reasoning that will pay dividends in math class. Some great ones even build fluency and numeracy (i.e. Zeus on the Loose). If you don't know where to start, here are two great places to explore:
1. https://www.gamesforyoungminds.com/
2. "Math Games with Bad Drawings" by Ben Orlin
Thanks as always Dan for thinking about how and who engages in math, and how it impacts their view on ability (for themselves and others). I consider myself lucky that I didn't have this problem and always felt fairly equipped to handle and good at math (tons of great teachers along the way), but know my partner does not have confidence in calculation/math ability and want to be mindful of how we support as a parent also.
Appreciate also the throw back to setting a Guiness World Record for longest 📎⛓ -- hilarious, wild, love working hard on something 'stupid' but that you're nonethless proud of :)
I hate homework, at all levels, because of all the aspects of my students' lives that are not theirs to control. I know that students need to practice skills, especially at higher grade levels, but I'm just not sold on the idea of homework.
This is an example of teach to the test. Using different problem solving methods is required by state standards and thus students are going to get tested on them. Otherwise, absolutely students should be allowed to use the method that works best for them.
When I taught in elementary I wanted my parents to be on the same page with both me and my students. To do this I did two things: I wrote a small booklet entitled "Parents Working with your Students at Home". In the pamphlets I included vocabulary, ways to solve problems that might be new to parents and lots of thanks for the hard job that parents have. The second thing I did was have a parent meeting one night or afternoon a month at which I previewed for the parents the coming attractions for the next month in math. These classes were well attended and the parents were thankful and felt heard and capable. At one school my evenings were so popular and talked about that other teachers!! complained and I was banned from having the meetings. Nice way to solve that problem.
In Middle school I was teaching at a school where parents saw themselves as quite capable in math (I'm a math professor they would inform me) These parents often turned the homework into something so complicated their children were in tears the next day. I had to ask the parents to step back. I gave them a list of questions to ask that would help them understand what the homework was about, what the child knew about it (they just had decided the child needed their help without asking) and from there give the child the leadership in what they were doing. That was REALLY hard.
Parents need to feel heard. They need to feel valued. The need to feel smart! but they also need to understand that their children are capable and clever and very good thinkers and most of all may not do things the way their parents might, showing them there is really more than one way to approach a problem. So many parents are of the ONE WAY generation and that is very hard to change. The anxiety their children feel is often brought on by their parents' own inability to listen, ask questions, and quietly watch. They don't realize they can learn a lot from their children if they just give them half a chance.
In line with Ilana Horn's comment, the bigger question is why are we giving math homework at all (especially in elementary school)? I worked as a teacher at an elementary school that did not give homework. The different it made in the lives of those kids and their families/caregivers was amazing. It's worth serious consideration (that it rarely gets) in the education community.
Footnote/endnote 2: 😆