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Play Deficit Disorder: I Hate Homework

Childhood is a unique experience when you grown up isolated in the mountains, off-the-grid, on 160 acres of forest.  My children don’t suffer from the typical causes of play deficit as outlined by Kaboom, a non-profit trying to committed to “saving play for America’s children”:

  • School recess
  • Play opportunities in your neighborhood
  • Helicopter parents
  • Structured after-school activities
  • Indoor screen time

We still have two recesses at our K-8 one teacher schoolhouse.

We don’t need parks or playgrounds in our neighborhood.  Nature is our playground.  Although there is a lack of peers due to our remoteness, it does not impede my children’s play, just their social development.

Mountain parents tend not to hover as much as city parents, letting children get the bumps, bruises, and scrapes rocks and sticks will give.  Sure, we warn not to wander too far because of mountain lions and bears, but there’s always a dog around to bark a warning.

Structured after-school activities simply don’t exist.  It’s a two-hour drive to the nearest soccer practice.

It isn’t exactly Little House on the Prairie here.  We do have a Wii, satellite TV, and internet.  We do not control our children’s screen time, and it has never been an issue. They want to be outside or doing creative projects inside (or both!).

Although we don’t suffer from the typical causes of play deficits in American childhood, there is one problem that does interfere with our freedom to play:   homework.

Before I had children, I taught elementary school for five years.  Yes, I assigned homework (lots of it).  It was what was expected.  Now, as a parent, my opinion on homework has changed.

Our family’s homework routine involves a short break right after school while Mommy goes on a hike, then we get it done before dinner and baths.  My kids aren’t assigned an overburdening amount, yet I see the daylight hours dwindling as they sit at the kitchen counter filling out worksheets.

There are studies that say homework is effective at promoting student learning when assigned appropriately and parental support facilitates learning, but how consistently does that happen?  Isn’t it more developmentally appropriate for children to have the freedom to simply play after having six to seven hours of structured activities at school all day?

There are studies that find homework can be harmful. As Penn State researchers explain:

More than that and there can be negative effects, studies suggest. Overburdened by homework, children may become disillusioned with school and lose motivation. And excessive homework can interfere with time otherwise spent connecting as a family by playing games, taking walks, or just talking about the day.

Even the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) found little support for homework after examining multiple studies:

 With only rare exceptions, the relationship between the amount of homework students do and their achievement was found to be positive and was generally statistically different from zero. Thus, to conclude on the basis of the evidence in hand that doing homework can cause improved academic achievement would not be imprudent.

Homework can be effective and meaningful; however, teachers barely have time to create such lessons for the school day let alone for home.  In a time of high stakes testing and pressure on teachers and schools to perform, homework amounts have been increasing for younger and younger students. The ramifications on play are significant.

If our children are suffering from play deficits, and homework has no benefit, why are we wasting our children’s precious time with worksheets when they could be playing?

Image credit:  AttributionShare Alike Some rights reserved by ianthes

 
 
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Comments

  1. Kelly says

    November 18, 2011 at 4:23 pm

    Wow…this could not be more relevant to our household this weekend. We live in the remote mountains and our kids get bussed 20 minutes to town. This week we got a big snowfall and my kids wanted to enjoy it. Our son lied and said he did not have homework, but we found out today he did have homework and the teacher was quite upset. Of course, we have to discipline him for lying to us (he is grounded this weekend), but it is such a double edged sword because I wish he did not have the homework int he first place! Ahyiyi!
    Seems like our kids spend so much of their time in the classroom already. I wish their after school were spent just being kids.

    Reply
  2. Jacquie says

    November 21, 2011 at 7:40 am

    A very timely post for us – we were just having this discussion with our son (a freshman in hs) and daughter (a 3rd grader). Both of them are very tuned into when homework is helpful to them learning a new skill, and when it just seems like busy work “because I already know this Mom, but a bunch of other kids are still asking questions in class”. I do wish the schools would be more in-tune with what kids are thinking/feeling about the types of homework they have to do.

    And I have ‘pushed’ homework aside in order to get our kids more outdoor time – I think it’s so important to relax and clear your head, and it helps them to think better when they do tackle the work later. I’m especially tuned into this with my highschooler – who isn’t allowed to leave his building all day (I swear, new schools need to be built with internal courtyards so the kids have the opportunity to see daylight at some point during the day). I do agree with Kelly – I too wish after-school time was for outdoor enjoyment and just being kids.

    Reply
  3. Jessica says

    November 21, 2011 at 1:23 pm

    I completely agree. Way too much emphasis and pressure is being put on academic and intellectual growth at way too young an age, in my opinion.

    Children should be playing, imagining, frolicking! Not tied to a desk all day and then for hours after school. Their parents get to rest after a hard day’s work… why shouldn’t they!?

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Schools Out!!! No MORE Homework! says:
    June 4, 2012 at 9:23 am

    […] a parent, I have already explained why I feel homework contributes to play deficit disorder.  If you are lucky, a teacher or school will respond to your concerns about homework.  If not, […]

    Reply

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About Eco Child’s Play

Our ethos is to provide news, information, and opinions on natural, green parenting to help your family live a greener, healthier life! Additionally, we offer personal consulting services to help you achieve your green living goals.

Jennifer is a vegetarian, yoga teacher, gardener, hiker, teacher, and mother that has been living off-the-grid for over 20 years.

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