Kim's Blog

Heading Back to School

All too quickly summer has come to a close and school is starting. As a former teacher, education is of the utmost importance, but summer will always have a little piece of my heart for the family time it brings. Once school starts, my three children—along with my husband, who remains a high school teacher—have to return to the structured routine of early mornings, full school days coupled with extracurriculars, and finding time for homework help before an early bedtime.

As my children grow (I can hardly believe my eldest has entered sixth grade!), school becomes more and more a year-round event as a result of summer homework. Summer homework, which most often focuses in reading and math, is meant to shore up the intellectual backslide that occurs during the long summer gap.

Here’s where I’m torn on the pros and cons of summer homework. I know it’s a valuable tool. Research confirms that the months-long pause in formal schooling can result in forgotten lessons while a fair chunk of back-to-school time is devoted to reviewing and relearning old material. And I firmly believe that learning should never stop, whether you’re inside the classroom or out.

However, at the same time, research has failed to confirm the link between summer homework and higher test scores or achievement at the elementary school level, and only found a moderate link at the middle school level. Unfortunately, I believe this is because while summer packets are great in theory, they often break down in practice. Busy parents—most of whom work year-round—are left to help children with anything they might not understand. They may not always have the time or the skills necessary to properly educate their child on a type of problem they don’t understand.

And most kids are rarely chomping at the bit to do homework over their summer vacation. With no oversight until school begins again, countless students wait until the last week or two to even begin their summer packets, negating the point of bridging the learning gap. This summer, for instance, I allowed my 6th grader to plan how she was going to complete her packet. So, as you might guess, it is the night before school starts and we are pushing Casey to finish her packet.  Many parents have experienced the push and pull involved with a tween; let’s just say it wasn’t pretty!

What are your thoughts on summer homework? Are you a supporter or a critic? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!