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Homework?! Ugh! Is It Even Worth It?

I’ve seen a meme going around that says something along the lines of, “If you hated homework as a kid, you’ll hate it even more as a parent!” If you are a parent or caregiver of a school-aged kid, you may understand just how true that statement can be. You know what I’m talking about— the nagging your kid to get it done, the whining that ensues, the time management balancing act that happens. It can be a lot for some households. 

This struggle begs the question: is homework even worth it? If it is just one more thing to add to the list of things to do, is it even worth the time and energy it takes to get it done? Are students even benefitting from it?

The short answer is sometimes. The long answer is a bit more complicated and has a lot to do with what the assignment is and what skills a student is using or gaining by doing it. If the assignment is just filler work that doesn’t practice any skills learned beforehand in class, homework isn’t going to accomplish much, and will likely leave both the student and the parent frustrated. 

But… if the assigned homework truly is an extension of what was learned in class, employs useful skills, and isn’t just a time filler, homework can indeed have some benefits. Let’s explore some of them— and maybe I might convince a few nay-sayers that homework can be at least a little bit helpful.

Benefit #1: Additional Practice

Additional practice time can provide kids with the extra practice they need to really understand a concept. Sometimes all it takes for a kid to “get” it is a little additional time working on it. If they already understand a concept, extra practice never hurts, and can help solidify the knowledge in their mind. Reading homework is especially beneficial, as reading skills are something that will be used their entire lives and are always useful. It never hurts to improve!

Benefit #2: Less Stress

Doing work at home can often be less stressful for kids, as they are in their own environment where they (hopefully) feel safe. Usually at home, the time constraints aren’t as tight, thus providing kids with a less rushed experience. When they are able to slow down and really focus on what they are doing, they are able to work more effectively and, oftentimes, more accurately. For students who, for a myriad of reasons, don’t like to ask for help at school, doing work at home can help them to feel safer asking for help from a parent.

Benefit #3: Time management

Managing time can be a tricky skill for kids to learn. This can be especially true for younger kids, as their brains can’t quite comprehend time and scheduling things. They tend to look at the now rather than a few hours ahead, and don’t understand that if they do “fun” things first, they have to still fit in their homework, dinner time, and night time routine. 

Having homework can help them learn how to better manage their time. Parents can use it as a tool to teach their kids how to schedule their time effectively so that they have time to do all the things they want to do and need to do.

Benefit #4: Time with a parent or caregiver

Homework can open opportunities to allow kids and their adults to have time together. Sure, sometimes that time can be stressful, especially if homework is involved, but the time spent working one on one is never wasted. Oftentimes, parents know how to reach their kids better than the teachers do. This can help students to understand concepts in a new or different way. Parents can also provide useful tricks and tips that helped them in school. I still remember working with my mom and grandma to memorize all 50 state capitals in fourth grade— they came up with fun mnemonic devices to help me remember what I needed to— most of which I still remember today. They provided me with really helpful tools to accomplish what I needed to, and as an added bonus, I got extra time with my mom and grandma. It was a win all around!

While I know homework can be a divisive topic, with not everyone agreeing on its benefits, hopefully I’ve shed some light on the topic and have helped you see it in a different way, and maybe, just maybe, convinced you that homework isn’t totally useless!

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Scholarship Application: Strategy Plan Deadline Reminder

Just a friendly reminder that the deadline for the OPTIONAL Strategy Plan is due this coming Monday, March 3.

This form is NOT required, and is optional. If you are planning to apply for our scholarship, and would like feedback on your project prior to submitting your final application, you are welcome to fill out a Strategy Plan, and we will do our best to give feedback and answer any questions you may have.

You can find the Strategy Plan here.

As a reminder, final scholarship applications will be due April 7, 2025.

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The Benefits of Jigsaw Puzzles

Jigsaw puzzles are, in my humble opinion, one of the greatest things ever invented. Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved putting puzzles together. I have fond memories from my childhood of sitting down with my grandma, doing puzzles and chatting. She even used to gift all of her adult grandkids a puzzle every year for Christmas, which only fueled my love of puzzles. She would often set up a puzzle to work on when we’d come for Sunday dinner— she knew my husband liked puzzles, too. 

As I’ve had children of my own, I’ve always kept puzzles in our game closet. When my kids were babies and toddlers, I’d get the chunky wooden puzzles that matched shapes and colors. As they grew, we progressed to the 24-48 piece puzzles. Now that my youngest is in preschool, we’ve started doing bigger puzzles together. My 4 and 5 year olds can easily do 48-100 piece puzzles on their own, or with little help. My older kids do really well with 300-1,000 piece puzzles. They’ve provided us with lots of quality family time and memories as we’ve worked as a team to put them together. 

This morning, I sat down with my daughter and helped her do a puzzle, and it got me thinking about the many benefits that come from puzzles, and how they are more than just a quiet activity for people to do. 

People who do puzzles can benefit in the following ways:

  • Increased short-term memory
  • Reduced stress and anxiety
  • Improved fine motor skills
  • Improved spatial awareness
  • Increased problem solving abilities
  • Better mood
  • Screen-free time
  • Quality time with friends and family 
  • Time to relax and take your mind off of other things
  • Increased concentration— this is especially good for people who tend to jump from one thing to the next
  • Improved collaboration skills
  • Improved cognitive abilities
  • Increased attention to detail

I’m sure there are many more I could add to this list, but what is on the list shows just how beneficial doing puzzles can be. The best part about these benefits is that they aren’t just limited to children. People of all ages can experience these positive side effects! They are a universal tool for people of all ages and abilities. 

Puzzles don’t have to be limited to just a home activity; teachers can use them, too! Puzzles make a great activity for centers, free time, or group time. They will get students focused, having fun, and working on their critical thinking skills. Those are things I think every teacher can get behind!

The next time you’re bored, have some free time you don’t know what to do with, or just need a change of pace, grab a puzzle and get to work! I promise you will find yourself more relaxed, happier, and feeling more accomplished as you enjoy some puzzle time.

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Non Fiction Doesn’t Have to Mean Boring

Finding engaging, interesting non fiction books for teenagers can be a bit tricky sometimes. They don’t want to be bored by a book that reads like an encyclopedia or text book, and they need a book that is written on their level. Imagine handing an eighth grader a book about the discovery of bacteria and other germs that is written with a bunch of medical terms and jargon— you’d probably end up with a room full of frustrated kids who can’t understand what they are reading. It just wouldn’t go over well. 

Thankfully non fiction books written for and geared toward teens are becoming more prevalent. I was always on the hunt for good informational texts to teach to my junior high classes. One of my favorite books to teach to my eighth graders was a book called Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science by John Fleischman. 

The book recounts a fascinating true story of a man named Phineas Gage, who, by an unlucky turn of events, was the unfortunate recipient of a tamping iron being blasted through his head while working on a railroad construction site in 1848. The rod, measuring 1 1/4” in diameter and 3’7” long, weighing just over 13 pounds, entered through his open mouth, passed behind his left eye, and exited through the top of his head. The tamping iron continued airborne and was found around 80 feet away from where Phineas was struck. How the accident happened is riveting in its own right, but what’s even more amazing is that somehow, Phineas survived the ordeal, and lived another 12 years after the accident!

The book follows Phineas after his accident, describing the personality and mental changes he experienced as a result of his injury. It also describes the amazing amount of brain research that Phineas was part of, and how this research led to the discovery of new information about how the brain works and what certain parts of it control.

It really is a fascinating story. Gruesome, as the title warns, but fascinating. Eighth graders would eat it up. It had just the right amount of gross, cool, interesting, and relatable to keep them engaged as we read through the text. It lent itself to a great opportunity for cross-curricular instruction and gave students a chance to learn some really cool things about the brain. 

We always started the unit with a little background knowledge on the brain. I would show some real MRI scans and we’d map out and learn the different parts of the brain and what their functions are. We would learn about early beliefs about how the brain works and talk about how far our knowledge of the brain has come. 

During the unit, we would discuss personality, sleep, brain development, and decision making. I would show short videos talking about how crucial sleep is for proper brain development, and videos about the teenage brain. I had students complete their own personal “mind map” where they filled a head-shaped outline with words and drawings of things that made them who they are. We would dive into how surgical protocol and procedures have changed for the better over time; they were always amazed that medical procedures were performed under such non-sterile conditions (as was I!). 

We always ended our book study and unit with a research paper. Their topic was fairly open, as long as it was written about anything that had to do with the brain, its function, its science, etc. I would have papers turned in about dreams, the effects of music or art on the brain, learning deficits, speech disorders, cognitive and other disabilities, and so on. 

It truly was an engaging unit, filled with so many opportunities to learn new information as well as make connections to what they already knew. I loved that it was a unit that combined English and Science, and that students were given the chance to use many different methods of learning: reading, research, video/technology, art, and critical thinking. 

Even if you’re not in the market for a good non fiction book to teach to your class, keep it in mind for when you are or for when a student wants a recommendation for a good book to read. You can also add it to your own personal To-Be-Read list and watch as your mind becomes engrossed with this fascinating and true story! 

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Painting and The Writing Process

We’re in the process of repainting and redecorating our front living room. It’s been a process. It all started when I bought a rug to liven up the space. Then I decided we needed to paint. I underestimated how much of a to-do it would be to even choose a paint color. I bought two rounds of samples, for a total of eleven different paint colors. I wanted to make sure we had the perfect color, so I painted the samples on two different walls to see how they looked in different lights. For the last two weeks, we have had 22 little strips of paint painted onto our walls, reminding me that we just needed to decide already! 

Thankfully my sister is really good with interior design, and was so kind to offer her opinion and expertise. We finally chose a color over the weekend and headed to the hardware store to buy the paint before we could change our minds. 

The teacher in me is constantly relating things to education— I just can’t help it! As I’ve gone through this painting process, I’ve thought about how similar it is to the writing process. Painting and writing?! They aren’t even close to the same thing! Let me explain:

Picking a paint color is like picking a topic. You gather your ideas and feel them out. You test them and see which one is the right one. You might have to explore several before your figure it out. You might even have to run your ideas by someone else to get a clearer view of what you really want to do. 

Once you’ve nailed down the right color, you go buy the paint and supplies you will need. Once you’ve nailed down the right topic, you start to gather your ideas and your resources. 

Next, you need to do all the prep work: wiping the walls and baseboards down, patching holes and dents in the walls, sanding down the dried putty, taping off the paint area, and putting tarps down. The next step in the writing process is similar. You need to do all the prep work: outlining your ideas, making sense and order of your research, drafting your paper, and so on. This is the stage of the process that is often “ugly” because things are a mess, nothing looks finished or polished, and there are bits and pieces of stuff everywhere. 

Then, you finally get to paint! You get to jazz up the space by adding a fresh coat of paint. You might even have to do a few coats to ensure you’ve done a proper and neat job and covered all the parts of the wall you wanted to. Similarly, drafting your paper into its final stage is exciting. You get to make sense and order of all the mess and ugliness of the prep work stage. You might have to do a draft or two to get it how you want it, but it’s worth it to get it just right.

Finally, you get to peel off the tape and reveal your beautiful, crisp paint lines and freshly updated space. It’s such an exciting moment! You can hardly wait for guests to come by so that you can show them the results of your hard work. Doing one final read-through then submitting your paper is just like that paint tape peeling: you can sit back and admire your masterpiece, giving a sigh of relief as you turn it in. You take pride in your work and can’t wait to show it off to others. 

Doesn’t it all make sense now? Painting and writing really do have similarities! The next time you are writing a paper (or assigning your students to write one), rather than thinking about it as a long, boring process, reframe your thinking and remind yourself (or your students) that you are doing so much more than putting words on paper— you are creating a masterpiece for yourself and others to enjoy! 

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Letting Kids Fail

My third grader is given a weekly homework sheet, with one side math practice and the other reading practice. Sometimes the reading assignment is to read a passage and answer some comprehension questions, and sometimes it involves reading as much of a passage as possible in one minute, on four separate occasions, while having an adult follow along and count any errors made. The teacher sends the paper home on Monday, and it is due on Friday. With four days given to finish the assignment, you’d think it wouldn’t be a problem to complete it. 

By Thursday night, after my husband and I have both asked (and offered to sit down with him while he does it) our son what feels like 182 times to get his worksheet done, we are tired of asking and have started to feel like we are nagging him. One week last month, he dragged his feet, as usual, and was in a panic on Thursday night when he still hadn’t finished his assignment. Of course it was a week where he had to read a passage four different times, and we were running out of time. Around 10:00 pm, we finally just told him to go to bed and we could try again in the morning. 

Morning came, and he still had zero interest in finishing his work. Out of time and energy, I told him to put his paper in his backpack and just turn in what he did have done. We talked about who was responsible for the assignment being incomplete, and what he needed to do about it. He admitted it was on him, and that he should have done it when we first asked him to. I sent him out the door and hoped for the best.

The protective mom in me wanted to keep him home until he finished it so that he wouldn’t lose points on the assignment. How could I let my own child fail? He’s only nine, after all. As I battled internally for a few minutes, a little voice inside reminded me that failing is part of life. We all have to learn by failing at some point in our lives. Is it a hard lesson to learn? Absolutely. Is it a necessary lesson to learn? 100%. 

As a mom and former teacher, I know how hard it is hard to watch the kids you love fall short. It’s hard to watch them struggle. When our kids are younger, we are there to swoop in and fix things for them. We keep them in a little bubble of sorts to keep them safe and protected. But as they get older, we can’t continue to solve all their problems and keep them in a bubble. As parents (and teachers), it is our job to set up our children for success in life, and one of those crucial lessons to teach is that failure is inevitable, and that it’s okay to fall short sometimes. We must give them the tools they will need for when they do fail so that they can appropriately adjust and find ways to regroup, rethink, and try again. 

So while I wanted desperately to save my son from not getting full points on his homework assignment, I also wanted desperately to teach my son that our actions and choices very often determine our success, and that failure is part of life. I wanted him to know that it’s not the end of the world to mess up on one assignment, and that he could try again next week, learning from his previous experience. I wanted him to know that how we handle failure is important and how we choose to do better the next time is what matters the most. 

As parents and teachers, we’re faced with some pretty tough internal battles. We naturally want to protect the kids we love, but also need to remember that sometimes too much protection and sheltering ultimately doesn’t help, but hinders. We must find a balance between the two and hope we are giving our children and students what they’ll need to succeed in school and in life.

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Children’s Valentine’s Day Books

Happy Valentine’s Day! It’s been so fun sharing Valentine’s themed activities for you to do with your students or children. Before the day ends, I wanted to share a few Valentine’s Day themed books that I thought were fun for kids of all ages!

Love Monster by Rachel Bright

This darling book follows a cute monster who feels like he doesn’t fit in where he lives. Everyone around him is cute and fluffy, and everyone seems to like cute and fluffy things, NOT hairy google-eyed monsters. He sets out on a quest to find someone who is just like him, but doesn’t have any luck. After searching high and low and everywhere in between, he finally decides to go back home, and is pleasantly surprised to find another monster just like him when he arrives!

Love From the Crayons written by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers

Another book from the Crayons series, this book talks about the different colors love can be. Sometimes love is pink because it is silly. Sometimes it is blue because it feels stormy. Other times, love is white because it’s hard to see. This sweet book teaches that love isn’t always perfect and it isn’t always sunshine and rainbows. Love can be many things!

I’ll Love You Till the Cows Come Home written by Kathryn Cristaldi, illustrated by Kristina Litten

This book gives a sweet reminder of just how long a grown up will love their child. It goes through several animals, describing fun adventures they might go on, and how the adult will love the child until all those adventures have ended. The illustrations are cute and fun and will catch your attention. The story itself is a perfect book to read at bedtime or any other time a child needs a reminder of how much they are loved.

Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatchwritten by Eileen Spinelli, illustrated by Paul Yalowitz

Mr. Hatch is a single man, living a very ordinary, very lonely, very predictable life until he receives a package one day. Inside the package, he finds a large heart shaped box filled with chocolates. Along with the package is a note that says, “Somebody loves you.” Mr. Hatch’s view on life completely changes. He starts to smile and laugh. He interacts with his neighbors and coworkers. He willingly helps people around him. People are astounded by this new person Mr. Hatch seems to be. They love it! One day a while later, the postman comes back to Mr. Hatch’s home to admit that he accidentally delivered the heart package to the wrong address. Mr. Hatch is saddened by this news, and returns to his old ways. The townspeople are confused and wonder what happened to Mr. Hatch. The postman explains the mix-up with the package and comes up with an idea to help Mr. Hatch feel loved again. Together, the town surprises Mr. Hatch with an unforgettable celebration and reminder that he really is loved.

Because Narwhals Can’t Kiss written by Catharine Day, illustrated by Lucy Pirogova

This heartwarming, adorable story teaches the different ways that love can be shown. Narwhals can’t kiss because of their tusks, so they find other ways to show their love for others– sharing, helping, playing together, hugging, and saying kind words. Children learn that love isn’t just hugs and kisses, and that love can be shown in so many ways.

What are your favorite Valentine’s Day books? Happy reading!