Summer Homework Analysis

The distribution of homework during the summer for Honors English students has become necessary in the eyes of the Administrators at Spring Cove School District. When it was first installed in the Honors English program, the whole idea was to limit the amount of learning loss on high school students by having them work over the summer. However, independent learning is not just non- beneficial, but actually has been proven to be counterproductive in some instances. As Lisa Belkin, a former principal and now mother of two, states, “In my old rule, I knew I was right to assign summer homework. But now, I’m equally sure that there are even better ways for my own girls to learn and grow in the summertime.” (Belkin) Homework in schools has been

Summer homework sounds good in theory, but there are many reasons why it simply is not beneficial. Lisa Belkin wrote an article for the New York Times which addresses the very topic of summer homework. Belkin was a teacher and principal who strongly advocated giving students summer homework before quitting her job to raise her children. From this new perspective as a mother instead of a teacher, Belkin was able to get a new view on summer homework. She realized that the completion of summer homework does not just involve the student. “For, as teachers may not understand, but most parents know, it is the rare child who completes summer homework without serious adult intervention.” (Belkin) I personally can attest to this statement with my summer homework experience. There was a great deal of adult intervention, especially for motivational purposes, to keep me focused on getting the work done. Adult intervention is usually necessary due to the fact that the assignment does not get spread out throughout the summer for most students. Serious working time does not begin until the last few weeks of summer. As Belkin wrote it, “I can say for certain that a three-day sprint in late August is not at all what the teachers had in mind, and not what the research recommends.”

But now, I’m equally sure that there are even better ways for my own girls to learn and grow in the summertime.” (Belkin) Lisa Belkin of the New York Times realizes now the importance of learning through experiencing the fun and wonder of summer vacation rather than just book work learning. She explains how her two children will learn from their lemonade stand, knitting, hiking, and travelling. (Belkin) As a mother of two, she has the first hand experience with the struggle that is known as summer homework and that August sprint to complete it before the deadline. For the last two summers, my fellow Honors English classmates and I have experienced this struggle as well. Although summer homework has been proven to be non beneficial to honors students and even counterproductive in some instances, the Spring Cove School District still insists on making it a necessity for the students to complete in order to stay in the honors program. The idea of trying to make the honors students go above and beyond in order to differentiate them from the rest of the students is a great idea, but the summer homework assignments are merely busy work and actually are hurting the honors students in the long run. One study suggests that rather than assigning a strict homework assignment, allow the students to research an item of interest for them. Students are learning everyday with the use of technology and the internet, and all