Should our kids have homework?

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-24-2004
Should our kids have homework?
11
Sat, 01-07-2006 - 4:59pm

I was reading another board that brought up a question. Someone stated that it wasn't a good idea to give our children homework due to all the stresses that they have to endure at school. And that home is a place to unwind and relax. It was stated that Tony Attwood had also suggested this (not sure if this was stated in one of his books).

What do you all think? I guess I hadn't thought about Nathan NOT doing homework. And after reading this, I really didn't think that this would be a good idea....at least not for him. It was also stated that this could be something that can be added to your IEP.

michelle

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iVillage Member
Registered: 10-03-2004
Mon, 01-09-2006 - 3:09pm

Dear Renee,

Yup, Malcolm is several years ahead of grade level in many areas. And of course, we have no choice but special ed placement here. The thing is we have always had him working with experts in teaching kids like Malcolm in small, focused, segregated classrooms, and so I can't speak at all to how our children are educated alongside their NT peers. And also Malcolm is extraordinarily gifted academically, we know this and have been told so often by many admiring educators. My own sister, who teaches a regular ed 3 - 4 room in No. MN (with 2 - 4 kids in her room like my son, using resource room, services, etc.) is always blown away by Malcolm's comprehension, writing skills, math skills and self-discipline whenever she is around him.

I think that how to do the writing has been broken down carefully for him by his teachers over the years, and he has had lots of constant writing practise --- papers, essays, stories. Repeat, repeat, repeat. But also, Malcolm wants to be an author, and he is interested to the point that he STUDIES writing, works on trying to figure out why a sentence is funny, has dramatic rhythm. He has a real self-confidence, an internal sense of right and wrong in his writing, plus he actually enjoys it, makes me think this might really happen for him someday...

Just as sometimes I really think he might end up marrying his lady love in TX, he seems to have a knack for keeping her interested and missing him. I guess you never know, do you.

Sara

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