Is It Homework or Busywork?

Introduction

The majority of the parents are of the opinion that homework done by their child is not up to the mark. They do not complain about the efforts on the part of their children, however, rather on the homework which is being assigned to them. They are not happy about the kind of homework which is assigned to the children according to a research done by Met Life Survey. Actually, it has been revealed after the survey that forty percent of the parents think that their children were asked to perform busy work and not homework.

What is Busy Work?

This is a kind of assignment which might take plenty of time to finish, however, does not convey anything which has learning value to a student. It means that apparently your child would seem to be very busy ; however, actually he or she remains occupied in work only and learns nothing from the same. Busy work sometimes becomes beneficial inside the classroom. Lesson plans of replacement teachers frequently contain work, particularly at a time when any teacher had thought about initiating new ideas to the class and rather would wait in anticipation of her returns for doing so. This kind of work helps the students to remain occupied and practicing skills which they have learnt already, though does not impart anything new.

What is Homework?

On the other hand, homework altogether serves a dissimilar purpose compared to busy work. Useful assignments of homework help to integrate and practice and learn new type of skills. Homework enables students to find for themselves about the concepts which they have mastered and which they are yet to resolve. On few occasions may appear like busy work, especially in math and vocabulary. It is because of the fact that some skills are there which are adopted by repetition. Thirty problems of math utilizing the similar procedure might appear as busy work, however, with the twenty-sixth problem majority students would observe that the process of solving the problem has become habitual. Homework for spelling can be repetitive and boring also, though some excellent means are there to practice spelling which can turn it a bit more exciting.

Is it homework or busy work?

The parents very often find it difficult to answer a question about the definition of an assigned work whether that is actually homework or a busy work. On many occasion the answer is clear. Till your child requires improving her skills, asking her for doing the homework to cut, colour and glue does not at all have a learning value. Only exception is the occasion when an assignment has to be done as a family. Family projects educate about the significance of teamwork and help children realize that parents are also a significant part for their education.

The answer varies depending on the concerned child. When it relates to skill practice, what seems learning value to one kid, in case of another child it may appear as busy work. For learning effectively few children need repetition while in case of others it is grasped very easily. Few teachers are of the opinion that each student should do the similar type of homework, while few of them are in favour of assigning individualized homework. Parents should not request the teachers for no homework ; however, consulting them regarding the difference between providing " equal " learning experience and being " fair " is a good approach.