During the Canadian election, my husband Kevin posed the following question to our children at the dinner table: What would you do first if you were elected Prime Minister? My ten year old son responded with his own question: Which is bigger – the White House or 24 Sussex Drive? He then launched into his plan to build a bigger house for himself as leader of the country.
Kathleen, our eight year old, finally interrupted with an equally passionate rant that went something like this: How could you even think this way? How could you be so selfish and want a big house when there are people in this country who are homeless? Who don’t have jobs? Aren’t these the issues that the Prime Minister should be focusing on?
And as they fought this out, Kevin and I sat back and smiled. We love seeing them all worked up.
Having read Jeffrey Simpson’s article in last Saturday’s Globe and Mail, we should have been smiling because this exchange is actually a good indicator that our kids are more likely to get into university! According to a study at the University of Ottawa, dinner conversations and owning books, particularly a dictionary, are better predictors than wealth.
Makes me think of all the work that our schools do to prepare kids for university and how much homework is assigned to kids in the hopes that it is making a difference in university admissions. The fact is, very little research exists to link homework to enhanced learning, especially for students in primary grades. Alfie Kohn agrees that there is little benefit to homework and suggests how families can reclaim their home life; he is someone who has done his homework on homework and his website is worth checking out.
A new Guiding Question in CESI’s new Accreditation Guidelines 2009 requires schools to reconsider the value of homework: “What evidence exists that the homework policy is effective in supporting learning?” I always come back to the data – there is evidence to show the benefits of dinner time conversation but no evidence to show the value of homework at the younger grades.
I recall Craig Kielburger saying that reading the newspaper and discussing world issues with his Dad helped to plant the seed for the important international work he is doing with Free the Children.
How can we raise and educate children who will have an impact on the world? I propose to parents that we think of good questions to pose at the dinner table. And rather than take sides with the hard-nosed capitalist or bleeding heart socialist, we sit back, enjoy, and save our money for tuition.
I agree. Making sure that your family sits down together for dinner every evening should a a priority on every mothers mind. It builds strong family bonds and teaches kids that as a family, you can get through anything. The fact that it has proven to also be a factor is success.. that’s a bonus!
Homework in the older grades can be a useful way to help consolidate learning. It should not be used to introduce new concepts.
Homework in the older grades can be a useful way to help consolidate learning. It should not be used to introduce new concepts.