Parents are meant to help children with many different issues that arise. However, when it comes to homework, should parents intervene? This controversial topic is a huge debate among teachers nationwide.
Parents should not get too involved in their children’s homework because it makes it difficult for teachers to access the students’ understanding of the concept taught, the student will most likely lose the responsibility to do their own homework then later start to depend only on their parents, and although some may argue that if parents get involved it will show the child that school is important, students need to realize their parents will not always be present to encourage them.
First, parents should not help their children do their homework because it will make it difficult for a teacher to make sure that the concept being taught its effective. Christina Sotelo Benson, a fifth grade teacher apart of the National City Elementary Teachers Association says, “If parents help them [students] do their homework, it is difficult for me to assess their skill level or know whether my teaching was effective” (para 1). When Ms. Benson says this one can infer that many teachers across the nation face the same problem.
By encouraging parents not to get too involved in their children’s homework, teachers will be able to achieve better teaching habits. Benson continues to say “… with Common Core I don’t expect parents to solve problems the way my students are now being taught” (para 2). This shows that the new and improved standards for California may not be the way parents were taught. Parents teaching their children in ways other than what’s being taught in class, can lead confusion for the student.
Overall, parents should not help students with their homework because it makes it difficult for the teacher to know whether or not the concept being taught in class is being taught well, and it can also later lead to confusion. Furthermore, parents should not help their students too much because children may begin depend on their parents to get good grades, and later lose responsibility, not only for school work, but in general life experiences.
Benson continues to say, “Students need to take responsibility for their homework, because being responsible is a life skill” (para 5). When Benson makes this comment it portrays that teachers nationwide give homework to practice responsibility, and the concept being taught. If parents interfere with the amount of responsibility students homework takes, it may lead the child into depending on their parents later on in life. “When parents get involved with homework, there is often frustration” (Christina Sotelo Benson, para 3).
This shows that the way certain concepts are taught differ as time goes on. This also shows that not only does parents helping their children lead to an irresponsible child, but also a confused child. Overall, students getting help from their parents can lead to an irresponsible, frustrated, and confused child. Although some may argue that if parents get involved it will show the child that school is important, however, students must come to realize that their parents will not always be present to encourage them.
Therese Sorey, the Irvine Teachers Association president, claims that parents should help their children and says, “By being involved, parents can demonstrate to their kids that school is important, that they want their kids to achieve, that the recognize learning is difficult,and that sometimes they can help” (para 4). The point Sorey is trying to make is that by parents helping their children, that will show the child that their loved ones understand their dilemma.
It also portrays that by helping them, and teaching them what to do, children will be inspired to do better. However, there is a negative effect by parents helping their kids with their homework;“When they [students] go to college they need to know how to study and problem-solve on their own, and their parent won’t be there to help them” (Christina Sotelo Benson, para 5). The point being made here is that if children recieve an ample amount of help from their parents, the students may not be able to easily do their homework in the future.
Homework is given by teachers to provide as preparation for high school and college. To sum up, parents should not interfere with their child’s homework because it will later lead to a lack of independency. In conclusion, parents should not get too involved in their children’s homework because it makes it hard for teachers to know the students’ understanding of the material being taught, the student will probably lose the responsibility to do their own homework then later start to depend only n their parents, and although some may say that if parents get help their children it will show the child that school is important, students need to realize their parents will not always be present to encourage them. Students and children may go through tough problems but overall it is much more beneficial for the student, not to get too much help from parents.
