I was asked to contact you regarding Joe and the
recommendations I made about him. For sure, please feel free to call me (on my
office or my cell phone) if you have any questions. From what I was told, it
appears that there is agreement on my recommendations for Joe, but that the
concerns have more to do with the impact they may have on school district policy
and other children as well. If that is the issue, I can speak about that
briefly here.
Several years ago, Professor Jay Kuder, of Rowan
University, and I presented the model from which these recommendations evolve at
the annual conference of the National Association of School Psychologists in New
Orleans. There, we got positive feedback, yet most people attending the workshop
thought that teachers would never accept what we had to say. I understand that
the model we propose has broad implications on education (specifically homework)
policy. Yet, it is quite important that these adjustments occur, not just for
the sake of young people like Joe but for the schools as well.
A member of a child study team once told me that 50% of
all referrals she received centered on issues of homework compliance. The truth,
which many people fail to understand, is that behavioral problems are an
outgrowth of homework problems, not the cause of them. Chronic homework problems
are typically learning problems in disguise (I call them under the radar
learning disabilities), ones that are not severe enough to warrant
classification, but significant enough to make homework completion difficult,
and, far more difficult than to have classroom success. Because the child seems
bright and functions well in school, teachers make the understandable, but still
erroneous, assumption that they can complete the work at home. Then, when work
fails to get done, parents and teachers meet together. The child’s reaction is
to resist. The resistance is deemed a behavioral problem, the child study team
gets involved, and rather than deal with the academic issue, we’re dealing with
behavioral problems. This is frustrating to teachers as it disrupts their
classrooms and interferes with what they love to do – teach children. It is
disruptive to school administrators as they spend their time managing
disciplinary problems which got manufactured by the system itself.
It is because of this that I wrote The Homework Trap.
Although my book was directed to parents, I agree with Dr. Cathy Vatterott,
author of the well-regarded (No. 1 result on an amazon.com homework search)
book, “Rethinking Homework,” who said “It should be
required reading for all teachers, school counselors, and principals.” The
Homework Trap actually covers two primary issues. First, I provide an
explanation about what happens to homework trapped kids under constant homework
pressure. Then, I offer my recommendations. The letter you received focuses on
my recommendations, but does not include my analysis of what is actually
happening from the child’s point of view. Regardless of what decisions your
school district makes, I think it is important that such decisions take place
with an accurate understanding about what common strategies to get children back
on track are actually doing.
2 comments:
Good sharing, as a good education is important in securing a good future, many students feel the pressure to excel in their examinations. With the stress and anxiety, especially dealing with exam anxiety, students tend to “break” under the pressure. Some are found to even attempt suicide. At International Psychology Centre (IPC), parents can bring their children in for professional consultation if they find that their child has problems coping at school. For detail visit:
http://kidbuxblog.com/dealing-with-exam-anxiety/
Good sharing, as a good education is important in securing a good future, many students feel the pressure to excel in their examinations. With the stress and anxiety, especially dealing with exam anxiety, students tend to “break” under the pressure. Some are found to even attempt suicide. At International Psychology Centre (IPC), parents can bring their children in for professional consultation if they find that their child has problems coping at school. For detail visit:
http://kidbuxblog.com/dealing-with-exam-anxiety/
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