Running Head: EXPOSITORY ESSAY REVISION

Homework has Value with Parental Support

James C. Lee
University of St. Thomas
EDUC 6326 Educational Research and Scholarly Writing
Dr. Phyllis Tyler
April 11th, 2015

EXPOSITORY ESSAY REVISION

Homework has Value with Parental Support

Elementary school children face challenges and obstacles on a daily basis. Parents exist
as catalysts for development of personal skills and educational growth in children. Elementary
students today receive homework assignments that push academic limits of abstract thought and
creative problem solving. Society cannot require a child to endure rigors and challenges of
homework without some type of help at home. What happens when a child has little to no
parental support when it comes to his/her education? Is it reasonable to expect a child between
the ages of six and eleven to develop self-discipline and critical thinking; skills necessary to
complete many elementary level homework assignments? Homework in elementary school
holds no instructional benefit for a child if the child does not have consistent, engaging, positive
parental support.
According to Gill and Schlossman (2004), parents views on the importance of homework
have not changed much over the past 100 years. The role parents play in education is an
important part of understanding how homework benefits children in elementary school. How
much influence do parents have on direct benefits of homework and do parents support
homework at an elementary level?
Parents are aware of the serious nature of elementary homework. Homework on an
elementary level exists as the job of childhood. When daily experiences with
homework are mediated by parents, children are provided meaningful opportunities to
develop work habits and self-management strategies (Corno & Xu, 2005).
Research of Cooper, Jackson, Nye, and Lindsay (2001) demonstrated that the completion of a
homework assignment involves the complex interaction of more influences than any other

EXPOSITORY ESSAY REVISION

pedagogical technique. Imagine a child between the ages of six and eleven, home alone and
attempting to complete a complex and rigorous homework assignment (he/she had difficulty
understanding the lesson in school). Now imagine the same child processing every distraction.
The child reacts to every sound and thinks about ten different things at once along with the idea
of being home alone. All of these factors give credence to the idea that parents play a critical
role in a childs ability to benefit from homework given in elementary school. Young children
easily fall prey to distraction at home, have limited attention to focus, and have difficulty
managing time between simple and difficult tasks (Cooper et al., 2001). The burden of
overcoming these growing pains falls on parents. Elementary school homework has no
instructional value to a child if parents are not available and willing to give time and effort
necessary to foster and develop these skills.
Parents are equally responsible for a childs education as the school and classroom the
child attends each day.
A direct relationship exists between the role of parents in the homework process and
success of elementary school students. In order for a child to receive true benefit from
parental involvement, support needs to be structured and positive in nature. Parents play
a critical role in developing positive attitudes when children are young; this builds a
foundation for future success, specifically in later grades (Cooper et al., 2001).
An apathetic or uninterested parent can potentially do more harm than good in relation to a
childs educational growth and development. To expect a child to look at homework as a
challenge and not a burden, parents must lead by example. They must demonstrate the
importance of a positive attitude and personal diligence when it comes to doing homework.
Children must be shown how to approach homework (something they may the understanding

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that it is something that will lead to future success. Several benefits of effective and positive
parental supervision relate to a childs education. Children benefit most from homework when
parents clarify expectations, model and encourage work habits, and respond positively when help
is needed (Corno & Xu, 2005). Homework, even in elementary school, can be extremely
stressful and the cause of great anxiety in both children and parents. The role of parents with
homework should be one of fostering a positive work ethic, building consistent work habits, and
providing meaningful support (not just answers to questions).
Imagine two houses, side by side, on a typical weekday evening. Inside each house sits a
third grade student going to the same school as the other. Each child has the same homework
assignment and received the same instruction during the school day. One child sits alone at a
table with his homework spread out in a mess before him. There is a television on in the
background and an I-pad sitting next to the dinner he just warmed up in the microwave; mom
and dad will not be home for another two hours and by then he will have fallen asleep. The other
child sits in a quiet, well-lit room with little visual or noise distraction. Her mother sits next to
her watching and listening as she reads thru her assignment; mom provides support when needed
and praises everything she does. Her mother is a guide and she knows that she can count on her
for help. This is the routine that the child has followed since she was six and it has become
second nature to her now that she is eight. Sometimes her homework is not fun and challenging
to the point of frustration. Her mother has shown her how to deal with adversity and keep a
positive attitude about what she is doing; she knows why homework is important. Which child
do you think will benefit from homework that is given?

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References
Cooper, H., Jackson, K., Nye, B., & Lindsay, J. J. (2001). A model of homework's influence on
the performance evaluations of elementary school students. Journal Of Experimental
Education, 69(2), 181-99.
Corno, L., & Xu, J. (2004). Homework as the job of childhood. Theory Into Practice, 43(3), 227233.
Gill, B. P., & Schlossman, S. L. (2004). Villain or savior? The American discourse on
homework, 1850-2003. Theory Into Practice, 43(3), 174-181.