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Molly OConnell
Mr. Newman
English 101: Rhetoric
1 December 2014
Homework and Parents
In a recent study, sociologists from the University of Texas at Austin and Duke
University have found that parents helping their children with their homework can lead to a
negative effect on their childrens academic achievement. While some agree with this study,
others strongly disagree because the children of America need to get help from their parents with
their homework when needed. If children are having trouble with their homework they need to
get help from their parents in order to excel in their education. Although some believe children
should not get help with their homework from their parents, students need the help in order to
succeed in their future education.
Education is one of the most important parts of a childs life in order for them to have a
bright future. Homework is an essential part of a students education. Without homework,
students may have a lot more trouble learning. Children need to understand the work they do
instead of blowing it off so its important that they get help at home Not all students have access
to people and resources to help them reach their full learning capacity after school (H. Richard
Milner the Helen Faison professor of urban education at the University of Pittsburg), students
main resources at home are their parents so it is important for kids to get help from them when
necessary. Getting help from parents is just as important as motivating their children to get their
homework done by communicating clear expectations and helping students develop a

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homework routine. Students who have a set time, place and way to complete homework are
more likely to ultimately do better in school (Erika Patall, assistant professor of educational
psychology). A homework routine is important because it motivates students to want to do better
in school. Martha Brockenbrough who is a former high school teacher and a mother of two
daughters, has noticed that her girls dont like to do their homework but work to get it done
because they like having less corrections and see that they are understanding the work they are
doing. Brockenbrough makes sure that her girls have supplies, fuel, routines and the principles
that support the work, this is a perfect example of a homework routine that successfully works
and makes them more motivated. Getting help from parents and having a set homework routine
motivates students and is very important to help them do better in school.
On the other hand, there are the people who feel that parents should not help their
children with homework. The co-author of The Case Against Homework Sara Bennett feels
homework is pointless because most of the work is done by their parents and teachers would
finally see the true quality of students work if they only see the work that they do at school.
Bennett feels that homework is doing more hurt then good to the students and doesnt prepare
them at all especially if their getting help from their parents. Also, there are many different types
of parents that can affect their students education negatively, Conversely, the children of
directive or controlling parents, who intervene and manage every detail of their childs
performance, tend give up when faced with challenge and frustration says Jessica Lahey who is
a writer for the Atlantic, columnist at Motherlode, and author. Alfie Kohn who is an author,
agrees with both Bennett and Lahey and also adds the point that kids get everything too easily
these days and that getting help with homework can cause both frustration, exhaustion, and
sometimes family conflict which just adds more stress to students after a full day of school and

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also even stress to the parents after a full day of work. All of these people have agreed that
getting help from their parents from homework is pointless especially if they have overbearing,
helicopter parents.
Homework is essential to all levels of education and students need the help from their
parents when they do not understand their homework. Homework is meant to get done at home
where there is a very limited amount of help so the best help that theyre going to get is from
their parents. I agree that homework could potentially enhance in-class learning (Milner),
working at home is a good way to help students in the classroom so getting help from the parents
is also a big part of help to enhance the way students are learning in the classroom. Parents help
with homework also helps the teacher because a teacher cant come home with you to help you,
but your parents have the knowledge to help you. Since students have such limited resources, it
is very important that they get help at home from their parents. When students are getting help
from their parents they may be learning new strategies that they havent learned in school.
Theyre also learning strategies that they can use in other situations for the rest of their life.
Getting help from parents isnt a bad thing and doesnt mean that their parents are doing their
homework, if parents did their students homework for them it would show in the poor work that
they do at school.
While some believe that homework should be something that students need to do
themselves, others feel that its a necessary thing to improve the work ethic of the students in the
classroom. It is important for kids to get the help they need with homework and getting help
from their parents could help them learn new things or strategies that their teachers didnt teach
them. Parents are also there to support their childs education and motivate them to do their
homework which teaches them to want to get better and progressively improve in school. Most

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students will most likely get help and learn more than what theyre learning in class from their
parents. Parents play a huge role in their childs life and its very important for them to not only
help in life, but improve education.