Long Beach Schools Eliminate Homework For Elementary Students

The dreams of nearly every child in America are coming true in Long Beach, as the school district has just announced that, starting next year, there will no longer be homework for elementary school students.

In a letter sent home to district parents this week, Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Gallagher announced that the district would be doing away with homework for its youngest students, and instead encouraging students to "WRaP" every night: Wonder, Read and Play.

"Homework is one of those elementary school practices that has endured for hundreds of years because we just assume that it must help, right?" Gallagher wrote. "But there is a ton of research suggesting that homework in the elementary grades doesn’t help much at all."

While homework is helpful for middle and high school students, it doesn't really do much for elementary school students, Gallagher wrote. Instead, research shows that reading every night is much more helpful for young minds.

Gallagher specifically said that this plan is NOT an excuse for students to play more video games and watch more television. They should be dedicating a significant amount of after-school time to reading, either alone are with their parents.

Students are also encouraged to wonder, and parents should foster that curiosity. "Curiosity is the foundation of learning," wrote Gallagher. "Ask your children every night, 'What’s one thing you wondered about today?' Research answers to their wonderings. And do it together, joyfully. You will model for your child that learning is fun!"

Gallagher is also encouraging students to play after school, which helps foster their creativity. To that end, the district will be introducing "brain breaks" into elementary classrooms next year "to give students a bit more opportunity to move and play."

The Long Beach School District has 1,555 students in kindergarten through fifth grade, according to state records. The new policy would affect them all.

Gallagher said that if students want to practice math or science problems at home, that's fine. But the focus is reading, and that's what teachers are going to promote.

The decision has received mixed reactions from the community.

"Having taught math at [Long Beach High School] for 30+ years, I believe there is merit to homework at all levels," Cissie Judge Butler wrote on Facebook. "Homework reinforces concepts taught during the school day and helps students to work independently. It helps them realize what they do know and what they don’t know, so they can pay closer attention when going over it in class the next day. There should be time after school for play, reading, socializing, and yes, homework."

Photo: Patch