Why Primary Schools Should Stop Giving Homework

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1. 01Why Primary Schools Should Stop Giving Homework

   Good evening, parents and teachers. I'm a mother of two, and every evening I watch my eight-year-old cry over worksheets at the kitchen table. Tonight, I'll argue that primary schools should stop giving regular homework.

   各位家长、各位老师，晚上好。我是两个孩子的妈妈，每天晚上，我都看着我八岁的孩子在厨房餐桌前对着练习单哭。今晚，我要论证小学应该停止布置日常家庭作业。

2. 02What I'm Proposing

   Let me be clear about what I'm proposing. I'm not against learning at home. I'm against regular homework sheets for young children. Reading together for fun should still be encouraged.

   让我先说清楚我的提议。我并不反对在家学习。我反对的是给年幼的孩子布置日常的作业练习单。一起开心地读书，仍然应该鼓励。

3. 03Reason 1: Little Evidence for Young Children

   My first reason is evidence. A well-known 2006 review of homework research by Harris Cooper and colleagues found that homework is clearly linked to achievement in middle and high school, but the link is very weak for young primary school students.

   我的第一个理由是证据。哈里斯·库珀和同事们在2006年发表了一篇关于家庭作业研究的著名综述，发现家庭作业和初中、高中阶段的学业成绩有明显关联，但对小学低年级的学生来说，这种关联非常弱。

   Source: Cooper, Robinson & Patall, "Does homework improve academic achievement? A synthesis of research, 1987–2003," Review of Educational Research (2006)

4. 04Reason 2: Time for Play and Rest

   My second reason is time. Young children learn a lot through play, conversations with family, and simply resting. Every hour of worksheets is an hour taken from those things.

   我的第二个理由是时间。年幼的孩子通过玩耍、和家人聊天，甚至只是休息，就能学到很多东西。每做一个小时的练习单，就从这些事情中拿走了一个小时。

5. 05Reason 3: Fairness

   My third reason is fairness. Some children have parents who can help every evening. Others have parents working late. Homework can widen the gap between them, instead of closing it.

   我的第三个理由是公平。有些孩子的父母每天晚上都能帮忙，而有些孩子的父母要工作到很晚。家庭作业可能会拉大他们之间的差距，而不是缩小差距。

6. 06"But Children Need Routines"

   Some parents say homework builds good study routines. I understand that. But a short daily reading time can build routines too, and schools can teach study habits during the school day.

   有些家长说，家庭作业能培养良好的学习习惯。我能理解。但每天一小段阅读时间同样能培养习惯，而且学校可以在上课时间教孩子学习方法。

7. 07What Schools Could Do Instead

   Instead of worksheets, schools could encourage fifteen minutes of reading together each day, offer optional fun projects, and do practice exercises in class, where teachers can help.

   学校可以不布置练习单，而是鼓励每天一起读书十五分钟，提供可自由选择的有趣项目，并把练习放在课堂上做，让老师可以帮忙。

8. 08Conclusion

   To conclude, the research gives little support for regular homework in primary school, and childhood is short. Let's give young children their evenings back. Thank you.

   最后，研究几乎不支持在小学布置日常家庭作业，而童年又很短暂。让我们把晚上的时间还给年幼的孩子们吧。谢谢大家。