You don't need to be a scholar to understand the importance of schoolwork. We all grew up with it, and although many people don't recognize its relevance, it is vital for reinforcing class teachings and promoting students' intellectual development, regardless of the subject. However, there is a very common problem in our society: it is not always the child who does these assignments at home.
I heard the last straw a few days ago, when a little boy from the neighborhood told one of his classmates that he had not yet completed two questions in his practical assignment because his mother had not answered them for him. What's more, he said emphatically, “Imagine, she's the one who does them for me.”
That got me thinking: what if his mother wasn't there? What would happen if he had to research those two questions in the classroom, where she isn't? What would he do if he went to study outside the province? How do others who don't have anyone to help them cope?
We are faced with a reality that has many nuances, so it is important to clarify that I am not referring to poorly designed assignments, which are a topic for another discussion. Rather, I am talking about assignments that are in line with the objectives of each grade level. The main problem is that parents make the mistake of solving what their child is capable of doing on their own, and that was designed for their age, even though they may need clarification at some point.
School assignments are very necessary for children to build autonomy. Not only do they contribute to better learning in class, but doing them every day forms a study habit. They can also help foster creativity and allow students to develop skills that will serve them well in the future.
A child who gets used to doing homework, even when they don't have any, will still take out their notebooks and review the day's content. This is because they will have created a culture, a personal need for daily review, which will have a positive impact on their future studies. Nurturing the habit of reading and the desire to learn will be to their own benefit.
Our days are indeed fast-paced in every way, power outages notwithstanding; that technology helps and Google has “all the answers,” but the solution cannot be simply to lend them your phone and let them copy the first thing they find on the Internet so they can go play faster, “if, in short, they spend the day ‘stuck’ in the classroom.” Children must be taught to analyze what they are reading, to draw their own conclusions; in short, to think for themselves.
Of course, from an early age, parents and other family members must help the little ones with this school mission. In fact, it is reassuring for students to know that they have this support at home, and it undoubtedly constitutes a time of family unity. But it must be experienced without excessive involvement from adults.
Dependency does not foster intellect, and it is the children who are disadvantaged in evaluation. That is why we cannot stifle their reasoning skills or adapt to giving them everything “pre-digested” or simply allowing them to get used to copying without analyzing.
It is good to grow up with goals, constantly evolve, and not learning mechanically; having own criteria will be one of the greatest gains. Assistance should be limited, because schoolwork is not for parents. Therefore, let us not allow love and overprotection to affect the development of the most beautiful we have: our children.
