Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1933-01-12
HEALTH AND HOME WORK
Editor AskOy American:

HEALTH AND HOME WORK
Editor Askov American:
The Minnesota Medical Association
has decided that the health of chill
dren has been impaired due to the
factors of too much home work
(schOoD, or too many home duties,
or too high educational standards for
children of the grades and Junior
high school. 1t would appear from
the report that too much home work
was the largest contributing factor
determining the child's h e a 1t h.
Teachers will agree, and l believe a
scientific study will bear out the fact
that school home work" is the least
of the factors contributing to poor
health. One factor alone that has
been overlooked are the weak bodies
caused by malnutrition. Lower STAN
dards of living and the depression are
the indirect causes in these cases.
In most schools there is little COM
pulsory home work as compared to
voluntary home work. Compulsory
home work in a few cases have been
administered as remedial program
for the retarded child. who cannot
master the minimum essentials of a
lesson in the allotted class time.
These children are slow in their
thinking processes and usually need
more time than other children. The
teacher, in order to insure that the
child will make the progress that is
necessary to keep up the standard of
the class, will give out fundamental
drill work to be mastered outside of
school hours.
The majority of children in six
hour day do satisfactory work in the
essential subjects. Out of six hour
day Johnny, in the third grade, de-
votes 40 minutes to arithmetic. This
includes study and recitation. If
arithmetic is very hard for Johnny
he will not be prepared in 20 minutes.
This situation then will not only be
problem to Johnny but likewise to
the teacher. The superior teacher
will Immediately consider the indi-
vidual differences among her chill
dren and give individual help where
time affords. In Consolidated
School where children leave at p. m
part of her program of individual help
will consist of some home work to
master by these pupils.
Although many parents do not real
ize it. most of the home work done
| by grade children is voluntary. Much
of this consists of project work and
making things" The endeavor here
as an activity is more recreatiOna1
than it is mental Some children
prefer to leave the theme writing and
map work for home study. Others
waste SO much time in school that
home work becomes obligatory il
their case. Bright children who are
in themselves another problem clam
our for extra work thereby receivins
extra credit. For these children the
curriculum must be enriched OF
school would be dull and bOresome
Then there are some children who
take books home for the psychological
affect it will have on parents ant
teachers, yet fail to open the covers
preferring in place of study the read
ing of library books late into thu
night.
Most school men will agree tina
there is not enough serious HON,
study to even do good let alone d.
harm as the Medical Association ha
Suggested. The home today with It
radio, the automobile, and the oppor
tunity to indulge in commentaries
entertainment has In fact become
very poor place to study. Few home
can boast of quiet study room TO
their children. Who will admit tina
80 minutes of concentrated menta
work for an eighth grader will Civ
bodily harm? The truth of the mat
ter is that grade children seldom
overdo in mental work at home. Over
participation in school extra curricu
lar activities is harmful, and parent
should not allow children to be il
too many things" These activities
however, take in very few grade chill
dren if any.
Since most of the grade child's les
sons can be completed in school hours
particularly If they are in good health
of average mental ability, and do no
waste time, it is very unlikely tina
what school work is done at home b
grade children has any material Ell
feet upon their health.
In this connection | have bee
thinking of the schools l have be
come familiar with in Pine county
FREDERIC G. BRANDES.
Superintendent of Schools.