Evening star., 1940-12-12
Homework in
Excess Is of
No Value
Teachers Should
Organize Study
Itelligently
BY ANGELO PATRI.

This is the open season for home
work. The teachers look ahead and
see the end of the term drawing
near. Holidays have eaten away
valuable time and slowed down the
work of the days before and after.
There are more to come Novem-
Der has already been broken by
Election Day, Thanksgiving Day,
Armistice Day. December brings
the Christmas week vacation, and
just beyond New Years are the pro-
motion examinations and the end
of the term! So much remaining
to be done and so little time in
which to do it. The teacher feels
rushed, swamped, anxious and be-
gins prodding the children She
piles up the home lessons in the
hope of Catching up"
AS one who has been through
the agony of short terms and long
examinations, let me say to teach
ers and parents that rushing.
pushing and cramming the pupils
will help not at all Hurry and the
anxiety that it breeds brings mental
confusion and the end of learning.
Children will learn rapidly and re-
tain what they learn longer if they
work in calm atmosphere without
haste. without pressure They will
do more, do it faster, do it better,
if they are not made to feel short
of breath Give them the feeling
of space and time about them and
they will 60 right ahead.
At this time in the school term
it is we'll to look at the terms
work and see what can be done to
organize it so that it may be pre-
sented and taught with brevity,
quality and interest. Select the
main points and teach them first.
Then to the framework add the
secondary information, reading and
Illustration that makes for richness
and culture. But don't hurry!
Keep the homework down to
brief reviews of work done in the
classroom. Don't try to make time
by assigning chapters of history at
a gulp. The pupils cannot read
and interpret pages of books. The
teacher must help them to find the
main paragraphs, the essential
points, the facts He or she must
help them organize the material,
and then read it with them in
class.
1t is not necessary to read every
word in text. Teach the pupils
what is important. Let them mark
their texts with marginal notes, so
that their texts become valuable
note books. ready for the final
study before tests We are too care
full Of books, valuing them before
the students need for their service.
If texts are marked, notes made
in the students own handwriting
they have no need of note books on
the text. That in itself is a great
saving of time and material and
teachers eyesight The pupils
ought to own their school books and
not have to pass them along to be
used again by other pupils. The
financial problems can be solved
easily if we get down to them.
Don't give 10 examples in the be-
lief that the long exercise will fasten
the technique. 1t will only fatigue
the pupil. One, at most two, are
plenty for one lesson in review
homework. Don't give long lists OF
words to be hunted up in the die
tionary, written five times with
their meaning and use illustrated.
1t won't help.
Take it easy. Plan the work; Or
ganize it: teach it intelligently;
make brief and pointed assignments;
keep calm. Children grow best in
an atmosphere of security and faith.
If the teacher is assured, the stu
dents will be sure.
Mr.. Patri has prepared q leaflt
entitled "Slowness," in which he
advises parents how to handle
the dilly-dallier. Send for 1t,
addressing your request to Mr..
Angelo Patri, Child Psychology
Department of this paper. In
close q self addressed, stamped
(2.cenf) enve1nne