Week #7 - Blog #10

“Homework provides students with opportunities to practice, review, and apply knowledge.  Homework is an effective means of extending student learning beyond the school day”.  (Hill & Flynn, 2006)  

After much reading during this class I have come to the following conclusions:

1. Generally, ELLs come into our classrooms from a variety of countries with a diverse set of experiences. They face the daunting tasks of adjusting to a new home and cultural environment, learning a new language, making new friends, and making sense of the rules, appropriate behaviors, and mechanics of a new school. At the same time ELL students are experiencing many losses and trying to “fit in” with their new surroundings. This challenge is quite often overwhelming, resulting in well-known “culture shock” and an inability to do homework on top of struggling with all the other issues.  As teachers we need to help them overcome this "culture shock" and then slowly introduce them to homework.  Doing that in a reasonable time frame will help encourage homework success with ELL students.

2. Many ELLs come from backgrounds that virtually eliminate the possibility of homework because of family/economic obligations. For example, Spanish-speaking families often are large and close knit, and children are assigned duties at home (helping with younger siblings—eating, dressing them, babysitting, cooking, helping elderly grandparents), as well as numerous other chores that leave little or no time for homework. Additionally, migrant Spanish-speaking families often are at or below the poverty level, and children help with earning money for economic survival, often doing jobs that are physically exhausting (e.g., picking fruit or vegetables). ELLs of Asian heritage often work in family businesses (e.g., restaurants) at young ages and are expected to work until late in the evening and on weekends as well. This leaves little or no time for homework.  As Morrow indicates in her text Literacy Development in the Early Years, it is imperative to know the culture, background and family situation of our ELL students.  Accommodations in regards to homework may be necessary because of the above.
 

3.  Homework is generally an American tradition in education, which is questioned even by traditional English-speaking communities. Other cultures/countries do not have homework as a rule, heavily emphasizing social and family skills outside of school over continued schoolwork at home. This includes various ethnic, religious, or family obligations that take time from additional schoolwork.  Although we know homework is important for ELL students we also need to understand what some of the family expectations are in regards to homework and work with those expectations to keep a good rapport with family members.

4.  When assigning homework, educators often make the assumption that parents will be involved with their children. ELLs who have no one at home who speaks, reads, or writes English are at a distinct disadvantage when doing homework.  We need to provide homework that is understandable, independent and successful for our ELL students.


I believe in homework as a means to practice new knowledge for all students.  This class has certainly made me rethink my policy in regards to my ELL students.  I know that I need to be aware of the cultural and family background of my ELL students so that I can assign homework that will be beneficial to them and successful as well.