Homework necessary for students’ future

I agree with Lon Allan (“Schools are going overboard on homework,” Nov. 2) that children are often given homework that amounts to busy work, but I disagree with Peter Romwall (“Homework is unnecessary, studies show,” Nov. 18) about not giving any homework.

Throughout my 35 years teaching English in middle school and high school, my students in their English classes read novels and short stories at home in order to participate in class discussions. They wrote essays about literature and short stories at home and critiqued one another’s essays in small groups at school. And yes, they studied vocabulary from the literature for quizzes on Fridays.

I don’t consider the said activities mindless, but rather necessary for their education and future.

This story was originally published November 28, 2015 at 5:35 AM with the headline "Homework necessary for students’ future."