A Letter from Mr. Nysmith’s Desk

Homework Philosophy

The Nysmith School believes that homework serves several basic purposes; to reinforce content retention and teach time planning and project management skills. We do not believe that a lot of homework equates to a quality education. The reality is that bright children do not need a lot of repetition to learn content, and in fact, unneeded repetition can demotivate even the most eager student. At Nysmith, we have demonstrated over our 30+ years that 10 minutes per grade 4-5 times a week is enough homework to reinforce content and most importantly, to teach critical study skills and time management.

Our program is designed for children who have a propensity for learning. They do not need a lot of repetition to understand a concept. Small classes and low student to teacher ratios allow teachers to ensure that each child understands the concept being taught, and if needed provide additional assistance to master the concept. By diversifying the curriculum to meet the needs of the children within the class, the teacher is able to encourage each child to work on the level that is right for them without pressure or boredom.

Our homework is designed to teach critical time management skills. Our alumni are known for their ability to manage the much higher volumes of high school homework. Our alumni report that it usually takes them about 3 weeks to adjust to the 3-5 hours of high school homework. However, during 8th grade at Nysmith, the students have time activities outside school to enjoy life with a happy balanced quality life.

Communication is the key to find the happy balance of homework. We have begun a system of identifying how long each assignment should take so that students and parents understand each teacher’s expectation of each assignment. If an assignment is taking longer than the teacher has indicated, children should talk with their teacher to find out more information about why it is taking longer and how they can adjust the assignment so that it does fit into the allotted assignment time. We do not want children to spend a lot of time on homework. It is not needed, and it is not necessary for a quality education.