Our specific homework recommendations are different for each child and, as with our entire approach to education, are customized according to input from individual students, parents, and teachers. Imagine that! (I won't ask to be pardoned for my sarcasm - I've met far too many families with well earned battle scars over the mindless, "one size fits all" approach to homework that even most private schools impose.) Parents have the primary responsibility for deciding the particulars of how their child spends their time at home, and it should be based on the needs of individual children!
In general, we minimize traditional homework, although it is quite common for a student or parent to request or a teacher to assign additional, “traditional” homework work in any area. Our goals are lofty – Thoreau once said that you don’t often hit what you never aimed for – but often pay off handsomely. We aim to help guide and organize the learning process taking place spontaneously within each child, ensuring they have the tools they need to discover and develop their passions while keeping their academics balanced. Once they learn how to use them, the resources at their fingertips are virtually unlimited. Many students fall easily into an incredible pattern where it is obvious to all that the blaze of true learning has been ignited.
Yet we are pragmatic, and understand that reality often falls far short of our idealistic hopes. Not every student will find this path and settle into a groove at the same time. Many need more time and more traditional, external guidance before they discover a passion. (Especially those with a few years of “traditional” schooling under their belts, who first need to unlearn what they think an “education” is.)
In an attempt to build the trellises that will guide their natural interests, our elementary and high school students are responsible for 2 ongoing homework assignments. The first involves reading. We encourage all to read for pleasure; we monitor their progress and strongly encourage them to broaden their pallets by sampling various types and styles. (Short Stories, Biographies, Adventure, Science Fiction, Historical, Scientific, Current Events, Mystery, Mythology…)
The second homework assignment is to go home and explore - learn something interesting if not fascinating, discover a passion! The choices are open-ended. It can be a curling up on the couch with mom for a show on the History or Discovery Channel, or a special on an actress who just passed away; it can be something they explored on the internet, or a hiking new trail they discovered with dad; it can be an in-depth discussion with a visiting uncle about his experiences in a foreign country, a movie they film with their friends, or a song they composed with their band. In any event, our students are encouraged to reflect on their diverse discoveries and enrich our weekly group discussions, hopefully and sparking each other’s interests. As they grow and mature, we encourage each student to keep a journal with summaries, brief or in depth as appropriate, of their journeys exploring our world. (Colleges love portfolios spiked with such unique treasures!)