Welcome Eddies!

Homework: the very word strikes dread into your heart even decades after your last assignment (admit it).

Today, we unpack a viral Facebook post that shattered a thousand hearts with a single image of a 1st grader who had been overburdened with homework to the point of tears. Relatable?

Read on...

THOUGHT: Homework Heartbreak
TREND: Does Homework Even Work?
TOOL: Focus Timers for Focused Homework

Homework Heartbreak

It was the second day of first grade. After six hours at school, the little boy came home to another hour of homework. His mom described him as bursting with energy, just wanting to go play. Then he looked up and asked a question that would make any parent's heart break:

"Mommy, when you were little did you get distracted a lot too?"

Is it just us, or is homework getting out of hand?

Join the conversation on Facebook

Does Homework Even Work?

Jon England of the Libertas Institute points out that the research has been clear for decades: Homework in elementary school has zero academic benefit. But it does replace something valuable: family time, free play, field trips.

Kids show up to kindergarten eager to learn, ready to make friends, and curious about the world. Then they're asked to sit for long periods contrary to their natural development, told they're "already behind" within weeks of starting and loaded with busywork proven not to work.

We have to wonder: Do schools not know this? Or do they just assign homework anyway?

Read Jon England's The Tyranny of Homework

Focus Timers for Focused Homework

We'll grant that there is huge value in having kids sit down for independent work. We're not against that. It's just a matter of keeping it time-efficient focused, and proportional to other activities.

A middle school English teacher created this amazing YouTube channel with timer videos for independent work. Visual countdowns, calm music, pleasant alarms (nothing fancy or distracting).

Perfect for:

• Morning journaling
• Independent reading blocks
• Silent work sessions
• Transitions between subjects

The teacher keeps adding videos based on what families request. It's free, collaborative, and actually helps kids develop time management skills.

YouTube Channel | Timer Library