what book is homework oh homework in

Homework! Oh, Homework!

 By Jack Prelutsky

Homework! Oh, Homework! I hate you! You stink! I wish I could wash you away in the sink, if only a bomb would explode you to bits. Homework! Oh, homework! You’re giving me fits. I’d rather take baths with a man-eating shark, or wrestle a lion alone in the dark, eat spinach and liver, pet ten porcupines, than tackle the homework, my teacher assigns. Homework! Oh, homework! You’re last on my list, I simply can’t see why you even exist, if you just disappeared it would tickle me pink. Homework! Oh, homework! I hate you! You stink!

 Summary of Homework! Oh, Homework!

• Popularity of “Homework! Oh, Homework!”: The poem ‘Homework! Oh, Homework!’ was written by Jack Prelutsky, a well-known children’s poet. Its first publication dates back to 1999, and it is acclaimed for its exceptional composition that underscores the triviality of homework. The poem speaks about how mad homework can make students. The funny tone of the poem illustrates the speaker ’s disgust, hatred, and revulsion for homework. The poem gained immense popularity on account of its universal appeal. The exasperated yet humorous mood added further to its rhythm and melody.
• “Homework! Oh, Homework!” As a Representative of Hatred : This poem is written from a child’s perspective who expresses his feelings related to homework. It begins when the speaker shows extreme hatred for homework and wishes to wash it away in the sink or to explode it into pieces. He dislikes homework so much that in the poem, he’d prefer to take a bath with a man-eating shark or wrestle a lion in the dark instead.. He further informs his readers that homework is the last on his list. He would rather be happy if it gets disappeared from his to-do list.
• Major Themes in “Homework! Oh, Homework!” Hatred, student life, and homework revulsion are the major themes of the poem. The poem centers on the feelings of a student who has gone mad because of the study workload. Knowing it is a compulsion and the demand of his education, he desires to get rid of it. He hates homework so much that he would instead perform some insane and crazy actions rather than doing his homework. It is through this funny poetic piece, the poet sheds light on the problems students face during their student life.

Analysis of Literary Devices Used in Homework! Oh, Homework!

literary devices allow the writers to bring variety and color to their simple poetic pieces. Jack Prelutsky also made this poem worth read with the excessive use of these devices. The analysis used in this poem is analyzed below.

• Assonance : Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /o/ in “Homework! Oh, homework” and the sound of /oo/ in “would explode you to bits.”
• Alliteration : Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /h/ in “Homework! Oh, homework” and /p/ sound in “pet ten porcupines.”
• Apostrophe : An apostrophe is a device used to call somebody or something from afar. Here, the poet has used apostrophe to call homework a disgusting thing such as,

“Homework! Oh, Homework! I hate you! You stink.”

• Consonance : Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /k/ in “than tackle the homework,” and the sound of /sh/ in “I wish I could wash you away in the sink.”
• Enjambment : It is defined as a thought in verse that does not come to an end at a line break ; rather, it rolls over to the next line. For example,

“I simply can’t see why you even exist, if you just disappeared it would tickle me pink.”

• Hyperbole : Hyperbole is a device used to exaggerate any statement for the sake of emphasis. The writer used this device by comparing the homework more difficult even than wrestling with a lion or man eating shark.
• Irony : Irony is a figure of speech in which words are used in such a way that their intended meaning differs from the actual meaning. The writer has used this device in the opening stanza of the poem while talking about the self-recognition, such as,

“ Homework! Oh, Homework! I hate you! You stink.”

• Imagery : Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. For example, “You’re last on my list”, “I wish I could wash you away in the sink” and “eat spinach and liver.”
• Metaphor : It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between the objects that are different. The poem shows the use of extended metaphors of homework, comparing it with several things that he hates the most in life.
• Personification : The poem shows the use of personification as the poet has personified homework, showing it having life and emotions of its own.
• Symbolism : Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from literal meanings. The poem shows the use of the symbols of “stink” and “giving me fits” as signs of anger and hatred.

Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in Homework! Oh, Homework!

Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is the analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.

• Diction : The poem shows descriptive diction having metaphors, symbols, and hyperbole.
• Rhyme Scheme : The poem follows an ABCD rhyme scheme , and this pattern continues until the end.
• Repetition : There is a repetition of the verses “Homework! Oh, homework! /I hate you! You stink!” which have created a musical quality in the poem.
• Refrain : The lines occurring repeatedly at some distance in a poem are called a refrain . The verses, “Homework! Oh, homework! /I hate you! You stink!” are, therefore, a refrain.
• Stanza : A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. There are three stanzas in this poem, with each comprising a different number of verses.

Quotes to be Used

These lines are useful while talking about the things that one does not want to do intentionally.

“ You’re last on my list, I simply can’t see why you even exist, if you just disappeared it would tickle me pink.”

Related posts:

• A Wolf Is at the Laundromat
• Be Glad Your Nose is on Your Face
• Ode to a Nightingale
• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
• The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock
• “Hope” is the Thing with Feathers
• I Heard a Fly Buzz When I Died
• To His Coy Mistress
• Home Burial
• In the Bleak Midwinter
• Still I Rise
• Jack and Jill
• Little Boy Blue
• On the Pulse of Morning
• The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
• A Bird, Came Down the Walk
• To My Mother
• Blackberry-Picking
• Some Keep the Sabbath Going to Church
• We Are Seven
• Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood
• Sonnet 55: Not Marble nor the Gilded Monuments
• To a Skylark
• New Year’s Day
• An Essay on Man: Epistle I
• The Hunting of the Snark
• There is No Frigate like a Book
• The Secret of the Machines
• My Father’s Sadness
• You Will Never See Me Fall
• Love Like Salt
• The Rainy Day
• The River God
• Van Gogh’s Bed
• Cherry-Ripe
• Rule Britannia
• Departmental
• Coup De Grace
• Fireflies In The Garden
• Lammas Hireling
• Love, a child, is ever crying
• Sometimes When it Rains
• Leda and the Swan
• The Rose That Grew from Concrete
• The Great Storm
• The Starry Night
• Act of Union
• Sonnet 16: But Wherefore Do Not You a Mightier Way
• Sweeney  Among The Nightingales
• My Son My Executioner
• Friendly Advice to a Lot of Young Men
• Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit
• Two Butterflies Went Out at Noon
• I Know My Soul
• I started Early — Took my Dog —
• Life Is Fine
• The Soul Selects Her Own Society
• Decomposition
• As Kingfishers Catch Fire
• The Brain Is Wider Than the Sky
• The Rose That Blushes Rosy Red
• Meditation at Lagunitas
• pity this busy monster, manunkind
• Green Eggs and Ham
• Bright star, would I were stedfast as thou art
• The Good Life
• The Lake Isle of Innisfree
• Of Mere Being
• Goosey Goosey Gander
• Pippa’s Song
• Christmas Bells
• The Lotos-Eaters

Post navigation

Homework! Oh, Homework! by Jack Prelutsky: poem analysis

• jack-prelutsky

This is an analysis of the poem Homework! Oh, Homework! that begins with:

Homework! Oh, Homework! I hate you! You stink!...

More information about poems by Jack Prelutsky

• Analysis of Super Samson Simpson
• Analysis of Dora Diller
• Analysis of The Visitor

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

• A place to publish and distribute your work on a high-authority poetry website.
• Balanced and credible private feedback from educators and authors.
• A respectful community of all levels of poetry enthusiasts.
• Additional premium tools and resources.

Homework! Oh, Homework!

By jack prelutsky.

Homework! Oh, Homework! I hate you! You stink! I wish I could wash you away in the sink, if only a bomb would explode you to bits. Homework! Oh, homework! You’re giving me fits.

I’d rather take baths with a man-eating shark, or wrestle a lion alone in the dark, eat spinach and liver, pet ten porcupines, than tackle the homework, my teacher assigns.

Homework! Oh, homework! you’re last on my list, I simple can’t see why you even exist, if you just disappeared it would tickle me pink. Homework! Oh, homework! I hate you! You stink!

This Poem Features In:

• poems about homework

Related Posts:

• Totem Pole By Jack Underwood
• Homework Stew By Kenn Nesbitt
• The Creature In The Class By Jack Prelutsky
• Crazy Jane And Jack The Journeyman By William Butler Yeats
• The Homework Machine By Shel Silverstein
• The Bogeyman By Jack Prelutsky
• April 12, 2022

Pick Me Up Poetry

Trending articles, the ultimate guide to 2024’s most prestigious poetry awards, the top 25 instagram poetry accounts, 57+ websites that will pay for your poetry in 2024, the history of poetry (5000bc- 2024) – a timeline, trending poems, she is gone by david harkins, introspection by nikki giovanni, a christmas poem by helen steiner rice, the joy of giving by john greenleaf whittier, trending collections, 17+ interesting poems about listening: being present, 17+ authentic poems about community: growing together, 17+ poems about giving: tales of selflessness, 5+ powerful poems about emotional abuse: the power of words, 19+ poems about joy and happiness: the smiles of life, 21+ beautiful poems about sunrise: rise and shine.

Jack Prelutsky

• Homework! Oh, Homework!

Write your comment about Homework! Oh, Homework! poem by Jack Prelutsky

• Be Glad Your Nose Is On Your Face
• Deep In Our Refrigerator
• Bleezer's Ice Cream
• The Visitor

Recent Interactions*

• Wonderful Women by Umaru Kanneh Boima
• Freedom To Scratch In Peace by Olute Aete
• Happy New Year by Felix Menda
• Human Beings by Dana Graslie
• Lust by Wisdom Greatness
• An Isolated Tree's Song by Sayeed Abubakar
• A Strange Boy by Sayeed Abubakar
• O Soil by Sayeed Abubakar
• No War, No War-monger by Sayeed Abubakar
• Night's Town by Sayeed Abubakar

Popular Poets

• 1. Emily Dickinson (2414 poems)
• 2. Madison Julius Cawein (1231 poems)
• 3. Ella Wheeler Wilcox (1136 poems)
• 4. William Wordsworth (1016 poems)
• 5. Robert Burns (986 poems)
• 6. Edgar Albert Guest (945 poems)
• 7. Thomas Moore (849 poems)
• 8. Robert Service (831 poems)

Laura Mucha

• Homework, Oh Homework!

JavaScript is required.

by Jack Prelutsky

Homework! Oh, Homework! I hate you! You stink! I wish I could wash you away in the sink, if only a bomb would explode you to bits. Homework! Oh, homework! You’re giving me fits.

I’d rather take baths with a man-eating shark, or wrestle a lion alone in the dark, eat spinach and liver, pet ten porcupines, than tackle the homework my teacher assigns.

Homework! Oh, homework! You’re last on my list, I simply can’t see why you even exist, if you just disappeared it would tickle me pink. Homework! Oh, homework! I hate you! You stink!

• Homework! Oh, Homework!
• Jack Prelutsky

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Homework! Oh, Homework! I hate you! You stink! I wish I could wash you away in the sink, if only a bomb would explode you to bits. Homework! Oh, homework! You’re giving me fits.

I’d rather take baths with a man-eating shark, or wrestle a lion alone in the dark, eat spinach and liver, pet ten porcupines, than tackle the homework, my teacher assigns.

Homework! Oh, homework! you’re last on my list, I simple can’t see why you even exist, if you just disappeared it would tickle me pink. Homework! Oh, homework! I hate you! You stink!

• Skip to main content
• Skip to footer

Library Of Poetry And Quotations

Homework! Oh, Homework!

Post by: OZoFe.Com Poet: Jack Prelutsky 2 Comments

Homework! Oh, Homework! I hate you! You stink! I wish I could wash you away in the sink, if only a bomb would explode you to bits. Homework! Oh, homework! You’re giving me fits.

I’d rather take baths with a man-eating shark, or wrestle a lion alone in the dark, eat spinach and liver, pet ten porcupines, than tackle the homework, my teacher assigns.

Homework! Oh, homework! you’re last on my list, I simple can’t see why you even exist, if you just disappeared it would tickle me pink. Homework! Oh, homework! I hate you! You stink!

You May Also Like:

• Last Night I Dreamed Of Chickens
• Be Glad Your Nose Is On Your Face
• As Soon As Fred Gets Out Of Bed
• Bleezer’s Ice Cream
• The Visitor
• Super Samson Simpson
• Dora Diller
• A Pizza the Size of the Sun

Share this:

• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)

Robert Frost (1874 – 1963)

William Shakespeare (1564 – 1616)

Maya Angelou (1928 – 2014)

Pablo Neruda (1904 – 1973)

Emily Dickinson (1830 – 1886)

Langston Hughes (1901 – 1967)

Rabindranath Tagore (1861 – 1941)

William Wordsworth (1770 – 1850)

Shel Silverstein (1930 – 1999)

William Blake (1757 – 1827)

Elegy IX: The Autumnal

The undertaking, elegy xviii: love’s progress, the ecstasy, the canonization, love’s alchemy, farewell to love, a nocturnal upon st. lucy’s day, being the shortest day, sohrab and rustum, consolation, a hymn to christ at the author’s last going into germany, sorley’s weather, she tells her love, the troll’s nosegay, rugby chapel, the bough of nonsense, an old twenty-third man, reader interactions.

October 13, 2021 at 6:07 pm

October 14, 2021 at 2:07 am

Hi Lilly, thank for share

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Recent Posts

• XIII: My Mother the Writer
• Miss Hong Kong, I’ll Always Love You
• Tattoo Parlor Sexed
• Sonnet XXII: Mimi’s Newsstand
• XXVII. To Market, To Market

Advertisements

Recent comments.

• Shalom on Wedding Love Poems – 83 Best Poems For The Bride & Groom
• Aswathy Ramesh on As In Their Flight The Birds Of Song
• sailaja on Inspiring Poems For Kids: 45+ Poems That Teach A Life Lesson
• Veenu Luthria on Copyright

Homework Poems

Homework oh, homework.

Homework! Oh, Homework! I hate you! You stink! I wish I could wash you away in the sink, if only a bomb would explode you to bits. Homework! Oh, homework! You're giving me fits. I'd rather take baths with a man-eating shark, ......

My Teacher Ate My Homework

My teacher ate my homework, which I thought was rather odd. He sniffed at it and smiled with an approving sort of nod. He took a little nibble— it's unusual, but true— then had a somewhat larger bite and gave a thoughtful chew. ......

Homework Stew

I cooked my math book in a broth and stirred it to a steaming froth. I threw in papers—pencils, too— to make a pot of homework stew. I turned the flame up nice and hot and tossed my binder in the pot. I sprinkled in my book report with colored markers by the quart. ......

The Marvelous Homework And Housework Machine

Attention all students! Attention all kids! Hold onto your horses! Hold onto your lids! We have just exactly the thing that you need whenever you've way too much homework to read. The Marvelous Homework and Housework Machine will always make sure that your bedroom is clean. It loves to write book reports ten pages long, then put all your toys away where they belong. ......

My Dog Does My Homework

My dog does my homework at home every night. He answers each question and gets them all right. There's only one problem with homework by Rover. I can't turn in work That's been slobbered all over

The Homework Machine

The Homework Machine, Oh, the Homework Machine, Most perfect contraption that's ever been seen. Just put in your homework, then drop in a dime, Snap on the switch, and in ten seconds' time, Your homework comes out, quick and clean as can be. Here it is— 'nine plus four?' and the answer is 'three.' Three? Oh me . . . ......

Homework, I Love You

Homework, I love you. I think that you're great. It's wonderful fun when you keep me up late. I think you're the best when I'm totally stressed, preparing and cramming all night for a test. Homework, I love you. What more can I say? I love to do hundreds of problems each day. You boggle my mind and you make me go blind, but still I'm ecstatic that you were assigned. ......

All My Great Excuses

I started on my homework, but my pen ran out of ink… My hamster ate my homework… My computer's on the blink… I tripped and dropped my homework in the soup my mom was cooking… My brother flushed it down the toilet when I wasn't looking… ......

See more of Poemist by logging in

Login required!

• Funny Poems
• Poems by Subject
• Funny Poems by Email
• Classic Poems
• Poems by Reading Level
• Poetry Minute
• Nursery Rhymes
• Poems by Length
• Famous Children’s Poets
• Surprise Me!
• Poems by Poetic Technique
• Other Poetry Websites and Resources
• Poetry Writing Lessons
• Rhyming Dictionary
• Lists of Rhyming Words
• Poetry Activities
• Poetic Terms Dictionary
• About Kenn Nesbitt
• School Author Visits
• Event Calendar
• Contact Kenn
• Custom Poems

How to Write Lyric and Dramatic Poetry

What Is Lyric Poetry?

You’ve probably heard the word “lyric” before, meaning the words of a song. Today we’re going to be talking about another meaning of the same word. We’re going to talk about lyric poetry.

Because “lyric poetry” and “song lyrics” sound similar, it’s easy to mix them up, but they’re really two different things. Lyrics in a song are just the words that go with the music, whether they describe the singer’s feelings or not. But a “lyric poem” is a special kind of poetry where you express your feelings and thoughts, no music needed.

While some kinds of poems tell stories, or describe things, In a lyric poem, you share your emotions, moods, and feelings. Whether you’re super excited, kind of sad, maybe a bit angry, or even if you’re just marveling at the beauty of a sunset, lyric poems capture these moments and put them into words.

Because lyric poems express the poet’s emotions, they are usually written from the poet’s point, using words like “I” and “my” rather than talking about something or someone else. In other words, you might say, “I am feeling happy” rather than “Hannah’s feeling happy.” Got it?

And, lastly, lyric poems are usually short and often rhyme because, in ancient times, they were meant to be sung and accompanied by a musical instrument, such as a lyre, a small instrument like a tiny harp. In fact, the word lyric comes from “lyre.” Pretty cool, right?

What About “Dramatic” Poetry?

Some lyric poems are also “dramatic poems.” A dramatic poem is a lyric poem that describes emotions about a situation in a way that’s very expressive, almost like you’re acting on a stage. They’re not just about your feelings; they’re meant to be read aloud, maybe even acted out before an audience.

In other words, all dramatic poems are lyric poems, but not all lyric poems are dramatic poems. Make sense?

A Few Fun Examples

In each of these lyric poems, the poet is expressing their emotions about something:

• In the shape poem “ Pizza, Pizza, I Love You ” the poet shares their feelings of love with their favorite food.
• In the poem “ Zoom Gloom ” the poet complains about how bored they are with remote learning.
• And in “ Whenever It’s December ” the poet describes the joy of remembering the year past and looking forward to the new one.

Now, let’s get you writing your own lyric poem! Here are several ways to start…

Choose a Feeling

Think of a feeling you want to write about. It could be happiness, sadness, excitement, or even wonder. Write it down, and maybe add a detail or two, like this:

I’m angry! I’m angry! I just want to scream!

I’ve never been as happy as the way I’m feeling now.

Then continue your poem, telling the world what it is that you are angry or happy or excited about.

Pick a Moment

Or pick a moment that was filled with emotion, like the first time you played in the snow, or a particularly disgusting food you had to eat, and get started. But rather than describe it in the past, place yourself in the moment, as if it’s happening to you now. Maybe your poem begins like this:

I can’t believe I didn’t know, I love, I love, I love the snow!

or maybe this:

This Brussels sprout that’s on my plate is something that I truly hate.

Write About Something You Like or Don’t Like

If you can’t think of a moment or a feeling, maybe just think of something you like or don’t like. Love your Xbox ? Write about that. Can’t wait for the end of the school year ? Tell the world about it! Wish that your cat would stop attacking you ? There’s even a lyric poem in that.

One of my favorite lyric poem that describes something the poet doesn’t like is “Homework! Oh, Homework!” by Jack Prelutsky, which begins like this:

Homework! Oh, Homework! I hate you! You stink! I wish I could wash you away in the sink, if only a bomb would explode you to bits. Homework! Oh, homework! You’re giving me fits.

Useful Tips for Writing Lyric Poetry

Now that you know how to get started writing a lyric poem, here are a few more tips to help you as you write:

Use Descriptive Words: To make your poem vivid, use descriptive words. For example, if you’re writing about you feel when you visit the beach, you can talk about the ‘sparkling blue waves’ or the ‘soaring white seagulls.’ These descriptions help your readers picture and feel what you’re saying.

Create Short Lines: Lyric poems usually have short lines and often rhyme, though they don’t have to. Instead of writing long sentences or paragraphs, try writing short lines with just a few words, and maybe rhyming just a bit. Look at the examples above to see what I mean.

Read Lyric Poems Written by Other Poets: The more lyric poems you read that were written by others, the more ideas and inspiration you will get. Reading lots of poems will show you many different ways to go about expressing your own emotions in poetry. (Just remember not to copy other poets’ words, but to use your own instead.)

Share Your Feelings: Don’t be shy about putting your feelings into words. After all, that is the whole point of lyric poems. If a walk in the woods made you feel peaceful, write about that peaceful feeling. If it excited you, let that excitement show in your words.

Read it Aloud: Once you’ve written your poem, read it out loud. Lyric poetry is about expressing emotion, and hearing the words can help you feel if the emotion is coming through.

And remember…

There’s No Right or Wrong: In poetry, your feelings and how you express them are always right.

Practice Makes Perfect: The more you write, the better you’ll get at expressing yourself.

Have Fun: Writing poetry is like painting with words. So enjoy the process of creating something new and expressive!

• Recent Posts

• Leap into Laughter with “A Festival for Frogs” - March 26, 2024
• New Book! A Festival for Frogs - March 5, 2024
• How to Write an Alphabet Poem - March 4, 2024

Member Login

Rhyming dictionary for kids.

Type any word here to find all the words that rhyme with it

Support Poetry4kids

Get Poems by Email

Visit My Other Websites

Find the Best Kids Books

What are you looking for.

• Best Member Poems
• Best Classical Poems
• Poems About
• Best Poems by Themes
• Explore Poems
• Poem Of The Day
• Best Member Poets
• Best Classical Poets
• Explore Poets

Jack Prelutsky

Jack Prelutsky Homework Poems

Homework! Oh, Homework! I hate you! You stink! I wish I could wash you away in the sink, if only a bomb ...

Delivering Poems Around The World

Poems are the property of their respective owners. All information has been reproduced here for educational and informational purposes to benefit site visitors, and is provided at no charge...

4/1/2024 10:39:06 AM # 1.0.0.1119

Homework! Oh, Homework!

Homework aw, homework.

Homework! Oh, Preparation! I hate you! You stink! I wish EGO could wash you away in the sink, if only ampere bomb would explode you to bits. Homework! Oh, homework! You’re how me fits. Oh homework oh homework poems I’d rather take baths with one man-eating hale, or wrestle ampere lion alone in the night, eat leaf or kidney, pet ten porcupines, than go the doing, our teacher assigns. Homework! Oh, homework! You’re last on my list, I simply can’t see why you regular exist, wenn you just disappeared it would tickle me pink. Homework! Oh, preparation! I hate i! I stink! Something kind a figurative language is domestic ooh homework? - Answers

 Summary of Homework! Oh, Homework!

Analysis of literary devices used in homework oh, homework.

“Homework! Oh, Homework! IODIN hate you! You stink.”

“I simply can’t see why you even exist, if you just disappeared is would tickle me pink.”

“ Homework! Oh, Prep! I hate you! You stink.”

Analysis of Highly Instrument Used in Homework! Oops, Homework!

Quotes to be used.

“ You’re last on my list, IODIN easily can’t please enigma you even exist, if yours just disappeared it would tickle me pink.”

Related contributions:

Post navigation.

Homework, Oh Homework...

• Share article

And then there’s homework.

Our son came home yesterday with a class newsletter. It was titled “What are we learning?” and outlined what was happening in the areas of Reading/Science, Writing & Grammar, Math, and a category called “Fundations,” which is some kind of word-learning curriculum (actually, it’s “ a phonological/phonemic awareness, phonics and spelling program for the general education classroom ,” for those of you keeping score at home). There’s a lot going on in that first grade classroom.

There was also another section, too: Homework. Here’s what it said:

Please check your child's binder each night for homework assignments. Make sure your child is reading their bag book and that you sign the yellow record sheet when they are assigned homework. It is also important to continue with retelling the events or details of the books with your child to help them with their comprehension skills. As the school year is progressing, there may be homework assigned on Fridays now as well. Please make sure to check your child's backpack for assignments over the weekend.

Okay, yep—read with him, sign the sheet (Must. Have. Accountability.), get him to “retell” the story as a comprehension check. Wait—hold on a second. Did I read that last part right? “As the school year is progressing, there may be homework assigned on Fridays now as well.” Oh no.

My dad started his career as a high school English teacher, then later became an elementary school librarian—it was better suited to his temperament and taste, and didn’t require him to deal with things like giving grades. Because he was an elementary school librarian we always had library books around. He was especially fond then (and is now) of poetry. Our favorite verses were the classics, like “Great Green Gobs of Greasy Grimy Gopher Guts,” but we also read a lot of Shel Silvertstein and Jack Prelutsky. Prelutsky wrote one of my favorites. It was published in The New Kid on the Block in 1984 and is well worth quoting in full:

Homework! Oh, Homework! I hate you! You stink! I wish I could wash you away in the sink, if only a bomb would explode you to bits. Homework! Oh, homework! You're giving me fits. I'd rather take baths with a man-eating shark, or wrestle a lion alone in the dark, eat spinach and liver, pet ten porcupines, than tackle the homework, my teacher assigns. Homework! Oh, homework! you're last on my list, I simple can't see why you even exist, if you just disappeared it would tickle me pink. Homework! Oh, homework! I hate you! You stink!

Who doesn’t identify with this? Homework is the worst. Homework is the thing that makes kids who used to like school start to hate it. It’s the thing that makes school most like work. Notice we call it home- work , not home- school .

And I guess for that reason it serves its purpose: later in life, after we’ve all had our fill of mindless homework meant to force us to bring school home with us, we’re perfectly cool with the idea that work ought to follow us home too. But nobody really wants to bring work home, and when homework is involved no one really wants to bring school home either. Even the kids who like school don’t like homework. Why can’t school just stay in school?

Whatever the reasons are for doing it, there are serious consequences to sending work home with kids. The trouble with homework is that it’s done at home, and we should all know by now that that since not all homes are created equal that means some kids are going to have a distinct advantage over others where completing homework is concerned. Does my son benefit from the fact that I can actually comprehend “Everyday Math” as he tries to work through his worksheets? You bet he does. Does my daughter benefit from the fact that my wife read Jacqueline Woodson’s book Brown Girl Dreaming with her when she was trying to put together a book project, making it possible for our daughter to actually discuss what she read with somebody? Yes. Do they both benefit from the fact that they have parents who speak the same language at home that is spoken at school, and do they benefit from the fact that neither of their parents have to work nights to make ends meet? Yes. Yes, they do. They definitely do.

To be clear, I don’t blame teachers for this—a lot of the work that gets sent home is sent home because teachers feel overwhelming pressure to cover more material than they can possibly cover during the regular school day as they balance all the responsibilities that have been placed on them. You often hear teachers say that they rely on parents to be active in their kids’ educations; this can mean a lot of things, but I often interpret such requests as a cry for help. Teachers might as well be saying “Please, just help me keep my job—make sure your kid does his homework,” given the way we approach teacher evaluation these days.

I also don’t blame parents. Teachers often sit in conferences with parents dolefully asking them to help their kids do their homework as parents shrug and think “I don’t even know what shifts I’m working this week,” or “I have no idea how to help my kid do homework that neither of us understand.” It’s one thing to expect teachers to be experts in child psychology, data analysis, multiple academic disciplines, and differentiated instruction; it’s another to ask that of every parent. For young kids, especially, parents have to have a clear understanding of the goals and purposes of the curriculum for homework to be meaningful. How many parents have that these days? If we’re going to be giving homework, we ought to make sure we have that base covered first.

We’d be better off simplifying things, and recalibrating our expectations. It’s actually heartbreaking to see a first grader beat himself up over the fact that he forgot to do his homework before falling asleep the night before. It’s also disheartening to see a kid that young spend valuable time poring over worksheets when, for example, he could be doing something outside. Is there a place for homework for older students? Maybe. But it should be given judiciously and should be used to help students hone and develop new skills, not simply practice old ones. We might ask ourselves if it wouldn’t make more sense to think about how we could work smarter, not harder. It’s important to work hard, but more important to save the hard work for when it’s really necessary. Which, where school is concerned, should not be on weekends. Is nothing sacred?

The opinions expressed in The K-12 Contrarian are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.

Sign Up for EdWeek Update

Dad Arrested For Calling Police Nearly 20 Times About Son's Homework: 'It Was Disruptive'

An Ohio Dad has been arrested for disturbance after calling the police nearly 20 times to complain about his son's homework . He also repeatedly called the child's school as well. According to Detective Sergeant Adam Price from the Oxford Police Department, Adam Sizemore called the police approximately “18 or 19 times” in less than an hour.

"It was disruptive," Price told TODAY.com. “This is a a K-5 school so there is not an abnormal amount of homework." Sizemore left a voicemail for the media company stating that most of the accusations were untrue.

"I'm a single dad of a boy and a girl and I'm just trying to do the best I can and that's all I can do," the dad explained. "People make mistakes." The police report stated that Sizemore “repeatedly” called Kramer Elementary School in Oxford “because his son gets homework which takes away from the time he has with him after school.”

He was initially trying to reach the school's principal, Jason Merz, who was unavailable. After being sent to Merz's voicemail, the report says he started repeatedly calling the school.

More From LittleThings: Here Are Some Tips For Finding Balance For Kids Who Have Lots Of Homework

"During these conversations, Sizemore cursed at the secretaries while making demands of them," the police report said. A school resource officer spoke to the dad “several times" on the phone before instructing him to stop calling. The resource officer noted that Sizemore's speech was slurred and asked if he was intoxicated, to which the dad responded he was "high."

The officer stated in the police report that "Sizemore continued to curse at me and call me names, such as '[expletive].' He also told me he was going to make sure I lost my job. I explained to Sizemore if (he) called again, I would file a Telecommunication Harassment charge on him. I ended up hanging up on him. Sizemore called right back with the same behavior he was warned about."

Two police officers went out to the dad's home, but he didn't answer. One of the officers went to the school, only to find that Sizemore was still repeatedly calling. He eventually was able to speak to Merz, saying that he didn't want his son to have homework. Once he started cursing at the principal, Merz ended the call.

On March 1, 2024, the dad again repeatedly called the school. The principal told police that Sizemore left a voicemail saying, “I hoped that you (Merz) put on your big boy britches on today and have a conversation like a big boy.” He voiced concern that the dad would come up to the school.

That same day, Sizemore then made nearly 20 calls to the police. "This is Adam Sizemore," he said in a voicemail left at the station. "You've got a little bit of an a** chewing coming because of your employees — the ones I pay for." He continued calling in efforts of reaching the chief. Not long after, he was arrested outside of his home.

If found guilty, Sizemore faces a maximum fine of $1,000 and up to six months in jail for each count of telecommunications harassment. For the menacing charge, he faces a $250 fine and up to 30 days in jail. "Waste of resources, one person commented, with another chiming in, "His poor son will be so embarrassed."

260 King Street, San Francisco

Updated Courtyard facing Unit at the Beacon! This newly remodeled…

How safe will my data be with you?

Finished Papers

Courtney Lees

Andre Cardoso

Johan Wideroos

Verification link has been re- sent to your email. Click the link to activate your account.

Customer Reviews

Finished Papers

Andre Cardoso

Calculate the price

Minimum Price