How homework benefits us

– Laurent, have you done your homework?”

– I don’t have any, Dad!”

– Did you check your agenda?”

– What?”

Laurent puts down his tablet, takes out his agenda from his bag, and walks over. He was supposed to wait until after dinner to play the trivia game his grandmother, Violette, emailed him.

“Laurent, it says here that you need to complete your map of Canada. The assignment is due Friday—the day after tomorrow. It might be a good idea to get a head start.”

“Can I find a map of Canada online using my tablet?”

My son thinks he’s pretty clever!

I may be old-fashioned, but for me, a lesson without homework is like a seed without water.

I know that homework has become a hot topic recently. Some parents believe that their children’s after-school assignments should be significantly reduced, or eliminated altogether. Others think that homework is necessary for their children to review what they learned that day. They also argue that it allows educators to assess their students’ comprehension of class material.

In my house, even though my son has autism, homework is essential.
Not too much, of course. It’s important to follow Laurent’s learning pace.

At casa Saucier, we believe that homework is an important part of learning, right from elementary school. Plus, it’s become central to Laurent’s daily routine.

Children with autism love routine.
Laurent has a morning routine, evening routine, bus routine (which he clocks on his watch), shopping routine (he requires a complete grocery list and won’t tolerate any purchases not included on said list), bedtime routine—you get the idea!

So, homework is another cyclical activity that gives Laurent a sense of security and structure. Depending on the length of his assignments, they usually keep him busy until dinner and fit neatly into his schedule. After homework and dinner, he knows that he will have a bath, get his eye drops (a consequence of his preterm birth), brush his teeth, say goodnight to his teddy bears, and go to sleep.

In elementary school, Laurent had homework, too. Some days, he had just enough, and other days, more than enough.
Laurent was studying at a French school that focused on traditional teaching methods. Homework was an integral part of the learning experience.

In high school, however, Laurent’s homework became overwhelming.
To make a long story short, the private school he was attending had placed him in their international program instead of their special needs program, simply because it focused on subjects that Laurent enjoyed—such as languages, history, and geography—and took a historical approach to teaching mathematics.

However, Laurent was doing homework seven days a week, sometimes staying up until 11:30 p.m. to get it done.
One evening, my wife was at her wits’ end and started giving Laurent the answers to his homework questions—much to his displeasure. In his mind, homework was his responsibility, and he needed to do it himself. Apparently, his fellow classmates were also overloaded with work. But, unlike Laurent, they were able to keep up.

Once he switched into the special needs program, we all breathed a sigh of relief.
From January to June, we felt like we were on vacation. Why? Because Laurent’s homework load was so much lighter! Thankfully, maestro Claudio came to our house twice a week for math tutoring. Not only did his visits help establish a routine, they also interrupted Laurent’s screen time.

“So, are you getting started on your homework?”

“Yes, Dad. Uh . . . Dad?”

“Yes?”

“What city is the Eiffel Tower in?”

“Laurent, you can answer your grandmother’s trivia questions after you’ve finished your homework!”

“Billions of bilious blue blistering barnacles!”

What does your child’s homework routine look like?