I personally don't see homework as a bad thing, depending on the topic. There's two types of homework that I think make sense: 1.) The school work that couldn'

I personally don't see homework as a bad thing, depending on the topic. There's two types of homework that I think make sense: 1.) The school work that couldn't be finished in class due to time constraints, and 2.) Practicing learned concepts in class to internalize them. The second type of homework doesn't apply to all classes, but a good candidate for this is math (spelling/grammar/reading is another). I'm a believer in children needing a good foundation in basic concepts before advancing to higher ones. If you can't do 14 - 9 in your head, instantly, then it's pointless to try multiplication or division. Directed practice can make children perform mathematics quickly and accurately. They don't come like that out of the box.