Should students have homework over the summer? Metro Detroiters weigh in

Summer homework. Is it an oxymoron, or a good way for students to continue learning through the summer?

It's a controversial topic, and I wanted to hear what people had to say.

"Did your kids have summer homework when they were in school?" I asked Awo Quaison-Sackey.

"I’m the kind of mother where he always had work to do! He had reading assignments," Quaison-Sackey said.

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"I think it’s unnecessary and that it shouldn’t be given," Isabella Millard, a Troy teenager who is going into the 8th grade, said.

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"If the school didn’t give them something to do, I probably would have, but I’m a teacher," Irene Hone, a Farmington Hills parent and grandparent, said.

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"Not for it," Tim Hone said.

"Especially over the summer when kids have a chance to be with family and play, I don’t think that it’s a good idea," Chelsie Dyer added.

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Not everyone agrees when it comes to the subject of homework throughout the summer, but most people say they, or their kids, have some kind of reading to do.

However, homework, such as math and science packets, seems to be a bit rare.

"Did you get any summer homework?" I asked.

"No, just, like, my English teachers wanted us to read," Isabella said.

"I think that there could be homework that is more along the lines of, 'get out and play,' or, 'spend time with your family.' Different, creative ideas for families," Dyer added.

"The school would give him like a reading list," Quaison-Sacket said.

"Like this girl is set for a lot of camps all summer so it may make it a little difficult," Hone said.

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A 2017 study from The Brookings Institution shows that reserach on summer learning, like these opinions, is mixed.

Some studies show learning loss becomes a problem when students take months off their studies, and others show there's no loss, and students in fact gain learning when taking a summer homework break.

National data from the Center for Education Statistics shows that even if students lost, or gained, learning over the summer, it doesn't have a long-term affect.

"So they have something to work on that gets them ready for the school year and doesn’t give a complete break from the routine of the year," Quaison-Sackey said.

"We already did so much work in the year, I think the summer should be when you get to have time to yourself," Isabell said.

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