The bane of most students and many teachers, too, homework seems in some ways to speak to the inadequacies of our educational system. Alfie Kohn and others certainly argue that, but they’re certainly in the minority among educators. Most of us educators see homework as practice: just as a world-class gymnast or swimmer puts in extra time beyond formal coaching to improve his or her skills, so too young learners put in the extra time to master new skills.

For the Girl, it’s turned into something of a rite of passage. “When will I have homework?” she used to moan when she found me going over student work. Now that she has homework — of a sort — she’s thrilled. “Tata!” she squealed as she ran into the room the other day, “I love homework!”

And what’s not to love about it if it’s done right? It can be a moment of bonding between a parent (or grandparent) and a child, an intense social and intellectual engagement where the two engage in a task with a specific and common goal.