Franny has had weekly homework for the past eleven weeks. Each assignment is the same: identify pictures in magazines that begin with the letter of the week, cut them out and paste them into a collage. A smaller part is to write a line of upper and lower case letters. Franny really enjoys it, bIut it can be a tedious process. Some letters are easier than others—it was difficult to find I and J pictures; A and D pictures were much easier. Franny has completed A-K, and I was looking forward to several easier weeks with L, M, and N. As of this week, however, Franny’s teacher has discontinued the homework, due to new child developmental guidelines that say that homework is inappropriate for her age, and that she should instead be having more unstructured playtime at home. Even she was surprised with the reversal—she has been teaching this class for six years and homework has always been part of the curriculum. Franny was very disappointed, so I told her we could continue with the assignments ourselves at home, and that made her feel better. There are letters she has been looking forward to doing, and she is frequently telling me different things she will cut out for future letters. I appreciate the school wanting to do what is in the best interest for the kids, but for Franny, homework has been a very positive experience. I love her enthusiasm and the fun she has in learning. I especially love the confidence and pride I see in her when she finally masters writing a letter. In my mind, that is more important than the lesson itself.