Students Should Not Be Responsible For Doing Homework

Two pages of reading homework, twenty math problems, a page of science homework, and vocabulary. The average elementary school student is spending 25-30 minutes on a homework load similar to this every night. This may seem like a reasonable amount of time for a middle or high school student, but for a 6-11 year old child it can be overwhelming. Elementary students should not be responsible for doing homework because it can heighten stress, decrease the students interest in learning, and negatively affect the health of the child. Stress is a huge concern in children and teenagers in our society. The level of standardized testing in schools has pushed teachers to assign large amounts of homework much more frequently. In a study conducted

Physical health, mental health, environmental health, social health, etc., all work together to make up who we are. A large homework load can control certain aspects of their lives and can greatly affect these areas of health. Most children are active, they go outside and play or find some way to exercise daily. If this time is taken away, the kids are not getting the necessary exercise they need. This could lead to health problems such as obesity. In an article written by Valerie Strauss, she explains part of her research by saying, “Many students wrote that homework causes them to sleep less than they should and leads to headaches, exhaustion, sleep deprivation, weight loss and stomach problems, as well as a lack of balance in their lives” (Strauss). These health issues may not be as common in elementary students as they are in high school students but at the rate our schools are increasing the amounts of homework, the number of children with these health problems will increase. The biggest factor in a child’s development is their mental health. If you go on any social media website in 2015, there will be students posting about how stressed out and worried they are about all of their homework and quizzes. The number of teens with depression and anxiety has increased drastically. Homework can take a lot of time away from kids, time they could be spending with their friends, family,