Homework has been an integral part of education since children started to be educated. Recently however, homework has begun to be assigned more and more often to students, especially in the United States, as it has begun to fall further and further behind countries like China, Singapore, and Japan. Homework is anything assigned by teachers to be completed by the students either at home, or just on their own time. The workload for students has gotten to the point where more and more parents are starting to notice the load for their kids has gotten to be too much. Many kids in high school, even 9th and 10th graders, can have 3 or even 4 hours of homework every night. In the past couple years, homework has gotten so out of control that parents are starting to speak out, and protest the amount of homework that students get each night (Marzano). In addition, studies have been done to determine the value of homework, but overall, the results are mixed at best (Kohn). Even studies that show a positive relationship between homework and test scores, among other things, show that homework is only effective when assigned in a moderate amount. Too much homework can be counter-productive, or have adverse effects on students. Students with too much homework can perform worse on tests, and develop serious physical and mental health problems from too much stress or lack of sleep.
Proponents of homework claim that homework reinforces learning, and that in order to become a leader in education among all other countries, we have to assign homework, so students will better understand and grasp the concepts taught to them in school. However, as U.S. students get assigned more and more homework, the ranking of those students globally falls...
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...Taro. "My Daughter's Homework Is Killing Me." The Atlantic Sept. 2013: n. pag. Print.
Kohn, Alfie. "Does Homework Improve Learning?" Alfie Kohn. Alfie Kohn, 2006. Web. 2 Apr. 2014.
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Marzano, Robert J., and Debra J. Pickering. "Special Topic / The Case For and Against Homework." Educational Leadership. ASCD, Mar. 2007. Web. 2 Apr. 2014.
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Many people often say that students, teachers, and parents, think homework should be banned, but multiple people disagree. This heated topic has been debated for many years. Some parents and teachers think students have too much. However, some believe their students receive too little. Few schools already have banned homework, but the majority of schools don’t. Some people agree with having ten minutes multiplied by the grade level of the student. As experts continue adding additional facts about homework, it is clear that homework can help students in different ways.
Gay, L.R., Mills, G. E., & Airasian, P. W. (2009) Educational research: Competencies foranalysis and applications. (9th. Ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc. ISBN-10: 0135035015
Contrary to the popular belief of homework leading to parent and child bonding, research supports that it tears families apart. Fran Moriarty, in her article “Reasons Why Students Should Not Have Homework” explains that kids are upset, and “whining, crying, and disparaging remarks unsettle a peaceful home life” (1). With very little time to do anything other than schoolwork, kids often only see their parents for help in school. A leading figure in the field of education and human behavior, in his article “Down With Homework”, dictates that, “Many mothers and fathers spend ev...
Tommy Lasorda, former manager of the Dodgers, once said, “ The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a man’s determination.” Determination is what separates people from being lazy and handworkers. It not only shows laziness but also great strides for improvement in someone’s life. Determination can be seen in everyday life, whether it is from getting up early to workout, making an A on a paper, or even allotting time to do homework. Homework requires a lot of determination from students; therefore homework should stay present in schools.
Viadero, Debra. “Mass Initiative: Does More Time Equal More Learning?.” Education Week 27.15. 12 Dec. 2007: 10-11. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all students are given life, liberty, and the pursuit of what can make them happy.That to secure these rights, students must confront their teachers and parents. To make these life changes students need this less homework in their life for them to be able to succeed. However, when
I had thought that homework plays a significant role in enrichment and reinforcement of what was taught at school. Not only that, I thought homework also teaches personal responsibilities in preparation for the work world. Now, howerver, I question whether students benefit from homework assignments. Are these unrealistic expectations for students in resource? I do not think so. I understand that these students have other issues to deal with at home and the last thing they need to do is complete some math or English assignment.
The emphasis on homework has slowly escalated since the launch of Sputnik in the 1950’s (Ratnesar 313). "Sputnik" was a Russian satellite sent into outer space in 1957. The Russians, not Americans, were the first nation to send a satellite into orbit. This caused a nationwide frenzy. Law-makers were inclined to focus on math and science because of the threat of soviet "soviet wiz kids" (Ratnesar 313). As the 1970’s approached homework declined once again, but soon we emphasized it to its highest level of importance.
When you think about school one of the first things that pops into people’s mind is homework. Basically if you have asked your parents or your grandparents they would say that they remember the homework load. Now we all know that homework can be beneficial but also can be very unhealthy with all of the stress that it causes. Over the years the homework load has increased because of the fact that schools think that they need to try to keep up with other countries in academics. And will doing all of this homework now be all for nothing later? The homework load has increased these past couple of years and it is causing a lot of stress on kids and overall is not helping their academics in the long run.
One of the reasons homework should be banned is because of the unnecessary stress and strain it creates for students. Many students are left pulling their hair out at homework time. Students struggle with homework for different reasons. Some of which are because they do not understand the assigned homework, or they are not being challenged, and quite possibly because they have hit their daily threshold for learning and have no more to give. Furthermore, students who struggle academically will likely require extra assistance to do their homework. Students are therefore tasked with finding a qualified person to assist them with homework. Students are not only under the stress of homework, but now they are under additional stress to find a qualified person that can assist them. Unfortunately, some students may not be able to obtain the help they need with their homework. Consequently and to no fault of their own their grades may be affected inaccurat...
Dr. Michael Nagel, an associate professor at the University of the Sunshine Coast, says homework has no scientific benefit and that it could even be bad for a student’s brain. “The adult brain does not fully mature until the third decade of life (a person’s thirty’s) and too much stimulation could cause unnecessary stress on a student.” An analysis conducted by Pearson showed that the number of hours spent on homework was between ten and sixty-five hours a week, with females scoring higher on the hours of homework, stres...
Although homework may seem like drudgery, the hard work that is put into homework may pay off in the long run. In the article, “Does homework really work for students?” Jacqueline Carey, the mother of seventh grade student Micah Carey, stated that “homework gives [students] a good foundation for when they move on further in school” (Johnson). Not only that but according to Donyall Dickey, principle at Murray Hill Middle School, “if students do not acquire things in class, they will acquire them through homework” (Johnson). As we can see homework helps and prepares us for higher grade levels while in primary school that can possibly prepare us for college. It also helps us to remember the materials that were taught in class. Another reason homework can be beneficial is the fact that it can prepare us for tests and the dreadful pop-quiz that a teacher may randomly give us. This fact was proven, according to a 2006 study by Harris Cooper, director of Duke University’s Program in education, in the article “Homework or Not? That is the (Research) Question”. The studies instituted that “students who had homework performed better on class tests compared to those who did not” (DeNisco). Another compelling thing about homework, are the qualities a skills th...
Harris Cooper, a researcher on homework from Duke University, claims that too much homework causes stress. In this I paper will talk about the damaging effects homework has on a child, how homework causes students to dropout of school, and some ideas for an alternative to homework.
We all know the downfall of homework: the frustration and exhaustion, family conflict, time loss, and decreasing interest in learning. No study has ever demonstrated any academic achievement linked to assigning homework. There is also no support to the fact that homework provides nonacademic benefits at any age. Here are a few examples: building character, promoting self-discipline, or teaching good work habits. All teachers who assign homework want to believe that the gain outweighs the pain. Although, there is no evidence of that and they must rely on faith (“Homework: No Proven Benefits”, pg. 1). Michellea, a mother of a middle school student, says that some work can reinforce certain skills, but hours of homework are unhealthy and unproductive. Mominseattle agrees. She contemplates that such a heavy load can result in potential drawbacks to the students. Hours of homework a night plus a full day of school can be just as much work as an adult at a full-time job. She believes students should enjoy their childhood, as short as it already is. MagnetMom complains about how her daughter’s homework takes away her beneficial sleep. With busy families, like hers, they have many after school activities, so when they get home, they do not have time for too much homework. She says ...
Sadowski, Michael. "Time and Learning." Harvard Education Letter. March/April 1998: 4-6. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 25 Mar 2012.