Less Homework
By: Kevin George
IntroductionThe other day I was doing my homework and I had a lot. It’s 9:00PM, and I have been doing homework since 4:00PM. I had to do one page for informational writing in Language Arts, twelve questions on Quia for Social Studies, ten questions on Quia for Science, and a thirty question worksheet for Math. Then my Mom tells me to take a shower, but when i’m done I have to go to bed. I only finished Language Arts and Math. This can affect my grade. Students should have less homework.
Reason 1
Did you know that the amount of homework children bring home every day can be overwhelming? A 2004 University of Michigan study found that the amount of homework has increased 51 percent since 1981. While many educators use homework to supplement the material learned in class, homework doesn’t always improve academic performance, and a 2003 “Review of Educational Research” study found that the current way teachers assign homework is not academically beneficial. Students who struggle with homework or who get large volume of homework each night can experience negative effects in their family and social relationships.
Reason 2
Homework takes time away from other pursuits. Children with a large amount of homework spend less time with family and friends. According to the textbook “Child Psychology” social interaction plays a big role in brain development. Children with many opportunities to interact with friends and family can gain valuable social, conflict management and impulse skills.
Reason 3
Homework can cause family stress. Parents may spend a long time with their children fighting over homework. Did you know that according to a 2004 study published in “Current Issues in Education” homework can greatly increase family stress. The study found that stress, frustration and conflicts over homework are found in families with a child who is struggling academically.
Reason 4
When you have a lot of homework it takes away more active learning. Active learning is learning that occurs in context and that encourages participation. For example, a child who goes on a scavenger hunt with his friend, upon seeing a frog, decides to watch the frog and learn about its movement is engaged in active learning. When homework takes children away from their friends and family, it increases opportunities for active learning. This can decrease opportunities for parents to be involved in their children’s education in a fun, mutually fulfilling way, and it reduces the amount of time children have to engage in active learning with their friends.
Reason 5
A lot of homework can disrupt your routines. Many families have established routines, such as eating dinner at a certain time or reading together before bed. These routines can increase closeness, make it easier to manage stress and that a house runs smoothly. The study in “Current Issues In education” found that homework can disrupt family routines. A child who has several hours of homework, for example, might not be able to eat dinner with their parents, and a parent might have to alter their schedule to help their child with homework.
Counter Argument
Some might think that a lot of homework will help kids academically.But say you have baseball pitching lessons and its seventy-five dollars a lesson and you already payed, and there is no refunds. You have been doing your homework since 5:00PM and it’s 7:00PM now. Your lesson starts at 7:30PM. You have to skip your lesson and lose the seventy-five dollars.
Counter Argument Rebuttal
You just lost seventy-five dollars and now your child is behind in pitching lessons. The homework will help you know an extra thing or two but it is not academically beneficial. Your child will go from a C to a C+ but the homework doesn’t matter, the tests and quizzes do.
Conclusion
This is why students should not have a lot of homework. A lot of homework is overwhelming, takes away time from other pursuits, has family stress, takes away active learning, and disrupts routines. Many families and students have the same troubles and suffer the same problems. But they won’t if the schools make teachers give less homework.