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do students do better without homework

by Kasandra Towne Sr. Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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While homework may help some students improve in specific subjects, if they have outside help there is no real proof that homework makes for improvements. It can be a challenge to really enforce the completion of homework, and students can still get decent grades without doing their homework.

Researchers have long found that there is less to homework than many might think; they have found that it has little to no effect on test scores in elementary school and a marginal positive effect in the later grades.Sep 1, 2020

Full Answer

Why homework should not be given to students?

Teachers neglect the disadvantageous effect of homework on the child's brain and the general mental health level. Another significant reason why homework should not be given to kids is that many teachers fail to elucidate all that is needed to solve problems during class time. It is hard for parents to assist the kids in solving tasks.

Should schools reduce the amount of homework?

Yes, but some may disagree, schools should limit homework because kids don’t have time. They are busy. Kids grades drop because of too much homework. Also, it’s way better to do class work then homework. It would just be better if schools limited homework. My first reason is that kids don’t have time, they are busy.

Does homework help or hurt students?

While homework can be harmful to students in large amounts, homework is helpful up to a certain point. According to an article published in Pennsylvania State Live, students benefit the most when only given a half hour to an hour of homework each night, especially in math and science classes.

How to make homework less stressful for students?

Method 2 of 2: Reducing stress

  1. Join an after-school activity. Whether it be a sport, arts and crafts, drama, or whatever else it is that interests you, take the time to do this activity every ...
  2. Make the school environment as relaxing as you can. If you have a locker, put up one or two pictures on the door.
  3. Eat a good lunch every day. ...
  4. Remember to reward yourself. ...

More items...

How does homework help students?

Why is homework important for parents?

What is homework in school?

Why is repetition important in school?

Why is play time important in the classroom?

Is homework an extracurricular activity?

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Is giving students homework effective?

It appears middle- and high schoolers have much to gain academically by doing their homework. The average high school student doing homework outperformed 69% of the students in a class with no homework. Homework in middle school was half as effective.

Why is homework not good for students?

“The findings were troubling: Research showed that excessive homework is associated with high stress levels, physical health problems and lack of balance in children's lives; 56% of the students in the study cited homework as a primary stressor in their lives,” according to the CNN story.

What are 3 benefits of homework?

Homework teaches students how to problem solve. Homework gives student another opportunity to review class material. Homework gives parents a chance to see what is being learned in school. Homework teaches students how to take responsibility for their part in the educational process.

Is homework necessary for students?

According to Duke professor Harris Cooper, it's important that students have homework. His meta-analysis of homework studies showed a correlation between completing homework and academic success, at least in older grades.

What are disadvantages of homework?

In fact, too much homework can do more harm than good. Researchers have cited drawbacks, including boredom and burnout toward academic material, less time for family and extracurricular activities, lack of sleep and increased stress.

Why teachers should not give students homework?

Most academics agree that busy work does little to increase learning. It is best to not assign packets of worksheets if they do nothing to add to student learning. You also don't want to waste valuable time grading meaningless paperwork. Some studies show that much homework may actually decline achievement.

Top 5 Reasons Why Students Should Not Have Homework!

Homework has long been considered an essential and unavoidable part of student life. It is considered to be a valuable learning tool that helps students practice, revise, apply and consolidate new learning.

27 Top Homework Pros and Cons (2022) - Helpful Professor

There are both pros and cons of homework. This makes whether schools should assign homework a great debating topic for students. On the side of the pros, homework can be great for helping students get through their required coursework and reinforce required knowledge.

Homework Pros and Cons - Should Homework Be Banned? - ProCon.org

From dioramas to book reports, from algebraic word problems to research projects, whether students should be given homework, as well as the type and amount of homework, has been debated for over a century. []While we are unsure who invented homework, we do know that the word “homework” dates back to ancient Rome. Pliny the Younger asked his followers to practice their speeches at home.

How does homework help students?

Homework Teaches Time Management. Homework is much more than just completing the assigned tasks. Homework can develop time management skills, forcing students to plan their time and make sure that all of their homework assignments are done on time. By learning to manage their time, students also practice their problem-solving skills ...

Why is homework important for parents?

Homework Gets Parents Involved. Homework can be something that gets parents involved in their children’s lives if the environment is a healthy one. A parent helping their child with homework makes them take part in their academic success , and allows for the parent to keep up with what the child is doing in school.

What is homework in school?

Homework is a word that most students dread hearing. After hours upon hours of sitting in class, the last thing we want is more schoolwork over our precious weekends. While it’s known to be a staple of traditional schooling, homework has also become a rather divise topic.

Why is repetition important in school?

While it may be time consuming and boring compared to other activities, repetition is needed to get better at skills. Homework helps make concepts more clear, and gives students more opportunities when starting their career. 2. Homework Gets Parents Involved.

Why is play time important in the classroom?

While classroom time is important, playground time is just as important. If children are given too much homework, they won’t have enough play time, which can impact their social development and learning. Studies have found that those who get more play get better grades in school, as it can help them pay closer attention in the classroom.

Is homework an extracurricular activity?

Homework can be seen as another extracurricular activity , and many families already invest a lot of time and money in different clubs and lessons to fill up their children’s extra time. Just like extracurricular activities, homework can be fit into one’s schedule. Photo by energepic.com from Pexels.

How effective is homework?

To be effective, homework has to meet students' needs. For example, some middle school teachers have found success with online math homework that's adapted to each student's level of understanding. But when middle school students were assigned more than an hour and a half of homework, their math and science test scores went down.

What does it mean when kids do homework?

This could simply mean that kids who do homework are more committed to doing well in school. Cooper also found that some research showed that homework caused physical and emotional stress, and created negative attitudes about learning. He suggested that more research needed to be done on homework's effect on kids.

What does Kenneth Barish say about homework?

Children who don't do their homework are not lazy, he said, but they may be frustrated, discouraged, or anxious.

Does homework help with content mastery?

These researchers theorize that homework doesn't result in more content mastery, but in greater familiarity with the kinds of questions that appear on standardized tests. According to Professor Adam Maltese, one of the study's authors, "Our results hint that maybe homework is not being used as well as it could be.".

Does Orchard Elementary School have homework?

Orchard Elementary School in South Burlington, Vermont, followed the same path, substituting reading for homework. The homework policy has four parts: read nightly, go outside and play, have dinner with your family, and get a good night's sleep. Principal Mark Trifilio says that his staff and parents support the idea.

Is homework a necessary tool?

It used to be that students were the only ones complaining about the practice of assigning homework. For years, teachers and parents thought that homework was a necessary tool when educating children. But studies about the effectiveness of homework have been conflicting and inconclusive, leading some adults to argue that homework should become ...

Is homework counted as a grade?

Recognizing that not all kids have the time, space, and home support to do homework is important, so it shouldn't be counted as part of a student's grade. Further reading: Balancing Extracurriculars with Homework in High School.

What would happen if students did one less hour of homework?

If students did one less hour of homework and had one more hour of time with their families to play a game, watch movies, or just talk , it would contribute greatly not only to the health of the family but also to the wellbeing of the student.

Why is it important to assign less homework?

It’s important for students to have a life outside of school, and assigning less homework means that they have more time for such activities. Students should be well-rounded individuals; If they’re overloaded with homework, they won’t be able to develop in other areas.

Why do teachers assign homework?

Too often, though, teachers are overwhelmed and assign homework to try to cover material that didn’t have enough time to cover in class. Educators should avoid letting the homework “teach” the class. Instead, it should be used to practice what’s been covered in class or to give a very brief introduction to new material.

Why do students complain about homework?

Students generally complain about homework because they are overworked. Overall, I believe many students are okay with homework, and reviewing and practicing what they learn in school. But because each teacher thinks their class is most important, students often end up with several hours of homework a night. That said, it’s important that you and your colleagues are in conversation about what assignments you all are giving each week. You don’t want your students to end up with 4–5 hours a day of homework.

What is the goal of school?

1. Students are encouraged to learn. The goal of school should be to teach students how to learn and to love learning. You don’t just want to hand your students fish; You want to teach them how to fish. Lectures, discussions, and readings should all engage students and encourage them to get involved in the material.

Should homework be engaging?

Homework assignments, when given, should at least be engaging. Try to find assignments that your students might enjoy, like creating a Facebook profile or blog for a character from a Shakespeare play you’re reading. I’ve found that when students have a more manageable homework load, they’re more excited about school and learning in general.

Should high schoolers hang out with their families?

This last point is often forgotten. Students should have the opportunity to hang out with their families in the evenings. With many couples now both working full-time, students often end up seeing their teachers more than they see their parents! While we can’t go back to the days on the farm where families worked together and saw each other all the time, teachers can at least encourage their students to spend some extra time with their families. And while high schoolers may not appreciate it now, they will appreciate it later.

Why is homework bad for students?

It can lead to boredom if the student has already mastered the skills, and it can lead to loss of interest in school due to burnout. Cheating is involved with homework by either copying another student’s work or when help is received from adults in an attempt to finish all the assignments. Also, assigning excessive amounts of homework may result in unneeded stress and pressure on the child, which affects the student’s emotions, behaviors, thinking ability, and physical health.

Why should students not be assigned homework?

The reason for homework is to practice the content, NOT to learn the content.

Why is homework important?

Homework provides practice with content, concepts, and skills taught at school by the teacher. It can foster retention and understanding of the academic content. Some studies suggest that homework correlates with student achievement. Cooper, Robinson, and Patall (2006) discovered a positive correlation between the amount of the homework students do and their achievement at the secondary level. Some studies also suggest that assigning homework improves the achievement of low-performing students and students in low-performing schools. However, the correlation between student achievement and homework given to elementary students is inconclusive. Most research only supports homework for middle and high school students (Cooper 1989a; Kohn 2006).

How long should homework be in middle school?

The frequency and duration of each assignment does not necessarily suggest a correlation between homework and student achievement. “ We found that for kids in elementary school there was hardly any relationship between how much homework young children did and how well they were doing in school, but in middle school the relationship is positive and increases until the kids were doing between an hour to two hours a night, which is right where the 10-minute rule says it’s going to be optimal,” stated Harris Cooper. The 10-minute rule was created by the National PTA which suggests 10 minutes per a grade should be assigned (e.g., 70 minutes for 7 th grade). “After that it didn’t go up anymore. Kids that reported doing more than two hours of homework in middle school weren’t doing any better in school than kids who were doing between an hour to two hours ,” said Harris Cooper.

What is homework in school?

Homework is assigned either as practice, preparation, extension, or integration of grade-level skills and concepts. PRACTICE HOMEWORK reinforces learning from the skills and concepts already taught in the classroom. Practice homework promotes retention and automaticity of the concept, skill, and content taught.

Why should kids be asked to work a second shift?

Secondly , it reduces the amount of time that children could be spending with their families. Family time is especially important to a growing child and without it social problems can crop up and a family unit can be compromised by a lack of time being spent together .”

Why is preparation homework important?

PREPARATION HOMEWORK is assigned to introduce content that will be addressed in future lessons. However, research suggests that homework is less effective if it is used to teach new or complex skills. For these types of assignments, students typically become stressed which can create a negative perspective towards learning and school.

Why is homework important?

Homework increases family conflict. And the more parents help with children’s homework, the more tension children experience. It also reduces time for other activities that provide balance and variety to a child’s life, such as sport, music, art, or other extra-curricular activities, or to relax and simply be children.

Is homework driving kids away from school?

But the evidence is clear. Supporters of homework are actually driving kids away from learning, making them less successful in school, and interrupting their childhood.

Is homework good for academics?

Homework offers no academic advantage. Instead, it overwhelms struggling children and is boring for high achievers. Homework is stressful. A 2002 study showed a direct relationship between time on homework and increased anxiety, depression, anger, and other mood disturbances among students.

Should children in primary school be wasting their time on homework?

One that is now supported by research. CHILDREN in primary school should not be wasting their time on homework – it is a provocative idea. But research into the impact of homework learning outcomes, and motivation, tells a relatively clear story. This week the Victorian Parliament’s Education and Training Committee recommended a review ...

Benefits

If homework does not help students improve their scores, at least before they enter high school, what other benefits are there?

Drawbacks

There may be some benefits to studying outside of school. The suspected drawbacks, however, may tip the scale against assigning homework to all students as a matter of practice.

Why do students need homework?

Students from less educated families are most in need of the boost that effective homework can provide, because they’re less likely to acquire academic knowledge and vocabulary at home. And homework can provide a way for lower-income parents—who often don’t have time to volunteer in class or participate in parents’ organizations—to forge connections to their children’s schools. Rather than giving up on homework because of social inequities, schools could help parents support homework in ways that don’t depend on their own knowledge—for example, by recruiting others to help, as some low-income demographic groups have been able to do. Schools could also provide quiet study areas at the end of the day, and teachers could assign homework that doesn’t rely on technology.

Why is homework so difficult at the elementary level?

But a fundamental problem with homework at the elementary level has to do with the curriculum, which—partly because of standardized testing — has narrowed to reading and math. Social studies and science have been marginalized or eliminated, especially in schools where test scores are low. Students spend hours every week practicing supposed reading comprehension skills like “making inferences” or identifying “author’s purpose”—the kinds of skills that the tests try to measure—with little or no attention paid to content.

Why are schools eliminating homework?

Some schools are eliminating homework, citing research showing it doesn’t do much to boost achievement. But maybe teachers just need to assign a different kind of homework.

How long should a first grader do homework?

But the “ten-minute rule”—recommended by homework researchers—would have first graders doing ten minutes of homework, second graders twenty minutes, and so on.

How to harness the potential power of homework?

But first, we’ll need to start teaching kids something substantive about the world, beginning as early as possible.

Is homework good for elementary school?

The research relied on by those who oppose homework has actually found it has a modest positive effect at the middle and high school levels—just not in elementary school. But for the most part, the studies haven’t looked at whether it matters what kind of homework is assigned or whether there are different effects for different demographic student groups. Focusing on those distinctions could be illuminating.

Does homework help in middle school?

A study that looked specifically at math homework, for example, found it boosted achievement more in elementary school than in middle school—just the opposite of the findings on homework in general. And while one study found that parental help with homework generally doesn’t boost students’ achievement—and can even have a negative effect— another concluded that economically disadvantaged students whose parents help with homework improve their performance significantly.

How does homework help students?

Homework Teaches Time Management. Homework is much more than just completing the assigned tasks. Homework can develop time management skills, forcing students to plan their time and make sure that all of their homework assignments are done on time. By learning to manage their time, students also practice their problem-solving skills ...

Why is homework important for parents?

Homework Gets Parents Involved. Homework can be something that gets parents involved in their children’s lives if the environment is a healthy one. A parent helping their child with homework makes them take part in their academic success , and allows for the parent to keep up with what the child is doing in school.

What is homework in school?

Homework is a word that most students dread hearing. After hours upon hours of sitting in class, the last thing we want is more schoolwork over our precious weekends. While it’s known to be a staple of traditional schooling, homework has also become a rather divise topic.

Why is repetition important in school?

While it may be time consuming and boring compared to other activities, repetition is needed to get better at skills. Homework helps make concepts more clear, and gives students more opportunities when starting their career. 2. Homework Gets Parents Involved.

Why is play time important in the classroom?

While classroom time is important, playground time is just as important. If children are given too much homework, they won’t have enough play time, which can impact their social development and learning. Studies have found that those who get more play get better grades in school, as it can help them pay closer attention in the classroom.

Is homework an extracurricular activity?

Homework can be seen as another extracurricular activity , and many families already invest a lot of time and money in different clubs and lessons to fill up their children’s extra time. Just like extracurricular activities, homework can be fit into one’s schedule. Photo by energepic.com from Pexels.

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What Research Says About Homework

  • According to Duke professor Harris Cooper, it's important that students have homework. His meta-analysis of homework studies showed a correlation between completing homework and academic success, at least in older grades. He recommends following a "10 minute rule": students should receive 10 minutes of homework per day in first grade, and 10 additi...
See more on wgu.edu

Problems with Homework

  • In an article in Education Week Teacher, teacher Samantha Hulsman said she's frequently heard parents complain that a 30-minute homework assignment turns into a three-hour battle with their kids. Now, she's facing the same problem with her own kids, which has her rethinking her former beliefs about homework. "I think parents expect their children to have homework nightly, and tea…
See more on wgu.edu

Homework Bans

  • Last year, the public schools in Marion County, Florida, decided on a no-homework policy for all of their elementary students. Instead, kids read nightlyfor 20 minutes. Superintendent Heidi Maier said the decision was based on Cooper's research showing that elementary students gain little from homework, but a lot from reading. Orchard Elementary School in South Burlington, Vermont…
See more on wgu.edu

So Should Students Have Homework?

  • Should you ban homework in your classroom? If you teach lower grades, it's possible. If you teach middle or high school, probably not. But all teachers should think carefully about their homework policies. By limiting the amount of homework and improving the quality of assignments, you can improve learning outcomes for your students.
See more on wgu.edu

1.Would Students Be Better Off Without Homework?

Url:https://studentedge.org/article/would-students-be-better-off-without-homework

36 hours ago While homework may help some students improve in specific subjects, if they have outside help there is no real proof that homework makes for improvements. It can be a challenge to really …

2.Should Students Have Homework? - Hey Teach!

Url:https://www.wgu.edu/heyteach/article/should-students-have-homework1808.html

4 hours ago  · This could simply mean that kids who do homework are more committed to doing well in school. Do students learn better without homework? While the national debate over …

3.Giving less homework may actually produce better results

Url:https://www.classcraft.com/blog/students-should-get-less-homework/

20 hours ago  · Students learn the content (skills and concepts) from the lesson taught at school. Students need to be able to complete the work at home without assistance because some …

4.Homework or No Homework - Dataworks Educational …

Url:https://dataworks-ed.com/blog/2014/09/homework-or-no-homework/

26 hours ago  · Published On: February 06, 2020. In recent years, researchers and teachers have been experimenting with a "no homework" policy in the classroom. Though it may sound …

5.Why kids are better off without homework | Daily Telegraph

Url:https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/why-kids-are-better-off-without-homework/news-story/1eadd751fde12f4bef1dc5e8122b3473

1 hours ago  · 6. They’re afraid of failing if they don’t do their homework. Students dread homework because they’re afraid of failing. For some, this is a legitimate fear. If you don’t do …

6.A World Without Homework - TAMIU Online

Url:https://online.tamiu.edu/articles/education/a-world-without-homework.aspx

5 hours ago  · Our students don’t really do homework.” If and when disadvantaged students get to college, their relative lack of study skills and good homework habits can present a serious …

7.Why Homework Doesn't Seem To Boost Learning--And …

Url:https://www.forbes.com/sites/nataliewexler/2019/01/03/why-homework-doesnt-seem-to-boost-learning-and-how-it-could/

9 hours ago

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