In the textbook entitled, The End of Homework, Etta Kralovec and John Buell suggest that homework is a waste of a childhood because it takes time away from family, friends, and play. Before reading this book, I would have disregarded or attempted to discredit these statements by arguing that homework is a necessary practice that fosters academic achievement and encourages both responsibility and time management skills in children. However, after reading the book, I can say with confidence that I am in complete agreeance with many of the sentiments that the authors expressed. Assertions made in this book suggest that the practice of homework in elementary grades is an extension of inequality and disadvantages many children. Students often have additional responsibilities to tend to once they get home from school, such as household chores or looking after younger siblings. Moreover, many students lack a decent place to study, have parents who are unavailable or unqualified to help them with homework, lack the resources required to complete assignments, or are living in poverty and do not need the extension of obstacles or burdens to bear. As the book points …show more content…
This distinct revelation is of utmost significance in my opinion because it affirms that there is absolutely no evidence to suggest that homework benefits younger children. This information led me to question not only my own belief system, but the “homework” practice as an entirety; if there is no concrete evidence to suggest that homework is beneficial to young children, then why do we continue to enforce it? Moreover, why do we continue to allow young children to sacrifice important and scarce social interaction time for homework if they already spend most of their waking hours at school and there is no evidence to suggest that it benefits
The article “Students and Homework,” written by Josephine Campbell, describes a very important topic in education. Homework has always been an essential part of the American education system. Although not required in a vast amount of school districts, many educators recur to this resource for various purposes such as a remedial strategy or method of advancement. Throughout history, the concept has been taken from different approaches in regards of the time period and overall purpose of assigning. However, it was during the time period that involved the space race with the Soviets that homework was specifically encouraged to improve the United States’ educational system. As of today, homework is still revolutionizing the concept of education
A problem with elementary students having homework is that their parents end up doing it just to get it over with. According to today.com there was a rule established by the National Education Association that limits the amount of homework any age kid, especially elementary should have to do. This is called “the 10 minute rule.” Kindergarten students should not get homework but first graders gets 10 minutes, second graders gets 20 and so on. This rule has been broken by teachers giving kindergarten students almost as much homework as a third grader should have. Because this rule is so often broken, parents are forced to step in and help their kids so they don’t look back on their life as all I did was homework.
Some people would argue that homework should not stay in schools because it decreases the amount of family time. They say that when a child is doing homework, it decreases family time because that child is not involved in the family but the homework (“Teachers…”). This theory has been proven wrong; in fact homework actually increases family time. Family time increases by the encounter the parents and children have while doing homework. It brings them together by how the children ask for help on their homework (5). The child will ask their parent or siblings to help them, and that will spark the family time. The parents will try to help and will not stop till their child understand how to do it. While helping with their child’s homework the parents can ask how their day went, and how that certain class was. Engaging in conversation always increases family time. Not only will they get to talk to their children, the parents will be informed of their child’s studies and how good or bad they are doing in school. Which proves that homework increases family time.
Most people would say torture for children is illegal, yet homework is still being assigned today. Everyone can remember their high school and college years when many had to pull all-nighters studying and finishing that last project. However, to what purpose? How many people use Pythagorean Theorem every day? Alternatively, chemiosmosis? The assignments that teachers are giving to students for homework not only have no impact in students’ learning, it can harm them physically, mentally, and in their family life.
Incorporating homework into the average student’s life can significantly improve academic achievement, the understanding of lifelong study skills, and school appreciation. In order for students to solidify their understanding of certain topics, homework is required since it enables students to retrieve what they have learned outside of school and learning skills can be improved. “For example, Cooper summarizes many of the positive outcomes homework has on students’ lives. Cooper categorizes these outcomes into four sections: immediate achievement and learning, long-term academic benefits, non-academic benefits, and greater parental appreciation of and involvement in school. Under the first section, Cooper explains that one’s learning can progress rapidly since there will be increased understanding, better critical thinking, retention of factual knowledge, greater concept formation, information processing, and curriculum enrichment for a student in the learning process.
Everytime a kid does his homework, correctly, they are possibly advancing their knowledge and understanding of the subject at hand. Although, Alfie Kohn, author of the book “The Homework Myth” states, “Such policies sacrifice thoughtful instruction in order to achieve predictability, and they manage to do a disservice not only to students but, when imposed from above, to teachers as well” (Suhay). Not all homework will be beneficial. It can harm
According to Marzano and Pickering (2007) in an article titled the Case for and Against Homework, homework can be useful and very insurmountable when employed effectively. “Three import issues are the appropriate use of homework at various grade levels; the optimum amount of time students should spend on homework; and the most effective forms of parent involvement” (Pg. 76).
“The typical student, even in high school does not spend more than an hour per day on homework” (Loveless NP). However, there is an ongoing dispute between critics on whether a lot of homework has more negative effects than positive effects, and vice versa. Homework is the greatest tool for student success, whether they realize it or not, homework is the key to success, it may not be to fun, but it has many positive effects. Homework improves academic success, it develops non-school skills, and it helps involve parents.
In conclusion, homework is a waste of time. Time that can be better spent is with family and having fun participating in extracurricular activities. Eliminating homework allows students the reward of free time and the invaluable time spent with family. Homework creates unnecessary stress and strain for parents and students alike. Also, homework allows teachers to pawn off their own teaching responsibilities to students and parents with hours of homework. Homework is not beneficial and it should be banned for students Kindergarten thru 8th grade.
The fact that the amount of homework has risen 3 or 4 times over the past decades shows that homework isn’t brain-stimulating, but exhausting. With this in mind, we can evaluate that longer hours also lead to bad grades, a reduction in self confidence, weakened social skills, and other qualities of life (CNN). These serious allegations all show that homework is not beneficial, but in fact,
“My mom works most of the time and I cannot do my homework by myself” that is one of the most common excuses in students from elementary or middle school when they don’t do their homework. Presently the economic situation is very delicate and most of the parents need to have a full time job to support their families, but this is not the only problem, the problem begins when they do not put attention to their children, and the children become less responsible and as a result students are getting low grades. But there is a solution for parents to get involved in their children’s education.
Have you ever wanted to just shred up your homework or throw it out the window and have no consequences? Kids are assigned daily homework from the time they start kindergarten at the ripe young age of five. Is it really necessary to do this? Does it even help with better learning or even higher test scores? The amount of homework we do wastes time, money, paper, and trees because it’s practically the exact same thing we did in class that day.
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...
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...
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 ...