Homework: Is It Busy Work Or Really Worth The Time?

1484 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Is homework good or bad for student achievement

Everyone at one point in time has complained they have had too much homework. Especially in High School. I was always told homework will help me because it is a way to practice and fully master the material I needed to learn. In high school students spend a few hours a night doing what they see as busy work, meaning they do not think homework is helpful, while some students do not mind the work load. The students may feel doing the problems,writing the short responses, and filling out packets helps them practice and remember the material. The reason why I believe the packet homework should be replaced is because students do not always retain the important information needed to pass tests or to get good grades. A question that has come up is whether assigning packets of homework, that defines specific terms, will help students master material better than assigning less or none at all. Rather than not assigning homework at all, students should be given homework that the teacher can give feedback too, perhaps a few essay questions which require more critical thinking rather than a packet of definitions. The main issues regarding homework come down to whether the type of homework, mainly packets, is the problem and whether or not homework is actually helping students improve their grades and test scores.
Many students have been given homework packets, which only help them understand specific terms. This type of homework leaves a student feeling unmotivated to complete the assignment or they do not particularly care what they write for the definition so they do not actually learn the material. While this type of assignment may or may not be completed by students in the way it was intended, it is still widely used in classrooms. Fro...

... middle of paper ...

...Press, 2004. 168. Print.
"critical thinking." Dictionary.com's 21st Century Lexicon. Dictionary.com, LLC. 04 Feb. 2014.
Crawford , Leslie . "Does homework really work?." Great Schools. GreatSchools, n.d. Web. 7 Feb 2014.
Kohn, Alfie. The Homework Myth: Why Our Kids Get Too Much of a Bad Thing. 1st. Da Capo, 2006. 256. Print.
Kralovec, Etta, and John Buell. The End of Homework: How Homework Disrupts Families, Overburdens Children, and Limits Learning. Beacon Press, 2000. 136. Print.
"Questions That Promote Deeper Thinking." Los Angeles Valley College. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Feb 2014.
Murphy Paul, Annie. "When Homework is a Waste of Time Most after-school assignments are based on out-of-date and often ineffective methods." Time Ideas. 13 009 2013: n. page. Web. 2 Feb. 2014.
Paulu, Nancy. Helping Your Child With Homework. DIANE Publishing, 1995. Print.

Show More
Related

  • Excessive Dependence on Homework in American Schools

    740 Words  | 2 Pages

    "I didn’t feel [stressed] until I was in my 30’s. It hurts my feelings that my daughter feels that way at eleven" (Ratnesar 313). This statement describes the intense issue facing the American Education System today. More and more students are spending a lot of out of school time on enormous amounts of homework. The overabundance of homework is putting pressure on the students, along with their parents. Our nation has steadily focused on after school studying to the point of possible exhaustion. In this paper, I will attempt to explain how educators are relying on homework as the major form of education, and how the amounts are too demanding on the students.

    Read More

  • American Achievement Culture: The Dark Side Of American Achievement Culture

    1967 Words  | 4 Pages

    All over the country, parents are fighting this issue and many schools have already taken action. “One-third of colleges in America have eliminated the SAT or modified its use. There is even a school in Wyoming that has abolished homework for K-5” (Levs). However, for society to follow these bold footsteps, the first task is to make people realize that stress on children due to overscheduling is a very serious problem and that the well-being and economic future of the US depends on addressing this issue. Secondly, there is no quick solution. What overwhelms people the most is the complexity of the problem and the need for a complete turnaround of society’s expectations. One college professor comments, “We have an opportunity to change how we conceive being successful, and it takes bravery. I mean, you’re swimming against pop culture” (Abeles). So, instead of ignoring the diversity amongst children by directing the focus toward the narrow group of high-achievers, express the importance of individuality. A bell curve illustrates that “smart” has many different meanings: children who are academically smart, those who are incredibly creative, and those who are totally

    Read More

  • Nt1310 Unit 3 Assignment

    1311 Words  | 3 Pages

    The success of student responses to an assignment often rests on the styles, designs and instructor’s deliberate design of the assignment. By being purposeful and thoughtful from the beginning, it can ensure that assignments will not only serve as effective assessment methods, but also engage and delight your students. It is a product of enjoyment and perseverance if and only if it is an idealistic task that students will relate in the outside world. Homework should be viewed as one of several methods teachers can use to show children that learning takes place

    Read More

  • Homework: Because 7 Hours of School Isn’t Already Enough

    1341 Words  | 3 Pages

    Did you know that the average high school student in today’s society has the same levels of anxiety as a psychiatric patient in the 1950s? According to psychologist Robert Leahy, school these days can get a little tough– especially when most students’ first response to a heavy backpack full of homework is to worry over whether or not it can be done. In the past decade, Leahy and other psychologists have noticed a steady nationwide increase in the amount of stress caused by schoolwork among high school students (Slate Magazine). What does this mean for tomorrow’s leaders and future generations of dignitaries? Scientists have concluded that sleep deprivation, long-term health problems, and declining overall academic achievement are lasting effects of homework-related stress on the average student, and they should not be ignored.

    Read More

  • The Case Against Homework: How Much is Too Much Homework

    1063 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Preamble Of Declaration Of Independence

    355 Words  | 1 Pages

    When in the course of life events, their comes a time in a student’s life where he/she can no longer manage all their homework assignments given to them by their teacher. As a student gets older they begin to have a harder time in concentrating in their school needs. This becomes worse if one is involved in any academic or athletic programs after or before school.

    Read More

  • Personal Opinion Essay: Homework Should be Banned

    1104 Words  | 3 Pages

    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...

    Read More

  • Why Do College Students Procrastinate?

    700 Words  | 2 Pages

    In high school, many students put minimal effort into their assignments and still excelled above their classmates. Studying and completing homework ahead of time was a non-issue for them. Commonly, these students were convinced

    Read More

  • Why Homework Should be Banned

    550 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Homework: Is It Beneficial or Harmful to Students?

    980 Words  | 2 Pages

    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...

    Read More

  • Today's Homework Stress

    639 Words  | 2 Pages

    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...

    Read More

  • The Benefits of Homework

    1156 Words  | 3 Pages

    Homework offers multiple benefits for real life. One benefit of homework is that it helps the student develop essential skills. While homework may seem like a tedious task, it can help a student comprehend the material. Homework is necessary for more than just a grade; it is an assignment that teaches you valuable life skills. According to “Do students have too much homework?”, homework should lead students to be better at taking what they know and applying it to a certain task. Students tend to portray homework as something that they have to get done without knowing the value that lies behind it. Homework enables the student to recall a certain problem and apply it to another distinctive situation. According to “Do students have too much homework?”, applying knowledge is the most important. Learning is definitely important but what students do with the facts that they learned is essential as well. Applying knowledge allows the students to take a simple fact and relate it to a grander scheme of things. Relating what they know will enhance their creativity and let them see behind the lines of how everything connects.

    Read More

  • Too Much Homework

    1227 Words  | 3 Pages

    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 ...

    Read More

  • Homework Is A Waste Of Time Essay

    1200 Words  | 3 Pages

    Kralovec, author of The End of Homework argues that doing homework during high school has little or no effect on successful study skills of students in college. College students have only a few hours of class a week and lots of daytime hours in which to study. She says the college schedule is nowhere as grueling as in high school. In addition, the average adult does not return home from the office with three or more hours of work to complete (Kralovec). When "busy work" assignments are given carelessly and frequently, it causes students to lose interest in the subject. Negative results can also occur when a student is not able to complete his or her homework. Many times they will resort to copying homework, having others do their assignments, or cheating on tests. Bad habits such as these are likely to follow kids through their lives and have an effect on their moral judgment. With no consequences to these actions students will almost always take the easy way out when it comes to homework

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay Homework

    1976 Words  | 4 Pages

    Carbone II, Steven A. "The Value of Homework: Is Homework an Important Tool for Learning in the Classroom?" Inquiries Journal/Student Pulse, 1(12). Retrieved from http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/a?id=1682

    Read More

More about Homework: Is It Busy Work Or Really Worth The Time?

Open Document