The Homework Revolution | Teen Ink

The Homework Revolution MAG

June 12, 2009
By SpaceKing800 GOLD, Glen Rock, New Jersey
SpaceKing800 GOLD, Glen Rock, New Jersey
15 articles 0 photos 228 comments

Favorite Quote:
"We especially need imagination in science. It is not all mathematics, nor all logic, but is somewhat beauty and poetry"- Maria Mitchell


A young girl sits at her desk, reviewing her homework assignments for the evening. English: read three chapters and write a journal response. Math: complete 30 problems, showing all work. Science: do a worksheet, front and back. French: study vocabulary for tomorrow's test. It's going to be a long night.

This describes a typical weeknight for students across the country. Now is the time to start a homework revolution.

Do students in the United States receive too much homework? According to guidelines endorsed by the National Education Association (NEA), a student should be assigned no more than 10 minutes per grade level per night. For example, a first grader should only have 10 minutes of homework, a second grader, 20 minutes, and so on. This means that a student in my grade – seventh – should have no more than 70 minutes of work each night. Yet this is often doubled, sometimes even tripled!

There are negatives to overloading students. Have you ever heard of a child getting sick because of homework? According to William Crain, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at City College of New York and the author of Reclaiming Childhood, “Kids are developing more school-related stomachaches, headaches, sleep problems, and depression than ever before.” The average student is glued to his or her desk for almost seven hours a day. Add two to four hours of homework each night, and they are working a 45- to 55-hour week!

In addition, a student who receives excessive homework “will miss out on active playtime, essential for learning social skills, proper brain development, and warding off childhood obesity,” according to Harris Cooper, Ph.D., a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University.

Everybody knows that teachers are the ones who assign homework, but they do not deserve all the blame. “Many teachers are under greater pressure than ever before,” says Kylene Beers, president of the National Council for Teachers of English and the author of When Kids Can't Read What Teachers Can Do. “Some of it comes from parents, some from the administration and the desire for high scores on standardized tests.” Teachers who are under pressure feel the need to assign more homework. But why aren't teachers aware of the NEA homework recommendations? Many have never heard of them, have never taken a course about good versus bad homework, how much to give, and the research behind it. And many colleges of education do not offer specific training in homework. Teachers are just winging it.

Although some teachers and parents believe that assigning a lot of homework is beneficial, a Duke University review of a number of studies found almost no correlation between homework and long-term achievements in elementary school and only a moderate correlation in middle school. “More is not better,” concluded Cooper, who conducted the review.

Is homework really necessary? Most teachers assign homework as a drill to improve memorization of material. While drills and repetitive exercises have their place in schools, homework may not be that place. If a student does a math worksheet with 50 problems but completes them incorrectly, he will likely fail the test. According to the U.S. Department of Education, most math teachers can tell after checking five algebraic equations whether a student understood the necessary concepts. Practicing dozens of homework problems incorrectly only cements the wrong method.

Some teachers believe that assigning more homework will help improve standardized test scores. However, in countries like the Czech Republic, Japan, and Denmark, which have higher-scoring students, teachers give little homework. The United States is among the most homework-intensive countries in the world for seventh and eighth grade, so more homework clearly does not mean a higher test score.

Some people argue that homework toughens kids up for high school, college, and the workforce. Too much homework is sapping students' strength, curiosity, and most importantly, their love of learning. Is that really what teachers and parents want?

If schools assign less homework, it would benefit teachers, parents, and students alike. Teachers who assign large amounts of homework are often unable to do more than spot-check answers. This means that many errors are missed. Teachers who assign less homework will be able to check it thoroughly. In addition, it allows a teacher time to focus on more important things. “I had more time for planning when I wasn't grading thousands of problems a night,” says math teacher Joel Wazac at a middle school in Missouri. “And when a student didn't understand something, instead of a parent trying to puzzle it out, I was there to help them.” The result of assigning fewer math problems: grades went up and the school's standardized math scores are the highest they've ever been. A student who is assigned less homework will live a healthy and happy life. The family can look forward to stress-free, carefree nights and, finally, the teachers can too.

Some schools are already taking steps to improve the issue. For example, Mason-Rice Elementary School in Newton, Massachusetts, has limited homework, keeping to the “10 minute rule.” Raymond Park Middle School in Indianapolis has written a policy instructing teachers to “assign homework only when you feel the assignment is valuable.” The policy also states, “A night off is better than homework which serves no worthwhile purpose.” Others, such as Oak Knoll Elementary School in Menlo Park, California, have considered eliminating homework altogether. If these schools can do it, why can't everyone?

So, my fellow Americans, it's time to stop the insanity. It's time to start a homework revolution.



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This article has 821 comments.


on Nov. 2 2011 at 7:22 pm
Xella714 BRONZE, Salem, Massachusetts
3 articles 1 photo 18 comments

Whooo revolution!!!

By the way, read kids right to vote.


on Nov. 2 2011 at 6:03 pm
PhilosophicalLinx BRONZE, Upper Marlboro, Maryland
3 articles 0 photos 11 comments

Favorite Quote:
" I am the wisest man alive, for I know one thing, and that is that I know nothing."
-socrates

I gonna go ahead and be the bold one I STRONGLY disagree, well not strongly but I do believe homework has value not at all worthless as you have said. mainly because it helps you stay on task, as oppose to one who isn't assigned homework will do anything but study in his leisure. in fact homework (in moderate amounts) improves test scores , why do you say doing tedious homework with wrong answers is of no purpose. this is the very moment you, yes you the radical student pick up that textbook and read the material before starting the objective in THE FIRST PLACE. so before blaming the teachers, or high expectations of moderators or whatever so have you, I think it is only fair we point the gun first at our selves before convicting other variables of excessive- stress inducing, brain numbing, stupifying-children-just-for-the-hell of it disorder (don't let that verbose line of a disorder undermine what I've just said)

on Nov. 2 2011 at 4:53 pm
Tcoolgirl BRONZE, San Tan Valley, Arizona
3 articles 0 photos 7 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Watch your thoughts, they become words. Watch you words, they become actions. Watch your actions, they become you. Watch yourself, you affect others."

I think that we shouldnt even be doing 70, or 80 minutes of homework! I stay home from school alot because of Anxiety and stress attacks, which are 90% caused by too much homework.

on Nov. 2 2011 at 7:31 am
RedFeather GOLD, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
12 articles 0 photos 155 comments

Favorite Quote:
Prose is like walking but poetry is like dancing.
—Paul Valery, poet (1871 - 1945)

I completely agree! There needs to be a lot less homework being assigned to students. Just yesterday, I had off from school because it was an in-service day, yet I was loaded down with so much fricking homework that I literally spent ALL DAY doing homework! (Got up at 8:30, did reading homework, had lunch, replied to an e-mail, did my science project, went to CCd, had dinner, read a chapter of my history book, did a worksheet on that, and had half an hour before I had to go to bed.) Too much homework is stressful and does not give students enough time to unwind and relax(or get that hour of exercise everybody is trying to push us to get! Really, How in the world do they expect us to get a whole hour of exercise in every day when they give us HOURS of fricking homework every night?!?!?!). This causes students to feel weighed down, trapped, frustrated, and pointless. (What is the point to all this homework when I'm only going to get a whole bunch more tomorrow? And it's not like there's any time to hang out with my friends or do anything fun afterwards...) Some people have to stay up to late hours just to finish their homework.

Homework is edepriving students of time, childhood, and the opportunities to have a life besides being a student at a school.


ALenny GOLD said...
on Oct. 19 2011 at 12:11 am
ALenny GOLD, Melbourne, Other
11 articles 0 photos 12 comments

Favorite Quote:
Colour my life with the chaos of trouble.

I am an American but recently moved to Australia. When in the US i received a significant ammount of homework every night however here in Australia i barely do any homework. Despite this difference i'm still getting equal results in comparrison to the rest of the world. Doing homework or not doing homework made no difference to my overall results so i don't believe that there's any point in doing homework when the time could be spent on other important activities.

on Oct. 13 2011 at 11:36 am
JillianNora SILVER, Forest Park, Illinois
8 articles 2 photos 46 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity." -1 Timothy 4:12

Brilliantly written. You have great sources, and this isn't just a rant againt homework. I'm very impressed, and I completely agree!

schala said...
on Oct. 9 2011 at 7:46 pm
well said,Mello0936

on Sep. 28 2011 at 8:30 pm
I really liked the article! I am a parent and literally tired of my childs home work everyday.Just as tonight it's 9:30 and my child still working on her homework.She is tired and angry! Why must they have to do so much home work? It's true we are ruining their childhood and I feel so bad for them.My kids always enjoy playing outdoors and when school starts it's like a nightmare for them because they don't have time to go outside.We are the parents need to find the way to make our kids happy!

Mello0936 said...
on Sep. 21 2011 at 9:10 am
It is well documented that there is a significant increase in depression and suicide amoung high acheiving Asian children in grade school and college. The cultural pressures of academic acheivement take a high toll on the mental health of these children.  Is this what we want for our children? To compete with other cultures for acheivement at the risk of mental health? 

Mello0936 said...
on Sep. 21 2011 at 8:50 am
I know of many families who home school their children. These children spend less than half the time "in school" than children in our public schools and generally excel beyond those kids. Unfortunately, most American parents can not home school their children.  Why can't the public schools accomplish in seven+ hours what the homeschool parents do in less than half that time?  It is an issue of Quality vs Quantity. Quality wins every time!

Mello0936 said...
on Sep. 21 2011 at 8:41 am
Just because other countries are overworking their children, doesn't justify that for us.  Some countries send their children to work in sweat shops by age 12 to help support the family. That doesn't mean that American kids should do that!

Mello0936 said...
on Sep. 21 2011 at 8:32 am
If a Chinese student spends over seven hours at school (like our American children do) and seven hours doing homework (as you claim), when do these children sleep, eat or play? My child rides the bus and gets home from school after five. If he did 7 hours of homework, he would be going to bed at midnight with no time for dinner, bath, reading for pleasure or recreation. Since he has to get up at 6:30 am to get ready for school, he would only get 6.5 hours sleep. Is this really what you expect from our children? You can't be serious! We may as well put them to work in sweat shops....their lives may be easier!

Mello0936 said...
on Sep. 21 2011 at 8:22 am
Do you really believe spending healthy positive family time in the evenings is worth so little to our children?  

on Sep. 17 2011 at 3:36 pm
tennisplayergirl GOLD, Arrington, Virginia
10 articles 0 photos 36 comments

Favorite Quote:
"He who will not risk cannot win." John Paul Jones

I DO take the most challenging courses for my grade level. My parents are working to get me into AP courses in tenth grade next year though, so it's not like I'm not trying. 

on Sep. 14 2011 at 4:41 pm
lovelaughliveurlife BRONZE, Morrisville, Vermont
1 article 0 photos 3 comments
Congratulations on being so productive, but not everyone can be.  I spent most of middle school not being challenged either.  Now, I'm a junior in high school, taking as many honors or AP classes as I can. I don't have a study hall and the time (five minutes) I have between classes is barely enough to get to my next class on time, since teachers often don't let us go until a minute or two after the class is ended. Yes I'm at public school too, but that doesn't mean I'm not taking as many opportunities to challenge myself as possible, and I encourage you to do the same.

on Sep. 12 2011 at 6:27 pm
Rocinante SILVER, Wexford, Pennsylvania
7 articles 1 photo 386 comments
I am homeschooled so I have no homework :) Unless you count all my work as homework

ZetaTheGreek said...
on Sep. 10 2011 at 12:31 pm
 You really have it easy in america-.- Here in greece they give us  TONES of homowork not only from school but also from the 2 foreign language lessons and some additional subjects lesssons that an average child here should attempt to have a complete education...Just Don't Complain -.-'

on Sep. 3 2011 at 6:40 pm
tennisplayergirl GOLD, Arrington, Virginia
10 articles 0 photos 36 comments

Favorite Quote:
"He who will not risk cannot win." John Paul Jones

I have to disagree with this. I am a freshmen at a public school and usually have no homework because I find time to fit it in between classes, at lunch time, and during inactive periods during classes. If students could be more hardworking like I try to be, they'd have no homework to complain about! I don't feel challenged enough at my school as it is.

on Aug. 6 2011 at 5:14 pm
UncleBorz SILVER, Weston, Florida
6 articles 0 photos 1 comment

Favorite Quote:
"Be the change you wish to see in the world"-Mohatma Gandhi

Although this was well written, I have to disagree with it. We live in an incredibly competitive and demanding world. The future job market that's waiting for our generation makes sure that only the top tier students from around the world can establish a stable and comfortable life for themselves. We have countries in the Far East, such as China, the Koreas, etc., who are actively preparing their youngest generations to be the very best competitively around the world. In the United States and much of the Western World, that is simply not the case. We are, unfortunately, slacking. While a Chinese student completes seven hours of homework a night, the parallel American student does two hours. If we keep continuing at this rate, we will not have a youth population that is able to compete with the rest of the world for jobs. We need to look past comfort and do what's best.

Sayuri97 GOLD said...
on Aug. 6 2011 at 1:15 pm
Sayuri97 GOLD, Gilford, New Hampshire
12 articles 0 photos 49 comments
I thoroughly agree with almost everything. Another problem, at least in my school, is that the homework is extremely tedious and therefore takes so much time. I can't even tell you how many times I've stayed up until 11 at night writing essays for my reading class, and I'm only going into 9th grade!