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More than two hours of homework may be counterproductive, research suggests. GSE scholar Denise Pope finds that students in high-achieving schools who spend too much time on homework experience more stress and health problems. … Students in these schools average about 3.1 hours of homework each night.
According to a recent study, if it’s more than one hour… then it’s too much. A study from Spain published in the Journal of Educational Psychology by the American Psychological Association found that spending more than one hour on math and science homework can be counterproductive.
How important is homework? Homework has been seen both beneficial and detrimental in association with time. Homework over a certain time limit can cause stress, depression, anxiety, lack of sleep, and more. Homework distracts from extracurriculars and sports as well, something colleges often look for.
You absolutely do have legal rights to put reasonable limits on your child’s homework time. The legal tool you want to use is called a 504.
In the United States, the accepted guideline, which is supported by both the National Education Association and the National Parent Teacher Association, is the 10-minute rule: Children should have no more than 10 minutes of homework each day for each grade reached.
“More than half of students say that homework is their primary source of stress, and we know what stress can do on our bodies,” she says, adding that staying up late to finish assignments also leads to disrupted sleep and exhaustion.
About an hour to an hour and a half is usual in Years 7 and 8, rising to two to three hours in Years 10 and 11.
Experts in the field recommend children have no more than ten minutes of homework per day per grade level. As a fifth- grader, Timothy should have no more than fifty minutes a day of homework (instead of three times that amount).
How much is too much? According to the National PTA and the National Education Association, students should only be doing about 10 minutes of homework per night per grade level.
According to standardized test scores, the results of the no-homework policy have been positive. “We have been able to document the improvement of our student body moving roughly from 30 percent not ready for college math to almost 100 percent being ready,” Anderson said.
Even when homework is well-designed and does foster learning, too much of it can be damaging. Children who have more than one hour of homework each night overwhelmingly report that they feel stressed about their ability to complete their work. Over time, this stress can create real problems for a developing brain.
Dent, trapped under piles of worksheets and assignments, was unable to escape the flooding. … “It’s a tragedy beyond words,” senior Stacey Cryer said. “He never even got to finish his assignments.
This country tops the list as the most educated in the world, with 56.27 percent of adults having earned some kind of higher education.
Thus, homework is slavery. Slavery was abolished with the passing of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. So every school in America has been illegally run for the past 143 years.”
Finding Help. It’s a good idea to talk to someone about your problems with school. Your mom, dad, relative, teacher, or school counselor will be able to help you. It’s especially important to tell an adult if the problem is that you’re being bullied or someone hurts you physically.
No Homework Law in California There is not today, but there was 100 years ago. And in 1901, the state passed a law banning all homework for school kids in kindergarten through eighth grade and imposing limits on the amount of homework that could be assigned to high school students.
Psychologist Harris Cooper in this paper has conducted studies that have shown that homework is not very effective: too much information a child will not learn. Kids need no more than 20 minutes of extra classes, older ones need an hour and a half of Homework in Elementary School ..
“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.
Average number of hours in the school day and average number of days in the school year for public schools, by state: 2007–08 | ||
---|---|---|
State | Average number of hours in the school day | Average number of days in the school year |
United States | 6.64 | 180 |
Alabama | 7.03 | 180 |
Alaska | 6.48 | 180 |
Common causes of homework procrastination are abstract goals, feeling overwhelmed, perfectionism, fear of failure, anxiety, task aversion, lack of motivation, sensation seeking, resentment, and a problematic work environment, as well as other issues, such as lack of sleep, ADHD, and depression.