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If your child comes home night after night with a backpack full of schoolwork, should you just accept that doing three or four hours of homework is part of getting a good education? Not necessarily, say some educators who are rethinking the value of one of America's educational icons.
The school board in Piscataway, N.J., decided to cut back on the amount of homework assigned to its 7,000 students, in part because of the stress on students and their parents who have to help their children with school assignments. The board felt that some students were either getting too much after-school work or being graded for homework that they tried completing but could not understand.
Although Americans strongly believe that more homework is better, there is little evidence to support this. Students have interests and responsibilities that are as important as school, such as participating in sports, scouts and other activities, working part-time, cooking meals and watching younger siblings.
Homework also can be a problem for students who don't have space, a computer, educational material or adults at home who can help with their assignments. One study found that homework is very stressful for low-income families.
How much is too much?
The U.S. Department of Education (DOE) says homework helps students when the assignments are meaningful, completed properly and returned with comments from the teacher. Secondary students who do more homework score better on standardized tests and earn better grades than students who do less homework.
The DOE suggests that daily homework assignments last up to 20 minutes for grades kindergarten to three, 20 to 40 minutes for grades four to six; up to two hours for students in grades seven to nine; and up to two and a half hours for grades 10 to 12.
However, another study found that 6- to 8-year-old children spent an average of two hours a day on homework compared with 44 minutes in 1981. That trend is being reversed in Piscataway where homework has been reduced by an hour or more for students. Teachers no longer grade homework and are discouraged from assigning homework on weekends and holidays.
One expert is against assigning homework to elementary school students and suggests that school districts adopt a 40-hour-a-week academic schedule for high school students. In this new model, a typical district would hold classes for six hours then provide computers, teacher availability and other resources for students to work independently on projects for another two hours each week day.
Carrying fewer books home can also be a healthy change for students who are used to lugging books, athletic equipment and other items in their backpacks. Children who carry backpacks the wrong way can develop chronic back and neck problems later in life. Your child's backpack should weigh no more than 5 percent to 10 percent of body weight. Recently, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons warned about the health risks caused by heavy backpacks and reported finding a 10-year-old girl who was carrying a 47-pound backpack.
What can parents do?
If you believe your school needs to limit homework, talk to your child's teachers and other parents and address the school superintendent and school board if necessary. Push for other reforms as well, such as a 40-hour school week for older students and smaller class sizes for elementary school students.
Homework tips
The DOE suggests these ideas for helping your child complete homework assignments:
- Provide a desk, table or clean writing surface, and be sure there is good lighting and materials to do the assignment.
- Set a regular time every day for your child to do homework.
- Create a quiet study area without distractions (no loud music or television).
- Monitor assignments and provide guidance. Review the work before your child starts and again after it is finished.
- Don't do the work yourself. Help your child learn how to do it.
- Talk to teachers when problems arise.
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External Sources
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The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
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US Department of Education
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The American Chiropractic Association
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This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.
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