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 Dec. 7 2010 at 1:08 pm
violinistforlife SILVER, Thornton, Colorado
5 articles 0 photos 4 comments
I agree with you.  I take college classes, am in several after school clubs, youth groups, and community orchestras, and volunteer at an animal shelter at least three hours per week.  I don't have a lot of extra time on my hands, so when I hear other people complain that they have a couple of work sheets to finish that will cut into their three hours of free times, it is really frusturating.  The reason we go to school is so we can learn.  I'm not saying this article wasn't well written, it is just frustrating to see so many people complaining about how much homework they have when they could be pushing themselves harder and accomplishing more.

on Dec. 7 2010 at 1:03 pm
violinistforlife SILVER, Thornton, Colorado
5 articles 0 photos 4 comments
I would have to agree.  As annoying as homework is, I don't know if I could learn as much without it.  And as a high schooler taking college classes, I can honestly say that high school homework is nothing compared to college homework, because the majority of the work in college must be done outside of class.

on Dec. 6 2010 at 4:55 pm
jimmydane34 GOLD, Wood Ridge, New Jersey
10 articles 0 photos 9 comments

Favorite Quote:
Expose yourself to your deepest fear; after that, fear has no power, and the fear of freedom shrinks and vanishes. You are free.

i believe homework isnt as necesseary as people make it out to be. my major problem in school is doing homework assignments because of the boring same repetive non challenging work i recieve to do at home. i get A's in all test but end up getting a C even D because of homeowork. english we rarely do homeowrk evolving our thinking skills such as opinion essays.  teens especially in highschool should just take responsibility for themselves. assign less homework. if a student really pays attention takes notes and has the responsibiliy enough to go over the notes to retain information you'll get A's which is what i do. but homework deteriates my grades. is it an excuse? no, but assigning useless repetitive homework to only make administrators happy in thinking we as general teen society will improve test scores. kids will be kids, the ones who really want to educate them selves, will do so with or without assigning homework

Scorpion said...
on Dec. 5 2010 at 2:11 pm
This is a good persuasive writing all about the growing homework problem. 

on Dec. 2 2010 at 5:44 pm
This article really expressed both sides of the issue.  Very informative.

on Dec. 1 2010 at 12:22 pm
wafflez got that pineapple head going  on and iownyourfat donkey sucks at black ops and mw2 gf kidss

on Dec. 1 2010 at 12:12 pm
no ur donkey is a big lake milk fat noob so put that on ur bio and add me so i can kill u in black ops and mw2 noob ur fat donkey cant beat me noob so get a life noob

wafflez said...
on Dec. 1 2010 at 11:29 am
your donkey is big lake waffle milk man garbage noob fat

on Nov. 29 2010 at 3:56 pm
Jakethesnake BRONZE, Hernando, Mississippi
1 article 0 photos 96 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Read, Read... Read everything, then write."-William Faulkner

uh, jonasloverrr, they also have a lot of people below the poverty rate, which means they don't have time for school-they have to survive. 

Plus, the higher populations add to the fact that they will have a higher percentage of illiterates.


on Nov. 29 2010 at 3:46 pm
Jakethesnake BRONZE, Hernando, Mississippi
1 article 0 photos 96 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Read, Read... Read everything, then write."-William Faulkner

Not only do I agree with the subject, I really love how this is written. Youve done your research and have somehow  made yourself an excellent writer. 

However, I must agree with PenguinFeet down there, well at least partially. Teachers assign homework for a reason, and that is to make sure we drill it into our heads so that we do well on our tests. I never did HW until recently. So sure, I was getting all the exorcise I needed, but I, until recently, I was failing 3 of my classes. 

 


on Nov. 26 2010 at 1:12 pm
WindDancer GOLD, Lexington, Kentucky
10 articles 3 photos 77 comments

Favorite Quote:
"It's time to start living the life you've imagined"
- Henry James

"I read to escape, I write to confront."

I totally agree with this article! I feel like homework doesn't really help, and teachers should stop wasting as much time in class and actually teach and let us practice. But hey, that's just me.

Good job witht this article!


on Nov. 21 2010 at 2:12 pm
PenguinFeet GOLD, Bellevue, Washington
19 articles 0 photos 9 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Yeah, well, who but the mad would choose to keep on living? In the end, aren't we all just a little crazy?" - Dulcie, in Libba Bray's Going Bovine

While I hate doing homework...

I don't think I'd remember any of the stuff I did in school if I didn't do homework to go with it. And if every class in high school only assigns 30 minutes of meaningful homework, that's still 3+ hours. Doing 3 problems involving the Taylor series already takes at least 20 minutes, and three problems is not enough to cement it in my brain. This takes math homework to about 40 minutes. And English class--how are we supposed to learn to write an essay if we never spend more than 10 minutes writing at home? We have to spend at least an hour to write an essay. Reading history and doing vocabulary--wouldn't you agree that it's necessary to know the terms and information to learn a subject? And yes, that takes more than 30 minutes. Already, you're over the "limit" for 9th grade--and there are still more classes.

While elementary and middle schools might be able to function without it, there's way too much information that we have to learn in high school. "Lots of homework" is a necessary evil. If you don't want to do so much, stop signing up for classes that require work. You're in control.


Ainse BRONZE said...
on Nov. 15 2010 at 11:12 pm
Ainse BRONZE, Calgary, Other
1 article 5 photos 18 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If I don't write to empty my mind, I go mad." -Lord Byron
"Good friends, good books and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life" -Mark Twain

I completley agree!  I get so much unnecessary homework at school. In addition I have to say that teachers also encourage out of school activities but wonder why no one joins them.  I personally think that kids don't want to get an overwhelming work load considering they get so much homework already.

Great article!


on Nov. 15 2010 at 10:46 pm
Maddyandsnoopy GOLD, Rocklin, California
10 articles 18 photos 17 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

I completely agree! This was extremely well written, too. On top of having a ton of homework, a lot of us are really busy. For example, here was my schedule today:

8-1-- school (minimum day)

1-3:30-- extra credit movie for AP World History

4-5-- time with math tutor

6-8-- mock trial practice

On top of all this, I have an essay due tomorrow. Don't worry though- coming on TeenInk was my reward for finishing. This is all super stressful, though!


Lexi-pex GOLD said...
on Nov. 15 2010 at 2:29 pm
Lexi-pex GOLD, Billingham, Other
13 articles 0 photos 75 comments

Favorite Quote:
"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."
- Eleanor Roosevelt

this is really persuasive, well done! i don't think there's one teen out there that doesn't relate to this problem. i've just finished my GCSEs now, so the homework load has decreased, but all the coursework!!!!!!!!!!

schlage GOLD said...
on Nov. 11 2010 at 3:31 pm
schlage GOLD, Erie, Pennsylvania
10 articles 0 photos 37 comments
This article was very well written and I completely agree. These days if a teacher doesn't have time to finish up the class, it automatically becomes homework. They are turning what should be a simple review of the days work into and extended schoolday.

on Nov. 2 2010 at 6:42 pm
Destinee BRONZE, Oakville, Other
3 articles 0 photos 303 comments

Favorite Quote:
Blegh. - Abraham Lincoln

I think their option is neither, just whiz through life and hope that the government can save them. 

Ashii BRONZE said...
on Nov. 2 2010 at 7:24 am
Ashii BRONZE, Chengdu, Other
3 articles 0 photos 3 comments

Okay, I will apologizing for being so harsh, but I will stick to my opinion. American students have nothing to complain about, compared to students around the world. I used to go to school in the US, and I used to complain that I got a lot of homework. Then, I moved to China and I realized how much I took for granted.

Right now, I really struggle with homework and I believe the same exact thing as the author of this post. I am taking a bunch of AP classes, I am studying for the upcoming SATs in December, I'm the editor of the yearbook, I'm also the editor of the newspaper, I'm the deputy president of Model UN, and I'm the team captain of my varsity volleyball team. People are astonished to find out how involved I am at school. Yet, I still have the time to hang out with my friends on the weekends. However, I have nothing to complain about when I compare myself to Chinese students. I go to an international school and there is a Chinese school right next to our school. Those poor kids are at school from morning until after dinnertime, Monday-Saturday and Sunday is a half day. Would you rather spend this much time at school doing school work or would you rather do homework? I pick the latter.


on Nov. 1 2010 at 10:31 pm
Destinee BRONZE, Oakville, Other
3 articles 0 photos 303 comments

Favorite Quote:
Blegh. - Abraham Lincoln

Hm...I guess it's not really my business, since I'm not American and you guys are discussing the *American* education system.

But you know what? I guess you're right. Because I've been reading some of these comments, and bloody ----, that's a lot of work.

It just annoys me when people say, "I have a lot of homework boo hoo hoo" and all they've really done is gone home and Facebook'd or something. Like some of my friends.

Although, of course, if it's dependent of "individual students" then you can't really expect to make a law out of it--they're called exceptions and laws can't account for the unlucky exceptions.

on Nov. 1 2010 at 10:23 pm
ebony_and_irony, Tracy, California
0 articles 0 photos 11 comments

Homework is no problem *for you* if you manage your time wisely. It's entirely closed-minded of you to suggest that other people's problems in this regard exist only because of their lack of time managements skills. It really depends on individual schools, individual students, and said students' schedules.

I manage my time perfectly well, and I still frequently feel overwhelmed by the volume of homework (not by the actual subject matter - but by the sheer amount of stuff I have to do in order to complete the assignment), and I know that many of my friends frequently feel the same way.