As the new school year begins, an old debate about the value of homework is resurfacing. Parents who think their children are overkill are opposed to instructors forcing them to score higher on tests. However,  two recent studies show that most parents are satisfied with their children's homework. 

According to a January 2006 Associated Press survey, about 57% of parents believe their children have been given enough homework. Another 23 respondents thought this was not enough and 19% thought it was overkill.

 A 2007 MetLife survey found that 87% of parents said it was important to help their children with homework. More than three-quarters (78%) do not believe that homework interferes with family time, and almost all (71%) do not believe that homework is a major cause of stress. 

This figure should please educators. Even with a minority of opposition, most parents can expect satisfaction with their homework. 

What  Study Says:

However, only research can tell whether homework is effective. We looked at dozens of homework studies from 1987 to 2003 to see if homework was good for our children (Cooper, Robinson, & Patall, 2006).  

The best way to answer the homework question is to compare students who received homework versus students who did not. The best way to answer homework questions is to compare students who are given homework to students who are somewhat similar to those who do not. 

According to this study, homework can help students improve their grades at the end of a topic. Second graders who received homework did better on math tests. 

Years 3 and 4 students scored better on English and Vocabulary tests. 5th graders scored better on social studies tests. Students in grades 9-12 scored better on tests in American history. 

And the 12th graders did better on the Shakespeare test. Five studies found that typical students who did homework scored higher on tests than students who did not do their homework. 

On the other hand, less rigorous (correlated) studies suggest little or no relationship between homework and success.  The average association between time spent on homework and performance was significant for middle school students but not for elementary school students. 

 Why do you think so? 

Young children cannot isolate themselves from distractions at home and have less developed study habits. Studies show that younger students who struggle with school take longer to complete homework because homework is more difficult. 

How much homework do you have? 

 So, what is the ideal amount of homework a student should complete? Helping your children get the most out of their homework is a parenting guide published by the National  Association of Parents and Teachers and the National Association of Education. The majority of educators believe that students in grades K-2 benefit from homework.

By the standards of many districts, high school students can expect about 30 minutes of homework in each subject they study (a little longer for honors or graduate programs). 

As a result of our study, these recommendations make sense. At all school levels, practice assignments help students improve their performance in class assessment. 

Elementary school students can benefit from a small amount of homework to help develop their learning skills. After doing homework for 90 minutes a night, elementary school students' academic achievement begins to decline. 

The positive line for high school students continues to increase until there are between 90 minutes and 2.5 hours of homework a night, after which returns begin to decrease (Cooper, 1989; Cooper, Robinson, & Patall, 2006).  

Proponents of homework argue that homework can help students achieve more than academic achievement. In addition to academic success, homework proponents argue that homework  can have many other benefits.

 It is argued that this can help students develop appropriate study habits so that they are ready to expand as their cognitive abilities increase. This can help students realize that learning can take place both at home and at school.

 This can promote independent learning as well as responsible personality traits. It also allows parents to observe what is happening at school and give positive feedback on progress. 

Opponents of homework argue that homework can also have negative consequences. All activities are only fun for a while, so it can cause boredom at school. 

This can deprive students of access to recreational activities that teach important life skills.  Parents can become too preoccupied with homework and use methods not used by teachers to pressure and confuse their children. 

 In my opinion, homework policies should stipulate the amount of Access assignment help consistent with research data but should allow individual schools and teachers the freedom to consider the unique needs and circumstances of students and families. 

In general, teachers should stay away from both extremes.  The best way to answer homework questions is to compare students who have received homework and students who are not given homework but are similar. 

According to this study, homework can help students improve their grades on in-class quizzes at the end of the topic. In the second grade, students receive homework. Year 2 students who received homework did better in math, grades 3 and 4 did better with English Assignment Help, grade 5 did social studies, grades 9-12 did better with American history, and grade 12 students did Shakespeare better. 

Twelve studies linking homework and achievement are less authoritative, but control for many other factors that may influence this association. Often based on a national sample of students, these studies point to a link between homework time and academic performance. 

Other studies simply link homework with achievement without considering student differences. About 77% of  35 studies found a positive correlation between homework and achievement. But the most interesting thing about these findings is that they have little meaning. 

The most interesting aspect of these results is that there is little or no relationship between homework and performance in elementary school students.

In addition to academic success, homework proponents argue that homework can have many other benefits. It is argued that this can help students develop appropriate study habits so that they are ready to expand as their cognitive abilities increase. 

This can help students realize that learning can take place both at home and at school. Homework can help students develop self-control and responsible character. Parents can also observe what is happening at school and give positive feedback on progress. 

Opponents of homework argue that homework can also have negative consequences. School activities can be boring because all classes have limited interest. 

Homework can prevent students from engaging in recreational activities that teach important life skills.  Parents can become too preoccupied with homework and use methods not used by teachers to pressure and confuse their children.

In my opinion, homework policies should not only stipulate the amount of homework consistent with research data but should also give individual schools and teachers the freedom to accommodate the specific needs and circumstances of students and families. In general, teachers should stay away from both extremes.