Homework or Work at Home

There is often much discussion among teachers and students about the validity and necessity of homework. A legitimate question: is homework necessary? With the length of schools increasing, is it really appropriate to give students another one to two hours of work every evening? But then, if students are not practicing and showing mastery of their newly acquired skills, they are sure to suffer academically…right?

There is research that supports either side of the homework debate. While it does help students build responsibility, time management skills, and task persistence, there is also evidence that supports higher scores on standardized tests. Too much homework is associated with students having higher rates of depression and anxiety while also having less time to spend with family and friends.

Homework is the practice of skills taught in class. This can look different across grade levels and subjects. For example, a 7th-grade ELAR student would likely not be expected to write a two-page paper as “homework,” whereas a senior in high school might. Homework is work that the teacher has not allowed class time for but still feels is necessary for students to complete. This is especially important with basic mathematics, reading, and writing skills. Everyone agrees that students should be able to read, write, and do basic mathematics, so giving them nightly practice in these areas is justifiable. But at what point is there diminishing returns? Too much work will give students a negative view of school and learning.

So, what is the correct amount of homework? The general consensus is ten minutes per night per grade level. This means that a third grader should have 30 minutes of homework nightly, and a senior would have 2 hours nightly. Many secondary teachers feel homework is unnecessary, just another paper to grade. In many cases, students will either forget or fail to do it because they are already burdened with the sheer amount of work. The most students should receive on any night should be an hour’s worth. Whether that’s an hour of reading and reflecting or an hour of solving math problems, students should not be expected to spend all day in school and then come home and do even more school work. Students need more experiences outside of the classroom to grow and become truly educated, so it is essential that they have the time to do these things every day.

While this may contradict some of my prior points, homework is necessary for students to be successful. Homework allows students to practice the skills taught in class and show that they understand the material. It is also a good barometer for teachers to see if their students understand what is being taught in class. It also helps students to form time management skills outside of the classroom. Along with giving students the opportunity to be responsibile and complete work without the teacher's guidance. Many students immediately shut down and raised their hands, asking for the teacher’s help. Students must be given an opportunity to think for themselves and have a meaningful struggle.

Another added benefit to giving students homework is that, ideally, parents would get involved in their child’s education. Currently, many of the problems facing education can be fixed in the home. So, if families were more present in their children's education, perhaps some of the other issues facing schools would dissipate.

So, in an ideal world, what should homework look like? It would differ from subject to subject; for example, in an English Language Arts class, the teacher could assign a chapter from a novel the class is reading and have students write down talking points to be prepared to discuss it in class. Assuming, of course, this novel’s chapters are not 70 pages long, this would be an appropriate amount of homework for one evening. To reiterate, the teacher must have a good understanding of not only the ability of their class but also the ability to communicate with other grade-level teachers so as not to overload the students with work.

It’s important to emphasize that homework is not the end all be all; without proper instruction in the classroom, homework is useless. Without adequate support at home, the validity of homework diminishes. This isn’t to say that homework has no benefit, but it is not everything. Teachers should use homework as an informal assessment more often than not. Teachers should not make it a habit of taking grades on homework if possible. It can be acceptable sometimes, but for the most part, homework should be used as extra practice and habit-building.

All in all, homework can be a tremendous tool for both students and teachers if used appropriately. Teachers can gauge whether students understand the material, and students can get valuable practice in a subject while also building skills and habits that will serve them throughout their lives.