My daughter walked in the door from school, threw down her backpack, and raced back outside. I called out to her as she ran through the yard. "Do you have any homework?"
"No, not tonight!" she called back.
When I heard this news, there were always mixed feelings. I was relieved that she attended a school which gave very little homework to the students in grades one through six, but I worried at times that she might be falling behind students at other schools. After all, doesn't homework help prepare kids to perform better in their later years, increase their discipline, and help them on test scores that are crucial for college admission?
The research on homework might surprise you.
The research shows limited verification of homework's effectiveness, but does show that it's been on the increase for a number of years. A 2004 national survey of 2,900 American children conducted by the University of Michigan found that time spent on homework is up 51 percent since 1981. A 2000 survey showed that students ages 6 to 8 did an average of 52 minutes a week in 1981, and, by 1997, were up to 128 minutes a week, says Alfie Kohn, author of "The Homework Myth: Why Our Kids Get Too Much of a Bad Thing" (DaCapo Lifelong Books).
But, according to Harris Cooper, professor of psychology and director of the Program in Education at Duke University in Durham, N.C., homework doesn't measurably improve academic achievement for kids in grade school. In fact, he found that "there is almost no correlation between homework and academic achievement in elementary school and only a moderate correlation in middle school. Even in high school, any benefits start to decline after kids reach a maximum of two hours a night."
And not only can excessive homework be ineffective in helping your kids perform better, it can take a toll on the quality of a family's life. Sara Bennett, author of "The Case Against Homework: How Homework Is Hurting Our Children and What We Can Do About It," says homework can "take away from family time, puts parents in an adversarial role with kids and interferes with the child's ability to play or have other after-school activities." For middle school and teens, it limits crucial time with their peers. Students of all ages are getting too little sleep, which then impacts their learning in school."
And while homework can create one more piece of the stress pie most American families are feeling these days, it can also have benefits. It especially benefits kids when it teaches new concepts and adds to what kids have learned during the day, increasing their ability to think independently. But too often, homework involves tedious busy work that consumes great amounts of time and won't be remembered a month later. So if your child or family is being unduly stressed by the "homework demon," here are some options:
-- Talk to your child's teacher directly, and tell them what you're experiencing. Most parents do not communicate these concerns, so teachers don't see it as a big problem.
-- Get together with other parents and talk to administrators about the amount of homework given out. You'd be surprised at what you can accomplish.
-- Don't do your child's homework for them. A dependent child will not do well when they go out into the world. Provide a good, quiet, and well-lit space for them, and let them be. Help them when it's needed.
-- Give your child options when they get stuck with homework: They can call friends for help, get online, get a tutor, find extra help at school, etc. As long as they know there are options, they can stay in action and find solutions.
In 2006, our kids are being robbed of one of the most important
things that exist in their life -- stress-free time with their families. First and second graders with homework stress isn't just a bad idea, it's ineffective. So is five hours of sleep a night for high school age kids. Excessive homework doesn't just rob our kids of precious time, it extinguishes a love of learning.
I think it's time for parents to sound the school alarm.
*About the Author: Mark Brandenburg MA, CPCC, coaches parents by phone to balance their life and improve their family relationships. He is an Instructor for the Academy for Coaching Parents (www.acpi.biz) and author of "Secrets of Emotionally Intelligent Fathers" Ecourse, which can be found at http://www.markbrandenburg.com/25_secrets.htm.
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