Is Your Child Getting Too Much Homework?

Photo credit: ktylerconk

Homework is important. It extends the work done in the classroom, develops habits of independent study, and promotes communication between the school and the parents. Homework teaches responsibility, helps to reinforce lessons that have been learned in class, and prepares students for upcoming lessons and tests.

Studies show that students who do their homework have higher achievement scores than those who don’t. But that effect is strongest for kids in high school. For elementary school students, homework has little impact on how well they will do in school.

Too much homework can disrupt family time, create nightly battles between parents and kids and seriously stress out children, to the point of physical illness.

Signs that your child is getting too much homework include stressing to the point of tears, recurring stomachaches and headaches, working late into the night, or canceling weekend family plans because of homework.

There are actually guidelines for the optimal amount of homework. The “10-Minute Rule” was suggested by the National Education Association. It recommends that kids should do no more than 10 minutes of homework per night per grade level. So first-graders should work 10 minutes per evening, second graders 20 minutes and so on.

If your child works significantly more than this each night, or if she regularly needs your help, you should talk with her teacher. The teacher may need to make changes to the homework she hands out, or perhaps your child needs extra help. Parents and teachers should work together to avoid turning homework into a nightly nightmare for the entire family.

Related Reading: Stop Homework

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