January 10, 2022

January 10, 2022

Homework: Good, Bad, Or Just Unnecessary?

Is homework good or bad? If you ask kids, they’ll tell you without a doubt it’s bad – but they’re not the ones making that call. Many teachers answer the question “Should students do homework?” in the affirmative, but what is the right answer?

The truth is, homework has both pros and cons, and a case can be made to support each side of the argument. To help answer the question on many students’ and parents’ minds – is homework good for kids? – read on for a breakdown of how homework can benefit and detract from the student learning experience.

Is Homework Necessary?
The homework debate has been raging for years. A lot of research has been done on whether it’s a necessary thing for students. The problem is that the research done on homework doesn’t provide an easy answer to its many questions. The only consensus that those on both sides of the debate seem to agree on is that when it comes to homework, quality matters over quantity.

Even as the debate continues, homework is assigned all over the country every day. In some places, even kindergarteners have a few hours of homework each night along with high school students. But the truth is that there are some solid arguments for homework just as there are arguments against it.

Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of homework.

The Pros of Homework
It’s easy to write homework off as something that is unnecessary, especially when your child is complaining about it – but it does seem to have some benefits! Some of the most compelling points in the pro category include:

- It Encourages Practice
In many ways, homework helps a student hone the discipline of practice. Sure, it can be boring and take up time they’d rather spend doing something else, but in many areas, repetition is needed to help a student get better at certain skills.

- It Involves Parents
Homework is a great way to get parents involved in the concepts being taught in the classroom. When parents are involved (but not too involved!) in their child’s education, there tends to be more academic success for the student. On top of all that, homework can be a way for parents to connect with kids – something that becomes challenging the older they get.

- It Teaches Time Management
The simple act of making time for homework teaches a lesson too: time management. After all, homework is more than simply finishing assignments – it forces a student to make a plan to ensure all their homework is completed and turned in on time. This helps students learn to manage time and use their skills to problem-solve when there are conflicts, which is an important lesson as they grow older.

- It Can Reduce Screen Time
Screen time is a hot-button topic these days where kids are concerned, and it’s thought that homework can help to draw a student’s attention away from screens to other activities that are beneficial to them. Homework is an activity that fills up a child’s after-school time with something more than TV, the internet, or video games.

The Cons of Homework
Every issue has two sides, and while there are some good arguments in the pro category for homework, there are some good arguments on the con side as well.

- It Makes Students Sedentary
While too much screen time is bad for kids, so is too much time sitting around inside. The time a child spends doing their homework takes up time in which they could be active. Play and physical activity are vital in children’s social development and health. After all, kids are already spending hours in the classroom – they deserve time to get outside and play when they’re not at school.

- It’s Not For Every Home
While many people believe that homework can help draw families closer together and get parents involved, it’s important to realize that this won’t be true in every home. Not every home environment is a healthy one, or one where parents have time to offer support to their children to complete homework. Homework can become a source of friction or conflict between parents and kids in some circumstances.

- It Hasn’t Been Proven to Get Results
The jury is still out on whether homework gets the results that it should. Studies haven’t been able to link it to a higher level of success academically, and positive results in studies about homework simply don’t have enough backup to draw solid conclusions. Plus, if homework isn’t understood correctly, then it might hurt a child’s academic progress more than it helps. (Have you tried doing third-grade math lately? It’s more complicated than you may remember!)

At the end of the day, the arguments for and against homework both have some validity. The answer as to whether children should have homework simply isn’t as straightforward as many people would like it to be. What is important is finding a middle ground to help students achieve success – which is something everyone can get behind.

Featured image by Jessica Lewis on Unsplash