Does Homework Really Help Students Learn?

A conversation with a Wheelock researcher, a BU student, and a fourth-grade teacher

child doing homework

“Quality homework is engaging and relevant to kids’ lives,” says Wheelock’s Janine Bempechat. “It gives them autonomy and engages them in the community and with their families. In some subjects, like math, worksheets can be very helpful. It has to do with the value of practicing over and over.” Photo by iStock/Glenn Cook Photography

Do your homework.

If only it were that simple.

Educators have debated the merits of homework since the late 19th century. In recent years, amid concerns of some parents and teachers that children are being stressed out by too much homework, things have only gotten more fraught.

“Homework is complicated,” says developmental psychologist Janine Bempechat, a Wheelock College of Education & Human Development clinical professor. The author of the essay “ The Case for (Quality) Homework—Why It Improves Learning and How Parents Can Help ” in the winter 2019 issue of Education Next , Bempechat has studied how the debate about homework is influencing teacher preparation, parent and student beliefs about learning, and school policies.

She worries especially about socioeconomically disadvantaged students from low-performing schools who, according to research by Bempechat and others, get little or no homework.

BU Today  sat down with Bempechat and Erin Bruce (Wheelock’17,’18), a new fourth-grade teacher at a suburban Boston school, and future teacher freshman Emma Ardizzone (Wheelock) to talk about what quality homework looks like, how it can help children learn, and how schools can equip teachers to design it, evaluate it, and facilitate parents’ role in it.

BU Today: Parents and educators who are against homework in elementary school say there is no research definitively linking it to academic performance for kids in the early grades. You’ve said that they’re missing the point.

Bempechat : I think teachers assign homework in elementary school as a way to help kids develop skills they’ll need when they’re older—to begin to instill a sense of responsibility and to learn planning and organizational skills. That’s what I think is the greatest value of homework—in cultivating beliefs about learning and skills associated with academic success. If we greatly reduce or eliminate homework in elementary school, we deprive kids and parents of opportunities to instill these important learning habits and skills.

We do know that beginning in late middle school, and continuing through high school, there is a strong and positive correlation between homework completion and academic success.

That’s what I think is the greatest value of homework—in cultivating beliefs about learning and skills associated with academic success.

You talk about the importance of quality homework. What is that?

Quality homework is engaging and relevant to kids’ lives. It gives them autonomy and engages them in the community and with their families. In some subjects, like math, worksheets can be very helpful. It has to do with the value of practicing over and over.

Janine Bempechat

What are your concerns about homework and low-income children?

The argument that some people make—that homework “punishes the poor” because lower-income parents may not be as well-equipped as affluent parents to help their children with homework—is very troubling to me. There are no parents who don’t care about their children’s learning. Parents don’t actually have to help with homework completion in order for kids to do well. They can help in other ways—by helping children organize a study space, providing snacks, being there as a support, helping children work in groups with siblings or friends.

Isn’t the discussion about getting rid of homework happening mostly in affluent communities?

Yes, and the stories we hear of kids being stressed out from too much homework—four or five hours of homework a night—are real. That’s problematic for physical and mental health and overall well-being. But the research shows that higher-income students get a lot more homework than lower-income kids.

Teachers may not have as high expectations for lower-income children. Schools should bear responsibility for providing supports for kids to be able to get their homework done—after-school clubs, community support, peer group support. It does kids a disservice when our expectations are lower for them.

The conversation around homework is to some extent a social class and social justice issue. If we eliminate homework for all children because affluent children have too much, we’re really doing a disservice to low-income children. They need the challenge, and every student can rise to the challenge with enough supports in place.

What did you learn by studying how education schools are preparing future teachers to handle homework?

My colleague, Margarita Jimenez-Silva, at the University of California, Davis, School of Education, and I interviewed faculty members at education schools, as well as supervising teachers, to find out how students are being prepared. And it seemed that they weren’t. There didn’t seem to be any readings on the research, or conversations on what high-quality homework is and how to design it.

Erin, what kind of training did you get in handling homework?

Bruce : I had phenomenal professors at Wheelock, but homework just didn’t come up. I did lots of student teaching. I’ve been in classrooms where the teachers didn’t assign any homework, and I’ve been in rooms where they assigned hours of homework a night. But I never even considered homework as something that was my decision. I just thought it was something I’d pull out of a book and it’d be done.

I started giving homework on the first night of school this year. My first assignment was to go home and draw a picture of the room where you do your homework. I want to know if it’s at a table and if there are chairs around it and if mom’s cooking dinner while you’re doing homework.

The second night I asked them to talk to a grown-up about how are you going to be able to get your homework done during the week. The kids really enjoyed it. There’s a running joke that I’m teaching life skills.

Friday nights, I read all my kids’ responses to me on their homework from the week and it’s wonderful. They pour their hearts out. It’s like we’re having a conversation on my couch Friday night.

It matters to know that the teacher cares about you and that what you think matters to the teacher. Homework is a vehicle to connect home and school…for parents to know teachers are welcoming to them and their families.

Bempechat : I can’t imagine that most new teachers would have the intuition Erin had in designing homework the way she did.

Ardizzone : Conversations with kids about homework, feeling you’re being listened to—that’s such a big part of wanting to do homework….I grew up in Westchester County. It was a pretty demanding school district. My junior year English teacher—I loved her—she would give us feedback, have meetings with all of us. She’d say, “If you have any questions, if you have anything you want to talk about, you can talk to me, here are my office hours.” It felt like she actually cared.

Bempechat : It matters to know that the teacher cares about you and that what you think matters to the teacher. Homework is a vehicle to connect home and school…for parents to know teachers are welcoming to them and their families.

Ardizzone : But can’t it lead to parents being overbearing and too involved in their children’s lives as students?

Bempechat : There’s good help and there’s bad help. The bad help is what you’re describing—when parents hover inappropriately, when they micromanage, when they see their children confused and struggling and tell them what to do.

Good help is when parents recognize there’s a struggle going on and instead ask informative questions: “Where do you think you went wrong?” They give hints, or pointers, rather than saying, “You missed this,” or “You didn’t read that.”

Bruce : I hope something comes of this. I hope BU or Wheelock can think of some way to make this a more pressing issue. As a first-year teacher, it was not something I even thought about on the first day of school—until a kid raised his hand and said, “Do we have homework?” It would have been wonderful if I’d had a plan from day one.

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Sara Rimer

Sara Rimer A journalist for more than three decades, Sara Rimer worked at the Miami Herald , Washington Post and, for 26 years, the New York Times , where she was the New England bureau chief, and a national reporter covering education, aging, immigration, and other social justice issues. Her stories on the death penalty’s inequities were nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and cited in the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision outlawing the execution of people with intellectual disabilities. Her journalism honors include Columbia University’s Meyer Berger award for in-depth human interest reporting. She holds a BA degree in American Studies from the University of Michigan. Profile

She can be reached at [email protected] .

Comments & Discussion

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There are 81 comments on Does Homework Really Help Students Learn?

Insightful! The values about homework in elementary schools are well aligned with my intuition as a parent.

when i finish my work i do my homework and i sometimes forget what to do because i did not get enough sleep

same omg it does not help me it is stressful and if I have it in more than one class I hate it.

Same I think my parent wants to help me but, she doesn’t care if I get bad grades so I just try my best and my grades are great.

I think that last question about Good help from parents is not know to all parents, we do as our parents did or how we best think it can be done, so maybe coaching parents or giving them resources on how to help with homework would be very beneficial for the parent on how to help and for the teacher to have consistency and improve homework results, and of course for the child. I do see how homework helps reaffirm the knowledge obtained in the classroom, I also have the ability to see progress and it is a time I share with my kids

The answer to the headline question is a no-brainer – a more pressing problem is why there is a difference in how students from different cultures succeed. Perfect example is the student population at BU – why is there a majority population of Asian students and only about 3% black students at BU? In fact at some universities there are law suits by Asians to stop discrimination and quotas against admitting Asian students because the real truth is that as a group they are demonstrating better qualifications for admittance, while at the same time there are quotas and reduced requirements for black students to boost their portion of the student population because as a group they do more poorly in meeting admissions standards – and it is not about the Benjamins. The real problem is that in our PC society no one has the gazuntas to explore this issue as it may reveal that all people are not created equal after all. Or is it just environmental cultural differences??????

I get you have a concern about the issue but that is not even what the point of this article is about. If you have an issue please take this to the site we have and only post your opinion about the actual topic

This is not at all what the article is talking about.

This literally has nothing to do with the article brought up. You should really take your opinions somewhere else before you speak about something that doesn’t make sense.

we have the same name

so they have the same name what of it?

lol you tell her

totally agree

What does that have to do with homework, that is not what the article talks about AT ALL.

Yes, I think homework plays an important role in the development of student life. Through homework, students have to face challenges on a daily basis and they try to solve them quickly.I am an intense online tutor at 24x7homeworkhelp and I give homework to my students at that level in which they handle it easily.

More than two-thirds of students said they used alcohol and drugs, primarily marijuana, to cope with stress.

You know what’s funny? I got this assignment to write an argument for homework about homework and this article was really helpful and understandable, and I also agree with this article’s point of view.

I also got the same task as you! I was looking for some good resources and I found this! I really found this article useful and easy to understand, just like you! ^^

i think that homework is the best thing that a child can have on the school because it help them with their thinking and memory.

I am a child myself and i think homework is a terrific pass time because i can’t play video games during the week. It also helps me set goals.

Homework is not harmful ,but it will if there is too much

I feel like, from a minors point of view that we shouldn’t get homework. Not only is the homework stressful, but it takes us away from relaxing and being social. For example, me and my friends was supposed to hang at the mall last week but we had to postpone it since we all had some sort of work to do. Our minds shouldn’t be focused on finishing an assignment that in realty, doesn’t matter. I completely understand that we should have homework. I have to write a paper on the unimportance of homework so thanks.

homework isn’t that bad

Are you a student? if not then i don’t really think you know how much and how severe todays homework really is

i am a student and i do not enjoy homework because i practice my sport 4 out of the five days we have school for 4 hours and that’s not even counting the commute time or the fact i still have to shower and eat dinner when i get home. its draining!

i totally agree with you. these people are such boomers

why just why

they do make a really good point, i think that there should be a limit though. hours and hours of homework can be really stressful, and the extra work isn’t making a difference to our learning, but i do believe homework should be optional and extra credit. that would make it for students to not have the leaning stress of a assignment and if you have a low grade you you can catch up.

Studies show that homework improves student achievement in terms of improved grades, test results, and the likelihood to attend college. Research published in the High School Journal indicates that students who spent between 31 and 90 minutes each day on homework “scored about 40 points higher on the SAT-Mathematics subtest than their peers, who reported spending no time on homework each day, on average.” On both standardized tests and grades, students in classes that were assigned homework outperformed 69% of students who didn’t have homework. A majority of studies on homework’s impact – 64% in one meta-study and 72% in another – showed that take home assignments were effective at improving academic achievement. Research by the Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) concluded that increased homework led to better GPAs and higher probability of college attendance for high school boys. In fact, boys who attended college did more than three hours of additional homework per week in high school.

So how are your measuring student achievement? That’s the real question. The argument that doing homework is simply a tool for teaching responsibility isn’t enough for me. We can teach responsibility in a number of ways. Also the poor argument that parents don’t need to help with homework, and that students can do it on their own, is wishful thinking at best. It completely ignores neurodiverse students. Students in poverty aren’t magically going to find a space to do homework, a friend’s or siblings to help them do it, and snacks to eat. I feel like the author of this piece has never set foot in a classroom of students.

THIS. This article is pathetic coming from a university. So intellectually dishonest, refusing to address the havoc of capitalism and poverty plays on academic success in life. How can they in one sentence use poor kids in an argument and never once address that poor children have access to damn near 0 of the resources affluent kids have? Draw me a picture and let’s talk about feelings lmao what a joke is that gonna put food in their belly so they can have the calories to burn in order to use their brain to study? What about quiet their 7 other siblings that they share a single bedroom with for hours? Is it gonna force the single mom to magically be at home and at work at the same time to cook food while you study and be there to throw an encouraging word?

Also the “parents don’t need to be a parent and be able to guide their kid at all academically they just need to exist in the next room” is wild. Its one thing if a parent straight up is not equipped but to say kids can just figured it out is…. wow coming from an educator What’s next the teacher doesn’t need to teach cause the kid can just follow the packet and figure it out?

Well then get a tutor right? Oh wait you are poor only affluent kids can afford a tutor for their hours of homework a day were they on average have none of the worries a poor child does. Does this address that poor children are more likely to also suffer abuse and mental illness? Like mentioned what about kids that can’t learn or comprehend the forced standardized way? Just let em fail? These children regularly are not in “special education”(some of those are a joke in their own and full of neglect and abuse) programs cause most aren’t even acknowledged as having disabilities or disorders.

But yes all and all those pesky poor kids just aren’t being worked hard enough lol pretty sure poor children’s existence just in childhood is more work, stress, and responsibility alone than an affluent child’s entire life cycle. Love they never once talked about the quality of education in the classroom being so bad between the poor and affluent it can qualify as segregation, just basically blamed poor people for being lazy, good job capitalism for failing us once again!

why the hell?

you should feel bad for saying this, this article can be helpful for people who has to write a essay about it

This is more of a political rant than it is about homework

I know a teacher who has told his students their homework is to find something they are interested in, pursue it and then come share what they learn. The student responses are quite compelling. One girl taught herself German so she could talk to her grandfather. One boy did a research project on Nelson Mandela because the teacher had mentioned him in class. Another boy, a both on the autism spectrum, fixed his family’s computer. The list goes on. This is fourth grade. I think students are highly motivated to learn, when we step aside and encourage them.

The whole point of homework is to give the students a chance to use the material that they have been presented with in class. If they never have the opportunity to use that information, and discover that it is actually useful, it will be in one ear and out the other. As a science teacher, it is critical that the students are challenged to use the material they have been presented with, which gives them the opportunity to actually think about it rather than regurgitate “facts”. Well designed homework forces the student to think conceptually, as opposed to regurgitation, which is never a pretty sight

Wonderful discussion. and yes, homework helps in learning and building skills in students.

not true it just causes kids to stress

Homework can be both beneficial and unuseful, if you will. There are students who are gifted in all subjects in school and ones with disabilities. Why should the students who are gifted get the lucky break, whereas the people who have disabilities suffer? The people who were born with this “gift” go through school with ease whereas people with disabilities struggle with the work given to them. I speak from experience because I am one of those students: the ones with disabilities. Homework doesn’t benefit “us”, it only tears us down and put us in an abyss of confusion and stress and hopelessness because we can’t learn as fast as others. Or we can’t handle the amount of work given whereas the gifted students go through it with ease. It just brings us down and makes us feel lost; because no mater what, it feels like we are destined to fail. It feels like we weren’t “cut out” for success.

homework does help

here is the thing though, if a child is shoved in the face with a whole ton of homework that isn’t really even considered homework it is assignments, it’s not helpful. the teacher should make homework more of a fun learning experience rather than something that is dreaded

This article was wonderful, I am going to ask my teachers about extra, or at all giving homework.

I agree. Especially when you have homework before an exam. Which is distasteful as you’ll need that time to study. It doesn’t make any sense, nor does us doing homework really matters as It’s just facts thrown at us.

Homework is too severe and is just too much for students, schools need to decrease the amount of homework. When teachers assign homework they forget that the students have other classes that give them the same amount of homework each day. Students need to work on social skills and life skills.

I disagree.

Beyond achievement, proponents of homework argue that it can have many other beneficial effects. They claim it can help students develop good study habits so they are ready to grow as their cognitive capacities mature. It can help students recognize that learning can occur at home as well as at school. Homework can foster independent learning and responsible character traits. And it can give parents an opportunity to see what’s going on at school and let them express positive attitudes toward achievement.

Homework is helpful because homework helps us by teaching us how to learn a specific topic.

As a student myself, I can say that I have almost never gotten the full 9 hours of recommended sleep time, because of homework. (Now I’m writing an essay on it in the middle of the night D=)

I am a 10 year old kid doing a report about “Is homework good or bad” for homework before i was going to do homework is bad but the sources from this site changed my mind!

Homeowkr is god for stusenrs

I agree with hunter because homework can be so stressful especially with this whole covid thing no one has time for homework and every one just wants to get back to there normal lives it is especially stressful when you go on a 2 week vaca 3 weeks into the new school year and and then less then a week after you come back from the vaca you are out for over a month because of covid and you have no way to get the assignment done and turned in

As great as homework is said to be in the is article, I feel like the viewpoint of the students was left out. Every where I go on the internet researching about this topic it almost always has interviews from teachers, professors, and the like. However isn’t that a little biased? Of course teachers are going to be for homework, they’re not the ones that have to stay up past midnight completing the homework from not just one class, but all of them. I just feel like this site is one-sided and you should include what the students of today think of spending four hours every night completing 6-8 classes worth of work.

Are we talking about homework or practice? Those are two very different things and can result in different outcomes.

Homework is a graded assignment. I do not know of research showing the benefits of graded assignments going home.

Practice; however, can be extremely beneficial, especially if there is some sort of feedback (not a grade but feedback). That feedback can come from the teacher, another student or even an automated grading program.

As a former band director, I assigned daily practice. I never once thought it would be appropriate for me to require the students to turn in a recording of their practice for me to grade. Instead, I had in-class assignments/assessments that were graded and directly related to the practice assigned.

I would really like to read articles on “homework” that truly distinguish between the two.

oof i feel bad good luck!

thank you guys for the artical because I have to finish an assingment. yes i did cite it but just thanks

thx for the article guys.

Homework is good

I think homework is helpful AND harmful. Sometimes u can’t get sleep bc of homework but it helps u practice for school too so idk.

I agree with this Article. And does anyone know when this was published. I would like to know.

It was published FEb 19, 2019.

Studies have shown that homework improved student achievement in terms of improved grades, test results, and the likelihood to attend college.

i think homework can help kids but at the same time not help kids

This article is so out of touch with majority of homes it would be laughable if it wasn’t so incredibly sad.

There is no value to homework all it does is add stress to already stressed homes. Parents or adults magically having the time or energy to shepherd kids through homework is dome sort of 1950’s fantasy.

What lala land do these teachers live in?

Homework gives noting to the kid

Homework is Bad

homework is bad.

why do kids even have homework?

Comments are closed.

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Wonderopolis

Wonder of the Day #1385

Why Do We Have Homework?

Wonderopolis

SCIENCE — Health and Fitness

Have You Ever Wondered...

  • Why do we have homework?
  • What are the benefits of homework?
  • Is there such a thing as too much homework?
  • classroom ,
  • education ,
  • knowledge ,
  • mathematics ,
  • prioritization ,
  • repetition ,
  • responsibility ,
  • time management ,
  • Classroom ,
  • Education ,
  • Knowledge ,
  • Mathematics ,
  • Prioritization ,
  • Repetition ,
  • Responsibility ,
  • Time Management

Today’s Wonder of the Day was inspired by Nicolas from fort lauderdale, FL. Nicolas Wonders , “ Who invented homework? ” Thanks for WONDERing with us, Nicolas!

What has eight letters and strikes fear into the hearts of students around the world? No, it's not broccoli, but that was a good guess! Give up? HOMEWORK !

Did you just gasp in fear and anguish ? We're sorry, but homework is a fact of life and it's time we took a closer look at it. Even though it might get in the way of playing outside or watching your favorite television show, it's necessary and, believe it or not, good for you!

Homework creates a bridge between school and home. Parents rarely get to spend much time with you while you're at school. Homework allows them to keep up with what you're doing in your classes on a daily basis. But you don't have homework purely for your parents' benefit . It's good for you, too!

Homework can help you become a better student in several different ways. First of all, homework given in advance of a particular subject can help you make the most of your classroom discussion time. For example, before beginning a discussion of a complex period in history , it can be very helpful to read background information as homework the night before.

Homework also gives you valuable practice with what you've learned in the classroom. Often, the brief period of time you have during class to learn something new is simply not enough. Repeating classroom concepts at home helps to cement in your mind the things you learned.

For example, you've probably experienced the value of homework when it comes to mathematics . A new concept explained in class might seem foreign at first. With repetition via homework, however, you reinforce what you learned in class and it sticks with you. Without homework, a lot of classroom time would be wasted with repetition that could more easily be done outside the classroom.

In these ways, homework expands upon what is done during the day in the classroom. Your overall educational experience is better, because homework helps you to gain and retain more knowledge than would be possible with only classroom work. As you learn more, you know more and you achieve more…and you have homework to thank!

Homework teaches lessons beyond just what's taught in the classroom, too. Bringing homework home, completing it correctly, and turning it in promptly teaches a host of other important life skills, from time management and responsibility to organization and prioritization .

Despite these benefits found by researchers, the topics of who should receive homework and how much homework are hotly debated among educators and researchers. In one study , researchers found that academic gains from homework increased as grade level increased, suggesting homework is more beneficial for older students. Some researchers have found that too much homework can lower or cancel its benefits and become counterproductive , because students become burned out.

How much is too much? That depends upon many complex factors, including the individual abilities of the child, other demands upon time, such as sports, part-time jobs, family responsibilities, and types of classes. If you feel overburdened by homework, the best thing you can do is to open a dialog with your teacher. Be open and honest about your feelings regarding homework and work with your teacher to strike a reasonable balance that helps you achieve your educational goals.

Wonder What's Next?

Tomorrow’s Wonder of the Day feels just like home!

We hope today's Wonder of the Day didn't feel like homework! Be sure to check out the following activities with a friend or family member:

  • While some kids don't like any homework, almost every student has homework that he doesn't mind doing on a regular basis. For some, reading a novel for homework is pure joy, because they love to read. For others, doing group projects as homework is great fun, because they get to have fun with their friends in the process. Make a list of the types of homework that you enjoy the most. Once you have your list, think about ways in which you can encourage your teachers to assign more of your favorite types of homework and less of the types you don't enjoy as much. Opening a dialog with your teacher about homework can be a mutually-beneficial conversation that can increase learning both in and out of the classroom!
  • You know what goes great with homework? Food! It's true. A healthy snack can give you the energy you need to concentrate and tackle your homework as soon as you get home from school. If you need some ideas, jump online and check out After School Snacks To Power Homework . Share what you learn with your friends and family members. What's your favorite after-school snack? Why?
  • Do you have a lot of homework on a regular basis? It can be easy to get overwhelmed. To make sure you make the most of your homework time, it helps to be organized. Setting priorities and sticking to them will help you complete your assignments on time with minimal stress. For help learning how to do this, read through How to Prioritize Homework Assignments: 5 Steps from School Habits. Using what you learn, put a plan into place that will help you make sure you become a homework hero!

Wonder Sources

  • http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar07/vol64/num06/The-Case-For-and-Against-Homework.aspx
  • http://www.centerforpubliceducation.org/Main-Menu/Instruction/What-research-says-about-the-value-of-homework-At-a-glance/What-research-says-about-the-value-of-homework-Research-review.html

Did you get it?

Wonder contributors.

We’d like to thank:

quenton , Jaiden , Leo , Grace and Lenysia for contributing questions about today’s Wonder topic!

Keep WONDERing with us!

Wonder Words

  • responsibility
  • organization
  • prioritization
  • counterproductive
  • overburdened
  • educational

Wonderopolis

Hopefully this article helped you realize why homework is helpful, nyiahna. Keep WONDERing with us!

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Don't get homework at this school. :)

Hopefully this article helped you realize why homework is helpful! 

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yeah me too a lot

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Wow, that's great for those schools! Thanks for stopping by, Mister C.

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You're welcome, Person!

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Thanks for sharing, Joe!

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That's a great way to look at it, Adriana! 

That's a great way to look at it, Adriana! Thanks for sharing! 

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I need to vent

Homework could benefit you. It gives your brain an easier time when you get a surprise quiz.

That's a difficult one, Wonder Friend! 

It certainly is hard to do homework while at play practice! There are so many cool things going on! 

Trying to complete your math homework right after you get home and have had dinner might be the best bet. Good luck! 

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Ellen The Happy Girl!

We're so glad you liked it, Ellen The Happy Girl!

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We like your enthusiasm, tyonna! 

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Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Student! That's an interesting concept. 

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clever-name-or-smth

There's nothing wrong with being a big ol' nerd. 

And, there's nothing wrong with Invater Zim fanfic, either. 

so is checking these comments like a full time job or

Here at Wonderopolis, we do have specific people that check comments, but we do much more than that! 

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There's a specific amount of time during a school day--and that doesn't make a lot of time for 'independent practice' of skills learned during the school day. 

Also, it's a GREAT idea to share your homework with your parents! 

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Thanks for sharing your opinon, Joe! 

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That's a great question, Brady. You should post it in the Wonder Bank . 

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You're welcome, Chase!

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That's great, loren! Care to share your fun homework hack?

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wegsfvbydgfhnry

Hey, Wonder Friend. We're sorry you think homework is a waste of time. Practice is really important when learning new things. 

Wonderopolis

Hi sofia! 

What's your secret for making homework fun? I'm sure a lot of our Wonder Friends would like to try it out! 

Wonderopolis

That seems to be a common theme, ashley. 

Wonderopolis

We're sorry to hear that, harrison. 

Wonderopolis

wonder i already know...

Yikes! Well, it's important to have good time management skills so you can get everything turned in! 

Wonderopolis

Thanks for sharing your opinion, Harold! 

Wonderopolis

Thanks for sharing your thought process, Tyrannie! 

Wonderopolis

That's great, Xavier-B-! Make homework interesting! 

Wonderopolis

Hey, Adriana! We have a wonderful Wonder team that works together to accomplish all the Wonderopolis tasks. There is a core group of three currently, but we have people that pop in occasionally to help with things. 

Wonderopolis

my next wonder is how do you know if a boy likes you because i just got a boyfriend and hes really shy.

Make sure you submit it to the Wonder Bank !

That's legit. We totally understand your position!

Wonderopolis

CaptainObvious

Thanks bunches, CaptainObvious! 

Wonderopolis

Lil’ Mousey

Hey, Lil' Mousey--

We have some Wonders about cheese already. Check them out !

Wonderopolis

I know right! ☺️

Wonderopolis

EverestAndEvetheWarriors

Thanks, E&E!

Wonderopolis

Thanks for sharing your opinion, kev.

Wonderopolis

Thanks for sharing your opinion, Giani.

Wonderopolis

Jeez bro. It’s boring. All you do is sit there and fill out worksheets and assignments. We already do work at school. Why do we need work at home? It’s boring,bro,it’s boring. That’s why nobody likes it.

Thanks for sharing your opinion, Elvisssss. 

None taken. ? And, we're glad you respect homework because it's a great way to practice skills. 

Wonderopolis

It's Crule??

...but necessary!

Wonderopolis

Video gamessssss??????????????

Great reward for finishing homework! 

Wonderopolis

Video games DUH! I have one! Would you rather eat only fried chicken for the rest of your life or suffer from homework every single day for the rest of your life. Plz reply ??

Wonderopolis

ChickenFries

I would pick fried chicken because I’m a HUGE chicken fan. Not a homework fan. One time my teacher gave the class a big report that day and said it was due the next day. It wasn’t fair because I had to miss football practice because I had to work on it.

We're sorry that happened, ChickenFries.

Homework. Definitely. 

Wonderopolis

Wonder Friend

I love homework it the best i love not being able to play with my friends and doing my homework call me i will do your homework. [redacted]

Wonderopolis

It may, Catlyn, but practice makes perfect! 

Wonderopolis

Homeworkistheworst

Wonderopolis

Catlyn smith

Homework is a way for students to practice skills. It takes, on average, doing something right 18 times before it becomes a habit. So, writing a sentence with subject/verb agreement 18 times(ish), means you have mastered that skill. 

Until you get to more complicated stuff.

Wonderopolis

The sources are listed in the left column of the WONDER, ZERVA. 

Homework is the independent practice of a skill teachers need to make sure students can perform on their own. 

We're sorry homework stresses some people out. That's a great subject to bring up with parents and teachers, though! 

Wonderopolis

We're sorry to hear that, Carter. 

Wonderopolis

Isohatehomework

Wonderopolis

I'm sure a lot of our Wonder Friends share your opinion! ?

Oh,ha ha ha.???I am not a so called Wonder Friend. Are you a robot?!

? Everyone who comes to Wonderopolis are our Wonder Friends! 

We're not robots. We actually respond to most of the comments made. 

your not one person, your multiple people who are in the "Wonderopolis" company

Oh...sorry about that...I didn’t mean to say that. I’m sorry x100 ☹️????

It's ?

Wonderopolis

We think you're not alone in that emotion!

Wonderopolis

Jack McCrea

OMG YOU ARE SO RIGHT. But to be honest I just hate it

Wonderopolis

Mason Smolen

That's WONDERful, Mason!

Wonderopolis

AnonymousPerson31

We're glad we could be of assistance, Wonder Friend!

Wonderopolis

Maybe this WONDER about expectations will help. 

Wonderopolis

Hi, Lulia! It's important to finish your homework so that you can continue to learn about topics discussed in school! What is your favorite subject in school? 

Wonderopolis

Hi, caileigh! Yeah, though homework isn't the most fun activity after school, it will help you learn more about what you learned in school!

Wonderopolis

steve savie

Wonderopolis

Hi, Sara! We're sorry to hear that you're having homework problems ?.

Wonderopolis

All homework does is make students stressed out and make less time for them to be with their family and relax

Wonderopolis

no homework is based on the work we do in school and you will get better at your work.

We're so sorry to hear that you're having a tough time with homework, Wonder Friend ?.  Homework is important, and time with family and relaxing is important, too!

Wonderopolis

AngryPerson

u think all of our parents help with our homework? some of them dont, they see this as a "student's responsibility" and let them be and btw, if you delete this comment, it is easy to see that you don't want any negative comments about this and want to eliminate the people who think homework is bad

Hi, AngryPerson.  We're so sorry that you're angry.  We do want to hear our Wonder Friends' thoughts here at Wonderopolis.  If you're having trouble with your homework, we hope that you ask your teacher for help.  We appreciate your feedback!

Wonderopolis

This is so true! In my house, homework never connected me to my parents, because like work at school, I saw it as a test of what I could do individually. Thus, as all my time was taken up by homework, I almost never spent time with my parents. Now I feel isolated from them.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Kay.  We definitely recommend spending quality time with family, and we hope that learning together is a way to connect with your family!

Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Mii.  And we absolutely agree that spending quality time with your family is very important!!  Perhaps you could tell your family fun facts that you learned at school?  Learning new information is also very important, and it is awesome to share the information you learn with your family so that you can learn together! ?

Wonderopolis

Homework is both emotionally and mentally hurtful...Physically too-

We're sorry to hear that you are having trouble with your homework, Wonder Friend!  We hope that you ask your teacher if you have any specific questions about your homework.

Wonderopolis

Hi, Llamaz! We hope that you are getting plenty of sleep, too! Check out  Wonder 1775: Do Kids Need More Sleep Than Adults?   Also, thanks for sharing your thoughts!

Wonderopolis

Thanks for asking, rather! We ask that Wonderopolis be listed as the author.  Also, since we do not list the publish date for our Wonders of the Day, you may put the date you accessed this page for information.  The following is how you would cite this page:

"Why Do We Have Homework?"  Wonderopolis.    https://www.wonderopolis.org/wonder/why-do-we-have-homework .  Accessed 25 Apr. 2018.

Wonderopolis

Hang in there, Louie! It sounds like you're working really hard on your homework and essays, which is awesome!!

Louie ramirez

We appreciate you sharing your thoughts with us, Louie.   We know that homework takes a lot of work, but it's also helping you learn and Wonder!

Hi, Louie! What are you writing about in your essay?

Wonderopolis

Hi, Clara! We have MANY Wonders on these topics!! Our  Explore Wonders tab contains over 2,100 Wonders, and if you scroll down on this page, you can search for Wonders by topics that you're interested in! Have fun WONDERing, Clara!

Wonderopolis

We're sorry to hear that you are having a hard time with your homework, Ben, but we think that you are doing a great job and working hard! Keep up the great work!!

Wonderopolis

Playing games is fun, but make sure you make time for your homework, too, Mitchell! Once you finish your the homework, you should check out   Wonder 1732: How Are Video Games Made?  ?

Wonderopolis

Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Benicio.  Though the pros of homework are the focus of this Wonder, the second to last paragraph does list some potential cons:

"Despite these benefits found by researchers, the topics of who should receive homework and how much homework are hotly debated among educators and researchers. In  one study , researchers found that academic gains from homework increased as grade level increased, suggesting homework is more beneficial for older students. Some researchers have found that too much homework can lower or cancel its benefits and become  counterproductive , because students become burned out."

Wonderopolis

Hi, kody! We're glad that you're WONDERing with us!

Wonderopolis

We love hearing that, Jordan!! Thanks for letting us know, and thanks for WONDERing with us!

Wonderopolis

Thanks for WONDERing with us, Miles!

Wonderopolis

Hi, Ameir! It looks like you've really done some research on the subject! 

Hi, ameir!! If you're having trouble with your homework, you may want to discuss specific questions you're having with your teacher.  What is your favorite subject in school?

math and science are my favorite

Those subjects are very interesting!! Have you seen our  Math and  Science Wonders?

Wonderopolis

We're sorry to hear that, UJEY, but we're glad you're WONDERing with us! 

Wonderopolis

It is important to take some time to rest, but homework is also important! We hope this Wonder helps explain why!

Wonderopolis

We're sorry to hear that, Gia, but we hope that this Wonder helps explain the many benefits of homework, too!

Wonderopolis

homework gets in the way of thing i want to do. I think teachers give homework just because they have nothing else to do. like isn't going to school enough work and it takes time away from my family especially my mom who cancer and i would want to spend more time with my mom. :(

We're so sorry to hear that, digeo! ?

Wonderopolis

dogs go moo

school is kid preson!

We're sorry you feel that way! We think school is an excellent place to Wonder!!!

Wonderopolis

why do dogs go moo

Thanks for WONDERing with us!

Wonderopolis

mkewigyjdfo8ueabsn ry7gtcbsh j

We're glad you liked this Wonder!! ?

Wonderopolis

Hi, Luke! Have you seen Wonder 1529:  Why Do Cats Purr?

Wonderopolis

Hi, mew mew! Have you seen our  Wonders about cats ?

jacob baldwin

Sorry, didn't catch that, jacob! Glad you're WONDERing with us though!!

Hello, Bob! We're always looking to hear more from our Wonder Friends!!  ?

Thanks for stopping by to Wonder with us!

dogs say moooooooooooooooooooo

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!!

Wonderopolis

Thanks for sharing! Sometimes it is difficult to balance homework and other activities.  What are some of your favorite things to do when you're not doing homework?

Wonderopolis

We're sorry you feel that way, CN Olson!! We're glad you're WONDERing with us, though!

Wonderopolis

Thanks for joining the conversation, davaeh!

Wonderopolis

im sorry for anyone that feels that way but homework is good for you

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

Wonderopolis

Great points, john! We hope you will have some more free time soon!!  Thanks for WONDERing with us!!

Wonderopolis

We appreciate your feedback, jorge! 

Wonderopolis

Agreed aswell

Does your school give homework, bob? Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

Wonderopolis

xxxtentacion

Sometimes, unfortunately, it does ?. Homework also has benefits too, though! Thanks, gavin!

Wonderopolis

That certainly does add up the majority of the day!  The lessons we learn in school help us to grow up to be thoughtful and intelligent adults.  We do agree that everyone needs a break sometimes, though!  Hope you and our other friends get a few minutes to kick back and relax today!?

Wonderopolis

We should discontinue homework because some kids don’t do it or understand it, therefore kids start stressing and saying to there self I’m gonna get in trouble , I’m gonna get a bad grade and it basically leads in to this whole conflict .

Thanks for sharing, Liv!

Wonderopolis

Sorry you feel that way, Justin, but we're glad that you're WONDERing with us!!

Wonderopolis

Thank you bob, we should change our studies to something actually helpful.

We appreciate you sharing your thoughts, Bob.  Thanks for WONDERing with us!

Wonderopolis

Homework hater

Homework is a disease I think we need a intercontinental cure research lab for it

But, unfortunately, creating this research lab may require some homework! ? 

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Hi!  It's good to keep the conversation going about the amount of homework that students typically get.

Wonderopolis

Thanks for sharing that, Caden!  Have you been back to Mars since being born there?

Wonderopolis

Yes, I went there with him I will send you a postcard next time we go. I think Mars is wrecking his brain.

Kai's evil twin

My friend trolled me

? Be safe out there, Caden!

Wonderopolis

Must be a fun class! ?

Thanks for the feedback, Gyanve!  Great to hear from you! ?

Perhaps they also suggested some coping strategies, too?  

OOOOOOOOOOO

Not a roast

Hi again, Kai!  Actually, if you look toward the bottom of the Wonder, under "Sources" you'll see where we got our information.  We appreciate you checking up on us with a critical eye!  It's always good to be a little skeptical and ask for more research and data. You're a smart Wonder Friend!  We Wonder if you could do some research to find support for why schools SHOULDN'T have homework. We're curious to hear what you find!

www.Scholastic.com says that there is no evidence to say that homework benefits kids at all, and Washington Post says that homework on a national level is not related to academic success. Washington post also says that some lower income countries cultures normalize long periods of studying but it is uneffective, nd neotoday.org says that the link between assigned homework and academic achievement is drastically over inflated, What do you have to say about that?(sorry If I was a little harsh in my last two comments I was unhappy at the time) neotoday.org/2014/05/13/should-schools-be-done-with-homework) //www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/09/02/homework-could-have-an-effect-on-kids-health-should-schools-ban-it

http://www.scholastic.com/browse/subarticle.jsp?id=2953

WOW!! You've really done some EXCELLENT research from some reputable sources, Kai!  Our Wonder Salute to you!  One thing to note: in the Washington Post article, they do make a distinction that heavy homework loads in elementary can be negative.  In higher grades, this might not be the case "Homework, in fact, is an important component of education for students in the middle and upper grades of schooling.".  It certainly raises a very good question which is we shouldn't assume homework is helping and adding more homework all the time seems to definitely not be helping.  It's a great question that deserves a lot more thought and research.  Thank you for WONDERing and researching, Kai! 

This might get moderated, but I am curious to see how how many people "talked" with me./?

How many people have responded to my comments

You would just have to look on this comment page and see who "replies" to your comment.  Does that help, Kai?

What do you mean, exactly?  We don't follow.

? Wow, tough review!  Well, research does support that extra practice helps.  We DO discuss the debate over how much homework and what kind.  Truthfully, homework is probably not going anywhere anytime soon, so we wanted to help show our Wonder Friends how it can be beneficial and how one can get the most out of it.  We appreciate hearing from you, Kai!

Wonderopolis

I'd agree with the fact that practice does help learning on a basic level of memory but, in experience as a student, I cannot say that homework could be considered "practice." I've had many-a-teacher that has given homework out and I've had to google search how to do most of it because I was never taught it in class. Homework is more of busy work in the way of doing hobbies, eating, sleeping, and a happy and healthy life style that could possibly be important in "the real world", as if this torture is as easy as petting a bunny. Homework CAN provide help in small, sparatic, doses. If you are bombarded with homework everyday, it really becomes more harmful than helpful.

Great thoughts, Jillian!  Really well said and we appreciate you taking the time to share that with us!  We wish more teachers made time to wonder with their class (and we are thankful for the great ones who do!).

Wonderopolis

jaime lannister

you couldn't be more right school is about seven hours every 5 days a week for about a year and we still get work to take home like school is for learning there needs to be time to separate school life from your life like you can't just do work all day and you also get homework when it's holiday and there are enough going on in childrens lives than homework so this page is bad no one needs homework i learn more from youtube videos than school and children get anxiety enough from life like puberty, family, growing older school is just boring and you need time to settle your mind because in british schools they work you forever and the teachers are tough.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Jaime!  Hang in there!

Wonderopolis

I hate homework we do work every day at school teachers know what is is like because they been through homework.Let me put it to you guys i know some people hate homework and some do not.Most teachers just overdo homework.

Good thoughts, Edrick.  Thanks for sharing and glad to have you WONDERing with us!

Do they write those essays in class or at home, Brielle? ?

they write the essays at home

Wonderopolis

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Yuguj!  Glad to have you WONDERing with us on this important topic!

Wonderopolis

I agree so much I am so scared of not doing my homework or my grade might go down and that really isn't fair for me and my peers so great point!!!

That's a great point, Anonymous!  In a perfect world, people would just do the work assigned and see the value in it.  Sadly, it's hard to do away with the consequences and still have full participation.  It's a challenging problem to try and solve, but we are glad you are WONDERing with us!

Wonderopolis

I think homework is a waste of time. it takes away from family time and exercise time.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Alisa! We think family time and exercise are important, too. The article did mention some reasons why homework has value, even if it doesn't always seem that way. Hang in there! It will all be worth it someday!

I am a very smart student with a brain to fit an adult, but even i get tired of homework. I have spent all day at school so I want a break. We don' need homework.

Wonderopolis

Yes, I agree and I too get tired of it. In my school they said that HW, was just the same lesson at home than at school. It is just a review. I am smart and don't study (LOL) and yet I have always gotten an A or a B in my tests (BTW, studying is considered homework for some reasons)

The struggle is real, Alisa. We do hope you get some time to give that super-smart brain a break! Thanks for using some of that brain power here with us at Wonderopolis!

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Kid77! Sometimes in life, the important things are not always the most fun. Some homework assignments might feel unnecessary but (as the article mentioned) there can be many functions of homework. At least in your case, if you learned the material well in class, it shouldn't take up as much time to complete at home. Sometimes, though, that extra practice can make the difference between knowing the information and truly mastering it. Hang in there, Kid77!

Wonderopolis

ethan (murphy)

If you are bullied, tell a teacher, if the teacher is the bully.... I honestly can’t help you there.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us, ethan. We're sorry it feels like you are being bullied by your teachers. Have you spoken with your school counselor or your parents? Perhaps they can help you resolve the issues you are facing.

Wonderopolis

Thanks for sharing your feedback with us, Alexia. We hope you'll keep exploring Wonders to find one you like!

Wonderopolis

Thank you for commenting, Boi. We hope you'll visit Wonderopolis again soon.

Wonderopolis

Thanks for joining the conversation, pretty456 and twanasia! We're glad you stopped by Wonderopolis!

you don't like homework?

Thanks for telling us how you feel, Isaac. We appreciate your feedback.

Wonderopolis

We're glad we could help with your homework, Pusheen! Since we do not list the publish date, standard MLA formatting says that it's OK to list the date you accessed the page for information. Check out the Purdue OWL website for more guidance.

Thank you for WONDERing with us, Isaac! We hope you'll take a look at Wonder #1534. We think it's right up your alley! ?

Wonderopolis

Certainly, Liesel! Thank you for asking. We ask that Wonderopolis be listed as the author of this Wonder of the Day. Since we do not list the publish date, you may use the date you accessed this webpage for information (such as November 27). Cheers, Wonder Friend!

Wonderopolis

We're glad you found this Wonder helpful, sonice! There are both advantages and disadvantages to homework and sometimes those points are contrary to each other. This happens when there are different studies performed by different researchers. Sometimes the results contradict other studies.

I used this source for a case study that I am conducting on homework. I was wondering if I could know who wrote the source and when it was published. If I am allowed to have this information, please respond. Thank you.

Thank you for using Wonderopolis for your homework, Liesel! Please see our response above. ?

Wonderopolis

I know the heather

Thanks for joining the discussion, D. We're glad you visited Wonderopolis.

We're glad this Wonder helped, suicune300, even if it didn't make you like homework any more! It's great that you're WONDERing! We hope you'll stop by again! :)

Wonderopolis

Hi, bill! We're not sure we understand your comment. Do you have homework about autism? If so, head over to Wonder #1346 to explore information about autism.

Wonderopolis

We're glad you joined the conversation, avery! We hope you liked reading this Wonder -- perhaps it helped you understand some of the advantages to homework. :)

Wonderopolis

We're glad you joined the discussion, Bob. Perhaps this Wonder helped to explain why homework is assigned to students. :)

Hi, amez! Sometimes it is helpful to take a break before starting your homework. Thinking can be tiring sometimes, but it's so important! :)

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Thank you for sharing, Wonder Friend! :)

Wonderopolis

lies lies lies lies lies lies lies lies lies lies

We're sorry you feel this way, bob. Thanks for sharing your opinion. We always value hearing from our Wonder Friends! :)

Hi, Christian. We're sorry you don't agree with this Wonder. We encourage you to also explore the Wonder Sources listed. Thanks for stopping by! :)

Wonderopolis

i hate homework

Thank you for sharing your opinion, yazzie! We hope this Wonder helped you to understand some of the advantages to homework, along with some of the disadvantages. :)

Wonderopolis

i really like this article, got an A+ on my report. THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Great job, Wonder Friend! Keep up the GREAT work and always keep WONDERing! :)

Hi, Wonder Friend! We appreciate you sharing your opinion about homework! Thanks for WONDERing with us! :)

Wonderopolis

We appreciate you sharing your opinion about homework, nathan! Try to think about all the extra practice! :)

Wonderopolis

hey homework is good for your brain and help you to get smarter

Thanks for sharing your opinion, elroi! 

Wonderopolis

Great question, tyler! If we know who submitted the question the author is listed up by the "Listen" button. This Wonder does not have an author listed. Sometimes people submit anonymous questions! Thanks for stopping by! :)

Wonderopolis

Riley & Anna

Thanks for the KIND words, Riley & Anna! We think our Wonder Friends are pretty AWESOME, too! We encourage you to submit your question to the Wonder Bank! :)

Wonderopolis

We appreciate you sharing your thoughts about homework, bob! We're glad you think it is helpful! :)

Wonderopolis

I hate homework

Thanks for joining the discussion and sharing your opinion, Brendon! We're glad you're WONDERing! :)

Thanks for sharing your opinion, Wonder Friend! Spending time with your parents is important, too! We encourage you to share this Wonder with them! :)

Wonderopolis

Antonio yet King

We appreciate you sharing your thoughts about this Wonder topic, too! Thanks for joining the conversation, Antonio! :)

Wonderopolis

Thanks for joining the conversation, Caroline! We appreciate you sharing your thoughts! :)

Hi, Makayla! We appreciate you sharing your thoughts about this important topic! Thanks for visiting Wonderopolis! :)

Wonderopolis

Welcome, Dionna! Thanks for sharing your opinion about homework! We're glad you're WONDERing! :)

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Bob! We understand that sometimes it is difficult, but try to also think about the positive aspects mentioned in the Wonder! :)

I notice that none of the evidence presented in the article is backed by any tests or studies to show that the claims presented in the wonder is true.

Oh wow.  You got us, Unknown.  Not a fan of homework, we are guessing?  Did you try clicking any of our sources links?  We appreciate you keeping us on our toes!

Hi, d! We understand it's important for you to have free time, too! We hope you still have time for that! :)

I think you are wrong I have to stay up all night to do my homework then at school I always fall asleep :(

We're sorry to hear that, Jack. Thanks for sharing your connection. Maybe you can talk to your teacher about that. :)

Wonderopolis

Thanks for sharing your opinion about homework, avry! We appreciate you joining the discussion! Hopefully you learned some of the positive aspects of homework! :)

Wonderopolis

Thanks for sharing your opinion, Bumble Bee! We understand that there are many different opinions out there about homework. We tried to address both sides, while also stating the positive aspects of homework. We hope you understand and Wonder with us again soon! :)

Wonderopolis

wonderopolis is a lier

no your article is mostly one sided. the side being that homework is good

Thanks for sharing your opinion, Wonder Friend. You can read more about the advantages and disadvantages of homework by reviewing the Wonder Sources we provided above.

Wonderopolis

Hi, Kayla! Thanks for sharing your thoughts! We're sorry to hear homework is so stressful. We hope things get better! Stay positive! :)

Wonderopolis

That's GREAT, Emma! We love your enthusiasm for learning! Keep up the GREAT work! :)

Wonderopolis

Trinity Goebel

Hi, Trinity! Thanks for sharing your thoughts about homework. Sometimes it can be frustrating if you have a lot, but try to stay positive! Keep up the GREAT work! :)

Wonderopolis

homework is stupid why why do we have it mmmmmmm i hate it..

Hi, tyson! Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We're sure there is some good in homework -- just take a look at the Wonder text above to see! :)

A lot of students don't like homework, ..., and it can be challenging to keep up with homework with everything else going on in your life. The important thing is to do your best, because there are lots of benefits to homework even if it doesn't always seem like it. If homework is a regular problem, talk to your teacher or fellow classmates for help. We're glad you took the time to share your thoughts about homework.

Wonderopolis

To answer your question, Im pretty sure homework is NOT a law, but pretty much every teacher gives you homework. Depending on what grade you are in, usually grades 1-3 get 0-30 minutes of homework each night. grades 4-6 get 0-2 hour of homework each night, and Grades 7 and 8 get 30-3 hours of homework each night..... all of this depends on the student and how he or she learns. but this is what the average student gives to do homework in Elementary school

Thanks for the GREAT explanation, emma! You're right in that there are recommended amounts, but no particular law. We appreciate your comment! :)

Thanks for visiting Wonderopolis for your homework, Maya! Homework is not a law. It depends how much homework you have as to how long it takes. Also, some assignments, like projects, take longer than smaller assignments. We hope this Wonder was helpful in answering your questions! :)

Hi, Maya! No, homework is not a law. It is up to your teacher or school. We hope this Wonder helped explain how homework is helpful for practicing what you learned. We understand it is a pain sometimes, but we hope you understand! Thanks for WONDERing with us! :)

Wonderopolis

TENNIS is awesome

Hello, TENNIS is awesome! The WONDER mentions some reasons why homework is important, sch as extra practice. We appreciate your comment and you sharing your opinion with us! :)

Wonderopolis

One opinion

Wonderopolis

Wonderopolis

We appreciate you sharing your thoughts, One opinion! Thanks for WONDERing with us! :)

Wonderopolis

Hello, hahahah! Homework can be time consuming sometimes, but keep thinking positively about all you're learning! :)

We appreciate you sharing your opinion, Goopdi! Sometimes it may seem like a chore, but it is always a good idea to practice what you learned at school. WONDERing is a WONDERful way to learn and have fun at the same time! :)

Wonderopolis

I believe homework is a waste of time!!

Wonderopolis

Shae Skipper

Hello, Shae Skipper! You make some great points to support your opinion. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with your WONDER friends! :)

Wonderopolis

Why do we wonder?

That's a GREAT question, Alistair! WONDERing is a GREAT way to learn new things, have fun, and explore the world around us! :)

Wonderopolis

connor essary

Hello WONDER Friend, connor essary! We are glad you enjoyed this WONDER. Here is another WONDER about homework. Wonder #491: Do Dogs Really Eat Homework? Enjoy! :)

Wonderopolis

JoHaunn Mainwood

Hi JoHaunn Mainwood! Thanks for commenting on this WONDER! We appreciate our WONDER friends sharing their thoughts! :)

Wonderopolis

Welcome, Bob! Thanks for WONDERing with us and commenting on the WONDER! :)

Wonderopolis

McDonald's

Hi McDonald's! Thanks for commenting on this WONDER. We hate to hear you hate homework. Homework is another way to learn and show others what you know. Check back for more WONDERS! :)

Wonderopolis

Hi Jaheim! We hate to hear you don't enjoy your homework. Homework is a great way to show your family and friends what you are doing in school. Keep working hard and WONDERing!

Wonderopolis

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Sara! You do learn more from doing your homework! Keep up the great work! :)

Wonderopolis

Hi David! We hate to hear you don't like homework because it helps us practice what we learned in school. Homework is different everywhere you go. Keep working hard! :)

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Hello, Nicole! We hate to hear you hate homework. Homework can be great practice for what you are learning in school. We know you are working hard and doing a great job. Keep it up! :)

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keandre campbell

Welcome to WONDERopolis, keandre campbell! There are over 1,000 WONDERS for you to explore. Thanks for WONDERing with us. Check back every day for more WONDERful WONDERS! :)

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That's great, Crazy! Keep up the great WONDERing! :)

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Wonder frog

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It is not school is amazing!!!

Welcome, Wonder frog! We hate to hear you don't enjoy school. School is a great opportunity to WONDER and learn new things. Then you can share your new knowledge with your friends. Try checking out Wonder #1268: Why Was School Created? Always keep WONDERing! :)

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I agree totally!

We appreciate you sharing your opinion about homework, too, Kaytlyn! Thanks for stopping by! :)

We appreciate you joining the discussion, Trinity! We hope this Wonder showed a few reasons why homework can be beneficial! :)

Hello, Jordan! Homework can be great practice. It helps you continue learning! :)

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Lukas Wozencraft

That's funny, Lukas Wozencraft! What do you think it will be about? Be sure to check back tomorrow! :)

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Jahkeya from DE

Hello WONDER friend, Jahkeya from DE! What would our world be like if dinosaurs weren't extint? Hmmm...? Something to WONDER about! :)

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We are glad you enjoyed the video, Jasahn! Homework is very helpful most of the time! Thanks for WONDERing with us! :)

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We are glad you liked the video, Makayla! It made us laugh, too! Check out Wonder #1285: What Was Before Dinosaurs? Happy WONDERing! :)

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Juilo from DE

Hello, Juilo from DE! Cheer up! Homework helps you practice what you are learning. After all, they say practice makes perfect! If you enjoy video games, check out Wonder #1344: Who Invented the First Video Game? Have fun WONDERing! :)

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Autumn from Delaware

Welcome, Autumn from Delaware! The video was silly! Here is another WONDER about dinosaurs! Wonder #275: How Do Dinosaurs Get Their Names? Enjoy! :)

Thanks for WONDERing with us, Sara! Check back everyday for more WONDERful WONDERS!:)

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Hello, Gabriel! It sounds like many of our WONDER friends agree with you about the video. We all thought it was funny too! Thanks for commenting! :)

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Julian from Delaware

Welcome, Julian from Delaware! You stay busy! That shows true commitment and hard work! :)

Wonderopolis

Hi Geyonni! We are glad you liked the video. Can you imagine seeing a dinosaur at school? Check out Wonder #491: Do Dogs Really Eat Homework? Happy WONDERing! :)

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christina from De

Wonderopolis

I agree!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for commenting, christina from De! You're right, that kids also need time to spend with their family. As the WONDER tells us, it is important to not have too much homework. That leaves time for both! :)

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Khyan from DE

Thanks for sharing, Khyan from DE! Homework is helpful practice and playing with your friends is important, too. Hopefully you can find a happy medium between the two! :)

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Kainat from Delware

Not really... :(

im just here because of espark, of all you people you domt kn9w what espark is, well its not homework its just were on oir school ipads amd we do this app that novody wants to do and we have (quests) and are a bunch of activities put togethor.

That could be a very fun way to learn and WONDER, Mitchell! 

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William Weispfenning

Homework is so fun (not) homework = ?

lol really william

Thanks for joining the discussion, William. There are pros and cons to homework and we hope this Wonder helped you learn about them. ?

We appreciate you sharing your thoughts, Trinity! Thanks for visiting Wonderopolis! :)

That's right, Kainat from Delware! Homework is great practice! Keep up the great WONDERing! :)

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Question 1 of 3

Homework plays an important role for parents by creating a bridge between home and what?

  • a school Correct!
  • b parents Not Quite!
  • c coaches Not Quite!
  • d students Not Quite!

Question 2 of 3

Which of the following is NOT an important life skill that can be enhanced via homework?

  • a time management Not Quite!
  • b prioritization Not Quite!
  • c organization Not Quite!
  • d photosynthesis Correct!

Question 3 of 3

How much is too much homework per night?

  • a 30 minutes Not Quite!
  • b 1 hour Not Quite!
  • c 2 hours Not Quite!
  • d It depends upon a variety of complex factors. Correct!

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Boy doing homework at desk at home.

What’s the point of homework?

what is homework so important

Deputy Dean, School of Education, Western Sydney University

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Katina Zammit does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

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Homework hasn’t changed much in the past few decades. Most children are still sent home with about an hour’s worth of homework each day, mostly practising what they were taught in class.

If we look internationally, homework is assigned in every country that participated in the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) in 2012.

Across the participating countries, 15-year-old students reported spending almost five hours per week doing homework in 2012. Australian students spent six hours per week on average on homework. Students in Singapore spent seven hours on homework, and in Shanghai, China they did homework for about 14 hours per week on average.

Read more: Aussie students are a year behind students 10 years ago in science, maths and reading

Shanghai and Singapore routinely score higher than Australia in the PISA maths, science and reading tests. But homework could just be one of the factors leading to higher results. In Finland, which also scores higher than Australia, students spent less than three hours on homework per week.

So, what’s the purpose of homework and what does the evidence say about whether it fulfils its purpose?

Why do teachers set homework?

Each school in Australia has its own homework policy developed in consultation with teachers and parents or caregivers, under the guiding principles of state or regional education departments.

For instance, according to the New South Wales homework policy “… tasks should be assigned by teachers with a specific, explicit learning purpose”.

Homework in NSW should also be “purposeful and designed to meet specific learning goals”, and “built on knowledge, skills and understanding developed in class”. But there is limited, if any, guidance on how often homework should be set.

Research based on teacher interviews shows they set homework for a range of reasons. These include to:

establish and improve communication between parents and children about learning

help children be more responsible, confident and disciplined

practise or review material from class

determine children’s understanding of the lesson and/or skills

introduce new material to be presented in class

provide students with opportunities to apply and integrate skills to new situations or interest areas

get students to use their own skills to create work.

So, does homework achieve what teachers intend it to?

Do we know if it ‘works’?

Studies on homework are frequently quite general, and don’t consider specific types of homework tasks. So it isn’t easy to measure how effective homework could be, or to compare studies.

But there are several things we can say.

First, it’s better if every student gets the kind of homework task that benefits them personally, such as one that helps them answer questions they had, or understand a problem they couldn’t quite grasp in class. This promotes students’ confidence and control of their own learning.

Read more: Learning from home is testing students' online search skills. Here are 3 ways to improve them

Giving students repetitive tasks may not have much value . For instance, calculating the answer to 120 similar algorithms, such as adding two different numbers 120 times may make the student think maths is irrelevant and boring. In this case, children are not being encouraged to find solutions but simply applying a formula they learnt in school.

In primary schools, homework that aims to improve children’s confidence and learning discipline can be beneficial. For example, children can be asked to practise giving a presentation on a topic of their interest. This could help build their competence in speaking in front of a class.

Young boy holding a microphone in the living room.

Homework can also highlight equity issues. It can be particularly burdensome for socioeconomically disadvantaged students who may not have a space, the resources or as much time due to family and work commitments. Their parents may also not feel capable of supporting them or have their own work commitments.

According to the PISA studies mentioned earlier, socioeconomically disadvantaged 15 year olds spend nearly three hours less on homework each week than their advantaged peers.

Read more: 'I was astonished at how quickly they made gains': online tutoring helps struggling students catch up

What kind of homework is best?

Homework can be engaging and contribute to learning if it is more than just a sheet of maths or list of spelling words not linked to class learning. From summarising various studies’ findings, “good” homework should be:

personalised to each child rather than the same for all students in the class. This is more likely to make a difference to a child’s learning and performance

achievable, so the child can complete it independently, building skills in managing their time and behaviour

aligned to the learning in the classroom.

If you aren’t happy with the homework your child is given then approach the school. If your child is having difficulty with doing the homework, the teacher needs to know. It shouldn’t be burdensome for you or your children.

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what is homework so important

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Why is homework important?

what is homework so important

Why Is Homework Important: Beyond Class and Embracing Learning

Homework is important for several reasons, as it plays a crucial role in enhancing students' learning and educational experience. Here are some key reasons why homework is valuable:

  • Reinforces Learning : Homework helps reinforce what was taught in class, allowing students to practice and apply knowledge, ensuring a deeper understanding and retention of the material.
  • Promotes Discipline and Time Management : Regular homework assignments teach students to manage their time effectively, develop self-discipline, and prioritize tasks, which are valuable skills beyond the classroom.
  • Encourages Independence and Responsibility : Completing homework independently fosters self-reliance and personal responsibility for one's learning, preparing students for the self-directed learning required in higher education and the workplace.
  • Provides Feedback : Homework offers teachers a way to assess students' understanding and progress, allowing them to identify areas where students may need extra help and adjust their teaching strategies accordingly.
  • Enhances Critical Thinking and Problem Solving : Homework often involves tasks that require critical thinking and problem-solving, skills that are crucial for academic and life success.
  • Engages Parents in Their Child's Education : Homework gives parents insight into what their children are learning in school and the opportunity to engage in their child's education, supporting learning at home.
  • Prepares for Upcoming Classes : Homework can be used to introduce new material, preparing students for future lessons and enabling more effective use of classroom time.

Overall, homework is a critical tool in the educational process, supporting learning and personal development in numerous ways.

Ever wondered why teachers seem to love piling on homework? The real reasons why assignments have such an amazing impact on your future might surprise you.

In this article, we’re discovering how homework isn’t just busywork — it’s an essential player when it comes to skyrocketing your comprehension of class material, refining your ability to tackle problems, and establishing a sturdy foundation for academic success. 

By the time we’re done, you’re going to be seeing homework in a different light. So, let's find out why homework is important.

Benefits of Homework

Homework facilitates problem-solving skills, provides students with an additional chance to revisit classroom content, enables parents to understand school teachings, and instills a sense of responsibility in students regarding their education.

If you're asking yourself, "Why is homework good for me?" There are numerous reasons why it can be very beneficial in the long run. Challenging work allows us to grow, after all. Let's look at all its benefits.

Completing Homework Encourages Students To Keep Learning

For some students, learning is not just an obligation but can be enjoyed as well. The acceptance of life-long learning can be fostered by homework, and if the teacher manages to engage their students, they’ve set the stage for the students. Let’s take a look at why homework is important:  

  • Improves memory and retention: It increases the potential for students to remember class material since they have to revisit it.
  • Increases the potential for practical use of knowledge: By understanding the lesson’s materials in more depth, students might apply what they know with more ease.

Helps Develop Skills and Good Habits

Doing your homework can help you develop the necessary skills and habits needed to do challenging work and to keep progressing and ultimately growing as a person. This is why the importance of homework can't be overlooked. 

  • Helps you learn time management: Since homework is usually done outside of school, students will learn how to manage their time and studying time, which will seep into their ability to manage their time in general.
  • Helps students become more organized: Organizing what you’ve learned to produce well-thought responses that can also be applied practically will become crucial in your day-to-day life.
  • Helps foster discipline and responsibility: If students want to become successful, not just in the eyes of society but for their personal achievements as well, they must be disciplined and have to take on responsibilities.

Connects School and Home

“Why is homework necessary?” you ask. For starters, it bridges school and home life. Parents are the vital link between schools and students becoming college and career-ready. 

And parent engagement is more powerful than any other form of involvement or support at school. It strengthens the vital educational triangle uniting parents, home, and school. 

Prepares High School Students for The Future

You can become more resilient and adaptable to challenges in your life. You’ll most likely feel more prepared when these challenges come. What’s more, you can become a better problem-solver and can improve your analytical and critical thinking skills in the long run. This is why homework is beneficial.

Helps Develop A Growth Mindset and Time Management Skills

If you're still wondering, "Why is homework important?" Then, you should know that it can help you foster a growth mentality. What does this mean? Instead of feeling victimized by challenges, failures, and other difficulties, you'll develop a mindset where you view these things as opportunities to grow. At the end of the day, these difficulties can be your best teachers.

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Homework: Tips and Tricks

Now that we've taken a look at all the reasons why homework is beneficial to your growth and life let's take a look at some tips you can apply to your homework sessions. If you're still having issues, you can always send a " do my homework " request on Studyfy to get expert help. ‍

To effectively tackle homework, consider these strategies: take regular breaks to refresh, collaborate with friends for support, create a conducive homework area, actively engage in homework discussions, minimize distractions, adhere to a homework timetable, form a study group, organize a dedicated study space, prepare all necessary materials in advance, listen to instrumental music to maintain focus, reward yourself for completing tasks, practice efficient time management, and leverage available resources for assistance.

1. Create A Study Space : Moving on from finding out why homework is good, the first tip to make homework sessions easier is to create a dedicated study space. By doing this, you can potentially trick your mind into focusing better in that said space.

2. Establish A Routine : Create a homework schedule and stick to it. By doing this, you're freeing up your time by prioritizing your responsibilities first. It might be hard at first, but it's work sticking by. Moreover, if you're curious, you can take a look at who invented homework and why , and you might get some inspiration from knowing this.

3. Prioritize The Difficult Tasks in Homework Assignments : Continuing why should students have homework and homework tips, another great tip is to tackle difficult homework first. This gives you enough time to complete them, ensuring you meet your deadlines. It also frees up your time and speeds up the process.

4. Make Use of Apps : Apps like Quizlet and Evernote can help streamline your sessions. You can note down reasons on, "How is homework beneficial?" to help you get motivated or simply note down important notes from class and more.

5. Break Tasks Up : For lengthier and more complex tasks, you can simply break them up into smaller and more doable portions. Need more reasons on why is homework good for students so you can learn how to motivate yourself to do homework even more? Keep reading, and you’ll know all there is to know about homework and how to finish it easier.

6. Get Help : How does homework help students when a task is too difficult? Difficulty motivates us to try harder. However, if you feel like you're stuck, don't be afraid to seek out help. You can ask teachers, friends, and your parents for extra guidance.

7. Employ Study Methods : Use study methods like summarizing, memory flashcards, and quizzing yourself. "Why is homework beneficial?" It helps you apply problem-solving skills effectively, just like these 3 methods.

8. Free Yourself From Distractions : One of the reasons why homework is good is it teaches you to focus and to cut off distractions. A habit that applies to anything in life. Free up your study space from all potential distractions, like phones, tablets, and TV.

9. Prioritize Health and Sleep : "Why is homework helpful?" For starters, if you prioritize your work, you are obligated to also take care of your health and get enough sleep. By doing so, you can focus and work better. Good habits produce more good habits.

10. Find Your Purpose : The last tip, but not the least important, is finding out your "Why." Find out why you want to work hard. Instead of summing it up to, "I want to get into a good school" or "I want to make a lot of money as an adult," find a deeper purpose as to why you should be diligent.

Maybe you're doing it for self-improvement, or maybe you want to change the world for the better. You can potentially get to know yourself better, and you realize this is why we should have homework.

Did you like our Homework Post?

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What are the reasons why students should have homework?

As we've already seen, homework helps foster better cognitive abilities, train discipline, and prepare students for what's coming.

If you're still struggling with your homework, you can get physics homework help and help for other subjects, too, on Studyfy. It's alright to have difficulties, if you try to improve, results will surely show up.     

How can parents help with homework?

Homework is important, therefore you should ask your parents for help and further motivation if needed. They can offer help when necessary and let you solve problems on your own to foster independence. They can create a space where learning is easy and there are no disturbances.

Can too much homework be counterproductive?

While the benefits of homework are plenty, too much homework can be counterproductive. If this is the case, you can directly talk to your teachers and negotiate with them. If you have tests you need to study for, it can help to have less homework.

Too much homework creates unnecessary stress, no matter how good your time management skills are. Yes, homework improve academic achievement, but excessive homework, especially for younger students, doesn't reinforce learning.

Do the study tips this article has mentioned help?

Yes, they do. It's become apparent that to memorize large amounts of information, it is better to break them down into parts. As for the rest of the advice, it will improve most students' learning efficiency. You should still try to find out which methods work best for you.                                                                          

If you need more guidance, you can get math homework help and help for other subjects as well on Studyfy. Gain insights and advice from an expert today.

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  • August 11, 2022

Why Homework Is Important to Kids and Parents

Information on why homework is helpful

The great homework debate is an ongoing conflict, with  some experts  saying the take-home lessons should be abolished, while others think they should be limited by age or completion time. Despite the controversy, homework is still a normal assignment for most school-age students to receive. So, what’s the importance of homework in a learner’s life? Well, answering the question of why is homework important for students will also answer the question of why is homework important for parents, too.

10 Benefits of Homework

Acts as a bridge between school and home.

Even if teachers and parents aren’t using the margins of a child’s homework to send messages back and forth in writing, a student’s take-home assignments can still be a de facto communication network used by two of the people most responsible for their unassuming courier’s continued learning.

When teachers assign homework, it can help teachers and parents unravel the puzzle that is their student’s learning preferences—an invaluable piece of knowledge to have in their quest to encourage enrichment and progress. Additionally, some parents like homework because it provides a window into their child’s daily lessons.

More Time with Material

Despite a teacher’s best efforts, there are concepts that may continue to elude some students even after ample instructional time and effort. That’s okay—children learn in different ways and at different speeds.

During homework, the additional time learners spend engaged with a subject can be exactly what they need to begin piecing things together and grasping the lesson presented in the day’s materials. Homework affords them all the time they need to explore those ideas without the societal pressures or time constraints they may experience in a classroom setting.

Using Resources to Their Advantage

In an academic setting, knowing something means being able to recall it from memory and prove that knowledge on an exam, in an essay or during a conversation. Knowing how to find that fact using an educational resource like a library, a reference book or the Internet can be an equally useful long-term skill, though.

Working from home and having access to resources outside the classroom helps show a child the best avenue for finding the information they require and teaches them to use those tools when searching for relevant, factual information.

An Environment Conducive to Learning

Teachers can devote a lot of effort to making their classrooms feel like welcoming, safe areas that allow for the exploration and internalization of important academic concepts. However, despite an educator’s best attempts, some students may never be able to feel as comfortable as they do when they’re at home.

For those learners, homework exists as a chance for them to interact with the day’s material in their most open, relaxed state. At home, they’re free of the distractions and hindrances of a public place, allowing them to truly be themselves.

This can help accelerate the development of those children since learning while comfortable and in a good mindset is the best way to internalize and memorize the lesson at hand.

Teaches Students to Efficiently Manage Their Time

We’ve already touched on homework’s ability to familiarize kids with resources available to them beyond those they’ve come to rely on in their classrooms. Time management skills are another secondary lesson that homework can bestow upon young people, and it’s an important one to learn if they hope to make the most of their waking hours.

Self-regulating the task of homework helps kids figure out how to manage their own workloads and increases their ability to act autonomously and responsibly. Homework always has a due date, and taking on this due date—with the responsibility of meeting it—encourages independent thinking and problem solving.

If learned properly, time management is a skill young people will carry with them, first utilizing it to manage multiple facets of their life during any post-secondary educational pursuits before relying on it to get the most out of their adult years.

Improves Self-esteem

Whether they’re reinforcing a lesson they’ve already explored or successfully grasping the concepts after a healthy amount of after-school study time, homework can help foster the self-esteem necessary for students to excel in both academics and everyday situations. Taking the lessons learned during class and applying them independently to assignments can do wonders for a child’s self-autonomy and self-reliance. It can also give them the confidence necessary to trust their learning process and fight through failures to their eventual understanding.

Enhances the Next Day’s Lesson

When students explore their take home work, they may find questions they didn’t know they had. This allows each student to have a grasp on the homework and come ready for a class discussion. Effective homework does more than just ask students to complete its tasks before the next class period, it also engages kids and lays the groundwork for an enriching learning session.

Helps Identify Weaknesses

Homework can instill confidence and self-esteem by giving students a safe environment to practice problem solving and self-reliance, but homework can also shine a spotlight on the weaknesses particular lessons may expose in a student’s knowledge. Even if they find these revelations discouraging, identifying areas needing improvement can be just as important—possibly more important—than strengthening self-esteem.

Facing a shortcoming can teach a student how to handle adversity, fixing that shortcoming can help a student learn that progress is possible, and repeating the process can solidify a student’s confidence in their learning process and ability to internalize concepts.

Improves Performance

Benchmarks like grades and academic awards may be external motivators and less effective than intrinsic motivation, but these can also be happy secondary effects of healthier motivational styles—and homework can play a big part in reaching those milestones. Keeping up with after school work can improve student’s grades and scores on standardized tests.

Widen Attention Span

When doing homework, students—especially older students—are responsible for managing their own attention span. There aren’t any teachers at their homes yelling about daydreaming, doodling or other self-imposed distractions. Teachers assign homework, then homework teaches some life skills necessary to excel in high school and beyond.

How to Help Your Child with Homework

Praise hard work.

Making a point to recognize the effort and hard work school students are putting into their out-of-the-classroom learning can help them form a positive relationship with their homework. It can also help craft the act of completing that work into an internal motivation. It’s important to avoid praise that promotes achievement motivation, such as a focus on a specific award or position, but the work a child is putting into those possible achievements shouldn’t go unpraised.

Homework Sessions

On nights when a large amount of homework seems to be a daunting task, make a plan with your young person to tackle their assignments. Splitting work up into sessions helps make tasks more manageable.

It’s Not Your Homework

Help your learner grasp concepts by supporting them and answering reasonable questions, but ensure they’re learning by making sure they’re the ones completing homework.

A Child’s Home Office

Create a dedicated, well-lit area where students can complete homework without worrying about distractions. Keep the area stocked with items they’re frequently using to complete assignments.

Affix Homework to A Certain Time

Routines can help people maintain responsibilities and get used to doing certain tasks. Figure out the best time for your child’s productivity and deem that period as homework or study time.

Discuss Lessons Before Your Child Tackles Homework

If a child feels like the subject of their homework is a little too difficult for them, they could lose interest in a topic or subject that used to make them excited to learn. Even if you have good communication with your learner, this may be difficult to observe, so it’s recommended you speak with kids about the new subjects they’re learning in school and go through some of their homework with them before allowing them to complete the rest on their own.

Check in on your child periodically and provide help where necessary. While checking in, let them know you’re always there to help and they’re never completely on their own. This safety net can be an important part of the learning process.

Monitor A Student’s Progress

Research consistently shows a link between parental involvement concerning the learning of a child and that child’s achievement in a school setting. Homework is an easy, tangible way for parents to see their child’s progress while taking an active approach to their child’s educational career.

Help Your Child Excel at School

Healthy, positive and productive homework habits with the right amount of parental intervention can push a child’s academic performance to the next level. The at-home lessons don’t have to stop there, though.

Virtual learning materials like Juni Learning’s online courses can supplement homework lessons or become one of a child’s out-of-classroom academic resources. Find  Juni Learning’s curriculum overview here  and, when you’re ready,  browse their selection of courses here . Juni Learning can help your child become a more confident student, inside and outside school.

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Why Is Homework Important?

Setting homework before a lesson is great for helping understanding later in class. It provides the opportunity to reinforce work learnt during school time and for students to develop their skills too.

Here, we’re going to take a look at more reasons why homework is so important and how EducationCity can help you set it quickly and easily.

Homework Improves students’ knowledge

Homework is great practice and it’s well-known that practice makes perfect. Doing homework means more learning which leads to academic achievements.

It makes what’s taught in class relevant too and also prepares students for upcoming assessments.

Homework Enriches the chance to explore

It allows your students the opportunity to explore independently. Students can take their learning home and discover new concepts beyond class time.

Develops positive study skills

Deadlines can have a positive effect on the future development of students. Not only do they encourage students to use their time wisely, they promote self-discipline and good habits that will be great for later life.

Nurture the opportunity to take responsibility with Homework

Along with positive study skills comes the fact that homework helps with building independence. It means students have the opportunity to take responsibility for their own work.

Encourages parental engagement

The home school connection is improved too. Homework encourages parents to get involved with their child’s learning and what they’re doing at school. It’s great for encouraging parents to spark their child’s enthusiasm too!

So, how can EducationCity help me set homework?

EducationCity’s MyCity feature is the perfect resource for setting homework quickly and easily!

What’s MyCity?

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A MyCity is an area where you can quickly group content in one place and assign it to students to access in class (Classwork), or at home (Homework), providing your school subscribes to Home Access*.

How Can MyCity Help?

  • Great for 1:1 help: you can set a MyCity for a student who may require extra support.
  • Helps with differentiated learning: MyCity lets you set work for groups of students so they can focus on different work depending on their abilities without realising that they’re working at different levels.
  • Manage your students’ learning: you can control the flow of learning and put work in an order by setting it to ‘Sequenced’.
  • Track progress: each MyCity created has a Tracking tab so you can see students’ scores as well as what your students have completed, what’s in progress and what they haven’t accessed yet.

Log in to see MyCity here – try out setting some homework for yourself!

Is your school not subscribing to EducationCity so you can’t try out MyCity? Sign up for a free trial here or call us on +44 (0)1572 725080 for more info. 

Why is homework important over the Christmas Break ? Read here to discover all the pros and cons. Learn how to set your students homework using EducationCity’s amazing homework features .

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What’s the Purpose of Homework?

author avatar

  • Homework teaches students responsibility.
  • Homework gives students an opportunity to practice and refine their skills.
  • We give homework because our parents demand it.
  • Our community equates homework with rigor.
  • Homework is a rite of passage.
  • design quality homework tasks;
  • differentiate homework tasks;
  • move from grading to checking;
  • decriminalize the grading of homework;
  • use completion strategies; and
  • establish homework support programs.
  • Always ask, “What learning will result from this homework assignment?” The goal of your instruction should be to design homework that results in meaningful learning.
  • Assign homework to help students deepen their understanding of content, practice skills in order to become faster or more proficient, or learn new content on a surface level.
  • Check that students are able to perform required skills and tasks independently before asking them to complete homework assignments.
  • When students return home, is there a safe and quite place for them to do their homework? I have talked to teachers who tell me they know for certain the home environments of their students are chaotic at best. Is it likely a student will be able to complete homework in such an environment? Is it possible for students to go to an after school program, possibly at the YMCA or a Boys and Girls Club. Assigning homework to students when you know the likelihood of them being able to complete the assignment through little fault of their own doesn’t seem fair to the learner.
  • Consider parents and guardians to be your allies when it comes to homework. Understand their constraints, and, when home circumstances present challenges, consider alternative approaches to support students as they complete homework assignments (e.g., before-or after-school programs, additional parent outreach).

what is homework so important

Howard Pitler is a dynamic facilitator, speaker, and instructional coach with a proven record of success spanning four decades. With an extensive background in professional development, he works with schools and districts internationally and is a regular speaker at national, state, and district conferences and workshops.

Pitler is currently Associate Professor at Emporia State University in Kansas. Prior to that, he served for 19 years as an elementary and middle school principal in an urban setting. During his tenure, his elementary school was selected as an Apple Distinguished Program and named "One of the Top 100 Schools in America" by Redbook Magazine. His middle school was selected as "One of the Top 100 Wired Schools in America" by PC Magazine. He also served for 12 years as a senior director and chief program officer for McREL International, and he is currently serving on the Board of Colorado ASCD. He is an Apple Distinguished Educator, Apple Teacher, National Distinguished Principal, and Smithsonian Laureate.

He is a published book author and has written numerous magazine articles for  Educational Leadership ® magazine,  EdCircuit , and  Connected Educator , among others.

ASCD is dedicated to professional growth and well-being.

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School Life Balance , Tips for Online Students

The Pros and Cons of Homework

Updated: December 7, 2023

Published: January 23, 2020

The-Pros-and-Cons-Should-Students-Have-Homework

Homework is a word that most students dread hearing. After hours upon hours of sitting in class , the last thing we want is more schoolwork over our precious weekends. While it’s known to be a staple of traditional schooling, homework has also become a rather divise topic. Some feel as though homework is a necessary part of school, while others believe that the time could be better invested. Should students have homework? Have a closer look into the arguments on both sides to decide for yourself.

A college student completely swamped with homework.

Photo by  energepic.com  from  Pexels

Why should students have homework, 1. homework encourages practice.

Many people believe that one of the positive effects of homework is that it encourages the discipline of practice. While it may be time consuming and boring compared to other activities, repetition is needed to get better at skills. Homework helps make concepts more clear, and gives students more opportunities when starting their career .

2. Homework Gets Parents Involved

Homework can be something that gets parents involved in their children’s lives if the environment is a healthy one. A parent helping their child with homework makes them take part in their academic success, and allows for the parent to keep up with what the child is doing in school. It can also be a chance to connect together.

3. Homework Teaches Time Management

Homework is much more than just completing the assigned tasks. Homework can develop time management skills , forcing students to plan their time and make sure that all of their homework assignments are done on time. By learning to manage their time, students also practice their problem-solving skills and independent thinking. One of the positive effects of homework is that it forces decision making and compromises to be made.

4. Homework Opens A Bridge Of Communication

Homework creates a connection between the student, the teacher, the school, and the parents. It allows everyone to get to know each other better, and parents can see where their children are struggling. In the same sense, parents can also see where their children are excelling. Homework in turn can allow for a better, more targeted educational plan for the student.

5. Homework Allows For More Learning Time

Homework allows for more time to complete the learning process. School hours are not always enough time for students to really understand core concepts, and homework can counter the effects of time shortages, benefiting students in the long run, even if they can’t see it in the moment.

6. Homework Reduces Screen Time

Many students in North America spend far too many hours watching TV. If they weren’t in school, these numbers would likely increase even more. Although homework is usually undesired, it encourages better study habits and discourages spending time in front of the TV. Homework can be seen as another extracurricular activity, and many families already invest a lot of time and money in different clubs and lessons to fill up their children’s extra time. Just like extracurricular activities, homework can be fit into one’s schedule.

A female student who doesn’t want to do homework.

The Other Side: Why Homework Is Bad

1. homework encourages a sedentary lifestyle.

Should students have homework? Well, that depends on where you stand. There are arguments both for the advantages and the disadvantages of homework.

While classroom time is important, playground time is just as important. If children are given too much homework, they won’t have enough playtime, which can impact their social development and learning. Studies have found that those who get more play get better grades in school , as it can help them pay closer attention in the classroom.

Children are already sitting long hours in the classroom, and homework assignments only add to these hours. Sedentary lifestyles can be dangerous and can cause health problems such as obesity. Homework takes away from time that could be spent investing in physical activity.

2. Homework Isn’t Healthy In Every Home

While many people that think homes are a beneficial environment for children to learn, not all homes provide a healthy environment, and there may be very little investment from parents. Some parents do not provide any kind of support or homework help, and even if they would like to, due to personal barriers, they sometimes cannot. Homework can create friction between children and their parents, which is one of the reasons why homework is bad .

3. Homework Adds To An Already Full-Time Job

School is already a full-time job for students, as they generally spend over 6 hours each day in class. Students also often have extracurricular activities such as sports, music, or art that are just as important as their traditional courses. Adding on extra hours to all of these demands is a lot for children to manage, and prevents students from having extra time to themselves for a variety of creative endeavors. Homework prevents self discovery and having the time to learn new skills outside of the school system. This is one of the main disadvantages of homework.

4. Homework Has Not Been Proven To Provide Results

Endless surveys have found that homework creates a negative attitude towards school, and homework has not been found to be linked to a higher level of academic success.

The positive effects of homework have not been backed up enough. While homework may help some students improve in specific subjects, if they have outside help there is no real proof that homework makes for improvements.

It can be a challenge to really enforce the completion of homework, and students can still get decent grades without doing their homework. Extra school time does not necessarily mean better grades — quality must always come before quantity.

Accurate practice when it comes to homework simply isn’t reliable. Homework could even cause opposite effects if misunderstood, especially since the reliance is placed on the student and their parents — one of the major reasons as to why homework is bad. Many students would rather cheat in class to avoid doing their homework at home, and children often just copy off of each other or from what they read on the internet.

5. Homework Assignments Are Overdone

The general agreement is that students should not be given more than 10 minutes a day per grade level. What this means is that a first grader should be given a maximum of 10 minutes of homework, while a second grader receives 20 minutes, etc. Many students are given a lot more homework than the recommended amount, however.

On average, college students spend as much as 3 hours per night on homework . By giving too much homework, it can increase stress levels and lead to burn out. This in turn provides an opposite effect when it comes to academic success.

The pros and cons of homework are both valid, and it seems as though the question of ‘‘should students have homework?’ is not a simple, straightforward one. Parents and teachers often are found to be clashing heads, while the student is left in the middle without much say.

It’s important to understand all the advantages and disadvantages of homework, taking both perspectives into conversation to find a common ground. At the end of the day, everyone’s goal is the success of the student.

Related Articles

Why homework is important: Get The Most Genuine Reasons

why homework is important

  • Post author By admin
  • October 4, 2022

Why homework is important? As you know that every student goes to school and college, and every student has homework. 

Homework has been a topic of interest for a long time. Many students believe that homework is not beneficial for them. 

And some students think that without homework they can’t remember what they learn in class. If you have enough amount of homework, it is very beneficial for you. 

You should do homework because it will help you to learn life skills and also help you master a skill. 

Homework should be a positive experience for all students that help them to learn properly and improve their final grades. Why homework is important for students? 

In this blog, we will learn what is homework and why homework is important. So, let’s get started.

Table of Contents

What is homework?

Homework can be defined as the task assigned to students by the teacher extra from the classwork. For exploring new things regarding a subject or topic. If we learn something in the classroom. We need to revise the topic otherwise we will forget. So homework is the best practice to learn new things and it helps to remind us. To move forward we need to understand a few things like what is the difference between Homework and Assignment.

Why Do Teachers Give Homework To The Students?

Here are some reasons why teachers give homework to the students:

  • It helps to understand how to do work independently.
  • With homework, students can learn to make schedules for all work. 
  • It helps students to solve the problem on their own. 
  • It helps students to find, and organize good information. 
  • Homework can help to develop a good sense of personal responsibility for learning.
  • It also helps to learn using libraries and other resources. 

Importance Of Doing Homework

Why homework is important? This is a very popular question. Many students think that homework is not fun to do. 

You should do more research to get more information about the basic reason why homework is good for students.

When you do your homework it teaches you how to work and study on your own. With homework, you can learn using different resources like text, libraries, book chapters and other resources. 

It will also help you to deal with difficult challenges. Students can take benefit from homework because it helps to develop their learning beyond the classroom. You should also read this (2022) Best Homework Songs to Listen While Study .

Reason Why Homework Is Important?

Here is some reason why homework is important:

Improve Thinking

Improve Thinking

It can help students to improve their memory and thinking. 

Use Time Wisely

With the help of homework, students learn to utilize time wisely. 

Work Independently

While doing homework, students can work independently. They can do their work on their own.

Responsible For Work

Responsible For Work

It helps students to take responsibility for work on their own. 

Get Ready For The Next Day In Class

With the help of homework, students can get ready for the next day’s class.

Learn To Use Resources

Learn To Use Resources

It helps students to learn using resources such as websites to find information, libraries, reference materials, and others. Also, read this Is Homework Illegal AnyWhere? .

Help Students Explore The Subject

Homework help students to explore the topic more carefully than class time permits. 

Homework Increases a Student’s Confidence

Homework Increases a Student’s Confidence

Homework improves knowledge. This always results in improving confidence also. 

The more you learn, understand, and practice, the more you will improve your confidence. This is also important for your exams too as it can help you to remember the concepts. 

As a result, you can easily write the answers on your exam sheet. This will increase your confidence to score good grades in exams.

Homework Helps Parents Know What Their Children Are Learning

Homework is the best opportunity for teachers and parents to connect with their children. 

While doing homework it is the best way to observe students about their strengths and weaknesses. Like in which subject they are good or poor. 

Parents can track their performance easily. Also, read this Who Invented Homework And Why? Best Facts You Should Know .

Enhance Problem-Solving Skills

Enhance Problem-Solving Skills

Whenever any student does their homework there are so many hard questions they have to encounter so it is helpful for brainstorming the solutions. 

They make every effort to complete it, whether it is taking help from the internet or from their parents. 

Due to this, the problem-solving skills of the students increase and they can easily solve any problem in their life.

Help Us Prioritize The Topics/Time Management Skill

Help Us Prioritize The Topics/Time Management Skill

As we know that if we complete any task it is a pleasurable moment for us. 

So when the student completes their homework sometimes it is difficult to solve any problem. Sometimes students are stuck after finding the solution. It is an achievement for them. 

It motivates us to do more work and boosts our confidence. 

Regular basis homework makes the student capable of grabbing more knowledge which is beneficial for scoring well in exams.

Increases The Concentration Of Students In The Classroom

Increases The Concentration Of Students In The Classroom

When the teacher reads a topic in the class, then the students think that this topic will be very easy. 

Due to this, the students do not study the topic carefully. But when the teachers give homework based on the same topic to the students, they understand how important it is to listen to the teacher in the class. 

In this way, the students feel their responsibility. That’s why homework is important for students. 

How To Do Homework In An Interesting Way?

Follow the strategy to complete your homework effectively How to do homework in an interesting way:

  • Group Study: Do work together with your friends. 
  • Make it visual: Use video animations for learning.
  • Don’t cram, try to learn from the basics.
  • Give a Reward to yourself by completing targets. 
  • Create a homework space.
  • Set a Proper schedule for work. 
  • Don’t hesitate to ask questions.
  • Try different learning applications or websites.
  • Set a goal for achievements.
  • Take a short break between homework tasks to refresh your mind.
  • Arrange all books and supplies in advance to save your time.

Why Is Homework Useful For Teachers?

If teachers use homework correctly, it can be very effective for determining what they understand from the lesson. 

It gives teachers a clear idea of which topics may require more attention because some students find them difficult. It goes further than that.

Homework should be assigned by experienced teachers who can provide specific feedback. 

They should only give students assignments that are beneficial to their learning needs. And they should utilise them as a tool to address specific areas where they are struggling.

As Parents, They Must Help Their Children With Their Homework!

Although we’ve discussed the benefits of doing regular homework, some kids may struggle to stay motivated. These are some ways parents can encourage their children with their homework because they can play a significant part.

Study-friendly Environment

It will be easier for youngsters to focus if they have a designated area to complete their schoolwork. Ensure it has everything they will need for their assignments and is well-lit.

Regular Study Time

Children who work from home become accustomed to the regularity of it. While some kids may like to work in the morning, others favor the afternoon. Establish a schedule that allows your youngster to be most productive.

Verify That They Are Learning

If kids use their homework time to learn, then it is crucial. They won’t experience the advantages described above if you do the labor instead of them. You must be there to support them and ensure they comprehend the task to complete it independently.

Encourage Hard Work and Effort

A fantastic strategy to encourage kids to enjoy their schoolwork is to acknowledge and compliment the effort they put in. To further motivate students, display their stellar test results at home.

Develop a Plan

If they have a lot of homework, kids can become overworked. On nights when they have a lot of homework, assist them in developing a strategy and segmenting the work. The workload will become more manageable as a result. If this works well with your child, try it every time they sit down to work at home.

Young children’s motivation and productivity are enhanced when they comprehend the significance of homework and why it is frequently required. Additionally, it educates parents on how they can help their children. At Nord Anglia Education, we strongly emphasize bringing parents, teachers, and kids together to enhance student learning via homework. Explore our schools to learn more about what we teach and how we operate.

sometimes not only the students but their parents also start wondering why the teachers of the school and coaching institute give homework to their children. 

They think that homework is a burden for students but once they understand why homework is important, they start paying more attention to it. 

Also, they encourage their loved ones or kids to do homework.

Every coin has two faces. Similarly, some students consider homework as a burden while others take it as an interesting way to improve their knowledge. 

So, what do you think about the same? Let us know your answer through your comments. I hope it will help you to learn why homework is important for us. 

FAQs Related To Why Homework Is Important?

Is homework only beneficial for students.

No, it is not only beneficial for students. It also helps parents and teachers to cooperate with the students. This will help students to develop successfully. 

Is homework mandatory?

The majority of schools have made homework a requirement of their curriculum. It was implemented as part of reforms and modernization policies designed to provide the best possible outcomes to the students.

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Why is Homework Important?

In GCSE , General by Think Student Editor March 10, 2022 Leave a Comment

Homework is something every child has had to go through during their schooling. It may have been preparing a presentation, drawing up a poster or completing a worksheet. This is one subject that guarantees vastly varying opinions. Some believe there should be none at all and others find a reasonable amount of it quite useful. Some think less should be set, some think more. So, what is the reason for such contrasting opinions? What is the significance of homework?

Homework is important as it allows students to develop and hone important skills, such as time management and discipline. These are skills that they will find invaluable in the near future – including higher education and their work career. It also acts as a way for the teacher, as well as the pupil themselves, to realise their current level along with their progress. Homework also helps pupils to consolidate class work. Through this they can ensure full and clear understanding.

These are just a few reasons that highlight the significance of homework in the life of school pupils’ lives. Continue reading this article to find out more about why it’s so important as well as some helpful information on dealing with homework.

Table of Contents

Why is Homework Important for Students?

Homework has numerous benefits on a child’s education, school life and home life. Homework is generally an engaging and interactive task set by the teacher to allow students to consolidate and apply the content they covered in class. The act of going over this content once again the student will be able to solidify their understanding.

However, they may also realise any gaps in their knowledge or questions upon doing the set task. This is equally important as it means the next day, at school, they will be able to ask their teacher. If the homework was not set, the pupil wouldn’t have realised their lack of understanding. A few advantages of homework are covered below.

Improve Time-Management

Through completing their homework students can gain several important life skills to make themselves more responsible. Homework gives pupils the responsibility of completing the given task by a given time. This encourages them to become more independent and disciplined.

This may involve planning out their after-school time and deciding to complete a homework task in a given time limit. For example, the pupil may plan to spend 20 minutes on their maths homework, take a ten-minute break, and then spend 30 minutes on geography. This is something they will find fundamental during exams as well as in their future career.

Encourage Creativity

When teachers set engaging tasks, such as presenting a theme in a chosen way, it gives the pupil the ability to design their own work. This encourages originality through creativity. Homework may also allow students to think outside the box to come up with ideas. This is a tool they will find useful throughout their life.

Furthermore, through completing creative and engaging tasks, a pupil will be able to discover their learning style . They will realise whether or not they like and can learn from posters, mind maps and flash cards. They can continue to apply their preferences throughout school, especially when revising for exams.

Develop Research Skills

Homework teaches children how to use the resources on-hand to benefit themselves. When a pupil is given a research project, they must go online to find relevant material that they can present. Also, if they are confused and do not fully understand a question, they will need to find the answer. This teaches students how to find information through a variety of sources, such as going online, using a library, or talking to an informed person.

By knowing how to access relevant learning materials the student will find any future homework, learning and revision easier.

Learn Other Relevant Content

Homework provides an opportunity for a pupil to dive deeper into a specific topic. This may because they’ve been told to complete a project on a chosen topic. This allows students to discover potential interests. They’ll be able to go above and beyond classwork and possibly find their future subject choices or career.

Why Do Teachers Set Homework?

The reasons above all clearly set out the insurmountable advantage that homework poses to students. Student’s benefit is the teacher’s best interest. However, what most students forget when complaining about the ‘ridiculous amount of work’ their teachers set is that the teacher needs to mark around thirty pupil’s ‘ridiculous amount of work’. So why do they do it? Why give out homework?

Homework acts as a clear representation of the pupil’s understanding and ability of the subject. It is debatably more accurate than tests, exams, or class work. This is because homework encourages the pupil to complete the work independently, without the option of asking the teacher for help. It is also done in a calm, comfortable environment. Therefore, it can show progress or activity over a long period of time if set consistently. This is unlike a quick test or quiz which is a one-time result.

Alternatively, often when a pupil fails to complete the classwork that they were meant to, due to distraction or absences, it will be set as homework. This is a reasonable solution, especially if the work done class will be essential in future lessons or tests.

Is Homework Important in Primary School?

Many argue that at such a young age children should not be made to stress over large piles of work. Other counter this with an argument that pupils must begin learning their life skills early – through homework. Neither are incorrect arguments.

This is why, during primary school, most teachers set a limited amount of homework . This prevents too much pressure at a young age. They will also be able to get enough sleep at night. Furthermore, this ensures sufficient time for any after school clubs or going round to a friend’s house. These activities are very important at a young age, arguably more so than homework, because they also provide valuable development.

Also, primary school homework is found to be less restrictive and more engaging. This helps children to learn better.

How Should You Do Your Homework?

Often homework can become a daunting task. A major counter argument to setting homework is the stress it places on young student. So how can a student handle their out-of-school workload without it affecting their mental health?

An important factor is maintaining a comfortable but distraction-free environment. You should not be working in a stressful area. For some this may be a public area such as a quiet café. Others are unable to work comfortably in their own home. If this is the case some suitable options would be the local library or a quiet café. In the summer, you could even sit under a tree in the park to get some work done.

To maintain a distraction-free zone, some common ideas consider placing your phone in a different room, listening to songs without lyrics. Find some other useful tips and tricks to improve your focus and concentration at this Think Student article . This can help you deal with any homework stress or anxiety that you may facing.

It is also important to plan out your time , so the burden of homework does not seep into your free time. It is vital to maintain a schoolwork and life balance.

Online Homework

During lockdown, the entire world collectively suffered from a complete shift in our lifestyles. Most schooling (including primary, secondary and university) was moved online. Teachers began to set homework online, such as on OneNote, or Word Documents. This means getting distracted is much easier. For some people, it may even make remembering or learning much harder since they cannot physically complete it.

In this case it is important to find available resources suited to you, that can help you get the most out of online homework.

Online Homework Help

We’ve included some links down below including YouTube channels to clearly explain out topics, websites with topic summary notes, websites with interactive quizzes and other useful online help. It is essential to find an engaging and well-suited online learning method for you. If in school, make sure your chosen resources are for the specific exam board you will be writing, especially if you are revising.

In addition to the links below, also check out your own school’s website to find some useful resource links as well. When in doubt, contact your teachers to ask for useful resources for subject help.

  • For help with Sciences, English and Maths : go to the Savemyexams website here .
  • Another incredibly useful website which summarises the important points of a topic briefly and clearly is the BBC bitesize website . This website has resources for primary , secondary and post-16 . There also interactive feature such as quick quizzes.
  • The YouTube channel Science with Hazel also provides friendly videos that cover the whole syllabus . Check out this channel here .
  • Seneca Le arning is another very useful website for KS2, KS3, GCSE and A-Level. It has many interactive features. It covers most subjects including the core subjects, social sciences and languages. You can visit this website here .
  • For English websites such as CliffsNotes and SparkNotes can help you to summarise characters and themes in a book.

You are not limited to the links above, there are many more online resources out there, so speak to your fellow pupils and teachers to find out more online help.

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what is homework so important

What Is Homework?

Homework is work that teachers give students to complete outside of the school day. Homework is meant to provide students with practice for what was learned in school or an extension of what was done in class. Students are expected to complete the homework and return to school with the completed homework assignment.

Why Do Teachers Give Homework?

Most teachers give students homework so that they can practice something that was taught to them during class.

For example, if a teacher is teaching students how to add decimal numbers then the homework assignment would be for students to try adding decimals at home independently.

In my science class I never give my students homework that isn’t meaningful or practice towards a learning standard.

Gone are the days of giving homework that is “busy work”.

Also, when students return the following day their homework assignment is incorporated into the lesson so they quickly figure out that completing homework is necessary.

Some teachers, myself included, will use homework as a formative assessment.

If you are unsure what formative assessments are then you need to check out this article I wrote recently.

what is homework so important

What Does Homework Look Like?

Homework can be almost anything.

Some examples of homework may include a simple worksheet to complete, a long term project, research, reading, a journal entry, completing something online, a drawing, or the continuation of something started in school, and just about anything else.

Homework isn’t limited to one specific thing.

With my eight grade students I have assigned videos for them to watch, creating a slideshow, completing a CER (more about the CER here) , conduct a survey for data collection, and more.

I have even had them collect leaves to identify the following day in our science class!

If you are a teacher reading this make sure to make your homework assignments interesting and worthwhile, don’t just assign homework as busy work.

Do Teachers Have To Give Homework?

No, teachers don’t have to give homework.

Usually teachers have discretion whether or not they are going to assign homework.

Personally, the principal or school district I work for has no idea how often I assign homework or what I assign for homework.

This decision to give or not give homework solely comes down to the classroom teacher.

The Importance Of Homework

The importance of homework is a heavily debated topic these days.

On one hand you have teachers that will say it is necessary that students continue learning outside the classroom in order to be more successful inside the classroom.

On the other hand some teachers will say that homework isn’t necessary as long as students are working hard during the school day.

Another reason homework is seen as not necessary is because students these days are so busy out of school that they don’t have time to complete homework.

Who is right?

I’d say it’s probably somewhere in the middle.

There is nothing wrong with a little homework for students but it shouldn’t be assigned every night.

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I (Allen) am currently teaching at a public school in a western suburb of Chicago. My teaching career started in 2004. Some of my interests outside of teaching is being with my family, biking, playing video games, travelling, and making the Teacher Adviser website.

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How Much Does Homework Matter in Therapy?

What research reveals about the work you do outside of therapy sessions..

Posted April 16, 2017 | Reviewed by Ekua Hagan

  • What Is Therapy?
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Homework is an important component of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and other evidence-based treatments for psychological symptoms. Developed collaboratively during therapy sessions, homework assignments may be used by clients to rehearse new skills, practice coping strategies, and restructure destructive beliefs.

Although some clients believe that the effectiveness of psychotherapy depends on the quality of in-session work, consistent homework during the rest of the week may be even more important. Without homework, the insights, plans, and good intentions that emerge during a therapy session are at risk of being buried by patterns of negative thinking and behavior that have been strengthened through years of inadvertent rehearsal. Is an hour (or less) of therapeutic work enough to create change during the other 167 hours in a week?

Research on homework in therapy

Research on homework in therapy has revealed some meaningful results that can be understood collectively through a procedure called meta-analysis. A meta-analysis is a statistical summary of a body of research. It can be used to identify the average impact of psychotherapy homework on treatment outcomes across numerous studies. The results of four meta-analyses listed below highlight the value of homework in therapy:

  • Kazantzis and colleagues (2010) examined 14 controlled studies that directly compared treatment outcomes for clients assigned to psychotherapy with or without homework. The data favored the homework conditions, with the average client in the homework group reporting better outcomes than about 70% of those in the no-homework conditions.
  • Results from 16 studies (Kazantzis et al., 2000) and an updated analysis of 23 studies (Mausbach et al., 2010) found that, among those who received homework assignments during therapy, greater compliance led to better treatment outcomes. The effect sizes were small to medium, depending on the method used to measure compliance.
  • Kazantzis et al. (2016) examined the relations of both quantity (15 studies) and quality (3 studies) of homework to treatment outcome. The effect sizes were medium to large, and these effects remained relatively stable when follow-up data were collected 1-12 months later.

Taken together, the research suggests that the addition of homework to psychotherapy enhances its effectiveness and that clients who consistently complete homework assignments tend to have better mental health outcomes. Finally, although there is less research on this issue, the quality of homework may matter as much as the amount of homework completed.

To enhance the quality of homework, homework assignments should relate directly to a specific goal, the process should be explained with clarity by the therapist, its method should be rehearsed in session, and opportunities for thoughtful out-of-session practice should be scheduled with ideas about how to eliminate obstacles to completion.

To find a therapist, please visit the Psychology Today Therapy Directory .

Kazantzis, N., Deane, F. P., & Ronan, K. R. (2000). Homework assignments in Cognitive and Behavioral Therapy: A meta‐analysis. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 7(2), 189-202.

Kazantzis, N., Whittington, C., & Dattilio, F. (2010). Meta‐analysis of homework effects in cognitive and behavioral therapy: A replication and extension. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 17(2), 144-156.

Kazantzis, N., Whittington, C., Zelencich, L., Kyrios, M., Norton, P. J., & Hofmann, S. G. (2016). Quantity and quality of homework compliance: a meta-analysis of relations with outcome in cognitive behavior therapy. Behavior Therapy, 47(5), 755-772.

Mausbach, B. T., Moore, R., Roesch, S., Cardenas, V., & Patterson, T. L. (2010). The relationship between homework compliance and therapy outcomes: An updated meta-analysis. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 34(5), 429-438.

Joel Minden, PhD

Joel Minden, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist, author of Show Your Anxiety Who’s Boss , director of the Chico Center for Cognitive Behavior Therapy, and lecturer in the Department of Psychology at California State University, Chico.

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Why Is Homework Considered To Be So Important?

7 minutes reading time

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  • 01. Repercussions Of Avoiding Homework
  • 02. Importance Of Homework
  • 03. Enjoy All The Benefits Homework Has To Offer!

Ask any student whether they like homework or not, and the most common answer will be no. However, sometimes it is not about what one wants but rather about what one needs.

Students who were assigned homework outperformed 69% on standardized tests (standardized tests have been part of the American education system since the 80s) and grades than those who didn't have homework.

One meta-study on homework's impact shows 64% while on the other states that 72% take homework effectively improves academic achievement.

Is Homework Necessary?

Boundaries are there for a reason, and certain limits are reasonable to have; otherwise, overdoing anything can lead to an unpleasant result. For example, dying hair over and over again will result in rough, unhealthy hair.

Homework is not just given because the teachers love to put students in misery; there is a thought process behind it.

The debate on is homework necessary or not is one that still does not have a substantial verdict. However, the things that homework undoubtedly help with are:

  • Helping students gain a sense of personal responsibility
  • A better understanding of topics
  • Recapping what has been taught
  • Better memory
  • Resourcefulness
  • Improvement in researching skills
  • Learning how to work independently

These work assignments aren't meant to dampen students' moods and take away from their free time. Instead, they are intended to enhance their skills.

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Repercussions Of Avoiding Homework

Whether the students like it or not, they need to complete their assignments, no matter how many there are. Otherwise, be ready to face the music.

Students dread homework, but there is no way they can dodge this bullet; instead of running away from it or being stressed over it, why not figure out why is it important to do your homework?

  • No homework is useless. It is usually based on what the teachers think is important and should not be skipped
  • It gives students an idea of what to expect in upcoming tests
  • Sadly, homework does affect your overall grade. So skipping homework might affect your overall grade
  • Time management skills are put to the test, which can help you later on
  • When homework is being done, a person realizes their shortcomings, the areas where they excel, and what requires assistance or more of their time. It gives you a good idea of where you stand

Homework does help one with personal growth; it acts as a mirror that allows one to evaluate themselves. It is not just about the grades but also your understanding of different subjects.

Moreover, following a homework guide can significantly help students get their assignments done quickly and efficiently.

Importance Of Homework

Why should students have homework? As students carry their backpacks home or, in today's time, be assigned with work online, they often wonder, "why should we work even outside of school timings?"

Here are a few of the reasons why students should have homework:

A paper full of notes with a pair of glasses on it

Time Management Skills

Every assignment comes with a deadline, giving students the challenge of completing their work within the given time frame. What does that do?

It helps the child realize their potential. But, can they do the work efficiently, or do they have to put in the extra effort? Do they require help, or can they manage independently?

This even teaches them how to prioritize and take accountability for their work.

Moreover, they become more responsible and learn how to manage time. Time is money, and when this realization hits them at an early age, it makes them know the value of time.

Time management is a vital skill required for a successful life .

Builds Their Self-Esteem

Since they are very young, students are encouraged to succeed in life.  However, they often leave out the part about how failure is inevitable and helps you grow.

For example, when it comes to homework, the child knows he might get it wrong, but he will see positive results after improving in that area.

That process of hitting rock bottom before achieving the goal is crucial.

The child learns that there is nothing to be ashamed of if they cannot do something; they can always try again, ask someone for help or try another method.

Homework opens up the possibilities of broadening your horizon and seeing things from a different perspective.

That feeling of accomplishment after completing a task successfully will also help boost their self-confidence.

A girl sitting in her room doing her assignment.

Working Outside Their Comfort Zone

A child knows that when they are in a classroom, they have to work because that is what is expected of them.

However, the setup is entirely different at home, making it harder for the kid to work in. But, this is precisely what is needed to make sure they can work in any circumstances.

Anyone can stay in their comfort zone and do great, but the real work begins when the situation around you is not up to your comfort level.

Students from affluent backgrounds may have more distractions back home, whereas those from the lower class might have less space at home to work.

In both cases, when the child needs to get their homework done, they have to overcome certain obstacles to meet their goals, and this is where homework helps once again.

Overcoming hurdles and getting the job done can boost a child's self-esteem and confidence.

In professional life, this ability helps a lot as it makes this "do or die" mentality in your head, enabling you to get the job done no matter what.

Why is it important to do homework? Because routine makes everything easy ! Similarly, when a child is used to doing homework, they have a set routine. This makes it easier for them to prepare for any upcoming tests or exams.

Someone regular with their homework will find it easier to stick to new habits. Moreover, it will help them adapt to a schedule making it easier to access learning materials.

Overall, homework will instill time management skills and discipline within the student, which will help them study more efficiently and improve their grades.

Extend Learning Skills

In the classroom, there is a limited time appointed to every subject. This makes the chances of concepts not getting cleared a lot more possible.

Moreover, the student may be too shy to ask their teacher questions or daydream too much, so they end up wasting class time.

While doing homework, the pupil can further explore the subject they are interested in and ask their parents or other sources for help.

This way, their learning skills are polished, and they also figure out where their interest lies.

Improves Academic Performance

As mentioned above, there is limited time allocated in classrooms whereas at home one can give more time to a particular subject.

Self-study helps immensely in improving grades, performing better and also helps one become more independent.

Increases Attention Span

The teacher might keep calling the student out at school if they zone out, but there is no one to observe that at home. Some parents do help, but as one grows older, that dependency on parents reduces too .

Your concentration is put to the test when you're doing homework. This helps your attention span grow, making it easier to process information.

If you believe you cannot concentrate for any reason, you can reach out to a professional and get the help you require.

You can also ask professionals within the education sector how long it should ideally take to complete your homework and work towards achieving that.

Develops Problem-Solving Skills

When someone realizes the responsibility of getting their work done lies solely on them, they start using their brain in more than one way to come up with solutions.

Thus, homework helps with critical and problem-solving thinking. Moreover, assignments challenge students to find a solution for every problem. This also allows them to discover their true potential.

Taking Responsibility

Once the homework is done and submitted, the student has to own it, regardless of their shortcomings.

They are responsible for their homework, and they know that they will be held accountable for what they present.

The student consequently will make sure to give their best effort to get the result they want.

Through homework, students learn that you reap what you sow, and every action has a reaction. This lesson alone makes one a responsible individual.

Student working on math problems

Enjoy All The Benefits Homework Has To Offer!

When talking about homework, one cannot even wrap their head around how this task which seems like a headache, can have many benefits.

Homework is essential because of what it makes one achieve in their academic career. In addition, it grooms for the professional life yet to come.

The importance of homework is beyond just grades. It is about helping an individual learn interpersonal skills. Then, later in life, they will surely be thankful for the misery they were put in at a young age.

It seems like if someone digs deeper, there are many layers to the things we are expected to do. And Superprof can help you uncover all that is beneath the surface.

Are you interested to know more or reaching out to experienced homework tutors ? Then, go on Superprof and be assisted by the best!

Enjoyed this article? Leave a rating.

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Ian Haynes is a digital marketing specialist and has successfully deployed over 500 pages of content as a ghostwriter for businesses of all sizes. He believes that for people to truly value your business and perceive it as a brand, your content needs to do much more than just inform, it needs to talk, engage, and convert. Outside of his work, Ian likes exploring Brooklyn with his Labrador.

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Why Is Homework Important & Its Benefits?

Are you searching for why is homework important? If yes, then have a close look at this blog post to explore why homework is important.

For parents, it is a hard nut to crack, engaging their children with homework. It seems like a nightmare for students to do their homework.

I am not denying that doing homework is boring for students because, at that time, they wanted to play, watch TV, and do other recreational activities instead of doing homework.

People often think homework is pretty stressful; I agree. But also, there’s a lot of significance. I think that people are far too overwhelmed with the phrase “homework,” but they may not understand why this word is the key to improving our understanding and leads to success.

Other than that, it assists the students, parents, and teachers.

So, to know more about homework and its perks, keep scrolling on this blog because here, we will illustrate why homework is important to students, parents, and teachers.

Why is homework important?

Table of Contents

This query is widely known because it is not exciting to do homework.  

Homework is indeed important in a student’s life. But the students should do it with creativity, enthusiasm, and dedication to take advantage.

Learn how to study, do homework, and study independently, as they will master how to use various sources, such as texts, book chapters, libraries, and websites. As students handle difficulties, they’ll learn how to cope skillfully.

Benefits Of Homework

Do you want to know, “why is doing homework important?” let’s know the first benefits of homework for students. 

homework benefits

  • The first benefit of homework is that it increases students’ knowledge.
  • It’s best for self-learning, encouraging time management skills, tracking academic performance, teaching students to be responsible, etc. 
  • The next homework importance is that it develops crucial study skills.
  • Moreover, the next benefit of homework is that it is best for independent or self-learning.
  • If you think, “does homework promote learning?” the answer is yes. Also, it is good for homework. 
  • Through homework, students know the importance or value of homework.
  • Also another importance of homework for students is that it boosts memory retention. 
  • Parents get to see the content taught in school, and students learn to take accountability for their role in the educational process.
  • Students learn to stay organized, act and plan.
  • Homework measures students’ learning for teachers.
  • Depends on students’ understanding of a subject matter.
  • Provides students another chance to review class material.

Why Homework Is Important For Students?

Do you know, “ why is homework important to students ”? Here are the following points that help you know why is it important to do homework for students.

Does Debate On Homework Good?

If you want to know, “does homework promote learning debate points,” just read the following points.

  • Homework lets students improve classroom learning. It helps students to invent adequate life skills and study habits. Because students generally have only 50% of the information teachers provide in class. So, to improve their learned skills, students must apply them to learn about the topic 100%.
  • If you think, “do you need homework to learn to debate,” it’s the answer is no. Because homework helps the students to control their overall workload and time management skills.
  • The homework debate is usual, even CBSE School homework also. The discussion revolves around the idea that homework leads to better skills and good study habits, while some think it hinders academic success. But what includes extreme homework and what makes it a vital component of our intellectual life relies on multiple elements.
  • Also, the homework debate does not promote learning or why is homework important debate; it even encourages students to do good research with perfect time management skills.

Why Is Homework Important Essay?

Yes, the importance of homework in students’ life in the current scenario is the best topic for the essay. Because after the Covid 19 pandemic, only a few students spend hours doing homework. 

According to students, homework is an immense burden to teachers and students, but still, it is essential. Some people doubt homework’s usefulness, but teachers and students agree homework is vital. 

Homework helps students to encourage time management skills, get better grades in school, improve focus on study, and promote crucial study skills in students, etc. 

Why Is Homework Important To Organisms?

Homework is planned to be a positive point of view in students that encourages children to learn. Teachers allot homework to support students’ study, use, and incorporate what has been discovered in class; develop student investigation of topics more positively than class time permits; and help students prepare for the next class session.

Homework teaches students about time management. Homework teaches students how to set importance. Homework helps teachers determine how well the lessons are being understood by their students. Also, it helps students to know why is homework important in their studies or Why is homework not important. Homework teaches students how to problem solve. 

Why Is Homework Important With Evidence?

In 2006, Duke University psychology professor Harris Cooper did the most research on homework with meta-analysis. He found an optimistic correlation between homework and student achievement, describing how students (who did homework) performed better in school. The correlation was more robust for older students in 7th through 12th grade than for those in younger grades, for whom there was a weak relationship between homework and performance.

Cooper’s research concentrated on how homework affects educational achievement or Why Is Homework Important. It is possible with the help of test scores. His report stated that homework is also considered to enhance attitudes toward school, study habits, self-discipline, interest, and self-dependent problem-solving skills. 

On the other hand, research demonstrated that too much homework could cause emotional and physical instances, negatively fuel mindsets about learning, and determine relaxation time for children. 

Why Is Homework Important? The Topic Of Debate

In a debate, there are always two sides to the discussion. Take a look at the opinion of each side:

The Opponents

Few people believe that homework has negative aspects and argue that homework seems to have no educational benefits. It takes a long time away from extracurricular activities and makes learners hate learning.

They opine that the students should do other fun activities instead of doing homework so that they can learn with joy.

Moreover, people think playing is important for physical and mental growth, while homework resists their physical and mental development as it is boring.

The Supporters

In contrast, other people say completing assignments, projects, or schoolwork by students widens their knowledge of topics. It puts the learning responsibility and teaches essential management skills they can carry and analyze throughout their lives. 

The central argument for adding to the debate about homework is that things are not just black, and every point has two sides.

Homework helps increase intellectual ability, but teachers ensure that they do not put an extreme burden on students in the name of schoolwork or assignments.

Importance Of Homework In Learning Process To Student Success

Why is homework important for the academic success of students? Many people try to find out the answer to this question. Here we discuss some reasons why homework is essential for the student’s success:

why is homework important

Develops Time Management Skills

Children and young people find it difficult to manage time after school for various activities and don’t know how to prioritize their to-do lists.

Parents want these assignments for young children assigned by teachers to guide the children in developing this vital skill.

The primary objective for college students ultimately involves learning how to handle various tasks and to fit them into their schedules.

Also, plan which activity will take a shorter or longer time based on their strengths, weaknesses, or skill level, and interest.

Time management skills are important for students, especially children because they have to manage different tasks simultaneously in the future. 

See also : A Definitive Guide on How to Write An Essay In MLA Format

Encourage Students To Prepare For Successful Careers

With the help of homework, the students can realize their interests and what area they should pursue their advanced study to choose a worthwhile profession.

Homework stimulates the students to recognize their weaknesses and strengths, which is important for further education.

Helps Develop Accountability

Homework is the student’s responsibility, and finishing the task on time helps the student learn to be accountable. Getting things done to do coursework individually builds the ‘I’ve made it’ capacity spirit.

Accomplishments, achievement, and responsibility seem to be the most necessary executive skills in the work environment and need to be developed in the early years as the child progresses.

Build Confidence In Students

Some people, including educational administration, parents, etc., think, why is homework important? Does it contribute to developing some skills in students?

Undoubtedly, It helps develop various abilities among students, and confidence is one of them. Children often need to try their problems or tests and understand that failing is necessary for learning.

Students gain faith by working through math problems or writing papers, and developing innovative problem-solving skills.

Improves Self-Esteem

Both Self-esteem and coursework are connected very strongly. When the students assign homework, they feel they are part of it, and contribute positively.

This emotion helps make them work very hard to complete their homework on time. Completing homework builds their confidence and creates a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. 

Develops Thinking And Memory Of The Students

Homework is a tool to sharpen the memory of students. The student is given an individual period after productive classwork to test what the teacher taught earlier in class. It encourages concentration power and develops strong memory. 

A student may be able to think about new ideas that improve memory in a unique atmosphere. The student can apply the learning to real-life circumstances and experiences through homework. 

Encourage The Involvement Of Parents In Child Education

Parents and students always think, why is homework important? They think that it creates an extra burden on the child. The reason for it is that they don’t get involved in it with the child.

But the homework sometimes needs the help of the parents to do it. It forces parents to remain on the same page with their kids as they work through lessons and units. 

It also enables parents to reach the teacher if they find that their child is coping with one topic or subject. In the younger grades, in particular, schoolwork will help mom and dad be aware of their children’s weaknesses and strengths, providing for adequate opportunities for action if required.

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Develops A Sense Of Independence

Homework is a task for students after school, which they do at home. Once the students successfully complete the homework task, they can memorize the work performed in the classroom. 

Students feel informed when they finish their home tasks alone, which induces independence. Independent working fosters sincerity and dedication when the tasks get tough; an independent student can learn to get tough.

An Instrument For Creating Teams:

Homework requiring teamwork helps the students to develop a sense of collaboration. When a student can cooperate very well with team members to finish the tasks, it indicates that such a student can be a great team player within an organization in the future.

Work Ethics Develop From An Early Age

Children must realize the importance of hard work and shape the self-regulation and obligation to contribute to and see through their projects.” Homework can encourage students to form a hard-working ethic they will take to college and beyond.

Develops Interest

The student develops an interest in a particular subject with the help of homework. By doing so, they can choose the right career path. Students who follow the teacher’s instructions grow their interest in a particular field. They also develop mastery of that subject.

The above points explain the reasons why is homework important in detail. The assignments should be a productive experience that allows all students to understand well and enhance their final score.

Why Should You Have To Do The Homework?

Homework assignments are useful and important for preschool, high school, and college students. Homework helps improve the scores of students on school examinations.

It will have a positive long-term impact on the student’s future. Home assignments have enabled several learners to gain important skills for their future lives.

The study finds schoolwork increases thinking capabilities and helps students gain practical skills like goal-setting, problem-solving, perseverance, and organization. The reasons why it is essential to do your homework:

Homework Strengthens What You Learned

There are so many aspects that you learn each day. And this is not just happening at school-there are opportunities almost anywhere.

Can you recall a time when you once learned something, but you can’t quite remember the important information when you go and say it to someone else?

Did you guys know we remember only about 20–30 percent of what we’ve been informed? I think it’s even less than that sometimes. Reviewing what you’ve learned is pretty useful, especially if it is important.

It can improve your memory power by up to 50–70%. So it can be quite useful to do your classwork to ensure you’ve learned something well. It is the reason why is homework important to complete well in time.

Homework Helps In Knowing Who Is Your Competition

In class, many students come with their complete homework assignments and submit them to the teachers. The teacher evaluates every student’s worksheet and assigns grades according to the report.

By the result of your homework, you can know who your competition is in the class. He or she will give tough competition in the final examination also.

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Homework Enables You To Grow Excellent At What You Do

You must hear the famous phrase “practice makes a man perfect.” If you practice well, you can do the work even better. The same is in the case of school-related work.

Practice helps students learn the subject matter better as they complete their homework assignments. Homework is a way of independent learning. 

When students start doing homework, they search for the resources to complete it in the right way. The practice of doing homework as per schedule, you will find it to do correctly. It is a learning process. The more you practice the subject, the more you learn about it and find it easier.

Now from the above reasons, you know why is homework important to do well in time.

Some Tips For Doing Your Homework Well In Time

  • Don’t try to become a perfectionist. If you have plenty of coursework, it will stress you out because schoolwork requires time. If you’re trying to become a perfectionist, you could spend a lot of time doing your coursework, which is not good for you. Do it with simplicity and effectiveness.
  • Enjoy the process of doing your coursework. Don’t be frustrated or feel burdened. Calm down, breathe out, and don’t forget to get started. Starting well in time is half completion! 
  •  Set time limits for each project or homework. Stay to the deadline you fixed and handle your time; the more effective you do, the more time you gain to recharge your mind and perform anything else.
  •  Take short breaks and have snacks. Also, drink plenty of water.

Quick Links

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  • Website For Homework Help For: Schools And Colleges

It is clear from the above discussion why is homework important. 

Homework makes a child’s overall development easier. It will prepare you for the upcoming after-school lesson and exams and help in life. Do not neglect homework assignments; improve valuable life skills by doing them.

The old saying “quality over quantity” contributes to any homework task, and there must be timely feedback to help students learn the required skill or concept. Students must understand the objective and know the importance of any task, whether at home or in college.

If you still cannot do coursework, you can take homework help from calltutors.com . Our experienced professionals guide you on any subject homework. So contact us anytime as per your requirements. We are always available for your help.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is homework important for teachers.

If teachers assign homework to the students properly, they can determine the capacity of their students. They can analyze in which area their students are going smoothly and where they are facing difficulty.

How does homework help students?

Firstly, it helps them to score good grades in their academics. Apart from this, there are other benefits. It teaches the students how to solve problems, plan, organization, and decision-making.

Why Do Teachers Think Homework Is Important?

The main reason behind it is that it works as a bridge and can help teachers and parents learn more about how students like to know.

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Why Homework Is So Important Essay

Education plays an important role in ensuring children are taught career, survival and intellectual skills that will enable them to live comfortably in the future. Learning institutions have been established to ensure everyone goes to school and gets the required knowledge essential for human survival.

These learning institutions have come up with various programs aimed at ensuring that students make good use of their time while attending schools and also when out of classes. Homework and holiday assignments are the most common tasks that students are given when they are not in school to enhance their learning.

However, the debate continues to rage on regarding the importance of homework to students. The discussion below outlines the significance of homework to the development of the learning process of a student. Every human being has a unique ability to grasp various ideas and information depending on their age, exposure to different environments and levels of interests.

This makes it very impossible for every student to grasp all concepts being taught in class by their teachers. Therefore, when students are given homework, they can take time and study the concepts they did not understand during normal class time, and this makes them be at the same level with other students (Bader 12). Homework plays an important role in ensuring that students can learn at the same pace.

The fact that students have different abilities to memorize what they were taught means that their levels of learning differences and when they are given the same homework slow learners can catch up with fast learners, and this ensures they all stand equal chances of competing effectively.

Also, ninety percent of students are in their active stages of life, and therefore they like playing very much. These plays make students forget what they were taught during the day as their minds are occupied with games and other entertainment activities. When these students are given homework, they have limited time to attend to other activities like games and sports.

It is well known that all children and young adults like playing very much and when left idle they can spend the whole day playing at the expense of their education. Homework plays an important role in ensuring they are kept very busy and indulge in games only after they have finished their work.

Furthermore, homework enables students to make their studies and identify areas they did not understand very well. Sometimes students tend to cheat in their examinations and other class assignments by coping from others, and this earns them false grades.

However, when they are given homework they are not able to copy from their friends and in fact, they make all efforts to ensure they put their brains at work to answer all questions assigned (Bader 134). Therefore, teachers can identify areas that their students did not understand well and go over them again by organizing remedial classes.

Students are also able to identify topics that were not understood and seek the necessary assistance from their teachers. Moreover, homework enables students to be busy during their free time and avoid indulging in bad behavior. The fact that an idle mind gives way to irrational thinking should sound an alarm bell to all parents and students who shy away from homework.

When students are kept busy with homework, they will be in a position to avoid indulgence in bad behavior like drug abuse and premarital sex. When students are given homework, they get prepared for future career obligations that involve assignments and duties out of office.

This offers them an opportunity to develop the flexibility to time schedules and roles assigned in the future when they are employed. Also, they will be in a position to schedule their work programs effectively to meet all the demands of their jobs.

Lastly, homework enables students to read widely regarding other topics to be covered by their teachers. Assignments that are designed to give students an insight into their forthcoming topics makes them mentally prepared for other “hard topics,” and this makes them understand the concepts of such topics with ease (Bader 134).

Some homework is meant to break down complicated topics into subtopics that are easily covered and understood by students within the shortest time possible. Therefore, homework enables teachers and students to take the shortest time possible to handle complicated topics.

However, despite the above benefits associated with homework, there are other factors that make them ineffective in performing their intended roles in students’ developments. The first reason that disqualifies the suitability of homework to access student’s intelligence is the fact that in most cases homework assigned to students is not done by them.

Students ask their elder siblings to do their assignments for them as they sit and chat while watching television. When the teachers mark the assignments, they are pleased to note the outstanding performance by their students. However, the same students register low grades when examinations and assignments are done within the school compound.

Therefore, homework does not help teachers in assessing students’ understanding of various concepts. Also, it does not offer reliable criteria to test the students’ ability to remember and present the ideas learned from teachers. Secondly, students are usually very tired after spending the whole day in class and require time to relax and think of other things that may distract their attention from books for a while.

Over concentration on books and academic materials exposes the students to risks like developing obesity due to their inactiveness. It is known the world over that too much work without play or exercise makes an individual very dull and thus ineffective. Most students are usually between the ages of five years and twenty-seven, and they are still growing and developing (Bader 134).

For them to develop their physical fitness, they need time to indulge in sports and games to ensure their bodies get enough exercise. Moreover, the mind needs some time to reflect on other things and enable the brain and the blood vessels to relax as the student reduces pressure from thinking about school assignments and tests.

It is estimated that homework and other assignments are responsible for a huge percentage of causes of stress and depressions in many youths. This is due to the pressure to finish their homework in time and deliver quality results that drive most students to concentrate on them and ignore meals and stay awake the whole night.

Human beings have varying degrees of learning and memorizing, and thus homework helps students to ensure they do not forget what they were taught. It enables students and teachers to identify the study areas that need more attention. However, it should not compromise the students’ time to indulge in other equally beneficial activities like sleeping and exercising.

Works Cited

Bader, John. Dean’s List: Eleven Habits of Highly Successful College Students. Maryland: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2011. Print.

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Bibliography

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Is Homework Bad? Here Is What Research Says

By Med Kharbach, PhD | Last Update: April 30, 2024

is homework bad

Homework is a controversial topic and the object of differing opinions among teachers, parents, and educators . While some highly value it considering it key in scholarly achievement and academic performance, others view it as a nuisance to students’ independence and a cause for unwarranted emotional and physical stress for kids. 

The controversy surrounding homework does not only revolve around its value, but also around questions such as: How much homework is enough homework? How much time should be allotted to homework? How frequent should homework be assigned? Does help from others (e.g., parents or other students) undermine the value of homework? Should homework be banned? Should kids be assigned homework? and many more.

However, as the research cited in this article demonstrates, homework, controversial as it is, has some benefits for students although these benefits differ according to various factors including students age, skill and grade level, students socio-economic status, purpose behind homework, duration of the homework, among other considerations. In this article, I cover some of the key issues related to homework and provide research resources to help teachers and parents learn more about homework.

What Does Homework Mean? 

According to Cooper (1989), homework is defined as “tasks assigned to students by school teachers that are meant to be carried out during non-school hours”. Cooper’s definition is similar to the one found in Cambridge Dictionary which defines homework as “work that teachers give their students to do at home” or as “studying that students do at home to prepare for school”.

There is way more to homework than what these general definitions outline. Homework assignments are not equal and there are various variables that can affect the value and effectiveness of homework.

Some of these variables, according to Blazer (2009) , include difficulty level of assigned tasks, skill and subject areas covered, completion timeframe (short or long term), degree of autonomy and individualization, social context (done independently or with the help of others), obligatory or voluntary, whether it will be submitted for grading or not, among other variables.

Is Homework Bad?

Going through the scholarly literature and regardless of the disagreement and controversies the topic of homework raises, there is a growing consensus that homework has some benefits , especially for students in middle and high school ( National Education Association ).

One of the most comprehensive research studies on homework is a meta-analysis done by professor Harris Cooper and his colleagues (2006) and published in the journal Review of Educational Research .

In this study, Cooper et al analyzed a large pool of research studies on homework conducted in the United States between between 1987 and 2003. Their findings indicate the existence of ‘a positive influence of homework on achievement’.

The influence is mainly noticed in students in grades 7-12 and less in students grades K-6. However, even though kids benefit less from homework, Cooper et al. confirm the importance of some form of homework for students of all ages.

What Is The Purpose of Homework? 

There are several reasons for assigning homework. Some of these reasons according to Blazer include:

– Review and reinforce materials learned in class – Check students understanding and assess their skills and knowledge – Enhance students study skills – Provide students with learning opportunities where they can use their newly acquired skills to explore new insights. – Enable students to hone in their search skills and apply them to find resources on an assigned topic – Help students develop social emotional learning skills – Enable students to develop functional study habits and life skills. These include time management and organization skills, problem solving skills, self-discipline, accountability, self-confidence, communication skills, critical thinking skills, inquisitiveness, among others.

Drawbacks of Homework  

Critics of homework argue that it has less value and can result in negative consequences. In her literature review, Blazer (2009) summarized some of these drawbacks in the following points:

– Homework can cause emotional and physical fatigue – Homework takes away from kids’ leisure time and interferes with their natural development. – Homework can drive students to develop negative attitudes towards school and learning. – Assigned homework prevents students from engaging in self-directed and independent learning. – Homework can interfere with students’ engagement in social activities including sports and community involvement. – Excessive homework can create tension and stress and lead to friction between parents and kids. – Homework may encourage a culture of cheating – Homework “can widen social inequalities. Compared to their higher income peers, students from lower income homes are more likely to work after school and less likely to have an environment conducive to studying”.

is homework bad

How Much Homework Should Students Have? 

According to Fernández-Alonso, Suárez-Álvarez and Muñiz ( 2015 ), spending 60 minutes per day doing homework is considered a reasonably effective time. However, the study also added that the amount of help and effort needed to do homework is key in this equation because “when it comes to homework”, as the authors concluded, “how is more important than how much”. 

This conclusion is congruent with several other studies (e.g., Farrow et al. (1999), that emphasize the idea that when doing homework, quality is more important than quantity. When the variables of time and effort are taken into account, the question of how much homework should students have becomes statistically irrelevant.

Catty Vatterott, author of Rethinking Homework: Best Practices that Support Diverse Needs , also advocates for quality over quantity when assigning homework tasks.She argues that instead of banning homework altogether, we can embrace a more open approach to homework; one that deemphasizes grading and differentiates tasks.

Along similar lines, studies have also confirmed the correlation between autonomy and positive performance. Autonomous students, that is those who can do homework on their own, are more likely to perform better academically (Fernández-Alonso, 2015; Dettmers et al.,2010, 2011; Trautwein & Lüdtke, 2007, (Xu, 2010a). Findings from these studies indicate that “students who need frequent or constant help with homework have worse academic results.” (Fernández-Alonso, 2015)

Besides the 60 minutes per day recommendation for older students, there is also the 10 minutes rule which, according to Harris Cooper , works by multiplying a kid’s grade by 10 to determine how much time they need for homework per day.

According to the 10 minute rule, first graders require 10 minutes per day of homework, second graders 20 minutes, and for each subsequent year you add another 10 minutes so that at the last year of high school, grade 12 students will have 2 hours of daily homework. As Cooper argues, “when you assign more than these levels, the law of diminishing returns or even negative effects – stress especially – begin to appear”.

The debate over homework is far from being settled and probably will never reach definitive conclusions. With that being said, l personally view homework as a heuristic for learning. It scaffolds classroom learning and helps students reinforce learned skills. For elementary students, homework should not be tied to any academic grades or achievement expectation.

In fact, kids’ homework assignments, if any, should align with the overall interests of kids in that it should support and include elements of play, fun, and exploration. Needless to mention that, once outside school, kids are to be given ample time to play, explore, and learn by doing.

As Cooper stated “A good way to think about homework is the way you think about medications or dietary supplements. If you take too little, they’ll have no effect. If you take too much, they can kill you. If you take the right amount, you’ll get better.”

Research on Homework 

The topic of homework has been the subject of several academic research studies. The following is a sample of some of these research studies:

  • Blazer, C. (2009). Literature review: Homework. Miami, FL: Miami Dade County Public Schools.
  • Cooper, H. (1989). Synthesis of research on homework. Educational Leadership, 47, 85–91.
  • Cooper, H., Robinson, J. C., & Patall, E. A. (2006). Does homework improve academic achievement? A synthesis of research, 1987–2003. Review of Educational Research, 76, 1– 62.
  • Dettmers, S., Trautwein, U., Lüdtke, M., Kunter, M., & Baumert, J. (2010). Homework works if homework quality is high: Using multilevel modeling to predict the development of achievement in mathematics. Journal of Educational Psychology,
  • Dettmers, S., Trautwein, U., & Lüdtke, O. (2009). The relationship between homework time and achievement is not universal: Evidence from multilevel analyses in 40 countries. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 20, 375– 405.
  • Epstein, J. L., & van Voorhis, F. L. (2001). More than minutes: Teachers’ roles in designing homework. Educational Psychologist, 36, 181–193
  • Farrow, S., Tymms, P., & Henderson, B. (1999). Homework and attainment in primary schools. British Educational Research Journal, 25, 323–341
  • Goldstein, A. (1960). Does homework help? A review of research. The Elementary School Journal, 60, 212–224.
  • Trautwein, U., & Köller, O. (2003). The relationship between homework and achievement: Still much of a mystery. Educational Psychology Review, 15, 115–145
  • Warton, P. M. (2001). The forgotten voices in homework: Views of students. Educational Psychologist, 36, 155–165.
  • Xu, J. (2013). Why do students have difficulties completing homework? The need for homework management. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 1, 98 –105.
  • Zimmerman, B. J., & Kitsantas, A. (2005). Homework practices and academic achievement: The mediating role of self-efficacy and perceived responsibility beliefs. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 30, 397– 417.
  • Kralovec, E., & Buell, J. (2001). End Homework Now. Educational Leadership, 58(7), 39-42.
  • Krashen, S. (2005). The Hard Work Hypothesis: Is Doing Your Homework Enough to Overcome the Effects of Poverty? Multicultural Education, 12(4), 16-19.
  • Lenard, W. (1997). The Homework Scam. Teacher Magazine, 9(1), 60-61.
  • Marzano, R.J., & Pickering, D.J. (2007). The Case For and Against Homework. Educational Leadership, 64(6), 74-79.
  • Skinner, D. (2004). The Homework Wars. Public Interest, 154, Winter, 49-60.
  • Corno, L. (1996). Homework is a Complicated Thing. Educational Researcher, 25(8), 27-30.
  • Forster, K. (2000). Homework: A Bridge Too Far? Issues in Educational Research, 10(1), 21-37.
  • Hoover-Dempsey, K.V., Battiato, A.C., Walker, J.M., Reed, R.P., DeLong, J.M., & Jones, K.P. (2001). Parent Involvement in Homework. Educational Psychologist, 36(3), 195-209.

Books on Homework 

Here are some interesting books that profoundly explore the concept of homework:

1. The Homework Myth: Why Our Kids Get Too Much of a Bad Thing , by Kohn (2006)

  • 2. Rethinking Homework: Best Practices that Support Diverse Needs , by Catty Vatterot
  • 3. The End of Homework: How Homework Disrupts Families, Overburdens Children, and Limits Learning , by Kralovec, E., & Buell, J. (2000)
  • 4. The Case Against Homework: How Homework Is Hurting Children and What Parents Can Do About It , by Sara Bennett and Nancy Kalish

what is homework so important

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what is homework so important

Meet Med Kharbach, PhD

Dr. Med Kharbach is an influential voice in the global educational technology landscape, with an extensive background in educational studies and a decade-long experience as a K-12 teacher. Holding a Ph.D. from Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, Canada, he brings a unique perspective to the educational world by integrating his profound academic knowledge with his hands-on teaching experience. Dr. Kharbach's academic pursuits encompass curriculum studies, discourse analysis, language learning/teaching, language and identity, emerging literacies, educational technology, and research methodologies. His work has been presented at numerous national and international conferences and published in various esteemed academic journals.

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Major 10 Reasons Why Students Should Not Have Homework In 2023

10 Reasons Why Students Should Not Have Homework

Homework – something students always get, but is it good or just extra work? People, like parents and teachers, have different thoughts on this. In this blog, we are going to dig deep into 10 reasons why students should avoid homework.

We will also determine when students can bring their phones to school in 2023. First, let’s understand what homework really is and why some folks say it’s not so great. We will learn about the good side of no homework and discover some interesting facts that support saying no to homework. So, let’s see if homework is helpful or not. 

Stay tuned to learn more about 10 reasons why students should not have homework.

What Is Homework?

Table of Contents

Homework is a school task that teachers give to students to do outside of the classroom. It’s like extra practice to help you learn more about what you study in school. Homework can be reading a book, doing math problems, writing about a topic, or other assignments. When you finish your homework, you show what you’ve learned and get better at your school subjects.

Homework is also a way for teachers to see how well you understand what they taught in class. It’s like a way for you to show what you’ve learned. Most homework assignments have a deadline, therefore it is critical that you complete it on time in order to gain knowledge and advance your abilities. It is a chance to practice and get better at the things you’re learning in school, which can help you do well in your tests and exams.

Why Is Homework Bad?

Homework can sometimes be bad for a few reasons. First, it can lead to stress and burnout, overwhelming students with too much work. Second, it can take away time that kids need for other important things like family time, sports, or just relaxing. Additionally, it might not always be useful, as some homework tasks might not help students learn better. Moreover, it can create inequality, as not all students have the same resources or help at home to complete their homework. Lastly, it can sometimes feel boring and repetitive, making kids dislike learning.

  • Causes stress and burnout
  • Takes away time from other important activities
  • It may not always be useful for learning
  • Creates inequality between students
  • It can be boring and repetitive, leading to a dislike of learning

10 Reasons Why Students Should Not Have Homework 

Here we will discuss 10 reasons why students should not have homework: 

1. Too Much Work

Homework can be like having too much to do. Students get many assignments, and it can become very stressful. This means they have less time for fun things like sports, hanging out with friends, or just relaxing. This stress can make them feel anxious, and it can be challenging to find a balance in their lives. Students need time to breathe and be kids.

2. Less Family Time

Homework takes away time that students could spend with their families. They end up spending long hours doing homework, which leaves less time to be with their parents, siblings, or other family members. This can lead to weaker family bonds and make it harder to build good relationships. Strong families are important for kids’ happiness and growth.

3. Health Problems

Too much homework can harm a student’s health. It can make them lose sleep, worry a lot, and even cause physical health problems like headaches or stomachaches. It’s important for students to be healthy and happy, so too much homework isn’t good for them. Good health is the foundation of a good life.

4. Less Time to Explore

Homework can stop students from trying new things and finding their interests. When they have to spend so much time on homework, they can’t explore their interests or develop their hobbies. This can hold them back from personal growth. Exploring and learning about the world is an important part of growing up.

5. Unequal Opportunities

Not all students have the same help and resources for homework. Some have more support and better tools, while others may not. This can make educational inequalities worse, as students with less support can struggle more, making it harder for them to succeed in school. Every student deserves a fair chance.

6. Boring and Repetitive

Homework can become very boring and repetitive. When students do the same kinds of assignments over and over, it can make them lose interest in learning. They may just do the work to finish it, without really understanding or enjoying the subject. Learning should be fun and exciting.

7. Not Really Learning

Homework can lead to memorization without real understanding. Instead of really learning, students might just try to finish the assignments as quickly as possible. This doesn’t help them learn well in the long run. We want students to understand and enjoy what they’re learning.

8. No Personal Time

Students need time for themselves to relax, do things they enjoy, and take care of themselves. Too much homework means they have very little time for these important activities. Learning how to manage time and take care of oneself is important for their growth. Personal time is crucial for a well-rounded life.

9. Kills Creativity

Homework can make it hard for students to think creatively and solve problems. With so much work to do, they don’t have time for open-minded, creative thinking. This kind of thinking is important for solving real-life problems and coming up with new ideas. Creative thinking helps us tackle the big challenges of the world.

10. Debate Over Value

People don’t all agree on whether homework really helps students learn. Some studies say it does, while others say it doesn’t make much difference. Since it’s not clear, it’s worth thinking about whether the time spent on homework could be used for other activities that we know help students learn better. It’s important to use time wisely and focus on what really works for students.

Advantages Of Having No Homework

Here are some advantages of having no homework: 

1. More Free Time

Not having homework means students have more free time after school. This extra time can be used for hobbies, sports, spending time with family, or simply relaxing. It allows kids to be more well-rounded and happy.

2. Less Stress

Without homework, students experience less stress. They don’t have to worry about tight deadlines or piles of assignments, so they can focus on learning in a more relaxed and healthier way.

3. Better Sleep

No homework means better sleep. Students can go to bed at a reasonable time, ensuring they are well-rested and ready to concentrate during school hours.

4. Opportunities for Exploration

When there’s no homework, students have more opportunities to explore their interests and learn about things they are passionate about. They can read books, explore new topics, or work on personal projects.

5. Improved Family Time

The absence of homework allows for improved family time. Parents and kids can get to know each other, share experiences, and make the home a loving and caring place. This strengthens family relationships and creates a more positive atmosphere.

Read More 

How To Stop Procrastinating On Homework

How to Get Motivated to Do Homework

Interesting Facts On Why Homework Should Be Banned

Here are some interesting facts on why homework should be banned: 

1. Negative Impact on Health

Homework should be banned because it can have a negative impact on a student’s health. Spending long hours on homework can lead to stress, sleep deprivation, and a sedentary lifestyle, which are harmful to physical and mental well-being.

2. Reduces Family Time

Homework takes away precious family time. When students are buried in assignments, they have less time to spend with their families, leading to a decrease in family bonding and support.

3. Inequality in Resources

Homework can lead to inequality. Not all students have access to the same resources, such as a quiet place to study, internet, or parental assistance, making it unfair to some students.

4. No Proven Benefits

Despite its prevalence, homework doesn’t always show clear academic benefits. Research suggests that the advantages of homework are often minimal, and banning it might not affect students’ learning negatively.

5. Increased Stress Levels

Homework can increase stress levels, which can be detrimental to a student’s mental health. Stress can make you anxious, depressed, and not want to learn.

6. Encourages Cheating

The pressure to complete homework on time can encourage cheating and plagiarism, undermining the honesty and integrity of education.

7. Reduces Creativity

Homework can be rigid and repetitive, leaving little room for creativity and independent thinking, which are essential for a well-rounded education. Banning homework can encourage more creative and flexible learning approaches.

Is Homework Is Bad Or Good For Students – From Parents & Teachers Perspective

From a parent’s perspective, homework can be a topic of debate. Some parents see both the downsides and benefits of homework, and it’s essential to consider both sides:

On the Bad Side

  • Excessive Stress: Many parents worry that homework can cause their children excessive stress and anxiety, especially when the workload is overwhelming.
  • Less Family Time: Homework can reduce the quality family time parents can spend with their children. They may want to prioritize bonding and relaxation.
  • Struggle with Complex Subjects : Parents may find it challenging to help their children with complex or unfamiliar subjects, leading to frustration for both.
  • Lack of Playtime: Homework can limit a child’s playtime, which is vital for their physical and social development .
  • Dislike for Learning: If homework becomes too burdensome or boring, it can lead to children developing a dislike for learning, which parents want to avoid.

On the Good Side

  • Practice and Reinforcement: Homework provides an opportunity for children to practice and reinforce what they’ve learned in school.
  • Preparation for Responsibility: Homework teaches kids responsibility and time management, valuable life skills.
  • Parental Involvement: Homework allows parents to be involved in their children’s education, offering support and guidance.
  • Monitoring Progress : It enables parents to monitor their child’s academic progress and identify areas where additional help may be needed.
  • Preparation for the Real World: Students can get ready for the tasks and due dates they will face in the future by doing their homework.

From a teacher’s perspective, homework is a topic with its own set of pros and cons:

  • Inequality in Resources: Teachers might be concerned that some students have better resources at home, such as access to the internet or parental assistance, creating inequality in completing homework.
  • Overburdening Students: Teachers may worry about overburdening students with excessive homework, potentially causing stress, burnout, and negatively impacting their well-being.
  • Lack of Proven Benefits: Some teachers may question the effectiveness of homework, as research does not always clearly demonstrate its academic advantages.
  • Cheating and Plagiarism: Teachers have to be vigilant about cheating and plagiarism, as the pressure to complete homework may push students to unethical behaviors.
  • Potential for Repetition: Teachers might be concerned that homework assignments could become repetitive and dull, leading to a decrease in students’ motivation to learn.
  • Reinforcement of Learning: Homework provides students with opportunities to reinforce what they’ve learned in class, which is important for understanding and retaining the material.
  • Preparation for Responsibility: Homework helps students develop responsibility, time management, and organizational skills, which are valuable for their future.
  • Parental Involvement: Homework encourages parental involvement in a child’s education, allowing for a stronger partnership between teachers and parents.
  • Assessment of Progress: Teachers can see how their students are doing and see where they might need more help by giving them homework.
  • Preparation for the Real World: Students can become more responsible and disciplined by doing their homework. It helps them get used to the duties and limits they will face in real life.

Debate about homework continues, and there are ten good reasons why students should not have homework. First, it can make kids stressed and tired. It also takes away time from family and fun activities, which are important. Homework might not help students learn much. 

Moreover, it can even make some students cheat or copy from others. Many students and parents say we should have less or no homework. They believe that focusing on good teaching in class is better than too much homework. So, the idea of reducing homework or even getting rid of it is something many people support.

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IMAGES

  1. 12 Reason Why Homework Is Important For Students?

    what is homework so important

  2. Why Is Homework Important

    what is homework so important

  3. Complete Guidance on how to do your homework faster

    what is homework so important

  4. Why Homework is Important to Your Child's Success

    what is homework so important

  5. 14 Reasons Why Homework Is Important For Students?

    what is homework so important

  6. 10 Homework Benefits (Purpose & Facts)

    what is homework so important

VIDEO

  1. Is Homework Necessary?

  2. WHY IS HOMEWORK IMPORTANT

  3. Benefits Of Homework

  4. The importance of doing Homework

  5. How To Do Homework

  6. Why is Homework Important—Role of Homework in the Students Academic Success

COMMENTS

  1. Why homework matters

    Homework is the perennial bogeyman of K-12 education. In any given year, you'll find people arguing that students, especially in elementary school, should have far less homework—or none at all. Eva Moskowitz, the founder and CEO of Success Academy charter schools, has the opposite opinion. She's been running schools for sixteen years, and she's only become more convinced that ...

  2. Does Homework Really Help Students Learn?

    If we greatly reduce or eliminate homework in elementary school, we deprive kids and parents of opportunities to instill these important learning habits and skills. We do know that beginning in late middle school, and continuing through high school, there is a strong and positive correlation between homework completion and academic success.

  3. Why is Homework Important?

    Homework is an opportunity to learn and retain information in an environment where they feel most comfortable, which can help accelerate their development. 5. Using Learning Materials. Throughout a child's education, understanding how to use resources such as libraries and the internet is important. Homework teaches children to actively ...

  4. The Value of Homework

    Research has found that high school teachers (grades 9-12) report assigning an average of 3.5 hours' worth of homework a week. While homework is necessary, there needs to be balance as well as ...

  5. 20 Reasons Why Homework is Good: Unlocking the Benefits

    8. Practice Makes Perfect. Homework isn't a chore; it's your backstage pass to perfection. It's like the endless rehearsals of a musician or the tireless drills of an athlete. Homework is your playground for practice, where you can fine-tune your skills, ensuring you become a true master in various subjects.

  6. Why Do We Have Homework?

    Bringing homework home, completing it correctly, and turning it in promptly teaches a host of other important life skills, from time management and responsibility to organization and prioritization. Despite these benefits found by researchers, the topics of who should receive homework and how much homework are hotly debated among educators and ...

  7. What's the point of homework?

    These include to: establish and improve communication between parents and children about learning. help children be more responsible, confident and disciplined. practise or review material from ...

  8. Why Is Homework Important

    So, let's find out why homework is important. Benefits of Homework Homework facilitates problem-solving skills, provides students with an additional chance to revisit classroom content, enables parents to understand school teachings, and instills a sense of responsibility in students regarding their education.

  9. What's the Purpose of Homework?

    There are those who argue that homework does serve a purpose. For example, it helps to prepare students for national and statewide exams and tests. It helps to reinforce what's being taught in ...

  10. Is homework a good idea or not?

    However, the truth is it's hard to know. Professor Hallam explains that part of the problem is that it is difficult to accurately work out how useful homework is. The Homework Debate: Adults face ...

  11. Why Homework Is Important to Kids and Parents

    Despite the controversy, homework is still a normal assignment for most school-age students to receive. So, what's the importance of homework in a learner's life? Well, answering the question of why is homework important for students will also answer the question of why is homework important for parents, too. 10 Benefits of Homework

  12. Why is Homework Important?

    Setting homework before a lesson is great for helping understanding later in class. It provides the opportunity to reinforce work learnt during school time and for students to develop their skills too. Here, we're going to take a look at more reasons why homework is so important and how EducationCity can help you set it quickly and easily.

  13. What's the Purpose of Homework?

    Homework teaches students responsibility. Homework gives students an opportunity to practice and refine their skills. We give homework because our parents demand it. Our community equates homework with rigor. Homework is a rite of passage. But ask them what research says about homework, and you'll get less definitive answers.

  14. The Pros and Cons: Should Students Have Homework?

    Homework allows for more time to complete the learning process. School hours are not always enough time for students to really understand core concepts, and homework can counter the effects of time shortages, benefiting students in the long run, even if they can't see it in the moment. 6. Homework Reduces Screen Time.

  15. 12 Reason Why Homework Is Important For Students?

    With homework, students can learn to make schedules for all work. It helps students to solve the problem on their own. It helps students to find, and organize good information. Homework can help to develop a good sense of personal responsibility for learning. It also helps to learn using libraries and other resources.

  16. Why is Homework Important?

    Homework acts as a clear representation of the pupil's understanding and ability of the subject. It is debatably more accurate than tests, exams, or class work. This is because homework encourages the pupil to complete the work independently, without the option of asking the teacher for help.

  17. What Is Homework?

    Homework is work that teachers give students to complete outside of the school day. Homework is meant to provide students with practice for what was learned in school or an extension of what was done in class. Students are expected to complete the homework and return to school with the completed homework assignment.

  18. Homework Pros and Cons

    Homework does not help younger students, and may not help high school students. We've known for a while that homework does not help elementary students. A 2006 study found that "homework had no association with achievement gains" when measured by standardized tests results or grades. [ 7]

  19. How Much Does Homework Matter in Therapy?

    Homework is an important component of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and other evidence-based treatments for psychological symptoms. Developed collaboratively during therapy sessions, homework ...

  20. The importance of homework

    Sadly, homework does affect your overall grade. So skipping homework might affect your overall grade; Time management skills are put to the test, which can help you later on; When homework is being done, a person realizes their shortcomings, the areas where they excel, and what requires assistance or more of their time.

  21. Why Is Homework Important & Its Benefits?

    homework benefits. The first benefit of homework is that it increases students' knowledge. It's best for self-learning, encouraging time management skills, tracking academic performance, teaching students to be responsible, etc. The next homework importance is that it develops crucial study skills.

  22. Why Homework Is So Important

    Why Homework Is So Important Essay. Education plays an important role in ensuring children are taught career, survival and intellectual skills that will enable them to live comfortably in the future. Learning institutions have been established to ensure everyone goes to school and gets the required knowledge essential for human survival.

  23. Is Homework Bad? Here Is What Research Says

    Homework is a controversial topic and the object of differing opinions among teachers, parents, and educators . While some highly value it considering it key in scholarly achievement and academic performance, others view it as a nuisance to students' independence and a cause for unwarranted emotional and physical stress for kids. The controversy surrounding homework…

  24. Major 10 Reasons Why Students Should Not Have Homework

    Here we will discuss 10 reasons why students should not have homework: 1. Too Much Work. Homework can be like having too much to do. Students get many assignments, and it can become very stressful. This means they have less time for fun things like sports, hanging out with friends, or just relaxing.