Is Homework Beneficial?

For you to understand the benefits of homework, we will have to evaluate the pros & cons of homework. Ranging from book reports, algebraic problems, and research projects, homework has been a topic of discussion for well over a century.

By the early 1900s, some progressive educational theorists denounced the negative effect of homework on students, especially on their mental and physical health. This denouncement made California place a ban on homework for kids below 15 years.

Some supporters of homework have said that homework improves the student’s accomplishment and the ability to be independent. They have also noted that homework helps parents evaluate children learning and academic progress.

Some anti-homework group claimed that overloading students with homework can be harmful. They say that excess homework leads to increased stress, reduction in sleep and leisure time. And this consequentially lead to cheating.

Pros of Homework

  • Homework enhances student achievement

Some research has shown that homework helps students get better test results, grades, and the probability of meeting college requirements. Research by the Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) showed that homework led to increased GPAs and a higher likelihood of attending college.

  • Homework helps to complimentlearning develop life skills and great study habits

As we all know that consistency is the key to success. Students can only remember 50% of the lessons taught by teachers in class. For a student to properly learn, they must be able to apply it. This point is where homework plays a vital role in the lives of students.

Examples of such roles include accountability, autonomy, time management, critical thinking, discipline, self-direction, and independence in problem-solving. Studies have also shown that students learn skills such as being organized from homework. Such homework activities increase grades and positive comments.

  • Homework creates the opportunity for parents to get involved in their children’s learning

With homework, parents can keep track of the children’s learning activities in school. This benefit will allow them to know their children’s strengths & weaknesses. Homework can give parents a clue to any existence of learning disabilities.

Cons of Homework

  • Overloading students with

A poll conducted in a high school in California showed 59% of students have been overloaded with homework, and 82% of students were overstressed by homework. A parenting and education expert, Alfie Kohn, said kids should be given the chance to be kids. They should engage in what they enjoy, especially after 6 hours of work in school.

After all, adults need time to chill out. It’s unacceptable to insist that kids must be engaged in mentally demanding activities right up till they go to bed.

Excess homework has lead students to be sleep-deprived and other health conditions. Also, it has resulted in students cheating, copying others’ work, and unauthorized collaboration.

  • Homework can be a disadvantage to students from low-income homes

Over 41% of U.S students come from low-income families, making it less likely for them to gain access to materials required to complete assigned homework. There are also students with after school jobs and on weekends.  It leaves them with less time to complete their homework.

  • There is no proof that homework can help younger kids

A study by the University of Michigan proved that reading for pleasure, not homework, was associated with higher grades on achievement tests for kids up to 12years old. Temple University professor, Kathryn Hirsh-Pasek, Ph.D., said that homework is not the most efficient tool for a young student to use new information. They learn more relevant skills when not doing their homework.

Conclusion

The answer to the question if homework is still beneficial lies on these pages. The benefits do not outweigh its cons. Limits to homework should be set and adhered to for the benefit of everyone involved. Moreover, students should also have easy access to college assignment help online, especially when they feel overwhelmed with lots of homework and after-class activities.