Is homework important
he great debate over the value of homework has raged on for over a century. Over 130 studies have been conducted and published, and the findings run the gamut. Some studies have found it academically beneficial. Others found it detrimental. So the question remains, is homework important to student success?
Many people believe that with the emphasis that has been placed on assessment performance and No Child Left Behind, there has been an increase in the amount of homework given to students in an attempt to raise test scores. However, according to a recent report by the Brookings Institution's Brown Center on Education Policy, that is not actually the case. Surprisingly, homework levels have remained fairly consistent for the last 30 years. In fact, from 1984 to 2012, the homework loads for middle school students have actually dropped slightly. The National Assessment of Educational Progress evaluated 9-year-olds, 13-year-olds, and 17-year-olds and found that most of them claimed to have less than 1 hour of nightly homework, and only a small percentage had over 2. As might be expected, the greatest variance was found among high school students.
What do parents think? Interestingly, their opinions have remained about the same as well. According to a survey done by MetLife in both 1987 and 2007, most parents rated the amount and quality of their children's homework as good or excellent. So all that being said, if the homework levels have remained fairly consistent and parents' attitudes toward homework have remained statistically similar, then why the big debate and why all the research?
Here are pros and cons of homework
It improves your child’s thinking and memory
It helps your child develop positive study skills and habits that will serve him or her well throughout life
Homework encourages your child to use time wisely
It teaches your child to work independently
Homework teaches your child to take responsibility for his or her work
It allows your child to review and practice what has been covered in class
It helps your child to get ready for the next day’s class
Homework helps your child learn to use resources, such as libraries, reference materials, and computer Web sites to find information
It encourages your child to explores subjects more fully than classroom time permits
It allows your child to extend learning by applying skills to new situations
It helps your child integrate learning by applying many different skills to a single task, such as book reports or science projects
Homework helps parents learn more about what your child is learning in school
It allows parents to communicate about what he or she is learning
It encourages parents to spark your child’s enthusiasm
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