Parents in Piscataway, N.J., took a stand recently on an issue close to the hearts of many American mothers and fathers: homework. Arguing that their precious family time was being shortchanged because of endless hours spent on school assignments, the parents appealed for a reprieve.
The school district, amazingly enough, gave them one, a new policy capping homework to 30 minutes a night in elementary school and two hours in high school. The policy also discourages homework on weekends and prohibits teachers from grading it or using it as punishment. Ask any beleaguered parent and they’ll tell you: It’s about time.
Homework has not always been in favor in America. In 1901 it was legally banned in California, where it was likened to child slavery. But ever since the Russians launched Sputnik and the U.S. government released “A Nation at Risk,” the 1983 report famous for its criticism of American education, the emphasis has been on bigger workloads at night (and into the next morning).
At a time when states are trying to boost education standards to help American students compete with their counterparts abroad, it might seem like perfect sense to bulk up outside study. But the reality is that pushing young students at all hours of the day and night can backfire. The quality of family life deteriorates, along with students’ attitudes about school.
The tendency toward ambitious and time-consuming homework has gone too far. Many of the tasks are busy work, require too much parental instruction and do little to enhance learning. Parents suspect they’re being drafted as substitute teachers. It’s one thing to reinforce a lesson with homework; it’s a teacher copout to expect parents to introduce the lesson.
A recent University of Michigan study underscores the problem: In 1981, children ages 3 to 5 years spent an average of 12 minutes a week on homework. In 1997, children in that age group spent 36 minutes, triple the earlier amount. For children 6 to 8 years old, the increase in homework also tripled.
As a result, children with outside activities, from soccer to piano lessons, are often up late into the night to get everything done. For low-income parents, or children in households where both parents work, the burden is made worse when parents don’t have the time or educational background to help.
Evidence also suggests homework has little impact on student achievement in early grades. One of the nation’s leading researchers on homework, psychologist Harris Cooper of the University of Missouri, analyzed about 120 studies on homework, concluding that the effect of homework on achievement is minimal, and sometimes nonexistent, for children below sixth grade.
Cooper’s studies show, and common sense dictates, that younger children’s brains haven’t developed enough to focus over long periods. Time limits make sense for those younger kids.
The Parent Teacher Association agrees, and has issued guidelines on homework similar to those imposed by the Piscataway school district. Such limits would go a long way toward reversing what has become a grueling nightly ritual for many families.
