To Homework or Not to Homework? That is the question.

[Hydra009]

Ah, ok.  Thanks for the link.

[Aroura33]

Okay, I was remembering it wrong. What they actually found is more along the lines of homework being effective in improving particular subjects at certain ages, but that homework "across the board" has diminishing returns. I'll include a link to the full article and quote their conclusion here.

http://www.nctm.org/news/content.aspx?id=13814

Yes, I read that too.
Basically, all homework studies have determined that homework has a positive correlation with academic scores with the following caveats:
1) There are diminishing returns.  Too much homework is not only useless but can cause more harm than good.  No student, even college level, gets a benefit from more than 2 hours a day of homework.  That is the maximum that should be assigned, total, between all classes.
2) Younger students get less improvement, but they still get an improvement.  Even 1st graders were shown to have a 6 point (average) improvement on academic scoring for doing homework.

The amount of homework assigned that was shown to be beneficial has been given a formula/guideline for the diminishing returns.  Kids should do about 10 minute per grade level.  So 1st graders 10 minutes an night, 2nd graders 20 minutes a night, and so forth.  Up until the 1 or 2 hour mark, at which point you just hold steady.  If my child ever gets to a school that assigns a stressful and unhelpful amount of homework, I'll fight just as hard to have it reduced as I am now to have it increased (which is basically just me giving it to her, the school won't do anything).

The #1 reasoning behind the big movement towards no homework is for the kids that cannot or will not do it.  For kids in poverty and in other underprivileged circumstances, homework does not help them because no one can make them do it, so it ends up hurting them.  They feel bad for not doing it, teachers look down on them, etc.  Apparently American society's "new" answer to this problem is just to stop giving homework to all kids, even the ones it will help. Basically, they are giving up.  There are other arguments such as how it hurts family time and play time but there are no studies to back up these pop phycology arguments (there ARE studies to back up the poverty wedge arguments), so I won't give them any credence for now.

'Merca!  Every child left behind. :(

But thanks for linking that.  I'd read a bunch of studies the last few days, but forgot to come back here and share them.

[GrinningYMIR]

I spent four hours on Tuesday studying, I had 8 hours of school yesterday, and I studied for an hour or so today, with another 8 hours back on Monday. And I know I should do more, I'm just unable to bring myself to do it, though I will attempt to later tonight, as I have an essay due on Monday, one that I will undoubtedly get a C on because my writing style doesn't mesh with what the Prof wants, ad will further push me away from my GPA goal

sadness

[stromboli]

I grew up in the era when homework was expected and did it hour on hour all school year, on top of chores and other stuff poor people have to do. So I always thought of it as a burden, especially in math, which I dreaded. Stuff like history and literature that I enjoyed, sure. But I honestly think my lack of math skills is due to being so burdened by it when younger. I'm very good at researching most issues and have an interest in it, but math is just anathema to me.

[Hydra009]

I didn't really like math, either.  But then we had to balance chemical reactions.   

[Aroura33]

I never loved math either.
I feel pretty lucky that I was never overburdened with homework. Even in High School I never had more than maybe an hour a night. In college I might have had 2 a day, but we got it weekly, so we could do better time management.

Having 6 hours of study in one night is not good. :(