How much homework is too much?

 

 

The mention of homework and “how much of it is too much” resurrects long-lasting debate about the practice. Some parents have expressed frustrations about what that they say is too much of homework their kids bring home. They even wonder if it has any positive impact aside from stressing them.

Well, homework may have its shortfall, but definitely, it is beneficial to students. That said, the quality of the work matters a lot. If teachers were to examine the strength and weaknesses of their students and assign home tasks accordingly, then the advantages would overshadow the little flaws. That is not to say that nightly assignments have no disadvantages. 

How homework contributes to students’ education 

Every teacher has a reason for assigning children with homework after a lesson. It is mostly to test the understanding of the kids on the topic treated that day. Consequently, they can determine whether to go over the problem again, or it was well understood. Another reason is to reinforce the information or skills acquired in the classroom, which improves retention. 

Homework also teaches life skills like time management, discipline, problem-solving mentality, and working independently. In addition, parents can contribute and monitor their kid’s academic performance through the assignments they bring home. In all, some research suggests that homework improves the academic performance of students. 

How difficult is it when assigning homework?

Some students think teachers assign homework for the fun of it. But do you know that it takes a lot of pain and input to give out quality work? Homework loses its value when it is a random one, and such works have little or no impact on students. Therefore, educators consider many things before assigning work.

There are times that students commit the same mistakes throughout the homework. In this case, they have reinforced the wrong information, and when the teacher doesn’t provide timely feedback, it affects the child. In such a situation, we can say the homework wasn’t beneficial to the kid. This indicates that teachers must fast track feedback to students. 

Educators are required to assign homework that challenges the thinking of the students. Nonetheless, it shouldn’t be overly challenging or less challenging. How are they able to determine this? It takes constant monitoring of the student's abilities to achieve this. So the question is, how much homework is too much?

How Much Homework Is Too Much?

We can only determine how much homework is too much by the intentions for assigning the work. An assignment would be just right when it’s given carefully and thoughtfully. Students would, therefore, see it as challenging yet exciting to do. Hence, attach much seriousness to it. 

But when homework is given randomly without considering the need of the students and the time it would take to execute, then you are in for trouble. Students would also treat it with the contempt it deserves. In the long round, they become discouraged and subsequent works wouldn’t be taken seriously.