By Eloise
Many people dislike homework or think there’s no point in it, but, does homework really help, or is it just a waste of time? In middle school, teachers assign an average of 3.2 hours of homework each week, writes Allie Bidwell. However, homework may not be helpful for younger students, if they don’t do it correctly. The only homework that helps before high school is studying.
Homework is not necessarily beneficial before high school. The Scholastic article “Is Homework Bad?” cites Alfie Kohn’s book The Homework Myth: Why Our Kids Get Too Much of a Bad Thing, in which he says “There is no evidence to demonstrate that homework benefits students under the high school age.” I think that this is accurate because your brain is more developed when you’re older, but I’m not saying homework before high school is completely useless. Homework can also be unhealthy. Some people have after school activities, and with homework too they might not get enough sleep. Kids need sleep to be able to pay attention in class. Web MD writes that 7-12 year olds should get 10-11 hours of sleep. With homework that’s a lot less. This is why if the only homework you have is studying you will get more sleep.
Homework can be beneficial to some people because it can help them learn more information, but only if it’s done correctly. An argument to make for homework before high school is that if you need help with a subject, or in a class, homework is the answer. I think that teachers should give study packets, which the students can use to learn on their own. “The child who develops good study habits from an early age will find it easier to adjust to an increasingly difficult academic environment” writes Jennifer Ruther. Studying is always successful if you do it right, as I have learned from self experience. If you study correctly it can be beneficial for quizzes, and can help later on in life.
So homework isn’t that beneficial before high school, but studying can help, and a tutor is a useful tool. Studies show that younger students especially don’t always benefit from homework. Homework should be a responsibility for kids, but it should be assigned in moderation, so there is a balance.