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Sofia Cacho

Ms. Storer

English 3H

26 November 2019

Work, Work, Work

Homework has long been debated on whether it is beneficial or not. 1. While there are

experts who argue for both sides, many agree on the fact that homework is helpful, but only until

a certain point. In my opinion, large amounts of homework add unnecessary stress from a young

age and limits children from enjoying time with their friends and family.

2. My childhood was a fun one, filled with lots of laughing and playing. I was left in

blissful peace to do whatever I wanted whenever I wished, as long as I went to bed on time. I

would play with my sister as often as I could or even have a rare play date with my best friend. I

even enjoyed going to school and learning because it didn’t seem like work to me. Everything

was fun, whether it was playing house or learning how to add, it didn’t matter. I was enjoying

myself, and the little amounts of homework weren’t even a bother to me for a long time.

However, as I grew older, homework began to have a bigger and bigger presence in my

life. From my first weekend homework in the fifth grade to my first time staying up past 12, I

always had something to do in the evening after school. Now, as a high school junior, I rarely get

time at home that is not spent on homework. Now, before you say the reason for this is that I’m

“lazy” or “procrastinating”, my schedule is full of all kinds of activities. Between school and

sports alone, my time is stretched thin as I often get home at 8:30 pm on nights where I have

practice. Now, add in time with family and friends, and I have already used up most of my
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evening. Now where do the 3-4 hours of homework fit in? Often times, I am left having to make

the choice of homework over time spent with my family and friends or even time spent sleeping.

As I am writing this paper on a Sunday night, I have already denied my family’s

invitation to go out to eat. What was I doing earlier in the day? Homework. What was I doing the

night before? Homework. It seems as if I am not working 24/7, my homework will soon

overwhelm me and make my grades drop. Even though I would rather spend my weekend

hanging out with my family or my friends, what can I do? The importance of school and

homework has been stressed upon me from a young age, and I do not want to see my grades

suffer because I wanted time to hang out with my friends. Thus, I am locked in this never-ending

battle of homework versus everything else in my life.

The truth is, the situation is getting worse. Already, I see my younger brother receiving

more homework than I ever had at his age. Now a current third grader, he started receiving

weekend homework as young as first grade. He is a bright child who loves learning just like me,

yet I can see him already losing interest in school and starting to despise doing homework that he

used to like doing.

This is not a cry for pity but is rather meant to serve as an eye opener for just how much

homework we really receive. The constant stress, time, and mental strength spent on homework

that was assigned only for a grade and not for learning is simply not worth it. If the school

system wanted students to learn and grow, they would not force teachers to assign mountains of

homework to their students. Learning does not equal more homework. 3. Larger amounts of

homework cause stress in students and limits the amount of time they can spend with their

friends and family.

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These experiences and opinions of mine are not just shared by my fellow students. More

and more researchers are finding that a large amount of homework can negatively affect the

performance of students. According to a study published in the Journal of Experimental

Education, 4,317 students had an average of 3.1 hours of homework a night (Strauss,

“Homework hurts high-achieving students, study says”). Due to this, students are forced to put

all their energy into their homework and are thus negatively impacted. A study conducted at

Stanford University by assistant lecturers Mollie Galloway, Jerusha Conner, and senior lecturer

Denise Pope found that stress from homework leads to “headaches, exhaustion, sleep

deprivation, weight loss and stomach problems” as well as a lack of balance in student’s lives

(Strauss, “Homework hurts high-achieving students, study says”). 4. This shows that many

students are experiencing negative effects from homework that could be avoided by reducing the

amount given each night.

As the negative effects of homework are shown, other experts give their opinion on the

positives of having less homework. Duke University social psychologist Harris Cooper claims

that “At all grade levels, doing other things after school can have positive effects”. Cooper goes

on to say, "To the extent that homework denies access to other leisure and community activities,

it's not serving the child's best interest” (Weir, “Is homework a Necessary Evil?”) 5. By having

less homework, students can receive more positive benefits and live fuller lives. Yet even though

it is proven to be more helpful in smaller amounts, the amount of homework continues to rise.

6. Now what can we do to combat rising amounts of homework? Stanford researcher

Denise Pope advises that instead of giving more homework solely for a grade, "any homework

assigned should have a purpose and benefit, and it should be designed to cultivate learning and

development" (Parker, “More than two hours of homework may be counterproductive, research
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suggests”). Parents, students, and teachers alike can band together to help reduce the amount of

busy work assigned so that homework only helps students, not hinders. They can speak with the

school administration about the pressure students feel and make them aware that the amount of

homework is not helping students to succeed. Mollie Galloway, PhD, claims that homework

“should be a broader conversation within the community, asking what's the purpose of

homework? Why are we giving it? Who is it serving? Who is it not serving?” (Weir, “Is

homework a Necessary Evil?”) Once schools truly start to have this conversation about

homework, the nature of homework will begin to transform, and learning will once again become

the primary focus for students and teachers.

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Works Cited

Strauss, Valerie. “Homework Hurts High-Achieving Students, Study Says.” The Washington

Post, WP Company, 24 Apr. 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-

sheet/wp/2014/03/13/homework-hurts-high-achieving-students-study-says/.

College-Homework-Help.org. “Should Homework Be Banned to Improve Student's Life &

Health?” College Homework Help Blog, https://college-homework-

help.org/blog/homework-should-be-banned.

“Infographic: How Does Homework Actually Affect Students?” Oxford Learning, 4 Oct. 2016,

https://www.oxfordlearning.com/how-does-homework-affect-students/.

Weir, Kirsten. “Is Homework a Necessary Evil?” American Psychological Association, Mar.

2016, https://www.apa.org/monitor/2016/03/homework.

Parker, Clifton B. “More than Two Hours of Homework May Be Counterproductive, Research

Suggests.” Stanford Graduate School of Education, 10 Mar. 2014,

https://ed.stanford.edu/news/more-two-hours-homework-may-be-counterproductive-

research-suggests.