What’s the Right Amount of Homework?

Cases of too much homework and anti-homework campaigns have been on the rise and we continue to debate on whether we need homework for students or not. You probably have heard about students being glued on their books to a point where they cannot do anything else. All this is because the homework was too much. Many students haven’t been able to play like they used to because of homework and this is of great concern to all stakeholders.

As a result of too much homework, students have also not been able to be with family and friends. At this point, it is clear that the initial objectives and reasons for having homework for students have changed. Homework is not a substitute for learning during classroom sessions. It is not a shift to learning at home from learning in the classroom. On the contrary, it is an extra measure of enhancing learning for students.

Why was homework invented?

The first assignment that looked like homework was a punishment given by a teacher to the students. However, homework found better meaning later on and has tremendously been used in the following ways:

• To help learners use their different skills and integrate them to find solutions to questions of interest in the course of learning. Therefore, homework gives learners these opportunities to grow and develop.
• Homework encourages the practice of the things taught in the classroom. This approach helps in remembering important aspects and keeping them for their use in the future and exams as well.
• Students have also been given homework to study on topics ahead of the teacher. When the time comes for the teacher to teach the topics, it becomes a lot easier. This is usually done in what is known as preparatory homework.
• To learn new things other than what was taught by the teacher. As students delve deeper into questions and as they search for answers, they are bound to discover other things and increase their knowledge too.

All these are good reasons as to why homework is usually given to students. However, it can be excessive when the objectives of the different assignments are not stated. When teachers give assignments for the sake of it, it is likely to cause problems.

When Homework is too much

You can easily tell when homework is too much for students. You should be worried if:

• Your child doesn’t do anything else at home other than feeding and doing homework
• When a student can hardly sleep due to homework
• When students look stressed and depressed and all they have been doing is homework
• When your child can spend time with family and friends due to take-home assignments

Final Thoughts

There are a lot of instances when homework has proved to be helpful to learners. Students need these assignments to stir them to keep learning and be responsible as well. However, too much of anything can be poisonous. Therefore, it is important to regulate and control homework to ensure that it serves its intended purpose.