Homework: Helpful Or Harmful To Students

Homework has many advantages for students, but when there is an unreasonable amount to get done homework is not helping anyone. Excessive amounts of work had led to a stressed and drained student population. Many studies have shown that in America, homework does not advance academic achievement in students. Yes, homework can be used effectively, but if it was severely reduced , the issue in place would not be that bad. With that being said, it would be much easier for students to maintain a healthy outside of school life. The level of work outside of school has seen to increase, leading to the negative effects outweighing any benefits. School board members need to open their eyes and see the issue in place. Homework is harmful to students because

A good night sleep is critical for a students. Without it, it will be hard to focus throughout the day and it will be difficult to pay attention. According to research, “Sleep deprivation affects a whole range of mental activities, including the ability to pay attention, verbal creativity, abstract thinking, decision making, retrieval of long-term memories, and overall mood and motivation” (Ponte). With a good night sleep people are able to process things better and over all have more motivation. This sounds great, but with the amount of homework students are receiving, the recommended eight hours is just unreasonable. According to the National Sleep Foundation, “Children from 5 to 12 years old need between 10 and 11 hours of sleep each night. Teenagers need from 8.5 to 9.25 hours . But when teens get overwhelmed with schoolwork, sleep is one of the first things to go. Studies show that only 20 percent of adolescents between the ages of 11 and 17 get the recommended amount of sleep. On school nights, nearly half of them sleep fewer than eight hours” (Ponte). When teens are getting an excessive amount of work to compete by the next day, they are more worried about getting credit for doing it than actually trying. With this attitude, grades will be sinking left and right. A father of a thirteen year old students claims that his daughter only gets six and a half hours of sleep per night. (Greenfield)

Parents are trying to bring this subject to the attention of schools so something can be done about it. “In recent years, parents have voiced worries that their children are being overworked, and newspaper and magazine articles have highlighted stories of students working late on homework, even after participation in other extracurricular activities like organized sports, volunteering, and music lessons” (Is Homework Beneficial). Few elementary and middle school students are able to manage the planning required with considerable help from a parent. Many experts question if children are even getting a real childhood. This leaves no time for go out a play a game of catch or even just watch a movie with friends (Is Homework Beneficial). Another example, “When Isabel Hill speaks of her daughter 's struggles with homework, it is notable that she often speaks about the work as if it is her own: "the last two [weekends], we 've been working from dawn until dusk” (Ponte). In the article, Excessive Homework Strains Family Life, mother Isabel Hill talks about how her and her daughter are always taking up late to finish homework and projects. This happened even on the weekends. With that being said students just like Isabel 's daughter are getting no time to do other things besides school work (Ponte). Many parents work full time jobs and do not want to come home and have more things to do on their plate.