Why Is Schoolwork Homework? An elementary student trudges home from school with a heavy bag and a heavy heart. He does not understand how to do his homework and his parents work late. His grandmother has no experience with new educational methods. He is already tired from his long school day and still has a long soccer practice and a Scout meeting. His teachers preach the importance of homework, but for this student, it only causes more stress, anxiety, and confusion. Some claim homework helps students to become hard workers and reach higher achievement levels, however, many studies show that homework is detrimental to children because it takes too much time, forms negative learning attitudes, and is an unfair way to assess learning and understanding. Grade school students spend hours completing homework, but is this really the best use of a …show more content…
“Cooper & Valentine (2001) pointed out that HW is the number one cause of stress and friction between the school and the home.” (Kukliansky et al. 232). These assignments “…leave children frantically attempting to balance overcrowded schedules that include schoolwork, homework, extracurricular activities, private enrichment lessons, sports, work, family, personal obligations, and much more” (Simplicio 139). Homework creates tension between parents and children, as evidenced in surveys that state, “almost half of parents reported having a serious argument with their children over homework, and a third of the parents reported that homework was a source of stress and struggle” (qtd. in Lancia-Gifford et al. 279). It can also negatively affect families because it “takes away valuable bonding time” (qtd. in Lancia-Gifford et al. 279). “Children need downtime just as do adults” (qtd. in Lancia-Gifford et al. 279), and without it, students become tired and worn out. Homework clearly adds to the stress and chaos of a student’s everyday