What science says about the benefits of homework

[Quixote1818]

In a nutshell:

Zero for Elem age kids

1 hour for Jr. High / MS kids

2 hours or so for HS kids

Beyond this you are actually slowing down the learning process because the brain needs rest and time to un-consciously process the information and build dendrites and connect neurons.

http://www.kidsinthehouse.com/teenager/education/studying-and-homework/what-science-says-about-the-benefits-of-homework

[HuckleB]

1. I'd like to see some follow-up studies, as well. But, great topic!

I wish DUers would jump and discuss things at this level! Good stuff.

[Igel]

4. There have been a lot since Cooper's book was published.

And his was a meta-analysis, so it included a lot of divergent data collected under different conditions.

That's part of the problem.

I give homework to high schoolers and a lot of it is pointless. Kids don't do it. Or they don't "get it." Worse yet, they do it wrong and it reinforces mistakes, misunderstanding, and frustrates them.

I give homework to high schoolers and a lot of it is "pointful." Kids do it. Or they finally "get it." Best yet, they did it right in class (or not) but finally clarify their misunderstandings, learn the proper procedures, and come back with a feeling of satisfaction.

Now, average those two things together, weighting it for your particular sample.

I tried flipping the classroom, but I found that those kids that had the hardest time were the least likely to watch the videos at home and come in ready to review, reinforce, correct misunderstandings, and work on problems. They were also the least likely to have a stable home environment to work in, the least likely to value education over a part-time (or even full-time job).

Heck, I find that giving assignments in class with the warning, "You have to finish it at home" is a recipe for disaster. The kids who are least likely to do their homework are the most likely to say, "I'll socialize and play games now; I'll do this later". Then they don't do it, missing both in-class help and home reinforcement.

My default hypothesis is that these kinds of differences matter, which is what a lot of the research does show. If you're looking at AP students, you get one answer to the question, "Is homework any use?" If you're looking at homes where the kid who has homework and didn't "get it" in class has parents to help explain it, great. If you're looking at homes where the kids don't get pushed to do their homework, and any confusion or misunderstanding can't be corrected, it's a hindrance. No homework accomplishes the goal of decreasing the achievement gap. Mostly by lowering the upper end of the achievement curve, not by doing anything to raise the low end. But if the primary thing you think of as "helpful" is reducing the standard deviation of that average, hey, it's a no-brainer.

[HuckleB]

5. The home environment is huge.

I'm a PMHNP, and I work with kids, so that includes some kids with very real ADHD, as well anxiety and other developmental concerns, stable families make all the difference in the world in the outcomes I see. And, yeah, I spend a lot of time with high schoolers, trying to get them to assess how long it really takes to get the work done, and those who actually follow through on the homework I give them, find it isn't usually that long. Those kids can often adjust, and get out of the procrastination routine you describe, but it's not the majority of kids I see, that's for sure.

I do suspect that homework fails many kids, and doesn't do much for others. I have to fight my family anecdote, where both my spouse and I loved homework, and we have a 3rd grader who is in a school for kids who test into the proverbial 99th percentile. That means he's had a ton of homework since 1st grade. Since we had to supplement his school day in kindergarten with education at his level, at home, it wasn't much of a transition. In fact, it gives him much more time to play with neighborhood kids, play sports, and the violin. He has developed into being very independent on planning his homework and getting it done. In fact, he's frustrated with us because we often don't "check" his homework when he wants us to. But, I know he is an outlier. Talking to other parents every day, makes that very clear.

Oh, he challenges us in other ways, so we'll take this one.

Thanks for the awesome information!

[cyberswede]

2. My daughter's 5th grade teacher had the right idea

His position was that kids learn best in class, and they either get it or they don't, and that sending them home with 25 math problems that they don't understand just makes them hate school work. When they do the work in class, he's able to help those who need it and make sure they understand the concepts.

I think reading daily at home is beneficial for all ages, though.

Interesting article.

[mmonk]

3. I think we should make a taxpayer push for increased science study and inquiry

(like when I was a kid). First, it has to be separated from corporate control though. Science should be about understanding our world and the universe, and not just about a corporate product which will limit human inquiry.

[Quixote1818]

6. Agree. It needs to be taught in a way that is interesting too.

I remember being so excited to take Marine Biology and was board stiff. All we learned about what phylum's etc. Marine Biology was the last thing I wanted to study after that class. I am sure real Marine Biology is amazing.

[AwakeAtLast]

7. The class my daughter is getting a 96% in

is the class that doesn't assign homework. She excitedly tells me every day what she did in that class. She loves it! She's in middle school.

Other classes she gets lower grades, sometimes Ds because she didn't turn in some of her homework. What drives me bananas is, she does the work! She just forgets to turn it in.

[jimlup]

8. I'm a HS teacher and I strongly endorse this

Absolutely true... and some of us see the evidence too. I give my kids a break when I can and think even the 2 hours for HS can be a lot.