Do you get a lot of homework? Well if you do, have you ever thought your grades would be higher with less homework? You should look into it you might get some interesting feedback.

Homework is bad for you. Researchers say it is excessive and counterproductive(Current Events 10/27/06.) The U.S.A has one of the lowest test scores in the whole world because the teachers give high amounts of homework. Homework in high quantities doesn’t pay off. “First, they say, the government now requires schools to meet higher-than-ever achievement goals for students. If students don't succeed, the school faces penalties. Second, many parents want their children to be able to get into the nation's best colleges and universities. These parents believe homework is a way to ensure students are learning at their full capacity.” (Cooper, Harris)

Another issue is that it creates stress. Families see it as an obstacle in their every day life. Kids don’t always get it done because they either don’t understand it-it wasn’t explained enough-, no one knows how to help them do it-parents don’t always understand how to help-, and of course they don’t always want to do homework. The average homework your supposed to get is ten minutes a night, and most kids end up with an hour or more.

Also activities stay interesting for only so long. Which means students are led to boredom. Homework also denies sports and social activity. “For example, scouting groups and sports teams teach cooperation and leadership, in addition to helping kids stay physically active. Another problem with too much homework is that parents can get too involved. They can put too much pressure on their kids and can confuse them by using different instructional techniques from the teacher's.”(Cooper, Harris)

Homework does teach kids responsibility and good study habits, but what about the important skills you get from sports and social activities. See? That's the issue right there. When you get a lot of homework you don’t want to play the sports, but get it done so your grades stay okay. You can ask almost every kid that plays sports, and I bet nine out of ten would say it’s hard to keep your grades high so you can play sports.

So what do you think should be done? Good homework assignments in the right amount will have positive effects.(Cooper, Harris) Bad homework assignments, or too much, will have the wrong kind of effects. The bottom line: Any kids in grades three through eighth shouldn’t do any more than 30 minutes of homework each night. (Cooper, Harris)