How Much Homework Is too Much Homework?

With the building academic pressure on schools and students, one definite change is students are loaded with homework to help them keep up. But if the school is assigning so much homework that it is leading to stress among students, it must be addressed. Here are some tips on knowing how much homework per credit hour students must get and what to do if it exceeds this limit.

How Much Homework is Too Much Homework

Homework is a good thing as it gives students a chance to go over the lessons that they have learned at school and grasp concepts better. However, it is a challenge for faculty members to assess how much homework do students get per grade for the best outcomes. Since there aren’t any set rules about home much homework and readings teachers must assign, it is possible that it goes overboard at times becoming too much for students to handle.

In the earlier academic years, it is important to note how much homework per grade is suitable. According to the National Education Association, a “10-minute homework guideline” is ideal for younger students. Studies have shown that lower grades do not benefit from more than 10 minutes of homework or study each night. This rule states that the homework time should increase by 10 minutes with every grade, starting at 10 minutes per night in grade 1 and going up to 120 minutes in grade 12.

However, many teachers argue that it is not about how much time should be spent on homework each night but how much time a student takes to complete an assignment. There are several reasons that may result in one student taking 10 minutes to complete a task while another takes double the time. This 10 minute guideline is an average limit that helps teachers decide the tasks. It also helps you answer the question, “Do kids have too much homework?”

For older students, it is important to understand how much homework per credit hour is suitable. On an average, it is recommended that students spend three hours per credit hour studying and doing homework. Some high schools and universities extend this up to six hours leaving students with too much homework, too little time.

Why Do I Have So Much Homework?

Even with these guidelines to assess why do students have too much homework, the fact is that most students today have a lot more homework than they can handle. Studies show that even students of grade 1 and grade 2 have up to 20 minutes of homework each day, which exceeds the 10 minute guideline. On an average, high school students spend over 10 hours doing homework each week. This is why students feel like I have way too much homework and not enough time.

But why is it that teachers are giving too much homework? There are arguments and statistics on how homework is beneficial to students, including:

• Teachers are able to evaluate the individual strengths, weaknesses, and progress of each student.
• It gives parents a chance to practically engage in the education of their child
• It allows students to review their classwork at their own pace.

Without proper guidelines on how to make homework more engaging or how much time the average student must spend on homework, teachers often end up assigning more than the students can actually do. This can lead to extreme stress and anxiety in students, not allowing them to enjoy the actual benefits of homework.

Why Do Teachers Give So Much Homework?

Whether it is a middle school or high school, teachers are faced with several challenges when it comes to assigning homework:

• They are unable to assess if the homework is too challenging or not challenging at all. Both situations do not help the student and end up leaving them with feelings of frustration and resentment.
• Students tend to make the same mistakes in most assignments, giving teachers very little opportunity to understand if a particular task is actually benefiting them or not.
• They are also dealing with parents who feel like their children aren’t learning well enough or fast enough.

Therefore, teachers may be unable to decide how much homework is appropriate and end up giving students too much work at home.

The Effects of Too Much Homework College or School

The effects that it has on students can help you decide how much do students spend on homework. When they are assigned with too much homework and are left with very little time, it has adverse effects:

• Students become increasingly resentful and frustrated. While most students try to cope, some of them may take to negative behavior like being disruptive or disinterested.
• The social life of students takes a hit. They are unable to mingle with their peers or have more playtime, which can curb the development of other skills.
• Students develop extreme stress and anxiety making them unable to perform well in school. It can also lead to health issues when the anxiety or stress is prolonged.
• They do not have time to explore other interests and activities as they are burdened with too much homework.

How to Avoid Giving Too Much Homework in High School or College

The onus is on the teacher to make homework beneficial to the students. Instead of worrying about how much homework does the average high school student have or need, there are ways to make homework more engaging:

• Ask students to watch a film or video related to a subject
• Lead homework towards debates and discussions within the classroom to give instant feedback
• Provide flexibility to students with deadlines

This gives students a chance to work on other commitments and improve overall performance. It also gives them a chance to actually improve their performance.

Speaking Up When Teacher Gives too Much Homework

For younger students, it is a good idea for parents to intervene when the homework gets too overwhelming. Students in college may have to speak for themselves. In either case, here are some pointers that will help:

• Take an appointment for a one-on-one discussion
• Make sure that you highlight the issues that you are facing as a family or an individual because of excessive homework.
• Try to be solution-oriented. This includes requesting for an increase in deadlines to be able to complete the homework without being stressed.

It is important to speak up to prevent the adverse effects of too much homework over several years.

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