Clover 1

Kaila Clover
Ms. Hoogewerf
Writing for College Success
23 November 2015
Homework or Busywork?

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I.
Student success is a big deal in public schools. Students are being pushed harder to do
well on standardized tests, prepare for high school, and take SATs, all while taking advanced
classes. But a question arises: is too much homework being given to students?
A.
Everyone wants their child to be a success story -the media pushes that
expectation upon people all the time- but very few parents, teachers, and school faculty
take the time to examine how students learn. Children learn social behavior at a young
age, so letting them interact with each other during recess at school and with their family
members at home is vital. Unfortunately, this precious learning time is being robbed and
restricted by the demands of homework.
B.
Parents and teachers often argue that the amount of homework children have
today is the right amount,
C.
Even though students need homework to help them prepare for college and future
careers, they should not be given more than 10 minutes per grade level, as overworking
children at a young age negatively affects an adolescents well-being and leaves less time
for family, friends, and extracurricular pursuits.
II.

The struggle to get homework done is a constant problem for children.

A.
Homework causes stress.
1.
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a)
Greater stress: 56 percent of the students considered homework a
primary source of stress, according to the survey data. Forty-three percent
viewed tests as a primary stressor, while 33 percent put the pressure to get
good grades in that category. Less than 1 percent of the students said
homework was not a stressor.
b)
Other problems can stem from constant stress
2.
Other things related to stress
a)
The current study also examined the stress homework places on
families and found that as the parent's confidence in their ability to help
their child with homework went down, the stress in the household went
up.
b)
B.
Stress is not the only issue stemming from a large homework-load that many
students suffer from.
1.
a)
Reductions in health: In their open-ended answers, many students
said their homework load led to sleep deprivation and other health
problems. The researchers asked students whether they experienced health
issues such as headaches, exhaustion, sleep deprivation, weight loss and
stomach problems.
b)
2.
a)
b)

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III.
Students often spend hours of time working on homework, plus they take part in
extracurricular activities outside of school. If all of their time is being consumed by trying to
finish an assignment they are having trouble with, that leaves little to no time to pursue activities
they enjoy.
A.
Children learn social behavior at a young age, so letting them interact with each
other during recess at school and with their family members at home is vital.
1.
Students who are part of school clubs or athletic and sports teams are
shown to work better in grou
a)
b)
2.
a)
b)
B.
1.
a)
b)
2.
a)
b)
IV.
The counter claim to the argument against homework states that students need homework
to prepare them for the real world,
A.
Homework is a great study tool to help students practice and apply the content
they are learning in-class.
1.
a)
b)
2.
a)
b)
B.
Homework can help teachers see which students need more help than others.
1.
a)
b)
2.
a)
b)

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V.
Children deserve the chance to just be children without the pressure of tons of homework
weighing upon them.
A.
As discussed throughout the body of this argument, homework is not beneficial to
students when it begins to disrupt their learning ability and negatively affect their health.
B.
This being said, homework is beneficial when it helps students practice and
remember important concepts without demanding strenuous work effort.
C.
Although students do need homework to help them prepare for college and future
careers, they should not be given more than 10 minutes per grade level, as overworking
children at a young age negatively affects an adolescents well-being and leaves less time
for family, friends, and extracurricular pursuits.

Works Cited:
Parker, Clifton B. "Stanford Research Shows Pitfalls of Homework." Stanford News Report.
Stanford University, 10 Mar. 2014. Web. 04 Nov. 2015.
<http://news.stanford.edu/news/2014/march/too-much-homework-031014.html>.
Wallace, Kelly. "Kids Have Three times Too Much Homework, Study Finds- CNN.com."
CNN. Cable News Network, 12 Aug. 2015. Web. 04 Nov. 2015.
<http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/12/health/homework-elementary-school-study/>.
Wilde, Marian. "Do Our Kids Have Too Much Homework?" GreatKids. N.p., n.d. Web. 04
Nov. 2015. <http://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/homework-is-too-much/>.
Cooper, Harris, et al. "Relationships among attitudes about homework, amount of homework
assigned and completed, and student achievement." Journal of educational psychology
90.1 (1998): 70.