Albano 1

Kelcie Albano

Mr. Smith

Period 1 English

19 April 2017

Should Homework Be Banned?

Homework, yes, students have survived it for years and years but there comes a certain

point where too much of it can affect childrens health and well-being. Too much homework can

also have long-term negative consequences in ones academic success. Schools should have a

limited amount of homework teachers give out each night and in doing so, one will achieve

better academic success and a less stressed filled lifestyle.

The majority of schools follow the tradition of giving out homework every night starting

from an early age. There has been studies that show an immoderate amount of homework can

lead to negative effects on ones physical health such as sleep disruption and stress. An excessive

amount of homework done varies by age, but for elementary school students, even 30 minutes

of homework a night, if combined with other sources of academic stress can have a negative

impact (LeTendre). In fact, researchers in China have linked sleep disruption with homework of

two or more hours a night (LeTendre). This problem is something schools, teachers, and even

parents should be aware of and find a solution to it.

For most students, the part they hate about school is the extra work they are given to do

outside of school, causing a disinterest in learning. If teachers give a big workload to a student

who is still young, it can lead to a long-term negative effect of consequences in their academic

success. For example, Christine Hauser, a writer for New York Times, has a daughter in the
 Albano 2

second grade, who was asked to complete homework during her summer break. In her article,

she says, For a while, we tried gamely to keep up. But one day she turned to me and said, I

hate reading (Hauser). This shows how forcing a child to do extra work during their time off

can develop a strong dislike of learning at a young age. A dislike developed at a young age

usually last until something good comes out of it. For example, say at the age of three you try

broccoli and hate it. Since this discovery of hating broccoli you never try it again, unless you try

it again at the age of seventeen and suddenly you like it and have a different opinion. This is also

like homework but if you start doing later in life it might be too late from achieving high

academic success.

It would be a dream come true to have absolutely no homework, but it is also unrealistic.

Gerald LeTendre from The Washington Post writes, Homework, in fact, is an important

component of education for students in the middle and upper grades of schooling (LeTendre).

But to solve the problem of the excessive load of homework given out, teachers should not give

work that exceed 10 minutes a grade level a night, which is what the National PTA and

National Education Association suggests (Hauser). Meaning to say a second grader should have

no more than 20 minutes of homework, a sixth grader no more than 60 minutes, and a 12th

grader no more than two hours.

With the limited amount of homework given out to students, it can prompt a better

lifestyle for children and teenagers. This gives them the opportunity to spend time with their

family, focus on extracurricular activities, and much more. It will improve healthy living and

may lead to more students enjoying their time being at school.

 Albano 3

Works Cited

LeTendre, Gerald K. "Homework Could Have an Effect on Kids Health. Should Schools Ban

It?" The Washington Post. The Washington Post, 2 Sept. 2015. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.

Hauser, Christine. "As Students Return to School, Debate About the Amount of Homework

Rages." The New York Times. The New York Times, 24 Aug. 2016. Web. 19 Apr. 2017.