New research from Brown University shows that primary school children have three times the recommended homework load. “The Kindergarten homework load was identical to that of first and second graders”. The recommended amount is about 10 minutes per night beginning in first grade, after which another 10 minutes is added every year.
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A survey of more than 1,100 parents found first-graders were spending an average of 28 minutes on homework each night.
“Although the 10 Minute Rule has been apparently endorsed by the NEA since 2006, we did not find evidence that this standard was being uniformly applied”, the study said.
Even kindergarteners – who should not have any homework, according to the National Education Association’s recommendations – worked an average of 25 minutes a night. Denise Pope, a Stanford professor and a co-author of “Overloaded and Unprepared”, told Today that free reading is “the only type of homework that’s proven to be beneficial to elementary school students”.
They focused on “the 10-minute rule” – the principle, set in 2006 by the NEA teachers’ union – that the time kids spend on homework should be the equivaliant of their grade level times 10.
“Undereducated parents really believe that their children are supposed to be able to do (the homework), therefore, their children must be doing something else during school” instead of focusing on their studies, she said.
Bobbi Bockoras of Pennsylvania helps her son, R.J., with his math homework.
She said when it comes to homework, or any issue, communication between parents and teachers is key.
In a statement, lead researcher Robert Pressman said, “The levels of family stress and tension found in this study fall into ranges that could lead to detrimental physical and mental health”.
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Many parents might feel stressed just reading about homework, but there are specific things they can do to make the entire homework experience less anxiety-producing for everyone in the household, parenting experts say.
