Question 1

Why do researchers disagree on the findings around homework? Is homework a difficult field to investigate?

Harris Cooper · Accepted Answer

Yes, homework is perhaps the most difficult pedagogical strategy to study. The most conclusive research designs, those employing random assignment of students to homework and no homework conditions, can only be implemented at the unit level of subject matters. Definitive studies of long-term effects are near impossible.

Most researchers and educators agree that the positive effect of homework has been established. The kind of research needed now is evidence on how to maximize its positive effects and minimize its potential negative effects based on the characteristics of students and assignments.

Homework opponents tend to be folks who come to the research literature with the intent of finding evidence to support their position. They ignore studies that contradict their predisposition and often over-interpret the findings that support their position.

When enough studies have been done (there have been hundreds on homework), you can find a study that supports whatever position you want. This can happen based simply on chance factors, like unique characteristic of the students sampled in that particular study. The key to a sound interpretation of a research literature is looking at all the studies together. Good researchers identify the consensus findings, taking into consideration the quality of the research designs, then use the studies that aren’t aligned with the overall result to identify whether these results are simply statistical anomalies or point to important qualifications of the overall result.

Question 2

Can homework have a negative impact on a child’s social and family life?

Harris Cooper · Accepted Answer

Beyond achievement, homework can impact many aspects of children’s lives and development. Proponents of homework argue it can have many other beneficial effects, including the development of good study habits and a recognition that learning can occur at home as well as at school. Homework can also foster independent learning and responsible character traits – essential skills later in life when students change jobs or learn new skills for advancement at work. And homework can give parents an opportunity to see what’s going on at school and learn about their child’s academic strengths and weaknesses. Two parents once told me they refused to believe their child had a learning disability until homework revealed it to them.

Opponents argue homework can lead to boredom with schoolwork because all activities remain interesting only for so long. Homework can deny students access to leisure activities – sports, church, volunteering, after-school jobs – that also teach important life skills. And parents can get too involved in homework – pressuring their children and confusing them by using different instructional techniques than the teacher.

Any of these effects, positive and negative, can occur depending, again, on the characteristics of the student and home, and on the amount and type of homework assigned. The key for parents, educators, and researchers is to identify how to maximize the positive effects and minimize the negative ones.

Question 3

Does the quality of the homework assigned make a difference?

Harris Cooper · Accepted Answer

Yes, quality matters most. Short, well-designed assignments will be more effective than long, poorly designed ones, which might even have negative effects on learning. Assignments that capture the student’s imagination are always best. But, beyond that, what makes for a quality assignment will vary depending on the subject matter. For example, spelling, vocabulary, and foreign language are subject areas that require practice and memorization – not the most exciting assignments but necessary nonetheless.

Question 4

Can’t young children learn good study habits later in life when they actually need them (i.e. in higher grades)? Is there any evidence they’re unable to do this if they don’t start early?

Harris Cooper · Accepted Answer

I’m aware of no research that examines the impact of how when children begin to learn study habits effects subsequent achievement. Certainly, good, simple study habits can be taught at an early age. Starting early also allows for the scaffolding of skills. Like constructing a building, parents and teachers can begin by providing a basic framework that later supports the learning of more complex and refined study skills. If ‘later in life’ means middle school, we must consider that establishing the basic structure of study skills will face additional challenges in their ‘tweenaged’ years. As children enter their teens, they will have well-established routines that are more difficult to modify. They will attend less to the dictates of adults and more to their peer group.

Here are study tips for students that can establish a conducive routine for doing homework that even elementary students can benefit from:

Pick a good time to do homework - Try to have your student do their homework at the same time every day – right after school, just before dinner, or right after dinner. Try not to leave homework until just before they go to bed.
Remember to make time for long-term projects - Think about using a weekend morning or afternoon for working on big projects, especially if the project involves getting together with classmates. If your student needs special stuff for a project, make sure to get it for them well in advance.
Spend more time on hard homework than easy homework - Suggest your student think about what’s easy and hard for them and do the hard work first. Suggest a short break if they are having trouble keeping their mind on an assignment.
If homework gets too hard, ask for help - Parents and older siblings should be ready to provide help, if needed. Only help if it is really needed.
Find a place that makes studying easy - It’s good practice for your student to do their homework in the same place every day.

Question 5

Schools are out of control when it comes to homework, often assigning a lot more than 2 hours a night and putting pressure on kids and families. Why are schools so obsessed with it?

Harris Cooper · Accepted Answer

Yes, some schools are out of control with homework. The evidence suggests that the impact of homework on achievement is optimized at a level lower than the amount assigned in some schools and classrooms. These schools tend to serve families or communities where parents are highly educated themselves. Teachers in these schools will tell you they are responding to pressure from parents to maximize their children’s learning. The teachers also say that end-of-grade testing and the use of test scores to evaluate schools and teachers contribute to the pressure they feel for more frequent and longer homework assignments.

That said, most schools assign an amount of homework parents are comfortable with. Surveys show that there are as many parents who feel their kids could handle more homework as there are parents who feel their kids are overburdened. It’s a local issue.

Question 6

To what extent should parents help with homework?

Harris Cooper · Accepted Answer

The appropriate amount of parent involvement differs depending on the age and ability level of the student. Obviously, young children will require more parent involvement than teens. An individual child’s study habits and motivation also need to be considered; if a child has a longer attention span and interest in learning, it means parents can back off and help only when asked. Here are some general tips for parent involvement:

Be a stage manager - Make sure your child has a quiet, well-lit place to do homework. Make sure the needed materials (paper, pencils, dictionary) are available.
Be a motivator - Homework provides a great opportunity for you to tell your child how important school is. Be positive about homework. The attitude you express about homework will be the attitude your child acquires.
Be a role model - When your child does homework, don’t sit and watch TV. If your child is reading, you read too. If your child is doing math, balance your check book. Help your child see that the skills they are practicing are related to things you do as an adult.
Be a monitor - Watch your child for signs of failure and frustration. If your child asks for help, provide guidance, not answers. If frustration sets in, suggest a short break.
Be a mentor - When the teacher asks that you play a role in homework, do it. If homework is meant to be done alone, stay away. Homework is a great way for kids to develop independent, life-long learning skills. Over-involvement can be a bad thing.

Question 7

What if there are attention or learning difficulties and the parent is concerned their child is not at grade level? Should these kids do more or less homework?

Harris Cooper · Accepted Answer

Studies indicate no reason to believe that the generally positive effects of homework for students without disabilities would not also appear for students with learning disabilities.

Clearly, however, the ingredients of successful homework assignments are different for the two types of students.

A consistent theme in the literature is that completing homework assignments is more difficult for students with learning disabilities. This is not just because the same material might be more challenging, but also because learning disabilities are often accompanied by other deficits in attention, memory, or organizational skills that, we have seen, influence the success of home study.

These realities suggest that homework assignments for students with learning disabilities should more often be short and should focus on reinforcement of skills and class lessons, as opposed to integration and extension. Students who fall below a minimum competency in a skill area may not benefit from homework at all.

Parent involvement is critical for students with disabilities, primarily because these students are likely to have less developed self-management and study skills. Their ability to study depends more on the provision of a proper environment, both physical and emotional. Students with learning disabilities may need periodic rewards during homework time or immediately following assignment completion as well as more assistance to complete tasks. Evidence suggests that this involvement should happen continuously, not periodically.

Question 8

Is it supportive of our child's learning to make them do homework when they've been at school all day? When do we need to advocate about removing homework so our kids can feel accomplished about what they have achieved and just live?

Harris Cooper · Accepted Answer

Yes, it is supportive of learning for students at all grade levels to do homework. The key is how much and what kind. Research suggests students should get about 10 minutes of homework each night for each grade (10 minutes for first grade, 20 for second, and so on). This is a rough anchor and teachers should adjust this amount upward (for example, high interest reading) or downward (for example, memorization) depending on the type of assignment and the ability level of the students. But students shouldn’t be overloaded with homework. It can ruin motivation. For young children, homework should be short, simple, and lead to success.

If you are looking for a culprit that is not allowing kids to “just live,” consider what you mean by “just live.” How much time do kids spend playing video games or on social media? Is that what they will do if time on homework is reduced?

Question 9

Evidence for Learning, which aggregates educational research, credits homework with providing a substantial positive impact (5 months' progress +) on learning. Do you agree with this assessment?

Harris Cooper · Accepted Answer

I don’t know where this number comes from, for what grade level, or over what time duration. I do know that we should expect modest but real achievement gains from homework in the early grades and this impact will grow stronger as children progress through the grades.

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