There are a lot of discussion around the topic – should students have homework. It is definitely not an easy question to answer! Some might feel homework is necessary while others feel like the time that homework demand would be better invested with other meaningful activities that brings the family together. So let’s take a closer look into the arguments on both sides!
What are the Pros of homework
- There might not be enough time at school for reinforcement which means giving students homework can help them to be better prepared
- Homework can be used as a tool to monitor student’s learning progress. Teachers will identify student’s strengths and weaknesses by looking at how well they completed their assignments
- Some researches show homework can improve academic achievement. Homework is more effective when it comes to older students than younger students (below 12)
- It helps your kids to build important skills such as time management, problem solving skills and developing study habits
- In some cases, homework requires interactions between students and their parents which helps to strengthen their relationship
- Practice makes perfect and it’s still true. Homework is a great way to give students the opportunity to practice what they have learnt
What are the Cons of homework
- Homework and its deadlines can put pressure and stress on both kids and parents
- They might have less time to spend with family and friends
- It might affect student’s social skills and communication skills if students need to stay home and complete their homework.
- Fitness level might reduce as long homework assignments mean students need to spend longer time sitting and don’t have much time for exercising
- Kids might have less time to learn from other channels such as learning a music instrument, paining or developing photography skills
So is homework worth the hassle?
Overall homework is still an effective in terms of helping students to learn and practice. Although when giving students the homework, teachers should consider the followings:
- Are they giving the right amount of homework to students
- Is the homework effective in terms of helping students to learn
- Should the homework be a group exercise so students can interact with other students which can benefit from building their social skills and communication skills
- Can the homework involve some elements of outdoor activities or experiments that can stimulate their creativity and to think out of the box