Let’s Scrap the Homework Our Little Kids Do

It’s the end of a long day, and the kids are hungry and exhausted from hours of school followed by an afternoon of structured sports or other activities. Now it’s homework time, and you take a deep breath and prepare for battle. No one wants to do homework — not you, and certainly not your kids.

Should they even be assigned homework in elementary school at all? Probably not — at least, not much.

Duke University researcher and neuroscientist Dr. Harris Cooper conducted a comprehensive review of almost 180 research studies and found that piles of homework in elementary school is essentially useless.

“Homework for young students should be short, lead to success without much struggle, occasionally involve parents and, when possible, use out-of-school activities that kids enjoy, such as their sports teams or high-interest reading,” he told Duke Today.

[lz_bulleted_list title=”Average Time Spent on Homework” source=”American Journal of Family Therapy”] Kindergarteners: 25 min (recommended: none)|First Graders: 28 min (recommended: 10 min)|Second Graders: 29 min (recommended: 20 min)[/lz_bulleted_list]

Laura Hollman, a psychoanalyst and author of “Unlocking Parental Intelligence: Finding Meaning in Your Child’s Behavior,” told LifeZette, “Too much homework — homework that takes more than 15 to 20 minutes — prevents kids from having time for play and just puts more stress on their growing minds. Let’s free them to adventure, discover, invent and take leadership (roles) with their peers in natural environments.”

The Duke study review points out some negative consequences to homework at a young age: increasing emotional problems, higher conflict level within families, and a negative attitude toward school.

A 2015 study in The American Journal of Family Therapy found that students in the early elementary school years are getting much more homework than education experts say is doable. In some cases they’re getting nearly three times as much homework as they recommend.

“It is absolutely shocking to me to find out that particularly kindergarten students (who) are not supposed to have any homework at all … are getting as much homework as a third grader is supposed to get,” Stephanie Donaldson-Pressman, the contributing editor of the study and clinical director of the New England Center for Pediatric Psychology, told CNN.com.

Homework does belong in high school. Even in middle school, homework still shows only slight academic benefit, however. Homework delays the growth of the responsibility muscle; instead of kids taking ownership of their homework, a parent hovers overhead, nagging and cajoling.

“Homework is mainly a problem because it’s a theft of time,” Heather Shumaker, author of “It’s OK to Go Up the Slide – Renegade Rules for Raising Confident and Creative Kids,” told Today.com. “It’s a grave opportunity cost. And kids feel it. Homework steals kids’ time at home — time they desperately need to play, connect with family, cope with big emotions, be outside and get (a) good, long sleep.”

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Said Hollman, “Grade school kids often get up early, have a quick breakfast, and are rushed off to the school bus. Then six or more hours in the classroom with a brief recess doesn’t give them leg room for play and freedom of movement essential for their growing bodies and minds. What are they missing? Play, play, play!”

Playing is its own form of learning. Parents are often overlooking the benefits of letting kids just free play — exercising mind and body, learning to get along with peers in an unstructured way, and figuring out games, simple hierarchies, and rules on their own.

“Studies have shown that play is a great way to learn,” said Hollman. “Children invent all kinds of stories within their yards and homes that they enact expressing what they have on their minds. If they have too much homework that prevents this activity, they are missing out for sure! They often even have structured activities such as sports and dance classes that further impede the time for play.”

She added, “It’s long been said that play is a child’s work. Why deprive them of building a fort under a tree or with pillows on a couch? Why deprive them of inventing a whole new world with Legos and other blocks that develop fine motor coordination, as well as a huge realm of discovery? Why deprive them of playing with play dough, craft materials, painting and other means of expression when they’ve been cooped up all day in an organized classroom?”

Given this, what real steps can parents take to open a dialogue with their elementary school about limiting homework? “Get your courage up — the next step is to approach your child’s teacher or principal and explain what’s going on in your house each night, and what you’d rather see,” Shumaker told Today.com. She offers sample scripts for speaking with educators, as well as more research in her book as well.

Try an experiment one evening. Let the kids stay out in the gathering dusk of the evening shooting basketballs or reading a book under a tree. Your young child will feel the difference in stress level — and so will the whole household.