*****News Release for week of Sept. 4, 2003                        
Contact: Sherry F. Nelson, LCSW
HES-Human Development
University Outreach & Extension

Homework:  Too Much or Not Enough

Now that school is back in session many parents will be concerned with their children’s activities and homework. For many parents balancing busy schedules that include homework, music lessons, other after-school activities, and sports activities can be a challenge. But as students head back to school it is definitely time to think about homework, because homework is an essential ingredient of a student's school success as shown by research.  But perhaps we may be wondering at the same time how much time are kids spending on homework? What are some factors most influence doing homework? And is it too much or too little?

Time Spent Studying
Recent studies found differing results about the time student spent on their studies.  One study found that 41% of elementary school students and 37% of middle/junior high students do not do any homework on a typical day. Another study  showed that middle and junior high school students spent about 45 minutes while elementary school students on the average spend about 35 minutes on homework.  Finally one study found that on the average, elementary school students spend 63 minutes on homework, and the middle/junior high students spend 77 minutes per day.  So even the research doesn’t give conclusive results about how much time students spend studying.

Factor that Influence Doing Homework

Two factors seem to have a great deal of influence on children’s homework habits. Seventy-five percent of students whose mothers had a college degree do homework, versus 49%-59% for students whose mothers have less education. Private school students (87%) are more likely to spend some time doing homework than those in public school (58%).

 How much is too much-and how much is not enough?
When considering the how much is too much vs. too little, it’s important to find reliable sources of information. Media attention has suggested that many American children are spending too much time completing homework assignments and that may be true for some students in this country.  But if we compare American children with children in other countries, such as Japan and Taiwan; American children complete much less homework. What’s important is that doing little or no homework in school can have negative long-term effect on children

It is critical to examine homework time in the relationship of students' other activities such as after-school activities and leisure-time activities, such as watching television. Children may be involved in too many after school activities and do no homework because their after-school time is consumed by these activities. On the other hand, students may be participating in passive leisure activities, like watching television, and do little or no homework. So finding a balance with leisure, extra-curricular activities, and homework is critical.  Homework may act as an additional stressor in the student's busy life as well as their parent if that balance is not found.  It’s important for parents to monitor homework fits in the balance of family life. Homework can enhance learning and achievement and develop independent work and study habits. Teachers and parent should try to be sensitive to the multiple demands on the students' time, while at the same time recognizing the potential benefits of homework.

 Source: University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension, The Ups & Downs of Adolescence, Homework-Yuck! August 2000. http://ianrww.unl.edu/ianr/fcs/upsdowns

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