by Rachel Stockton

Created on: February 01, 2009   Last Updated: April 26, 2009

In 1983, an important white paper was released; entitled "A Nation at Risk," it bemoaned the "mediocrity" of education in the United States. Prepared by former President Ronald Reagan's National Commission on Excellence in Education, the report intimated that schools had tried too hard to alleviate social problems they were ill-equipped to handle. Thus, it was the Commission's opinion that our education system was in a state of crisis. This gave rise, many pundits suggest, to the "outcome" based, standardized mentality that precipitated Clinton's Goals 2000 and Bush's No Child Left Behind.

The result of emphasizing outcome based results is that subject matter has been dropped down a grade, in order to satisfy testing requirements. For example, what was once presented to first graders is now given to kindergartners, etc.

Thus, homework has significantly increased for younger kids. In the 6-8 age range, the percentage of students who regularly have homework has risen from 1/3 (in 1981) to 1/2 by the late 1990s.

Kids are stressed, parents are stressed, and teachers are stressed. Does that mean that homework should be done away with entirely?

Of course not; there's a definite need for commons sense in this regard. Throwing out the baby with the bathwater isn't a viable option. Homework does the following:

*It helps teachers present necessary curricula to the students. Teachers have, on average, 40 minutes of classroom time, per subject.

*While studies have shown that homework has no real benefit to a child's learning until the fifth grade, it provides students with a good habit that will serve their academic careers well as they get older.

*Reading assignments can help mold students into lifelong readers and learners. After all, many adults enjoy reading during their vacations and on weekends. Requiring a child to read during "down" times can help them develop a positive habit.

Now, in the arena of homework, there comes a point where a student can definitely be getting "too much of a good thing." Big projects over spring or Christmas break, for example, interfere with family time. Reading assignments, are one thing, but major research projects are quite another. If your child is frequently taking home massive assignments on the weekends and holidays, a conference with his teacher may be in order. Communication between parent and teacher is the first step towards compromise; direct dialogue may be necessary to strike a balance that satisfies the needs of the student, his family, and the school system.

Learn more about this author, Rachel Stockton.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.