Homework: How much is too much?

Homework is very useful in helping children to learn and schools have been using it effectively for many years but have teachers ever thought about how much homework is being given? Too much homework can be detrimental, and children will benefit from homework only when the right amount is assigned. Some people may say that the more homework children get, the more they learn, but I say that too much homework can cause stress, impact a child’s freedom and can cause them to lose faith in teachers.

First of all, homework can cause a lot of stress for children. Just having homework does not cause enough stress to cause an impact, but having too much can cause more stress than children can handle. Clifton B. Parker, a social sciences writer at Stanford News, says “Students in high-achieving communities who spend too much time on homework experience more stress, physical health problems, a lack of balance and even alienation from society.” (Parker, 2014) This shows us that too much homework can cause great impacts on children in their early years, which may affect them later on in life.

Second of all, too much homework can cause them to lose faith in teachers. Teachers are expected to help children in their learning. They are being helpful by assigning homework, but usually, they do not know how much they are actually assigning. According to Prad Vongpusanachai, a student at UWCSEA, there is a difference between the amount of homework teachers expect children to do, and the amount that is actually done. If children receive too much homework from their teachers, they may start to lose faith, or dislike them. As assignments get harder and children become more reluctant to talk to teachers, it can heavily impact their learning.

Lastly, too much homework can impact the amount of free time children get. The more time children have to spend on homework, the less time they have to spend on their passions. John Buell, an author of many articles and books relating to homework says “Free time plays a key role in fostering both creativity and emotional development, factors just as basic to long term success as an academic gains.” (Buell, 2000) How much homework is the perfect balance between learning and free time? According to a survey done on students in 7ELy, they think that approximately 1 hour of homework is the most effective balance between learning and recreation. Adding on to that, how serious is this problem of reduced free time? Well, out of 118 7th grade students asked “How much homework do you do each night?” Only 52 students said they do less than 1.5 hours of homework each night. On the other hand, 66 said they do more than 1.5 hours of homework each night, with 16 saying they do more than 2.5 hours of homework each night. This shows that the problem is quite serious, and impacts a lot more than half of the student population.

In conclusion, Homework can be very important in helping children to learn well in school, but too much can cause stress, less free time and less faith in teachers. Children with too much homework may still do well in school, but may have less benefits later in life compared with children that have less homework. This may not seem too serious, but in reality, it impacts more than half of the students at school. All of the effects may start to snowball, and can heavily impact the future of many children. This is why I think that teachers should reconsider the amount of homework they give children, so that children can have a better time in school, and live a better life.




Parker, Clifton B. "Stanford Research Shows Pitfalls of Homework." Stanford University. N.p., n.d. Web.

Buell, John. "Back to School: Why Homework Is Bad for Kids." Alternet. N.p., 22 Aug. 2000. Web.