Homework load leads to stressed families
For many families, the nightly struggle to get homework done while juggling family commitments, extracurricular activities and a barrage of appointments is foreboding. The stress it leaves in its wake leads many to wonder if the workload students bring home with them is justified.
A new study published in the American Journal of Family Therapy concludes that this hunch could be true.
The study surveyed 1,173 parents who had children in grades kindergarten through high school and found that students are receiving more homework than recommended by the National Education Association.
In 2006, the National Education Association endorsed the "10 Minute Rule," stating that 10-20 minutes per night in the first grade, and an additional 10 minutes per grade level thereafter, is an acceptable workload.
However, the study showed that even first- and second-grade children had two to three times the homework load recommended by the NEA.
"I have seen, especially in high school aged children, that they are staying up to 11-12 at night to do their homework because of extracurricular activities mixed in. I think it is leading to sleep deprivation and I have concerns about what it is doing in the long run," said Dr. Christina Swanson, a pediatrician with Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville.
"The issue is that so many kids are involved in extracurricular activities that the addition of homework on top of it is what leads to all of the stress. Two to three nights a week are spent at practices and it is increasingly more difficult to balance everything," Swanson said.
According to the study, the growing school workload not only affects the student, but it also has larger ramifications on the families.
"We found that homework load, parents' view of self-efficacy in assisting with homework, and language/cultural factors were all contributors to family stress. Additionally, we found that a major part of this picture was the expectation, among parents, that they assist their children with homework at the instructional level."
Based on their findings, some of the study's recommendations are:
• primary schools should adhere to the "10 Minute Rule" for homework;
• restructure homework so that parents can be agents of support instead of instructors;
• for parents to designate a special place for their child to study;
• insure that the child is in the designated homework spot, distraction free.
"Being organized is key, and being aware of what assignments they have so that they don't miss anything," says Swanson. "School comes first, so if it is becoming an issue, then it may be time to cut things out of the kid's schedule."