How to Get Your Child's School to Stop Giving Too Much Homework

You may think all that homework is helping your child learn better and become more disciplined, but it might not be all it's cracked up to be. A 2012 study from the University of Virginia examining survey and transcript data of more than 18,000 10th-grade students found that kids who did their homework were no better off grade-wise than kids who didn't do it; however, the kids who did their homework did tend to do better on standardized tests. The National Education Association generally recommends 10 minutes of homework per night in 1st grade and 10 minutes more per grade level. If you think your kids are doing too much, get the facts and then try to enlist some help.

Instructions

    • 1

      Sit down with your child as he goes through his homework. Resist the urge to over-help, but instead let him do the work on his own. Observe whether he's having trouble finishing the work because of lack of instruction, lack of knowledge, wasting time or other reasons. Make note of problem areas and how long it takes him to complete each subject.

    • 2

      Schedule an appointment with your child's teacher or teachers to discuss the issue. If you find that one teacher or one subject is taking longer than others, focus on that subject. Tell the teacher the problems your child is encountering, and remind the teacher that you're aware of the NEA guidelines for the amount of homework kids should be doing. If your child's homework load is in excess of that, ask the teacher to ease off.

    • 3

      Talk to other parents in your child's class or classes to find out where other parents stand on the issue. If the problem persists and you find that other parents are in agreement, write a group letter to the teacher, asking for less homework. If you don't get anywhere with an individual teacher, share your letter with the principal or leadership team at the school and ask for help solving the problem.

    • 4

      Approach the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) at your child's school for help. Members of the PTA may have other solutions for dealing with individual teachers. They may also have advice for approaching the administration with the problem.

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