time for homework

REGISTRATION IS OPEN FOR OUR 60TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE!

Learning Disabilities Association of America

How Much Time Should Be Spent on Homework?

At the elementary level homework should be brief, at your child’s ability level and involve frequent, voluntary and high interest activities. Young students require high levels of feedback and/or supervision to help them complete assignments correctly. Accurate homework completion is influenced by your child’s ability, the difficulty of the task, and the amount of feedback your child receives. When assigning homework, your child’s teachers may struggle to create a balance at this age between ability, task difficulty and feedback. Unfortunately, there are no simple guiding principles.

We can assure you, however, that your input and feedback on a nightly basis is an essential component in helping your child benefit from the homework experience.

What is the recommended time in elementary school?

In first through third grade, students should receive one to three assignments per week, taking them no more than fifteen to twenty minutes. In fourth through sixth grade, students should receive two to four assignments per week, lasting between fifteen and forty-five minutes. At this age, the primarily goal of homework is to help your child develop the independent work and learning skills that will become critical in the higher grades. In the upper grades, the more time spent on homework the greater the achievement gains.

What is the recommended time in middle and high school?

For students in middle and high school grades there are greater overall benefits from time engaged in practicing and thinking about school work. These benefits do not appear to depend as much upon immediate supervision or feedback as they do for elementary students. In seventh through ninth grade we recommend students receive three to five sets of assignments per week, lasting between forty-five and seventy-five minutes per set. In high school students will receive four to five sets of homework per week, taking them between seventy-five and 150 minutes per set to complete.

As children progress through school, homework and the amount of time engaged in homework increases in importance. Due to the significance of homework at the older age levels, it is not surprising that there is more homework assigned. Furthermore, homework is always assigned in college preparatory classes and assigned at least three quarters of the time in special education and vocational training classes. Thus at any age, homework may indicate our academic expectations of children.

Regardless of the amount of homework assigned, many students unsuccessful or struggling in school spend less rather than more time engaged in homework. It is not surprising that students spending less time completing homework may eventually not achieve as consistently as those who complete their homework.

Does this mean that time devoted to homework is the key component necessary for achievement?

We are not completely certain. Some American educators have concluded that if students in America spent as much time doing homework as students in Asian countries they might perform academically as well. It is tempting to assume such a cause and effect relationship.

However, this relationship appears to be an overly simple conclusion. We know that homework is important as one of several influential factors in school success. However, other variables, including student ability, achievement, motivation and teaching quality influence the time students spend with homework tasks. Many students and their parents have told us they experience less difficulty being motivated and completing homework in classes in which they enjoyed the subject, the instruction, the assignments and the teachers.

The benefits from homework are the greatest for students completing the most homework and doing so correctly. Thus, students who devote time to homework are probably on a path to improved achievement. This path also includes higher quality instruction, greater achievement motivation and better skill levels.

Authors: Dr. Sam Goldstein and Dr. Sydney Zentall

How Much Time Should Be Spent on Homework Based on Grade?

A common question that parents always ask is, “How much time should my child dedicate to homework every day?” It’s not an easy question to answer. As we all know, every student learns differently from each other. While some kids do, substantially, better in school, by completing one hour of homework every day. There might be some others, who require two hours of homework, but only see a slight improvement in their grades.

To get to the bottom of this, we went to the experts for the answers! So here’s a break down of how much time your child should spend on homework according to their grade.

What is The Recommended Homework Time in Elementary School?

So before we give you a solid figure. We took a look at the results of a May 2012 study from the Los Angeles Unified School District . (Figure 1 below)

If your child is starting out in kindergarten and they receive some basic worksheets to complete for homework, the standard time they should spend on completing homework is 10 minutes per night.

Keep in mind, kindergarten childen might have shorter attention spans, than older kids, and might need a few intervals in between to complete their homework. So let them do it for 5 minutes, then take a 5 minute break, then continue for another 5 minutes to complete.

Usually, Grade 1 – 3 students receive one to three homework assignments per week. They suggest that your child spend at least 20 – 30 minutes per night on homework.

Grade 4 – 5 students who receive two to four assignments per week, should focus between 40 – 50 minutes on completing each assignment.

What is The Recommended Homework Time in Middle and High school?

As your child enters middle and high school, naturally, their home work time will increase. As subjects get harder and more information needs to be retained for exams, more time is needed to practice. Here are the home work time estimations for older students from the Los Angeles Unified School District . (Figure 2 below)

Students in middle school are from Grades 6 – 8. As class subjects require more attention and practice, middle school students get assigned three to five sets of assignments per week. We recommend that your child spend between 45 – 75 minutes per night.

Once your child is in highschool, Grade 9 – 12 students usually receive four to five sets of homework per week. According to Figure 2, high school students should focus about 25-30 minutes on each subject.

For example, if your child is in Grade 10 and has a Math and English assignment to do for homework, they should spend at least 30 minutes on English and 30 minutes on Math. If they take one or two short breaks, it works out to be 75 – 150 minutes per set to complete both assignments.

Get Homework Help For Your Kids At ICan Education!

Does your child need help completing their homework? ICan Education can help as we offer flexible Homework Help with tutors in Brampton, Mississauga, Milton, and Burlington!

ICAN Education tutoring centre has several locations in the GTA West, Mississauga, Brampton, Milton, and Burlington. To locate the closest ICAN Education centre near you, click here .

Do you have any tips to share with other parents and students about completing homework? Let us know by posting your comments below and let’s move the conversation to our Twitter Page @icanedu. Don’t forget to ‘Like’ ICAN Education’s Facebook and say ‘hi!’!

How much homework is too much?

School Me, Please is the advice column where early career educators can come for individualized guidance from seasoned educators who have a passion for mentoring. Have a problem or question for one of our experts to address on the blog? Send it to us via email at [email protected] .

My students are always complaining about the amount of homework I assign. Before, I just wrote those complaints off, but I've been seeing a lot of debate about how useful homework really is. How much is too much? - Always Assigning

Dear Always Assigning,

How much homework is too much is an age-old question, and there’s been a constantly shifting debate on this for as long as I’ve been teaching. Research tells us that homework has some benefits, especially in middle and high school. However, some districts and teachers are abandoning homework altogether. At the end of the day, it’s about what works best for you and your students, but here’s some insight that might help you make a decision.

First ensure your assignments are in line with school and district policy. I’d also ask your colleagues that teach similar grades and subjects. After these initial asks, start to consider factors like age, as elementary students are much different than high schoolers. Many districts follow the guideline of 10 minutes per grade level. This is a good rule of thumb and can be modified for specific students or subjects that need more or less time for assignments. This can also be helpful to gauge if you are providing too much (or too little) homework. Consider surveying your students on how much time is needed nightly to complete what you assign, then compare to the guideline number to see if you are on the right track.

Now think about your personal philosophy regarding homework. I tend to subscribe to the belief that homework is a reinforcement of skills already learned, and should be completed without the assistance of a teacher or adult. Homework, in this view, is a way of forming habits to set them up for success later in their education by teaching responsibility, time management, and how to complete a task. This is more common with elementary/primary teachers, as we see importance in children playing and being active after school and spending time with family members, in addition to their homework. In older students the benefit and purpose of homework is more academic.

It is important to consider individual learners as well as the environment in which they are doing their homework. Parents can be an important resource in assessing the student’s needs for homework since they have insights into how students work at home. When I’m struggling to create a personal plan for a student’s homework assignments, I always try and reach out to their parents to collaborate.

In reflecting on how much homework is appropriate, consider how much time is it taking your students, their age, what your purpose and goals are, and the type of assignment. Also, consider all learners and their ability and support working without a teacher. Looking at all these factors will help you determine if in fact you are asking too much in regards to time spent on homework.

By Lori Celiz , California

Reference s

Stay Informed We'll come to you

Great public schools for every student.

The student news site of Bellaire High School

Three Penny Press

Students spend three times longer on homework than average, survey reveals

Sonya Kulkarni and Pallavi Gorantla | January 9, 2022

Graphic by Sonya Kulkarni

The National Education Association and the National Parent Teacher Association have suggested that a healthy number of hours that students should be spending can be determined by the “10-minute rule.” This means that each grade level should have a maximum homework time incrementing by 10 minutes depending on their grade level (for instance, ninth-graders would have 90 minutes of homework, 10th-graders should have 100 minutes, and so on).

As ‘finals week’ rapidly approaches, students not only devote effort to attaining their desired exam scores but make a last attempt to keep or change the grade they have for semester one by making up homework assignments.

High schoolers reported doing an average of 2.7 hours of homework per weeknight, according to a study by the Washington Post from 2018 to 2020 of over 50,000 individuals. A survey of approximately 200 Bellaire High School students revealed that some students spend over three times this number.

The demographics of this survey included 34 freshmen, 43 sophomores, 54 juniors and 54 seniors on average.

When asked how many hours students spent on homework in a day on average, answers ranged from zero to more than nine with an average of about four hours. In contrast, polled students said that about one hour of homework would constitute a healthy number of hours.

Junior Claire Zhang said she feels academically pressured in her AP schedule, but not necessarily by the classes.

“The class environment in AP classes can feel pressuring because everyone is always working hard and it makes it difficult to keep up sometimes.” Zhang said.

A total of 93 students reported that the minimum grade they would be satisfied with receiving in a class would be an A. This was followed by 81 students, who responded that a B would be the minimum acceptable grade. 19 students responded with a C and four responded with a D.

“I am happy with the classes I take, but sometimes it can be very stressful to try to keep up,” freshman Allyson Nguyen said. “I feel academically pressured to keep an A in my classes.”

Up to 152 students said that grades are extremely important to them, while 32 said they generally are more apathetic about their academic performance.

Last year, nine valedictorians graduated from Bellaire. They each achieved a grade point average of 5.0. HISD has never seen this amount of valedictorians in one school, and as of now there are 14 valedictorians.

“I feel that it does degrade the title of valedictorian because as long as a student knows how to plan their schedule accordingly and make good grades in the classes, then anyone can be valedictorian,” Zhang said.

Bellaire offers classes like physical education and health in the summer. These summer classes allow students to skip the 4.0 class and not put it on their transcript. Some electives also have a 5.0 grade point average like debate.

Close to 200 students were polled about Bellaire having multiple valedictorians. They primarily answered that they were in favor of Bellaire having multiple valedictorians, which has recently attracted significant acclaim .

Senior Katherine Chen is one of the 14 valedictorians graduating this year and said that she views the class of 2022 as having an extraordinary amount of extremely hardworking individuals.

“I think it was expected since freshman year since most of us knew about the others and were just focused on doing our personal best,” Chen said.

Chen said that each valedictorian achieved the honor on their own and deserves it.

“I’m honestly very happy for the other valedictorians and happy that Bellaire is such a good school,” Chen said. “I don’t feel any less special with 13 other valedictorians.”

Nguyen said that having multiple valedictorians shows just how competitive the school is.

“It’s impressive, yet scary to think about competing against my classmates,” Nguyen said.

Offering 30 AP classes and boasting a significant number of merit-based scholars Bellaire can be considered a competitive school.

“I feel academically challenged but not pressured,” Chen said. “Every class I take helps push me beyond my comfort zone but is not too much to handle.”

Students have the opportunity to have off-periods if they’ve met all their credits and are able to maintain a high level of academic performance. But for freshmen like Nguyen, off periods are considered a privilege. Nguyen said she usually has an hour to five hours worth of work everyday.

“Depending on the day, there can be a lot of work, especially with extra curriculars,” Nguyen said. “Although, I am a freshman, so I feel like it’s not as bad in comparison to higher grades.”

According to the survey of Bellaire students, when asked to evaluate their agreement with the statement “students who get better grades tend to be smarter overall than students who get worse grades,” responders largely disagreed.

Zhang said that for students on the cusp of applying to college, it can sometimes be hard to ignore the mental pressure to attain good grades.

“As a junior, it’s really easy to get extremely anxious about your GPA,” Zhang said. “It’s also a very common but toxic practice to determine your self-worth through your grades but I think that we just need to remember that our mental health should also come first. Sometimes, it’s just not the right day for everyone and one test doesn’t determine our smartness.”

Clarissa Li looks up as they perform their poem Ode to Autocorrect. Li derived inspiration for their poem from a creative writing camp they attended.

The people behind the poems

Assistant principal Terri Williams works at her desk in her office. She is proud to be a Black administrator and hopes to be someone who students feel comfortable approaching with their needs.

HUMANS OF BELLAIRE – Black History Month

HUMANS OF BELLAIRE – Alexandra Maglaras, 11

Sophomore Jasmin Andres enjoys a break during marching band practice to take her BeReal at Butler stadium. She takes the image past the notification and uploads a late BeReal.

Time to BeReal: Users capture daily memories

Senior Victoria Allen poses next to a Galapagos giant tortoise. Allen said the experience opened [her] eyes to the untouched beauty of our planet, and encouraged her to become more sustainable.

HUMANS OF BELLAIRE 2022-2023

Sophomore Luke Wang introduces the Business Professions of America (BPA) club to a prospective student. Wang is the vice president of marketing for BPA.

Cardinal Kickoff

Senior Miguel Delgado-Olguin squeezes his eyes shut in joy as he plays the piano.

Performances and a ‘petting zoo’

Senior Alexandra Foox uses markers to decorate the lunch bags. The bags are being sent to Kids Meals Houston.

Food bags for Kids’ Meals Houston

Leyla Mejia pins her second opponent for the day as she carries the most wins for Bellaire that day

“It’s all about your mindset”

Entertainment

Stuck on the sidelines

Senior Ria Nanjundan performs as Abigail Williams in The Crucible for Red Bird Productions. Nanjundan said that whenever [she] feels angry or sad, [she] always channels that into acting.

HUMANS OF BELLAIRE – Ria Nanjundan, 12

Ms. C. Vu and her son, Chase, wear their ao dais in their home around traditional Tet decorations. Decorations often involve the color red and carry a cultural significance of promoting greater luck and prosperity for the coming new year.

New Moon: ‘A new growth or a new start’

Brianna Shannon and her husband Devonte Jones at the Washington Monument in D.C. in November of 2022. This was around the same time they met in 2013.

A Bellaire love story

Sami Hasnie stands inside his house with his sister. Hasnie said he wants to take advantage of [his] American education and go back [to the UAE].

HUMANS OF BELLAIRE – Sami Hasnie, 10

The student news site of Bellaire High School

Letter to the Editor

Comments (4)

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Kassie • May 6, 2022 at 12:29 pm

Im using this for an English report. This is great because on of my sources needed to be from another student. Homework drives me insane. Im glad this is very updated too!!

Kaylee Swaim • Jan 25, 2023 at 9:21 pm

I am also using this for an English report. I have to do an argumentative essay about banning homework in schools and this helps sooo much!

E. Elliott • Apr 25, 2022 at 6:42 pm

I’m from Louisiana and am actually using this for an English Essay thanks for the information it was very informative.

Nabila Wilson • Jan 10, 2022 at 6:56 pm

Interesting with the polls! I didn’t realize about 14 valedictorians, that’s crazy.

How Much Homework Is Enough? Depends Who You Ask

African American boy studies for science test from home

Editor’s note: This is an adapted excerpt from You, Your Child, and School: Navigate Your Way to the Best Education ( Viking)—the latest book by author and speaker Sir Ken Robinson (co-authored with Lou Aronica), published in March. For years, Robinson has been known for his radical work on rekindling creativity and passion in schools, including three bestselling books (also with Aronica) on the topic. His TED Talk “Do Schools Kill Creativity?” holds the record for the most-viewed TED talk of all time, with more than 50 million views. While Robinson’s latest book is geared toward parents, it also offers educators a window into the kinds of education concerns parents have for their children, including on the quality and quantity of homework.

The amount of homework young people are given varies a lot from school to school and from grade to grade. In some schools and grades, children have no homework at all. In others, they may have 18 hours or more of homework every week. In the United States, the accepted guideline, which is supported by both the National Education Association and the National Parent Teacher Association, is the 10-minute rule: Children should have no more than 10 minutes of homework each day for each grade reached. In 1st grade, children should have 10 minutes of daily homework; in 2nd grade, 20 minutes; and so on to the 12th grade, when on average they should have 120 minutes of homework each day, which is about 10 hours a week. It doesn’t always work out that way.

In 2013, the University of Phoenix College of Education commissioned a survey of how much homework teachers typically give their students. From kindergarten to 5th grade, it was just under three hours per week; from 6th to 8th grade, it was 3.2 hours; and from 9th to 12th grade, it was 3.5 hours.

There are two points to note. First, these are the amounts given by individual teachers. To estimate the total time children are expected to spend on homework, you need to multiply these hours by the number of teachers they work with. High school students who work with five teachers in different curriculum areas may find themselves with 17.5 hours or more of homework a week, which is the equivalent of a part-time job. The other factor is that these are teachers’ estimates of the time that homework should take. The time that individual children spend on it will be more or less than that, according to their abilities and interests. One child may casually dash off a piece of homework in half the time that another will spend laboring through in a cold sweat.

Do students have more homework these days than previous generations? Given all the variables, it’s difficult to say. Some studies suggest they do. In 2007, a study from the National Center for Education Statistics found that, on average, high school students spent around seven hours a week on homework. A similar study in 1994 put the average at less than five hours a week. Mind you, I [Robinson] was in high school in England in the 1960s and spent a lot more time than that—though maybe that was to do with my own ability. One way of judging this is to look at how much homework your own children are given and compare it to what you had at the same age.

Many parents find it difficult to help their children with subjects they’ve not studied themselves for a long time, if at all.

There’s also much debate about the value of homework. Supporters argue that it benefits children, teachers, and parents in several ways:

Want to know more about Sir Ken Robinson? Check out our Q&A with him.

Q&A With Sir Ken Robinson

Ashley Norris is assistant dean at the University of Phoenix College of Education. Commenting on her university’s survey, she says, “Homework helps build confidence, responsibility, and problem-solving skills that can set students up for success in high school, college, and in the workplace.”

That may be so, but many parents find it difficult to help their children with subjects they’ve not studied themselves for a long time, if at all. Families have busy lives, and it can be hard for parents to find time to help with homework alongside everything else they have to cope with. Norris is convinced it’s worth the effort, especially, she says, because in many schools, the nature of homework is changing. One influence is the growing popularity of the so-called flipped classroom.

In the stereotypical classroom, the teacher spends time in class presenting material to the students. Their homework consists of assignments based on that material. In the flipped classroom, the teacher provides the students with presentational materials—videos, slides, lecture notes—which the students review at home and then bring questions and ideas to school where they work on them collaboratively with the teacher and other students. As Norris notes, in this approach, homework extends the boundaries of the classroom and reframes how time in school can be used more productively, allowing students to “collaborate on learning, learn from each other, maybe critique [each other’s work], and share those experiences.”

Even so, many parents and educators are increasingly concerned that homework, in whatever form it takes, is a bridge too far in the pressured lives of children and their families. It takes away from essential time for their children to relax and unwind after school, to play, to be young, and to be together as a family. On top of that, the benefits of homework are often asserted, but they’re not consistent, and they’re certainly not guaranteed.

Sign Up for EdWeek Update

Edweek top school jobs.

Images shows colorful speech bubbles that say "Q," "&," and "A."

Sign Up & Sign In

How to Make a Better Homework Schedule for Your Family

Cara Lustik is a fact-checker and copywriter. She has more than 15 years of experience crafting stories in the branding, licensing, and entertainment industries.

Verywell / Zackary Angeline

Why Homework Schedules Are Effective

Developing a Schedule

Other Considerations

Next in Back to School Planning Guide How to Help Your Kids Succeed in School

Do you frequently have homework struggles with your child or teen? Or, does your student procrastinate doing their work? Maybe they even fail to turn in assignments. If any of these scenarios resonate with you, a better homework schedule may help.

A regular homework schedule establishes predictable times when homework is to be completed. Once the homework schedule has been in place for a few weeks, you may even find your child will begin doing their homework without needing to be reminded—although you may still need to monitor their work progress.

If you're struggling with homework completion in your household, or if you're having daily battles about allotting the appropriate amount of time to homework, you're not alone. That's why educators recommend developing a homework schedule—with input from your kids.

Once you set a homework schedule, then there are no questions about when the work will be done. It also communicates clear expectations; having a homework schedule helps kids understand what is required of them. And following the schedule encourages them to develop a good work ethic.

Schedules also help prevent procrastination and instill good habits like completing work on time. Homework routines also improve study skills and encourage kids to plan ahead.

Other benefits include developing your child's work ethic and organizational abilities. By helping your child complete their work at regular intervals, you are modeling how to manage time and projects in the future. When you send them off to college , they will know how to pace their work so they can avoid all-nighters at the end of the semester.

How to Develop a Homework Schedule

To develop a homework schedule, start by talking with your kids. Get their input on how they would like to manage their time and incorporate their homework into their daily routine. A successful homework schedule allows kids to finish their work and also have some free time.

Give Kids an Option

If you ask kids when they want to do their homework, their first answer might be "Never" or "Later." But if you dig a little deeper, your child may tell you what matters to them as they plan their schedule. This information will help you avoid scheduling homework during their favorite television program or when they usually get online to play games with friends.

When you include your child in the decision-making process, you also will get more buy-in from them because they know that their concerns were heard. You don't have to give them their way, but at least considering what they have to say will let them feel included. After all, this homework schedule is about them completing their homework.

Allow for Free Time

Some kids can step through the front door and buckle down on their homework right away. When this happens, they reap the reward of getting their work done early and having the rest of the evening to do what they want. But most kids need to eat and decompress a bit before tackling their assignments.

As you develop your homework schedule, keep in mind your child has already spent at least six hours in class. And this time doesn't include getting to and from school or participation in extracurricular programs . Allow kids some free time before beginning their homework if that's what they need to unwind.

Establish a Timeline

Generally, you can expect about 10 minutes of homework per grade level of school. This means that a third-grade student will need about 30 minutes to complete homework. However, the amount of time needed can vary dramatically between students, teachers, and schools.

Find out how much time your child's teacher expects homework to take each evening. If your child takes a lot of time to complete their work or struggles with homework , talk with the teacher. Your child may need extra instruction on a task or tutoring assistance—or fewer homework assignments.

Pick a Homework Spot

Designate a comfortable and efficient spot for your kids to do their homework. This workspace should be well-lit, stocked with supplies , and quiet. The workspace should allow you to provide some supervision.

If you have multiple kids trying to complete their homework at one time, you may want to find a separate location for each child. Sometimes kids can complete their homework together at the kitchen table, but other times having siblings around can be distracting. Do what works best for your family.

Put It All Together

Now that you know what your child's needs and concerns are for finding a time to do homework, you need to come up with the actual plan. Creating a homework routine is really just one piece of creating a daily school year routine .

For the homework time itself, get it down on paper so you can see exactly what they will be doing and when they will be doing it. Do this for each day of the week if you have different activities on different weekdays. Students who are assigned larger projects will need to review their homework plans regularly to make adjustments as needed.

Expect your child to work consistently throughout the assigned time. Avoid having multiple homework sessions, such as one before dinner and a second one after dinner. Starting and stopping may mean children may spend more time getting into what they are doing than working continuously.

Be Consistent

Once you have decided on a time to do homework, stick to the plan! It usually takes about three weeks for most children to really get into the habit of their new schedule.

If your child or teen has difficulty maintaining concentration for the length of time that their homework should take, then you may want to carefully consider breaking up the work to take advantage of the time when your child can focus.

This added step is especially important for children and teens with depression or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). They may benefit from multiple smaller work sessions and more frequent breaks.

Even though the idea behind creating a homework schedule is to get your child to work consistently and independently, you may need to look over their work when they are done. This is especially important for younger children.

Make sure they understand their assignments and that they completed a reasonable amount of work during the homework session. If you find your child is having trouble actually working during their homework time, troubleshoot to find out what might be the issue. Sometimes kids need extra help and other times they simply need more motivation to get their work done.

If you find that your child continues to struggle with homework even with a schedule in place, you might need to dig a little deeper. Consider discussing your child's issues with their teacher or pediatrician.

Sometimes kids are reluctant to complete their homework because of undiagnosed learning disabilities. It could be that your child struggles with reading comprehension or has a processing disorder. Or it could be that your child is struggling with a mental health issue like anxiety .

A Word From Verywell

Establishing a homework schedule allows children to build some important life skills that will help them as they navigate high school, college, and eventually the workforce. Practice is important when kids are learning new skills. So, having a nightly homework routine enhances your child's learning. Just be sure you aren't requiring homework time at the expense of being a kid. Having time to play is just as important to a child's development as learning new material.

National Institute of Mental Health. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder .

By Lisa Linnell-Olsen Lisa Linnell-Olsen has worked as a support staff educator, and is well-versed in issues of education policy and parenting issues.

By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.

Too much homework: Should we apply the ’10-minute rule’ strictly?

It can seem unthinkable to ascribe just 10 minutes of homework per day to students.

In countries like Singapore where the pursuit of top grades is intense, 15-year-old students are assigned 9.4 hours of homework weekly, according to data from the OECD. Teens in Shanghai spend the most hours per week on homework (14 hours) globally.

On the other extreme end of the spectrum, high school students in Finland get less than three hours of homework per week.

But in the US, the standard for decades has been the “10-minute rule,” a guideline supported by both the National Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and the National Education Association.

This rule recommends that students are assigned a daily maximum of 10 minutes of homework per grade level. This mean that a third-grader, for example, should do 30 minutes of homework each night. When they reach high school, this goes up to about two hours each night.

Proposed by Harris Cooper of Duke University, the leading researcher on homework, middle-school students are recommended to do take on 90 minutes per day of homework – this is the optimal figure to enhance their academic achievement. For high school students, they should aim for 90 minutes to two and a half hours per day.

OECD data show 15-year-olds are assigned 6.1 hours of homework per week. This largely corresponds with a 2003 research from the Brookings Institution and the Rand Corporation.

The research had found that despite popular assumption, the majority of students in US schools only spend less than an hour a day on homework. This figure applies regardless of grade level and has been so for most of the past five decades, according to research from the Brookings Institution.

“Homework is beneficial, but only to a degree.” Here’s what the research shows for different grade levels. https://t.co/s3MLK1Uj8n — edutopia (@edutopia) September 28, 2019

In the updated 2014 version , research again shows “little evidence that the homework load has increased for the average student” despite news reports depicting students are now burdened by so much homework that their health and well-being are under attack. Those assigned more than two hours of homework per night are a minority, the research found.

“In national polls, parents are more likely to say their children have too little homework than too much. And a solid majority says the amount of their children’s homework is about right,” the report said.

For the minority who are struggling with too much homework daily, studies show this would cause them more harm than good.

When middle school students were assigned more than 90-100 minutes of homework daily, they ended up performing worse on maths and science, one 2015 study found. It could also be counter-productive once fatigue, stress, and a loss of interest in academics set in.

But all this focus on numbers should not distract us from the quality of homework set. Different students have different capabilities. Struggling students – or economically disadvantaged ones – may end up taking twice as much time to complete an assignment compared to a more able peer.

Writing in Education Next , Janine Bempechat, a clinical professor of human development at the Boston University defined high-quality homework as: “Assignments that are developmentally appropriate and meaningful and that promote self-efficacy and self-regulation. Meaningful homework is authentic, allowing students to engage in solving problems with real-world relevance. More specifically, homework tasks should make efficient use of student time and have a clear purpose connected to what they are learning.”

More quality in homework also makes students believe in their competence when they accomplish something, especially for struggling students.

“Students whose teachers have trained them to adopt strategies such as goal setting, self-monitoring, and planning develop a number of personal assets—improved time management, increased self-efficacy, greater effort and interest, a desire for mastery, and a decrease in helplessness,” Bempechat wrote.

Liked this? Then you’ll love…

Should teachers assign homework over school breaks?

5 fine motor skills that are linked to student development

You can now apply for your US student visa one year in advance

From studying architecture to designing the Burj Khalifa, Central Park Tower, and many more

“I’m a product of a public school education”: Tim Cook and his rise to Apple CEO

Play Systems

Free Standing Play

In-Stock Playgrounds

View All Plans & Tools

Introduction

Post-Purchase

How much homework is too much? Both the National Education Association and the National PTA support the standard of ten minutes of homework per grade level and ensuring that there is a general limit to how much time students spend studying after school. While many school districts have adopted these guidelines, many parents, teachers, and students themselves have spoken out about the stress and lack of free time caused by too much homework. There is a growing movement that calls for giving students more freedom to play , explore, socialize, and discover what excites them. However, many believe that homework and studying are crucial tools for academic success and character development. This infographic from Playground Equipment takes a data-driven approach to homework in America and homework around the world to help gain a more balanced perspective.

Click to view the full-size image

Are Students in the United States Getting Too Much Homework? - PlaygroundEquipment.com - Infographic

Embed this image on your site:

<a href="https://www.playgroundequipment.com/are-students-in-the-united-states-getting-too-much-homework/"><img src="https://www.playgroundequipment.com/image/data/content/students-too-much-homework-2.png.png" alt="Are Students in the United States Getting Too Much Homework? - PlaygroundEquipment.com - Infographic" title="Are Students in the United States Getting Too Much Homework? - Playgroundequipment.com - Infographic"></a><br><a href="http://www.PlaygroundEquipment.com" alt="PlaygroundEquipment.com" title="PlaygroundEquipment.com">PlaygroundEquipment.com</a>

Here are the top 20 U.S. states with the most homework in elementary and middle school in minutes per day:

Here are the top 20 U.S. states with the most homework in high school in minutes per day:

What Countries Give the Most Homework?

If you are curious about what countries have the most homework, we have compiled data to provide insight into how homework around the world is incorporated into the daily routines of students. Here are the top ten countries where children spend the most time on homework:

Pros and Cons of Homework

Is homework helpful? Or is homework harmful? There’s plenty of research that supports both sides. Here are a few pros and cons of homework to consider:

This infographic is brought to you by Playground Equipment Commercial Playgrounds .

Edited by: Ben Thompson

Connect With Us

PlaygroundEquipment.com 10859 East Washington Street, Suite 200 Indianapolis, IN 46229-2615 Toll Free 1-800-667-0097 International 1-317-747-0203 Fax 1-317-855-9247

Free Catalogs

2 Panel Rope Challenger 3 Panel Cyclone Challenger Get Physical Series 3-Wheel Overhead Spinner 4 Panel Rope Challenger 6-Pack Rhino Skin Playground Balls 90-Degree Swinging Ring Ladder Alpharetta Bamboo Arch Bridge Bamboo Climber Bumbling Betsy Fun Bounce Circle Overhead Swinging Ring Ladder Combination Manhole Rope Climber Curve Rung Horizontal Ladder Curved Overhead Swinging Ring Ladder Deluxe Tether Ball Set Dog Climb Dog Crawl Through Dog Grooming Table Accessory Pad Double Station Arm Rotation Double Station Chest Press Double Station Glider Double Station Lat Pulldown Double Station Leg Press Double Station Pendulum Swing with Leg Lift Double Station Pendulum Swing Double Station Pommel Horse Double Station Retractors Double Station Sit Up Bench Double Station Sky Walker Double Station Stretching Post Double Station Tai Chi Hand Swing Double Tilted Lily Pad Bridge Fidget Spinner | PFS051 Filbert Frog Fun Bounce Floating Tunnel Bridge Floating Tunnel Climber Flower Drum Freestanding Ball Maze Panel with Posts Freestanding Chime Panel with Posts Freestanding Finger Maze Panel with Posts Freestanding Plinko Panel with Posts Freestanding Spelling Panel with Posts Gable Roof Galaxy Disc | PFS058 Harry Hopper Fun Bounce Get Physical Series Inclined Floating Tunnel Climber Kings Carousel | PFS060 Loop Whirler | PFS055 Climb Together or Alone - Lunar Leap 3D Net Climber Maximum Series Sea Creature Climber Maximum Series Spiral Climber Maximum Series Wavy PE Rock Climbing Wall Merry-Go-Round Net Climber Mission Ready School-Friendly Climber Space-Themed Rope Climber for Primary School Get Physical Series Net Climber Overhead Inverted Horizon Climber Pebble Path Pixel Bridge | Free Standing Pixel Climbers Poly Pony Fun Bounce Free Standing Tree House Rock Climbing Wall Parts | Climbing Structures Plastic Climbers Regal Rocket | PFS054 RockWell Teeter Duo Shoots and Roots Single Pebble Single Pirouette | PFS053 Single Station Fit Rider Single Station Horizontal Ladder Single Station Push Up Bar Single Station Rower Single Station Sky Walker Single Station Vertical Ladder Spark Series 3D Climber Spark Series Ball Maze Panel Spark Series Braille Panel Spark Series Deck to Deck Dip Stair Step Ladder Spark Series Pea Pod Step Climber Spark Series Snake Climber Wavy Spark Series Twist Arch Ladder Spark Series Wavy PE Rock Climbing Wall Spark Series Zipper Climber Square Net Climber | Traditional Climbers Stacked Ground to Deck Pixel Stand-N-Spin | Playground Spinners Spin Faster & Climb Higher on the Starship Orbiter Straight Rung Horizontal Ladder Straight Snake Loop Ladder | Traditional Climbers Straight Swinging Ring Ladder | Traditional Climbers Straight Trapezoid Loop Ladder | Traditional Climbers Nylon Wrapped Steel Ropes in a Steel Frame Stump Store Panel Stump Window Panel Sunrise Climber Swerving Spindle | PFS052 Tommy Truck Fun Bounce Get Physical Series Tower of Rings Tree House Ball Maze Panel Tree House Bubble Panel Tree House Plinko Panel Tree House Tic Tac Toe Panel Treetop Connection Whizzy Dizzy | Free Spinning Play Structures

Articles & Guides

When is the best time to do homework?

While the morning get-up-get-ready-get-to-school-and-work rush is bad enough, the afternoons can be just as tiring. Parents are exhausted from working and running around all day and kids are tired from being in school. And now it’s time for homework.

Many parents have to listen to the heartfelt pleas of “Can I watch just a half hour of TV first? Pleassssse.” Do you give in?

Is it better for kids to get right down to homework so they can relax the rest of the night or relax first and wait to tackle it until later in the afternoon or evening? This a common debate in many households on a nightly basis.

Our experts offer their advice on which option might be better for your family.

Option #1: Homework right after school

When the kids come home and head straight into homework, the work of the day is fresh in their minds. It can be easier to help them understand problems being asked or to recall suggestions from their teachers.

Homework right after school may also instill a sense of accomplishment and timeliness about work that needs to be done. Instead of procrastinating, homework is finished and the night ahead is clear.

Drew Edwards, author of “ How to Handle a Hard-to-Handle Kid ,” suggests, “the best time could be right after school, in the afternoon after a short break.”

It may be hard for you or your after-school sitter to get kids to focus after being cooped up in school all day. As P.E. classes are shortened and art and music classes are cancelled, there is nowhere for kids to let off steam during the day. If you think your child could use 30 minutes to decompress after school, allow it. But when homework is finished, don’t let mindless television take up the evening. Play a card or board game or color some pictures.

Option #2: A short break before homework

Some kids, like some adults, need time to shift from one task to another. The walk home after school may not be enough time to switch from the classroom to the family home and post-dinner may be the best time to start homework with your kids. Playing outside with friends who aren’t in their class or just having time to relax in their own home before settling in to homework for the evening might be a better plan for some families.

Patti Ghezzi , an educational journalist and founder of the blog Get Schooled , thinks that “not all kids can focus on homework right after finishing a long day at school. Consider giving your child a chance to play and relax before starting homework.”

Option #3: Homework after dinner

Homework after dinner may work best for your family too if there are two parents working outside the house. Helping with difficult assignments or test prep (if you can handle the pressure!) can be a time for bonding between parent and child. Lessons learned from mom or dad (who are the first teachers, after all) can have a huge impact in children’s lives.

In the meantime, fill after-school hours by letting children “help” you in the kitchen making dinner as part of their down time, or try yoga or stretching, along with 30 minutes of exercise to get the final wiggles out. That way, homework can take center stage after dinner.

The pitfalls of doing homework after dinner, though, include an over-tired child who doesn’t want to do homework — thus putting off bedtime.

If after-dinner homework isn’t working, consider switching to right after school, but prepare yourself for a little foot dragging. Consider making a game-time decision when your child gets home from school. If math homework tends to be the most time consuming and your child informs you that’s what’s on tonight’s agenda, completing it before dinner may be the way to go.

Time is of the essence when it comes to kids’ schedules. They might be struggling through homework and juggling recitals, lessons and practice now, but soon you’ll be spending hours helping them apply to college. The after-school craziness will be nothing but a happy memory you might actually miss.

40 funny dog jokes for kids of all ages

How much does a tutor cost?

Teething rash: 4 things you need to know

101 fun activities for preschoolers

20 single mom survival tips from other single moms

What causes painful letdown and how to get relief

Like what you're reading?

Join Care for FREE

Email is required.

Click 'Next' to start an account and get tips, tricks and trending stories.

Already Registered

The email address you entered is already registered. Would you like to log in?

Almost done!

Create a free account to access our nation wide network of background checked caregivers.

First name is required.

Last name is required.

Zip code is required.

We're sorry, your request could not be processed at this time. Please click here to try again.

By clicking "Join now," you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy .

Welcome to Care!

You're on your way to finding someone your family will love.

IMAGES

Countries Who Spend the Most Time Doing Homework
Telling the time homework worksheet
Homework Time stock photo. Image of paper, children, learn
Homework Time
Time homework
How Much Time Should Be Spent on Homework?

VIDEO

Time difference in schools 😏
What's The Time ? #shorts
how does the time go at school
Free time in classroom
6 minutes after starting homework
Vishwa's first-time homework

COMMENTS

5 Tips for First Time Homebuyers
Shopping for your first home can be an exciting and daunting experience. Working with a real estate agent can save you time and money. The agent can search through available listings with the click of a button and look for properties that m...
Why Is Time Important?
Time is important because it is scarce. When things are scarce, they become valuable because people can’t get enough to satisfy their needs. Since no one can reclaim lost time, it’s important to make the most of the time one has on Earth.
Why Is Homework Good?
Homework is good because it gives students a chance to practice and internalize information presented during classroom lessons. It also encourages parents to get involved in the student’s education.
How Much Time Should Be Spent on Homework?
In first through third grade, students should receive one to three assignments per week, taking them no more than fifteen to twenty minutes. In fourth through
How Much Time Should Be Spent on Homework Based on Grade?
Once your child is in highschool, Grade 9 – 12 students usually receive four to five sets of homework per week. According to Figure 2, high school students
How much homework is too much?
Many districts follow the guideline of 10 minutes per grade level. This is a good rule of thumb and can be modified for specific students or
Students spend three times longer on homework than average
When asked how many hours students spent on homework in a day on average, answers ranged from zero to more than nine with an average of about
How Much Homework Is Enough? Depends Who You Ask (Opinion)
In the United States, the accepted guideline, which is supported by both the National Education Association and the National Parent Teacher
What's the Right Amount of Homework?
The National PTA and the National Education Association support the “10-minute homework guideline”—a nightly 10 minutes of homework per grade
How to Make a Better Homework Schedule for Your Family
Generally, you can expect about 10 minutes of homework per grade level of school. This means that a third-grade student will need about 30
Too much homework: Should we apply the 10-minute rule strictly?
This rule recommends that students are assigned a daily maximum of 10 minutes of homework per grade level. This mean that a third-grader, for
Are Students in the United States Getting Too Much Homework?
How much homework is too much? Both the National Education Association and the National PTA support the standard of ten minutes of homework per grade level
How long should I spend doing homework in high school?
On average, high school students spend a minimum of seven and a half hours a week on homework at night. Is it time to rethink the overextended KID?
When is the best time to do homework?
Homework after dinner may work best for your family too if there are two parents working outside the house. Helping with difficult assignments