how much homework do italian students get

• Countries Who Spend the Most Time Doing Homework

Homework is an important aspect of the education system and is often dreaded by the majority of students all over the world. Although many teachers and educational scholars believe homework improves education performance, many critics and students disagree and believe there is no correlation between homework and improving test scores.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is an intergovernmental organization. With headquarters in Paris, the organization was formed for the purpose of stimulating global trade and economic progress among member states. In 2009, the OECD conducted a detailed study to establish the number of hours allocated for doing homework by students around the world and conducted the research in 38 member countries. The test subjects for the study were 15 year old high school students in countries that used PISA exams in their education systems. The results showed that in Shanghai, China the students had the highest number of hours of homework with 13.8 hours per week. Russia followed, where students had an average of 9.7 hours of homework per week. Finland had the least amount of homework hours with 2.8 hours per week, followed closely by South Korea with 2.9 hours. Among all the countries tested, the average homework time was 4.9 hours per week.

Interpretation of the data

Although students from Finland spent the least amount of hours on their homework per week, they performed relatively well on tests which discredits the notion of correlation between the number of hours spent on homework with exam performance. Shanghai teenagers who spent the highest number of hours doing their homework also produced excellent performances in the school tests, while students from some regions such as Macao, Japan, and Singapore increased the score by 17 points per additional hour of homework. The data showed a close relation between the economic backgrounds of students and the number of hours they invested in their homework. Students from affluent backgrounds spent fewer hours doing homework when compared to their less privileged counterparts, most likely due to access to private tutors and homeschooling. In some countries such as Singapore, students from wealthy families invested more time doing their homework than less privileged students and received better results in exams.

Decline in number of hours

Subsequent studies conducted by the OECD in 2012 showed a decrease in the average number hours per week spent by students. Slovakia displayed a drop of four hours per week while Russia declined three hours per week. A few countries including the United States showed no change. The dramatic decline of hours spent doing homework has been attributed to teenager’s increased use of the internet and social media platforms.

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THE ITALIAN SCHOOL SYSTEM: how does education work in Italy?

A question that is often asked on our pages is about how the school system is organized in Italy! In fact, every school system is different depending on the country you live in and for many foreigners it’s difficult to understand the subdivision and the functioning of the Italian system. Therefore, in the following lesson we’re going to clear up any confusion about this topic!

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The structure of the Italian school system

Before we begin, you need to know that Italian schools can be:

– public : State-funded

– private : funded through school fees, namely the sums of money paid by the students

The academic programs of both of these types of school follow the regulations from the MIUR (Ministry of Education, University and Research)

Now let’s see the various steps:

1) Infant school

The attending of this school is not obligatory (parents can decide to register their children in accordance with the needs), and it’s divided into:

– asilo nido (kindergarten) : attended by 0-to-3 years old children

– scuola materna (preschool) : attended by 3-to-6 years old children

From 6 to 16 years of age, attending school becomes obligatory, as established by the law, and we enter the so-called  scuola dell’obbligo (compulsory education) , that starts with:

2) primary or elementary school

This school is attended by 6 to 11 years old students: thus the attending lasts 5 years. During those years, boys and girls learn to write and read and they apprehend the first notions of History, Geography, Mathematics, Italian Grammar, Science, Music and Physical Education and, for a few years now, also English and Computer Science while Religion classes are optional.

3) 1st grade secondary or middle school 

This step lasts 3 years and involves students from 11 to 13 years of age. During this period, the students deepen the various subjects studied in elementary school, and at the end of it, they must take the esame di terza media (middle school exam) , composed by:

• Italian written test
• written Math test
• written language test
• oral which consists in the presentation of a work on a specific topic including all the studied subjects.

4) upper secondary school or high school

This step lasts 5 years and involves 14 to 19 years old students, but from the age of 16 boys and girls have the possibility to abandon their studies.

The students can choose among 3 types of di high schools, depending on their goals:

Liceo : it offers a more theoretical education and more oriented to further education at the University and, depending on the subjects studied, they can be of different types:

– classico (grammar) (Latin, Greek and Italian)

– scientifico (scientific) (Mathematics, Physics and Science)

– linguistico (language) (English and foreign languages)

– tecnologico (technology) (Computer Science)

– artistico (artistic) (art),

– musicale (music).

Professional Technical High School : in this type of school in addition to common subjects, students can acquire practical-technical skills, suited to the entry into employment, in sectors like:

– economy

– tourism

– technology

– agricolture

– healthcare professions

ITF (Vocational education and training) : in this type of school, students acquire practical and professional skills. The studies in these schools focus on jobs like:

– plumber

– electrician

– hairdresser

– beautician …

At the end of high school student must take another exam, the feared esame di maturità (graduation exam) which is composed by 3 written tests and 1 oral examination, and if you pass it, you’ll receive a degree of maturity, that will allow you to have access to University .

5) University

It’s divided into:

First cycle : also known as “laurea triennale” and, as its name suggest, it lasts 3 years. There’s a wide and diverse selection of Italian universities like:

– scientific departments  (Mathematics, Physics, Astrophysics, Chemistry…),

– humanities faculty  (Literatures, Philosophy, Foreign Languages, Cultural Heritage…)

– technical faculties (Architecture, Engineering, Economy…).

Second cycle : also known as “laurea magistrale” or “specialistica” (second level degree), it usually lasts 2 years and it’s the continuation of the first cycle to ensure the students a higher level of specialization. However, there are some courses (Faculty of law, Faculty of Pharmacy, Construction Engineering, Architecture etc) that last 5 years (6 years as regards Med School) and take the name of “ Corsi di Laurea a ciclo unico ” (Single Cycle Degree Course)

Third cycle: it’s devoted to the most ambitious students and it includes:

– master : they’re usually short courses of study that offer the opportunity (to those who are interested) to deepen some specific aspects of the subject studied during the first two cycles.

– doctoral degrees : they’re theoretical courses, that are perfect for those who desire a career in the academic field or in the field of research.

Well, this is the Italian school system. Let us know how the school systems in your countries work! If you want to speak Italian like a true native speaker, don’t miss the promo  2×1  that includes our course Italiano in Contesto and a digital copy of our book Italiano Colloquiale , at the price of 69 euros .

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One thought to “THE ITALIAN SCHOOL SYSTEM: how does education work in Italy?”

Just a clarification: It’s not specified really well in the text, but Lyceum students do not ONLY study the subjects that are specific to their learning goal. Scientific Lyceum, Classical Lyceum, and so on, we have up to 10-11 subjects for five consecutive years. All of these subjects are usually done as rigorously as the others, and (I’m a Liceo Scientifico student) we often have the same amount of class hours for things such as Mathematics and Literature, or English Lit. and Physics. The objective of this school is to have a very broad and quite detailed program for the main subjects.

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Education in Italy - Statistics & Facts

Education in Italy is free and is compulsory for children aged between 6 and 16 years. The Italian education system is divided into nursery, kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, and high school. University is usually undertaken at the age of 19. Primary education is the first stage of compulsory education. In the last school years, there have been around 2.7 million children enrolled in almost 17 thousand elementary schools . On average, Italian elementary schools have around 19 pupils in each class. However, regional differences are remarkable: the average number of children per class in Emilia-Romagna is 20.6, whereas a class in Aosta Valley had on average 14.6 scholars. Factors like urbanization and rural exodus could explain such differences. Indeed, Aosta Valley is a mountainous region, while Emilia Romagna is one of the main industrial centers of Italy. Elementary education is followed by middle school. Students usually attend middle school for three years, from the age of 10 to 13. In the 2018/2019 school year, a total of 1.7 million students were enrolled in Italian middle schools . The Northern region of Lombardy counts the largest number of schools nationwide, followed by the Southern regions of Campania and Sicily. Together with the number of middle schools in the country , the average count of pupils per class has decreased slightly in recent years, reaching 20.8 children per class. High school education follows to middle school and it has a duration of five years. Generally, students can choose among three different types of upper secondary schools : lyceums, technical schools, and vocational schools. Among the different types of Italian upper secondary schools, lyceums are those most of all preparing students for the tertiary education the most. Moreover, technical high schools offer both a technical and a theoretical preparation, while vocational schools mostly focus on practical training. Nevertheless, all these types of secondary schools allow students to apply to university. About 40 percent of students who graduate from high school enroll at university. In the 2018/2019 academic year, the Central regions of Italy registered the highest enrollment rate , where 46 percent of all high school graduates decided to attend university. In the same year, there were over one million bachelor students in Italy, accounting for approximately 60 percent of all university students in the country. The most popular field of study in Italy is economics, followed by engineering. The largest Italian universities are La Sapienza University of Rome, in the Capital, the University of Bologna, which also ranks as the best Italian university, and the University of Turin. This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text. Show more Published by Statista Research Department , Jan 10, 2024

Key insights

Detailed statistics

Enrollment in elementary schools in Italy 2012-2022

Government expenditure on education as percentage of GDP in Italy 2008-2016

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Current statistics on this topic.

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Number of students at leading Italian universities 2019/2020

Number of enrolled students in Italy 2020-2021, by field of study

Share of foreign students enrolled at university 2019-2020, by county of origin

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What You Need To Know About Italian School System

Many Expats who have families in Italy can find it difficult to understand the schooling system in Italy. The system in Italy is very different from the United States and other parts of the Western world but the quality of education remains extremely high.

There’s a good choice of schools in Italy that offer a well-rounded overall education; so you’ll be able to find a good fit for you and your children while you’re living in the country.

Is School Mandatory For Expats In Italy?

It’s compulsory for all children between the ages of 6 and 16 to attend school in Italy, regardless of their nationality. This means that it’s a legal requirement for all Expats to send their children to a school while they are residents of the country.

A Brief Overview Of The Italian School System.

The following is an overview of the Italian school system.

Asilo (Kindergarten).

Asilo is the Italian equivalent of Kindergarten and caters to children from the ages of 3 to 6. Attending the Asilo is not compulsory for children in Italy although the vast majority do attend.

Classes are very relaxed and taught by two teachers. The daily schedule is primarily focused on allowing young children to start socializing with plenty of time set aside for play! The children also start to learn the alphabet, numbers and basic writing skills.

Scuola Primaria (Primary School).

Scuola Primaria, or ‘Primary School’, is for children from the ages of 6 to 11. The curriculum includes classes in Italian, English, math, history, geography, social studies, physical education, art and music.

Each class has 3 teachers who teach several subjects each as well as a separate English language teacher. Classes are taught in Italian however if you’re children have already attended Kindergarten in Italy they will be well on their way to speaking fluently by the time they finish Primary School at 11.

Scuola Secondaria (Secondary School).

Scuola Secondaria, or ‘Secondary School’ is divided into 2 sections and lasts 8 years in total. The first part of Secondary School is called Scuola Secondaria di Primo Grado and takes students from 11 to 14 years old. It’s also known as Scuola Media, or ‘Middle School’ by local Italians. During Middle School students study a broad curriculum that includes all the basic subjects such as Italian, English, math and science.

Following this, students attend Scuola Secondaria di Secondo Grado, or ‘Upper Elementary School’, from the ages of 14 to 19. Students can choose between 3 types of Scuola Secondaria di Secondo Grado, depending on their aspirations and personal interests. The 3 types of schools that they can choose from are Liceo, Instituto Tecnico and Instituto Professionale.

In Liceo, students study an academic curriculum that is mainly theoretical during which they specialize in fields such as the humanities, the sciences and the arts. Most of the Liceo schools in Italy have a similar structure and teach common subjects such as Italian literature, math and history. However, some Liceo in Italy teach more unusual subjects. For example, the Liceo Classico teaches Ancient Greek while the Liceo Artistico teaches scenography.

Instituto Tecnico.

An Instituto Tecnico, or ‘technical institute’, focuses on a narrow theoretical education in specialized fields such as economics, administration, technology, law and tourism.

Instituto Professionale.

The Instituto Professionale teaches vocational courses for students who want to follow a career in the trades. The schools offer 3 or 5 year diplomas after which students are well-positioned to take up jobs in their chosen sectors.

Further Education.

Any type of Scuola Secondaria that offers a 5 year program allows students to take a final exam called the Esame di Maturità, or the Esame di Stato. This takes place each year for the graduating classes in the summer between June and July. Students must pass this exam in order to be able to apply for a place at an Italian university.

Italy’s School Terms, Hours And Schedules.

The school year in Italy starts in mid-September and finishes in mid-June. There are some regional variations in the start and finish times of the school terms in some provinces; for instance, school terms tend to start a little earlier in the North and slightly later in the South of the country. Individual schools may also implement their own small changes to the start and finish times of their terms.

Italian students have short breaks for the Christmas and Easter holidays although their main break is during the summer when they get 3 months off school. All schools in Italy also close for any national holidays that coincide with regular school days.

The two terms of the school year are called ‘Quadrimestri’. The first term starts in September and finishes in the middle of January, with a break for Christmas. The second term starts in January and finishes in June.

At the end of each school term, students are given a report card that grades them from 10-1; 10 being excellent and 1 being very poor, with 6 being a satisfactory passing grade.

Most schools in Italy start classes at 8 or 8.30 in the morning. Classes last for 5 hours from Monday to Saturday. This means that after classes finish children come home for lunch. However, in recent years some schools have been using a shorter 5 day week with extra classes each day and Saturdays off for the students.

Kindergartens put on activities for children during the afternoon that run until either 4 or 4.30. Kindergartens also provide the children with lunch.

Iscrizione – Registering For Schools In Italy.

Iscrizione, or ‘registration’, takes place in January and February each year for the following academic year which starts in September. However, each school is slightly different so you should ask the staff exactly when the enrollment period is.

Unlike in other parts of Europe, in Italy, you can enroll in any school, even if you’re not in its catchment area. Places at schools are allocated on a first come first serve basis so it’s important to enroll as soon as you can after the registration for the following year opens to parents. If a place is available in the school your child will be accepted but if places are limited parents who live locally will usually be given priority.

Dopscuola – After School Activities.

Many schools in Italy provide the opportunity for students to take part in after-school activities which are known as ‘Doposcuola’. During the afternoon students can get extra help with any homework or subjects that they are struggling with. In other cases, depending on the school’s facilities, there may also be music, art, photography classes, or other extracurricular activities available to students.

Do Children Need To Wear A Uniform In Italy?

Children in Kindergartens usually wear a school smock or apron, known as a ‘Grembiule’ in Italian. For boys, the smock is blue and white and for girls, it’s either pink or red and white. In primary schools, the standard uniform is a deep blue. These items are widely available in supermarkets and other stores throughout the country so it’s no problem to get them for your children.

Once students get to secondary school they can wear whatever they like although most students just wear jeans and a t-shirt, with a jumper or jacket in the colder winter months.

What Do Students In Italy Take To School – The Kit.

Children attending Kindergarten only need to take a small school bag with them that contains a bottle of water or juice, and some tissues. Everything else will be provided for them by the school, including lunch.

All other students need to take a school bag, the relevant textbooks, notebooks and personal stationery.

Once your children start Primary School they will need to have their own textbooks. This applies to students in Secondary School as well. You will need to order the textbooks during the summer holidays from a local bookshop so they will be ready for collection before the school term starts in September.

The teachers from your child’s school will give you a complete list of the textbooks that you’ll need to get for the following year. The cost of new textbooks can quickly spiral though! This means that it’s a great idea to try to buy second textbooks if you can.

You can find local websites in Italy that specialize in selling second-hand school textbooks or you can ask other parents at the school who have older children that don’t need their textbooks anymore. In some schools, the textbooks at Primary School are refundable with the school but this isn’t the case in all locations.

Stationery And Notebooks.

You will need to provide all the necessary stationery and notebooks for your children in Primary and Secondary School. It’s worth being aware that some schools require notebooks that are ruled in a special way! So always check with the teachers before you spend money on notebooks that might be the wrong kind.

School Diary.

Known as a ‘Diario’, every student should have a school diary. This is used to write down what homework they need to do each night as well as to list the lessons they have throughout the day. The diary is used as a planner and helps to keep students organized throughout the week.

Do Students Learn Cursive Writing At School In Italy?

Yes, Italy is one of the very few countries in the Western world that teaches all students how to write in cursive font. Cursive font is writing that is ‘joined-up’. However, students are also taught how to write standard print font as well. This is one of the many unusual features of the Italian schooling system.

Do Schools In Italy Teach Religion?

All schools in Italy provide an opportunity to study the Catholic religion for one hour each week. These classes are not compulsory though; so when you register at the school you will be asked if you want your child to attend these classes or not.

If you would prefer your child not to attend the religion classes then you can either select another educational activity for them to do or ask for your child to be let home early.

Relationship Between The Parents And Teachers In Italy.

Parents and teachers in Italy tend to have a close working relationship in regard to the students at school.

Each year, parents elect one parent who will be their representative and act as their intermediary with the school. They handle a whole range of tasks including talking with teachers about issues that the parents have as well as reporting complaints. They also help to coordinate special events, fundraisers and one-off school trips.

Schools also have a Consiglio di Istituto, which is the equivalent of a School Board in the United States. Parents are represented in the Consiglio di Instituto which is convened to make decisions about the school’s budget and other important matters.

Teachers in Italy also set aside an ‘Ora di Ricevimento’, or ‘office hour’, each week. This is an informal opportunity for parents to raise any concerns they may have or ask questions about their child, as well as talk about anything else concerning the school.

Parents are also invited to meet the teachers at the end of each term. This is a chance to go over the progress that your child has been making during the year so far.

This means that parents and teachers in Italy tend to have a very amicable relationship with plenty of opportunities to raise concerns and work together in the best interests of the students at the school. The teachers in Italy are very approachable so you should never worry about dropping in during the weekly office hour to have a quick talk about anything that’s on your mind.

Italy Has An Excellent School System That Caters Well To Expats.

Many Expats feel that they have to send their children to private, fee-paying International Schools; and although this is an option, the free, state-run school system provides an excellent education for children of all nationalities.

The school system in Italy provides a broad initial education in Primary School and then the opportunity to specialize in the latter half of Secondary School. If your child is young when you first arrive in Italy they will soon pick up Italian and be able to keep up with the lessons and their classmates.

Of course, being able to speak English and Italian to a fluent standard is a fantastic skill to have so many Expat children leave the school system in Italy with a major advantage over their peers back in the US!

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Here's how homework differs around the world

The INSIDER Summary:

• The infographic below shows how education systems around the world differ. • It compares the amount of homework given per week, how much is spent on education, and how many days of school there is per week in countries around the world. • South Korea's education system was ranked number one.

More homework doesn't necessarily mean a better education.

According to the infographic below, created by Ozicare Insurance, the countries that offer the best education systems around the world don't always dole out piles of homework to students.

Students in Italy — whose education system ranked relatively low on the 2014 Pearson review — complete about 8.1 hours of homework per week, while students in South Korea — whose education system ranked number one in the world on the 2014 Pearson review— only spend 2.9 hours on homework weekly.

Keep scrolling to find out more about education across the globe.

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Italian Schools

An overview.

Cambridge online education

Italy - Education

Whether you wish your children to follow the Italian system of education or go to an international school is a very personal choice and depends on the age of the child, how long you plan to stay in Italy, where the child will study next and on your view as to the benefit of learning Italian in the local system.

Scuola Materna (kindegarten)

Scuola elementare officially called “scuola primaria” (primary school).

• Children have personal achievement cards ( schede ) which records academic as well as personal development. Children who do not reach a given standard repeat the year though this is very rare. Many schools are open on Saturday mornings as well as during the week.
• Recent legislation has made English and computer studies compulsory for all students and children may now go to scuola elementare younger than previously (5 and a half instead of 6). This is to bring Italians in line with European school leaving ages.
• Generally speaking the teachers (often 2 + part time English and Religion) follow the children from first class until fifth class after which the children move to scuola media. This means that if you are happy with the teachers - that’s great as you have them for 5 years. On the other hand if you are not – the difficulties could persist for 5 years.
• Registration for your child is very simple. You fill out a simple form usually in the January before he attends. This can be done at a local scuola elementare or at the comune.. To find out the date for registering ( iscrizione ) phone the comune.
• Any questions or queries about registration or classes should be directed to the head ( la directrice ). Usually you phone and make an appointment.

Scuola Media

International schools.

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Further reading

• How to choose an online school: Tips for getting the best for your children
• Online schooling: How does it help expat families?
• Apprenticeships in Italy: Getting practical experience
• Choosing a Private School: Things you need to consider
• Private Schools in Italy: Standards, learning methods and prices
• State Schools in Italy: Organization and education policies

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The Italian Education System

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The Italian Education System is organized according to the principles of subsidiarity and autonomy of educational institutions. Therefore the State has exclusive legislative competence for general rules on education . Responsability of the State is also to guarantee the levels of services throughout the national territory.

What institutions regulate the Italian education system?

The State defines the fundamental principles that the regions must adhere to in the exercise of their specific competencies. Italian Regions have concurrent legislative power in education, and exclusive legislative power in vocational education, as well as training.

In general educational institutions of the State have educational, organizational, research, experimentational and developmental autonomy.

How does the Italian education system work?

The education system in Italy can be divided into 3 main cycles. These include early levels of education like kindergarten, up until University. Some cycles fall within the compulsory education, while others are not.

Early childhood education in Italy and kindergarten

The integrated zero-to-six-year system is non-compulsory. It lasts 6 years and includes:

• Early childhood educational services: these are managed by local authorities, directly or through agreements, by other public bodies or by private individuals, which take in children between 3 and 36 months ;
• Kindergarten : these may be managed by the state, local governments, directly or through the agreements, other public entities or private individuals, taking in children between 3 and 6 years of age ;

Primary and Secondary School in Italy: the first compulsory cycle of study

The first cycle of education is compulsory, lasts for 8 years and is specifically divided into:

• Primary school : 5-year education for pupils aged 6 to 11 years;
• Secondary school : 3-year education for pupils aged 11 to 14.

Secondary School in Italy and other forms of educational training

The second cycle of education is divided into two types of courses of study:

• Secondary school ( High-School ): it is a 5-year education period for students who successfully completed the first cycle of education. There are a wide range of schools: lyceums, technical institutes, vocational institutes, as well as courses of study for female students aged 14 to 19;
• Vocational Education and Training : 3-year and 4-year study paths of vocational education and training(IeFP) under regional competence. It is also aimed at students who have completed the first cycle of education.

Universities and other Higher Education institutions in Italy

Tertiary education, with different types of courses of study, is offered by:

• Universities
• AFAM ( Alta Formazione Artistica, Musicale e Coreutica – institutions of Higher Education in Art, Music and Dance)
• Professionalizing institutions ITS  ( Istituti Tecnici Superiori )

Compulsory education in Italy

Compulsory education in Italy lasts for 10 years, and it goes from age 6 to 16. This compulsory period includes all 8 years of the first cycle of education and the first 2 years of the second cycle. Students can attend the second cycle in secondary school (of the state) or in regional vocational education and training study paths.

In addition, for all young people the right and duty to education and training applies for at least 12 years or, in any case, until getting a 3-year vocational qualification by the age of 18, in accordance with the provisions of Law No. 53/2003.

Compulsory education can be carried out in State and parochial schools (Law No. 62 of 2000), in the field of public education system, but it can also be carried out in non-parochial schools (Law No. 27 of 2006) or through family education. In the latter two cases, however, the completion of compulsory education must be subject to a number of conditions, such as taking proficiency exams.

Responsibility for the completion of the obligation to educate minors lies on parents of pupils, or those exercising parental responsibility.  Municipalities of residence and school directors provide supervision on the fulfillment of this obligation.

What happens at the end of compulsory education in Italy

In case students do not continue their education at the end of the compulsory period, they will receive a certification of acquired skills (Ministerial Decree 139 of 2007).

After passing the final state examination of secondary education on their 5th year, students can enter tertiary education courses (universities, AFAM and ITS). However, some Universities and courses allow a limited number of students to enrol through am entrance test. It is responsibility of students to check the requirements of the University of interest.

Private education in Italy

Article 33 of the Italian Constitution affirms two basic principles:

• The State has an obligation to provide a school system for all young people;
• The State must give the right to natural and legal persons, to establish educational institutions without asking money to the state.

Private schools are qualified to grant degrees having the same legal value as those of the corresponding state schools, as a matter of fact, they have full freedom with regard to cultural orientation and pedagogical-didactic direction and enjoy more favorable tax treatment if they are non-profit.

The Italian high school system

The education system in Italy includes 3 main groups of institutes regarding the high school system.

Italian lyceums

Lyceums aim at getting an upper secondary education diploma. They are part of the upper secondary education system as an articulation of the second cycle of the education and training system ( Article 1 of Legislative Decree No. 226 of October 17, 2005, as amended ). Lyceums adopt the student’s educational, cultural and professional profile at the conclusion of the second cycle of the education and training system.

Liceal courses of study provide students with the cultural and methodological tools for a complete understanding of reality, so that they can put themselves with a logical, creative, planning and critical attitude, in front of situations, events and problems, and acquire knowledge, skills and competencies consistent with personal abilities and choices and appropriate for the continuation of higher-order studies, insertion into social life and the labour market.

Liceal paths last for 5 years and are further divided into two 2-year periods and a 5th year that completes the academic path. The paths form the educational, cultural and professional profile of the student at the conclusion of the second cycle of the education and training system.

Types of Italian Lyceums

The following are all the different types of lyceums that will focus students towards different types of future education:

• Lyceum of arts;
• Classical lyceum;
• Linguistic lyceum;
• Lyceum of music and dance;
• Lyceum of science (applied sciences);
• Lyceum of human sciences (economic and social sciences).

Technical institutes

Technical institutes offer a limited number of academic directions, but they will form the students to work in specific sectors very important to the economic and productive development of Italy.

Vocational institutes

From 2018/2019 school year, vocational institutes offer 11 courses with enhanced laboratory activities: a new organizational and teaching model. As a matter of fact, they train students in strategic arts, trades as well as professions for development of the country’s economy.

Concurrently with the activation of the new vocational colleges, for the second, third, fourth and fifth grades, the previous curricula are active until the completion of the five-year course in 2022.

Italy’s boarding schools

National boarding schools and state-run “educandati” contribute to the pursuit of the general objectives of the Italian education system both with the qualified educational offerings of inner schools and with the development of residential and semiresidential facilities.

In this way they respond to the new culture of equal opportunities, provide support for student exchanges in the community, and lastly, meet the changing demands of the students.

If you are interested in more information about the Italian education system, you can find out more in the website of the Ministry of Public Education .

Italy’s education visa

Regardless of the study cycle you intend to take in Italy, you might need to apply for a Student Visa if you are coming from outside the European Union. Have a look at our full guide on how to apply for an Italian Student Visa .

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The Italian Higher Education System Explained

Confused about how Italian universities work? Read on to find out everything you need to know...

Italy's higher education system is one of the oldest in the world! It's likely that it's different to the set-up you're used to in your home country. Read our article below to find out all you need to know about the culture and logistics of the Italian university system.

Quick facts about the Italian higher education system:

• Adult literacy in Italy is around 95%
• Around 32,000 international students study in Italy (including study abroad and independent students)
• Italy was one of the first four countries to begin a higher education reform in Europe, called the “Bologna Process”
• More Italian women are choosing to attend higher education than men, and the gap is slowly increasing since 2000

Types of Institutions

• Universities (including Polytechnics)
• High level art, music, and dance education (Alta formazione artistica e musicale – AFAM)
• Higher technical institutes

Universities

Universities offer a range of undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate degrees to those that gain entrance. These institutions can be either private or public, and usually require an application process before admitting students. Universities can be specialised, but often offer classes in a number of fields in order to prepare students for future careers.

This category is comprised of schools that specialise in music and the arts. These institutions teach students interested in dance, design, music performance, theatre, cinema, visual arts, and more. These institutions are similar to universities, but their coursework is more specialised. AFAM institutions usually offer courses that are completed in a number of years, like universities, and accept students upon application.

Higher Technical Institutes

These institutions offer specialised coursework to students attempting to learn for a specific job or career. The programmes are usually shorter, and are used by working professionals to further their careers.

Types of degrees

Higher education degrees at universities and AFAM institutions are recognized in three cycles.

• The first cycle is similar to an undergraduate degree. Students complete this cycle in 3 years.
• The second cycle is similar to a graduate or master’s degree. Students complete this cycle in 2 years.
• The third cycle is similar to a postgraduate, PhD, or research based degree. Completion of this degree depends on what programme you are in.

There are also courses available for those looking to get a specialised degree, which usually take six months to one year to complete. These specialised courses also vary depending on what you are studying. 

How to apply to an Italian university

The first step in applying to an Italian university is finding a programme that interests you!   After you have found a programme, contact the international office of your chosen universities in order to make sure you are eligible to study in Italy and are aware of the necessary requirements.   Questions for your Institution’s International Office What date is my application due? What documents do I need? Do my

Get in touch

• Get Italian Citizenship
• attend college in Italy , benefits , general , living in Italy

Your Guide to Attending College in Italy

One of the greatest perks of dual Italian citizenship is the opportunity to attend college in Italy. In fact, with an Italian passport, you can attend university anywhere in the EU, if you meet their admission requirements. And even if you don’t yet have legal Italian nationality, attending uni in Italy is accessible for many Americans.

Are you dreaming of life in Italy, with access to affordable healthcare and education? The team at Get Italian Citizenship can help make your dream a reality. Reach out today to see if you are eligible for Italian dual citizenship.

Get Ready for Something Totally Different

If you’ve grown up in the American school system, you likely have many habits and expectations in place for college. If you decide to go to an Italian university, you can let go of many of those. You will find a very different culture when you start studying in Italy.

There are significant differences between American and European attitudes toward just about every major life event. From raising children to politics to healthcare, the contrasts can be enormous. 

And life as a university student in Italy is no different. You can set aside much of what you believe about college life when you choose an Italian school. 

The Money Factor

Americans are well aware that college in the US carries a hefty price tag. Private schools average more than $40,000 per year in tuition and fees. State colleges and universities are less expensive but still can be cost-prohibitive for many students.

In contrast, Italian colleges charge about 1500 Euros per academic year. With current 2020 exchange rates, that is about $1750. Notice the difference? It’s staggering.

The low tuition costs can apply to international students, as well. But they certainly kick in for those who carry dual citizenship with Italy. 

A Loose Schedule

When you’re attending college in Italy, you will notice that the class schedule is more of a suggestion. It’s rare for students or professors to be in class at the appointed time. Instead, they tend to abide by the tradition of quarto d’ora accademico, arriving 15 minutes after the stated start time. 

This habit goes way back for European universities and stems from the church bell ringing on the hour. The bell signified that it was time for students to make their way to class to be there by the quarter-hour.

For students arriving from America, this can feel like a drastic change in expectations. Just be sure to verify your schedule to make sure you arrive at the right time.

Get Ready for Lectures

US colleges tend to utilize discussion-style classes. Students and teachers have conversations and rely on plenty of question-and-answer time.

However, at an Italian university, you can expect your classes to be almost exclusively in lecture format. There is very little back-and-forth between professors and their students.

Go to Class or Don’t

Attendance at most Italian university classes is optional. You read that right! Students often can choose to enroll frequentante or non-frequentante. 

If you enroll frequentante, then you agree to attend your class in-person most of the time. This arrangement generally means that you will have an easier exam at the end of the term.

Non-frequentante means that you do not have to attend in-person. However, you may have to do extra reading and studying on your own because your final exam will likely be more challenging.

Don’t Expect a Lot of Help

American universities have excellent systems and support in place for their students. Academic advisors, counselors, and professors all work to help college students succeed and stay on track for graduation. If you have a problem with a class or are unsure what to take, you likely can get help within a day.

This situation is not the case in most colleges in Italy. You are unlikely to have an academic advisor assigned to you. And if you do connect with someone, they may or may not help you figure out what you need.

If you’re eager to attend college in Italy, be sure you are a self-motivated problem solver. Or connect with another student who is and who is willing to help. 

Forget the Enormous Textbook Cost

Italian uni students often forgo purchasing their course books. Instead, they check out the necessary books from the library and pay for a copy at their local copy shop. 

US college students can pay as much in one term for textbooks as their Italian counterparts pay for an entire university year. So this textbook workaround offers another incredible source of savings.

College in Italy May Require a Language Test

Surprising no one, most Italian universities teach their classes in Italian. To enroll in courses, you probably will need to prove a certain level of competency in the language. Consider taking some Italian language classes right away if you want to apply to attend college there.

Understand the Exam and Grading Protocols

Finals week at US colleges carries an air of myth and legend. Stories of all-night study sessions or nightmares of oversleeping for a big exam are everywhere. And when finals week is over, students notoriously let loose for their vacation.

In most colleges in Italy, however, exams take place over three months. And the student decides which month to take the tests. They also can retake their exams as often as they like to improve their grades.

This ability to retake a test is crucial since, in most cases, your entire course grade comes from the final exam in Italian colleges. American students who are used to using good homework and participation scores to boost their grades need to get ready to study.

And speaking of grades, schools in Italy do not use the American system of A through F letter grades. Instead, students there receive scores on a 30-point scale, with 18 being a passing grade. 

Claim Your Italian Citizenship

Going to university in Italy is just one of the benefits of having dual Italian citizenship . If you’re eager to take advantage of this opportunity, connect with the experts at Get Italian Citizenship.

Our team offers full-service citizenship assistance. From genealogical research to translation to representation in the Italian courts, we have you covered. Soon you can be on your way to enjoying all the perks of holding an Italian passport.

Author: Get Italian Citizenship

Get Italian Citizenship, Inc. is a consulting company offering Italian heritage services worldwide.

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Learn Italian in Italy: 10 Language Programs From the Coast to the Mountains

If you find the right learning materials, you can get a little taste of life in Italy.

Indulging in world-renowned  Italian cinema , learning with Italian language learning apps  and kicking back with some dramatic Italian TV are all options you have.

But at the end of the day, there’s one clear goal: to hop off a plane and plant your own two feet on the world’s most beautiful peninsula .

Today I’ll tell you more about how to learn Italian in Italy!

Italy: The World’s Top Italian School

How to choose the right italian program for you, 10 spectacular programs for learning italian in italy.

• 1. Il Sasso, Montepulciano
• 2. Terramare, Orbetello
• 3. Scuola Palazzo Malvisi, Bagno di Romagna
• 4. Piccola Università Italiana, Tropea
• 5. Cultura Italiana Bologna, Bologna
• 6. Centro Culturale Giacomo Puccini, Viareggio
• 7. Accademia Europea di Firenze, Florence
• 8. Il Centro, Milan
• 9. Lingua IT, Verona
• 10. Centro Linguistico Italiano Dante Alighieri, Rome

How to Get the Most Out of Your Adventure Learning Italian in Italy

And one more thing....

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

What could be a better way to learn the Italian language than by  putting yourself in the thick of it ?

This approach is called full immersion , and studies have shown that it’s the best way to learn a new language. Why? Because it replicates how we learn our native tongue: by seeing, touching, hearing , tasting and receiving immediate, real-life feedback every time we speak.

If you make a mistake in your Italian workbook, you may not realize it for another week, whereas if you do the same in an Italian deli, you might get handed a red bell pepper instead of the salami you wanted. Which do you think will better motivate you to learn?

If you choose to travel to Italy to learn Italian, it’s recommended that you find a school to attend.

“But wait,” you say. “I thought immersion was about living in the country, not going back to school!”

Yes, but it’s also important to find a proper program that supplies you with the tools you need and puts you in situations where you’ll flourish.

You can find Italian language schools all over the country and their programs vary in size and length. Most programs feature intensive courses plus plenty of time to practice in the local city or countryside. They’re also very socially oriented and involve excursions, meals and parties with classmates and staff. Typically, you’ll even have the option to live with an Italian family!

Basically, immersive language programs aren’t your average language schools.

Choosing the right Italian immersion program depends on your personality and goals. Here’s what you need to take into account.

• Size of the Program/School — Do you want to be in a small, tight-knit group or have a bunch of friends to hang out with? Are you looking for more features, class options and goodies? Small programs can be more intimate, while bigger ones sometimes offer a wider range of amenities and courses.
• Location  — Where do you want to go? Big cities are lively but have more tourists and more English spoken out and about. Small towns offer beauty and authenticity, but not much in the way of nightlife!
• Intensity of Course — How much time do you want to spend studying? Make sure to check if your program requires a half or full day in the classroom, how many days a week the course goes (Italians go to school on Saturday) and how much homework you’ll have to do.
• Qualifications of Staff  — This is important. If the website of your program says nothing about the qualifications of the staff, don’t go there! Immersion programs should employ teachers with language teaching certifications or teaching degrees.
• Amenities Provided  — What comes with your course, and what costs extra? Airport transfer, room and board, excursions, meals, social outings and seminars are common extras.
• Level of Leisure  — If you find yourself sharing a classroom with diplomats and Ph.D. students, you’ve probably chosen a course that’s more language-oriented and less vacation-oriented. If you want to have a nice mix of vacation and study, be sure to ask about the opportunities for free time and what there is to do.

After much research, investigation and a bit of wine, we’ve compiled a list of 10 of the absolute best language programs in Italy . These programs vary in levels of intensity, size and services provided, but all of them are guaranteed to be qualified and dedicated to making their students fall in love with Italian.

1. Il Sasso , Montepulciano

This program has been churning out Italian speakers for nearly 35 years, and it just keeps getting better. Located in the heart of Tuscan wine country, Il Sasso features peaceful surroundings and excellent facilities .

A typical course consists of about four hours of lessons per day, but they also offer single-day courses for survival Italian , in case you just want a taste! Speaking of taste, you can expect excursions to local wineries and restaurants. On weekends, Florence, Pisa and Sienna are just a short train ride away.

What’s unique about Il Sasso: The variety . They offer history, business, music, art and wine courses in Italian, as well as a language course that’s done exclusively while hiking in the countryside.

2. Terramare , Orbetello

As one of the highest-rated programs in the country for years, Terramare guarantees the ultimate immersion experience . Located in Orbetello, a picture perfect Italian village on the sea, students attending Terramare can expect lessons indoors and out among the people, bars and piazzas. Orbetello isn’t too far from Rome, so don’t feel like you’re going to miss out on city life!

Despite its growing reputation, the school has remained small and is dedicated to building close relationships with students to guide them based on their specific needs.

What’s unique about Terramare: The cultural program . Terramare’s renowned cultural program gets students out and into the real Italian world at least 3 times a week. This happens in the afternoons (after lessons) and is included in the price of the course.

3. Scuola Palazzo Malvisi , Bagno di Romagna

Having trouble deciding on a week at the spa or a language immersion vacation? No worries: Bagno di Romagna is famous for its natural hot springs —in fact, the school actually designed a course around going to the spa!

To add to its luxurious feel, Scuola Palazzo Malvisi also features courses based on the famous truffle mushroom of Northern Italy, wine, cooking and hiking. But just because they offer some delectable courses doesn’t mean they skimp on the quality of the lessons. Scuola Palazzo Malvisi boasts one of the more intense courses on this list, with 26 immersive lessons per week.

What’s unique about Scuola Palazzo Malvisi: The students . Most students who attend this school aren’t from English-speaking countries, which means you’ll have to use Italian in and out of the classroom.

4. Piccola Università Italiana , Tropea

If you’re fascinated by the rustic beauty and intense flavors of Southern Italy, there’s no better spot than Tropea. The town is built on a cliff overlooking a turquoise sea, and its small winding streets will make you wonder what century you’ve been transported to.

The Piccola Università Italiana can be found in a stately, 18th-century building in the center of town, and from its balconies and grandiose windows you’ll be able to feel the sea air and hear the bustling streets below. Courses are very sea-centric and some focus specifically on sailing, windsurfing and scuba diving . You’re also sure to taste some fantastic seafood.

What’s unique about Piccola Università Italiana: The class size . Piccola Università Italiana restricts its class size to six students, meaning you’ll get personal care and attention.

5. Cultura Italiana Bologna , Bologna

Despite being a bustling city, Bologna has incredibly well-preserved historical structures—including the University of Bologna, one of the oldest universities in the world.

If you pick Cultura Italiana Bologna as your program, you’ll be learning in a 15th century building that housed the first Lord of Bologna. But you won’t only be looking at stone structures all day: you’ll also be taking in the sight of lush, green hills on your breaks. Plus, you’ll be sampling some of the best of Bologna cuisine and experience urban life the Italian way.

What’s unique about Cultura Italiana Bologna: The complete immersion. From the very first day, you’re encouraged to speak as much Italian as you can. You’ll also regularly have meetings with Italian colleagues so you’ll have ample practice striking up conversations .

6. Centro Culturale Giacomo Puccini , Viareggio

Can’t get enough of the seaside? Whether you’re looking for a peaceful beach where you can walk and clear your head, or you want to let off steam by partying the night away in a Versilian disco, the city of Viareggio has you covered. And Centro Culturale Giacomo Puccini is right in the middle of it.

The courses open from around spring to early fall , making this the perfect destination to spend a gap year and practice essential Italian phrases along the way. Each class is capped at 12 students, ensuring that you get the attention you need if you’re struggling with any aspect of your language studies. 

What’s unique about Centro Culturale Giacomo Puccini: The leisure activities. Once you’re done with your lessons in the morning, you can spend all afternoon enjoying the Pinewood forest, playing tennis, riding a bicycle and more.

7. Accademia Europea di Firenze , Florence

If your interest in Italy was piqued by Renaissance art, there are few better places to stay than Florence. In fact, it’s often dubbed as the “cradle of the Renaissance.”

Almost as soon as you set foot into the Accademia Europea di Firenze (AEF), you’ll have a tour of the school itself as well as the city of Florence ( Firenze in Italian). There will also be activities like tasting authentic Italian pizza from a pizzeria , wine tasting and even a concert by the school’s Music and Opera group. Of course, there’s also the 4-week Italian language courses spanning levels A1 to C2. 

What’s unique about Accademia Europea di Firenze: The outdoor classes. Yes, you read that right: your language studies won’t only be confined within the four walls of a typical classroom. You’ll also get to experience the best kind of outdoor class—exposure to the sights and sounds of Florence.

8. Il Centro , Milan

Ah, Milan—home to stunning landmarks like Il Duomo, which happens to be a stone’s throw away from Il Centro.

Il Centro has been operating for almost four decades now, which is a testament to the quality of its programs. You can study under some of the best teachers Italy has to offer and with students from all over the world. Standard lessons are supplemented with authentic materials like videos , audio, games and the like.

What’s unique about Il Centro: The certification exams. If you’re planning to take the PLIDA ( Progetto Lingua Italiana Dante Alighieri ) as proof of your Italian proficiency, Il Centro is one of the places where you can take it. By enrolling in Il Centro, you’re already giving yourself a leg up over many other Italian learners!

9. Lingua IT , Verona

Verona isn’t just the setting of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” and the lesser-known “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”. There’s also the Arena , which hosted gladiator fights during the time of the Roman Empire and now hosts major events like concerts and operas.

If learning Italian in “Little Rome” sounds appealing to you, Lingua IT has your back. Aside from standard Italian courses, you can also take 15 lessons to prepare for language proficiency exams like PLIDA and CILS (Certificate of Italian as a Foreign Language). And if you’re traveling with your Significant Other, they also have a one-week “twin course” designed for the two of you. Quite fitting for a school in the city where Romeo and Juliet lived! 

What’s unique about Lingua IT: The cooking classes. What better way to learn Italian phrases related to food than through a cooking class in Italy? Lingua IT actually has an entire kitchen devoted to cooking Italian favorites—from well-known dishes like pasta and risotto to more obscure ones like ragu . Talk about filling your vocab notebook  and  your stomach!

10. Centro Linguistico Italiano Dante Alighieri , Rome

A list of schools to learn Italian in Italy wouldn’t be complete without one from Rome. The Centro Linguistico Italiano Dante Alighieri (or CLI Dante Alighieri) has been operating since 1994 and is recognized by the Ministry of Education. There are a good variety of classes —individual classes, culture classes and DITALS preparation courses, among others.

What’s unique about Centro Linguistico Italiano Dante Alighieri: The all year round classes. Unlike many language schools, CLI Dante Alighieri’s classes can be taken at any time of the year. And because it’s close to the metro lines, going to the school is just a train ride away if you’re in Rome.

These programs are all dedicated to delivering the thrills, flavors and comforts of a perfect Italian vacation, but keep in mind that doing an intensive language course is hard work! Remember that immersion isn’t automatic. You need the drive to study, practice and endure a bit of mental strain if you want to walk away with some language skills in your pocket.

No matter what level you are, it’s a good idea to brush up on your Italian before you start packing. You could try immersing yourself in the language at home with   FluentU .

The most important thing you can do is to avoid speaking English as much as possible. Speak Italian to your teachers and classmates in and out of school, and if possible, choose to lodge with an Italian family or roommate.

When school lets out each day, make sure to manage your time properly. Too much sightseeing may keep you up late doing homework, but too much time with your nose in a book won’t give you adequate time to practice what you’ve picked up at school.

When your course ends, although you may have to say arrivederci  (goodbye) to Italy, it doesn’t mean you can’t keep what you’ve learned. Consciously decide to continue your studies and to bring home some of the good habits and new hobbies you picked up while you learn Italian in Italy.

This way, you’ll be able to start right where you left off when your next adventure begins!

If you're as busy as most of us, you don't always have time for lengthy language lessons. The solution? FluentU !

Learn Italian with funny commericals, documentary excerpts and web series, as you can see here:

FluentU helps you get comfortable with everyday Italian by combining all the benefits of complete immersion and native-level conversations with interactive subtitles . Tap on any word to instantly see an image, in-context definition, example sentences and other videos in which the word is used.

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How Much Homework Is Enough? Depends Who You Ask

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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:

• Children learn to deepen their understanding of specific content, to cover content at their own pace, to become more independent learners, to develop problem-solving and time-management skills, and to relate what they learn in school to outside activities.
• Teachers can see how well their students understand the lessons; evaluate students’ individual progress, strengths, and weaknesses; and cover more content in class.
• Parents can engage practically in their children’s education, see firsthand what their children are being taught in school, and understand more clearly how they’re getting on—what they find easy and what they struggle with in school.

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.

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What’s the Right Amount of Homework?

Decades of research show that homework has some benefits, especially for students in middle and high school—but there are risks to assigning too much.

Many teachers and parents believe that homework helps students build study skills and review concepts learned in class. Others see homework as disruptive and unnecessary, leading to burnout and turning kids off to school. Decades of research show that the issue is more nuanced and complex than most people think: Homework is beneficial, but only to a degree. Students in high school gain the most, while younger kids benefit much less.

The National PTA and the National Education Association support the “ 10-minute homework guideline ”—a nightly 10 minutes of homework per grade level. But many teachers and parents are quick to point out that what matters is the quality of the homework assigned and how well it meets students’ needs, not the amount of time spent on it.

The guideline doesn’t account for students who may need to spend more—or less—time on assignments. In class, teachers can make adjustments to support struggling students, but at home, an assignment that takes one student 30 minutes to complete may take another twice as much time—often for reasons beyond their control. And homework can widen the achievement gap, putting students from low-income households and students with learning disabilities at a disadvantage.

However, the 10-minute guideline is useful in setting a limit: When kids spend too much time on homework, there are real consequences to consider.

Small Benefits for Elementary Students

As young children begin school, the focus should be on cultivating a love of learning, and assigning too much homework can undermine that goal. And young students often don’t have the study skills to benefit fully from homework, so it may be a poor use of time (Cooper, 1989 ; Cooper et al., 2006 ; Marzano & Pickering, 2007 ). A more effective activity may be nightly reading, especially if parents are involved. The benefits of reading are clear: If students aren’t proficient readers by the end of third grade, they’re less likely to succeed academically and graduate from high school (Fiester, 2013 ).

For second-grade teacher Jacqueline Fiorentino, the minor benefits of homework did not outweigh the potential drawback of turning young children against school at an early age, so she experimented with dropping mandatory homework. “Something surprising happened: They started doing more work at home,” Fiorentino writes . “This inspiring group of 8-year-olds used their newfound free time to explore subjects and topics of interest to them.” She encouraged her students to read at home and offered optional homework to extend classroom lessons and help them review material.

Moderate Benefits for Middle School Students

As students mature and develop the study skills necessary to delve deeply into a topic—and to retain what they learn—they also benefit more from homework. Nightly assignments can help prepare them for scholarly work, and research shows that homework can have moderate benefits for middle school students (Cooper et al., 2006 ). Recent research also shows that online math homework, which can be designed to adapt to students’ levels of understanding, can significantly boost test scores (Roschelle et al., 2016 ).

There are risks to assigning too much, however: A 2015 study found that when middle school students were assigned more than 90 to 100 minutes of daily homework, their math and science test scores began to decline (Fernández-Alonso, Suárez-Álvarez, & Muñiz, 2015 ). Crossing that upper limit can drain student motivation and focus. The researchers recommend that “homework should present a certain level of challenge or difficulty, without being so challenging that it discourages effort.” Teachers should avoid low-effort, repetitive assignments, and assign homework “with the aim of instilling work habits and promoting autonomous, self-directed learning.”

In other words, it’s the quality of homework that matters, not the quantity. Brian Sztabnik, a veteran middle and high school English teacher, suggests that teachers take a step back and ask themselves these five questions :

• How long will it take to complete?
• Have all learners been considered?
• Will an assignment encourage future success?
• Will an assignment place material in a context the classroom cannot?
• Does an assignment offer support when a teacher is not there?

More Benefits for High School Students, but Risks as Well

By the time they reach high school, students should be well on their way to becoming independent learners, so homework does provide a boost to learning at this age, as long as it isn’t overwhelming (Cooper et al., 2006 ; Marzano & Pickering, 2007 ). When students spend too much time on homework—more than two hours each night—it takes up valuable time to rest and spend time with family and friends. A 2013 study found that high school students can experience serious mental and physical health problems, from higher stress levels to sleep deprivation, when assigned too much homework (Galloway, Conner, & Pope, 2013 ).

Homework in high school should always relate to the lesson and be doable without any assistance, and feedback should be clear and explicit.

Teachers should also keep in mind that not all students have equal opportunities to finish their homework at home, so incomplete homework may not be a true reflection of their learning—it may be more a result of issues they face outside of school. They may be hindered by issues such as lack of a quiet space at home, resources such as a computer or broadband connectivity, or parental support (OECD, 2014 ). In such cases, giving low homework scores may be unfair.

Since the quantities of time discussed here are totals, teachers in middle and high school should be aware of how much homework other teachers are assigning. It may seem reasonable to assign 30 minutes of daily homework, but across six subjects, that’s three hours—far above a reasonable amount even for a high school senior. Psychologist Maurice Elias sees this as a common mistake: Individual teachers create homework policies that in aggregate can overwhelm students. He suggests that teachers work together to develop a school-wide homework policy and make it a key topic of back-to-school night and the first parent-teacher conferences of the school year.

Parents Play a Key Role

Homework can be a powerful tool to help parents become more involved in their child’s learning (Walker et al., 2004 ). It can provide insights into a child’s strengths and interests, and can also encourage conversations about a child’s life at school. If a parent has positive attitudes toward homework, their children are more likely to share those same values, promoting academic success.

But it’s also possible for parents to be overbearing, putting too much emphasis on test scores or grades, which can be disruptive for children (Madjar, Shklar, & Moshe, 2015 ). Parents should avoid being overly intrusive or controlling—students report feeling less motivated to learn when they don’t have enough space and autonomy to do their homework (Orkin, May, & Wolf, 2017 ; Patall, Cooper, & Robinson, 2008 ; Silinskas & Kikas, 2017 ). So while homework can encourage parents to be more involved with their kids, it’s important to not make it a source of conflict.

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Learning Italian: How to Go from Zero to B1

By Fabio 2 Comments

Hey there! In this guide we’ll see how to gain a solid, basic level of Italian so that you will be able to get by in the most common situations, exchange pleasantries with native speakers 🗣️ and lay the foundation fur further learning of this bewitching language.

The point is: for an English speaker, learning Italian isn’t a huge deal. It’s far closer than Semitic or Sino-Tibetan languages. 🌏

At the same time, we must not fool ourselves: 

• word stress and prosody are different,
• grammar is Romance, 😒
• irregularities abound at many levels,
• a lexicon widely alien. 🤨

Summarizing, mastering Italian is totally feasible but only if you learn how to avoid the inevitable pitfalls .

One would presume a course of old, with classmates and teacher at a given venue, in-classroom exercises and homework would do: I think it’s a poor usage of your time and money. 

The plan of attack I propose is largely based on self-teaching: any native English speaker can achieve fluency at great speed with some 70% of independent study and 30% of private tuition . 💪

As a tutor of Italian , I’ve been seeing the differences between the two approaches for years now: I believe the latter is way more efficient than group courses in traditional language schools. Let me explain what I mean, then I leave up to you the decision. 

Shall we begin? 😉

How to start learning Italian

First of all: are you a real  beginner or a  false beginner ? 

• studied something, but then you abandoned it ,
• achieved an A2 or B1, but a long time ago already, 📅
• you enjoyed some time in Italy and picked up some language on the street,
• it’s your parents’ or grandparents’ language but you barely know a few pleasantries, 👴🏻
• you lived in Italy during childhood but then left and never returned,

you may want to try this brief test , to have a rough idea of your level. If you remember a decent deal of Italian, you may want to start from intermediate lands. If not, then you are a complete beginner and you can blindly follow these steps below. 🔢

What you are about to read, for achieving a basic level, is composed of four sections:

• First section : materials and strategies to start from zero;
• second section : tools to reinforce the trickiest points;
• graded readers : terrific instruments to expand one’s knowledge; 📘
• tips and tricks .

As per the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, or CEFR, you should acquire the four canonical skills: 

• Listening Comprehension (understanding what you hear)
• Reading Comprehension (understanding what you read)
• Speaking (knowing how to speak)
• Writing (knowing how to write) 🖋️

Around four areas:

• Professional

Acquiring the means to express oneself in a truly comprehensive way is a matter of many years: in this guide, we will see how to begin this fascinating journey, laying the foundations for further learning.

Learn Italian – Phase 1

This method is arguably the best to go from nought to a basic level in Italian:

Get Started in Italian by Teach Yourself : this is where you should start when the only Italian thing you can do is the pinched fingers gesture: 🤌

Complete Italian by Teach Yourself : it is the logical continuation of the textbook above. I think it is well-suited for independent learners.

Teach Yourself is a gorgeous beast. 🥰 Some people snub it as if it was poor quality. I disagree. TY is a household name in the realm of autonomous students because it delivers: for all those focused on learning Italian to use it outside academia, it’s as good as it gets about tools where English is the source language.

Double consonants, subjunctive, passato remoto , the nerve-racking lack of written accents make an exhaustive but understandable textbook so necessary.

The first book I indicated above is a relatively recent novelty: I’ve seen that people using it before the latter, as prescribed by TY, benefit from it. Studying both can take anything between three and nine months, allowing you to secure a B1 level . 👍

Once done, I’d invite you to go ahead this way. 😉

Learn Italian – Phase 2

Now, to keep learning Italian means to include more food in your linguistic menu. What I’d put on the desk now are:

Attiva il lessico (A2/B1), by Le Monnier: excellent. It enables you to consolidate and expand your lexicon. Vocabulary is what you have to focus on, once you have made yours the basic grammar functioning.

Spazio Civiltà – Civiltà italiana per stranieri (A2/B1) , by Loescher: very well-crafted, from the first to the last page. It’s one of the few textbooks that avoid caricatures of Italy, it’s readable and informative at the same time.

Something I hear all too often is:

Fabio, dear, I couldn’t care less about culture. I just want to be able to talk to people.

Well, what can I say? There are languages in which it’s plain impossible to talk properly if you don’t know the culture inside out: Korean, Japanese or Yoruba, for example.

It’s not the case with Italian: culturally, the Belpaese is akin to the whole Anglosaxon world . Having said that… you should know something. 🤨

Its religious footprint, the breach between north and south, the devotion for food 🍕, a few hints of history…: it would help not only to avoid messing up when talking to native Italians but also to get your learning straight.

We aren’t used to joking salaciously about the Catholic church ⛪, the questione meridionale is an open wound, we have more than 150.000 terms related to pasta 🍝 and more, many more things.

Even about a country as close as Italy, acquiring a deep understanding of its culture is the journey of a lifetime AND it is necessary.

Graded readers for beginners

We can soften the hardest core of the study with readings like these.

When you are closer to A2 than A1, you could try using very easy, ungraded texts, but graded readers are your safest bet anyway : designed to make you absorb structures and vocab quickly and efficiently.

Le città impossibili (A1-A2), by Alma Edizioni

Modelle, pistole e mozzarelle (A2), by Alma Edizioni

Learn Italian through comics

Language and comics are a winning pair: a comic is entertaining, it clothes words with context , there is a lot of direct speech, sentences are simple. 

At a basic level, there is enough choice of comics for you to practice reading. Just a couple of titles:

Paperino: Antica Roma,  Donald Duck in ancient Rome. Easy language, compelling, a bit of lexicon related to history. Who said that learning languages equal pain? 😂

La Divina Commedia a Fumetti : the most iconic work in Italian literature,  vernacularized  in an enthralling way.

There are all sorts of Divine Comedy out there: commented, illustrated, paraphrased… this possibly is the easiest entrance to it.

Something I also hear all too often about grader readers and books, at this point, is:

I don’t like pubertal novels and I don’t feel like reading trivialized books.

And my rebuttal is: you have just started learning Italian. What would you read , Carlo Rovelli’s PhD dissertation? 🤨

By now, you will have realized what we’ve dealt with so far has been training your Oral and Written Comprehension. You now have to work on your  Oral and Written Production . 

For these two, there are excellent tools, devised by evolution a couple of million years ago: human beings. If trained language tutors, all the better. Let’s see how.

11 Tips to learn Italian for real

#1 practise oral italian.

Exchanging your English for Italian? I wouldn’t: too early. 🤨

Don’t get me wrong: it’s recommendable to talk Italian as soon as you can . 🎤 But now, a language exchange partner, however well-intended, might lack the sensitivity to correct you and end up being all but beneficial.

The best would be to resort to a private tutor: they have the skills necessary to teach and motivate. 👏 The more often, the better, but even once a week is advantageous.

#2 Sound Italian

There are people with Superman’s hearing, with great facility for making impressions of people and, therefore, imitating their accents.

You probably know someone who can mimic the voice of public figures: they likely can also speak Italian with a true Italian flair. It’s an astounding ability, with a minor downside: when they have just started learning Italian… they have little to say. 😐

If you tell, with a flawless Italian accent:

Scusi, non ho capito bene, potrebbe cortesemente ripetere?

any Italian would presume you are an Italian who hasn’t caught a sentence, not a beginner with a basic level of Italian.

What should we do? Sure as hell, we should not worsen our accent on purpose to that effect. 😝

A strong foreign accent is like the new driver’s P-plate on your car: you ask others to be careful, but the ultimate aim is for you to learn quickly to drive and take the sticker off as soon as possible. 🏎️

#3 Learning Italian is easier if you write profusely

I have to repeat here what I wrote about the oral practice, with one nuance: you have to work harder with writing . Budget more time than you do for the oral. 📔

Written language is usually more formal and sophisticated than oral: there is more to learn and it tends to be a slower learning process. 🙄 You know, meeting up to speak involves less effort than writing something down, having it corrected and revising it.

Maybe you just want to go on holiday to Italy and you don’t care about the written language. That’s fine.

My recommendation is: no matter what, lay strong foundations . When at a B2, if life, work and passions do not lead you into writing, then leave it. 

#4 The limited usefulness of Rosetta Stone & C.

I don’t use them. They may be powerful tools, but if you have time to practice your oral skills, I would suggest you do it with another human being. 

Anyone from Palermo or Parma will always be preferable to computer software. 💻

#5 Find Italians offline and online

Without native Italians at hand in our four-dimension world, well, that’s what the Internet is for. 

I work about 20% of my time in my town and 80% on Skype. 🖥🎧 Same with the languages that I learn myself: a Skype video call is free and provides an awesome 1-to-1 interaction. You can practise your oral production, send notes, share files: it’s soooooo convenient.

#6 Beginnings are complicated

The most difficult moments are always the kickoffs. It’s so normal: pronominal particles, double negation, irregular plurals, which word is masculine and which is feminine, phonetics…: breathe, relax, study. 🙏

If your underlying structure is shaky, you better pause, reassess, review. No point in rushing to B2 . Without solid foundations, you will not be able to:

• invite over for a coffee your neighbour from Apulia,
• tell your Italian mother-in-law how deeply you regret them not coming to visit you, ✈️
• improve the karaoke scene by singing Umberto Tozzi  at the top of your lungs.

#7 A good dictionary

The Italian-English dictionary provided by the online Cambridge Dictionary is acceptable at this stage, so is WordReference’s too. The latter offers also pronunciation and a few exhaustive examples.

They both are as bare as the dashboard of an old Fiat Seicento , but before a B2 I wouldn’t concern myself over this. 🚗

#8 Have a clan around supporting you

Starting to learn a new language is setting off for an adventure. 🥾

If you had the support of your clan, it would be better: unfortunately, sometimes, even the ones who love you become a hindrance. 😔

Why? Because they know you will devote them less time , they believe that learning Italian is a waste of time, they presume you are too old or too young, they tried it themselves before and couldn’t go beyond buongiorno .

Let everyone know that this is important to you. If they keep nagging, go on your way and ignore them . 🖕 Luckily, also in this adventure you will find likely-minded people along the way: new friends in the making. Stick with them. 

#9 Learning Italian by listening to the radio

A lot of people suppose that by merely leaving the radio (or podcasts) on, Italian will flow automatically into their brain . 💾

Actually, if you are busy for an hour on something while the radio is on, the benefit of that hour of listening will come from the minutes you will switch your attention from the matter at hand to the radio. No more, no less. 

Multitasking is a giant hoax: only active listening matters. 👂

#10 Find time to study Italian

We all lead busy lives, nothing new. 

A useful trick is this: one day, keep a record of what you do , from when you get up to when you go to sleep. Example:

• 6h30: get up, shower, dress up
• 7h00: have breakfast
• 7h30: take the bus to commute to work
• 8h30: start working
• 11h00: coffee break
• 11h15: back to work
• 13h30: lunch break
• 14h30: back to work
• 18h00: go to the gym
• 18h20: reach the gym and train
• 19h40: go back home
• 20h00: cook
• 20h30: dine and TV
• 22h30: go to bed 

Now think: where could I insert Italian? In what way? 

An example of arrangement:

• 7h00: have breakfast -> read an article on Il Corriere Della Sera
• 7h30: take the bus to commute to work -> study a chapter of your textbook
• 11h00: coffee break -> do a few exercises
• 13h30: lunch break -> if you can, meet up an Italian native speaker to practice
• 18h00: go to the gym -> read a few pages of a graded reader on the way
• 18h20: reach the gym -> listen to a few Italian songs while training
• 19h40: go back home -> listen to a podcast
• 20h30: dine and TV -> watch a chapter of an Italian series
• 22h30: go to bed

These are but a few ideas. We do not all have the same rhythms, energy levels during the day or personal taste . 

Then, think about downtimes: waiting in the queue at the bank 🏦, post offices, at the GP, at train stations and airports, etc. Keep something ready for those occasions.

The key is: do not underestimate the power of working on your Italian a little every day , with a long-term commitment.

You don’t have to take weeks off to throw yourself into super-intensive courses in Florence. Use unplanned spare minutes constructively, but include quality studying time in your schedule too.

The study must be focused : no distractions whatsoever. No mobiles 📵, no social media, no parents asking to check their phone bill, no kids asking to reboot your tablet, no husbands asking for help with Thermomix. No one, nothing.

#11 Apps for learning Italian

As hypercritical as I usually am towards mobile Apps, there is one I could recommend: Learn Italian Vocabulary , which is great for expanding your lexicon. I took part in its development, hence I can vouch for its efficacity.

Here you can find it for Android and iOS .

I hope this brief guide has been of use to you: I tried to condense here the minimum notions required to start from scratch and acquire a basic level of Italian as an adult, independent learner.

A good foundation is what you should aim for, now: quality. Quantity will come at a later stage . 💪

If you have an interest in Italian but not one trespassing the threshold required to set learning in motion, take a look at this megapost:

🍝 Speaking Italian: Guide to the Language of the Belpaese

If your reason for learning Italian is related to finance or business , as you need to send quotes to customers from Treviso or purchase goods from Pistoia, then this is for you: 

💰 Business Italian: a Language for Work and Trade

More posts about learning Italian are about to come.  Resta sintonizzato 😉

A big, virus-free hug. 

Your personal Italianist, Fabio

Anything else I can help with?

Reader interactions.

29th September 2022 at 7:26 pm

Grazie! That was excellent. Only comment is that I believe that extensive, not focused listening does help in learning a language, as a support to active learning.

1st October 2022 at 8:12 am

Thanks Aviva!

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How Much Homework Is Too Much for Our Teens?

Here's what educators and parents can do to help kids find the right balance between school and home.

Does Your Teen Have Too Much Homework?

Today’s teens are under a lot of pressure.

They're under pressure to succeed, to win, to be the best and to get into the top colleges. With so much pressure, is it any wonder today’s youth report being under as much stress as their parents? In fact, during the school year, teens say they experience stress levels higher than those reported by adults, according to a previous American Psychological Association "Stress in America" survey.

Odds are if you ask a teen what's got them so worked up, the subject of school will come up. School can cause a lot of stress, which can lead to other serious problems, like sleep deprivation . According to the National Sleep Foundation, teens need between eight and 10 hours of sleep each night, but only 15 percent are even getting close to that amount. During the school week, most teens only get about six hours of zzz’s a night, and some of that sleep deficit may be attributed to homework.

When it comes to school, many adults would rather not trade places with a teen. Think about it. They get up at the crack of dawn and get on the bus when it’s pitch dark outside. They put in a full day sitting in hours of classes (sometimes four to seven different classes daily), only to get more work dumped on them to do at home. To top it off, many kids have after-school obligations, such as extracurricular activities including clubs and sports , and some have to work. After a long day, they finally get home to do even more work – schoolwork.

[Read: What Parents Should Know About Teen Depression .]

Homework is not only a source of stress for students, but it can also be a hassle for parents. If you are the parent of a kid who strives to be “perfect," then you know all too well how much time your child spends making sure every bit of homework is complete, even if it means pulling an all-nighter. On the flip side, if you’re the parent of a child who decided that school ends when the last bell rings, then you know how exhausting that homework tug-of-war can be. And heaven forbid if you’re that parent who is at their wit's end because your child excels on tests and quizzes but fails to turn in assignments. The woes of academics can go well beyond the confines of the school building and right into the home.

This is the time of year when many students and parents feel the burden of the academic load. Following spring break, many schools across the nation head into the final stretch of the year. As a result, some teachers increase the amount of homework they give. The assignments aren’t punishment, although to students and parents who are having to constantly stay on top of their kids' schoolwork, they can sure seem that way.

From a teacher’s perspective, the assignments are meant to help students better understand the course content and prepare for upcoming exams. Some schools have state-mandated end of grade or final tests. In those states these tests can account for 20 percent of a student’s final grade. So teachers want to make sure that they cover the entire curriculum before that exam. Aside from state-mandated tests, some high school students are enrolled in advanced placement or international baccalaureate college-level courses that have final tests given a month or more before the end of the term. In order to cover all of the content, teachers must maintain an accelerated pace. All of this means more out of class assignments.

Given the challenges kids face, there are a few questions parents and educators should consider:

Is homework necessary?

Many teens may give a quick "no" to this question, but the verdict is still out. Research supports both sides of the argument. Personally, I would say, yes, some homework is necessary, but it must be purposeful. If it’s busy work, then it’s a waste of time. Homework should be a supplemental teaching tool. Too often, some youth go home completely lost as they haven’t grasped concepts covered in class and they may become frustrated and overwhelmed.

For a parent who has been in this situation, you know how frustrating this can be, especially if it’s a subject that you haven’t encountered in a while. Homework can serve a purpose such as improving grades, increasing test scores and instilling a good work ethic. Purposeful homework can come in the form of individualizing assignments based on students’ needs or helping students practice newly acquired skills.

Homework should not be used to extend class time to cover more material. If your child is constantly coming home having to learn the material before doing the assignments, then it’s time to contact the teacher and set up a conference. Listen when kids express their concerns (like if they say they're expected to know concepts not taught in class) as they will provide clues about what’s happening or not happening in the classroom. Plus, getting to the root of the problem can help with keeping the peace at home too, as an irritable and grumpy teen can disrupt harmonious family dynamics .

[Read: What Makes Teens 'Most Likely to Succeed?' ]

How much is too much?

According to the National PTA and the National Education Association, students should only be doing about 10 minutes of homework per night per grade level. But teens are doing a lot more than that, according to a poll of high school students by the organization Statistic Brain . In that poll teens reported spending, on average, more than three hours on homework each school night, with 11th graders spending more time on homework than any other grade level. By contrast, some polls have shown that U.S. high school students report doing about seven hours of homework per week.

Much of a student's workload boils down to the courses they take (such as advanced or college prep classes), the teaching philosophy of educators and the student’s commitment to doing the work. Regardless, research has shown that doing more than two hours of homework per night does not benefit high school students. Having lots of homework to do every day makes it difficult for teens to have any downtime , let alone family time .

How do we respond to students' needs?

As an educator and parent, I can honestly say that oftentimes there is a mismatch in what teachers perceive as only taking 15 minutes and what really takes 45 minutes to complete. If you too find this to be the case, then reach out to your child's teacher and find out why the assignments are taking longer than anticipated for your child to complete.

Also, ask the teacher about whether faculty communicate regularly with one another about large upcoming assignments. Whether it’s setting up a shared school-wide assignment calendar or collaborating across curriculums during faculty meetings, educators need to discuss upcoming tests and projects, so students don’t end up with lots of assignments all competing for their attention and time at once. Inevitably, a student is going to get slammed occasionally, but if they have good rapport with their teachers, they will feel comfortable enough to reach out and see if alternative options are available. And as a parent, you can encourage your kid to have that dialogue with the teacher.

Often teens would rather blend into the class than stand out. That’s unfortunate because research has shown time and time again that positive teacher-student relationships are strong predictors of student engagement and achievement. By and large, most teachers appreciate students advocating for themselves and will go the extra mile to help them out.

Can there be a balance between home and school?

Students can strike a balance between school and home, but parents will have to help them find it. They need your guidance to learn how to better manage their time, get organized and prioritize tasks, which are all important life skills. Equally important is developing good study habits. Some students may need tutoring or coaching to help them learn new material or how to take notes and study. Also, don’t forget the importance of parent-teacher communication. Most educators want nothing more than for their students to succeed in their courses.

Learning should be fun, not mundane and cumbersome. Homework should only be given if its purposeful and in moderation. Equally important to homework is engaging in activities, socializing with friends and spending time with the family.

[See: 10 Concerns Parents Have About Their Kids' Health .]

Most adults don’t work a full-time job and then go home and do three more hours of work, and neither should your child. It's not easy learning to balance everything, especially if you're a teen. If your child is spending several hours on homework each night, don't hesitate to reach out to teachers and, if need be, school officials. Collectively, we can all work together to help our children de-stress and find the right balance between school and home.

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