Why Is Homework Worth The Effort?

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Homework: Is it Worth the Effort?
Every day, students come home from their long, six to seven hour school day. They then begin to start the long, arduous task of completing their homework. Over the past few years, the amount of homework has seemingly increased, and many students struggle with the amount of homework that they are given. Many students and experts argue that much of the homework assigned to students, especially in subjects such as social studies and language arts, is extraneous and nonessential. Teachers should assign less homework every night because the large amount of assignments do not benefit the students. The amount of homework should be reduced because students are given more homework than what is necessary. Despite starting their homework immediately after returning home, many students still go to bed at late hours. Research findings reveal that young elementary students have far more homework than what is recommended for their age (Caspari par. 3). Because younger students have a shorter attention span, they will start to get frustrated and distracted if given too much homework. Researcher Tom Loveless reports that while most students' homework has remained constant over the last thirty years, the amount given to
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Some teachers do not realize the impact of the large amounts of homework on the student's home life. Recently, Duke University created the "10-minute rule" which many schools are starting to use. The 10-minute rule presents the students with 10 minutes of homework with every grade. For example, a ninth grader would receive 90 minutes of homework every night ("Too Much Homework?" par. 5). If all schools adjusted to this standard, parents and students would be satisfied. Homework takes away from time students would spend interacting with their family or relaxing after a long day of