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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.
Is Homework Good for Kids? Here’s What the Research Says
A s kids return to school, debate is heating up once again over how they should spend their time after they leave the classroom for the day.
The no-homework policy of a second-grade teacher in Texas went viral last week , earning praise from parents across the country who lament the heavy workload often assigned to young students. Brandy Young told parents she would not formally assign any homework this year, asking students instead to eat dinner with their families, play outside and go to bed early.
But the question of how much work children should be doing outside of school remains controversial, and plenty of parents take issue with no-homework policies, worried their kids are losing a potential academic advantage. Here’s what you need to know:
For decades, the homework standard has been a “10-minute rule,” which recommends a daily maximum of 10 minutes of homework per grade level. Second graders, for example, should do about 20 minutes of homework each night. High school seniors should complete about two hours of homework each night. The National PTA and the National Education Association both support that guideline.
But some schools have begun to give their youngest students a break. A Massachusetts elementary school has announced a no-homework pilot program for the coming school year, lengthening the school day by two hours to provide more in-class instruction. “We really want kids to go home at 4 o’clock, tired. We want their brain to be tired,” Kelly Elementary School Principal Jackie Glasheen said in an interview with a local TV station . “We want them to enjoy their families. We want them to go to soccer practice or football practice, and we want them to go to bed. And that’s it.”
A New York City public elementary school implemented a similar policy last year, eliminating traditional homework assignments in favor of family time. The change was quickly met with outrage from some parents, though it earned support from other education leaders.
New solutions and approaches to homework differ by community, and these local debates are complicated by the fact that even education experts disagree about what’s best for kids.
The research
The most comprehensive research on homework to date comes from a 2006 meta-analysis by Duke University psychology professor Harris Cooper, who found evidence of a positive correlation between homework and student achievement, meaning students who did homework performed better in school. The correlation was stronger for older students—in seventh through 12th grade—than for those in younger grades, for whom there was a weak relationship between homework and performance.
Cooper’s analysis focused on how homework impacts academic achievement—test scores, for example. His report noted that homework is also thought to improve study habits, attitudes toward school, self-discipline, inquisitiveness and independent problem solving skills. On the other hand, some studies he examined showed that homework can cause physical and emotional fatigue, fuel negative attitudes about learning and limit leisure time for children. At the end of his analysis, Cooper recommended further study of such potential effects of homework.
Despite the weak correlation between homework and performance for young children, Cooper argues that a small amount of homework is useful for all students. Second-graders should not be doing two hours of homework each night, he said, but they also shouldn’t be doing no homework.
Not all education experts agree entirely with Cooper’s assessment.
Cathy Vatterott, an education professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, supports the “10-minute rule” as a maximum, but she thinks there is not sufficient proof that homework is helpful for students in elementary school.
“Correlation is not causation,” she said. “Does homework cause achievement, or do high achievers do more homework?”
Vatterott, the author of Rethinking Homework: Best Practices That Support Diverse Needs , thinks there should be more emphasis on improving the quality of homework tasks, and she supports efforts to eliminate homework for younger kids.
“I have no concerns about students not starting homework until fourth grade or fifth grade,” she said, noting that while the debate over homework will undoubtedly continue, she has noticed a trend toward limiting, if not eliminating, homework in elementary school.
The issue has been debated for decades. A TIME cover in 1999 read: “Too much homework! How it’s hurting our kids, and what parents should do about it.” The accompanying story noted that the launch of Sputnik in 1957 led to a push for better math and science education in the U.S. The ensuing pressure to be competitive on a global scale, plus the increasingly demanding college admissions process, fueled the practice of assigning homework.
“The complaints are cyclical, and we’re in the part of the cycle now where the concern is for too much,” Cooper said. “You can go back to the 1970s, when you’ll find there were concerns that there was too little, when we were concerned about our global competitiveness.”
Cooper acknowledged that some students really are bringing home too much homework, and their parents are right to be concerned.
“A good way to think about homework is the way you think about medications or dietary supplements,” he said. “If you take too little, they’ll have no effect. If you take too much, they can kill you. If you take the right amount, you’ll get better.”
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Is Homework Good for Kids?
Research suggests that homework may be most beneficial when it is minimal..
Updated October 3, 2023 | Reviewed by Devon Frye
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- Research finds that homework can academically benefit middle and high schoolers, but not elementary students.
- There are non-academic benefits to homework, but too much work may interfere with other areas of development.
- Research suggests students should be given about 10 minutes of homework per grade level.
- Parents can help with homework by encouraging a growth mindset and supporting their child's autonomy.
In recent years, homework has become a very hot topic. Many parents and educators have raised concerns about homework and questioned how effective it is in enhancing students’ learning. There are also concerns that students may simply be getting too much homework, which ultimately interferes with quality family time and opportunities for physical activity and play.
Research suggests that these concerns may be valid. For example, one study reported that elementary school students, on average, are assigned three times the recommended amount of homework.
What does the research say? What are the potential risks and benefits of homework, and how much is “too much”?
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Academic vs. Non-Academic Benefits
First, research finds that homework is associated with higher scores on academic standardized tests for middle and high school students, but not elementary school students . A recent experimental study in Romania found some benefits for a small amount of writing homework in elementary students but not math homework. Yet, interestingly, this positive impact only occurred when students were given a moderate amount of homework (about 20 minutes on average).
Yet the goal of homework is not simply to improve academic skills. Research finds that homework may have some non-academic benefits, such as building responsibility , time management skills, and task persistence . Homework may also increase parents’ involvement in their children’s schooling.
Yet too much homework may also have some negative impacts on non-academic skills by reducing opportunities for free play , which is essential for the development of language, cognitive, self-regulation , and social-emotional skills. Homework may also interfere with physical activity ; indeed, too much homework is associated with an increased risk of being overweight . As with the research on academic benefits, this research also suggests that homework may be beneficial when it is minimal.
What is the “Right” Amount of Homework?
Research suggests that homework should not exceed 1.5 to 2.5 hours per night for high school students and no more than 1 hour per night for middle school students. Homework for elementary school students should be minimal and assigned with the aim of building self-regulation and independent work skills. Any more than this and homework may no longer have a positive impact.
The National Education Association recommends 10 minutes of homework per grade and there is also some experimental evidence that backs this up.
What Can Parents Do?
Research finds that parental help with homework is beneficial but that it matters more how the parent is helping rather than how often the parent is helping.
So how should parents help with homework (according to the research)?
- Focus on providing general monitoring, guidance, and encouragement, but allow children to complete their homework as independently as possible. Research shows that allowing children more autonomy in completing homework may benefit their academic skills.
- Only provide help when your child asks for it and step away whenever possible. Research finds that too much parental involvement or intrusive and controlling involvement with homework is associated with worse academic performance .
- Help your children to create structure and develop some routines that help your child to independently complete their homework. Research finds that providing this type of structure and responsiveness is related to improved academic skills.
- Set specific rules around homework. Research finds an association between parents setting rules around homework and academic performance.
- Help your child to view homework as an opportunity to learn and improve skills. Parents who view homework as a learning opportunity (that is, a “mastery orientation”) rather than something that they must get “right” or complete successfully to obtain a higher grade (that is, a “performance orientation”) are more likely to have children with the same attitudes.
- Encourage your child to persist in challenging assignments and emphasize difficult assignments as opportunities to grow. Research finds that this attitude is associated with student success. Research also indicates that more challenging homework is associated with enhanced academic performance.
- Stay calm and positive during homework. Research shows that mothers’ showing positive emotions while helping with homework may improve children’s motivation in homework.
- Praise your child’s hard work and effort during homework. This type of praise is likely to increase motivation. In addition, research finds that putting more effort into homework may be associated with enhanced development of conscientiousness in children.
- Communicate with your child and the teacher about any problems your child has with homework and the teacher’s learning goals. Research finds that open communication about homework is associated with increased academic performance.
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Cara Goodwin, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in translating scientific research into information that is useful, accurate, and relevant for parents.
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Homework: A New User's Guide
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If you made it past the headline, you're likely a student, concerned parent, teacher or, like me, a nerd nostalgist who enjoys basking in the distant glow of Homework Triumphs Past (second-grade report on Custer's Last Stand, nailed it!).
Whoever you are, you're surely hoping for some clarity in the loud, perennial debate over whether U.S. students are justifiably exhausted and nervous from too much homework — even though some international comparisons suggest they're sitting comfortably at the average.
Well, here goes. I've mapped out six, research-based polestars that should help guide you to some reasonable conclusions about homework.
How much homework do U.S. students get?
The best answer comes from something called the National Assessment of Educational Progress or NAEP . In 2012, students in three different age groups — 9, 13 and 17 — were asked, "How much time did you spend on homework yesterday?" The vast majority of 9-year-olds (79 percent) and 13-year-olds (65 percent) and still a majority of 17-year-olds (53 percent) all reported doing an hour or less of homework the day before.
Another study from the National Center for Education Statistics found that high school students who reported doing homework outside of school did, on average, about seven hours a week.
If you're hungry for more data on this — and some perspective — check out this exhaustive report put together last year by researcher Tom Loveless at the Brookings Institution.
An hour or less a day? But we hear so many horror stories! Why?
The fact is, some students do have a ton of homework. In high school we see a kind of student divergence — between those who choose or find themselves tracked into less-rigorous coursework and those who enroll in honors classes or multiple Advanced Placement courses. And the latter students are getting a lot of homework. In that 2012 NAEP survey, 13 percent of 17-year-olds reported doing more than two hours of homework the previous night. That's not a lot of students, but they're clearly doing a lot of work.
![recommended homework time for middle school](https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2015/09/18/parents-view-of-homework-load_chartbuilder_custom-a1bac5ea2308486dfa66e5758a02b667c650921d.png?s=1100&c=50&f=png)
Source: Met Life Survey of the American Teacher, The Homework Experience, 2007. LA Johnson/NPR hide caption
That also tracks with a famous survey from 2007 — from MetLife — that asked parents what they think of their kids' homework load. Sixty percent said it was just right. Twenty-five percent said their kids are getting too little. Just 15 percent of parents said their kids have too much homework.
Research also suggests that the students doing the most work have something else in common: income. "I think that the debate over homework in some ways is a social class issue," says Janine Bempechat, professor of human development at Wheelock College. "There's no question that in affluent communities, children are really over-taxed, over-burdened with homework."
But the vast majority of students do not seem to have inordinate workloads. And the ones who do are generally volunteering for the tough stuff. That doesn't make it easier, but it does make it a choice.
Do we know how much homework students in other countries are doing?
Sort of. Caveats abound here. Education systems and perceptions of what is and isn't homework can vary remarkably overseas. So any comparison is, to a degree, apples-to-oranges (or, at least, apples-to-pears). A 2012 report from the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development pegged the U.S. homework load for 15-year-olds at around six hours per week. That's just above the study's average. It found that students in Hong Kong are also doing about six hours a week. Much of Europe checks in between four and five hours a week. In Japan, it's four hours. And Korea's near the bottom, at three hours.
![recommended homework time for middle school](https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2015/09/18/weekly-homework-hours-for-15-year-olds_chartbuilder_custom-4c33552650e82ddaec76d72d04c5ba5e32572f0b.png?s=1100&c=50&f=png)
Source: OECD, PISA 2012 Database, Table IV.3.48. LA Johnson/NPR hide caption
How much homework is too much?
Better yet, how much is just right? Harris Cooper at Duke University has done some of the best work on homework. He and his team reviewed dozens of studies, from 1987 to 2003, looking for consensus on what works and what doesn't. A common rule of thumb, he says, is what's called the 10-minute rule. Take the child's grade and multiply by 10. So first-graders should have roughly 10 minutes of homework a night, 40 minutes for fourth-graders, on up to two hours for seniors in high school. A lot of of schools use this. Even the National PTA officially endorses it.
Homework clearly improves student performance, right?
Not necessarily. It depends on the age of the child. Looking over the research, there's little to no evidence that homework improves student achievement in elementary school. Then again, the many experts I spoke with all said the same thing: The point of homework in those primary grades isn't entirely academic. It's about teaching things like time-management and self-direction.
But, by high school the evidence shifts. Harris Cooper's massive review found, in middle and high school, a positive correlation between homework and student achievement on unit tests. It seems to help. But more is not always better. Cooper points out that, depending on the subject and the age of the student, there is a law of diminishing returns. Again, he recommends the 10-minute rule.
What kinds of homework seem to be most effective?
This is where things get really interesting. Because homework should be about learning, right? To understand what kinds of homework best help kids learn, we really need to talk about memory and the brain.
Let's start with something called the spacing effect . Say a child has to do a vocabulary worksheet. The next week, it's a new worksheet with different words and so on. Well, research shows that the brain is better at remembering when we repeat with consistency, not when we study in long, isolated chunks of time. Do a little bit of vocabulary each night, repeating the same words night after night.
Similarly, a professor of psychology at Washington University in St. Louis, Henry "Roddy" Roediger III , recommends that teachers give students plenty of little quizzes, which he says strengthen the brain's ability to remember. Don't fret. They can be low-stakes or no-stakes, says Roediger: It's the steady recall and repetition that matter. He also recommends, as homework, that students try testing themselves instead of simply re-reading the text or class notes.
There's also something known as interleaving . This is big in the debate over math homework. Many of us — myself included — learned math by focusing on one concept at a time, doing a worksheet to practice that concept, then moving on.
Well, there's evidence that students learn more when homework requires them to choose among multiple strategies — new and old — when solving problems. In other words, kids learn when they have to draw not just from what they learned in class that day but that week, that month, that year.
One last note: Experts agree that homework should generally be about reinforcing what students learned in class (this is especially true in math). Sometimes it can — and should — be used to introduce new material, but here's where so many horror stories begin.
Tom Loveless, a former teacher, offers this advice: "I don't think teachers should ever send brand-new material that puts the parent in the position of a teacher. That's a disaster. My own personal philosophy was: Homework is best if it's material that requires more practice but they've already received initial instruction."
Or, in the words of the National PTA: "Homework that cannot be done without help is not good homework."
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How Much Time Should Be Spent on Homework?
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At the elementary level homework should be brief, at your child’s ability level and involve frequent, voluntary and high interest activities. Young students require high levels of feedback and/or supervision to help them complete assignments correctly. Accurate homework completion is influenced by your child’s ability, the difficulty of the task, and the amount of feedback your child receives. When assigning homework, your child’s teachers may struggle to create a balance at this age between ability, task difficulty and feedback. Unfortunately, there are no simple guiding principles.
We can assure you, however, that your input and feedback on a nightly basis is an essential component in helping your child benefit from the homework experience.
What is the recommended time in elementary school?
In first through third grade, students should receive one to three assignments per week, taking them no more than fifteen to twenty minutes. In fourth through sixth grade, students should receive two to four assignments per week, lasting between fifteen and forty-five minutes. At this age, the primarily goal of homework is to help your child develop the independent work and learning skills that will become critical in the higher grades. In the upper grades, the more time spent on homework the greater the achievement gains.
What is the recommended time in middle and high school?
For students in middle and high school grades there are greater overall benefits from time engaged in practicing and thinking about school work. These benefits do not appear to depend as much upon immediate supervision or feedback as they do for elementary students. In seventh through ninth grade we recommend students receive three to five sets of assignments per week, lasting between forty-five and seventy-five minutes per set. In high school students will receive four to five sets of homework per week, taking them between seventy-five and 150 minutes per set to complete.
As children progress through school, homework and the amount of time engaged in homework increases in importance. Due to the significance of homework at the older age levels, it is not surprising that there is more homework assigned. Furthermore, homework is always assigned in college preparatory classes and assigned at least three quarters of the time in special education and vocational training classes. Thus at any age, homework may indicate our academic expectations of children.
Regardless of the amount of homework assigned, many students unsuccessful or struggling in school spend less rather than more time engaged in homework. It is not surprising that students spending less time completing homework may eventually not achieve as consistently as those who complete their homework.
Does this mean that time devoted to homework is the key component necessary for achievement?
We are not completely certain. Some American educators have concluded that if students in America spent as much time doing homework as students in Asian countries they might perform academically as well. It is tempting to assume such a cause and effect relationship.
However, this relationship appears to be an overly simple conclusion. We know that homework is important as one of several influential factors in school success. However, other variables, including student ability, achievement, motivation and teaching quality influence the time students spend with homework tasks. Many students and their parents have told us they experience less difficulty being motivated and completing homework in classes in which they enjoyed the subject, the instruction, the assignments and the teachers.
The benefits from homework are the greatest for students completing the most homework and doing so correctly. Thus, students who devote time to homework are probably on a path to improved achievement. This path also includes higher quality instruction, greater achievement motivation and better skill levels.
Authors: Dr. Sam Goldstein and Dr. Sydney Zentall
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LDA of Tennessee’s mission is to create opportunities for success for all individuals affected by learning disabilities through support, education and advocacy.
![recommended homework time for middle school](https://ldaamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Tennessee-300x167.png)
LDA of America does not currently have an active state affiliate in South Dakota.
LDA of South Carolina’s mission is to create opportunities for success for all individuals affected by learning disabilities through support, education and advocacy.
Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LDAofSC
![recommended homework time for middle school](https://ldaamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/South-Carolina-300x167.png)
LDA of America does not currently have an active state affiliate in Rhode Island.
LDA of Pennsylvania’s mission is to create opportunities for success for all individuals affected by learning disabilities through support, education and advocacy.
Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ldapa
Visit our website: https://ldaofpa.org
Phone: 412.212.7087
![recommended homework time for middle school recommended homework time for middle school](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60dcf245b35c9b1186684949/1625382363126-HGTZ23SUU5HD5T5GWVPJ/Pennsylvania.png?format=1500w)
LDA of America does not currently have an active state affiliate in Oregon.
LDA of America does not currently have an active state affiliate in Oklahoma.
LDA of Ohio’s mission is to create opportunities for success for all individuals affected by learning disabilities through support, education and advocacy.
Visit our website: https://lda-oh.org
![recommended homework time for middle school recommended homework time for middle school](https://www.lda-oh.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/lda-ohio-logo.png)
LDA of America does not currently have an active state affiliate in North Dakota.
LDA of North Carolina’s mission is to create opportunities for success for all individuals affected by learning disabilities through support, education and advocacy.
Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LDAofNorthCarolina
Visit our Website: https://ldanc.org
![recommended homework time for middle school recommended homework time for middle school](https://ldanc.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/North-Carolina-1536x855.png)
LDA of New York’s mission is to create opportunities for success for all individuals affected by learning disabilities through support, education and advocacy.
Visit our website: https://ldanys.org
![recommended homework time for middle school recommended homework time for middle school](https://ldanys.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/New-York-1536x855.png)
LDA of America does not currently have an active state affiliate in New Mexico.
LDA of New Jersey’s mission is to create opportunities for success for all individuals affected by learning disabilities through support, education and advocacy.
Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LearningDisabilitiesAssociationofNJ/
Visit our website: https://ldanj.org
![recommended homework time for middle school recommended homework time for middle school](https://ldanj.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/New-Jersey-1-1.png)
LDA of New Hampshire’s mission is to create opportunities for success for all individuals affected by learning disabilities through support, education and advocacy.
Visit our website: https://nhlda.org
![recommended homework time for middle school recommended homework time for middle school](https://nhlda.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/New-Hampshire-1536x855.png)
LDA of America does not currently have an active state affiliate in Nevada.
LDA of Nebraska’s mission is to create opportunities for success for all individuals affected by learning disabilities through support, education and advocacy.
Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LearningDisabilityNE/
![recommended homework time for middle school](https://ldaamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Nebraska-300x167.png)
The Learning Disabilities Association of Montana (LDA-MT) is one of the state affiliates of the Learning Disabilities Association of America, as a nonprofit volunteer organization of parents, professionals, and adults with learning disabilities. Our mission is to create opportunities for success for all individuals affected by learning disabilities through support, education, and advocacy.
Visit our website: https://ldamontana.org
![recommended homework time for middle school recommended homework time for middle school](https://ldamontana.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Montana-1536x855.png)
LDA of America does not currently have an active state affiliate in Missouri.
LDA of America does not currently have an active state affiliate in Mississippi.
LDA of Minnesota’s mission is to create opportunities for success for all individuals affected by learning disabilities through support, education and advocacy.
Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LDAMinnesota/
Follow us on X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/ldaminnesota
Visit our Website: https://www.ldaminnesota.org/
Phone: 952.582.6000
![recommended homework time for middle school](https://ldaamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Minnesota-300x167.png)
LDA of Illinois’ mission is to create opportunities for success for all individuals affected by learning disabilities through support, education and advocacy.
Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063726155725
Visit our website: https://ldaillinois.org
Phone: 708.430.7532
![recommended homework time for middle school LDA of Illinois](https://ldaillinois.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Illinois-1536x855.png)
The Learning Disabilities Association of Iowa is dedicated to identifying causes and promoting prevention of learning disabilities and to enhancing the quality of life for all individuals with learning disabilities and their families by:
- Encouraging effective identification and intervention,
- Fostering research, and
- Protecting the rights of individuals with learning disabilities under the law.
Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LDA.Iowa
Follow us on X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/ldaofiowa
Visit our website: https://ldaiowa.org
Phone: 515.209.2290
![recommended homework time for middle school LDA Iowa](https://ldaiowa.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Iowa-1536x855.png)
LDA of Michigan’s mission is to create opportunities for success for all individuals affected by learning disabilities through support, education and advocacy.
Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LDAmichigan
Follow us on X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/LDAmichigan
Visit our Website: https://ldaofmichigan.org
Phone: 616.284.1650
![recommended homework time for middle school recommended homework time for middle school](https://ldaofmichigan.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Michigan-1536x855.png)
The mission of LDA of Massachusetts is to create opportunities for success for all individuals affected by learning disabilities through support, education and advocacy.
Affiliate Contact: Kristen Lech Contact Email: [email protected]
![recommended homework time for middle school](https://ldaamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Massachusetts-300x167.png)
LDA of Maryland’s mission is to create opportunities for success for all individuals affected by learning disabilities through support, education and advocacy.
Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ldamd/
Visit our website: https://ldamd.org/
![recommended homework time for middle school LDA Maryland](https://ldamd.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/cropped-Maryland-1536x440.png)
LDA of Maine’s mission is to create opportunities for success for all individuals affected by learning disabilities through support, education and advocacy.
Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ldame
Visit our website: https://ldame.org
![recommended homework time for middle school LDA Maine](https://ldame.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Maine-1536x855.png)
The Learning Disabilities Association of Louisiana (LDA-LA) is one of the state affiliates of the Learning Disabilities Association of America, as a nonprofit volunteer organization of parents, professionals, and adults with learning disabilities. Our mission is to create opportunities for success for all individuals affected by learning disabilities through support, education, and advocacy.
Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LDAofLouisiana/
![recommended homework time for middle school](https://ldaamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Louisiana-300x167.png)
LDA of Kentucky’s mission is to create opportunities for success for all individuals affected by learning disabilities through support, education and advocacy.
Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100067524906403
Visit our Website: https://www.ldaofky.org/
![recommended homework time for middle school LDA of Kentucky](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/492aaa_165eb78b573c49d5a6d6e6d30fa1fc68~mv2.png/v1/crop/x_5,y_44,w_1128,h_503/fill/w_974,h_434,al_c,q_90,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/LDA%20of%20Kentucky%20Logo%20-banner-for-Zoom.png)
LDA of America does not currently have an active state affiliate in Kansas.
LDA of Indiana’s mission is to create opportunities for success for all individuals affected by learning disabilities through support, education and advocacy.
Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LearningDisabilitiesAssociationofIndiana/
![recommended homework time for middle school](https://ldaamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Indiana-300x167.png)
LDA of America does not currently have an active state affiliate in Idaho.
LDA of America does not currently have an active state affiliate in Hawaii.
LDA of Georgia’s mission is to create opportunities for success for all individuals affected by learning disabilities through support, education and advocacy.
Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LearningDisabilitiesAssociationofGeorgia/
Visit our website: https://ldaga.org
![recommended homework time for middle school LDA of Georgia](https://ldaga.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Georgia-1536x855.png)
LDA of Florida’s mission is to create opportunities for success for all individuals affected by learning disabilities through support, education and advocacy.
Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LDAFlorida/
Visit our website: https://lda-florida.org
![recommended homework time for middle school LDA Florida](https://lda-florida.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Florida-1536x855.png)
LDA of America does not currently have an active state affiliate in the District of Columbia.
LDA of Connecticut’s mission is to create opportunities for success for all individuals affected by learning disabilities through support, education and advocacy.
Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LDAofCT
Visit our Website: https://sites.google.com/view/ldaofconnecticut/
![recommended homework time for middle school](https://ldaamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Connecticut-300x167.png)
LDA of Delaware’s mission is to create opportunities for success for all individuals affected by learning disabilities through support, education and advocacy.
Affiliate Contact: Fern Goldstein
Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ldadelaware/
Visit our Website: https://ldadelaware.org/
![recommended homework time for middle school LDA of Delaware](https://ldadelaware.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Delaware-1536x855.png)
LDA of America does not currently have an active state affiliate in Colorado.
LDA of California’s mission is to create opportunities for success for all individuals affected by learning disabilities through support, education and advocacy.
Visit our website: https://ldacalifornia.org
Affiliate Contact: EunMi Cho
![recommended homework time for middle school LDA California](https://ldacalifornia.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/LDACalifornia-SideLogo-1536x855.png)
LDA of Arkansas’s mission is to create opportunities for success for all individuals affected by learning disabilities through support, education and advocacy.
Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ldarkansas/
Visit our website: https://lda-arkansas.org
![recommended homework time for middle school LDA of Arkansas](https://lda-arkansas.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Arkansas-1536x855.png)
LDA of Arizona’s mission is to create opportunities for success for all individuals affected by learning disabilities through support, education and advocacy.
Visit our website: https://ldaofarizona.org
![recommended homework time for middle school LDA of Arizona Logo](https://ldaofarizona.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Arizona-1536x855.png)
LDA of Alabama’s mission is to create opportunities for success for all individuals affected by learning disabilities through support, education and advocacy.
Find Us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LDAAlabama/
Visit Our Website: https://ldaalabama.org/
![recommended homework time for middle school LDA of Alabama Logo](https://ldaalabama.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Alabama-1536x855.png)
LDA of America does not currently have an active state affiliate in Alaska.
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IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
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.
High schoolers reported doing an average of 2.7 hours of homework per weeknight, according to a study by the Washington Post from 2018 to 2020 of over 50,000 individuals. A survey of approximately 200 Bellaire High School students revealed that some students spend over three times this number.
For decades, the homework standard has been a “10-minute rule,” which recommends a daily maximum of 10 minutes of homework per grade level. Second graders, for example, should do about 20...
According to Scholastic, you should follow these rules of thumb to support your child during homework (without going overboard): Stay nearby and available for questions without getting right in...
Many districts follow the guideline of 10 minutes per grade level. This is a good rule of thumb and can be modified for specific students or subjects that need more or less time for assignments. This can also be helpful to gauge if you are providing too much (or too little) homework.
How much homework is appropriate? Which types of homework should be assigned? How might school start times affect students spend on homework? the amount of time. Key Findings. Despite having little or no effect on elementary school students’ achievement, homework may positively affect middle and high school students’ achievement.
Research suggests that homework should not exceed 1.5 to 2.5 hours per night for high school students and no more than 1 hour per night for middle school students. Homework for elementary...
While research on the optimum amount of time students should spend on homework is limited, there are indications that for high school students, 1½ to 2½ hours per night is optimum. Middle school students appear to benefit from smaller amounts (less than 1 hour per night).
A common rule of thumb, he says, is what's called the 10-minute rule. Take the child's grade and multiply by 10. So first-graders should have roughly 10 minutes of homework a night, 40 minutes...
In first through third grade, students should receive one to three assignments per week, taking them no more than fifteen to twenty minutes. In fourth through sixth grade, students should receive two to four assignments per week, lasting between fifteen and forty-five minutes.