Introduction
The abolition of homework has been at the center of educational reform debates for many decades. A lack of consensus on the effectiveness of homework as a means for improving the academic performance of children underscores the need to approach the issue in a systematic manner. Although there is no agreement among educational scholars on the merits of take-home assignments, numerous lines of the investigation point to the fact that its effects on learning are largely negative. The aim of this paper is to discuss homework in the framework of the academic achievement of young learners. It will be argued that the current educational policies should be reviewed in order to eliminate homework for young children.
Discussion
Many educators lament the negative effects of homework on children, thereby drawing attention to the fact that its value is dubious. Frustration and exhaustion produced by substantial cognitive loads are well-known results of extra-mural activities the amount of which is rarely connected with higher scores at young ages. Furthermore, by taking considerable fractions of children’s time, homework-related intellectual stimulation prevents young students from making meaningful social connections with their peers and parents. By forcing kindergarteners and first graders to concentrate on school tasks for a long time, it is possible to dissolve their interest in learning, thereby endangering their future success.
Positive effects of extra-mural academic activities for young learners lack solid empirical backing, which necessitates an alternative approach to their education. Instead of piling increasingly more take-home assignments on elementary students who are too immature to cope with academic challenges, it is necessary to boost their achievement by changing the educational status quo. To this end, forward-looking educators should base their approaches to home-work assignments on empirical studies with a high level of validity. In addition, homework effects should be discussed with parents who spend the majority of presumably educative time in the capacity of enforcers, thereby diminishing the quality of their relationship with children. Dubious academic progress achieved with mandatory homework can be trumped by the results of experiential learning, which can be aligned with a wide range of educational objectives.
Unfortunately, the elimination of homework is not feasible due to the rigid requirements of educational policy; therefore, participation in advocacy groups and professional organizations is needed. There is no denying that the transformation of the current learning process with respect to homework for young children has not occurred due to a marginal level of teachers’ involvement in policy-making. It follows that forward-looking educators who realize that the existence of homework is not justified should take a firm political stance on the issue.
Proponents of homework for young students maintain that its key benefit is the preparation of learners for future tests. However, even though copious amounts of take-home assignments can make children ready for academic responsibilities, their benefits do not justify harms caused by considerable cognitive loads. Those who believe that homework should not be eliminated also state that it bonds children with their parents, which is widely disputed by the latter.
Conclusion
The paper has reviewed the merits of homework as a means of improving the academic achievement of young students. It has been argued that whereas benefits of extra-mural educational activities are not backed by empiric evidence, its harms are well-proven by multiple lines of investigation. Taking into consideration the negative influence of homework on young children, their mandatory intellectual stimulation should be restricted to classrooms.