Illustration by RJ Matson; Debate photos courtesy of families

Do Kids Need Homework?

Some students in New York’s Long Beach school district have more free time on their hands these days. Starting this school year, teachers no longer assign traditional homework to kids in elementary school. That means no more math problems or spelling practice. Instead, kids are encouraged to read every evening. Fourth-graders are expected to read for about 40 minutes.

Other schools around the country have closed the book on homework too. Some studies show that the extra work doesn’t help students do better on tests. Officials in Long Beach hope students will benefit from extra family time and playtime now that they don’t have homework.

But not everyone is ready to ditch homework. Many people argue that it’s a good way for teachers to check whether students understand what’s being taught in class. Others point out that homework helps kids develop good study habits, which will come in handy once they get to high school and college.

Here’s what two of our readers think.

Homework is important because it gives kids a chance to practice what they learned in class. It also gives them the opportunity to dive deeper into a topic, which they may not have time to do in class.

Plus, homework allows parents to see what their child is learning in school.

Some kids complain that they don’t have enough time for after-school activities. But if they manage their time well, they can get their homework done and still enjoy teams, clubs, or other activities.

Most kids spend more than six hours a day at school. Homework is often just a repeat of what we already learned in class. If we didn’t have homework, we’d have more time to play sports or music or to hang out with friends.

Having too much homework can stress kids out. If we have to stay up late to finish it, we’ll be tired in class the next day. That can affect learning and cause us to dislike school.

Homework also puts pressure on parents. After a long day of work, many parents still have to help their kids to do their homework.