Part III of "Writing Assignment: Rule of Three" - 3 Paragraphs

Adults may end up being isolated due to lack of socialization from too much time spent on homework as children. Isolation in adults may lead to depression, suicidal thoughts, etc. This can be prevented by assuring that children have enough time outside of school hours to practice effective socialization skills, use their imagination, find their passion, and be themselves. A child needs a proper balance of time spent in the classroom, completing homework, socializing and sleeping in order to grow up healthy and learn to live a productive life. Educational standards are more concerned with teaching students the information they need to graduate to the next grade level and complete high school than they are about the future of these students, with regards to their social lives and their health. This is the reason that parents need to voice their concerns and speak up for the future of our children.

            Too much time spent on homework can result in sleep deprivation, which has short and long term effects on an individual. In the short term, sleep deprivation can cause us to lose our ability to focus, which decreases the amount of information that we are able to retain in the classroom and in our everyday lives. Sleep deprivation and loss of focus are also major contributors to accidents such as automobile and on the job accidents. If homework is meant to reinforce lessons taught in the classroom, it is more important for a student to be able to focus in class, than to fall into a detrimental cycle of spending too much time on homework. Not being able to focus in class results in difficulty understanding the lesson, and even more time spent on homework. In the short and long term, sleep deprivation also contributes to a weakened immune system which increases the susceptibility for physical illness. Illness should be prevented as much as possible because when a student is ill they not only miss valuable time spent in class learning, but they also risk spreading illness to other students and teachers in the classroom.

In addition to the mental and physical health effects caused by too much homework, parents do not always have the time or the skills to assist children with homework.  Parents spend much of their time caring for children at home and completing household chores, as they often have jobs away from home while their children are in school.  Parents may also have been out of school for a period of time that has caused them to have a reduced retention rate of the information that they learned as children, that their children are learning now. This can cause stress for both the child and the parent, as the child does not receive the help they need, and the parent has to witness the child struggle. According to The Association of California School Administrators, “Kralovec and Buell (2001) argue that homework disrupts families because of the frustration and time that must be spent away from other family activities. They also decry the stress created by adding homework to the overburdened schedules children have. Finally, they believe that homework actually limits rather than extends learning” (ACSA 5). Homework is necessary to reinforce lessons taught in the classroom, and I don’t agree that it should be eliminated altogether, although in order to prevent adverse effects of too much time spent on homework the amount of time spent should be monitored, and time limits should be implemented according to grade level. 

 

Works Cited

"Learning Opportunities...everyday[See All Learning Opportunities...]." Association of California School Administrators. N.p., 12 Oct. 2007. Web. 11 Sept. 2013.