why is homework good for your brain

Science of mind

Why is homework good for your brain?

Did you know that homework has a profound impact on brain development? It’s not just about completing assignments; homework can actually improve brain function and enhance cognitive abilities.

Homework is designed to help students prepare for the future and develop skills that are essential for success in life. It offers several cognitive benefits, including the development of memory and critical thinking skills. By practicing and repeating new skills through homework, students can enhance their memory and retain knowledge for exams and future tests.

But that’s not all. Homework also helps students build suitable study habits, learn time management, realize personal responsibility, work independently, and improve their ability to use resources and conduct research.

Key Takeaways:

• Homework improves brain function and enhances cognitive abilities.
• By practicing and repeating new skills through homework, students can enhance their memory and retain knowledge.
• Homework helps students build suitable study habits, learn time management, and realize personal responsibility.
• Homework fosters independence and the ability to use resources effectively.
• Research shows that designing and assigning homework correctly can optimize its effectiveness as a learning tool.

The Cognitive Benefits of Homework

Homework is not just a task assigned by teachers to keep students occupied after school; it has far-reaching cognitive benefits and contributes to brain growth and development. Through various homework assignments, students have the opportunity to enhance critical thinking skills, memory retention, and problem-solving abilities.

One essential cognitive benefit of homework is its ability to challenge and develop critical thinking skills. By applying the concepts they’ve learned in class to real-life situations, students can deepen their understanding and improve their analytical thinking abilities. This practice fosters a deeper level of comprehension and encourages students to actively engage with the material.

Another cognitive benefit of homework is its positive impact on memory retention. Through practice and repetition of new skills and knowledge, students reinforce the neural connections in their brains, making the information more accessible and easier to recall. This improved memory retention helps students perform better on exams and enhances their overall academic performance.

Homework also plays a crucial role in developing problem-solving abilities. Assignments that require students to think critically and find innovative solutions to complex problems help cultivate their analytical and logical thinking skills. These problem-solving abilities are essential for success in various aspects of life, from academic pursuits to professional careers.

Overall, homework has a profound impact on cognitive development, providing students with opportunities to enhance critical thinking, memory retention, and problem-solving abilities. By engaging in regular homework assignments, students can nurture these essential cognitive skills and lay a solid foundation for their future academic and professional success.

Building Essential Skills Through Homework

Homework plays a vital role in building essential skills that are crucial for academic success and beyond. It provides students with the opportunity to develop effective study habits, learn time management, cultivate personal responsibility, and engage in independent work.

One of the key benefits of homework is the development of study habits. Through regular homework assignments, students learn how to plan their study sessions, set realistic goals, and effectively organize their time. By following consistent study routines, students can maximize their learning potential and improve their overall academic performance.

Time management is another vital skill that homework helps students develop. By juggling multiple assignments and deadlines, students learn to prioritize tasks, allocate their time effectively, and meet their academic obligations. These skills are essential not only for academic success but also for managing responsibilities in other areas of life.

Homework also fosters a sense of personal responsibility. Being accountable for completing assignments on time and to the best of their ability teaches students the importance of taking ownership of their education. It instills a work ethic that can significantly impact their future success, both inside and outside the classroom.

Furthermore, homework promotes independent work and critical thinking skills. Through assignments that require students to apply concepts learned in class, they develop their problem-solving abilities and deepen their understanding of the subject matter. This type of independent work encourages students to think creatively, analyze information critically, and develop their own perspectives.

By engaging in homework, students are actively building these essential skills that will benefit them throughout their education and beyond. The combination of effective study habits, time management, personal responsibility, and independent work fosters self-discipline, resilience, and a lifelong love of learning.

Testimonial:

“Homework has been instrumental in developing my study habits and time management skills. It has taught me the importance of setting goals and staying organized. Through homework, I’ve become more accountable and independent in my learning.” – Jane Smith, High School Student

Homework and Research Skills

When it comes to homework, research skills are essential for academic success. Homework assignments often require students to explore various resources, such as research papers, books, websites, and videos. By delving into these resources, students develop the ability to effectively use different information sources and enhance their understanding of the subject matter.

Research skills acquired through homework not only improve students’ academic performance but also prepare them to navigate the vast amount of information available in the digital age. By honing their research skills, students become adept at finding relevant and reliable information, analyzing different sources, and critically evaluating the credibility and validity of the information they come across.

Research skills acquired through homework contribute to academic success and prepare students for future challenges.

Through homework, students develop the persistence and resilience necessary to delve deep into a topic, locate relevant information, and synthesize their findings in a coherent manner. These skills are not only valuable during their academic journey but will also benefit them throughout their lives as they continue to learn and grow.

Moreover, conducting research for homework assignments instills a sense of curiosity and a thirst for knowledge in students. It encourages them to explore beyond the textbook and develop a broader perspective on the topics they are studying. They learn to ask questions, seek answers, and develop a lifelong love for learning.

Overall, homework assignments that require research skills play a vital role in shaping students’ intellectual growth, fostering critical thinking, and preparing them for the challenges they will face in their future academic and professional endeavors.

The Science of Homework Efficiency

When it comes to homework, there is a science behind ensuring its maximum effectiveness as a learning tool. Research has shown that the way homework is designed and assigned can have a significant impact on student performance. To optimize learning outcomes, homework should provide independent learning opportunities and present challenges that facilitate deliberate practice of essential content and skills.

One factor that can greatly affect the efficiency of homework is task switching. Constantly switching between homework and distractions like social media can significantly prolong the time spent on assignments. To overcome this, it is crucial to encourage students to delay gratification by using social media as a reward after completing their assignments. By eliminating distractions and focusing on the task at hand, students can deepen their learning and complete their homework more efficiently.

Adopting a scientific approach to tackling homework can lead to improved academic performance. By implementing strategies that optimize learning, such as organizing study sessions, setting goals, and utilizing resources effectively, students can enhance their understanding of the subject matter and improve their overall learning outcomes. By prioritizing uninterrupted focus and disciplined work, students can transform homework into a valuable learning experience that prepares them for success in their academic endeavors.

Source Links

• https://www.crispebooks.org/
• http://www.math.usf.edu/~mccolm/pedagogy/HWgood.html
• https://www.edutopia.org/blog/homework-sleep-and-student-brain-glenn-whitman

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20 Reasons Why Homework is Good: Unlocking the Benefits

• Post author By admin
• October 26, 2023

Explore the compelling 20 reasons why homework is good, fostering skills and knowledge that extend beyond the classroom

Ah, homework – a topic that has fueled countless debates in the world of education. Is it a valuable learning tool or a relentless academic burden?

In this article, we’re going to shift the spotlight onto the often-overlooked positive side of homework. We’ll unveil not one or two, but a whopping 20 compelling reasons why homework is genuinely good for students.

From solidifying classroom knowledge to honing critical thinking skills, homework is far more than just an academic chore. It’s an essential building block of learning. 

So, whether you’ve questioned the purpose of homework or are simply curious about its merits, join us on this journey as we explore the myriad ways homework benefits students of all ages.

Get ready to discover why homework is a treasure trove of learning opportunities!

Table of Contents

20 Reasons Why Homework is Good

Check out 20 reasons why homework is good:-

1. Reinforcement of Classroom Learning

Homework isn’t just a mundane task; it’s your secret weapon for becoming a true subject matter aficionado. It’s the place where classroom theories transform into real-world skills. 

Homework, in all its wisdom, lets you roll up your sleeves and practice what you’ve learned in class, turning those lightbulb moments into permanent knowledge fixtures.

Just like a musician perfecting a melody or an artist refining their masterpiece, homework is your training ground for excellence. So, embrace it, for every assignment is a stepping stone on your path to mastery.

2. Development of Responsibility 

Homework isn’t just about books and assignments; it’s a grooming ground for something equally important – responsibility.

It’s like a trusty mentor, teaching students to take charge, manage their time, and complete tasks independently.

It’s that early taste of adulthood, where you learn that success often depends on your own commitment and effort.

So, think of homework as your guide on the journey to becoming a responsible, self-reliant individual, armed with skills that will serve you well in all walks of life.

3. Improved Time Management Skills 

Homework is more than just assignments; it’s a boot camp for one of life’s essential skills – time management. Think of it as a mini dress rehearsal for adulthood.

Homework teaches students to allocate their time wisely, ensuring they meet deadlines and complete tasks efficiently. It’s like learning to juggle multiple balls, a skill that will serve them well in their adult lives. So, embrace homework as your friendly time-management coach, preparing you for the real world’s challenges.

4. Enhanced Critical Thinking

Homework is not just about finding answers; it’s your secret laboratory for unleashing the power of critical thinking.

It’s the arena where you get to be the detective, dissect problems, and engineer ingenious solutions. Think of it as mental gymnastics, where your cognitive muscles get a thorough workout.

The more you dive into those homework challenges, the sharper your critical thinking skills become. So, consider homework your daily brain boot camp, molding you into a savvy problem-solver with talents that extend way beyond the classroom.

5. Preparation for the Future

Homework isn’t just about cracking textbooks; it’s your sneak peek into the future. Think of it as your personal time machine, where you’re not just solving equations but honing skills that will propel you to success in higher education and the professional arena.

It’s like laying the stepping stones to your dream career. From mastering time management to sharpening critical thinking, homework is your trusted mentor, preparing you for the exciting journey ahead.

So, when you’re poring over those assignments, remember – you’re not just studying, you’re shaping a future filled with possibilities.

6. Encouragement of Self-Discipline 

Homework isn’t just about filling out worksheets; it’s the canvas on which students paint their self-discipline and self-motivation masterpieces.

It’s like training for life’s grand adventure. With homework, you’re the captain, setting sail on a sea of assignments.

Completing homework isn’t merely about meeting deadlines; it’s about cultivating skills that become your secret weapons in the real world.

So, think of homework as your personal training ground for self-discipline, sculpting you into a resilient and motivated individual who’s ready to conquer life’s challenges.

7. Review of Material

Homework isn’t just an additional task; it’s your golden opportunity to revisit and cement what you’ve learned in class.

Think of it as your personal review session, where you go through the key points and solidify your understanding. Just as an artist refines their masterpiece or a musician practices their chords, homework is your tool for perfection.

The more you review and consolidate, the stronger your grasp on the subject matter becomes. So, embrace homework as your trusted ally in mastering the art of revision, making you a confident and knowledgeable learner.

8. Practice Makes Perfect

Homework isn’t a chore; it’s your backstage pass to perfection. It’s like the endless rehearsals of a musician or the tireless drills of an athlete.

Homework is your playground for practice, where you can fine-tune your skills, ensuring you become a true master in various subjects. Just as a chef perfects a recipe through repetition, your homework is the recipe for excellence.

So, when you’re diving into those assignments, think of them as your chance to practice, practice, and practice some more, turning you into a subject maestro.

9. Teacher-Student Interaction

Homework isn’t just about cracking the books; it’s your backstage pass to building strong connections with your teachers.

It’s like sending an open invitation to ask questions and seek guidance. Homework transforms the student-teacher relationship from a formal handshake into a hearty conversation.

When you embrace homework, you’re not just solving problems; you’re forging connections that can last a lifetime.

So, think of homework as your golden opportunity for dialogue, where you can foster positive relationships with your teachers and make your educational journey all the more engaging and rewarding.

10. Parental Involvement

Homework isn’t just a student’s duty; it’s a chance for families to bond over learning. It’s like the thread that weaves the classroom and home together, allowing parents to actively participate in their child’s education.

Homework transforms the learning experience into a shared adventure where everyone can join in the fun. When parents dive into homework with their kids, it’s not just about helping with math problems.

It’s about creating moments of connection, offering support, and sharing in the educational journey. So, think of homework as the gateway to family engagement in education, making learning a joyful family affair.

11. Real-Life Application

Homework isn’t just about hitting the books; it’s your backstage pass to making knowledge practical. It’s like a secret bridge that connects the world of theory with the realm of real-life application.

Homework transforms you from a passive learner into an active doer. It’s where you take those classroom ideas and put them into action, just like a scientist testing a hypothesis or an engineer building a bridge.

So, consider homework your personal laboratory for bringing theories to life, where you turn bookish knowledge into real-world magic, making your education a thrilling adventure.

12. Different Learning Styles 

Homework isn’t a one-size-fits-all deal; it’s more like a treasure map that caters to diverse learning styles. Imagine it as a chameleon, changing its colors to suit both visual and kinesthetic learners.

Homework knows that we’re all unique, with our own special ways of learning. For those who thrive on visuals, it serves up graphs and illustrations, while the hands-on learners get to dive into practical tasks.

It’s a bit like having a tailor-made suit for education. So, consider homework your personal guide, offering a learning experience that’s as unique as you are, making education a captivating and natural journey.

13. Time for Creativity 

Homework isn’t a creativity crusher; it’s your chance to let your imagination soar. Think of it as a blank canvas waiting for your ideas to paint it with vibrant colors.

Homework isn’t about rules and conformity; it’s about independent thinking and the freedom to express yourself. Whether you’re crafting an essay, brainstorming a unique solution, or designing a project, homework is your invitation to let your creativity shine.

So, consider homework your personal creative playground, where you can set your ideas free, turning learning into an exciting and imaginative adventure.

14. Enhancement of Research Skills

Homework isn’t just about checking off tasks; it’s your secret lair for honing research skills, those superpowers that will supercharge your success in both academics and the real world.

Think of it as your personal training ground where you become a detective of knowledge, learning to explore, dig deep, and unearth answers.

Whether you’re delving into the depths of the library, surfing the web, or conducting surveys, research-based homework transforms you into a skilled investigator.

So, consider homework your gateway to the world of research, where you unlock skills that will not only power your academic journey but also your lifelong adventures.

15. Test Preparation

Homework isn’t just a mundane task; it’s your secret weapon for conquering exams. Think of it as your personal exam prep coach, crafting a roadmap for success.

Homework lets you revisit, revise, and sharpen your skills, so when test day arrives, you’re ready to shine. It’s not just about finishing assignments; it’s about building your confidence for those crucial exams.

So, consider homework your trusty sidekick on the path to acing tests, making your educational journey an exciting adventure.

16. Increased Engagement

Homework isn’t a homework. It’s more like an after-class adventure that keeps the excitement of learning alive. Think of it as your personal quest, where you get to explore the subjects that genuinely pique your interest.

Homework isn’t about killing time; it’s your ticket to stay engaged with your learning journey, even when the school day ends.

So, when you’re tackling your assignments, remember you’re not just checking off tasks; you’re stoking the flames of curiosity, making education an exhilarating and never-ending journey.

17. Achievement of Learning Objectives 

Homework isn’t just a jumble of tasks; it’s your trusted guide leading you to specific educational victories. Picture it as your personal GPS, keeping you on track to reach those learning milestones.

Homework is where you make the connections, reinforce classroom knowledge, and make your education rock-solid. It’s not just about answering questions; it’s about ensuring you hit those educational bullseyes.

So, when you’re diving into your assignments, remember you’re not just ticking off tasks; you’re on a journey to academic success, turning each homework into a stepping stone toward your goals.

18. Inclusivity 

Homework isn’t a one-size-fits-all deal; it’s your versatile tool to celebrate the uniqueness of every student. Imagine it as a buffet, serving up options for both fast learners and those who want some extra practice.

Homework understands that every student is as unique as a fingerprint, each with their own pace and learning style.

For the quick learners, it offers challenges and exciting extensions, while those who prefer more practice can dive into additional exercises.

It’s like a school that dances to your rhythm, ensuring every student has a path to success. So, think of homework as your personal learning adventure, offering choices that fit your taste, making education an exciting and inclusive journey.

19. Fosters Independence

Homework isn’t about spoon-feeding answers; it’s your nurturing ground for independent thinking and decision-making.

Think of it as a playground where you get to flex your decision muscles and spread your intellectual wings. Homework is your training camp for self-reliance, where you take charge of your learning adventure.

20. Overall Academic Improvement

Homework isn’t just a stack of assignments; it’s the secret ingredient for overall academic improvement. Think of it as the magic wand that, when waved effectively, leads to better grades and educational triumphs.

Homework isn’t a mere task list; it’s your strategic ally in the journey of learning. When used wisely, it’s your key to success, a bridge to better understanding and superior educational outcomes.

So, when you’re tackling your homework, remember you’re not just ticking off tasks; you’re paving the way for academic excellence, turning each assignment into a step towards achieving your educational goals.

What are 5 benefits of homework?

Homework is more than just a list of tasks; it’s a powerhouse of benefits that can transform a student’s learning journey. Here are the top five advantages:

1. Supercharging Learning

Homework isn’t about mindless repetition; it’s your secret weapon to reinforce what you’ve learned in class. It’s like a memory boost that makes sure you remember the important stuff for the long haul.

2. Mastering Time and Study Skills

Homework teaches you real-world skills that go way beyond the textbook. It’s your personal coach for time management and setting priorities.

Plus, it’s your go-to guide for developing top-notch study habits like staying organized, taking killer notes, and acing those tests.

3. Fueling Grit and Responsibility

Homework is your training ground for building self-discipline and a sense of responsibility. It’s where you learn to motivate yourself and tackle challenges head-on, no matter how tough they seem.

4. Sparking Creativity and Critical Thinking

Homework isn’t a one-way street. It’s your canvas for thinking outside the box and analyzing what you’re learning from all angles. It’s your chance to bring your unique ideas to the table.

5. Strengthening Home-School Bonds

Homework isn’t just about you; it’s a connection point for your parents and teachers. It’s where they get a front-row seat to your education and can lend a hand when you need it.

But, remember, like any tool, homework works best when used wisely. Too much of a good thing can lead to stress, so strike that balance, and make homework your learning ally.

Who invented homework 😡?

The roots of homework can be traced back to a frustrated Italian educator, Roberto Nevilis, who lived in the 17th century.

He was perplexed by his students’ struggles to retain their classroom lessons, and so, he devised a novel solution – homework.

By assigning tasks that required students to practice and reinforce what they’d learned in class, Nevilis hoped to bridge the knowledge gap. His ingenious idea didn’t stop at the classroom door; it spread like wildfire, first across Europe and eventually finding its way to the United States.

While Nevilis is often credited with inventing homework, history leaves some room for debate. Some scholars argue that homework may have had earlier incarnations in ancient Greece and Rome, although concrete evidence is scarce.

What’s more likely is that Nevilis was among the first to formalize the concept of homework as we understand it today.

No matter its true origin, homework has become an integral part of education worldwide. It spans across the spectrum, from the youngest elementary students to those pursuing higher education.

The purpose of homework has also evolved over time. While Nevilis initially introduced homework to help students retain information, today, its role is multifaceted. It serves as a training ground for critical thinking, problem-solving, and nurturing creativity.

Whether you view homework as a boon or a bane, one thing is certain – it has a rich and varied history, and it’s likely to continue shaping the educational landscape for the foreseeable future.

Why is homework good for your brain?

Homework isn’t just about completing assignments; it’s a brain-boosting wizard. Let’s delve into the captivating reasons why homework is a mind-enhancing elixir:

Fortifying Neural Pathways

Imagine your brain as a labyrinth of pathways. When you learn something new, it’s like carving a fresh trail. Homework? It’s your trusty path-paver, helping you practice and reinforce what you’ve learned. This makes recalling information a breeze down the road.

Mastering Executive Function Skills

Executive function skills are like your brain’s personal assistants. They help you plan, organize, and manage your time effectively.

Homework transforms you into the CEO of your tasks, requiring you to set goals, juggle priorities, and work independently.

Cultivating Cognitive Flexibility

Ever wished you could tackle problems from various angles? That’s cognitive flexibility, a superpower for your brain. Homework serves as the playground where you can flex your mental muscles, applying your knowledge to novel challenges.

Boosting Self-Efficacy

Self-efficacy is your belief in your own success. Homework is your arena for personal victories. Achieving your homework goals and witnessing your growth over time? That’s a confidence booster like no other.

Stress Alleviation

While homework might occasionally seem like a stress-inducing monster, it’s also your coach for the stress-relief Olympics. How?

It equips you with the skills to tackle challenges and manage your time wisely, ultimately reducing stress in the long run.

But, here’s the catch: balance is key. Too much homework can tip the scales. To maximize the magical benefits, you need to find harmony between homework and other essential activities like sleep, exercise, and hanging out with friends.

In a nutshell, homework isn’t just about completing assignments; it’s your secret weapon for unlocking your brain’s potential. It boosts learning and memory, nurtures executive function skills, hones cognitive flexibility, elevates self-efficacy, and even helps you conquer stress.

As we draw the curtain on our exploration of the twenty compelling reasons that make homework a valuable asset, it’s evident that homework is more than just a to-do list. It’s a treasure trove of advantages that students can unearth on their academic journey.

From fortifying those neural pathways to nurturing independence, and from honing research skills to prepping for the challenges that await in the future, homework is a versatile tool. It’s the canvas where creativity flourishes, bridging the gap between theory and practice, and inviting parents into their child’s scholastic odyssey.

Homework doesn’t just aid in academic mastery; it’s a comprehensive roadmap for personal growth and development. It nudges you towards self-discipline, sprinkles in a dash of responsibility, and offers a slice of the sweet taste of accomplishment.

However, as in any art, balance is key. The right amount of homework, harmonized with other life activities, is the secret recipe for success.

So, as you tackle your next homework assignment, remember this: you’re not just completing tasks; you’re shaping a brighter future, one thought at a time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is homework always beneficial for students.

Homework can be beneficial when thoughtfully assigned, but excessive or irrelevant homework may have negative effects.

How can parents support their child’s homework routine?

Parents can provide a quiet, organized workspace, offer assistance when needed, and encourage good study habits.

How much homework is too much?

The right amount of homework varies by grade level and individual needs. It should challenge without overwhelming students.

What can teachers do to make homework more effective?

Teachers should assign purposeful, relevant homework, provide clear instructions, and offer support when necessary.

How does homework help prepare students for the future?

Homework instills responsibility, time management, and critical thinking skills, all of which are valuable in higher education and the workforce.

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Recent Posts

Does Homework Really Help Students Learn?

A conversation with a Wheelock researcher, a BU student, and a fourth-grade teacher

“Quality homework is engaging and relevant to kids’ lives,” says Wheelock’s Janine Bempechat. “It gives them autonomy and engages them in the community and with their families. In some subjects, like math, worksheets can be very helpful. It has to do with the value of practicing over and over.” Photo by iStock/Glenn Cook Photography

Do your homework.

If only it were that simple.

Educators have debated the merits of homework since the late 19th century. In recent years, amid concerns of some parents and teachers that children are being stressed out by too much homework, things have only gotten more fraught.

“Homework is complicated,” says developmental psychologist Janine Bempechat, a Wheelock College of Education & Human Development clinical professor. The author of the essay “ The Case for (Quality) Homework—Why It Improves Learning and How Parents Can Help ” in the winter 2019 issue of Education Next , Bempechat has studied how the debate about homework is influencing teacher preparation, parent and student beliefs about learning, and school policies.

She worries especially about socioeconomically disadvantaged students from low-performing schools who, according to research by Bempechat and others, get little or no homework.

BU Today  sat down with Bempechat and Erin Bruce (Wheelock’17,’18), a new fourth-grade teacher at a suburban Boston school, and future teacher freshman Emma Ardizzone (Wheelock) to talk about what quality homework looks like, how it can help children learn, and how schools can equip teachers to design it, evaluate it, and facilitate parents’ role in it.

BU Today: Parents and educators who are against homework in elementary school say there is no research definitively linking it to academic performance for kids in the early grades. You’ve said that they’re missing the point.

Bempechat : I think teachers assign homework in elementary school as a way to help kids develop skills they’ll need when they’re older—to begin to instill a sense of responsibility and to learn planning and organizational skills. That’s what I think is the greatest value of homework—in cultivating beliefs about learning and skills associated with academic success. If we greatly reduce or eliminate homework in elementary school, we deprive kids and parents of opportunities to instill these important learning habits and skills.

We do know that beginning in late middle school, and continuing through high school, there is a strong and positive correlation between homework completion and academic success.

That’s what I think is the greatest value of homework—in cultivating beliefs about learning and skills associated with academic success.

You talk about the importance of quality homework. What is that?

Quality homework is engaging and relevant to kids’ lives. It gives them autonomy and engages them in the community and with their families. In some subjects, like math, worksheets can be very helpful. It has to do with the value of practicing over and over.

What are your concerns about homework and low-income children?

The argument that some people make—that homework “punishes the poor” because lower-income parents may not be as well-equipped as affluent parents to help their children with homework—is very troubling to me. There are no parents who don’t care about their children’s learning. Parents don’t actually have to help with homework completion in order for kids to do well. They can help in other ways—by helping children organize a study space, providing snacks, being there as a support, helping children work in groups with siblings or friends.

Isn’t the discussion about getting rid of homework happening mostly in affluent communities?

Yes, and the stories we hear of kids being stressed out from too much homework—four or five hours of homework a night—are real. That’s problematic for physical and mental health and overall well-being. But the research shows that higher-income students get a lot more homework than lower-income kids.

Teachers may not have as high expectations for lower-income children. Schools should bear responsibility for providing supports for kids to be able to get their homework done—after-school clubs, community support, peer group support. It does kids a disservice when our expectations are lower for them.

The conversation around homework is to some extent a social class and social justice issue. If we eliminate homework for all children because affluent children have too much, we’re really doing a disservice to low-income children. They need the challenge, and every student can rise to the challenge with enough supports in place.

What did you learn by studying how education schools are preparing future teachers to handle homework?

My colleague, Margarita Jimenez-Silva, at the University of California, Davis, School of Education, and I interviewed faculty members at education schools, as well as supervising teachers, to find out how students are being prepared. And it seemed that they weren’t. There didn’t seem to be any readings on the research, or conversations on what high-quality homework is and how to design it.

Erin, what kind of training did you get in handling homework?

Bruce : I had phenomenal professors at Wheelock, but homework just didn’t come up. I did lots of student teaching. I’ve been in classrooms where the teachers didn’t assign any homework, and I’ve been in rooms where they assigned hours of homework a night. But I never even considered homework as something that was my decision. I just thought it was something I’d pull out of a book and it’d be done.

I started giving homework on the first night of school this year. My first assignment was to go home and draw a picture of the room where you do your homework. I want to know if it’s at a table and if there are chairs around it and if mom’s cooking dinner while you’re doing homework.

The second night I asked them to talk to a grown-up about how are you going to be able to get your homework done during the week. The kids really enjoyed it. There’s a running joke that I’m teaching life skills.

Friday nights, I read all my kids’ responses to me on their homework from the week and it’s wonderful. They pour their hearts out. It’s like we’re having a conversation on my couch Friday night.

It matters to know that the teacher cares about you and that what you think matters to the teacher. Homework is a vehicle to connect home and school…for parents to know teachers are welcoming to them and their families.

Bempechat : I can’t imagine that most new teachers would have the intuition Erin had in designing homework the way she did.

Ardizzone : Conversations with kids about homework, feeling you’re being listened to—that’s such a big part of wanting to do homework….I grew up in Westchester County. It was a pretty demanding school district. My junior year English teacher—I loved her—she would give us feedback, have meetings with all of us. She’d say, “If you have any questions, if you have anything you want to talk about, you can talk to me, here are my office hours.” It felt like she actually cared.

Bempechat : It matters to know that the teacher cares about you and that what you think matters to the teacher. Homework is a vehicle to connect home and school…for parents to know teachers are welcoming to them and their families.

Ardizzone : But can’t it lead to parents being overbearing and too involved in their children’s lives as students?

Bempechat : There’s good help and there’s bad help. The bad help is what you’re describing—when parents hover inappropriately, when they micromanage, when they see their children confused and struggling and tell them what to do.

Good help is when parents recognize there’s a struggle going on and instead ask informative questions: “Where do you think you went wrong?” They give hints, or pointers, rather than saying, “You missed this,” or “You didn’t read that.”

Bruce : I hope something comes of this. I hope BU or Wheelock can think of some way to make this a more pressing issue. As a first-year teacher, it was not something I even thought about on the first day of school—until a kid raised his hand and said, “Do we have homework?” It would have been wonderful if I’d had a plan from day one.

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Sara Rimer A journalist for more than three decades, Sara Rimer worked at the Miami Herald , Washington Post and, for 26 years, the New York Times , where she was the New England bureau chief, and a national reporter covering education, aging, immigration, and other social justice issues. Her stories on the death penalty’s inequities were nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and cited in the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision outlawing the execution of people with intellectual disabilities. Her journalism honors include Columbia University’s Meyer Berger award for in-depth human interest reporting. She holds a BA degree in American Studies from the University of Michigan. Profile

She can be reached at [email protected] .

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There are 81 comments on Does Homework Really Help Students Learn?

Insightful! The values about homework in elementary schools are well aligned with my intuition as a parent.

when i finish my work i do my homework and i sometimes forget what to do because i did not get enough sleep

same omg it does not help me it is stressful and if I have it in more than one class I hate it.

Same I think my parent wants to help me but, she doesn’t care if I get bad grades so I just try my best and my grades are great.

I think that last question about Good help from parents is not know to all parents, we do as our parents did or how we best think it can be done, so maybe coaching parents or giving them resources on how to help with homework would be very beneficial for the parent on how to help and for the teacher to have consistency and improve homework results, and of course for the child. I do see how homework helps reaffirm the knowledge obtained in the classroom, I also have the ability to see progress and it is a time I share with my kids

The answer to the headline question is a no-brainer – a more pressing problem is why there is a difference in how students from different cultures succeed. Perfect example is the student population at BU – why is there a majority population of Asian students and only about 3% black students at BU? In fact at some universities there are law suits by Asians to stop discrimination and quotas against admitting Asian students because the real truth is that as a group they are demonstrating better qualifications for admittance, while at the same time there are quotas and reduced requirements for black students to boost their portion of the student population because as a group they do more poorly in meeting admissions standards – and it is not about the Benjamins. The real problem is that in our PC society no one has the gazuntas to explore this issue as it may reveal that all people are not created equal after all. Or is it just environmental cultural differences??????

I get you have a concern about the issue but that is not even what the point of this article is about. If you have an issue please take this to the site we have and only post your opinion about the actual topic

This is not at all what the article is talking about.

This literally has nothing to do with the article brought up. You should really take your opinions somewhere else before you speak about something that doesn’t make sense.

we have the same name

so they have the same name what of it?

lol you tell her

totally agree

What does that have to do with homework, that is not what the article talks about AT ALL.

Yes, I think homework plays an important role in the development of student life. Through homework, students have to face challenges on a daily basis and they try to solve them quickly.I am an intense online tutor at 24x7homeworkhelp and I give homework to my students at that level in which they handle it easily.

More than two-thirds of students said they used alcohol and drugs, primarily marijuana, to cope with stress.

You know what’s funny? I got this assignment to write an argument for homework about homework and this article was really helpful and understandable, and I also agree with this article’s point of view.

I also got the same task as you! I was looking for some good resources and I found this! I really found this article useful and easy to understand, just like you! ^^

i think that homework is the best thing that a child can have on the school because it help them with their thinking and memory.

I am a child myself and i think homework is a terrific pass time because i can’t play video games during the week. It also helps me set goals.

Homework is not harmful ,but it will if there is too much

I feel like, from a minors point of view that we shouldn’t get homework. Not only is the homework stressful, but it takes us away from relaxing and being social. For example, me and my friends was supposed to hang at the mall last week but we had to postpone it since we all had some sort of work to do. Our minds shouldn’t be focused on finishing an assignment that in realty, doesn’t matter. I completely understand that we should have homework. I have to write a paper on the unimportance of homework so thanks.

homework isn’t that bad

Are you a student? if not then i don’t really think you know how much and how severe todays homework really is

i am a student and i do not enjoy homework because i practice my sport 4 out of the five days we have school for 4 hours and that’s not even counting the commute time or the fact i still have to shower and eat dinner when i get home. its draining!

i totally agree with you. these people are such boomers

why just why

they do make a really good point, i think that there should be a limit though. hours and hours of homework can be really stressful, and the extra work isn’t making a difference to our learning, but i do believe homework should be optional and extra credit. that would make it for students to not have the leaning stress of a assignment and if you have a low grade you you can catch up.

Studies show that homework improves student achievement in terms of improved grades, test results, and the likelihood to attend college. Research published in the High School Journal indicates that students who spent between 31 and 90 minutes each day on homework “scored about 40 points higher on the SAT-Mathematics subtest than their peers, who reported spending no time on homework each day, on average.” On both standardized tests and grades, students in classes that were assigned homework outperformed 69% of students who didn’t have homework. A majority of studies on homework’s impact – 64% in one meta-study and 72% in another – showed that take home assignments were effective at improving academic achievement. Research by the Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) concluded that increased homework led to better GPAs and higher probability of college attendance for high school boys. In fact, boys who attended college did more than three hours of additional homework per week in high school.

So how are your measuring student achievement? That’s the real question. The argument that doing homework is simply a tool for teaching responsibility isn’t enough for me. We can teach responsibility in a number of ways. Also the poor argument that parents don’t need to help with homework, and that students can do it on their own, is wishful thinking at best. It completely ignores neurodiverse students. Students in poverty aren’t magically going to find a space to do homework, a friend’s or siblings to help them do it, and snacks to eat. I feel like the author of this piece has never set foot in a classroom of students.

THIS. This article is pathetic coming from a university. So intellectually dishonest, refusing to address the havoc of capitalism and poverty plays on academic success in life. How can they in one sentence use poor kids in an argument and never once address that poor children have access to damn near 0 of the resources affluent kids have? Draw me a picture and let’s talk about feelings lmao what a joke is that gonna put food in their belly so they can have the calories to burn in order to use their brain to study? What about quiet their 7 other siblings that they share a single bedroom with for hours? Is it gonna force the single mom to magically be at home and at work at the same time to cook food while you study and be there to throw an encouraging word?

Also the “parents don’t need to be a parent and be able to guide their kid at all academically they just need to exist in the next room” is wild. Its one thing if a parent straight up is not equipped but to say kids can just figured it out is…. wow coming from an educator What’s next the teacher doesn’t need to teach cause the kid can just follow the packet and figure it out?

Well then get a tutor right? Oh wait you are poor only affluent kids can afford a tutor for their hours of homework a day were they on average have none of the worries a poor child does. Does this address that poor children are more likely to also suffer abuse and mental illness? Like mentioned what about kids that can’t learn or comprehend the forced standardized way? Just let em fail? These children regularly are not in “special education”(some of those are a joke in their own and full of neglect and abuse) programs cause most aren’t even acknowledged as having disabilities or disorders.

But yes all and all those pesky poor kids just aren’t being worked hard enough lol pretty sure poor children’s existence just in childhood is more work, stress, and responsibility alone than an affluent child’s entire life cycle. Love they never once talked about the quality of education in the classroom being so bad between the poor and affluent it can qualify as segregation, just basically blamed poor people for being lazy, good job capitalism for failing us once again!

why the hell?

you should feel bad for saying this, this article can be helpful for people who has to write a essay about it

This is more of a political rant than it is about homework

I know a teacher who has told his students their homework is to find something they are interested in, pursue it and then come share what they learn. The student responses are quite compelling. One girl taught herself German so she could talk to her grandfather. One boy did a research project on Nelson Mandela because the teacher had mentioned him in class. Another boy, a both on the autism spectrum, fixed his family’s computer. The list goes on. This is fourth grade. I think students are highly motivated to learn, when we step aside and encourage them.

The whole point of homework is to give the students a chance to use the material that they have been presented with in class. If they never have the opportunity to use that information, and discover that it is actually useful, it will be in one ear and out the other. As a science teacher, it is critical that the students are challenged to use the material they have been presented with, which gives them the opportunity to actually think about it rather than regurgitate “facts”. Well designed homework forces the student to think conceptually, as opposed to regurgitation, which is never a pretty sight

Wonderful discussion. and yes, homework helps in learning and building skills in students.

not true it just causes kids to stress

Homework can be both beneficial and unuseful, if you will. There are students who are gifted in all subjects in school and ones with disabilities. Why should the students who are gifted get the lucky break, whereas the people who have disabilities suffer? The people who were born with this “gift” go through school with ease whereas people with disabilities struggle with the work given to them. I speak from experience because I am one of those students: the ones with disabilities. Homework doesn’t benefit “us”, it only tears us down and put us in an abyss of confusion and stress and hopelessness because we can’t learn as fast as others. Or we can’t handle the amount of work given whereas the gifted students go through it with ease. It just brings us down and makes us feel lost; because no mater what, it feels like we are destined to fail. It feels like we weren’t “cut out” for success.

homework does help

here is the thing though, if a child is shoved in the face with a whole ton of homework that isn’t really even considered homework it is assignments, it’s not helpful. the teacher should make homework more of a fun learning experience rather than something that is dreaded

This article was wonderful, I am going to ask my teachers about extra, or at all giving homework.

I agree. Especially when you have homework before an exam. Which is distasteful as you’ll need that time to study. It doesn’t make any sense, nor does us doing homework really matters as It’s just facts thrown at us.

Homework is too severe and is just too much for students, schools need to decrease the amount of homework. When teachers assign homework they forget that the students have other classes that give them the same amount of homework each day. Students need to work on social skills and life skills.

I disagree.

Beyond achievement, proponents of homework argue that it can have many other beneficial effects. They claim it can help students develop good study habits so they are ready to grow as their cognitive capacities mature. It can help students recognize that learning can occur at home as well as at school. Homework can foster independent learning and responsible character traits. And it can give parents an opportunity to see what’s going on at school and let them express positive attitudes toward achievement.

Homework is helpful because homework helps us by teaching us how to learn a specific topic.

As a student myself, I can say that I have almost never gotten the full 9 hours of recommended sleep time, because of homework. (Now I’m writing an essay on it in the middle of the night D=)

I am a 10 year old kid doing a report about “Is homework good or bad” for homework before i was going to do homework is bad but the sources from this site changed my mind!

Homeowkr is god for stusenrs

I agree with hunter because homework can be so stressful especially with this whole covid thing no one has time for homework and every one just wants to get back to there normal lives it is especially stressful when you go on a 2 week vaca 3 weeks into the new school year and and then less then a week after you come back from the vaca you are out for over a month because of covid and you have no way to get the assignment done and turned in

As great as homework is said to be in the is article, I feel like the viewpoint of the students was left out. Every where I go on the internet researching about this topic it almost always has interviews from teachers, professors, and the like. However isn’t that a little biased? Of course teachers are going to be for homework, they’re not the ones that have to stay up past midnight completing the homework from not just one class, but all of them. I just feel like this site is one-sided and you should include what the students of today think of spending four hours every night completing 6-8 classes worth of work.

Are we talking about homework or practice? Those are two very different things and can result in different outcomes.

Homework is a graded assignment. I do not know of research showing the benefits of graded assignments going home.

Practice; however, can be extremely beneficial, especially if there is some sort of feedback (not a grade but feedback). That feedback can come from the teacher, another student or even an automated grading program.

As a former band director, I assigned daily practice. I never once thought it would be appropriate for me to require the students to turn in a recording of their practice for me to grade. Instead, I had in-class assignments/assessments that were graded and directly related to the practice assigned.

I would really like to read articles on “homework” that truly distinguish between the two.

oof i feel bad good luck!

thank you guys for the artical because I have to finish an assingment. yes i did cite it but just thanks

thx for the article guys.

Homework is good

I think homework is helpful AND harmful. Sometimes u can’t get sleep bc of homework but it helps u practice for school too so idk.

I agree with this Article. And does anyone know when this was published. I would like to know.

It was published FEb 19, 2019.

Studies have shown that homework improved student achievement in terms of improved grades, test results, and the likelihood to attend college.

i think homework can help kids but at the same time not help kids

This article is so out of touch with majority of homes it would be laughable if it wasn’t so incredibly sad.

There is no value to homework all it does is add stress to already stressed homes. Parents or adults magically having the time or energy to shepherd kids through homework is dome sort of 1950’s fantasy.

What lala land do these teachers live in?

Homework gives noting to the kid

Homework is Bad

homework is bad.

why do kids even have homework?

Comments are closed.

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Homework, Sleep, and the Student Brain

At some point, every parent wishes their high school aged student would go to bed earlier as well as find time to pursue their own passions -- or maybe even choose to relax. This thought reemerged as I reread Anna Quindlen's commencement speech, A Short Guide to a Happy Life. The central message of this address, never actually stated, was: "Get a life."

But what prevents students from "getting a life," especially between September and June? One answer is homework.

Favorable Working Conditions

As a history teacher at St. Andrew's Episcopal School and director of the Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning , I want to be clear that I both give and support the idea of homework. But homework, whether good or bad, takes time and often cuts into each student's sleep, family dinner, or freedom to follow passions outside of school. For too many students, homework is too often about compliance and "not losing points" rather than about learning.

Most schools have a philosophy about homework that is challenged by each parent's experience doing homework "back in the day." Parents' common misconception is that the teachers and schools giving more homework are more challenging and therefore better teachers and schools. This is a false assumption. The amount of homework your son or daughter does each night should not be a source of pride for the quality of a school. In fact, I would suggest a different metric when evaluating your child's homework. Are you able to stay up with your son or daughter until he or she finishes those assignments? If the answer is no, then too much homework is being assigned, and you both need more of the sleep that, according to Daniel T. Willingham , is crucial to memory consolidation.

I have often joked with my students, while teaching the Progressive Movement and rise of unions between the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, that they should consider striking because of how schools violate child labor laws. If school is each student's "job," then students are working hours usually assigned to Washington, DC lawyers (combing the hours of the school day, school-sponsored activities, and homework). This would certainly be a risky strategy for changing how schools and teachers think about homework, but it certainly would gain attention. (If any of my students are reading this, don't try it!)

So how can we change things?

The Scientific Approach

In the study "What Great Homework Looks Like" from the journal Think Differently and Deeply , which connects research in how the brain learns to the instructional practice of teachers, we see moderate advantages of no more than two hours of homework for high school students. For younger students, the correlation is even smaller. Homework does teach other important, non-cognitive skills such as time management, sustained attention, and rule following, but let us not mask that as learning the content and skills that most assignments are supposed to teach.

Homework can be a powerful learning tool -- if designed and assigned correctly. I say "learning," because good homework should be an independent moment for each student or groups of students through virtual collaboration. It should be challenging and engaging enough to allow for deliberate practice of essential content and skills, but not so hard that parents are asked to recall what they learned in high school. All that usually leads to is family stress.

But even when good homework is assigned, it is the student's approach that is critical. A scientific approach to tackling their homework can actually lead to deepened learning in less time. The biggest contributor to the length of a student's homework is task switching. Too often, students jump between their work on an assignment and the lure of social media. But I have found it hard to convince students of the cost associated with such task switching. Imagine a student writing an essay for AP English class or completing math proofs for their honors geometry class. In the middle of the work, their phone announces a new text message. This is a moment of truth for the student. Should they address that text before or after they finish their assignment?

Delayed Gratification

When a student chooses to check their text, respond and then possibly take an extended dive into social media, they lose a percentage of the learning that has already happened. As a result, when they return to the AP essay or honors geometry proof, they need to retrace their learning in order to catch up to where they were. This jump, between homework and social media, is actually extending the time a student spends on an assignment. My colleagues and I coach our students to see social media as a reward for finishing an assignment. Delaying gratification is an important non-cognitive skill and one that research has shown enhances life outcomes (see the Stanford Marshmallow Test ).

At my school, the goal is to reduce the barriers for each student to meet his or her peak potential without lowering the bar. Good, purposeful homework should be part of any student's learning journey. But it takes teachers to design better homework (which can include no homework at all on some nights), parents to not see hours of homework as a measure of school quality, and students to reflect on their current homework strategies while applying new, research-backed ones. Together, we can all get more sleep -- and that, research shows, is very good for all of our brains and for each student's learning.

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Credit: August de Richelieu

Does homework still have value? A Johns Hopkins education expert weighs in

Joyce epstein, co-director of the center on school, family, and community partnerships, discusses why homework is essential, how to maximize its benefit to learners, and what the 'no-homework' approach gets wrong.

By Vicky Hallett

The necessity of homework has been a subject of debate since at least as far back as the 1890s, according to Joyce L. Epstein , co-director of the Center on School, Family, and Community Partnerships at Johns Hopkins University. "It's always been the case that parents, kids—and sometimes teachers, too—wonder if this is just busy work," Epstein says.

But after decades of researching how to improve schools, the professor in the Johns Hopkins School of Education remains certain that homework is essential—as long as the teachers have done their homework, too. The National Network of Partnership Schools , which she founded in 1995 to advise schools and districts on ways to improve comprehensive programs of family engagement, has developed hundreds of improved homework ideas through its Teachers Involve Parents in Schoolwork program. For an English class, a student might interview a parent on popular hairstyles from their youth and write about the differences between then and now. Or for science class, a family could identify forms of matter over the dinner table, labeling foods as liquids or solids. These innovative and interactive assignments not only reinforce concepts from the classroom but also foster creativity, spark discussions, and boost student motivation.

"We're not trying to eliminate homework procedures, but expand and enrich them," says Epstein, who is packing this research into a forthcoming book on the purposes and designs of homework. In the meantime, the Hub couldn't wait to ask her some questions:

What kind of homework training do teachers typically get?

Future teachers and administrators really have little formal training on how to design homework before they assign it. This means that most just repeat what their teachers did, or they follow textbook suggestions at the end of units. For example, future teachers are well prepared to teach reading and literacy skills at each grade level, and they continue to learn to improve their teaching of reading in ongoing in-service education. By contrast, most receive little or no training on the purposes and designs of homework in reading or other subjects. It is really important for future teachers to receive systematic training to understand that they have the power, opportunity, and obligation to design homework with a purpose.

Why do students need more interactive homework?

If homework assignments are always the same—10 math problems, six sentences with spelling words—homework can get boring and some kids just stop doing their assignments, especially in the middle and high school years. When we've asked teachers what's the best homework you've ever had or designed, invariably we hear examples of talking with a parent or grandparent or peer to share ideas. To be clear, parents should never be asked to "teach" seventh grade science or any other subject. Rather, teachers set up the homework assignments so that the student is in charge. It's always the student's homework. But a good activity can engage parents in a fun, collaborative way. Our data show that with "good" assignments, more kids finish their work, more kids interact with a family partner, and more parents say, "I learned what's happening in the curriculum." It all works around what the youngsters are learning.

Is family engagement really that important?

At Hopkins, I am part of the Center for Social Organization of Schools , a research center that studies how to improve many aspects of education to help all students do their best in school. One thing my colleagues and I realized was that we needed to look deeply into family and community engagement. There were so few references to this topic when we started that we had to build the field of study. When children go to school, their families "attend" with them whether a teacher can "see" the parents or not. So, family engagement is ever-present in the life of a school.

My daughter's elementary school doesn't assign homework until third grade. What's your take on "no homework" policies?

There are some parents, writers, and commentators who have argued against homework, especially for very young children. They suggest that children should have time to play after school. This, of course is true, but many kindergarten kids are excited to have homework like their older siblings. If they give homework, most teachers of young children make assignments very short—often following an informal rule of 10 minutes per grade level. "No homework" does not guarantee that all students will spend their free time in productive and imaginative play.

Some researchers and critics have consistently misinterpreted research findings. They have argued that homework should be assigned only at the high school level where data point to a strong connection of doing assignments with higher student achievement . However, as we discussed, some students stop doing homework. This leads, statistically, to results showing that doing homework or spending more minutes on homework is linked to higher student achievement. If slow or struggling students are not doing their assignments, they contribute to—or cause—this "result."

Teachers need to design homework that even struggling students want to do because it is interesting. Just about all students at any age level react positively to good assignments and will tell you so.

Did COVID change how schools and parents view homework?

Within 24 hours of the day school doors closed in March 2020, just about every school and district in the country figured out that teachers had to talk to and work with students' parents. This was not the same as homeschooling—teachers were still working hard to provide daily lessons. But if a child was learning at home in the living room, parents were more aware of what they were doing in school. One of the silver linings of COVID was that teachers reported that they gained a better understanding of their students' families. We collected wonderfully creative examples of activities from members of the National Network of Partnership Schools. I'm thinking of one art activity where every child talked with a parent about something that made their family unique. Then they drew their finding on a snowflake and returned it to share in class. In math, students talked with a parent about something the family liked so much that they could represent it 100 times. Conversations about schoolwork at home was the point.

How did you create so many homework activities via the Teachers Involve Parents in Schoolwork program?

We had several projects with educators to help them design interactive assignments, not just "do the next three examples on page 38." Teachers worked in teams to create TIPS activities, and then we turned their work into a standard TIPS format in math, reading/language arts, and science for grades K-8. Any teacher can use or adapt our prototypes to match their curricula.

Overall, we know that if future teachers and practicing educators were prepared to design homework assignments to meet specific purposes—including but not limited to interactive activities—more students would benefit from the important experience of doing their homework. And more parents would, indeed, be partners in education.

Posted in Voices+Opinion

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Is homework good for your child's brain?

• By Arun Rath

Hades2k / CC BY-SA 2.0

Around this time of year, as days get longer and the weather more inviting, kids who hate homework hate it with a passion. That’s not new.

But homework-hating kids have been gaining allies in the grown-up world in recent years, with authors of books with titles like "The Homework Myth," and "The Case Against Homework," arguing homework is a waste of time — or worse, just plain bad for kids.

But what does science have to say?

If you want to talk to a neuroscientist about homework, Harris Cooper of Duke University is the guy. Not only does he study how kids study: He studies the studies of how kids study. Back in the '80s, he went through all the research he could find about homework and achievement. Turns out they're connected — but Cooper says with kids, you can’t take a one-size-fits-all approach.

"Both the amount and type of homework does and should vary as a function of the child’s age," Cooper says.

At the grade school level, there’s not much to show that homework helps prime the brain.

"Young children have a limited attention span," Cooper says. "In particular they have trouble tuning out distractions and most parents will know that, so that if homework assignments go on for too long, it’s not surprising to discover that a child’s brain is wandering off."

But the research shows that, gradually, as kids get older, homework starts to pay off — and the optimum amount of time spent on homework increases with age.

"So I’ve been to schools and school districts where I’ve shown the curves that suggest that in elementary school the curve is pretty flat, in middle school it optimizes, tops out at about the 60-90 minutes and then in high school it tops out at about 2 hours," Cooper says. "And many years ago I had a teacher walk up to me and say that sounds like the 10-minute rule— and I says, 'Yep, you know, you’re right.'"

Long before Cooper published his research, the "10-minute rule" had been conventional wisdom among teachers.

"To decide how much homework their children should be taking home, they take the grade level and multiply by 10," Cooper says. "This is a part of teachers' craft, knowledge, and it is consistent with the limited research, but it is consistent with the research that we have."

Despite the fact that neuroscientists and teachers agree on this point, in the last 60 years, there’s actually been an increase in homework for the earliest primary grades.

"That’s largely a function of teachers feeling greater pressure because of end-of-grade tests in the third grade — kids should be able to read by then — and also because of research that shows early reading is very important to later success," Cooper says.

Over the same period, older kids also saw their homework load increase, Cooper says, thanks to competition to get into the best colleges.

Dover-Sherborn High School began a program to reduce student stress in 2014. The school's guidance director, Ellen Chagnon, says college pressure pushes students to go far beyond the basic academic requirements.

"We have students who do a whole lot of homework because they're taking challenging classes that have more homework. Then they’re involved in different sports, extracurriculars, tutoring, lessons, whatever it might be, so their days are feeling very full," Chagnon says.

The school has now taken an inventory of how long it takes students to complete all the different assignments they’re given, and teachers coordinate with each other to make sure students aren’t overloaded across multiple classes.

"Some teachers are giving a no-homework night here and there, where before, they felt maybe they couldn’t do that because the pressure you always must give homework," she says. "But some of them are bringing something they might have assigned to homework into their school class, doing a warmup activity with it, or a closing activity with it kind of interweaving it that way, too."

Chagnon hopes these changes will let the kids enjoy life while they keep learning, or, in other words, restore a sense of balance.

A version of  this story  first appeared on  WGBHNews.org .

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August 16, 2021

Is it time to get rid of homework? Mental health experts weigh in

by Sara M Moniuszko

The pandemic made the conversation around homework more crucial

'get organized' ahead of back-to-school.

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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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The Benefits of Brain-Boosting Hobbies

More mental stimulation could promote brain health and reduce dementia risk..

Posted April 9, 2020 | Reviewed by Jessica Schrader

One of the more intuitive connections between lifestyle choices in daily life and brain health relates to mental activity. It just seems to make sense that hobbies or other activities that bend our brains a bit tend to simultaneously improve our cognitive skills. When we look at the related science, it turns out that this hunch is spot on.

What do we mean by “mental activity”? We can define this term in many ways, but common examples include reading, playing a musical instrument or singing, doing crossword puzzles, drawing or painting, taking community courses, playing board games or cards, or going to museums. Note that these hobbies or activities are free or inexpensive and readily available (including free online/virtual museum tours).

Compelling research indicates that however we define mental activity, “it’s all good” for the brain. Some studies have looked at specific activities—such as playing a musical instrument, doing crossword puzzles, or playing games—and have found that people who engage in these hobbies tend to have better memory and executive functioning skills and a reduced risk of dementia . As you may have guessed, reading in multiple forms—books, newspapers, magazines—seems to be a particularly important lifestyle activity for maintaining or enhancing cognitive abilities. Other research suggests that engaging in mentally stimulating hobbies for at least an hour per day may be particularly helpful for the brain, including as a proactive strategy to reduce dementia risk.

Mental cross-training is a good idea too. One study from researchers at Johns Hopkins found that people who have multiple activities that stretch the brain have a much lower risk of developing cognitive problems. In fact, each additional activity that someone incorporated into their life corresponded with a reduction in risk of cognitive decline by 8-11%. Other studies have found that the same pattern applies for Alzheimer’s prevention; compared to those who have few mentally engaging hobbies, those with a larger variety are much less likely to develop dementia. All told, mixing up our activities a bit can really pay off from a brain health standpoint.

We also see that having a mentally stimulating job can result in brain health dividends. Research has found that more complex jobs have a protective effect on the brain, particularly as related to the overall integrity of the brain. Occupations with complex social demands, such as managerial positions, seem to be particularly helpful in preserving brain and cognitive health. If you don’t have a very stimulating job, no worries; there’s evidence that you can make up for a less than ideal level of mental activity at work by engaging in more brain-boosting hobbies outside of your job.

And on a cautionary note: being mentally disengaged in daily life is associated with negative outcomes. Some research has found an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease in those who cut back on their hobbies as they age. Those with fewer intellectual activities have also been found to show atrophy in a region of the brain containing the memory-critical hippocampus. Keep in mind that we don’t need to completely overhaul our daily lives to avoid worrisome brain changes; just reading a bit more of the daily paper or doing crossword puzzles a few times each week might be helpful.

The science consistently indicates that staying mentally stimulated in daily life—ideally, through multiple activities and for at least an hour per day—has many cognitive and brain-related benefits. While finding the time to develop and nurture hobbies is easier said than done, the payoff certainly seems to be worth it.

Adapted from The Brain Health Book: Using the Power of Neuroscience to Improve Your Life by John Randolph, Ph.D., published by W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.

R. Andel et al. (2014). The role of midlife occupational complexity and leisure activity in late-life cognition. Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 70(2), 314-321.

M.A. Balbag et al. (2014). Playing a musical instrument as a protective factor against dementia and cognitive impairment: A population-based twin study. International Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, article ID 836748.

E. Boots et al. (2015). Occupational complexity and cognitive reserve in a middle-aged cohort at risk for Alzheimer’s disease. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 30, 634-642.

M.C. Carlson et al. (2012). Lifestyle activities and memory: Variety may be the spice of life. The Women’s Health and Aging Study II. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 18, 286-294.

R.P. Friedland et al. (2001). Patients with Alzheimer’s disease have reduced activities in midlife compared with healthy control group members. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, 98(6), 3440-3445.

Y.E. Geda et al. (2011). Engaging in cognitive activities, aging and mild cognitive impairment: A population-based study. Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 23, 149-154.

T. Hughes et al. (2010). Engagement in reading and hobbies and risk of incident dementia: The MoVIES Project. American Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias, 25, 432-438.

A.T.C. Lee et al. (2018). Association of daily intellectual activities with lower risk of incident dementia among older Chinese adults. JAMA Psychiatry, 75(7), 697-703.

J. Najar et al. (2019). Cognitive and physical activity and dementia: A 44-year longitudinal population study of women. Neurology, 92, e1322-e1330.

J.A. Pillai et al. (2011). Association of crossword puzzle participation with memory decline in persons who develop dementia. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 17, 1006-1013.

N. Scarmeas et al. (2001). Influence of leisure activity on the incidence of Alzheimer’s Disease. Neurology, 57, 2236-2242.

J. Verghese et al. (2003). Leisure activities and the risk of dementia in the elderly. New England Journal of Medicine, 348, 2508-2516.

D. Yoshida et al. (2012). The relationship between atrophy of the medial temporal area and daily activities in older adults with mild cognitive impairment. Aging Clinical and Experimental Research, 24, 423-429.

John Randolph, Ph.D., ABPP is a board-certified clinical neuropsychologist and brain health consultant. His latest book is The Brain Health Book: Using the Power of Neuroscience to Improve Your Life.

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20 Reasons Why Homework Is Good For Students: Best Guide

Are you interested to know the benefits of homework? If yes, this blog is for all of you. We will discuss the top 20 reasons why homework is good for students. 

Homework has always been a part of education, with students completing assignments outside of school hours. Although it may not always be enjoyable, homework serves a valuable purpose in the learning process. 

In this blog, we will discuss the 20 reasons why homework is beneficial to students. Homework enhances learning and understanding, while also fostering important skills such as responsibility and critical thinking. 

It plays a significant role in a student’s educational development. Overall, homework should be seen as an integral component of the learning experience. So, let’s start the topic 20 reasons why homework is good for students. But before this, you need to know why homework is good for the brain.

Also Like To Read: how to study for a final exam

Table of Contents

Who Invented Homework For School Students

Homework as a formal educational tool has been around for centuries, but pinpointing exactly who invented it is difficult. Here’s a quick overview of the history and origins of who created homework

• Organized homework is believed to have started in the early 19th century, becoming progressively more common through the 1800s. However, the ancient Greeks and Romans had early versions of homework aimed at reinforcing learning.
• In the United States, the development of public education and compulsory attendance laws in the 19th century helped establish homework as an educational standard.
• Horace Mann, an American educational reformer and politician who founded the Common School Movement, is sometimes credited with introducing widespread homework in the U.S. in the 1830s-40s.
• The Italian teacher Roberto Nevilis is often attributed as the first to formally assign homework in 1095 at a school in Venice. This claim has been disputed by historians though.
• In the 1890s, the famous pedagogue Edward Bok emphasized the value of homework in his popular magazine, further establishing it as a staple educational practice in America.
• Many educators contributed to the growth of homework through the 20th century, establishing guidelines and best practices. There was no single “inventor”.

Top 6 Reasons Why Is Homework Good For Your Brain

Completing homework offers multiple benefits for the brain, promoting growth, development, and overall cognitive abilities. Here are some reasons why homework is good for your brain: 

#Reason 1:- Improved Neural Connections

Engaging in homework creates and reinforces neural connections, which strengthen the pathways between brain cells. This leads to more efficient information processing and improved cognitive function. 

#Reason 2:- Executive Function Skills

Homework helps develop executive function skills, which are essential for planning, organizing, and completing tasks. These skills involve goal setting, time management, prioritization, and self-regulation. Engaging in homework exercises these cognitive processes, strengthening the brain’s executive function abilities. 

#Reason 3:- Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Skills

Homework assignments often require critical thinking, analyzing information, and problem-solving. Engaging in these cognitive processes stimulates the brain, enhances problem-solving abilities, and develops critical thinking skills necessary for academic success and real-life situations. 

#Reason 4:- Attention and Focus

Homework tasks demand concentration and sustained attention, contributing to the development of focused cognitive abilities. Regularly practicing sustained attention during homework improves the brain’s ability to concentrate on tasks, leading to improved academic performance and increased productivity in various aspects of life. 

#Reason 5:- Memory Consolidation

Homework involves reviewing and practicing learned material, which aids in memory consolidation. Retrieving information from memory and applying it during homework tasks strengthens memory recall and retention, improving overall learning outcomes. 

#Reason 6:- Metacognition

Homework prompts students to reflect on their own learning process, identify strengths and weaknesses, and develop self-awareness. This metacognitive practice enhances the brain’s ability to monitor and regulate its own thinking, leading to improved self-directed learning and metacognitive skills that are transferable to other areas of life.

#Reason 7:- Creativity and Innovation

Certain homework assignments, such as open-ended projects or creative tasks, stimulate the brain’s creativity and innovation. These activities encourage students to think outside the box, generate unique ideas, and explore alternative solutions. Engaging in creative thinking during homework exercises the brain’s imaginative capacities , fostering a more innovative mindset.

20 Reasons Why Homework Is Good For Students

Here are 20 reasons why homework is good for students.

1. Reinforces Learning

Homework provides students with the opportunity to reinforce what they’ve learned in the classroom. It solidifies their understanding of the material and helps them retain knowledge for the long term.

2. Develops Time Management

Completing assignments on time teaches students valuable time management skills. They learn to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines, which are essential life skills.

3. Encourages Responsibility

Homework fosters a sense of responsibility in students. They must take ownership of their work, ensuring it’s completed accurately and submitted on time.

4. Builds Self-Discipline

Consistently tackling homework assignments builds self-discipline. Students learn to focus, avoid procrastination, and stay organized.

5. Enhances Problem-Solving Skills

Many homework assignments involve problem-solving tasks. These challenges encourage students to think critically and find creative solutions. It is one of the 20 reasons why homework is good. 

6. Prepares for Tests

Homework serves as excellent preparation for exams. It allows students to practice what they’ve learned, identify areas of weakness, and seek clarification from teachers.

7. Promotes Independence

Working on homework assignments independently helps students become more self-reliant and confident in their abilities.

8. Expands Knowledge

Homework often requires students to research topics beyond the classroom curriculum, broadening their knowledge base.

9. Supports Different Learning Styles

Homework can be tailored to accommodate various learning styles, ensuring that all students have an opportunity to excel.

10. Strengthens Study Habits

Regularly completing homework reinforces good study habits that are essential for academic success. It is also one of the 20 reasons why homework is good. 

11. Encourages Critical Thinking

Assignments that require analysis and evaluation encourage critical thinking skills, preparing students for complex challenges.

12. Boosts Confidence

Successfully completing homework assignments boosts students’ confidence in their abilities and motivates them to excel academically.

13. Fosters Perseverance

Facing challenging assignments teaches students the value of perseverance and the satisfaction of overcoming obstacles.

14. Connects Home and School

Homework provides a bridge between home and school, allowing parents to engage in their child’s education and monitor their progress.

15. Encourages Research Skills

Research-based homework tasks help students develop strong research skills, which are valuable in the information age. It is also one of the top 20 reasons why homework is good. 

16. Improves Communication

Some assignments involve presentations or written reports, honing students’ communication skills.

17. Prepares for College and Career

Homework prepares students for the rigors of higher education and future careers, where self-directed learning is crucial.

18. Builds a Strong Work Ethic

The commitment to completing homework fosters a strong work ethic that will serve students well throughout their lives.

19. Instills Perfectionism

While not always ideal, striving for perfection in homework assignments can teach students the importance of attention to detail.

20. Celebrates Achievements

Homework allows students to track their progress, celebrate their achievements, and take pride in their academic journey.

So, these are the top 20 reasons why homework is good for students. 

10 Reasons Why Homework Should Be Banned

Here are some common arguments for why homework should be banned:

• It creates stress and anxiety in students. Too much homework can overwhelm students, leading to burnout.
• It takes away free time needed for rest, creative activities, family time, and exploring personal interests.
• Research shows homework has minimal impact on academic performance in elementary school. The benefits only begin in middle school.
• Poorly designed homework assignments don’t effectively reinforce learning. Busy work can make students resent schoolwork.
• It puts students from disadvantaged backgrounds at a further disadvantage if they lack proper study environments at home.
• Parent involvement with homework can confuse students if teaching methods differ from the classroom.
• It can incentivize cheating, as students copy off one another to finish quickly. This undermines learning.
• Modern research questions the usefulness of homework. Countries like Finland have top educational systems with little to no homework.
• Teachers often lack training in assigning skillful, purposeful homework. So assignments are ineffective.
• It monopolizes family time in the evenings that could be better spent on activities like conversation, exercise, etc.

Why Should Homework Not Be Banned

However, there are also arguments against banning homework:

• For secondary students, homework develops important skills in independent study and time management.
• Homework allows teachers to give feedback outside limited class time.
• Eliminating homework may put American students at a disadvantage to peers globally.
• Lack of homework could undermine the development of discipline, responsibility,, and learning habits.

Some Other Benefits Of Homework

Here are some other benefits of homework.

• Reinforcement of Learning
• Development of Responsibility
• Practice and Skill Development
• Preparation for Assessments
• Time Management
• Skill Building
• Extended Learning
• Critical Thinking and Independent Learning
• Improve Life Skills

Final Remarks

In this blog, we have discussed the top 20 reasons why homework is good for students. Homework offers many benefits for students, like reinforcing learning, developing crucial skills like time management and responsibility, and preparing them for assessments. 

It fosters independence, critical thinking, and self-discipline, all of which are vital for academic success and personal growth. Homework also strengthens the connection between home and school, involving parents in the learning process. 

Ultimately, it plays a vital role in a student’s educational journey and contributes to their overall development. I hope you liked this post about the 20 reasons why homework is good for students. 

Is homework necessary for academic success?

Yes, homework plays a crucial role in reinforcing learning and improving academic performance.

Are there any downsides to homework?

While homework offers numerous benefits, excessive or overly challenging assignments can lead to stress.

Can homework assignments be fun?

Yes, some homework can be designed to be enjoyable and engaging, promoting a positive attitude towards learning.

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Is Homework Good or Bad for Students?

It's mostly good, especially for the sciences, but it also can be bad

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Homework isn't fun for students to do or for teachers to grade, so why do it? Here are some reasons why homework is good and why it's bad.

Why Homework Is Good

Here are 10 reasons why homework is good, especially for the sciences, such as chemistry:

• Doing homework teaches you how to learn on your own and work independently. You'll learn how to use resources such as texts, libraries, and the internet. No matter how well you thought you understood the material in class, there will be times when you'll get stuck doing homework. When you face the challenge, you learn how to get help, how to deal with frustration, and how to persevere.
• Homework helps you learn beyond the scope of the class. Example problems from teachers and textbooks show you how to do an assignment. The acid test is seeing whether you truly understand the material and can do the work on your own. In science classes, homework problems are critically important. You see concepts in a whole new light, so you'll know how equations work in general, not just how they work for a particular example. In chemistry, physics, and math, homework is truly important and not just busywork.
• It shows you what the teacher thinks is important to learn, so you'll have a better idea of what to expect on a quiz or test .
• It's often a significant part of your grade . If you don't do it, it could cost you , no matter how well you do on exams.
• Homework is a good opportunity to connect parents, classmates, and siblings with your education. The better your support network, the more likely you are to succeed in class.
• Homework, however tedious it might be, teaches responsibility and accountability. For some classes, homework is an essential part of learning the subject matter.
• Homework nips procrastination in the bud. One reason teachers give homework and attach a big part of your grade to it is to motivate you to keep up. If you fall behind, you could fail.
• How will you get all your work done before class? Homework teaches you time management and how to prioritize tasks.
• Homework reinforces the concepts taught in class. The more you work with them, the more likely you are to learn them. 
• Homework can help boost self-esteem . Or, if it's not going well, it helps you identify problems before they get out of control.

Sometimes Homework Is Bad

So, homework is good because it can boost your grades , help you learn the material, and prepare you for tests. It's not always beneficial, however. Sometimes homework hurts more than it helps. Here are five ways homework can be bad:

• You need a break from a subject so you don't burn out or lose interest. Taking a break helps you learn.
• Too much homework can lead to copying and cheating.
• Homework that is pointless busywork can lead to a negative impression of a subject (not to mention a teacher).
• It takes time away from families, friends, jobs, and other ways to spend your time.
• Homework can hurt your grades. It forces you to make time management decisions, sometimes putting you in a no-win situation. Do you take the time to do the homework or spend it studying concepts or doing work for another subject? If you don't have the time for the homework, you could hurt your grades even if you ace the tests and understand the subject.
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7 Reasons Why Homework is Good For Your Brain?

Homework is an essential part of learning in school. But how much Homework should kids be doing? And what kind of Homework is best for children? Here are some reasons Homework benefits your child’s brain development.

Homework, when used appropriately, can be beneficial for the brain. Homework allows students to practice and reinforce what they have learned in class. It can help to improve memory retention and comprehension of the subject matter. Additionally, homework can teach students essential skills such as time management, self-discipline, and perseverance, which are essential for success in academics and later in life.

Research suggests that homework can positively impact academic achievement, particularly in high school. A meta-analysis of studies conducted over 25 years found that homework moderately positively affected student achievement in high school. The study also found that the effect of homework on achievement increased as students progressed through high school.

However, it is important to note that homework’s benefits depend on how it is assigned and executed. Too much homework can be counterproductive and lead to burnout, stress, and exhaustion. Homework should be assigned in moderation, with clear expectations and guidelines for completion.

When used appropriately, homework can be a valuable tool for improving academic performance and developing important skills.

Table of Contents

Let us see 7 reasons Why Homework is Good For Your Brain.

Many benefits are associated with doing the home assignments; however, it should be done in moderation.

A properly planned and executed homework plan will help you develop your brain and improve your child’s memory power.

1. It helps students learn how to study effectively

Research shows that students who do more Homework tend to perform better academically than those who don’t.

In fact, one study found that high school students who did at least 20 minutes of Homework every night scored higher on standardized tests than those who didn’t.

Another study showed that elementary school students who were assigned Homework performed better on reading comprehension tests than those who weren’t.

2. It helps them develop better time management skills

According to research, doing Homework has improved children’s ability to manage their time effectively.

This skill is beneficial when managing other responsibilities such as chores, sports, and social activities.

Learning to stay organized and plan your day along with Homework helps children develop discipline, which will help them in the long run.

3. It helps them improve their concentration

Doing Homework can help students develop better study habits and focus. They will learn how to prioritize tasks and set goals.

Students who do their Homework regularly tend to perform better academically than those who skip classes or procrastinate.

Since Homework is done after school, it allows students to learn the concepts better at leisure and conform to their home, thus enhancing their concentration on their studies.

4. It helps them understand the importance of organization

In addition to helping students improve their academic performance, doing Homework can also help them become more organized.

Students learn how to manage their time effectively and organize their work by completing assignments.

This skill is beneficial when they start college because they must balance schoolwork with extracurricular activities.

5. It helps them become more independent learners

Doing Homework can also help children develop self-discipline and independence.

They learn to take responsibility for their learning by taking ownership of their tasks and responsibilities.

As they gain confidence in completing projects independently, they feel less dependent on others.

6. Sharpens their memory

Homework is a way to revise what was taught in the classroom by teachers.

Students doing their Homework at home tend to put their memory into action by trying to remember what was taught in school, thereby sharpening the memory power.

7. Research on the Topic

Not everything is taught in school or in a classroom. There are some concepts and topics which will need much more research.

You will have access to the internet, Youtube, and parents in the comfort of your home.

These tools and people can help you clear your doubts on specific topics and help you understand more details.

This habit of researching and finding answers is an excellent way to sharpen the brain and thus positively affect the future of the child .

Homework was invented since it was believed that students lost the learning given in school once they returned home.

While deliberating on ideas on how to ensure classroom learning is not lost, Homework was invented.

Homework has a lot of positive benefits when given in the proper context and intention. Teachers and Schools should understand the degree and magnitude of Homework that needs to be assigned to children.

While providing a home assignment in moderation is beneficial to the child’s growth, too many home assignments and projects can negatively affect the child and lead to them hating this concept or even create fear of what will happen if the work is not done well.

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5 Reasons Writing by Hand is Good for the Brain and for Well-Being

Kids today are born tech-savvy—they’ll never have to be taught to use a keyboard or how to operate a tablet.

Which is great news, because education increasingly incorporates technology into the classroom. Technology has become essential to how we access information and how we organize our lives.  But just because something is new and useful, doesn’t mean that the old way is no longer relevant.

This is especially true when it comes to writing. Even in the age of technology, there are still plenty of times when putting pen to paper is needed—such as when writing an essay portion of an exam.  However, as it turns out, writing isn’t just required for school: writing is an activity that has been shown to have numerous benefits to the brain and the body.

Whether journaling thoughts, chronicling the day, attempting poetry or starting a novel, old-fashioned pen and paper has an immense impact on emotional well being, helping students organize their thoughts and even improve their moods.

Despite being viewed as an old-fashion activity, writing by hand is still considered a valuable skill that has many cognitive benefits both in and out of the classroom.

Some Benefits Of Writing By Hand:

Stress relief, creativity and learning, so put the keyboard away and grab a pen and paper it doesn’t matter what students write so long as they take advantage of the benefits of this old-fashioned (but still relevant) school and life skill., the final report card resource centre, 6 easy ways to make math fun for kids, related writing resources.

How Writing by Hand Boosts Memory and Learning

Is Handwriting a Lost Art?

Editing Skills Lead to Better Grades

Checklists, English, High School, Writing

Your step-by-step guide to writing an academic essay (& review checklist), find an oxford learning ® location near you, we have over 100 centres across canada.

Why multitasking does more harm than good

If you’ve ever opened another tab and made the grocery order during a Zoom meeting, folded laundry while helping your kids with their homework, or listened to a podcast while working out, you’ve been guilty of multitasking. Why guilty? Isn’t this just being super efficient? Not really. A growing body of research has found that it’s far less efficient to try to do two (or more!) things at once than to focus on just one task at a time. Multitasking can interfere with working memory , cause students to do worse in school, and could possibly even create potentially long-term memory problems .

Your Brain While Multitasking

When we take on a task, several brain networks dealing with attention and cognitive control are involved. These are the frontoparietal control network, the dorsal attention network, and the ventral attention network. Attempts to multitask can create interference among these networks, and this can lead to slower processing as well as mistakes, explains Kevin Paul Madore, a neuroscientist at Stanford University. “One way we can examine the effects of multitasking on behavior and the demands it places on relevant brain networks is by analyzing ‘task switch costs,'" he says.

A switch cost is a loss of accuracy or speed that comes when you shift between tasks. Though some of the costs of multitasking are subtle, they are by no means trivial. Too much multitasking can interfere with both working memory and long-term memory. Research by Madore and colleagues found that heavier media multitasking is associated with attention lapses and forgetfulness. However, it’s still not clear what’s causing what. “ Some research has indicated that chronic everyday media multitasking is related to errors in our ability to hold and use information in mind (working memory) and our ability to retrieve information (long-term memory),” says Madore, but he adds that more research is needed to determine the direction of causality.

Still, whether you’re less efficient because you’re multitasking or you’re multitasking because you’re less efficient (why is that to-do list so long?), multitasking doesn’t really solve anything.

Multitasking Light

It might seem that some types of multitasking are easier to pull off than others. Sure, texting while driving is a no-go , but surely folding the laundry while helping the kids with their homework is easy enough. But no, that doesn’t work either. You’re not risking life and limb — yours or anyone else’s — when you combine laundry and school work, but you’re still not going to be able to do your best at either task when trying to do both at once. “When you have competing sources of attention, your task performance is often going to be reduced,” says Madore. “You’re probably slower at folding laundry or maybe you drop some things on the floor when you’re helping a child with homework versus folding laundry alone.”

 Dropping a few socks is not a big deal, and certainly worth the cost of having some time with your kids (though being with your kids while not giving them your full attention might have its own costs). On the other hand, some of the consequences of trying to do two things at once, even if those things seem simple, can be horrific — having a car accident, for example. Even eating a sandwich or fiddling with the CD player while driving can increase your risk of an accident.

There’s at least one situation, though, where multitasking can be your friend. Some studies have shown that taking a walk while trying to sort out a thorny problem improves creativity and can help you come up with better solutions. So perhaps when we’re trying to figure out how to get through that seemingly endless to-do list, we should forget about trying to do two or three of those things at once and go out for a walk. That might just lead to a creative solution to the time crunch problem.

Taking Breaks Is Good for Your Brain — Here’s Why

You likely have an intuitive sense that taking breaks from work and life responsibilities to rest is good for your health. After a walk, time in nature or a few minutes without to-dos, you just feel better. 

Finding the time to take breaks, however, is a whole other story.  

“Many people don’t often have a choice in how much rest is available to them. The way society is set up, we treat rest as a privilege, not a right,” says Julia Kocian, a licensed clinical social worker and UW Medicine Graduate Medical Education mental health counselor.  

It doesn’t have to be this way. Kocian notes advocating for a living wage along with changes to family leave policies, vacation time, sick leave and even the four-day work week can all help people access rest, prioritize their well-being and live healthier lives.  

Making these changes in society takes time, and many of us need rest in our day-to-day lives right now. So, what can you do now to take a break and help yourself feel better?  

What happens to your brain when you take breaks to rest? 

Just as you need sleep to learn and build long-term memories, you need rest to promote brain function. 

“What we’re learning is some of the same consolidation activities that happen in our brains when we’re asleep also occur when we rest,” says Samantha Artherholt , a psychologist and clinical associate professor in the UW School of Medicine Department of Rehabilitation. 

Allowing yourself downtime with minimal stimuli helps replenish your brain’s capacity for attention, focus and creativity, and it allows you to process new information you’ve learned and tie it to other ideas, she explains.  

This is slightly different from taking a break where you move or socialize — though there are benefits to taking breaks in that way as well.  

“I view rest as intentionally slowing down or stepping away from an activity, while taking a break can be more active, like going on a walk or stretching,” Artherholt says. “The goal of any sort of rest or break is it should feel relaxing. You should feel refreshed and better after the break than you did before.” 

Your brain gets a boost from rest and breaks because you have different electrochemical brain states based on what your brain is doing. When the brain is active it produces beta waves; when resting, alpha waves; daydreaming, theta waves; and sleeping, delta waves.  

“The idea is we need to spend time in different brain states. When we engage in a variety of activities that require more and less focus, our brain can spend time in the different states, which helps it function and allows us to be creative, to problem-solve and to store information,” Kocian says. 

You may have experienced this before if you've been unable to recall a name or fact, but it popped into your head later when you were relaxing. Similarly, a task or problem that feels unsolvable may suddenly seem obvious after some time away.  

In these cases, by taking a break your brain enters a different brain state but is still active and problem-solving, even if you aren’t consciously aware of it. 

How often should you take breaks and rest?  

There isn’t a specific frequency or duration you should be resting. The key is that you do try to rest.  

“The biggest thing is giving yourself permission to do it,” Artherholt says.  

While what feels best will be individual to you, she recommends trying to distribute downtime throughout your day and week so that you have short breaks and longer chunks of time to unwind.  

How to take beneficial breaks 

Similarly, it might take some experimentation to find what type of break feels the most refreshing. 

What feels calming to one person may be stressful to another. Moreover, various life factors (like juggling multiple jobs or caring for kids and older family members) can affect how much access you have to breaks and rest, and different people need different amounts of each to feel well.  

Whether you are fitting in a few deep breaths or going on a weekend retreat, Kocian and Artherholt share a few general guidelines to make your breaks work for you.  

Calm your central nervous system  

Whether or not your break provides health benefits largely depends on how you spend that time — meaning folding a load of laundry or running an errand may be a break from your day job, but it doesn’t necessarily give you the benefits of rest.  

“I wouldn’t say, ‘I had a lot of rest today. I did the laundry,’” Kocian says.  

To receive the health benefits of a break, spend time in a way that calms down your central nervous system. Your nervous system helps you respond to threats and stressors by putting you into fight or flight mode . If your nervous system is constantly activated, it can lead to disease.  

“It’s not that stress is bad or the body’s stress response bad, but if we stay in this kind of low-level stress constantly our sympathetic nervous system is activated for longer than our bodies were designed to deal with. That chronic stress can have negative downstream effects,” Kocian says.  

Choosing to take a break and do a calming activity will allow your nervous system to return to its baseline state. While this looks different for different people, some options to try  are meditation, exercising and getting out in nature.  

Shift from doing to being 

We live in a culture that emphasizes productivity, and this focus on accomplishments can make it difficult to allow yourself to relax. (Kocian notes the first question people ask when they meet each other is, “What do you do?” while Monday mornings at work start with, “What did you do this weekend?”) 

“It’s not inherently bad that we want to set goals and achieve them — this helps us contribute to work and home environments and use our time in a way that gives us meaning. But the idea that we have to constantly be doing something is born from there, and it can make it hard to pause for rest,” Kocian says. 

One way to cope with this is to pay attention to when you’re overloaded and need rest. This awareness can help you take steps to offload some work if possible. Small actions to remove nonessential to-dos, like turning off notifications on your phone, can give you more breathing room. 

From there, it helps to practice allowing yourself to just be. 

“From a cognitive perspective, it’s important when we rest to get as little input as possible. We know there’s a benefit of at least brief periods of quiet, or closing your eyes and getting some space,” says Artherholt.  

You can start by setting a timer for one minute and letting yourself do nothing during that time.  

Be kind to yourself 

It’s easy to slip into trying to maximize your breaks for the most health benefits possible — and easier yet to berate yourself if you aren’t able to make that happen.  

Try to avoid self-criticism if you can’t take time to rest each day. You want to listen to your body and respond accordingly (and if sometimes the only downtime you have is spent doing the laundry, that’s OK too.) 

“There’s no point in beating yourself up. As you approach making a chance to take breaks, it helps to keep in mind the purpose of why we even care about rest — hopefully because we want to live happy and fulfilling lives,” Kocian says.  

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How Exercise Strengthens Your Brain

Physical activity improves cognitive and mental health in all sorts of ways. Here’s why, and how to reap the benefits.

By Dana G. Smith

Growing up in the Netherlands, Henriette van Praag had always been active, playing sports and riding her bike to school every day. Then, in the late-1990s, while working as a staff scientist at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in San Diego, she discovered that exercise can spur the growth of new brain cells in mature mice. After that, her approach to exercise changed.

“I started to take it more seriously,” said Dr. van Praag, now an associate professor of biomedical science at Florida Atlantic University. Today, that involves doing CrossFit and running five or six miles several days a week.

Whether exercise can cause new neurons to grow in adult humans — a feat previously thought impossible, and a tantalizing prospect to treat neurodegenerative diseases — is still up for debate . But even if it’s not possible, physical activity is excellent for your brain, improving mood and cognition through “a plethora” of cellular changes, Dr. van Praag said.

What are some of the benefits, specifically?

Exercise offers short-term boosts in cognition. Studies show that immediately after a bout of physical activity, people perform better on tests of working memory and other executive functions . This may be in part because movement increases the release of neurotransmitters in the brain, most notably epinephrine and norepinephrine.

“These kinds of molecules are needed for paying attention to information,” said Marc Roig, an associate professor in the School of Physical and Occupational Therapy at McGill University. Attention is essential for working memory and executive functioning, he added.

The neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin are also released with exercise, which is thought to be a main reason people often feel so good after going for a run or a long bike ride.

The brain benefits really start to emerge, though, when we work out consistently over time. Studies show that people who work out several times a week have higher cognitive test scores, on average, than people who are more sedentary. Other research has found that a person’s cognition tends to improve after participating in a new aerobic exercise program for several months.

Dr. Roig added the caveat that the effects on cognition aren’t huge, and not everyone improves to the same degree. “You cannot acquire a super memory just because you exercised,” he said.

Physical activity also benefits mood . People who work out regularly report having better mental health than people who are sedentary. And exercise programs can be effective at treating people’s depression, leading some psychiatrists and therapists to prescribe physical activity. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation of 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity per week is a good benchmark.

Perhaps most remarkable, exercise offers protection against neurodegenerative diseases. “Physical activity is one of the health behaviors that’s shown to be the most beneficial for cognitive function and reducing risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia,” said Michelle Voss, an associate professor of psychological and brain sciences at the University of Iowa.

How does exercise do all that?

It starts with the muscles. When we work out, they release molecules that travel through the blood up to the brain. Some, like a hormone called irisin, have “neuroprotective” qualities and have been shown to be linked to the cognitive health benefits of exercise, said Christiane Wrann, an associate professor of medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School who studies irisin . (Dr. Wrann is also a consultant for a pharmaceutical company, Aevum Therapeutics, hoping to harness irisin’s effects into a drug.)

Good blood flow is essential to obtain the benefits of physical activity. And conveniently, exercise improves circulation and stimulates the growth of new blood vessels in the brain. “It’s not just that there’s increased blood flow,” Dr. Voss said. “It’s that there’s a greater chance, then, for signaling molecules that are coming from the muscle to get delivered to the brain.”

Once these signals are in the brain, other chemicals are released locally. The star of the show is a hormone called brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or B.D.N.F., that is essential for neuron health and creating new connections — called synapses — between neurons. “It’s like a fertilizer for brain cells to recover from damage,” Dr. Voss said. “And also for synapses on nerve cells to connect with each other and sustain those connections.”

A greater number of blood vessels and connections between neurons can actually increase the size of different brain areas. This effect is especially noticeable in older adults because it can offset the loss of brain volume that happens with age. The hippocampus, an area important for memory and mood, is particularly affected. “We know that it shrinks with age,” Dr. Roig said. “And we know that if we exercise regularly, we can prevent this decline.”

Exercise’s effect on the hippocampus may be one way it helps protect against Alzheimer’s disease, which is associated with significant changes to that part of the brain. The same goes for depression; the hippocampus is smaller in people who are depressed, and effective treatments for depression , including medications and exercise, increase the size of the region.

What kind of exercise is best for your brain?

The experts emphasized that any exercise is good, and the type of activity doesn’t seem to matter, though most of the research has involved aerobic exercise. But, they added, higher-intensity workouts do appear to confer a bigger benefit for the brain.

Improving your overall cardiovascular fitness level also appears to be key. “It’s dose-dependent,” Dr. Wrann said. “The more you can improve your cardiorespiratory fitness, the better the benefits are.”

Like Dr. van Praag, Dr. Voss has incorporated her research into her life, making a concerted effort to engage in higher intensity exercise. For example, on busy days when she can’t fit in a full workout, she’ll seek out hills to bike up on her commute to work. “Even if it’s a little,” she said, “it’s still better than nothing.”

Dana G. Smith is a Times reporter covering personal health, particularly aging and brain health. More about Dana G. Smith

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• April 4, 2024 | Science Simplified: What Is Autonomous Discovery?
• April 4, 2024 | Scientists Discover Surprising Benefits of Unconsciously Remembering Things
• April 4, 2024 | A New Era of Science on the Lunar Gateway Space Station
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Science Simplified: What Is Autonomous Discovery?

By Argonne National Laboratory April 4, 2024

Autonomous discovery at Argonne National Laboratory leverages AI, machine learning, and robotics to accelerate scientific research in areas like climate change, health, and energy, transforming problem-solving from years to mere days or weeks, enhancing safety, and maintaining human creativity at the innovation’s core. Credit: SciTechDaily.com

What Is Autonomous Discovery?

Have you ever pulled an ​“all-nighter” trying to finish a big project or homework assignment? By dawn, your brain was probably fried. But robots don’t get tired. Artificial intelligence doesn’t need coffee. They can keep working on a problem 24/7.

That’s why researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory are pioneering the next generation of scientific experimentation. It’s called autonomous discovery, and it harnesses the power of robotics, machine learning , and artificial intelligence (AI) to solve big problems in climate, human health, and energy faster than ever before. No robot coffee required.

Let’s say you have a problem like plastic pollution, and you need a new type of plastic that is easier to recycle or reuse. There are thousands of possible polymers that might work, and there are potentially harmful chemicals involved in the testing process. In the past, we might have had several researchers working at a lab bench to test one polymer at a time. And that process would take years.

With autonomous discovery, human researchers turn the problem over to robotics and AI. The researchers use a process called machine learning to train the AI with huge data sets. This gives the AI information on everything we already know about plastic recycling, chemical processes, and potential polymer structures. The AI uses that information to make the best decision about which experiments to run next.

Robotic arms and sampling machines run twenty-four hours a day, keeping researchers safely away from chemicals or other potential risks. With machine learning, AI gets smarter as it goes, looking for new patterns and new experiments to run.

Human scientists are free to use their big, creative brains to interpret and act on the most interesting results. Autonomous discovery will help scientists find solutions to complex problems in a matter of days or weeks instead of years or lifetimes.

Human ingenuity and imagination remain at the heart of this innovation. Argonne’s scientists and technicians are finding creative ways to apply the tools of autonomous discovery:

• We’re creating ​“digital twins” of labs. These virtual-reality models help researchers test machines and figure out the best way to install equipment in real-life biology and chemistry labs.
• We’re exploring everything from new treatments for drug-resistant bacteria to how plants store carbon in the soil.
• We’re building and deconstructing polymer chains to find new ways to recycle and upcycle plastics.
• We’re using some of the world’s fastest supercomputers to run the AI and process data coming from large-scale experiments.

Autonomous labs are helping bring scientific solutions into our lives with never-before-seen speed, efficiency and accuracy . This will not just revolutionize the way we do science; it will propel us into a new era of discovery.

Credit: Argonne National Laboratory

A new way of doing science that will bring discoveries to light faster than ever before.

The human brain is an amazing science-solving machine, but the human body can only solve problems for so long before a human researcher needs to eat or sleep. Today’s biggest challenges, like climate change, emerging diseases, and plastic pollution won’t wait for us to grab a sandwich or take a nap. We need answers now. That’s why scientists are getting an assist from robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning.

We define a problem. AI identifies, sets up, and runs hundreds of experiments using robotic systems that can work the problem 24/7. With machine learning, AI gets smarter as it goes, looking for new patterns and new experiments to run. Human scientists are free to use their big, creative brains to interpret and act on the most interesting results. Autonomous discovery will bring solutions to us 100× or even 1000× faster.

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Play Minecraft Games with Game Pass

ALSO AVAILABLE ON:

Minecraft is available to play on the following platforms:

*Mac and Linux are compatible with Java Edition only.

Poisonous Potato Update

The (s)mashing update you always asked for!

Imagine being a potato. Now imagine being the potato’s less popular sibling who didn’t inherit the tuber-licious looks the rest of your family possesses. What’s worse is – you're facing the impossible decision of what to do with all this starch? Since neither French fries nor couch potato sat right with you, there's only one option remaining. Congratulations friend, you’re a poisonous potato. 

For years, Minecraft’s own toxic tuber has been neglected and underappreciated, lacking both purpose and usefulness. For years, you – the community – tried to highlight this, working tirelessly to bring it to our attention and literally begging us for more functionality. As of today, your concerns are a thing of the past. 

Mojang Studios is proud to release our most well-boiled update to date that will add so much usability to the poisonous potato that even tater-haters will become devoted spud-buds. The Poisonous Potato Update – rich in both carbs AND features! You asked. We delivered. Or maybe you didn’t ask, but we delivered anyway? In any case, it is HERE! 

GET THE SNAPSHOT UPDATE 

Snapshots are available for Minecraft: Java Edition. To install the snapshot, open up the Minecraft Launcher and enable snapshots in the "Installations" tab. You can even play the snapshot on your own Java Realms together with your friends! 

Remember, snapshots can corrupt your world, so please back up your world and/or run the snapshot in a different folder from your main worlds.  

-> DOWNLOAD THE CROSS-PLATFORM SERVER JAR

Poisonous potato add-on.

The roots of the poisonous potato run deep within Minecraft and extends far beyond Java Edition. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the tuber-lar sensation has spread its influence to Bedrock Edition as well. With Jigarbov’s Poisonous Potato add-on , you’ll be able to experience the joy of the poisonous potato the way it was always intended – through blocks and furniture to weapons and armor.

-> GET THE ADD-ON

Gameplay & features.

• Poisonous potatoes – LOTS of poisonous potatoes! 
• A few normal potatoes too! 
• The homeland of all potato kind
• Five spud-tastic biomes: fields, hash, arboretum, corruption, and wasteland 
• Experience the life of a potato – from its inception as a raw potato picked from the fields, through cooked hash browns, to its eventual decay
• Local weather with a-mashing effects 
• Added the Colosseum, home to the lord of potato kind... 
• A whole sack of a-peeling new blocks 
• Rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, and Niacin! 
• No new mineral blocks. No need! The blocks themselves contain minerals: Potassium, Magnesium, and Iron! 
• Added the frying table – everyone asked for it, so we added it. It fries potato things. It's a really nice model! 
• Added functionality to the fletching table. You can now fletch toxic resin into more refined versions of the resin. 
• Added impurities because purity is overrated 
• Added a whole bunch new gadgets that will tune your poisonous potato game up to eleven! 
• You get it by now. They’re all poisonous potatoes... 

TECHNICAL CHANGES 

• The flux capacitor integration now synergizes with quantum voxelization, which enables a 360-noscope enhancing real-time RTX terrain-rendering nightshade multibox spectrum acceleration while optimizing transdimensional entity synchronization for seamless vitelotte-king edwards-russel burbank experiences! 

WHAT HAPPENS IF I DOWNLOAD THE UPDATE?

Then you will be the proud owner of the file that contains the update. 

WHAT CAN I EXPECT IN TERMS OF GAMEPLAY?  

Poisonous potatoes. We hope this article has made that perfectly clear. 

I DON’T BELIEVE I ASKED FOR THIS UPDATE, IF I’M HONEST. 

You might not have – but your brain (or maybe belly) did! 

ARE THERE CURRENTLY ANY OTHER CARB-BASED UPDATES IN THE WORKS? 

Great question! Please look forward to the Radioactive Rice Update and Toxic Taro Update in the very distant future! 

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Walk this way – it's quite good for you

By Michael Merschel, American Heart Association News

Walking is sometimes equated with simplicity itself. If your task is a "walk in the park," it might require little more than baby steps to get things moving.

But putting one foot in front of the other can set you on a path for significantly better health, experts say – even without a lot of heavy lifting or jumping through hoops.

"People underestimate just how important it is to walk," said Dr. Tiwaloluwa Ajibewa, an assistant professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.

Walking can help with weight control and reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes and more, said Dr. Kelley Pettee Gabriel, associate dean for research at the University of Alabama at Birmingham's School of Public Health. For people with heart disease, "it's really helpful for the management of symptoms and improving quality of life."

So, whether you're a dedicated step-counter or a certified couch potato ready to make a change, here's what to know.

It's a great first step

If you're doing any type of walking, you're moving. That's both obvious and important, because being sedentary – sitting, lying down – has been linked to an increased risk of diabetes, heart disease and premature death. Even a little bit of light activity can help lower the risks.

"The main thing that we try to tell folks is to sit less, move more," said Ajibewa, a movement scientist.

Beyond being anti-sedentary, walking at a brisk pace counts toward the minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity recommended by federal guidelines , Gabriel said, noting that "substantial evidence" supports the idea that such exercise can boost physical and mental health.

It doesn't have to be 10,000 steps

Although it's a nice, round number, the idea that people need to take 10,000 steps a day came from a Japanese company's marketing tactics in the 1960s, Gabriel said. More recent research has shown that the optimal number of steps varies depending on factors such as age and your goal.

Gabriel pointed to an analysis, published in The Lancet Public Health in 2022, that examined data from 15 studies. It found that while taking more steps per day was associated with a lower risk of dying, the benefits in people 60 and older plateaued at about 6,000 to 8,000 steps a day. But in younger adults, benefits didn't flatten out until approximately 8,000 to 10,000 steps.

Also in 2022, a study in JAMA Neurology reported that the optimal number of steps associated with lower dementia risk was about 9,800 steps a day. But even people who walked about 3,800 steps a day still reduced that risk.

A study published in March in the British Journal of Sports Medicine suggested that any amount of daily steps above 2,200 was associated with a reduced risk of death and cardiovascular disease, with the lowest mortality risk coming at between 9,000 and 10,500 steps a day.

Feel the need for speed?

As with step count, the importance of pace will vary depending on what health condition you're looking at, Gabriel said.

"For some outcomes, you really need to be at a moderate or higher pace," she said. Some studies have shown that faster walking lowers diabetes risk, for example, and others have shown it takes regular physical activity to improve cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

But for other things, such as weight control, it's not the speed but the overall energy expenditure that matters, Gabriel said.

And any movement counts.

"Walking looks different for different people," Gabriel said, and everyone can benefit from moving, no matter how they get around. People whose mobility is aided by a wheelchair or other device can still have better health through physical activity.

"It's really about walking any way that you can," she said.

Go where you want to go

Where you walk – whether it's down the street or on a treadmill – doesn't matter, Gabriel said. What's important is finding something that works for you.

So, if you want to walk around the track while your kid is at soccer practice, that works, she said, but if you'd rather go to the mall or gym and walk there because it's raining or you've got safety issues in your neighborhood, "go for it."

It's a city design issue

Just because walking is a basic form of exercise doesn't mean everyone has the same access to it.

Some urban features encourage it, Ajibewa said. With "blue space" – access to coasts, lakes and rivers – people are more likely to be active and have better mental health. The same goes for "green space," such as parks or forests. Research shows people in greener neighborhoods are more likely to walk than those in less-green areas. People in walkable neighborhoods tend to be more physically active and have a healthier weight.

But, he said, "not everyone has the same opportunities to go on a walk or to be active in their neighborhood." Someone in a walkable city, such as New York City, will have more opportunity to walk than someone in a car-oriented city such as Houston.

On the neighborhood level, issues such as safety, street lighting and the condition of the sidewalks matter. A 2015 surgeon general's report on the importance of walkable communities said that in 2012, more than 3 out of 10 people age 16 and older reported that no sidewalks existed along any street in their neighborhood.

Historical and systemic inequities have played a role. All of that means walking is a matter of policy, Ajibewa said, whether it's supporting safe routes for children to walk to school or making sure parks have equipment and programs that support healthy activities.

How to get started

You can begin a walking routine with something as simple as getting up from the couch during commercials. "A little bit of activity is probably the best way to start," Ajibewa said. "Continue to do more and more. Over time, that becomes easier for you."

Gabriel said that when starting any new habit, it's important to think about how you're going to make it part of your routine. "Take out a calendar, or look at your phone calendar, and start blanking out days and hours when you're going to be able to make this change."

You'll need comfortable shoes, and she recommended dressing in layers, because whether you're walking around a sunny block or in an air-conditioned mall, "eventually, you're going to warm up and want to shed some of those clothes."

If you're walking at night, don't forget safety gear. "Wear the bright colors and bring a flashlight," she said. "You have to make sure people can see you."

The next steps

Once you've been at it for a while, Gabriel said, don't be afraid to vary your route and your pace. "Your body progresses more when you surprise it a little bit," she said. Find a path with hills, or try alternating intervals of slower walking with a brisk pace.

Enjoy the benefits

Gabriel knows about the mental and physical benefits of walking firsthand. A cyclist, she had to set her bike aside after surgery recently. "The only thing I was able to do to keep my activity up was to walk," she said. "I wasn't able to walk fast or far, but it kept me in the swing of a physically active mindset."

Her 80-year-old father is another example. "He's been tracking his steps since 2016, and he's walked over 14,000 miles." She saw him struggle when a health setback kept him from his daily walk – and knows his well-being got a boost when he could once again start aiming for his daily 10,000 steps.

"He's so proud," Gabriel said. "He tells me his steps and how he's walked across the United States five times, basically."

Of course, you don't have to go that far on your first day. It can start with baby steps.

"Being humans, we're meant to be moving," Ajibewa said, so just move as much as you can. "It all goes back to sitting less, moving more."

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