homework interferes with after school activities

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More than two hours of homework may be counterproductive, research suggests.

A Stanford education researcher found that too much homework can negatively affect kids, especially their lives away from school, where family, friends and activities matter.   "Our findings on the effects of homework challenge the traditional assumption that homework is inherently good," wrote Denise Pope , a senior lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Education and a co-author of a study published in the Journal of Experimental Education .   The researchers used survey data to examine perceptions about homework, student well-being and behavioral engagement in a sample of 4,317 students from 10 high-performing high schools in upper-middle-class California communities. Along with the survey data, Pope and her colleagues used open-ended answers to explore the students' views on homework.   Median household income exceeded $90,000 in these communities, and 93 percent of the students went on to college, either two-year or four-year.   Students in these schools average about 3.1 hours of homework each night.   "The findings address how current homework practices in privileged, high-performing schools sustain students' advantage in competitive climates yet hinder learning, full engagement and well-being," Pope wrote.   Pope and her colleagues found that too much homework can diminish its effectiveness and even be counterproductive. They cite prior research indicating that homework benefits plateau at about two hours per night, and that 90 minutes to two and a half hours is optimal for high school.   Their study found that too much homework is associated with:   • Greater stress : 56 percent of the students considered homework a primary source of stress, according to the survey data. Forty-three percent viewed tests as a primary stressor, while 33 percent put the pressure to get good grades in that category. Less than 1 percent of the students said homework was not a stressor.   • Reductions in health : In their open-ended answers, many students said their homework load led to sleep deprivation and other health problems. The researchers asked students whether they experienced health issues such as headaches, exhaustion, sleep deprivation, weight loss and stomach problems.   • Less time for friends, family and extracurricular pursuits : Both the survey data and student responses indicate that spending too much time on homework meant that students were "not meeting their developmental needs or cultivating other critical life skills," according to the researchers. Students were more likely to drop activities, not see friends or family, and not pursue hobbies they enjoy.   A balancing act   The results offer empirical evidence that many students struggle to find balance between homework, extracurricular activities and social time, the researchers said. Many students felt forced or obligated to choose homework over developing other talents or skills.   Also, there was no relationship between the time spent on homework and how much the student enjoyed it. The research quoted students as saying they often do homework they see as "pointless" or "mindless" in order to keep their grades up.   "This kind of busy work, by its very nature, discourages learning and instead promotes doing homework simply to get points," said Pope, who is also a co-founder of Challenge Success , a nonprofit organization affiliated with the GSE that conducts research and works with schools and parents to improve students' educational experiences..   Pope said the research calls into question the value of assigning large amounts of homework in high-performing schools. Homework should not be simply assigned as a routine practice, she said.   "Rather, any homework assigned should have a purpose and benefit, and it should be designed to cultivate learning and development," wrote Pope.   High-performing paradox   In places where students attend high-performing schools, too much homework can reduce their time to foster skills in the area of personal responsibility, the researchers concluded. "Young people are spending more time alone," they wrote, "which means less time for family and fewer opportunities to engage in their communities."   Student perspectives   The researchers say that while their open-ended or "self-reporting" methodology to gauge student concerns about homework may have limitations – some might regard it as an opportunity for "typical adolescent complaining" – it was important to learn firsthand what the students believe.   The paper was co-authored by Mollie Galloway from Lewis and Clark College and Jerusha Conner from Villanova University.

Clifton B. Parker is a writer at the Stanford News Service .

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Finding the balance with after-school activities.

Helping kids choose extracurricular activities that work for them, without the stress

Writer: Harry Kimball

Clinical Expert: Jerry Bubrick, PhD

What You'll Learn

• How can afterschool activities benefit kids?
• What are some common downsides?
• How can you find a good balance of activities for your child?

It’s common for even young kids to be involved in lots of different afterschool activities. As they get older, some kids are signed up for so many they are left with little free time. How much should parents push their kids to engage in activities — and how much is too much?

Kids tend to do well when they have structure, and afterschool activities are a great way to get that. They can also help kids socialize, get exercise, and burn off extra energy. When a child excels at something outside of school, their self-esteem often improves too. And staying engaged in activities also helps teenagers avoid risky behavior and substance use.

However, there are downsides to doing too many activities. If kids spread themselves too thin, they might not be able to improve their skills much in any specific activity, which can be hard on their confidence. Without enough free time to do whatever they want, kids can get stressed and anxious. And doing a lot of activities may not even impress colleges, which are often looking for students who show focus rather than just doing lots of different things.

The key to avoiding overscheduling is making sure that activities don’t interfere with your child’s life. Do they still have plenty of time to do homework? Spend time with friends and family? Get enough sleep? If the answer is no to any of those questions, it might be too much.

There’s no magic number of activities. For some kids, even one intense activity like sports or theater might turn out to be too many. Other kids can handle several without getting stressed. Check in with your child to see how they feel about their balance of activities. Most kids find their limits and know when they’re overextended.

The vast array of extracurricular activities offered to school-age children can be a headache for kids and parents both. They can help kids develop talents and passions and learn how to push themselves. And, of course, we want them to look like well-rounded, accomplished kids to college admissions committees. But we don’t want to run them ragged or turn them into stressed-out automatons. Even parents of young children, who aren’t thinking about college yet, are feeling the pressure.

After school activities have also stepped in to supplant the unsupervised “free time” we’re no longer comfortable allowing our children to have, says Rachel Cortese, a speech-language pathologist and former New York City schoolteacher. And there is a consensus that children should have the opportunity to experiment with a variety of activities in well-delineated blocks—”structured free time,” as it is called.

But how much should parents push their kids to engage —and how much is too much?

The benefits

In general, says Cortese, “kids tend to do really well when they have structure, and part of that structure is having an afterschool schedule.” Educational and learning specialist Ruth Lee also extols some well-known benefits of getting kids together outside of the classroom for more activities—especially the physical kind. “It gives kids social interactions ,” she says, at the same time helping them “get out some of their energy so they can settle and go back to their work” after school. This is particularly important, she notes, as schools are cutting back on recess more and more.

For older kids, after-school activities can be very important as protection against more dangerous activities, says clinical psychologist Mary Rooney, PhD —particularly if parents are busy at work or with other children. “Once kids get into middle school and high school,” she says, “the hour or two after school is the highest risk time for dangerous behaviors like substance abuse , because it’s the largest chunk of time when kids are unmonitored.”

And of course, more recreational activities outside of school, whether its sports, dance, theater, science, give kids another arena to demonstrate competence and mastery, which is important for their self-esteem and identity development—especially for kids who might be struggling in school.

The drawbacks

But what about overscheduling? It is not to be taken lightly, says Susan Newman, PhD, a social psychologist and author of, among many others, The Case for the Only Child .

For one thing, Newman warns that mastery might suffer. “If you are spreading yourself too thin you’re not going to be able to focus and get really good at one thing.”

“A lot of people see a list of all the great things that are being offered,” says Lee “and they sign up for everything and then they realize it’s so unrealistic with their time constraints and all the schoolwork that they have.” That’s not good—as Newman notes, it’s no fun for kids “to have so many things that they have to drop out.”

An overload of extracurricular activities also doesn’t bring the perceived benefit a lot of parents and kids are looking for: a good-looking college application. “What they’re really looking for is applicants who are well rounded and have focus. You can see they are pursuing a goal and they really like what they are doing,” Newman says. “And not just dipping their hand in this and that and the next thing so they can fill out more lines on the application.”

The school-life balance

How many activities are too many? “Seven,” jokes Jerry Bubrick , PhD, a clinical psychologist at the Child Mind Institute. But really, it’s too much when afterschool activities start interfering with a child’s life. Dr. Bubrick notes that in the case of intensive commitments like sports or theater, even one activity can be too much.

Dr. Bubrick has a pretty simple calculus for how much is too much. “Can you still do your homework ? Can you still get 8+ hours of sleep each night? Can you still be a part of your family? Can you still hang out with your friends? If the answer is ‘no’ to one or more of these, then it’s too much.”

Back to school: What’s a parent to do?

• Know your child: “Kids come to us with different predispositions,” Cortese says, and the best activity “depends on the individual child.” And when it comes to scheduling, kids respond better to different kinds of structure. “One kid who is highly scheduled might do very well and another might need to dial it back,” says Cortese.
• Consider other types of activities: Parents shouldn’t forget that children can also benefit from self-directed activities, albeit in structured blocks of time. “Sometimes there’s not enough emphasis put on the importance of independent work time,” Cortese says, “and giving kids the time and the place to think for themselves, be creative, and access their own internal resources.”
• Step back: “Most children find their level and their interest if they have the time to do it,” Newman says. “My advice to parents is always to understand your child and see what limits they have or don’t have.”

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• About the Project

• Well-Designed Homework Time as a Quality-Building Aid in Afterschool

Natalie Lucas

• Read more about Natalie Lucas

Jennifer Kobrin

• Read more about Jennifer Kobrin

If any children are peering over your shoulder as you read these lines, hide the next sentence from them. 


The evidence that homework aids student achievement is inconclusive (Center for Public Education, 2007). 


Yet, for many students, not completing homework on time, or completing it incorrectly, can leave them at a serious disadvantage as they try to progress successfully through school. It is also important to note that well-designed homework, instead of just “throwing worksheets at students,” is more likely to have merit and can be a positive connection between school and afterschool programs. Combining well-designed homework with other academic enrichment activities in afterschool can provide a well-rounded package of expanded learning opportunities that contribute to school success and positive youth development.


Homework has maintained a role as a traditional component of the education system over many generations, although it has not been totally proven to be effective as a tool for improving students’ learning. A battle waged in recent decades over the value of homework did not come to a definitive conclusion, leaving both proponents and opponents with research they can cite to support either side of the debate. 1  It appears that the presence of homework serves more to forestall a decline in performance (Morrison, Storino, Robertson, Weissglass, & Dondero, 2000) rather than to advance achievement; however, making homework completion just one element of a broader, comprehensive afterschool program enhances its value.


Despite the conflicted research base, school policies continue to mandate and teachers continue to assign homework. This reality is where afterschool programs must position themselves, regardless of any personal opinions on homework. The general charge of an afterschool program is to help students succeed in school; and if homework is required by the school, then many afterschool programs see homework support as part of that charge. Going a step further is to encourage staff buy-in and enthusiasm for a program culture that embraces homework time as useful and important, rather than a bore and a chore for all involved. 


This commitment to productive homework time can be bolstered by a program’s recognition that well-designed homework, as part of a broader afterschool initiative, not only can provide benefits to youth but also serve to reinforce some of the desired—and often required—yet hard-to-come-by program goals: (a) homework is a natural link between afterschool and school, (b) homework is a promising bridge between afterschool and families, (c) homework supports principles of youth development that are central to afterschool programs, and (d) homework help can be a hook to engage students in expanded learning and broader opportunities. 


Supporting the School Day and Connecting With Teachers


Homework serves as a natural point of connection between school-day staff and afterschool staff, whose roles are parallel yet often isolated. Many school-day teachers do not ask for help from afterschool, or even do not picture the potential for afterschool programming to aid in school-day goals. The practitioner who takes the first step to building relationships with school-day staff can demonstrate that program practices, such as homework support or tutoring, are working toward the same outcomes the school-day teachers hope to achieve. 


Once this common understanding has been reached, the relationship can be maintained through intentional and sustained communication. A regular schedule of check-ins via phone or e-mail or in person should be established. Tools such as a homework contract or a homework completion tracking document allow both sides to stay up-to-date without adding additional strain on job responsibilities. By using such tools and scheduling regular check-ins, afterschool staff can more readily ask school-day teachers for help with students’ more difficult assignments. In a time when 89% of students stress about homework (Met Life, 2007) this communication builds trust that makes students more confident in the program’s ability to be helpful and meet student needs. 


In rural Missouri, for example, the West Plains R-7 Before and After School Education program utilizes the regular school day homework planner to track student assignments and facilitate information sharing between afterschool staff and teachers. The planner includes space for both groups to sign and record relevant information each day. The program director also takes advantage of the school district’s data system to track student achievement, routinely meeting with teachers when students fall behind. This real-life example illustrates the kind of collaboration and mutual support that many afterschool programs have found to be a critical ingredient in boosting student achievement.


Opening up the avenues of communication between school and afterschool was the focus of a pilot project conducted by the University of Pittsburgh’s Office of Child Development during the 2010–2011 school year. This project, funded by the Heinz Endowments, was a partnership with Pittsburgh Public Schools and five local afterschool program providers. The partnership developed a set of communication strategies based on research that indicates that formal communication between teachers and afterschool providers supports quality homework time in the afterschool setting. 


Linking together on homework can even open the door to more substantive school-afterschool collaborations—one of the hallmarks of quality afterschool programs.


Easing the Pressure off Families


Students are not the only ones whose stress levels rise with homework; in today’s society, with more single parents and more dual-income families, the demands of home life leave little time for parents to offer homework help. Most parents want their children to do homework, and they see the importance of connecting with what their children are doing in school, but dinner time, chores, and leisure activities compete with homework time. An overload of homework also competes with sleep, which suffers as a result for students, not just their overtired parents (Dudley-Maring, 2003). 


By providing a structured and supportive space for homework time, afterschool programs can become an ally of busy parents. This program role again opens up an opportunity for communication, in this case with families. The tools mentioned above, such as the homework contract, can include families as participants, and informal conversations about homework can reassure parents that their children are completing assignments, indicate what is left to be done at home with bigger projects or additional assignments, and provide a sought-after link by proxy from the parent to the school day. Through this link, an afterschool program kindles homework’s role as a cornerstone to facilitating family-to-school communication as it contributes to parents’ understanding of what school expectations are and offers direction for how they can support their children (Perlman & Redding, 2011). 


For example, the East Allen Family Resource Center in New Haven, Indiana, requires all staff to speak with parents who come to pick up their students in the program and share information about their students’ progress with homework. “We really love the parents who choose to pick up their students from the school. It provides such a wonderful opportunity for parents to see what their child is doing, the environment that is provided for them, and have face-to-face time talking with staff,” notes the program director. To reach parents who may not be able to pick up their children in person, staff routinely make phone calls to students’ homes to discuss student achievement. 


In considering homework support as one component of a family involvement plan, an afterschool program is again making strides in the direction of program quality. 


Using Homework Time to Enhance Youth Development


Within the body of evidence that exists about homework, studies have shown that homework does play a role in building skills that equip young people to be more efficient and motivated students and prepare them for 21st century careers. By completing homework, students gain soft skills such as greater self-direction, self-discipline, organization, and more independent problem solving (Protheroe, 2009). 


In four charter high schools in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, such skills are coupled with homework time in deliberate lessons taught through “mini clinics” by Foundations, Inc.’s Prep Zone Plus afterschool program. Mini clinics are quick (lasting about 20 minutes), relevant, and engaging lessons that address a variety of study skills and life skills, from reading for meaning to budgeting to selecting colleges. For students who complete their homework early or need extra assistance with certain skills, the mini clinics provide a robust but palatable lesson. Students feel that they are getting more for their time and gaining skills that will be useful as they progress toward college, careers, and independent life. 


From its experience of operating homework-based afterschool programs over the past decade, Foundations has learned that a substantive way to improve homework time and other elements of afterschool is to listen to young people in afterschool settings and solicit and use feedback from school-day teachers, administrators, and parents. 


Going Beyond Homework


Quality afterschool programs, even homework-based ones, build out engaging learning opportunities that go beyond homework and offer value-added programming. Often after homework time ends, students attend their choice of enrichment clubs (for example, robotics, chess, art, music, cooking, service learning) to round out their afterschool experience. Research shows that afterschool programs with multifaceted programming are more likely to achieve the greatest academic gains (Pearson, Russell, & Reisner, 2007). 


Starting in 2011 and continuing through 2012, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Indianapolis has been working to go beyond homework and infuse academics into regular club programming. Through a grant from the Lilly Endowmentand a partnership with the Center for Afterschool and Expanded Learning at Foundations, Inc., Boys and Girls Clubs of Indianapolis has focused on creating a sustainable approach to academically-focused enrichment across seven sites. Staff receive ongoing training on topics such as planning hands-on activities linked to academic standards, project-based learning, STEM, and literacy in out-of-school time. In turn, staff are supported by leadership teams to implement meaningful enrichment activities into a range of existing programming, from art projects to basketball tournaments. 


The enrichment opportunities offered on top of homework support help students see how they can apply what they’re learning to real-life situations, build confidence through the mastery of new talents or completion of significant projects, and understand the connections between what they are doing now and their future possibilities. 


Conclusion and Recommendations


Relationships with the school day, connections to families, youth development practices, and using the attraction of completing homework to engage students in expanded learning and broader opportunities are enhanced with a positive approach to homework.


Below are a number of key recommendations to make homework a positive component of quality afterschool programs: 


• Set up systems for communication between afterschool instructors and school-day teachers that keep everyone up to date. Do the same with families.
• Create a physical environment that encourages homework completion—include quiet space with individual desks for assignments that require deep concentration, bigger tables for study groups to gather, couches for catching up on reading, and a resource area with reference materials.

• Build in opportunities for youth choice. Do some students study better when they can listen to music through headphones? Can students seek help from peers or adults? Can they choose which assignment they want to work on first?

• Keep homework time active, even when all the assignments are done. Offer short, self-directed activities such as brain teasers, board games, or activity centers that students can enjoy while still reinforcing some academic and 21st century skills . . . not just worksheets.

• Sometimes the best homework help is just directing students to the right resources they can employ to answer a tricky question. Refrain from giving them the answer; instead, empower them to find it on their own.

• Be aware of families’ homework preferences. Some families want their students to complete as much homework as possible in the afterschool program; others may want to work with their children on some assignments at home, too.

• Keep groups fluid, not static. Depending on the students, the assignments, and the day, change grouping arrangements frequently.
• Expand your own view of homework as a positive element of expanded learning. Remember that you are a role model, and students may adopt your attitude toward homework.


If afterschool programs—and their school partners—use these recommendations, dogs all across the country can experience fewer stomachaches from the proverbial eating of the homework.


Additional Resources 


SEDL Afterschool Training Toolkit – Homework 
 http://www.sedl.org/afterschool/toolkits/about_toolkits.html?tab=homework 


Homework Sharing Tool (You for Youth web portal)
 http://y4y.ed.gov/Content/Resources/DCID20110713104426.pdf 


TASC Resource Brief 
 https://www.century21me.org/staticme21/academ_achiev/Research%20on%20Hom... 


What Research Says About the Value of Homework: Research Review 
 http://www.centerforpubliceducation.org/Main-Menu/Instruction/What-resea... 


Homework Time, Afterschool Style
 Homework Time, Afterschool Style. (2009). Mt. Laurel, NJ: Foundations, Inc.


Homework Zone Program Pack ​
Homework Zone Program Pack. (2009). Mt. Laurel, NJ: Foundations, Inc.


• See, for example, Ramdass & Zimmerman (2011), Cooper, et. al. (2006), Marzano (2003), for research that supports the use of homework. For research that is critical of homework, see Kohn (2006), Bennett & Kalish (2006), and Kralovec & Buell (2000). ↩

References


Center for Public Education. (2007). Key lessons: What research says about the value of homework . Retrieved from http://www.centerforpubliceducation.org 


Morrison, G. M., Storino, M. H., Robertson, L. M., & Weissglass, T., & Dondero, A.. (2000). The protective function of after-school programming and parent education and support for students at risk for substance abuse. Evaluation and Program Planning , 23 , 365–371. 


MetLife, Inc. (2007). MetLife survey of the American teacher: The homework experience. A survey of students, teachers and parents . New York, NY: Author.


Dudley-Marling, C. (2003). How school troubles come home: The impact of homework on families of struggling learners. Current Issues in Education, 6( 4 ) . Retrieved from http://cie.asu.edu/volume6/number4/index.html . 


Perlman, C. L., & Redding, S. (2011). Handbook on effective implementation of School Improvement Grants . Lincoln, IL: Center on Innovation & Improvement. 


Protheroe, N. (2009) Good homework policy = Good teaching. Principal, 89 (1), 42–45. 


Pearson, L. M., Russell, C. A., & Reisner, E. R. (2007). Evaluation of OST programs for youth: Patterns of youth retention in OST programs, 2005–06 to 2006–07 . Washington, DC: Policy Studies Associates.

About the Compendium

• Introduction
• The Potential of Quality Afterschool and Summer Learning Programs and 21st Century Community Learning Centers for Supporting School Success
• Expanded Learning Opportunities are Key to Student Learning
• Supporting Mathematics Learning Outside the Regular School Day in Afterschool and Summers
• How Quality Afterschool Programs Help Motivate and Engage More Young People in Learning, Schooling, and Life
• The Potential of Career and College Readiness and Exploration in Afterschool Programs
• Using Afterschool and Summer Learning to Improve Literacy Skills
• Building a Culture of Attendance: Schools and Afterschool Programs Together Can and Should Make a Difference!
• A Proven Solution for Dropout Prevention: Expanded Learning Opportunities
• Building Mastery of the Common Core State Standards by Expanding Learning With Community Stakeholder Partnerships
• Providing Innovative Opportunities and Options for Credit Recovery Through Afterschool and Summer Learning Programs
• Achieving, Connecting, Thriving: Afterschool and Summer Learning in Collaboration With Schools
• Supporting English Language Learners in School and in Afterschool and Summers
• Providing Access to Training and Resources to Afterschool and Summer Learning Professionals to Promote Full and Meaningful Inclusion for All Children
• II. Expanding Skills and Horizons
• III. Recent Evidence of Impact
• IV. The Power of Community-School Partnerships in Expanding Learning
• V. Afterschool and Summer Programs as Catalysts for Engaging Families
• VI. A Growing Nationwide Infrastructure for Quality, Expansion and Partnerships
• Find Articles
• Share the Compendium

How to Balance Homework and Extracurricular Activities

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If you've ever found yourself stuck between having to choose homework over extracurricular activities, you're not alone. The Pew Research Center found that 73 percent of students are enrolled in some variety of sports activity (with youth or religious group participation clocking in next), which is quite an impressive statistic. See? It can be done.

It's natural to dread over-committing. You don't want to hand in a disappointing term paper or miss an easy shot at practice. But that's your mind anticipating issues before they even happen. Studies show being busy makes us happier . And, well, a happier you means a more capable you. Here's how to live your best life, whether you're hitting the books, hitting the punching bag — or both.

Stay organized.

Everyone loves a good cat calendar hanging on the fridge, but you won't have it on you when you actually have to write down a deadline or meeting at school. Apps like 24me act as a minute-by-minute personal assistant and Evernote syncs all your documents across devices. And of course, if you don't trust yourself to log off social media during designated study hours, use website blockers like the app-tly named SelfControl and LeechBlock .

There is a time and place for good 'ol pen and paper, however, like lectures that prohibit cell phones or laptops. Make sure you have a day planner or agenda that clearly delineates your tasks, meetings and assignments from one day to another. You can create a custom planner from Blue Sky with handy add-ons like pages for a grocery list and clear pockets for random clutter you'll eventually need. Or, steal this super-handy assignment timeline sheet courtesy of MIT .

Leave homework for last.

Wait, what? Sounds counterintuitive, but no longer should you feel guilty about going to practice and then hitting the books. Why? Multiple studies link aerobic activity (AKA your cheer practice) to a boost in cognitive abilities. Not much of an after-school athlete? Research published in the scientific journal Cognition found that taking a mental break from studying to focus on another task, like yearbook editing or play rehearsal, can renew your focus once you resume later on.

Get enough sleep.

Whether you're a star point guard or debate club champion, there's always that lingering pressure to perform in our extracurricular activities. But it should never be at the expense of sleep. According to Dr. Robert Oexman, director of the Sleep to Live Institute, nine to 10 hours is ideal for teens, and seven to nine hours for adults is ideal. He notes that multiple studies show that when we sleep right after studying, we are more likely to recall the material. (Fun fact: A recent Harvard study showed that our dreams function as a way to consolidate memories while we sleep, aka that giant bear chasing you in an empty forest is actually your brain memorizing the periodic table of elements for that test later).

If you have to choose between waking up early or staying up late to finish homework or studying, Dr. Oexman recommends the latter: "Keeping a constant wake time is very helpful for our circadian cycle," he says.

Fuel your activities.

Juggling school work and gymnastics practice is, well, a balancing act. But giving your body and mind the nutrition it needs to power through makes it infinitely easier. For one of those 15-hour days, skip the mid-afternoon chocolate or gummy bears, since refined sugar leads to a quick spike in insulin (the sugar highs are real), and then a subsequent crash (food comas aren't fun either).

For slow-releasing extended energy, stay hydrated (investing in a cute bottle might make that easier). Dig into snacks that contain brain-healthy good fats like Purely Elizabeth granola made with coconut oil, nuts and seeds. Then, make sure you get enough lean proteins to help you master those back handsprings.

Related: 5 Summer Jobs That Pay (And Are Actually Super Fun!)

Execu-Sensory & Neuropedagogy Educational Consulting Services

Providing practical, long-term solutions via neuroplastic learning connections., the balancing act homework and extracurricular lives in school-aged children.

For every generation of parents who have school age children, there is a theme that binds parents from the past to present: either there is too much homework, or too many extracurricular activities. Modern life has sped up the pace incredibly, especially in metropolitan cities around the world, making the demands after the school day on the family become even more stressful.

And it isn’t actually an unusual complaint or observation from a parent. The perception that homework has increased in recent years is supported by the results of a research study from the University of Michigan in 2000.  The Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan found that time spent on home study by 6- to 8-year-old children more than doubled between 1981 and 1997 (Hofferth & Sandberg, 2000) . Their results found a 146% increase between 1981 and 1997 in the time that six- to eight-year-old children (generally in grades K-3) spent on home study. In 1981, time diaries that were used to record homework times indicated that primary-grade children spent an average of 52 minutes studying per week; this figure increased to 128 minutes per week in 1997 (Hofferth & Sandberg, 2000). The proportional increase seemed very large because the baseline measurement—time spent on study in 1981—was very small. Moreover, the ISR study found no substantial increase in home study time over the same period for nine to twelve-year-old children (generally third to sixth graders). Their average weekly home study time was 3:22 in 1981 and 3:41 in 1997— a difference that was not large enough to achieve statistical significance. (Hofferth & Sandberg, 2000)

In 2003, The Journal of Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis published a study by Brian P. Gill and Steven L. Schlossman entitled,   “A Nation at Rest: The American Way of Homework .” The researchers found that the great majority of American children at all grade levels then spent less than one hour studying on a typical day—an amount that has not changed substantially in at least 20 years. High school students in the late 1940s and early 1950s studied no more than their counterparts did in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.

Gill and Schlossman have also concluded that changes in educational opinion on homework over the last half century prior to 2003 have had little effect on student behavior, with only two notable exceptions: a temporary increase in homework time in the decade following Sputnik, and a new willingness in the two decades before the 2000’s to assign small amounts to primary-grade students. Does this signify then that homework is dictated by current events and/or standings of students when ranked side by side their peers from other countries?

As a standard, homework recommendations from the National Education Association  conclude that, “The National PTA recommendations fall in line with general guidelines suggested by researcher Harris Cooper: 10-20 minutes per night in the first grade , and an additional 10 minutes per grade level thereafter (e.g., 20 minutes for second grade, 120 minutes for twelfth). High school students may sometimes do more, depending on what classes they take.”

They also cite that homework usually falls into one of three categories: practice, preparation, or extension; the purpose usually varies by grade. Individualized assignments that tap into students’ existing skills or interests can be motivating. At the elementary school level, homework can help students develop study skills and habits and can keep families informed about their child’s learning. At the secondary school level, student homework is associated with greater academic achievement. ( Review of Educational Research, 2006 ).

The Review of Educational Research published a comprehensive survey of all the studies on homework and achievement performed between 1987 and 2003. A strong connection was found between the two particularly in high school. In elementary grades, homework helps youngsters establish healthy study habits and keeps parents connected to what their children are doing at school. Homework in high school also lead to higher scholastic success. However, more recently in 2014, a Stanford researcher found that too much homework can negatively affect kids, especially their lives away from school, where family, friends and activities matter. The researchers used survey data to examine perceptions about homework, student well-being and behavioral engagement in a sample of 4,317 students from 10 high-performing high schools in upper-middle-class California communities. Students in these schools average about 3.1 hours of homework each night.

Denise Pope , a senior lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Education co-authored a  study  published in the Journal of Experimental Education  with Mollie Galloway and Jerusha Conner, found that too much homework is associated with:

• Greater stress: 56 percent of the students considered homework a primary source of stress. Forty-three percent viewed tests as a primary stressor, while 33 percent put the pressure to get good grades in that category. Less than 1 percent of the students said homework was not a stressor.

• Reductions in health: In their open-ended answers, many students said their homework load led to sleep deprivation and other health problems. 

• Less time for friends, family and extracurricular pursuits: Both the survey data and student responses indicated that spending too much time on homework meant that students were “ not meeting their developmental needs or cultivating other critical life skills ,” according to the researchers. Students were more likely to drop activities, not see friends or family, and not pursue hobbies they enjoy.

In places where students attend high-performing schools, too much homework can reduce their time to foster skills in the area of personal responsibility, the researchers concluded. “Young people are spending more time alone,” they wrote, “which means less time for family and fewer opportunities to engage in their communities.”

On the flipside, there are students who value time to engage in their interests and communities via extracurricular activities on top of homework. Participation in activities such as sports, clubs, private lessons, and religious activities enrich students’ lives by supporting social skills.  Several studies emphasize the benefits of extracurricular activities and homework, while others focus on the negative consequences of each. Overscheduled children may not have as much time to complete homework assignments, leading to a decline in academic achievement. According to the critics too much involvement in extracurricular activities takes away from time that could be spent studying or completing homework.  On the other hand there were many students who also felt forced or obligated to choose homework over developing other talents or skills.

A bit of history on the extracurricular path into student lives.  Extracurricular activities began in the United States in the 19th century. At first they were just an additional part to the normal academic schedule for the year and usually had some practical or vocational interest that was included into the activities. The first extracurricular activities that were well known in schools started at Harvard and Yale University. They were literacy clubs that consisted of different debate clubs and Greek systems such as fraternities and sororities.

Students in American schools were the first to initiate athletic clubs which soon became popular while literacy clubs began to decline. Around the time of World War I, schools started adding clubs such as journalism, and newspaper. (Casinger, J. 2011) Now these clubs have become popular and many public high schools and grade schools have clubs for all interests. In the year 2010, about 1 in 4 students participated in academic clubs. (Miller, Zittleman, 2010).

To determine the relationship between extracurricular involvement and homework performance,  a research study was conducted by Rachel Johnson and Ryana Moulden entitled, “ A Correlational Study of Extracurricular Involvement and Homework Performance of Third Grade Students .”  Data was collected in two third grade classes for the four-week study in two elementary schools. For the first two weeks, math homework scores were recorded, and the second two weeks, language arts homework scores were recorded. No significant correlation was found between the number of hours spent in extracurricular activities and math homework performance, however the results revealed a significant negative relationship between the number of hours spent in extracurricular activities and language arts homework performance.

In his article, “Extracurricular Activities,”   Fred C. Lunenburg  states, “Extracurricular activities serve the same goals and functions as the required and elective courses in the curriculum. However, they provide experiences that are not included in formal courses of study. They allow students to apply the knowledge that they have learned in other classes and acquire concepts of democratic life.”(2010)  The positive effects that extracurricular activities have on students’ education are behavior, better grades, school completion, positive aspects to become successful adults, and a social aspect. Higher grades and positive attitudes towards school are secondary effects that extracurricular activities have on students. Self esteem can be a predictor of academic performance. Students who don’t like school won’t do as well as the students who do like school because they are not motivated to succeed. The students who don’t like school usually feel as though they are not succeeding or that they can succeed.

A study done by the United States Department of Education  revealed that, “Students who participate in extracurricular activities are three times more likely to have a grade point average of a 3.0 or higher. This is higher than students who did not participate in extracurricular activities. This is regardless of their previous background or achievement.” Students that participate in extracurricular activities also showed positive changes in students self confidence, teacher perception, and greater confidence, and then developed positive school related adult attachments. Extracurricular activities increases a students connection to school, raises their self esteem, and positive social natures.

These are some of the results of The Harris Poll of 2,241 adults (of whom 457 have school-aged children) surveyed online between June 11 and 17, 2014. With parents of K-12 students reporting their children spend an average of 38.4 hours per week on scheduled activities during the school year (including school time, extra-curricular school activities and other scheduled commitments), while maintaining an average of 19.1 hours of free time , this finds America’s school-aged children with a roughly 2:1 ratio of scheduled to free/leisure time.  Perhaps not surprisingly, parents whose children have 1 5 or more hours per week of combined extracurricular and other “scheduled” time are much more likely than those whose children have under 15 hours to report feeling pressured to put their child in activities that other children are doing (21% <15 hours, 36% 15+ hours). They are then also more likely to worry their child is “over-programmed” (18% and 35%, respectively).

At the end of the day, it is a balance between time and aptitude between homework and extracurricular activities, as both are a part of character and brain development for students. In the Harris Poll where some adults see a crowded calendar, others see the opportunity for new experiences, and nearly two-thirds of Americans (65%) wish they had the opportunity to have as many varied experiences as children do today. This sentiment is significantly stronger among those with school-aged children (73%) than among those without (62%).

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After-school activities: The pros and cons of filling your kids’ schedule

From www.care.com

By Emily Starbuck Gerson

When Robyn Parets’ two boys were young, she was torn in numerous directions, running all over Boston to take them to extracurricular activities. Like many parents, she thought her kids needed to be involved in as many activities as possible. But one day at her 7-year-old son Noah’s soccer game, she noticed he was more interested in pulling grass than actually kicking the ball.

“That was a lightbulb moment for me; my kid didn’t love it and he wasn’t good at it,” she says. “He isn’t a traditional sports type, so why am I even knocking myself to get to those games?”

Since her kids were little, Parets has owned Pretzel Kids, a nationwide kids yoga company that trains adults to teach yoga to kids, so she knew the importance of mindfulness and stress management. Following that aha moment, she focused on guiding her kids to just one activity each that they both were good at and liked — not just what all the other kids were doing.

In recent decades, there’s been increasing pressure on parents to involve their children in extracurriculars. Part of it is the competitive nature of getting into schools and college these days. Another factor is the need for after-school care with today’s working family. There are certainly mental, physical and developmental benefits to being involved in after-school activities like sports or the arts, but overscheduling kids can also do more harm than good.

Keeping your kids so busy outside of school that they lack free time for play or rest can lead to stress, anxiety and depression, says Dr. Harpreet Kaur , a licensed clinical psychologist for kids and teens at CHOC in Orange County, California.

“I think parents feel this pressure to prepare their kids for academic success and make them competitive college applicants and make them successful for a job, but they often miss out on that unstructured playtime that provides some of the skills that kids need to be successful anyway,” she says.

The benefits of extracurriculars

Don’t get us wrong — there are plenty of compelling reasons to have kids involved in extracurricular activities. Kaur says extracurriculars help improve the overall functioning of children.

Encourages positive habits

Kids do best when they have structure and routine, she says, and those involved in extracurriculars perform better academically and are more likely to finish high school.

“These children engage more with their parents and are more active in their community,” Kaur says. “They’re also less likely to engage in drug use or other criminal activities.”

Helps develop skills and interests

Jennifer Fink, a nurse-turned-freelance writer in Mayville, Wisconsin, is the mother of four boys. She founded the site BuildingBoys.net to help parents and teachers better support and advocate for boys, and she says an extracurricular activity “gives children a chance to develop their skills, learn more about their interests and connect with others who may share the same passions and interests that they do.”

Fosters time-management skills

Fink has found that getting involved in extracurriculars can also help teach the kids time management.

“Sometimes a kid wants to do a lot of different things, and it may look like too much to us,” she says. “I think there’s some value in letting them try it and see how it goes. If all of those things are really important to the kid, they may find a way to make it work and learn very important time management skills in the process — things like how to get your homework done even when you’re playing on a sports team and taking a dance class.”

The downside of overscheduling

Unfortunately, overscheduling kids in too many extracurricular activities can take a toll on both the children and their parents, and it’s becoming increasingly common — an alarming trend that Kaur has observed in her practice.

Interrupts valuable unstructured playtime

Kaur says there’s simply not enough information out there about how valuable play is.

“Unstructured playtime promotes social skill development, and kids develop problem-solving skills,” she says. “It allows them to be creative thinkers and develop assertiveness, and they learn how to cope with negative emotions. If you think about children when they get into a conflict on the playground, they have to manage some of these things without an adult present.”

Kaur says unstructured playtime has become so deprioritized that an American Academy of Pediatrics report recently encouraged pediatricians to prescribe play to help make it more common for children again.

Triggers stress, anxiety and depression

When kids are too overscheduled and stressed, they’re more prone to anxiety, irritability, tiredness and destructibility, Kaur says. She adds that rates of anxiety and depression are already somewhat high in the general adolescent population, and “overscheduling kids just makes those rates increase.”

Increases pressure on parents

In addition to stress the kids feel from being overscheduled, Fink says it’s also hard on the parents, who often have to be in more places at once than is physically possible.

“I think parents need to be cognizant of their own tolerance and capability and energy, as well, because sometimes I think that’s where the negatives first show up,” she says. “The kids might still be doing OK, but if you’re driving yourself crazy trying to get everybody to everything, it’s not necessarily worth it.”

7 ways to find balance

If your family feels hopelessly overbooked and overstressed, here’s the good news: There’s a lot you can do to regain a sense of balance.

1. Create a visual schedule

Kaur recommends that parents create some sort of visual reminder of everything that’s going on, whether it’s a calendar or list of activities, and to color code it by family member.

“If one person has too many things going on in their schedule, it’s easy to identify, and it helps families be more aware when they’re creating schedules for their children,” she says.

2. Schedule downtime

Another way to help busy kids, Kaur says, is to schedule at least an hour a week for family time to relax and have quality interactions together. This could be anything from cooking or playing a game to watching a movie as a family, she says.

3. Make room for unstructured play

Kaur also urges parents to give kids of all ages unstructured playtime.

“It’s so helpful for a child’s development and allowing them to pick an activity they enjoy and blocking out an afternoon or weekend time for the child to pursue their own interest,” she says.

4. Practice moderation

While it’s tempting to have your child involved in a million activities in order to look like a stellar college applicant, Kaur says, pay attention to what the children value and where their interests are, and consider picking just one or two activities that are meaningful. It’s wise to focus on quality over quantity and schedule in moderation, Kaur says.

5. Try mindfulness

In her business, Parets has also noticed a stark increase in stressed and overscheduled kids, and she sees yoga and mindfulness as a potent antidote. She started her own kids on yoga from a young age and saw how much it helped them. In families with frazzled kids, she recommends dropping them to just one extracurricular and then bringing them to yoga.

“Here, they’ll find a place that’s noncompetitive, where they can just be themselves, feel good in their own skin, gain confidence and all the other benefits that go along with it,” she says.

6. Celebrate kids’ differences and talents

Parets has noticed that many parents fear their kids being “different” from other kids if they aren’t involved in certain activities, and they worry that their kids won’t get into college if they aren’t involved in everything under the sun. But in her experience, tuning into your child’s true talent and nurturing it, even if it’s not the most popular extracurricular, makes them happier and healthier — and there are colleges that are happy to accept someone who shines at one thing rather than is simply involved in 10 things, she says.

7. Find the right balance for your family

While Fink points out that there’s no single definition of “overscheduled,” and it varies depending on each kid and family, the rule of thumb that’s worked best for her family is also just one extracurricular activity per season per child.

Parets says, “… when I saw that spark in their eyes, I knew. They had their one thing, and I wasn’t running myself ragged taking them to four activites a week. You have to find some balance; if that activity you’re taking them to is meaningful to them, then it works better for the whole family. They’re happy, you’re happy.”

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It Doesn’t Have to be Homework vs. Extracurricular Activities: You Can Find a Balance

• By Emily Summers
• October 17, 2019

Extracurricular activities does wonders for school-age children, from teaching them new skills and helping them socialize, to developing their passions and providing a constructive outlet for their energy (not to mention act as a stress reliever from school-related stressors).

Of course, this isn’t even mentioning that most colleges prefer kids with tons of extracurricular activities on the grounds that this makes them well-rounded and accomplished individuals. However, with the sheer amount of activities now available to children, and with the pressure that college admission committees put on these kids to have as many extracurricular activities as they can have, what was supposed to be fun, after-school activities, becomes just another form of homework they need to do.

Speaking of homework, high school students on average need to finish around 3 and a half hours of homework per day . This is on top of the extracurricular activities that kids are ‘encouraged’ (read: pressured) to have, leading many to debate whether homework or extracurricular activities are more important, or if they’re doing too much of either.

Keeping your child’s body and mind engaged in fruitful activities is all well and good, but how much is too much? And if you had to choose, which one is more important: homework or extracurricular activities?

It turns out, you don’t have to choose one over the other, and knowing when it gets too much for your child is as easy as paying attention to how they’re responding to both.

Structured Free Time vs. Unstructured Play

In order to acquire a balance between homework and extracurricular activities without putting too much stress or pressure on a developing child, many psychiatrists and educators advocate finding a balance between what they call ‘structured free time’ and unstructured play.

Structured free time is when a child is given free time outside of school work to pursue certain passions and activities, but with those activities having a structured schedule that helps maximize the free time they get. This is in contrast to unstructured play, where kids are given free rein to do whatever they want in an allotted amount of time.

Debates rage on about whether or not structured or unstructured free time is more or less beneficial to children, but one thing is for sure: finding the right balance between a structured schedule and allowing your child the autonomy to pursue what they want is the right way to go.

Having structured free time helps your child transition from homework to extracurricular activities without losing the discipline and rigor they learned from the former. An after-school schedule that gives children enough time to finish their homework and engage in their extracurriculars optimizes the limited time that they get while allowing them enough time for sleep and rest. More importantly for older students, structured free time goes a long way to preventing dangerous behaviors like substance abuse or violence.

Meanwhile, allowing your child to have unstructured play is equally important, as this teaches them critical life skills like autonomy, self-direction, decision-making, and independence, not to mention allowing them the opportunity to socialize with children their age. Artistic pursuits have been proven to help children with their self-esteem and creativity, all of which leads to a healthier, well-rounded identity development.

Too Much of a Good Thing?

Of course, too much of a good thing can be bad; overscheduling homework and extracurricular activities can lead to undue stress on children. While stress is a natural part of life, too much of it, especially for a developing child, can do so much more harm than good.

Overscheduling too many things at any given time spreads out a child’s physical and mental focus too thinly, leading to a decline in mastery, the exact opposite of what parents try to achieve when they schedule homework and extracurricular activities. The fatigue alone can be bad enough, but that kind of mental exhaustion can severely affect teenagers and can potentially lead to depression or anxiety.

Often, parents see all the great extracurricular activities that are on offer and sign up their child for as many as they possibly can, in the hopes that college admission committees see this and favor their child better. However, for admission committees, it’s less about how many extracurricular activities your child goes through, but more of the quality of their focus, both in accomplishing their homework while having extracurriculars after school.

That’s the whole point of being a ‘well-rounded individual’: having a balance of academic excellence, creativity, athletics, socialization, and leadership. It’s not a numbers game, it’s all about looking it at how a child manages to juggle friends, school, and sports while finding the time to rest in between.

Finding the Balance

All of this information begs two questions: one, how much homework is too much homework, and two, how many extracurricular activities is too many ? While there is no hard number for either of these things, many child psychologists give a very simple answer: if it starts interfering with your child’s life, i.e. if it cuts into their socialization, family time, as well as rest and recreation, then it’s probably way too much.

When it comes to choosing homework vs. extracurricular activities, obviously homework should come first, but this doesn’t mean that your child will no longer have time for their non-academic pursuits. However, this also doesn’t mean that your child’s extracurricular activities should interfere with their studies. And neither of those two should interfere with your child’s social and familial life.

As parents, you’ll need to be able to communicate with your child openly to determine whether or not they’re getting too stressed out with everything they’re doing and how you can fix it. Remember: no two kids are the same, some might do well with a highly structured play type of schedule, while others might require more unstructured play. Try to alleviate the pressure of college admissions by reminding your child that focus is better than quantity, and that while homework is important, so is being a well-rounded individual.

Finding the balance between homework and extracurricular activities then depends on your child, and finding that out is as simple as talking to them and communicating with them.

About the Author

Emily summers.

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Education scholar Denise Pope has found that too much homework has negative effects on student well-being and behavioral engagement. (Image credit: L.A. Cicero)

A Stanford researcher found that too much homework can negatively affect kids, especially their lives away from school, where family, friends and activities matter.

“Our findings on the effects of homework challenge the traditional assumption that homework is inherently good,” wrote Denise Pope , a senior lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Education and a co-author of a study published in the Journal of Experimental Education .

The researchers used survey data to examine perceptions about homework, student well-being and behavioral engagement in a sample of 4,317 students from 10 high-performing high schools in upper-middle-class California communities. Along with the survey data, Pope and her colleagues used open-ended answers to explore the students’ views on homework.

Median household income exceeded $90,000 in these communities, and 93 percent of the students went on to college, either two-year or four-year.

Students in these schools average about 3.1 hours of homework each night.

“The findings address how current homework practices in privileged, high-performing schools sustain students’ advantage in competitive climates yet hinder learning, full engagement and well-being,” Pope wrote.

Pope and her colleagues found that too much homework can diminish its effectiveness and even be counterproductive. They cite prior research indicating that homework benefits plateau at about two hours per night, and that 90 minutes to two and a half hours is optimal for high school.

Their study found that too much homework is associated with:

* Greater stress: 56 percent of the students considered homework a primary source of stress, according to the survey data. Forty-three percent viewed tests as a primary stressor, while 33 percent put the pressure to get good grades in that category. Less than 1 percent of the students said homework was not a stressor.

* Reductions in health: In their open-ended answers, many students said their homework load led to sleep deprivation and other health problems. The researchers asked students whether they experienced health issues such as headaches, exhaustion, sleep deprivation, weight loss and stomach problems.

* Less time for friends, family and extracurricular pursuits: Both the survey data and student responses indicate that spending too much time on homework meant that students were “not meeting their developmental needs or cultivating other critical life skills,” according to the researchers. Students were more likely to drop activities, not see friends or family, and not pursue hobbies they enjoy.

A balancing act

The results offer empirical evidence that many students struggle to find balance between homework, extracurricular activities and social time, the researchers said. Many students felt forced or obligated to choose homework over developing other talents or skills.

Also, there was no relationship between the time spent on homework and how much the student enjoyed it. The research quoted students as saying they often do homework they see as “pointless” or “mindless” in order to keep their grades up.

“This kind of busy work, by its very nature, discourages learning and instead promotes doing homework simply to get points,” Pope said.

She said the research calls into question the value of assigning large amounts of homework in high-performing schools. Homework should not be simply assigned as a routine practice, she said.

“Rather, any homework assigned should have a purpose and benefit, and it should be designed to cultivate learning and development,” wrote Pope.

High-performing paradox

In places where students attend high-performing schools, too much homework can reduce their time to foster skills in the area of personal responsibility, the researchers concluded. “Young people are spending more time alone,” they wrote, “which means less time for family and fewer opportunities to engage in their communities.”

Student perspectives

The researchers say that while their open-ended or “self-reporting” methodology to gauge student concerns about homework may have limitations – some might regard it as an opportunity for “typical adolescent complaining” – it was important to learn firsthand what the students believe.

The paper was co-authored by Mollie Galloway from Lewis and Clark College and Jerusha Conner from Villanova University.

Media Contacts

Denise Pope, Stanford Graduate School of Education: (650) 725-7412, [email protected] Clifton B. Parker, Stanford News Service: (650) 725-0224, [email protected]

6 benefits of afterschool programs

By Kate Kelly

Expert reviewed by Sheldon H. Horowitz, EdD

At a glance

Homework help from an afterschool program can reduce battles at home.

Afterschool programs may improve kids’ social skills.

Older kids in afterschool programs are less likely to get involved in risky behavior.

A good afterschool program can turn the aimless hours after school into productive learning time. That’s a big benefit, especially for kids who learn and think differently. Here are six things a high-quality afterschool program can do for kids.

1. Create a sense of belonging.

If the afterschool program isn’t run by your school district or a local facility, it may be a way for your child to make some new friends. Being away from school can offer a break from any usual cliques or social concerns. 

If the program is local or at school, it may be a nice way for your child to connect with peers in a new setting. Kids in afterschool programs are more likely to be included and feel like they’re part of a group. These programs often have more adult supervision than playground time offers.

2. Improve social skills.

A good program promotes cooperation, support, and respect. This can help kids feel more secure about joining a game or starting a conversation. And if they slip up, a sympathetic staffer should be on hand to remind them to take turns or stop interrupting.

3. Provide academic support.

Many afterschool programs provide homework help . This time can be very helpful for kids who struggle with homework at home or who can’t sit down to do it until late. Getting it done after school can make everyone’s evening more pleasant.

Make sure that the aides or other kids aren’t doing the homework  for your child. Some centers don’t have teachers or aides who are equipped to handle kids who struggle with homework.

4. Make learning more fun.

Some afterschool programs offer classes in areas like science or computers. In these sessions, there aren’t tests and students may work together in groups. It’s a fun and meaningful way for kids to work with other kids in areas they enjoy. Programs may also offer arts options like drama and music, which can help kids find new interests.

5. Provide safety and supervision.

The hours between 3 and 6 p.m. are when older kids are most likely to commit crimes or become crime victims. It’s also prime time for some kids to drink or use drugs. Research shows that these risks are even more likely for kids who learn and think differently. But keeping kids busy can keep them from engaging in  risky behavior . And afterschool programs can be a safer option.

Studies show that kids in afterschool programs may get better grades. They also may have fewer behavioral problems.

6. Build confidence.

For kids who lack confidence or have learning challenges, an afterschool program may feel more forgiving than school. The stakes may not feel as high. Kids may be more willing to try new things and take more positive risks. This, in turn, can lead to higher self-esteem .

Finding the right afterschool program for your child is key. Explore this checklist of what to ask about a potential program .

Key takeaways

An afterschool program can expose kids to new interests.

Kids who struggle with school may feel like they fit in better at an afterschool program.

Staff at an afterschool program can give feedback to help kids improve their social skills.

Explore related topics

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Homework or Personal Lives?

Many students get home and the first thing they do is homework. They’re pressured by their parents to do their homework while simultaneously being encouraged to spend time with family, eat, spend time with friends, go outside, participate in sports or other extracurricular activities, and sleep for 7+ hours. Rather than motivating students to master material and learn efficiently, homework negatively impacts students by taking away from personal time that is necessary for them to lead balanced lives.

In an article published by The Washington Post by Gerald K LeTendre, a professor of education in education policy studies at Penn State, states that, “Worldwide, homework is not associated with high national levels of academic achievement.” This means that there is no direct correlation between homework and test grades, and very few studies have been able to prove this, and the ones that have were more of a reach. At Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia,  16 out of 19 of the students in Fire Stream agreed that homework adds extra stress onto them or takes time away from other things that they’re encouraged to do, such as sports, extra classes, extracurricular activities, family time, etc. This means that just over 84% of students in Fire Stream have agreed that homework is added stress and takes time away from things that they’re encouraged to do outside of school. Many students participate in these activities because they’re passionate about them and it makes them happy. Sports and exercise is proven to relieve stress, homework adds stress and if time for this stress reliever is taken away that just means more stress, this can cause more problems in many aspects of their lives.

In an article written by CNN about how homework has been banned in some cities and not others, “What is clear is that parents and kids don't live in the world of academic research; they live in the real world where there are piles of homework on the kitchen table.” Meaning that students don’t have the luxury of just easily saying that homework helps their academic performance or not, and they don’t have the luxury of just not doing homework. That is especially true to highschool students who have to regularly chose between sleep and doing work, especially when they get homework from every class every night and homework can be up to 30% of their grade. Students in every grade get piles of homework and a lot of the time they don’t have resources on hand to see if they’re right or to get help, meaning they might do it wrong and not learn anything at all.  Even if students do try and do their homework it might take a while, according to Nationwide Children’s Hospital adolescents should be getting 9 to 9 ½ hours of sleep per night. Due to homework and trying to fit other after school activities in many adolescents don’t get the necessary amount of sleep. Sleep deprivation in teens has many negative effects such as mood changes, being more inclined to engage in risky behavior such as driving fast, drinking, etc, doing worse in school, and declined cognitive abilities.

In an article published by the New York Times, a mother explained how… , “The stress homework places on families starts early.” The article also talks about how homework takes away from family time and family activities. The author also says that her kids “are fighting not just over the homework, but also over their share of my coveted attention and my unique ability to download and print images.” This shows how homework adds extra pressure and can cause tension in families. It takes away from family time and causes more stress on students and parents. It’s almost as if once children start school and the homework starts that it never stops, and that more family time is taken away while more stress is added.

In a study concluded in 2003 by Dr. Harris Cooper he tries to argue that homework has a positive effect on students, but his studies also found no direct correlation between increased homework for students and improved test scores. Cooper himself said that “The analysis also showed that too much homework can be counter-productive for students at all levels.” Meaning that excessive amounts of homework can cause negative effects on students, but who is judging what excessive amounts of homework means? He talks about the “10 minute rule” meaning that every grade that a student increases they should get 10 more minutes of homework, meaning that a second grader should get 20 minutes, and a twelfth grader should get around 2 hours of homework. That would seem ideal, but in most high school settings teachers don’t interact with each other to see how much homework each of them give to equal it out to around 2 hours. This means that one class’s homework could take a student 2 hours alone and that would be what the ideal amount of homework is, so if it takes 2 hours for one class’s homework then how are students supposed to have positive benefits from doing all of their homework? Cooper’s research was also limited because very little research was done to see if student’s race, socioeconomic status, or even their ability levels has an affect on how much homework is “good” for said age range. This means that other aspects than just that they’re students in a certain grade weren’t taken into consideration. These things could cause major changes to the data that was collected.

Rather than encouraging students to master material and learn efficiently, homework negatively impacts students and families by causing more stress and taking away from family time. This is a problem not just for the overworked students, but also for students who have more complex personal lives. Many students work or have family obligations that they have to deal with, but don’t necessarily feel comfortable talking to a teacher about them. Although teachers might not think that the amount of homework that they give matters much,its influence goes beyond giving students work to do at home to how they interact in other important personal aspects of their life.

Works Cited:

LeTendre, Gerald K. “Homework Could Have an Effect on Kids’ Health. Should Schools Ban It?” The Washington Post , WP Company, 2 Sept. 2015, www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/09/02/homework-could-have-an-effect-on-kids-health-should-schools-ban-it/?utm_term=.3ed6d0fa2c72.

Kralovec, Etta. “Should Schools Ban Homework?” CNN , Cable News Network, 5 Sept. 2014, www.cnn.com/2014/09/05/opinion/kralovec-ban-homework/index.html.

Dell'Antonia, Kj. “Homework's Emotional Toll on Students and Families.” The New York Times , The New York Times, 12 Mar. 2014, parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/03/12/homeworks-emotional-toll-on-students-and-families/.

“Duke Study: Homework Helps Students Succeed in School, As Long as There Isn't Too Much.” Duke Today , Duke Today, 7 Mar. 2006, today.duke.edu/2006/03/homework.html.

“Sleep in Adolescents (13-18 Years).” Sleep in Adolescents :: Nationwide Children's Hospital , www.nationwidechildrens.org/sleep-in-adolescents

Comments (1)

A question that I have after reading this is in what other ways can we as students improve our learning without homework?

This 2fer has changed my opinion about how much homework affects a student's life in a bad way more than a good way.

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Balancing Homework and After-School Sports

Most afternoons my children come home from school with their backpacks loaded with homework assignments. They both play multiple sports, and it’s always an ongoing struggle to find a way to balance homework and after-school sports before bedtime.

More often than not, it’s a losing battle. As a result, the kids are up late into the night, trying to finish those last math equations or study their spelling words. In the morning they wake up tired, only to start the cycle all over again.

Many Kids Today Juggle Homework and Sports

Most other families we know are struggling with the same problem. As our kids get older, their homework increases, while at the same time their coaches often start demanding longer and more frequent practices and training sessions.

The Experts Weigh In on the Value Factor

To help my children better navigate the co-existing demands of school and sports, I recently decided to do some research on this issue. What I discovered surprised me. I found lots of articles and blogs written by psychologists and guidance counselors addressing this very topic. Although I expected that many experts would frown upon letting kids take on so many commitments, what I found was the reverse. Many of these experts saw real value in allowing children to apply themselves to athletics and other extracurricular activities.

In addition to the many health benefits of being active, there is also much to be learned on the golf course, football field, and gymnastics floor that supplements what happens in the classroom. For instance, young athletes can get a crash course in the importance of working as a team, training to master new skills, developing effective strategies, and setting goals. Better yet, all of these lessons can actually help improve kids’ grades and study habits.

Parents Also Play a Role

In order to get these benefits, your children need to be able to handle the pressure involved. That’s where parents can help. They can play an important role in helping children manage their athletic commitments and homework and keep a clear head throughout the process.

Here is a rundown of some of the best tips I found for parents of busy kids:

• Sit down with your child and make a schedule of all of your after-school commitments and figure out where homework will fit. Be creative. If time is short, it’s okay to have your child study in the car or bus on the way to a practice or to start homework during lunch or study hall. By planning ahead to fit it all in, your child won’t feel so overwhelmed.
• Keep in close contact with your child to be sure he is thriving in the situation. Ask him how he feels and what he is enjoying or not enjoying. By talking with your child, you’ll get a sense of when he is in control, or when he is in over his head and may need to pare things down.
• Stay on top of your child’s grades on homework and tests so you can be sure the quality of work isn’t suffering as a result of him being stretched too thin. If you find that grades are slipping, this can be a sign that it’s time to cut back for a bit.
• Be sure to allocate family time for everyone to come together and bond. If evenings are too busy, you can sneak in some time on the weekend or even in the mornings. There is no rule about when you need to come together, but it’s important that school and sports don’t replace your family’s connection.
• When life feels too rushed, figure out other activities your child can pass on to free up his schedule a little. Maybe he won’t be able to make it to a weekend party or special event; it’s a good lesson to learn that it’s okay not to do everything. By leaving some free time, he’ll be able to spend more quality time with family or friends and he’ll approach his sports and homework feeling refreshed.

The Need to Prioritize School Over Sports

While these tips can help you to find that precious balance between doing enough and doing too much, always keep in mind that you have to look at your individual situation. If despite your efforts your child seems to be struggling with homework and after-school sports, don’t feel compelled to have it do it all. Your children are more likely to go on to college than they are to become a professional athlete, so if you need to make some choices of where your child should focus his attention, remember that school should always be the priority.

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Homework Interferes With After School Activities

In the lives of students, the juggling act between homework assignments and after-school activities has become increasingly challenging. While homework is intended to reinforce learning and academic skills, its demands can sometimes clash with the opportunities and benefits offered by extracurricular pursuits. This article explores the dynamics at play when homework interferes with after-school activities, examining the impacts on students, families, and the broader educational landscape.

Understanding the Impact

• Time Constraints : One of the primary challenges students face is managing their time effectively between completing homework and participating in after-school activities such as sports, clubs, music lessons, or community service. The time commitment required for homework can limit the hours available for these enriching activities, leading to stress and fatigue.
• Physical and Mental Fatigue : Extended hours spent on homework after a full day of classes can leave students physically and mentally exhausted. This exhaustion may impact their ability to fully engage in after-school activities, affecting their performance and enjoyment.
• Family Dynamics : Homework that spills into evening hours can disrupt family routines and quality time. Parents may find themselves navigating conflicts between ensuring their children complete assignments and supporting their participation in extracurricular interests that promote well-rounded development.

Challenges Faced by Students

• Academic Pressure : The pressure to excel academically can compel students to prioritize completing homework over pursuing their passions and interests outside of school. This dilemma can create a sense of imbalance and frustration among students striving to achieve academic success while nurturing their talents and hobbies.
• Reduced Participation : Students may opt out of or limit their involvement in after-school activities to accommodate homework demands, missing out on opportunities for personal growth, skill development, and social interaction outside of the classroom.

Educational and Social Development

• Holistic Development : Extracurricular activities play a crucial role in fostering holistic development by promoting creativity, teamwork, leadership, and time management skills. When homework takes precedence, students may miss out on these valuable learning experiences that contribute to their overall growth and well-being.
• Social Interaction : After-school activities provide students with opportunities to build friendships, explore diverse interests, and develop a sense of belonging within their school community. When homework interferes, students may experience social isolation or a sense of disconnection from their peers.

Navigating Solutions

• Effective Communication : Encouraging open communication between teachers, students, and parents is essential to finding a balanced approach. Teachers can consider assigning meaningful homework that complements classroom learning without overwhelming students’ after-school schedules.
• Prioritization and Time Management : Empowering students with effective prioritization and time management skills can help them allocate sufficient time for homework and after-school activities. Setting realistic goals and schedules can reduce stress and enhance productivity.

Advocating for Change

• Policy and Practice : Schools and educational policymakers can review and revise homework policies to ensure they align with students’ well-being and educational goals. This may include setting guidelines for homework volume and complexity based on grade level and promoting a healthy balance between academic rigor and extracurricular engagement.
• Supporting Well-Rounded Education : Recognizing the importance of a well-rounded education, schools can actively support and promote diverse after-school activities that enrich students’ academic experiences and personal development.

While homework serves an important role in academic learning, its potential to interfere with after-school activities highlights the need for a balanced approach to student education and well-being. By understanding the impacts of homework on students’ time, energy, and opportunities for enrichment, educators, parents, and policymakers can work collaboratively to prioritize both academic success and holistic development. Finding solutions that promote effective time management, reduce academic pressure, and support student engagement in after-school activities fosters a supportive learning environment where every student can thrive academically, socially, and personally.

This article aims to explore the challenges students face when homework interferes with after-school activities, emphasizing the importance of finding a balanced approach that supports both academic achievement and holistic development.