“Is (homework) going to cause a great leap in (students’) achievement? No it is not,” he said. While homework is not a significant predictor of academic success in early grades, Cooper said, it does create good study habits that will help students as they get older “You may have brought home a pre-test for spelling on Thursday before you take a test on Friday, and you did better because you brought the pre-test home.” Too much homework can bore students and take away from other valuable experiences, like after-school clubs and playtime, he said. He said all students should have some homework, but the amount and type of homework should vary depending on age and developmental level.Ĭooper said he believes in the 10-minutes-per-grade-level-per-day standard.

Harris Cooper, professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University, has studied the correlation between homework and academic success. But others say homework shouldn’t go away completely, even for younger students.

No homework in schools