Dear Future President,

We realize you are under immense pressure being the head of America, but we would like to share our opinions on an important issue. We would like to show you some statistics that might influence your point of view on the amount of homework many kids receive during their educational career and we ask that you consider this when you are busy making amends for the good of America. Although it may not be as big of an issue as terrorism, there are many statistics that show the psychological effects of excessive work for children and teenagers result in major setbacks for their life at home and sometimes their future.

Most kids have an extreme amount of homework and many of them don’t have a good source of guidance. Even if some parents are with their kids often enough to help, they might not want to or might not know how to assist their child with their work. That is mainly because they do not have the same knowledge as this generation. It’s not that the parents of this generation aren’t smart, it’s that the school districts don’t teach the same concepts and different courses. Also, there are many parents without college degrees, and this circumstance makes it difficult for them to help their children. Educational techniques vary so much between different times, places, and teachers that it is hard for the parents to have the full ability to guide their child properly.

A study done by The American Journal of Family Therapy found that many kids in America have to do as much as three times the amount of homework suggested by the National Education Association and National Parent Teacher Association. The recommended amount of homework is equal to multiplying the grade level of a child by ten minutes. This would mean that first graders are supposed to have 10 minutes of homework, second graders should have 20 minutes, third graders should have 30 minutes and so on. A survey done in Rhode Island with 1,100 students showed that kindergarten through second grade had 25-29 minutes of homework per night. Kindergarteners aren’t supposed to have any homework at all. Another study that was done, it proved that children under the 7th grade shouldn’t be given any homework at all because it proved not helpful in their educational journey for them to have homework. If the teacher does choose to still give homework it should still follow the recommended amount. The reasoning behind that is that an extended amount of homework can cause a very damaging influence on the child emotionally and physically.

Many of the effects of the extra homework put a strain on children and teens mentally. Teens report being very stressed out to the point where they quit hobbies, ignore the family, and resort to drugs and alcohol. The physical health effects include migraines, ulcers, loss of sleep, and weight problems. Thank you for listening to our insights and we hope you take into account all of this information.

Sincerely,

Rachel B. & Nicole W.