Dear Future President

In schools all across America, kids are being assigned and given homework which can help boost grades and improve kids academically overall. But not everyone can benefit from it and it could actually hurt younger children's learning potential. This is why elementary school children should be assigned less homework.

When kids bring home homework you may not think a lot about it. Because homework is beneficial towards learning so it must be good for you. Right? Well a study that was done by Stanford Graduate School of Education discovered that “students in high-performing schools who did excessive hours of homework experienced greater behavioral engagement in school but also more academic stress, physical health problems, and lack of balance in their lives.” Those health problems ranged from stress, headaches, exhaustion, sleep deprivation, weight loss and stomach problems, to psycho-social effects like dropping activities, not seeing friends or family, and not pursuing hobbies they enjoy.” Another survey conducted by Stanford showed that “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.” So homework is doing more harm then good

Another issue at hand is that kids are being assigned WAY more then what they should be getting. According to the Washington Post “10 percent of fourth graders worldwide reported spending multiple hours on homework each night. Globally, one in five fourth graders report 30 minutes or more of homework in math three to four times a week.” After a long time of being assigned this much homework, most kids burn out and dread homework and do it for a grade rather then actually learning something from it. According to a study done in China the people conducting it found that it can lead to sleep disruption in children. Which can affect the child’s academic performance in school.

Homework can also put a stress on family life. When kids bring homework home they would occasionally ask for help on certain assignment english,math,science work. And sometimes it can lead to frustration from the adult and child. According to a study done in 2004 from Current issues in Education “homework can greatly increase family stress. Parents may spend an inordinate amount of time fighting with their children over homework, enforcing homework rules and mastering concepts they need to help their children excel.” This also decreases the bond the kid has with the parent. A excess of homework can also affect the child’s social development as mentioned by the textbook called “Child Psychology” says:

Regular social interaction plays a critical role in brain development. Children who get plenty of opportunities to interact with friends and family can gain valuable social, conflict management and impulse control skills. When homework reduces this time, children's social development may suffer. 

So when a kid has to sit inside and finished what has been assigned to him or her and become stressed from parents frustration it can further decrease the bond the child has with their parents and friends and increases the chance of children to lash out.

So in conclusion by cutting down on homework kids would be much happier,healthier and more eager to learn. And this will lead to more successful and innovative working adults.         

                                                                                                           Sincerely ,  Megan