CHAPTER 1 THE HISTORY OF HOMEWORK Homework can take many forms It might involve a worksheet with math problems or it could be a 10 page research paper Sometimes homework is frustrating Other times it can be a fun project with friends Ideas about homework have changed with time And not everyone agrees whether homework is a good thing In the 1800s American educators wanted children to memorize facts and figures In past centuries students completed homework on blackboard slates
That meant kids got a lot of homework In the early 1900s researcher John Dewey created a new theory He thought children should practice critical thinking instead of memorizing facts Many educators agreed with Dewey Some thought homework was bad for children In their opinion too much time spent on homework caused eye strain and tiredness Instead students needed more outdoor activity Views changed when the Soviet Union launched the first satellite in 1957 Americans worried that the United States was falling behind other nations They worried students weren't getting enough homework By the 1980s reports showed that the United States was far behind other countries in student achievement especially in math and science Throughout the 1990s US teachers started to assign more homework Students were given
homework at a younger age too Between 1981 and 2002 weekly time students spent studying increased by almost one and a half hours In the early 2000s the US Congress created a new law that supported standardized testing More testing meant more homework When the law was replaced in 2015 homework became an important topic of debate once more HOMEWORK AMOUNTS Australia Canada Finland Germany Mexico Spain United Kingdom United States 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Hours students spend on homework per week
