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
CHAPTER 2 PRO HOMEWORK HELPS STUDENTS EARN HIGHER GRADES Those in favor of homework argue that work outside of class can help students do better in class In fact many studies show a correlation between homework and academic success When students regularly spend a reasonable amount of time on homework their grades increase Many educators recommend an average of 10 minutes per night per grade level Students homework points often go toward their final class grade
