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How Much Homework Is Too Much Homework

How much is too much homework? The suggested guidelines are a stark comparison of what’s really being assigned.

by Olivia Dickinson, WFMY


GREENSBORO, NC — How much is too much homework? The suggested guidelines are a stark comparison of what’s really being assigned.

Get this the National Education Association does not endorsed homework for kindergartners at all. But The American Journal of Family Therapy finds that kindergartners average 25 minutes on homework a night. First graders have up to three times the recommended homework load. And second graders have a figure one and a half times greater.

But the extra homework isn’t just a burden for the kids. Parents are having a tough time too. A study found the way math and science is taught now is vastly different that how it was taught for many parents. So homework help is tougher than ever.

Some school districts, like this one in New York, are now offering re-fresher courses for parents — for free.

“We’re trying to reach out to parents to say the standard way that we learned is no longer that way. So we need to bring you in with us, bring you into the fold and help you so that you’re successful at home in supporting your child,” says Marie Testa, Superintendent of North Bellmore School District.

Experts say the biggest differences in teaching — technology and how students now learn visually. And neither are likely to go away.

Guilford County Schools is offering a free workshop for parents Tuesday, March 8. One session is from noon – 1 pm, the other is from 6-7pm, both sessions are at Frazier Elementary in Greensboro. At the workshop, each family will get a copy of the Parent’s Homework Dictionary. It’s a free book designed to help parents understand the homework their child is bringing home from school. The book and workshop cover Math, Language Arts, Science and Social Studies for grades K-10. Click HERE for more information.

Guilford Parent Academy also offers a free 24/7 tutoring service called Brainfuse. The tool for students and parents is accessed on the Guilford County Schools website. Students can log in, select a grade level and subject and be connected immediately to a live tutor any time.

The next Brainfuse training session for parents is Monday, March 21 from 6 – 7:30 pm at Murphey Tradition Academy in Greensboro. Click HERE to register. 

Copyright 2016 WFMY