All the time, people hear students say, “Homework is busywork.” They complain about how homework is annoying and a waste of their time. Over the years, this question has been asked at the elementary school level: Is homework beneficial?

Starting early, teachers give their students homework to give them a taste of what their future will be like. Whether they like it or not, there is going to be work that has to be done outside of school. If students learn this at a young age, the idea that doing homework outside of school can help them when they need help in the classroom will allow them to become better students as they go on in schooling.

Homework reinforces the phrase “You get out what you put in.” The work that students put in outside the classroom is what their grade will represent. The work done in the classroom is when teachers will do their part to help out. It’s on the students to put in the time and effort though. Based on studies, beginning in middle school and transitioning into high school, there is a positive correlation between homework completion and academic success.

The quality of homework given to students solely depends on the teacher. If teachers give younger students more meaningful homework that reviews important material learned in class, it will benefit them greatly as they will get more out of it when it comes time to take a test over it. Quality of homework has so much to do with practice, practice, and some more practice.

Some less fortunate students may not have a quiet place to do their homework or the internet to help complete it. A way to get around this would be for teachers to allow them time in class to begin working and provide aid for students struggling. Just because the lingo is known as “homework,” does not fully mean it has to be completed at home and nowhere else.

With all this being said, homework definitely has it’s benefits. It thrives when the teacher takes the time to piece together meaningful schoolwork that sets up his or her students for success if they take time to practice and learn from their mistakes.