The Pros and Cons of Homework (in 6 Charts)

When people make a no-homework-ever argument, it’s often based on a binary interpretation of the research: homework is bad in the early grades, and better as kids get older—but it’s generally of negligible benefit across the grade bands. 

The research reveals a more complex landscape. In a 2017 meta-analysis, researchers found that while the academic impact of homework for students in grades 1-4 is indeed limited—with a small effect size of 0.21—it grows steadily through upper elementary school and into high school, rising by 95% for grades 5-8 and 129% for grades 9-12, respectively. As students mature and develop the ability to “prepare more elegant and qualified homework as their skills such as problem solving, critical thinking, cooperative learning, attention, and concentration improve,” the academic value of homework begins to take shape, the researchers say.

That doesn’t mean that all homework is high value in the later grades, or pointless in the early grades—but it does warrant careful scrutiny of homework assignments. A 2023 study, for example, found that for preschoolers, “positive links between time spent playing at home to self-regulation and, indirectly, their early prereading and math skills a year later.” A 2025 study of fourth grade students, meanwhile, concluded that cortisol levels—a biophysical measure of stress—more than tripled when recess was cut short. For younger kids and those just starting school, then, play may do more to build both academic skills and emotional regulation than nightly worksheets.

As students reach upper elementary and middle school, the academic impact of homework becomes increasingly clear. Older students are expected to “use different resources like the internet, library, reference books, etc.” to extend their learning outside of the classroom, researchers explain in a 2017 study, helping to prepare them for college-level and professional work. While the importance of other activities and needs like sports, hobbies, and spending time with family must be accounted for, take-home work at this age also allows teachers to fill the gaps of limited classroom time: A lesson on The Handmaid’s Tale or the structure of DNA, for example, often requires students to read material at home and come to class prepared for a deeper discussion.

Stipulated, then: The no-homework argument for the youngest learners makes sense, on the whole. But a 2022 study reveals an interesting wrinkle in that assertion, as well. 

Researchers compared the math and writing homework of 440 second graders and found that students who practiced their literacy skills at home had major gains in grammar and spelling—improvements that persisted four months later. By contrast, extra math homework did little to improve outcomes beyond what students had already achieved in class.

Why was math homework less effective? Too often, it was rote work which repeated the same problems from class, the researchers said. Writing homework, on the other hand, “required students to practice the same type of problems in a different context,” they observed. For example, students may grasp that they’re, their, and there have different meanings during class, but it takes sustained practice outside of class to fluently use the words across a variety of sentences. 

In early literacy in particular, the researchers assert, “some skills (such as writing skills) take time and extensive practice to be mastered, and the opportunities for practice provided by a moderate amount of homework can be beneficial to elementary students.”

It’s not just about volume: mandatory or reflexive homework policies, often created at the school or district level, tend to produce a lot of busywork and can waste students’ time. By middle school, low-quality homework of this kind begins to take a toll on student motivation, the research reveals, but when it’s thoughtful and well-designed—and perhaps a little less frequent—take-home work can deliver surprising outcomes. 

In a 2024 study of nearly 1,000 fifth- and sixth-grade students, researchers found that high-quality homework that asked students to extend their thinking, rather than repeat what was covered in class, led to better emotional and behavioral engagement compared to rote homework tasks. In the study, teachers assigned homework that was “more elaborate” and “worthwhile” for students to complete—preparing a mini-lesson on a topic to present in class, for example, or researching and then debating a public issue—while conveying the “usefulness, interest, importance and/or applicability of homework.” Compared to their peers in a business-as-usual classroom, whose engagement levels dropped as the year progressed, students who experienced regular, high-quality homework “showed positive emotions, were happier in school and were more interested in the classroom, paid more attention in class, and were more attentive to school rules,” the researchers found.

Thoughtfully designed homework activities can deliver an academic boost, too, without imposing a lot of new grading work on teachers. In a 2024 study, researchers asked university students to grade their own homework, comparing the “structural and conceptual differences” of their answers with an exemplar. Students scored a half-letter grade higher on their exams, and also developed stronger metacognitive skills, recognizing “the value of making and correcting mistakes” as they monitored, rethought, and then revised their work.

Holding students accountable for homework doesn’t require grades or a lot of new work from teachers, either. “Student presentations and discussions are a way to check for understanding of an assignment and to let students know you expect them to attempt the problems,” says math teacher Crystal Frommert.

When 15-year-olds around the world took a major math exam, one factor consistently separated high scorers from low ones: the amount of time they spent each day on homework. 

A 2014 analysis of global PISA scores found that high school students who spent at least an hour each day on math homework significantly outperformed their peers who did none. The difference was striking: Scores jumped from 481 to 514 with a mere hour of daily practice, then jumped again—to 542— for students putting in between one and two hours. 

At the three-hour mark, however, scores increased by a meager 6 points, then declined after that point, suggesting that piling on excessive homework may ultimately lead to worse outcomes. The sharpest divide is between students who skip homework entirely and those who put in at least an hour, underscoring the value of consistent, moderate effort.

High schoolers rarely love homework, but giving them a role in designing it can help them see its value. “Students will often come up with great ideas for ways to reinforce learning at home,” writes Mike Anderson, a former teacher and current consultant. “Simply ask the question, ‘What are some ideas for how you might practice this skill at home?’ and see what they come up with.”

There are costs to be borne. While homework is a game-changer academically for adolescents, the pressure of too much homework, or homework that feels purposeless, can overshadow nearly every other concern. 

In a 2025 Challenge Success survey of more than 28,000 students, homework and overall workload ranked as one the top sources of stress for middle and high school students, surpassing a dozen other sources that included time management issues, sleep, or even worries about their future. Meanwhile, more than half of those surveyed—56 percent—said at least some of their classes regularly assign homework they see as meaningless busywork.

These findings echo a 2021 report showing that “students often perceive their homework load to be excessive while not necessarily useful,” and a 2025 study that found that some “adolescents often sacrifice sleep to meet homework demands,” resulting in anxiety and depression. Schools need not give up on homework, but might consider setting more “reasonable homework limits” to help protect adolescent sleep and mental health, they suggest.

“The minor academic benefits to assigning mandatory nightly homework simply do not outweigh the substantial drawbacks, which include potentially turning young children against school at the beginning of their academic journey,” explains second grade teacher Jacqueline Worthley Fiorentino. It’s ok to skip a few assignments if kids are overwhelmed trying to squeeze homework between soccer practice, family dinner, and nightly reading.

Many students lack the tools needed to complete homework, a point that’s often either neglected or addressed by entirely eliminating homework. Neither approach benefits kids: ignoring the issue can leave students struggling, while no-homework policies remove valuable opportunities for practice and growth. 

According to a 2022 Pew Research Center survey, more than a third of students from low-income households are cell phone-dependent for homework—about double the rate of wealthier peers. Meanwhile, only 8 percent of teens from high-income families lack computer or internet access, compared to 24 percent of teens from families under financial strain.

Another significant homework issue complicated by income and access to resources:  According to a sweeping 2017 study of middle school homework, teachers often misjudge how long take-home assignments require to complete. After analyzing the homework of over 26,000 students, researchers found that completing a theoretical “one-hour assignment” actually took anywhere from 30 to 85 minutes, with “less academically-advantaged students and students with greater limitations in their home environments,” struggling the most, the researchers conclude.

To remedy these problems, Victoria Thompson, a technology consultant and former teacher, recommends starting the school year with a well-crafted survey “so that teachers have the information they need from the get-go to address equity concerns in their classrooms,” and adjust homework policies as needed. For example, offering a pen-and-paper assignment or asking them, “What are some ideas for how you might practice this skill at home?” can surface possible solutions. 

To get a sense of how much time homework takes to complete, and whether students have the skills to tackle it independently, educator Megan Pacheco, executive director of Challenge Success suggests a homework audit. When time allows, set aside 10-20 minutes at the end of class for students to begin their homework. You’ll see “how long tasks actually take” and spot “hidden barriers like gaps in skills, unclear instructions, or missing prior knowledge.”

All graphics by Jan Diehm at Polygraph. Additional writing, research, editing, and design by Steve Merrill, Sarah Gonser, and Chelsea Beck.