“In the 1900s, a lot of parents thought that homework just occupied children’s time they could be doing chores,” says Fass. Support for homework has gone up and down through the years (see “Homework History”). over homework ever since schooling became a requirement,” she says. (noun) The new school lunch policy sparked controversy among students. “There’s been controversy × controversy WARREN LYNCH & ASSOCIATES/GETTY IMAGES She points out that disagreement over the value of homework is not new. Paula Fass is a professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and the author of The End of American Childhood. grades or test scores in elementary school. (verb) The store hoped to boost sales during the holidays. Studies have shown that homework does not boost × boost TAY REES-GETTY IMAGES Superintendent Maier and other school leaders say the new policy is based on research. “Sometimes, getting them to sit down and read for 30 minutes is a challenge.”Īround the country, in states from Florida to Vermont to California, elementary schools are experimenting with a no-homework policy. “The kids knew that once they finished those worksheets, they were done,” she says, referring to Dara and her sister, Neveah, a second grader. But her mom, Kayla Mehr, misses last year’s assignments. She enjoys having more time for activities like painting and playing video games.

Now Dara’s only homework is to read for 30 minutes. “I would have 12 math questions and six or seven pages of work to do for reading,” she told TIME for Kids. Last year, Dara had two or three hours of homework a night. Dara Mehr, a fifth grader, is one of them. More than 20,000 students attend the county’s 31 elementary schools. “Instead of working on classroom assignments at home, we want students reading,” she said. “Traditional homework as we know it will disappear, at least for elementary students,” school superintendent Heidi Maier said in a voice message to parents. In July 2017, families in Marion County, Florida, got some surprising news about the school year ahead.

No homework