how much homework does a 9th grader have

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Students spend three times longer on homework than average, survey reveals

Sonya Kulkarni and Pallavi Gorantla | Jan 9, 2022

Graphic by Sonya Kulkarni

The National Education Association and the National Parent Teacher Association have suggested that a healthy number of hours that students should be spending can be determined by the “10-minute rule.” This means that each grade level should have a maximum homework time incrementing by 10 minutes depending on their grade level (for instance, ninth-graders would have 90 minutes of homework, 10th-graders should have 100 minutes, and so on).

As ‘finals week’ rapidly approaches, students not only devote effort to attaining their desired exam scores but make a last attempt to keep or change the grade they have for semester one by making up homework assignments.

High schoolers reported doing an average of 2.7 hours of homework per weeknight, according to a study by the Washington Post from 2018 to 2020 of over 50,000 individuals. A survey of approximately 200 Bellaire High School students revealed that some students spend over three times this number.

The demographics of this survey included 34 freshmen, 43 sophomores, 54 juniors and 54 seniors on average.

When asked how many hours students spent on homework in a day on average, answers ranged from zero to more than nine with an average of about four hours. In contrast, polled students said that about one hour of homework would constitute a healthy number of hours.

Junior Claire Zhang said she feels academically pressured in her AP schedule, but not necessarily by the classes.

“The class environment in AP classes can feel pressuring because everyone is always working hard and it makes it difficult to keep up sometimes.” Zhang said.

A total of 93 students reported that the minimum grade they would be satisfied with receiving in a class would be an A. This was followed by 81 students, who responded that a B would be the minimum acceptable grade. 19 students responded with a C and four responded with a D.

“I am happy with the classes I take, but sometimes it can be very stressful to try to keep up,” freshman Allyson Nguyen said. “I feel academically pressured to keep an A in my classes.”

Up to 152 students said that grades are extremely important to them, while 32 said they generally are more apathetic about their academic performance.

Last year, nine valedictorians graduated from Bellaire. They each achieved a grade point average of 5.0. HISD has never seen this amount of valedictorians in one school, and as of now there are 14 valedictorians.

“I feel that it does degrade the title of valedictorian because as long as a student knows how to plan their schedule accordingly and make good grades in the classes, then anyone can be valedictorian,” Zhang said.

Bellaire offers classes like physical education and health in the summer. These summer classes allow students to skip the 4.0 class and not put it on their transcript. Some electives also have a 5.0 grade point average like debate.

Close to 200 students were polled about Bellaire having multiple valedictorians. They primarily answered that they were in favor of Bellaire having multiple valedictorians, which has recently attracted significant acclaim .

Senior Katherine Chen is one of the 14 valedictorians graduating this year and said that she views the class of 2022 as having an extraordinary amount of extremely hardworking individuals.

“I think it was expected since freshman year since most of us knew about the others and were just focused on doing our personal best,” Chen said.

Chen said that each valedictorian achieved the honor on their own and deserves it.

“I’m honestly very happy for the other valedictorians and happy that Bellaire is such a good school,” Chen said. “I don’t feel any less special with 13 other valedictorians.”

Nguyen said that having multiple valedictorians shows just how competitive the school is.

“It’s impressive, yet scary to think about competing against my classmates,” Nguyen said.

Offering 30 AP classes and boasting a significant number of merit-based scholars Bellaire can be considered a competitive school.

“I feel academically challenged but not pressured,” Chen said. “Every class I take helps push me beyond my comfort zone but is not too much to handle.”

Students have the opportunity to have off-periods if they’ve met all their credits and are able to maintain a high level of academic performance. But for freshmen like Nguyen, off periods are considered a privilege. Nguyen said she usually has an hour to five hours worth of work everyday.

“Depending on the day, there can be a lot of work, especially with extra curriculars,” Nguyen said. “Although, I am a freshman, so I feel like it’s not as bad in comparison to higher grades.”

According to the survey of Bellaire students, when asked to evaluate their agreement with the statement “students who get better grades tend to be smarter overall than students who get worse grades,” responders largely disagreed.

Zhang said that for students on the cusp of applying to college, it can sometimes be hard to ignore the mental pressure to attain good grades.

“As a junior, it’s really easy to get extremely anxious about your GPA,” Zhang said. “It’s also a very common but toxic practice to determine your self-worth through your grades but I think that we just need to remember that our mental health should also come first. Sometimes, it’s just not the right day for everyone and one test doesn’t determine our smartness.”

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Anonymous • Nov 21, 2023 at 10:32 am

It’s not really helping me understand how much.

josh • May 9, 2023 at 9:58 am

Kassie • May 6, 2022 at 12:29 pm

Im using this for an English report. This is great because on of my sources needed to be from another student. Homework drives me insane. Im glad this is very updated too!!

Kaylee Swaim • Jan 25, 2023 at 9:21 pm

I am also using this for an English report. I have to do an argumentative essay about banning homework in schools and this helps sooo much!

Izzy McAvaney • Mar 15, 2023 at 6:43 pm

I am ALSO using this for an English report on cutting down school days, homework drives me insane!!

E. Elliott • Apr 25, 2022 at 6:42 pm

I’m from Louisiana and am actually using this for an English Essay thanks for the information it was very informative.

Nabila Wilson • Jan 10, 2022 at 6:56 pm

Interesting with the polls! I didn’t realize about 14 valedictorians, that’s crazy.

How Much Homework Is Enough? Depends Who You Ask

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Editor’s note: This is an adapted excerpt from You, Your Child, and School: Navigate Your Way to the Best Education ( Viking)—the latest book by author and speaker Sir Ken Robinson (co-authored with Lou Aronica), published in March. For years, Robinson has been known for his radical work on rekindling creativity and passion in schools, including three bestselling books (also with Aronica) on the topic. His TED Talk “Do Schools Kill Creativity?” holds the record for the most-viewed TED talk of all time, with more than 50 million views. While Robinson’s latest book is geared toward parents, it also offers educators a window into the kinds of education concerns parents have for their children, including on the quality and quantity of homework.

The amount of homework young people are given varies a lot from school to school and from grade to grade. In some schools and grades, children have no homework at all. In others, they may have 18 hours or more of homework every week. In the United States, the accepted guideline, which is supported by both the National Education Association and the National Parent Teacher Association, is the 10-minute rule: Children should have no more than 10 minutes of homework each day for each grade reached. In 1st grade, children should have 10 minutes of daily homework; in 2nd grade, 20 minutes; and so on to the 12th grade, when on average they should have 120 minutes of homework each day, which is about 10 hours a week. It doesn’t always work out that way.

In 2013, the University of Phoenix College of Education commissioned a survey of how much homework teachers typically give their students. From kindergarten to 5th grade, it was just under three hours per week; from 6th to 8th grade, it was 3.2 hours; and from 9th to 12th grade, it was 3.5 hours.

There are two points to note. First, these are the amounts given by individual teachers. To estimate the total time children are expected to spend on homework, you need to multiply these hours by the number of teachers they work with. High school students who work with five teachers in different curriculum areas may find themselves with 17.5 hours or more of homework a week, which is the equivalent of a part-time job. The other factor is that these are teachers’ estimates of the time that homework should take. The time that individual children spend on it will be more or less than that, according to their abilities and interests. One child may casually dash off a piece of homework in half the time that another will spend laboring through in a cold sweat.

Do students have more homework these days than previous generations? Given all the variables, it’s difficult to say. Some studies suggest they do. In 2007, a study from the National Center for Education Statistics found that, on average, high school students spent around seven hours a week on homework. A similar study in 1994 put the average at less than five hours a week. Mind you, I [Robinson] was in high school in England in the 1960s and spent a lot more time than that—though maybe that was to do with my own ability. One way of judging this is to look at how much homework your own children are given and compare it to what you had at the same age.

Many parents find it difficult to help their children with subjects they’ve not studied themselves for a long time, if at all.

There’s also much debate about the value of homework. Supporters argue that it benefits children, teachers, and parents in several ways:

• Children learn to deepen their understanding of specific content, to cover content at their own pace, to become more independent learners, to develop problem-solving and time-management skills, and to relate what they learn in school to outside activities.
• Teachers can see how well their students understand the lessons; evaluate students’ individual progress, strengths, and weaknesses; and cover more content in class.
• Parents can engage practically in their children’s education, see firsthand what their children are being taught in school, and understand more clearly how they’re getting on—what they find easy and what they struggle with in school.

Want to know more about Sir Ken Robinson? Check out our Q&A with him.

Q&A With Sir Ken Robinson

Ashley Norris is assistant dean at the University of Phoenix College of Education. Commenting on her university’s survey, she says, “Homework helps build confidence, responsibility, and problem-solving skills that can set students up for success in high school, college, and in the workplace.”

That may be so, but many parents find it difficult to help their children with subjects they’ve not studied themselves for a long time, if at all. Families have busy lives, and it can be hard for parents to find time to help with homework alongside everything else they have to cope with. Norris is convinced it’s worth the effort, especially, she says, because in many schools, the nature of homework is changing. One influence is the growing popularity of the so-called flipped classroom.

In the stereotypical classroom, the teacher spends time in class presenting material to the students. Their homework consists of assignments based on that material. In the flipped classroom, the teacher provides the students with presentational materials—videos, slides, lecture notes—which the students review at home and then bring questions and ideas to school where they work on them collaboratively with the teacher and other students. As Norris notes, in this approach, homework extends the boundaries of the classroom and reframes how time in school can be used more productively, allowing students to “collaborate on learning, learn from each other, maybe critique [each other’s work], and share those experiences.”

Even so, many parents and educators are increasingly concerned that homework, in whatever form it takes, is a bridge too far in the pressured lives of children and their families. It takes away from essential time for their children to relax and unwind after school, to play, to be young, and to be together as a family. On top of that, the benefits of homework are often asserted, but they’re not consistent, and they’re certainly not guaranteed.

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What’s the Right Amount of Homework?

Decades of research show that homework has some benefits, especially for students in middle and high school—but there are risks to assigning too much.

Many teachers and parents believe that homework helps students build study skills and review concepts learned in class. Others see homework as disruptive and unnecessary, leading to burnout and turning kids off to school. Decades of research show that the issue is more nuanced and complex than most people think: Homework is beneficial, but only to a degree. Students in high school gain the most, while younger kids benefit much less.

The National PTA and the National Education Association support the “ 10-minute homework guideline ”—a nightly 10 minutes of homework per grade level. But many teachers and parents are quick to point out that what matters is the quality of the homework assigned and how well it meets students’ needs, not the amount of time spent on it.

The guideline doesn’t account for students who may need to spend more—or less—time on assignments. In class, teachers can make adjustments to support struggling students, but at home, an assignment that takes one student 30 minutes to complete may take another twice as much time—often for reasons beyond their control. And homework can widen the achievement gap, putting students from low-income households and students with learning disabilities at a disadvantage.

However, the 10-minute guideline is useful in setting a limit: When kids spend too much time on homework, there are real consequences to consider.

Small Benefits for Elementary Students

As young children begin school, the focus should be on cultivating a love of learning, and assigning too much homework can undermine that goal. And young students often don’t have the study skills to benefit fully from homework, so it may be a poor use of time (Cooper, 1989 ; Cooper et al., 2006 ; Marzano & Pickering, 2007 ). A more effective activity may be nightly reading, especially if parents are involved. The benefits of reading are clear: If students aren’t proficient readers by the end of third grade, they’re less likely to succeed academically and graduate from high school (Fiester, 2013 ).

For second-grade teacher Jacqueline Fiorentino, the minor benefits of homework did not outweigh the potential drawback of turning young children against school at an early age, so she experimented with dropping mandatory homework. “Something surprising happened: They started doing more work at home,” Fiorentino writes . “This inspiring group of 8-year-olds used their newfound free time to explore subjects and topics of interest to them.” She encouraged her students to read at home and offered optional homework to extend classroom lessons and help them review material.

Moderate Benefits for Middle School Students

As students mature and develop the study skills necessary to delve deeply into a topic—and to retain what they learn—they also benefit more from homework. Nightly assignments can help prepare them for scholarly work, and research shows that homework can have moderate benefits for middle school students (Cooper et al., 2006 ). Recent research also shows that online math homework, which can be designed to adapt to students’ levels of understanding, can significantly boost test scores (Roschelle et al., 2016 ).

There are risks to assigning too much, however: A 2015 study found that when middle school students were assigned more than 90 to 100 minutes of daily homework, their math and science test scores began to decline (Fernández-Alonso, Suárez-Álvarez, & Muñiz, 2015 ). Crossing that upper limit can drain student motivation and focus. The researchers recommend that “homework should present a certain level of challenge or difficulty, without being so challenging that it discourages effort.” Teachers should avoid low-effort, repetitive assignments, and assign homework “with the aim of instilling work habits and promoting autonomous, self-directed learning.”

In other words, it’s the quality of homework that matters, not the quantity. Brian Sztabnik, a veteran middle and high school English teacher, suggests that teachers take a step back and ask themselves these five questions :

• How long will it take to complete?
• Have all learners been considered?
• Will an assignment encourage future success?
• Will an assignment place material in a context the classroom cannot?
• Does an assignment offer support when a teacher is not there?

More Benefits for High School Students, but Risks as Well

By the time they reach high school, students should be well on their way to becoming independent learners, so homework does provide a boost to learning at this age, as long as it isn’t overwhelming (Cooper et al., 2006 ; Marzano & Pickering, 2007 ). When students spend too much time on homework—more than two hours each night—it takes up valuable time to rest and spend time with family and friends. A 2013 study found that high school students can experience serious mental and physical health problems, from higher stress levels to sleep deprivation, when assigned too much homework (Galloway, Conner, & Pope, 2013 ).

Homework in high school should always relate to the lesson and be doable without any assistance, and feedback should be clear and explicit.

Teachers should also keep in mind that not all students have equal opportunities to finish their homework at home, so incomplete homework may not be a true reflection of their learning—it may be more a result of issues they face outside of school. They may be hindered by issues such as lack of a quiet space at home, resources such as a computer or broadband connectivity, or parental support (OECD, 2014 ). In such cases, giving low homework scores may be unfair.

Since the quantities of time discussed here are totals, teachers in middle and high school should be aware of how much homework other teachers are assigning. It may seem reasonable to assign 30 minutes of daily homework, but across six subjects, that’s three hours—far above a reasonable amount even for a high school senior. Psychologist Maurice Elias sees this as a common mistake: Individual teachers create homework policies that in aggregate can overwhelm students. He suggests that teachers work together to develop a school-wide homework policy and make it a key topic of back-to-school night and the first parent-teacher conferences of the school year.

Parents Play a Key Role

Homework can be a powerful tool to help parents become more involved in their child’s learning (Walker et al., 2004 ). It can provide insights into a child’s strengths and interests, and can also encourage conversations about a child’s life at school. If a parent has positive attitudes toward homework, their children are more likely to share those same values, promoting academic success.

But it’s also possible for parents to be overbearing, putting too much emphasis on test scores or grades, which can be disruptive for children (Madjar, Shklar, & Moshe, 2015 ). Parents should avoid being overly intrusive or controlling—students report feeling less motivated to learn when they don’t have enough space and autonomy to do their homework (Orkin, May, & Wolf, 2017 ; Patall, Cooper, & Robinson, 2008 ; Silinskas & Kikas, 2017 ). So while homework can encourage parents to be more involved with their kids, it’s important to not make it a source of conflict.

If you could estimate the amount of hours of homework you have as a 9th grader, what would it be?

I was just wondering how much hours of homework a 9th grader has per night and what takes the most time out of you're schedule as a 9th grader (extracurricular, homework, etc.)

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@cp839 's answer is great, and as a rising sophomore, I totally agree with it. This past year as a 9th grader, I was in a similar situation as @cp839. I had AP world history and several honors classes, and I had an insignificant amount of homework and most of my energy was put towards extracurriculars. It really depends on what kind of worker and learner you are.

The same goes for extracurriculars. If you have good time management skills, a heavy extracurricular load might not seem that significant. However, to someone else, one or two hours a week might seem like a good fit. In 9th grade, I was on the tennis team as well as on a competitive dance company, along with 4 high school clubs and I played two instruments. In short, during tennis season, I had around 25 hours of extracurricular a week. However, to me, it was not that difficult to manage. I think it was partly due to the fact that school was relatively easy for me.

In regards to extracurriculars, you should maintain a balance between that and school. If homework is not a big part of your schedule, you can put more energy into your extracurriculars, like I did. However, if homework does take a lot of time out of your schedule, you should probably limit your extracurriculars in order to avoid over-commitment.

Depends on what classes you take, what kind of student you are, and where you go to school. I took honors classes and AP Human Geography my freshman year and if I was productive I never had more than an hour and probably had "no homework" most of the time. The reason I say, "no homework", is because I had a lot of textbook reading and worksheets that were "optional". It wasn't graded work but it was supposedly necessary. I made sure to do only what was necessary for me to maintain my grades in the class so I did homework on things I didn't quite get yet. I go to a public school that isn't highly ranked so that might mean less homework. I also know people who take the exact same classes as me and spend 2+ hours on homework each night which I never have done once, and we get similar grades. That goes to show there's not really a perfect number of hours, you just have to figure out what your goals are and how much you need to do to maintain them.

I just finished 11th grade and I would say I spent about 2 hours a night on homework. You might have a little less or a little more based on your course load. For context I took all Pre-AP classes. I would prepare for that number to increase until you finish junior year.

Well, I spend also about two hours doing my homework. Sometimes I use https://uk.edubirdie.com/write-my-essay to get some help with complicated tasks. I'm not good at writing and try to avoid such assignments, but if I need to do them I use this service. In any case, the load depends on the program and classes you take.

As others have said, it really depends on coursework and teachers and stuff.

I will list the classes that I took in 9th grade, and how much I spent a night, on average, for each of them:

- Math 3 Honors:

I spent around 2 hours a night on this before tests, and around 30 minutes a night on normal school days.

- Biology Honors

I had almost no homework in this class, so I only really spent an hour the night before tests on work.

- English 9 Honors

I also had almost no homework in this class, so maybe around 10-15 minutes on average.

- Health/Global Studies

- so these alternated by semester. Health was very intensive, and I maybe spent around 30 minutes a night on that class, while Global studies was not at all intensive, so I spent 0 time on that subject at home.

No homework. Enough said.

- Spanish 1

I had Activities to do at home, so those took up some time, and also prepping for presentations. I'd say it took maybe an hour a night.

I was in marching band, so I stayed after school for 3 hours daily, so this took up a lot of time.

In reality, I only really had three hours of homework total per night.

I think this is a fairly subjective question. For example, I took all honors classes my freshman year, but I did not have any homework. I was able to finish it all within the school day. Granted, this speaks more to the quality of my school than anything else. I think you may want to ask upperclassmen at your school who have taken a similiar course load. I find homework depends on the teacher more than anything.

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Do our kids have too much homework?

by: Marian Wilde | Updated: January 31, 2024

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Many students and their parents are frazzled by the amount of homework being piled on in the schools. Yet many researchers say that American students have just the right amount of homework.

“Kids today are overwhelmed!” a parent recently wrote in an email to GreatSchools.org “My first-grade son was required to research a significant person from history and write a paper of at least two pages about the person, with a bibliography. How can he be expected to do that by himself? He just started to learn to read and write a couple of months ago. Schools are pushing too hard and expecting too much from kids.”

Diane Garfield, a fifth grade teacher in San Francisco, concurs. “I believe that we’re stressing children out,” she says.

But hold on, it’s not just the kids who are stressed out . “Teachers nowadays assign these almost college-level projects with requirements that make my mouth fall open with disbelief,” says another frustrated parent. “It’s not just the kids who suffer!”

“How many people take home an average of two hours or more of work that must be completed for the next day?” asks Tonya Noonan Herring, a New Mexico mother of three, an attorney and a former high school English teacher. “Most of us, even attorneys, do not do this. Bottom line: students have too much homework and most of it is not productive or necessary.”

Research about homework

How do educational researchers weigh in on the issue? According to Brian Gill, a senior social scientist at the Rand Corporation, there is no evidence that kids are doing more homework than they did before.

“If you look at high school kids in the late ’90s, they’re not doing substantially more homework than kids did in the ’80s, ’70s, ’60s or the ’40s,” he says. “In fact, the trends through most of this time period are pretty flat. And most high school students in this country don’t do a lot of homework. The median appears to be about four hours a week.”

Education researchers like Gill base their conclusions, in part, on data gathered by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) tests.

“It doesn’t suggest that most kids are doing a tremendous amount,” says Gill. “That’s not to say there aren’t any kids with too much homework. There surely are some. There’s enormous variation across communities. But it’s not a crisis in that it’s a very small proportion of kids who are spending an enormous amount of time on homework.”

Etta Kralovec, author of The End of Homework: How Homework Disrupts Families, Overburdens Children, and Limits Learning , disagrees, saying NAEP data is not a reliable source of information. “Students take the NAEP test and one of the questions they have to fill out is, ‘How much homework did you do last night’ Anybody who knows schools knows that teachers by and large do not give homework the night before a national assessment. It just doesn’t happen. Teachers are very clear with kids that they need to get a good night’s sleep and they need to eat well to prepare for a test.

“So asking a kid how much homework they did the night before a national test and claiming that that data tells us anything about the general run of the mill experience of kids and homework over the school year is, I think, really dishonest.”

Further muddying the waters is an AP/AOL poll that suggests that most Americans feel that their children are getting the right amount of homework. It found that 57% of parents felt that their child was assigned about the right amount of homework, 23% thought there was too little and 19% thought there was too much.

One indisputable fact

One homework fact that educators do agree upon is that the young child today is doing more homework than ever before.

“Parents are correct in saying that they didn’t get homework in the early grades and that their kids do,” says Harris Cooper, professor of psychology and director of the education program at Duke University.

Gill quantifies the change this way: “There has been some increase in homework for the kids in kindergarten, first grade, and second grade. But it’s been an increase from zero to 20 minutes a day. So that is something that’s fairly new in the last quarter century.”

The history of homework

In his research, Gill found that homework has always been controversial. “Around the turn of the 20th century, the Ladies’ Home Journal carried on a crusade against homework. They thought that kids were better off spending their time outside playing and looking at clouds. The most spectacular success this movement had was in the state of California, where in 1901 the legislature passed a law abolishing homework in grades K-8. That lasted about 15 years and then was quietly repealed. Then there was a lot of activism against homework again in the 1930s.”

The proponents of homework have remained consistent in their reasons for why homework is a beneficial practice, says Gill. “One, it extends the work in the classroom with additional time on task. Second, it develops habits of independent study. Third, it’s a form of communication between the school and the parents. It gives parents an idea of what their kids are doing in school.”

The anti-homework crowd has also been consistent in their reasons for wanting to abolish or reduce homework.

“The first one is children’s health,” says Gill. “A hundred years ago, you had medical doctors testifying that heavy loads of books were causing children’s spines to be bent.”

The more things change, the more they stay the same, it seems. There were also concerns about excessive amounts of stress .

“Although they didn’t use the term ‘stress,'” says Gill. “They worried about ‘nervous breakdowns.'”

“In the 1930s, there were lots of graduate students in education schools around the country who were doing experiments that claimed to show that homework had no academic value — that kids who got homework didn’t learn any more than kids who didn’t,” Gill continues. Also, a lot of the opposition to homework, in the first half of the 20th century, was motivated by a notion that it was a leftover from a 19th-century model of schooling, which was based on recitation, memorization and drill. Progressive educators were trying to replace that with something more creative, something more interesting to kids.”

The more-is-better movement

Garfield, the San Francisco fifth-grade teacher, says that when she started teaching 30 years ago, she didn’t give any homework. “Then parents started asking for it,” she says. “I got In junior high and high school there’s so much homework, they need to get prepared.” So I bought that one. I said, ‘OK, they need to be prepared.’ But they don’t need two hours.”

Cooper sees the trend toward more homework as symptomatic of high-achieving parents who want the best for their children. “Part of it, I think, is pressure from the parents with regard to their desire to have their kids be competitive for the best universities in the country. The communities in which homework is being piled on are generally affluent communities.”

The less-is-better campaign

Alfie Kohn, a widely-admired progressive writer on education and parenting, published a sharp rebuttal to the more-homework-is-better argument in his 2006 book The Homework Myth: Why Our Kids Get Too Much of a Bad Thing . Kohn criticized the pro-homework studies that Cooper referenced as “inconclusive… they only show an association, not a causal relationship” and he titled his first chapter “Missing Out on Their Childhoods.”

Vera Goodman’s 2020 book, Simply Too Much Homework: What Can We Do? , repeats Kohn’s scrutiny and urges parents to appeal to school and government leaders to revise homework policies. Goodman believes today’s homework load stresses out teachers, parents, and students, deprives children of unstructured time for play, hobbies, and individual pursuits, and inhibits the joy of learning.

Homework guidelines

What’s a parent to do, you ask? Fortunately, there are some sanity-saving homework guidelines.

Cooper points to “The 10-Minute Rule” formulated by the National PTA and the National Education Association, which suggests that kids should be doing about 10 minutes of homework per night per grade level. In other words, 10 minutes for first-graders, 20 for second-graders and so on.

Too much homework vs. the optimal amount

Cooper has found that the correlation between homework and achievement is generally supportive of these guidelines. “We found that for kids in elementary school there was hardly any relationship between how much homework young children did and how well they were doing in school, but in middle school the relationship is positive and increases until the kids were doing between an hour to two hours a night, which is right where the 10-minute rule says it’s going to be optimal.

“After that it didn’t go up anymore. Kids that reported doing more than two hours of homework a night in middle school weren’t doing any better in school than kids who were doing between an hour to two hours.”

Garfield has a very clear homework policy that she distributes to her parents at the beginning of each school year. “I give one subject a night. It’s what we were studying in class or preparation for the next day. It should be done within half an hour at most. I believe that children have many outside activities now and they also need to live fully as children. To have them work for six hours a day at school and then go home and work for hours at night does not seem right. It doesn’t allow them to have a childhood.”

International comparisons

How do American kids fare when compared to students in other countries? Professors Gerald LeTendre and David Baker of Pennsylvania State University conclude in their 2005 book, National Differences, Global Similarities: World Culture and the Future of Schooling, that American middle schoolers do more homework than their peers in Japan, Korea, or Taiwan, but less than their peers in Singapore and Hong Kong.

One of the surprising findings of their research was that more homework does not correlate with higher test scores. LeTendre notes: “That really flummoxes people because they say, ‘Doesn’t doing more homework mean getting better scores?’ The answer quite simply is no.”

Homework is a complicated thing

To be effective, homework must be used in a certain way, he says. “Let me give you an example. Most homework in the fourth grade in the U.S. is worksheets. Fill them out, turn them in, maybe the teacher will check them, maybe not. That is a very ineffective use of homework. An effective use of homework would be the teacher sitting down and thinking ‘Elizabeth has trouble with number placement, so I’m going to give her seven problems on number placement.’ Then the next day the teacher sits down with Elizabeth and she says, ‘Was this hard for you? Where did you have difficulty?’ Then she gives Elizabeth either more or less material. As you can imagine, that kind of homework rarely happens.”

Shotgun homework

“What typically happens is people give what we call ‘shotgun homework’: blanket drills, questions and problems from the book. On a national level that’s associated with less well-functioning school systems,” he says. “In a sense, you could sort of think of it as a sign of weaker teachers or less well-prepared teachers. Over time, we see that in elementary and middle schools more and more homework is being given, and that countries around the world are doing this in an attempt to increase their test scores, and that is basically a failing strategy.”

Quality not quantity?

“ The Case for (Quality) Homework: Why It Improves Learning, and How Parents Can Help ,” a 2019 paper written by Boston University psychologist Janine Bempechat, asks for homework that specifically helps children “confront ever-more-complex tasks” that enable them to gain resilience and embrace challenges.

Similar research from University of Ovideo in Spain titled “ Homework: Facts and Fiction 2021 ” says evidence shows that how homework is applied is more important than how much is required, and it asserts that a moderate amount of homework yields the most academic achievement. The most important aspect of quality homework assignment? The effort required and the emotions prompted by the task.

Robyn Jackson, author of How to Plan Rigorous Instruction and other media about rigor says the key to quality homework is not the time spent, but the rigor — or mental challenge — involved. ( Read more about how to evaluate your child’s homework for rigor here .)

Nightly reading as a homework replacement

Across the country, many elementary schools have replaced homework with a nightly reading requirement. There are many benefits to children reading every night , either out loud with a parent or independently: it increases their vocabulary, imagination, concentration, memory, empathy, academic ability, knowledge of different cultures and perspectives. Plus, it reduces stress, helps kids sleep, and bonds children to their cuddling parents or guardians. Twenty to 30 minutes of reading each day is generally recommended.

But, is this always possible, or even ideal?

No, it’s not.

Alfie Kohn criticizes this added assignment in his blog post, “ How To Create Nonreaders .” He cites an example from a parent (Julie King) who reports, “Our children are now expected to read 20 minutes a night, and record such on their homework sheet. What parents are discovering (surprise) is that those kids who used to sit down and read for pleasure — the kids who would get lost in a book and have to be told to put it down to eat/play/whatever — are now setting the timer… and stopping when the timer dings. … Reading has become a chore, like brushing your teeth.”

The take-away from Kohn? Don’t undermine reading for pleasure by turning it into another task burdening your child’s tired brain.

Additional resources

Books Simply Too Much Homework: What Can We do? by Vera Goodman, Trafford Publishing, 2020

The Case Against Homework: How Homework is Hurting Children and What Parents Can Do About It by Sara Bennett and Nancy Kalish, Crown Publishers, 2007

The Homework Myth: Why Our Kids Get Too Much of a Bad Thing by Alfie Kohn, Hatchett Books, 2006 The End of Homework: How Homework Disrupts Families, Overburdens Children, and Limits Learning by Etta Kralovec and John Buell, Beacon Press, 2001.

The Battle Over Homework: Common Ground for Administrators, Teachers, and Parents by Harris M. Cooper, Corwin Press, 2001.

Seven Steps to Homework Success: A Family Guide to Solving Common Homework Problems by Sydney Zentall and Sam Goldstein, Specialty Press, 1998.

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How Much Time Should Be Spent on Homework?

At the elementary level homework should be brief, at your child’s ability level and involve frequent, voluntary and high interest activities. Young students require high levels of feedback and/or supervision to help them complete assignments correctly. Accurate homework completion is influenced by your child’s ability, the difficulty of the task, and the amount of feedback your child receives. When assigning homework, your child’s teachers may struggle to create a balance at this age between ability, task difficulty and feedback. Unfortunately, there are no simple guiding principles.

We can assure you, however, that your input and feedback on a nightly basis is an essential component in helping your child benefit from the homework experience.

What is the recommended time in elementary school?

In first through third grade, students should receive one to three assignments per week, taking them no more than fifteen to twenty minutes. In fourth through sixth grade, students should receive two to four assignments per week, lasting between fifteen and forty-five minutes. At this age, the primarily goal of homework is to help your child develop the independent work and learning skills that will become critical in the higher grades. In the upper grades, the more time spent on homework the greater the achievement gains.

What is the recommended time in middle and high school?

For students in middle and high school grades there are greater overall benefits from time engaged in practicing and thinking about school work. These benefits do not appear to depend as much upon immediate supervision or feedback as they do for elementary students. In seventh through ninth grade we recommend students receive three to five sets of assignments per week, lasting between forty-five and seventy-five minutes per set. In high school students will receive four to five sets of homework per week, taking them between seventy-five and 150 minutes per set to complete.

As children progress through school, homework and the amount of time engaged in homework increases in importance. Due to the significance of homework at the older age levels, it is not surprising that there is more homework assigned. Furthermore, homework is always assigned in college preparatory classes and assigned at least three quarters of the time in special education and vocational training classes. Thus at any age, homework may indicate our academic expectations of children.

Regardless of the amount of homework assigned, many students unsuccessful or struggling in school spend less rather than more time engaged in homework. It is not surprising that students spending less time completing homework may eventually not achieve as consistently as those who complete their homework.

Does this mean that time devoted to homework is the key component necessary for achievement?

We are not completely certain. Some American educators have concluded that if students in America spent as much time doing homework as students in Asian countries they might perform academically as well. It is tempting to assume such a cause and effect relationship.

However, this relationship appears to be an overly simple conclusion. We know that homework is important as one of several influential factors in school success. However, other variables, including student ability, achievement, motivation and teaching quality influence the time students spend with homework tasks. Many students and their parents have told us they experience less difficulty being motivated and completing homework in classes in which they enjoyed the subject, the instruction, the assignments and the teachers.

The benefits from homework are the greatest for students completing the most homework and doing so correctly. Thus, students who devote time to homework are probably on a path to improved achievement. This path also includes higher quality instruction, greater achievement motivation and better skill levels.

Authors: Dr. Sam Goldstein and Dr. Sydney Zentall

How Much Homework Do American Kids Do?

Various factors, from the race of the student to the number of years a teacher has been in the classroom, affect a child's homework load.

In his Atlantic essay , Karl Taro Greenfeld laments his 13-year-old daughter's heavy homework load. As an eighth grader at a New York middle school, Greenfeld’s daughter averaged about three hours of homework per night and adopted mantras like “memorization, not rationalization” to help her get it all done. Tales of the homework-burdened American student have become common, but are these stories the exception or the rule?

A 2007 Metlife study found that 45 percent of students in grades three to 12 spend more than an hour a night doing homework, including the six percent of students who report spending more than three hours a night on their homework. In the 2002-2003 school year, a study out of the University of Michigan found that American students ages six through 17 spent three hours and 38 minutes per week doing homework.

A range of factors plays into how much homework each individual student gets:

Older students do more homework than their younger counterparts.

This one is fairly obvious: The National Education Association recommends that homework time increase by ten minutes per year in school. (e.g., A third grader would have 30 minutes of homework, while a seventh grader would have 70 minutes).

Studies have found that schools tend to roughly follow these guidelines: The University of Michigan found that students ages six to eight spend 29 minutes doing homework per night while 15- to 17-year-old students spend 50 minutes doing homework. The Metlife study also found that 50 percent of students in grades seven to 12 spent more than an hour a night on homework, while 37 percent of students in grades three to six spent an hour or more on their homework per night. The National Center for Educational Statistics found that high school students who do homework outside of school average 6.8 hours of homework per week.

Race plays a role in how much homework students do.

Asian students spend 3.5 more hours on average doing homework per week than their white peers. However, only 59 percent of Asian students’ parents check that homework is done, while 75.6 percent of Hispanic students’ parents and 83.1 percent of black students’ parents check.

Teachers with less experience assign more homework.

The Metlife study found that 14 percent of teachers with zero to five years of teaching experience assigned more than an hour of homework per night, while only six percent of teachers with 21 or more years of teaching experience assigned over an hour of homework.

Math classes have homework the most frequently.

The Metlife study found that 70 percent of students in grades three to 12 had at least one homework assignment in math. Sixty-two percent had at least one homework assignment in a language arts class (English, reading, spelling, or creative writing courses) and 42 percent had at least one in a science class.

Regardless of how much homework kids are actually doing every night, most parents and teachers are happy with the way things are: 60 percent of parents think that their children have the “right amount of homework,” and 73 percent of teachers think their school assigns the right amount of homework.

Students, however, are not necessarily on board: 38 percent of students in grades seven through 12 and 28 percent of students in grades three through six report being “very often/often” stressed out by their homework.

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How To: Choose the Right Amount of Daily Homework

Despite the differences in the recommendations from these sources, the table shows broad agreement about how much homework to assign at each grade. At grades 1-3, homework should be limited to an hour or less per day, while in grades 4-6, homework should not exceed 90 minutes. The upper limit in grades 7-8 is 2 hours and the limit in high school should be 2.5 hours.

Teachers can use the homework time recommendations included here as a point of comparison: in particular, schools should note that assigning homework that exceeds the upper limit of these time estimates is not likely to result in additional learning gains--and may even be counter-productive (Cooper, Robinson, & Patall, 2006).

It should also be remembered that the amount of homework assigned each day is not in itself a sign of high academic standards. Homework becomes a powerful tool to promote learning only when students grasp the purpose of each homework assignment, clearly understand homework directions, perceive that homework tasks are instructionally relevant, and receive timely performance feedback (e.g., teacher comments; grades) on submitted homework (Jenson, Sheridan, Olympia, & Andrews, 1994).

Attachments

• Download This Blog Entry in PDF Format: How To: Choose the Right Amount of Daily Homework
• Barkley, R. A. (2008). 80+ classroom accommodations for children or teens with ADHD. The ADHD Report, 16 (4), 7-10.
• Cooper, H., Robinson, J. C., & Patall, E A. (2006). Does homework improve academic achievement? A synthesis of research, 1987-2003. Review of Educational Research, 76 (1), 1-62. 
• Jenson, W. R., Sheridan, S. M., Olympia, D., & Andrews, D. (1994). Homework and students with learning disabilities and behavior disorders: A practical, parent-based approach. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 27 , 538-548.

What’s the right amount of homework for my students?

Sara Austin May 25, 2022

Whether in their K-12 experience or in college, most teachers can remember a time when they felt overwhelmed by the amount of homework they were asked to do. Homework has been a staple of the school experience since the early days of formal education. Over the years, however, research has shown that more is not always better when it comes to homework. Some students, such as primary students, see no benefit from homework, while high school students see only limited benefits.

The truth is that homework is a controversial subject, even among school teachers. Every student is different — some are self-motivated and independent, while others need constant supervision in order to succeed. These differences can lead to disagreement regarding the optimal amount of homework that should be assigned. As a result, the question of how much homework to assign can be difficult to answer.

Too much homework can negatively impact students in ways you might not expect. Understanding these impacts will make you a better, more effective, and more empathetic teacher to your students. Let’s begin by looking at some of the ways that homework can negatively impact students. Then, we’ll look at recommendations for how much homework is appropriate at different grade levels.

School work can worsen the impacts of lack of access for vulnerable students

One of the lessons learned during the pandemic is that access to resources among students varied widely. The underlying inequities facing students meant that some students could continue their education remotely while others fell behind.

According to a study from Pew Research , one in five teens struggle to complete their homework because they don’t have access to the internet or a home computer. Even with the best intentions, homework poses an unequal burden on students, depending on their socioeconomic status. Students of lower socioeconomic status are less likely to have the resources that help them do homework, such as a computer or a quiet place to work. They’re more likely than their wealthier peers to live in noisy neighborhoods and work after a school day.

While some students may have access to computers, they may not have free access to the internet at home. These factors make it harder for disadvantaged students to complete assignments at home effectively — and this means it’s harder for them to get the same kind of education that their advantaged peers are getting.

The pandemic revealed at least two areas where inequity impacted student success.

The resource accessibility gap

Some students simply don’t have access to resources that make it possible to do their school work. Kids from middle- to high-income families often have computers, access to the internet, and a quiet place to study with no distractions. In contrast, low-income kids may live in a noisy home shared by many people or are sent to an unsafe neighborhood library where they can be at risk of being approached by strangers. Some students may live in places where there is no internet at all.

The pandemic also revealed inequities in the amount of assistance students would receive from their parents or guardians. Many low-income students were home alone all day as their parents worked in essential jobs such as the service industry. Without anyone at home to help with their schoolwork or to help kids stay on track, these kids suffered massive learning losses that will take years to recover from.

The learning accessibility gap

Some students learn more effectively from an interactive teacher than from a textbook or online video, and they need help understanding the material gained through homework assignments. Having additional time with a teacher (in class, after school, or over the phone) can be helpful for these students. Wealthy parents can pay for tutors and extra classes — low-income parents cannot afford such luxuries.

These disparities, which are not always obvious to teachers, can have long-lasting effects on the academic success of low-income and minority students.

Homework can lead to greater stress and conflict in the home

Homework can have negative impacts on students’ home lives since it can be a catalyst for family conflicts. For example, a child with hours of homework may come home from school and have to spend hours completing it, leaving little time to eat dinner before going to bed. With too much homework, family time is replaced by homework time, especially when parents have to help their children with their work. In this scenario, parents spend their time in the afternoons and evenings policing schoolwork rather than nurturing family bonds in important ways.

The education level of parents also plays a role. Parents with a college degree tend to have more confidence in helping their children with homework, but many parents do not have a college degree. In these households, homework is a significant stressor. These parents do not feel comfortable helping with school work and expect their children to have learned everything they need to know in order to complete their homework. Without parental support or assistance, these children can fall even further behind.

School work can also take time away from their hobbies and other interests, leading to poor mental health. In addition, the pressure of homework takes away children’s freedom, as they cannot spend time exploring other interests or building relationships with family and friends.

Homework can even have negative impacts on students’ academic performance

Many studies have shown that homework offers no benefit in elementary school and, due to the impacts of academic stress and inequity, can even be detrimental. Feelings of stress and fear can lead to resentment and a generally negative outlook on the entire educational experience, for both students and their parents. These feelings then color the child’s perception of school, leading some to hate it.

It’s also worth asking if homework is really necessary. Research has found little evidence of a correlation between how much time kids spend on math and reading homework and how well they perform in these subjects once they’re back in class.

Assigning the right amount of homework

So how can we be sure to assign the right amount of homework? While there is some debate on this, the answer is actually quite simple: it depends. Fortunately, research has been done in this area that provides some clarity. The right amount of homework depends on the age and ability of students and the subject matter.  

Homework by grade level

The National Education Association offers a simple guideline to help you determine how much homework is appropriate at each grade level. This framework is also endorsed by the National Parent Teacher Association National Parent Teachers Association .

According to this rule, time spent on homework each night should not exceed:

• 30 minutes in 3 rd grade
• 40 minutes in 4 th grade
• 50 minutes in 5 th grade
• 60 minutes in 6 th grade
• 70 minutes in 7 th grade
• 80 minutes in 8 th grade

Worried that you might be assigning too much? Talk to your students about how long they spend on homework and adjust accordingly. Remember that the point of homework is to support learning and not to cause undue stress. Students need to be able to complete their assignments in order to learn, but they also shouldn’t be overwhelmed with too many tasks.

Homework by subject matter

The homework you assign should also differ based on the subject. For example, while your fifth grader may benefit from nightly math worksheets, your third grader’s homework should include more reading exercises than daily arithmetic assignments.

Remember that the amount of help that students get from parents at home can vary a great deal. For this reason, the homework you assign should be work students can complete on their own, without the need for parental help.

The Homework Debate

Many schools are doing away with homework all together. This is because, after decades of research, there is still no evidence of any academic benefit of take-home work in grades K-8 and very little to support it in high school either. 

The main thing to remember is this: simply increasing the amount of homework that a child has will not make them more successful. On the contrary, assigning too much homework — or the wrong kind — could actually harm their development.

Keep in mind what you are trying to accomplish with homework. Is the homework intended to give the student practice in completing a task? Is it to improve test scores? Research has actually shown that students who do more than 90 minutes of homework tend to have lower test scores than those who do less . As you consider homework for your students, remember that many of the factors influencing homework performance are not visible to you, and that you should always prioritize quality over quantity.

Photo Credit: Google Education

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9th grade curriculum guide: everything you need to know about 9th grade classes.

9th Grade Subject Guide

When you’re a freshman in high school , you have to take classes that are required for graduation. There’s no other way around it. But what classes should I take? And how many do I need to graduate?

This is a difficult question and one that can’t be answered with a simple answer. Every student has different interests and abilities so the right answer will vary from person to person. But there are some general guidelines which might help you make your decision.

Table of Contents

9 th Grade Curriculum Requirements

High school curriculum requirements vary depending on the state. However, most states require students to take 3-5 years of math and language arts with 4-6 years of science. Students may also be asked to take electives such as personal finance or foreign language. Since every high school is different, we recommend checking with your school to see what they require.

How many classes should I take in 9th grade to prepare for college?

Every student needs to take a core set of classes. These are the classes that you will need in any college or university and they include: 

• English/Language Arts
• Social studies/History
• Physical education . 

In addition to these required courses, many high schools offer electives such as foreign languages, band, choir, and drama. The number and variety of classes that you take will depend on the number of credits needed for graduation and your interests .

How many electives can you take in 9th grade? 

In most areas of the country, you’re only allowed to take up to 4 electives. In California and New York City, it’s sometimes possible to take as many as 7 electives in your freshman year. If you want more than 4 electives but can’t manage to graduate early, you might consider taking courses online during the summer.

Below are electives all high school students should take

• A Foreign or Second Language
• Public Speaking
• Personal Finance
• Computer Programming / Science
• Something Fun

We have a broad selection of electives available in subjects such as:

Art , Criminal Justice , Science & Health , Internet Technologies, Business & Entrepreneurship & New Media and Health Sciences .

What are the best electives to take in 9th grade? 

Depending on a student’s academic strengths and weaknesses, a good 9 th grade elective is either humanity or a science class. A humanities course would be an AP language course such as French , Spanish , English , Latin, German, etc. A science elective would be AP Biology or Chemistry if interested in science/medicine or AP Environmental Science if interested in the environment.

However, it’s important to realize that 9th grade is a crucial year for honing academic focus. The courses taken at this time will affect what classes can be taken in both 10th grade and 11th grade and then on into 12th grade when students must complete not only college applications but also standardized college entrance exams. The time needed to prepare for these exams can’t be overlooked, which is why it’s best to take 9 th grade electives that are already known to strengthen the student’s academic background knowledge in one particular field.

Some AP courses are not right for students who have yet to complete the prerequisite classes. Required courses include Algebra I , Geometry , and a basic science class such as Biology or Chemistry . These courses can typically be completed in the 10th grade if the student enters high school with advanced knowledge in some of these areas, but it’s still best to take some 9 th grade electives that will cater to the strengths of the student while providing solid academic content for the future.

Options such as IB English , Intro to Spanish , World History, US History, and other AP courses should be taken in 10th grade along with other classes that build on previous academic knowledge. This is true for both general education electives and specialist-specific subjects depending on what direction a student plans to take academically after graduation.

The best 9 th grade electives are those that are already known to prepare the student for future academic success. If unsure or overwhelmed, call or schedule a meeting with your child’s guidance counselor before the first day of school to determine what courses will be right for them.

What are the easiest electives in high school? 

English, math and history are thought of as the three easiest electives in high school. If a student wants to pursue one of these subjects at college, they will need to take various types of tests like the writing exam (required for English), the SAT II (subject standardized test) or CLEP ( College Level Examination Program ). These tests assess the student’s knowledge of their chosen subject and will likely count for credit at certain colleges.

The other type of test students may need to take is the AP (Advanced Placement) Exam . This test serves as an assessment tool that many US colleges look for when determining a student’s eligibility for college credit before entering college. Students who want to study these subjects at college are encouraged to take AP Tests throughout high school. For example, if you want to take an English class in college but have not taken the AP test for it yet, you would need to do so before applying as colleges might not accept non-AP students.

What science class should I take in 9th grade? 

IB Biology is one of the most popular science courses taken in high school. Offered at many schools, IB Biology provides an in-depth look into how living things function and interact with each other while introducing students to the basics of genetics (which includes studying inheritable traits). Taking this course can help out tremendously when applying for college or even medical school.

IB Biology also provides an impressive list of lab skills that are all designed to prepare students for future scientific research. Students must complete experiments, projects, and group-related tasks which require proper safety protocol in addition to the command of basic scientific terminology (and its application). These skills will prove helpful if a student intends to major in science/medicine after high school.

IB Biology is also rigorous when it comes to test-taking ability. Students are tested on all aspects of the course including vocabulary, projects/research topics, and understanding scientific theories. Though this may sound like a lot of work for one year in school, IB courses provide students with an excellent foundation for future success.

All of this makes IB Biology one of the best choices for 9th grade electives . Check out other popular science courses to see what fits best with your student’s personality/academic strengths.

What happens if you fail an elective?

If you fail an elective, it’s always possible to retake the course in your junior or senior year. If a student is struggling, they can also consider taking online courses during the summer.

Do electives matter in high school?

Yes! Electives are what make high school special. Not only do they expose you to new subjects, but they also help develop the skills that are necessary for success in college or your career.

Do you have to take 9 th grade electives?

No, they’re completely optional! That said, they are encouraged for all students as they provide a strong foundation of skills that are necessary for success in high school and beyond.

How many electives can you have in high school?

That’s up to you! We encourage all students to sign up for at least 5 electives in order to get the most out of their high school experience.

How do you get credit for an online elective?

If you take an online course , whether it’s a 9th grade elective or otherwise, it will be considered the same as any other course. If students would like to receive credit for their courses, all that’s required is that they score 70% or higher.

What courses should I take in 10th grade? 

The core requirements remain the same and all schools require math, science and social studies/history to be taken. In addition, most schools also require two years of a foreign language. In most states, the requirement is two years of a foreign language or four semesters. You can often take one year in middle school and continue it in high school if you have already taken a class. Choosing a second language is much more difficult than choosing your first language because there are so many languages to choose from. Spanish, French, Italian, German, and Latin are all popular.

But how can I be sure that I’m choosing the right language? 

When you’re in 10th grade , you don’t need to make this decision yet because there’s still time to change your mind. You should really take a foreign language class in ninth grade if at all possible because it will help you decide if this is the right choice for you.

But what if I don’t want to take a foreign language? 

There are still plenty of options that will prepare you for college and university. You can choose from advanced math such as calculus , statistics , and trigonometry; Pre-AP (advanced placement) science classes such as physics, chemistry, and biology; Pre-AP humanities classes such as economics, psychology, and United States government.

In addition to these core requirements and electives that you should take in 10th grade, there are a few other courses that may be beneficial including:

• Co-op/Internship – This is a great way to explore career options, build your resume, and gain work experience. It’s highly recommended if you want to be successful in the workplace after you graduate.
• Driver’s Education – If you have not already taken driver’s education classes in middle school, then this is another course that will benefit you for future success. These courses are offered through schools or private driving schools and they teach you the rules of the road, get you a learner’s permit, and help get your driver’s license.
• College Preparatory Curriculum (CPC) – If you want to attend college after high school, then it can be helpful to take classes that will prepare you for life in the classroom at a university. CPC courses include college-level classes in English, math, science, social studies and foreign languages. They are offered at most public high schools. 

What should I know about taking AP courses as a ninth-grader?

Many high school students take Advanced Placement classes in their junior and senior years . Sometimes ninth-graders will enroll in AP classes but others prefer to wait until they’re a sophomore.

If you do decide to enroll in an AP course, such as calculus or statistics, then you need to be committed because this is one of the most rigorous classes a high school student can take. The class alone requires a lot of time and effort so you also have to be fully committed to attending all the classes, doing all the homework, studying for tests, and participating in class discussions.

The benefit of taking advanced courses such as AP is that your college applications will stand out when compared to other students. This will give you an advantage when applying to college because you’ll be seen as having more potential than students with a less rigorous course load. 

You can learn more about AP courses and dual enrollment in this article

How can I get ready for college after high school?

Your high school years are probably the last time that you will be able to try out different classes and experiences before you have to commit to a specific major very early in your college experience. Take advantage of this opportunity by taking some AP courses, studying for the SAT subject tests , and signing up for an internship or a co-op.

These activities will help you become more familiar with the types of classes and experiences offered at a university which can help you decide if this is the right choice for you after high school.

You may also want to try out different extracurricular activities such as joining clubs or playing on a sports team. This will allow you to meet new people, try different things, and get yourself out of your comfort zone.

Will I have enough time to participate in extracurricular activities?

Many high school students participate in some type of extracurricular activity outside the classroom. Some activities are more involving than others but all require a good amount of time commitment as well as a commitment to practice and rehearsals.

If you’re choosing between taking a traditional course load or participating in extracurricular activities , then it’s usually better to take the more rigorous classes. This is because you want your transcripts and resume to stand out when applying for college next year and having a heavy course load may give you an advantage.

However, if you choose to participate in sports, clubs, or other student activities, then it’s important that you’re honest with your parents and teachers about how much time you can dedicate outside of the classroom. Let them know what your time commitments are for each activity and be sure not to sign-up for too many extracurricular activities so you don’t overwhelm yourself.

What is the difference between AP and IB courses?

American Universities and colleges offer two programs that allow you to earn college credit while still in high school: AP and International Baccalaureate (IB) . Both of these programs are respected by colleges and universities because they demonstrate that a student has completed challenging course work.

The biggest difference between AP and IB courses is that you can take AP classes in high school whereas the IB program has to be started in middle school.

Another difference is that all AP exams are graded on a scale ranging from 1-5 whereas your final score for an IB exam ranges from 1-7 with some exams requiring more than one writing component.

Overall, colleges and universities value AP more because you have to work harder for a 5 on the exam whereas IB courses are designed to be challenging but you can sometimes skate by without studying.

Should I take IB English? Should I take another language class instead?

IB English is a rigorous course that requires students to read novels, poems, short stories, and even watch plays. English skills are tested via written essays that must be well-written, properly cited (if applicable), and organized in a logical manner. IB English is known for having exceptionally prepared students who complete the course with high scores on their exams.

IB English also has an impressive list of past literary work which is studied throughout the year. Students are expected to not only read these works but also provide an in-depth analysis (via essays) with supporting evidence. This is done once with every work of literature that is assigned, which provides students with a diverse selection of literary analysis by the end of the year.

IB English is also great for students who want to pursue college degrees in English, writing, or education. These courses become much easier through the use of proper vocabulary and technical skills that are learned/required for IB English.

On the flip side, some students may not enjoy literature as much as others. If this is the case, consider taking another language instead (Spanish, French) which will prove to be more useful once a high school diploma is earned.

How will IB History help me?

IB History is an excellent elective for students who plan on going to college and majoring in the Social Sciences. Though not required by most universities, taking IB History can provide students with a significant advantage over those who haven’t before entering higher education.

IB History students study various historical events and societies through a course that is based on testing skills such as essay writing, analysis of primary/secondary sources (documents, paintings, etc.), and providing evidence to support claims. These courses are designed to prepare students for future college classes where they will be expected to learn about key people, events, and theories/philosophies that shaped the world.

IB History is also excellent for anyone interested in pursuing a career related to law enforcement or politics. Knowing how societies evolved can help predict future issues that could arise if not dealt with properly (natural disasters, civil unrest).

While taking IB History might not be necessary for everyone, it is an excellent course that prepares students for life after high school. Take a look at other IB courses to see what you are most interested in before signing up.

Are there any major downsides to IB courses?

Before committing, it’s important to know all about IB courses and whether or not they fit best with your student’s academic and personal goals.

One downside to IB courses is the workload. Since these classes are college-level (college and university credit can be earned), they require a significant amount of time and effort from students in order to complete the subject matter throughout the year.

This often includes late nights, early mornings, and/or weekends spent doing homework assignments and studying for exams. In some cases, students may be required to read a novel or watch a play as part of the coursework which requires an even greater amount of time and dedication.

In addition to this, most colleges require specific courses in order to apply (AP classes are often more than enough). If these courses cannot be taken during senior year, consider completing the IB requirements during the summer in order to be able to apply for college.

Is it necessary to get good grades?

Though this is certainly not true of every student who commits to taking an IB class, it’s common for students to only get accepted into the program if they maintain high academic standards throughout their studies.

IB courses are often rigorous and difficult, which is why only students who plan on graduating college with good grades should take part in the program.

For those who struggle to maintain above-average grades, it might be best to consider taking SAT/ACT prep courses throughout their school year so that they can get accepted into a strict IB class.

This way, students can still learn interesting material and get college credit while pursuing other interests such as sports or clubs.

When should I commit to taking an IB course?

The best time for any student to start thinking about taking the IB program is during sophomore year in high school. During this time, students take “Pre-IB” courses in order to prepare for the rigors of a full IB schedule.

In most cases, students who have been given permission to take part in the program receive an IB course syllabus during their sophomore year that shows how many hours/week they will need to commit in order to complete the assigned work. Knowing this allows students and parents alike to determine if IB classes are feasible for their schedules.

Working Part-Time After High School: Pros and Cons

Another option that some students choose is to take a year off after high school either to work or to travel. One of the benefits of working is that it allows you to make money for college while gaining some real-world work experience. You can learn more about working during and after high school in these articles:

The Best Paying Part-Time Jobs for High School Students How Students Can Increase their Marketability

However, there’s no rule that says you have to work either. If you do decide to take a year off, then it’s important that you focus on self-improvement activities such as learning a new language, saving money for college, traveling, and interning in your desired field.

Overall, working after high school is a good way to prepare yourself for college and the future while earning some extra cash but it’s not for everyone.

By choosing to work either full-time or part-time you’re sacrificing some time that could be spent studying for the SAT , writing your college application essays , and generally preparing yourself for college life. This choice is usually dependent on the financial situation of the student and their family and whether they can afford to take a year off.

Free Online 9th Grade Classes vs Paid Online High School Courses

The between online high school courses and free 9 th grade classes is quality. High-quality, paid courses are led by trained, committed teachers with real-world experience. Free courses are typically offered by teachers who may not have the best track record at their schools or just don’t care. We encourage students to think long-term instead of taking free online classes simply because they are more convenient. 

What’s the difference between an online class and my regular classes at school?

Your online class is typically taken from home and is led by a dedicated, passionate teacher. Your in-person classes are taught at your high school and maybe led by teachers who aren’t as interested in education.

What are the benefits of online high school courses?

Online high school courses allow students to work at their own pace through content that is tailored to their individual needs. Teachers are also typically more accessible and responsive, leading to higher quality education overall. Furthermore, taking all of your classes online can help students graduate one to two years early.

Is it possible to get an associate’s degree in high school?

Yes, however, you would have to meet certain requirements including taking specific courses and having a high GPA . We encourage all students to consider college and take advantage of their local community colleges or universities in order to get ahead.

What’s the difference between traditional high school and online high school?

The biggest difference is that you can complete coursework on your own time with an online high school . You also have the flexibility of fitting your courses into your schedule, for example by studying at 2 AM if you feel like it! Online homeschooling also provides more customized education since students are able to work through individual courses at their own pace.

What are the requirements for graduating high school in my state?

For example, in Ohio you must show proficiency in 15 units of required content with passing grades on tests/assignments including 4 units of English language arts, 3 units of math (Algebra I or higher), 3 units of science (biology, chemistry, or physics), 2 units of social studies (including world history and American history), 1.5 units of fine arts, .5 unit of wellness, and 1 unit of either a foreign language or career-technical education to receive your diploma. You can find more information on the state requirements for Ohio here

Enroll for 9th Grade Online Classes at High School of America Today!

You Can Begin Enrolling in The 9th Grade Through High School Of America at Any Time! We provide one of the most flexible online high school programs in America today. Our courses are affordable, fun to learn, self-paced, and designed to help you succeed.

Online high school courses are ideal for students who are eager to get ahead of the curve through customized education. Enrolling online 9th grade classes with High School Of America is your first step towards college!

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The Last Kid in Ninth Grade Without an iPhone

They’re not in the group chat. but they’re not social pariahs either..

This article was featured in One Great Story , New York ’s reading recommendation newsletter. Sign up here to get it nightly.

Greta always knew she would have to face her first year of high school without a phone. Her parents made their stance clear back when she was in elementary school, then banded together with a handful of other families in the neighborhood to stand firm.

“I know I missed out on hanging out with friends because I just didn’t know or wasn’t able to coordinate. And there were conversations I was not a part of,” says Greta, who is now 17 and finishing her senior year in Richmond, Virginia. Her parents finally relented the summer before Greta began tenth grade. “It was actually a huge deal, in junior year, when I was finally able to get added to this text thread that a group of girls had all started many years before. Getting added to an established group chat can be really hard.” Feeling clueless about viral videos and memes was also deflating. “Sometimes I pretended to know, although that can be embarrassing too. But honestly, my friends usually just explained it all to me, then they sometimes joked that ‘I live under a rock.’”

Waiting is far from a popular choice ( more than 90 percent of American teens have a phone by age 14 ), but it is in the Zeitgeist. In social psychologist Jonathan Haidt’s buzzy new parenting book, The Anxious Generation , he suggests that age 16 be the “new norm” for introducing social media and argues that delaying smartphone use to high school could be the solution to the mounting teen-mental-health crisis. Greta, of course, was barred from phone life well before The Anxious Generation became a micro-phenomenon. But her experience could be a case study straight out of Haidt’s playbook.

Greta told me she’s happy she muddled through middle school and ninth grade without a phone, even if it wasn’t what she wanted at the time. “I developed the ability to make fun for myself, to be curious about the real world, and I got extra time with my family. I think I’m better adjusted,” she says. These days, Greta is often the slowest to respond to text messages in her friend group. She once misplaced her phone at school on a Friday and didn’t notice it was missing until Monday. Her cool, composed, almost take-it-or-leave-it feelings about smartphones mirror the responses I heard from the dozen or so other kids I interviewed who were forced to wait.

Clare, Greta’s mom, explains why she set the limit: “Not having a phone helps kids reduce their reliance on immediate gratification. You can’t act on every impulse or get quick responses or answers. Wait for the gossip; wait for your mother who will be there eventually.” Patty, another Virginia mom, puts it this way: “I think there is a piece of childhood — the sense of wonder — that disappears when smartphones are introduced. I wanted to give my kid more of that without the heavy weight of comparison and FOMO and endless staccato-like interruptions.”

Few parent holdouts had much to say about the social and emotional upheaval their children would suffer through by going phone-free, though all were undoubtedly aware that in refusing their kids’ phone requests, they sentenced them to certain struggles. In the infamously catty social milieu of middle and high school, their kids would lack a form of currency that might ease the awkwardness — the ability to comment on a popular kid’s photos, to quickly and quietly text instead of call someone, to be part of the chatter while it’s happening instead of hearing about it the next day in the hallway.

Greta’s younger sister, Molly, is 15, in ninth grade, and doesn’t have a smartphone. “The hardest thing lately tends to be if a guy wants to ask me out. Recently I had friends tell me that a guy won’t ask me out if I don’t have a phone or a Snapchat, because it’s just not how they communicate. That sort of bums me out,” she says, then pauses. “But then again, if he makes the extra effort to actually talk to me in person, that’s what I want.”

When her friends are scrolling through reels or videos, sometimes Molly will watch along over a shoulder. “Then I see all the stuff I’m missing, but I guess because I don’t have it, I don’t really feel addicted to it or anything. It’s only once you have something that you feel like you can’t live without it.”

Molly and Greta haven’t fought their parents too intently for phones because they’ve always known there was no hope. But other teenagers I interviewed described constant fights and relentless campaigns lasting years and involving today’s teenage persuasion tool of choice: the powerpoint presentation. Sam, a 15-year-old outside Memphis, has made several slide decks. “I even made ‘Reason No. 4’ of why I should get a phone t hat my mom could track me really well , but it still didn’t do anything.” Another gripe he presented: Teachers often ask students to scan a QR code to access information they’ve posted in class, and he’s always out of luck. “Other kids would help me out, but it was such a pain. It was a big source of tension at home.”

Victoria, who is 15 and lives in East Lansing, Michigan, has also made a few presentations, including one focused exclusively on Snapchat. It emphasized how the app would help her build a community, strengthen her friendships, and expand her network to more kids in her grade. “I was pretty mad that the answer was always no, but I think I was more jealous than upset with my parents to be honest. Kids weren’t outright mean to me at all, but I did feel like there was some judging or condescension maybe,” she says. Victoria started asking her parents for a phone in fifth grade and pleaded “a million times,” she says. She ultimately got her wish a few weeks before the start of ninth grade. Before that, not having one was a steady source of social aggravation.

After school dismissal, classmates scattered to meet up at the local Rite Aid or the Biggby’s coffee, but Victoria didn’t know which location they’d chosen and often wound up walking home alone. “That sucked,” she says. She also felt awkward when peers asked for her phone number. “Group chats actually had to be created for me, because I just had an email address,” she says. “Now that I have a phone and have Snapchat, I don’t even know how I held on to some of my close friendships before. I sort of can’t believe that I didn’t have one for so long.”

Yet moments later, Victoria doubles back. “The thing is,” she says, “On the whole, it wasn’t that bad. It wasn’t awful, but it also wasn’t the best. Yes, I hated it, but it wasn’t that bad, if that makes sense?” She tells me that she’s less addicted to her phone than her friends who have had them longer. Her younger sister has been begging for a phone, and Victoria thinks she should wait longer. “It’s beneficial,” she says, “You can get a serious addiction.”

Teenage boys I interviewed spoke less of missed plans and social awkwardness and more about craving access to gaming and the discourse that surrounds it. Nathan, 16, who lives near Sacramento, used his Apple Watch to make plans until he got his phone just before ninth grade. He only felt he was truly missing out when his friends played the highly absorbing, multiplayer video games Clash Royal and Clash of Clans before school on their phones. The games require players to create strategies with real-world and AI opponents and to chat with other players within the game. “Sometimes when I was hanging out with friends, I’d use their phones to play,” he says.

All of the kids I spoke with — those with long-delayed phones, those still waiting — seemed to have developed a dual mentality. They longed for phones and envied friends who had them. At the same time, they saw that their peers had become addicted and casually policed them in the style of exasperated parents and teachers.

“Whenever someone is bored or uncomfortable, they pull out their phone,” Greta says. “If we’re all out and everyone is on their phone sometimes, I will say ‘Get off your phone’ and get groans from my friends,” adds her sister, Molly.

Alyse lives in Astoria, Queens, and believes she is the only eighth-grader at her school without a phone. Her mother, Anna, is an educator and says that student phone use has made teaching exponentially more difficult and “zombified” the kids, which is why she’s set a strong limit for Alyse. “It’s really not that big of a deal,” Alyse tells me when I ask her if she still minds, then goes on to sound like the anti-phone adults in her orbit. “I have realized that some of my friends can’t really interact anymore without their phones, and I don’t like that. And not having a phone gives me more time to do other things. I like to read a lot.” She tells me that kids sneak onto their phones during class and keep on pulling them out even after teachers call them out on the behavior. “It shows how addicted they are.”

Next year, Alyse will commute via subway to high school and she hopes to have some kind of device for communication and safety. “With all the craziness in the world, I’d feel better,” she says. But the desire to get a phone for social reasons — which she used to feel urgently — has faded. “I have really good friends, and it doesn’t bother me. They don’t make a big thing about it.”

Then there’s Sarah, who uses they/them pronouns, is 15, and is finishing ninth grade in Manhattan. Sarah can trace the origin of their phone-free life to one fatal misstep. Sarah had an old, SIM-card-free iPhone that wasn’t connected to the internet and that they used to play games. But one day Sarah’s little brother got his hands on it and moments later, it was in the toilet. Sarah’s parents replaced the phone with an iPad, and Sarah has been asking for a real, connected phone ever since. At one point, Sarah’s parents told Sarah that if they got their grades up, they could have a phone — but Sarah never managed to meet their expectations. Over the years, Sarah has learned to live without a phone — even managing to find their way home after getting lost on the subway. And Sarah says that since high school started, they’ve never felt judged by peers for not having a phone. Middle school was different: “In eighth grade, a lot of people judged me, but that’s just middle school,” Sarah says. “My middle school was a breeding ground for bullying so, honestly, I did not care what people said back then.”

Still, Sarah can’t help imagining what their life could have been: “Maybe things would’ve turned out differently if my brother didn’t take my phone and drop it in the toilet.”

The names of some children and parents have been changed to protect their identities.

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Family: My ninth-grader has too much homework

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A: Homework has always been a struggle for students and teachers, says the Help for Families panel.

“Teachers don’t like to give a lot of homework,” says panelist Chad Stefanyak. “But they have to get through certain curriculum due to standardized testing.”

The panel agrees that five hours is too much. But it asks if your daughter is really doing homework all that time.

“She might say she is doing homework for five hours but actually is spending a lot of time texting or FaceTiming friends,” says panelist Erin Stalsitz. “Learning time management skills are crucial, and this is preparing them for college.”

Perhaps your daughter is struggling to keep up, says panelist Wanda Mercado-Arroyo.

“When a student spends too much time on homework, it may be a sign she is behind,” she says. “You may have to review her classes — and if it continues have a conversation with her teacher. She might need tutoring.”

She also may have a learning disability, Stefanyak says.

The panel suggests taking her to the doctor for a check-up to rule out any physical problems.

Homework guidelines are 15 minutes for first grade and an additional 10 minutes for each grade after that, which would mean the recommended amount of homework for a ninth-grader is 95 minutes.

Talking with her teachers also will let you know if she is having trouble with time management.

“Many assignments are online now and it’s easy for a teenager to be distracted,” says panelist Denise Continenza.

Teachers may have calendars online listing upcoming assignments. Encourage her not to procrastinate.

Help her prioritize her work and do the easiest thing first, Continenza says.

“It can be easy to be overwhelmed,” she says. “It seems less daunting when you break it down into manageable chunks.”

Stalsitz suggests you get her a calendar and help her plan her assignments, as well as larger projects to avoid cramming at the last minute.

Make sure she has balance. Students need downtime after school before starting their homework, she says.

It also is important she get enough sleep. Studies have shown that not getting enough sleep can affect grades. The American Academy of Pediatrics says the optimal amount of sleep for students age 13-18 is eight to 10 hours per night.

Stalsitz suggests you talk to the school guidance counselor about your concerns or join with other parents to form a group to address time management issues.

“It also may be that teachers are giving too much homework,” says Mercado-Arroyo. “Talk to other parents to see how other students in your daughter’s classes are handling homework. Talk to her teachers and find how how the teachers manage homework among each other.”

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Parenting experts and guest panelists who helped this week:

Pam Wallace , program coordinator for Project Child, a program of Valley Youth House.

Chad Stefanyak , school psychologist, Lehigh County.

Denise Continenza , family living specialist for Penn State’s Lehigh County Cooperative Extension, South Whitehall Township.

Wanda Mercado-Arroyo , former Lehigh Valley educator/administrator.

Erin Stalsitz , casework supervisor, Lehigh County Office of Children and Youth Services.

Help for Families is a collaboration between The Morning Call and parenting professionals brought together by Valley Youth House’s Project Child.

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A Full Guide To Homeschooling A 9th Grader

Categories Homeschooling

Whether you’re a homeschooling novice or a seasoned educator, guiding your 9th grader’s education can be exciting and challenging. We’ve crafted this article to be your go-to resource, providing insights for those just stepping into the realm of homeschooling and valuable tips for the experienced.

Homeschooling isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach, which makes it so intriguing.

It’s about tailoring education to suit your 9th grader’s unique needs and interests, fostering an environment where learning becomes a dynamic and personalized experience.

In this article, we’ll dive into practical strategies and advice, ensuring you’re equipped with the tools to navigate this style of education. From selecting the right curriculum to maintaining a healthy balance between structure and flexibility, we’re here to guide you through the intricacies of homeschooling a 9th grader.

So, let’s embark on this educational journey together, armed with insights that make the homeschooling experience not just manageable but truly enriching.

Getting Started: The Legal Bits

Getting started legally with homeschooling is a crucial step to ensure a smooth educational experience for your 9th grader. It’s not as daunting as it may seem, and we’re here to guide you through the process. Begin by researching your state’s homeschooling laws; they vary, and understanding them is key.

Familiarize yourself with required documentation, such as notification or attendance records. Depending on your location, you might need to submit an educational plan or adhere to standardized testing.

Keep in mind that compliance is not just a legal obligation but the foundation for a successful homeschooling experience. Spending time getting on board with the requirements of your state makes sure that you’re equipped with the knowledge to confidently and legally educate your 9th grader at home.

Getting Your Home Ready To Homeschool

Once you’re all set up legally, the next step is to prep your space for a successful homeschooling experience. Begin by designating a dedicated learning area – whether it’s a corner in the living room or a spare room. Keep it organized with essential supplies: notebooks, pens, and a variety of textbooks. Consider ergonomic furniture to ensure comfort during study sessions. Natural light can work wonders, so position the workspace near a window if possible.

Incorporate a visual schedule or calendar to keep everyone on track. This not only helps structure the day but also fosters a sense of routine. Don’t forget the tech essentials: a reliable computer or laptop, internet access, and any specific software or online tools recommended by your chosen curriculum. If you’re interested in offline curriculums, check out our guide here .

As you get yourself ready for this homeschooling endeavor, creating a conducive learning environment at home is key. It sets the stage for focused, productive, and enjoyable educational moments for your 9th grader.

We recommend, at this age, letting your child have a say in how the room is designed and even letting them pick out what colors you use and how the furniture gets organized. This lets them have a sense of control and individuality.

Understanding Your 9th Grader’s Learning Style

Understanding your 9th grader’s learning style is key to a successful homeschooling experience. At this age, adolescents are developing their own preferences and methods of absorbing information. Some may thrive with hands-on activities, while others prefer a more structured and visual approach. Take time to observe and communicate with your teen, discovering what engages their curiosity and sparks their enthusiasm for learning.

Experiment with various teaching methods, from interactive projects to multimedia resources, to identify the most effective way to convey concepts. Encourage discussions and provide plenty of opportunities for self-expression, as 9th graders often benefit from exploring ideas in a collaborative environment. Recognizing and adapting to your teen’s learning style not only enhances their academic performance but also fosters a positive and enjoyable atmosphere for homeschooling. Embrace the uniqueness of your 9th grader, tailoring the educational experience to suit their individual strengths and preferences.

Choosing Your Curriculum

When it comes to homeschooling your 9th grader, selecting the right curriculum sets the stage for a successful academic year. The key is finding a balance that caters to their age-specific needs, encouraging both intellectual growth and personal development.

Consider curriculums like “Time4Learning” and “Sonlight” that offer a comprehensive approach to core subjects while allowing for flexibility in pacing. These resources provide structured lessons in subjects such as math, science, literature, and history, aligning with 9th-grade educational standards.

Tailor the curriculum to your teen’s interests, ensuring they stay engaged and motivated throughout the learning process. Though you should absolutely make sure you cover broad subjects wherever you can feel free to incorporate their preferences into your sessions; after all, that’s one of the best parts of homeschooling.

As you explore your curriculum options, keep your child’s learning style and preferences, creating a customized educational experience that caters to their unique strengths and passions.

Building A Routine That Works

Building a routine tailored to your 9th grader’s needs is key to a successful homeschooling experience. Begin by establishing a consistent daily schedule that aligns with their natural rhythms. Consider their energy levels, focusing on high-concentration subjects in the morning and leaving more creative or physical activities for the afternoon.

Keep in mind that a lot of teenagers have delayed circadian rhythms, meaning that they naturally wake up later. There’s nothing wrong with holding back classes until 10 am if it means that they will be more alert when you start, rather than the zombies that adolescents are known for being first thing in the morning.

Encourage our teenager’s involvement in creating the routine; this fosters a sense of ownership and responsibility. Flexibility is crucial, allowing room for adjustments as you discover what works best. Strike a balance between structure and freedom, ensuring your routine accommodates diverse learning styles and interests.

As you fine-tune your schedule, observe what motivates and engages your 9th grader, tailoring your routine to optimize their academic growth and overall well-being.

Effective Teaching Strategies For 9th Grade

When homeschooling a 9th grader, tailoring your teaching strategies to their specific needs is crucial for a successful academic experience. At this age, students are navigating a critical phase of their education, where a balance of independence and guidance is key.

Begin by acknowledging their growing autonomy while maintaining a supportive role. Incorporating interactive and hands-on activities to engage their curiosity and foster a deeper understanding of subjects. Utilize real-world examples and applications to make lessons relevant and applicable to their lives.

Embrace technology as a tool to enhance learning, integrating educational apps, online resources, and multimedia presentations. Encourage self-directed learning by assigning projects that allow them to explore topics of personal interest. Regular check-ins and open communication are essential to understanding their progress, challenges, and evolving interests.

Standardized Tests

Addressing standardized tests is a crucial aspect of homeschooling. While education is ever-evolving, standardized tests remain a significant checkpoint. Not all states require that you perform academic tests for children, but some require them every year – others only require them in some important checkpoints, and 9th grade is usually one of them.

Ensure your curriculum aligns with test expectations, covering essential subjects. You should utilize practice tests to familiarize your 9th grader with the format and pacing, reducing anxiety on test day. Emphasize critical thinking and problem-solving skills in your teaching methods, preparing them for the nuanced challenges these assessments often present.

Remember, you have the flexibility to integrate test preparation seamlessly into your curriculum, making the learning experience both enriching and geared toward success in standardized testing.

Final Thoughts

As we come to a close, remember that homeschooling your 9th grader is a dynamic process, adapting to their unique needs. From tailoring curricula to fostering independence, you’ve embarked on a path that prioritized personalized growth. Whether you’re new to this educational approach or a seasoned homeschooler, the key lies in flexibility and ongoing communication. Stay attuned to your teenager’s evolving interests and learning style. Adjusting your methods accordingly.

Celebrate their milestones, no matter how small, and relish the progress made. Homeschooling is not just about academics – it’s about nurturing your child and preparing your 9th grader for a bright and promising future.

Further reading: How to homeschool a 7th grader .

What are the key benefits of homeschooling a 9th grader?

Homeschooling a 9th grader offers personalized learning, allowing for a tailored curriculum. With focused attention, students can grasp complex subjects better. Additionally, the flexible schedule promotes a conducive learning environment, fostering academic success and a deeper understanding of the material.

How can I balance homeschooling with socialization for my 9th grader?

Achieving a balance between homeschooling and socialization for a 9th grader involves joining homeschooling groups, sports teams, or clubs. Attend local events and community activities to ensure a well-rounded social experience. This holistic approach helps cultivate interpersonal skills and a sense of community while maintaining the benefits of homeschooling.

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How Much Homework?

Giving students an excessive amount of homework in the early grades can turn them away from learning. It also robs young children of a chance to do other activities after doing six or more hours of academic work in the classroom. It is only when children reach sixth grade that the amount of homework that they do is directly related to how well they achieve in school. Before then, the effect of homework on achievement is almost nonexistent.

Rather than discussing with individual teachers how much homework your children should have, a better approach would be to work through the parent-teacher organization to have the school establish a homework policy. Otherwise, there may be little consistency between how much homework Ms. A and Mr. B assign in third grade. This leads to some students being overburdened by assignments while others rarely do any homework. Also, as students get older and learn different subjects taught by different teachers, it's extremely important to have a school policy that spells out which days of the week individual teachers have to make homework assignments and how much daily homework is appropriate.

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These Are the Hours Your Kid Should Be Homeschooling Per Day Based on Their Grade

The pressure to homeschool is at a fever pitch, particularly as more and more states are announcing sweeping school closures until the fall. And with such polarizing guidance, it's easy for parents to look at a typical seven-hour school day and assume that they simply aren't doing enough.

In late March, the Illinois State Board of Education released "remote learning recommendations" in order to provide clarification to districts, schools, teachers, students, and parents as to what virtual education should look like during the "COVID-19 emergency."

And within this 60-page document, perhaps the most helpful section was a small chart outlining the "suggested minimum and maximum times of engagement by each student in remote learning activities." Broken down by grade level, it gives parents achievable benchmarks for how much time should be spent doing remote learning each day:

In addition to the time parameters, it also outlined how additional engagement opportunities – versus strict remote learning assignments – are especially vital for preschool and elementary grade levels, where it is not "developmentally appropriate to expect a student to attend to academic tasks for a long period of time." For those kids, the organization offered up a separate table of activities and noted that families are "encouraged" to support learning via these methods instead.

Illinois's Board of Education said it created these recommendations because it "acknowledges that all students, families, and schools are diverse and supports remote learning that meets local needs, and to the greatest extent possible, minimizes the negative impact this unprecedented moment has on our students' educational trajectories."

And although these guidelines might vary state to state, it serves as a helpful baseline for those parents who have been trying to fill full school days when they should actually be homeschooling a lot less.

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How to Homeschool Ninth Grade

If you have a 9th-grade homeschooler on your hands, welcome to the world of high school academics! High school is often the most intimidating for homeschool parents, not to mention overwhelming. The stress is understandable, though, with the apprehension of college applications looming and the pressure to ensure your teen is prepared for the real world.

Whether you are wondering how to homeschool ninth grade or you are looking for a list of what is taught in 9th grade, you’ll find a comprehensive answer here.

• What Schedule is Best for a Ninth Grader
• What Subjects are Taught in Ninth Grade

Ninth Grade Learning Objectives

Reading book list for ninth grade, ninth grade homeschooling tips & ideas, how time4learning can help you homeschool your ninth grader.

• Additional Ninth Grade Homeschooling Resources

Before you start homeschooling ninth grade, there are some steps you should take to prepare.

• Determine your state’s homeschooling requirements
• Select a curriculum
• Create a schedule
• Set learning goals
• Plan your homeschool year
• Designate a learning area in your home
• Make sure to keep a homeschool portfolio
• Assess progress

What Schedule is Best for a Ninth Grader?

How many hours should you homeschool a ninth grader? Most homeschoolers average about 4-5 hours a day, but time will truly depend on the individual student, as well as the family lifestyle.

High schoolers are often independent and may not need to begin lessons early in the morning to successfully work through their assignments for the day. Similarly, if your family is regularly engaged with co-ops, music lessons, or sports, you’ll want to plan for those appointments to help your student complete their work as needed.

Choose a schedule that works for your teen. If they need hands-on guidance, perhaps a more rigorous schedule is ideal. It is important however, to avoid overloading your student. 9th grade can come with a lot of pressure for high school coursework and electives. Regardless of your schedule preference, it’s helpful to ensure your teen has enough time to complete assignments without burning out.

Homeschooling Planner

Start planning out your homeschooling days with this free easy to use daily planner.

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What Subjects are Taught in Ninth Grade?

When you are considering how to homeschool ninth grade, you’ll need to begin by planning for the core subjects based on your state requirements. As a standard, ninth-grade students study mathematics, science, language arts, social studies, and an elective; for example, a foreign language.

While the exact courses within these subjects can vary, consider the following list if you’d like an example of what is taught in 9th grade.

• Language arts : Grammar, Vocabulary, Literature, Essay Writing
• Algebra 1 , Geometry or another high school math course
• U.S. History and Geography , World History or another high school history course
• Biology , Chemistry or another science course

Parents are always free to add studies or classes to the schedule as they see fit. Talk with your child about their interests and passion and look into college application requirements to help you select an ideal choice.

Once you’ve decided to homeschool your ninth grader and selected the courses you want to take, it’s important to set some goals to ensure your child has fully understood each concept.

It is helpful to first remember that as a new high school student, your teen is transitioning into a level of greater expectations. As a rule of thumb, for language arts, ninth-graders should expand their grammar and vocabulary while devoting a heavy focus to proper composition skills. For math, geometry or Algebra skills are standard; for science, an understanding of the scientific method; and finally, social studies should encourage an awareness of the world as a whole or the United States (depending on the course you select).

Your child’s learning objectives for ninth grade should look something like this:

• Use short stories to showcase reading, writing and listening skills.
• Demonstrate research skills while studying a specific topic.
• Research a given number of living creatures and write a report drawing ecological connections between each.
• Accurately solves problems using lines, graphs, and Algebraic equations and functions.
• Carries out and fully records science projects.
• Can interpret scientific data and communicate results.
• Demonstrates awareness of cultures other than their own.
• General maps and world globe skills.
• Can create their own timeline with the accurate recollection of important events in U.S. history.
• Research and write comparison reports on historical figures such as presidents.

High school reading lists are famous for encouraging students to develop an appreciation for the classics. It is commonly believed that classic literature teaches character and enhances reading comprehension, unlike most modern books.

A 9th grade reading list homeschool schedule should offer a challenge for your homeschool students, while also providing literary enjoyment. Here is a list of top recommendations to get started.

• Perseus by Edith Hamilton
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
• Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Combined with the Time4Learning language arts program, a classic reading list can help your ninth-grader develop an expanded vocabulary, stronger grammar, and a more advanced reading level.

Homeschooling is rooted in individuality. Consequently, your homeschool day will look very different from another family’s day. Your overall plan for the year and method depends on your home lifestyle, your student’s learning style, the family’s preferences, and more.

Keep in mind that what works well for one family may not work for another. However, success stories of how to homeschool ninth grade, will give you an idea of where to get started.

• Adapt the Schedule. Regardless of the early morning roll-call for traditional schools, as homeschoolers, you can adjust your schedule according to when your student learns best. Science proves that teens have naturally varying sleep cycles. They will learn best on their own schedule.
• Track Credit Hours. College applications will require high school transcripts with credit hours starting in ninth grade. Begin tracking these credits now to save yourself a headache. A full, two-semester course is equal to one credit, while a half-semester course or elective is equal to half a credit.
• Safeguard Technology. Cyberbullying is a real, progressively dangerous issue with technology. Your ninth grader is likely still learning how to safely research and complete their assignments online.
• Consider Volunteer Work. Colleges love applicants with a passion for the community. Encourage your ninth-grader to volunteer, whether at the library, an animal shelter, or a soup kitchen. Volunteer work can often be included as a partial credit on high school transcripts, or at least as a special mention. However, be sure to document the work and verify the requirements with your state. Beyond college applications, volunteering builds character, offers your teen life experience, and can expand their worldview.
• Research Group Electives. Oftentimes, for sports or band, public schools allow homeschool students to join the teams or classes. These credits can serve homeschool students well, especially if they have a serious interest in one of those career fields. Further, electives in a group setting may help teach teamwork skills.

Time4Learning is an award-winning choice for ninth grade homeschooling. The full curriculum has been comprehensively designed to cover essential subjects and topics while engaging the student with interactive lessons, assignments, and activities.

Beyond the student lessons, parents will enjoy the automated grading, lesson planning, record keeping, and available tools in the parent account.

Help your homeschooler reach their goals and master ninth grade learning objectives with Time4Learning. Here’s how:

• The language arts program teaches proper composition and essay writing skills with English 1.
• Students will utilize a mixture of online lessons, and recommended reading lists for a well-rounded literature experience.
• Ninth grade math covers a complete course on Algebra 1 with plenty of activities for solving problems with lines, graphs, and equations.
• Time4Learning science teaches a foundational understanding of the scientific method with biology, including projects and proper lab reports.
• Ninth graders will learn the history of generations past with a study of U.S. History 1. This social studies course encourages students to realize the sacrifice and events that have made the United States into the country it is now.
• Students can begin learning a foreign language of their choice with Time4Languages, a program powered by Rosetta Stone and available only to active Time4Learning members.
• Captivate your child’s mind with our written, spoken and visually appealing video lessons. A great choice when homeschooling children with special needs or who thrive using different learning styles .

Additional 9th Grade Homeschool Resources

Return to the 9th Grade Curriculum Overview . Or explore the our other ninth grade resources:

• Ninth-Grade Math Curriculum
• Ninth Grade ELA Language Arts Curriculum
• Ninth Grade Science Curriculum
• Ninth Grade Social Studies & History
• 9th Grade Scope & Sequence
• 9th Grade Lesson Plans

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Grade Calculator

Use this calculator to find out the grade of a course based on weighted averages. This calculator accepts both numerical as well as letter grades. It also can calculate the grade needed for the remaining assignments in order to get a desired grade for an ongoing course.

(optional) Final Grade Goal Weight of Remaining Tasks Grade Format: Points, percentage, mix Letters Weight Format: Percentage Points Show Final Grade Planning Options Final Grade Calculator Use this calculator to find out the grade needed on the final exam in order to get a desired grade in a course. It accepts letter grades, percentage grades, and other numerical inputs. Related GPA Calculator The calculators above use the following letter grades and their typical corresponding numerical equivalents based on grade points. Letter Grade GPA Percentage A+ 4.3 97-100% A 4 93-96% A- 3.7 90-92% B+ 3.3 87-89% B 3 83-86% B- 2.7 80-82% C+ 2.3 77-79% C 2 73-76% C- 1.7 70-72% D+ 1.3 67-69% D 1 63-66% D- 0.7 60-62% F 0 0-59% Brief history of different grading systems In 1785, students at Yale were ranked based on "optimi" being the highest rank, followed by second optimi, inferiore (lower), and pejores (worse). At William and Mary, students were ranked as either No. 1, or No. 2, where No. 1 represented students that were first in their class, while No. 2 represented those who were "orderly, correct and attentive." Meanwhile at Harvard, students were graded based on a numerical system from 1-200 (except for math and philosophy where 1-100 was used). Later, shortly after 1883, Harvard used a system of "Classes" where students were either Class I, II, III, IV, or V, with V representing a failing grade. All of these examples show the subjective, arbitrary, and inconsistent nature with which different institutions graded their students, demonstrating the need for a more standardized, albeit equally arbitrary grading system. In 1887, Mount Holyoke College became the first college to use letter grades similar to those commonly used today. The college used a grading scale with the letters A, B, C, D, and E, where E represented a failing grade. This grading system however, was far stricter than those commonly used today, with a failing grade being defined as anything below 75%. The college later re-defined their grading system, adding the letter F for a failing grade (still below 75%). This system of using a letter grading scale became increasingly popular within colleges and high schools, eventually leading to the letter grading systems typically used today. However, there is still significant variation regarding what may constitute an A, or whether a system uses plusses or minuses (i.e. A+ or B-), among other differences. An alternative to the letter grading system Letter grades provide an easy means to generalize a student's performance. They can be more effective than qualitative evaluations in situations where "right" or "wrong" answers can be easily quantified, such as an algebra exam, but alone may not provide a student with enough feedback in regards to an assessment like a written paper (which is much more subjective). Although a written analysis of each individual student's work may be a more effective form of feedback, there exists the argument that students and parents are unlikely to read the feedback, and that teachers do not have the time to write such an analysis. There is precedence for this type of evaluation system however, in Saint Ann's School in New York City, an arts-oriented private school that does not have a letter grading system. Instead, teachers write anecdotal reports for each student. This method of evaluation focuses on promoting learning and improvement, rather than the pursuit of a certain letter grade in a course. For better or for worse however, these types of programs constitute a minority in the United States, and though the experience may be better for the student, most institutions still use a fairly standard letter grading system that students will have to adjust to. The time investment that this type of evaluation method requires of teachers/professors is likely not viable on university campuses with hundreds of students per course. As such, although there are other high schools such as Sanborn High School that approach grading in a more qualitative way, it remains to be seen whether such grading methods can be scalable. Until then, more generalized forms of grading like the letter grading system are unlikely to be entirely replaced. However, many educators already try to create an environment that limits the role that grades play in motivating students. One could argue that a combination of these two systems would likely be the most realistic, and effective way to provide a more standardized evaluation of students, while promoting learning. Search Future Students Current Students Faculty/Staff You are here News Center In the Media Stanford Graduate School of Education 482 Galvez Mall Stanford, CA 94305-3096 Tel: (650) 723-2109 Contact Admissions GSE Leadership Site Feedback Web Accessibility Career Resources Faculty Open Positions Explore Courses Academic Calendar Office of the Registrar Cubberley Library StanfordWho StanfordYou Improving lives through learning Stanford Home Maps & Directions Search Stanford Emergency Info Terms of Use Non-Discrimination Accessibility © Stanford University , Stanford , California 94305 . 376 IMAGES How Much Homework Do American Kids Do? Infographic How Does Homework Actually Affect Student How Much Homework Should Students Have How Much Time Should Be Spent on Homework Based on Grade? How much time do you spend doing your homework Homework: More Time on Task VIDEO WHEN YOUR HOMEWORK DOES KUNG FU WHEN YOU DON'T STUDY YOUR MOM Completing my Homework-3 |CBSE 12th Grader #commerce#study#studymotivation#students#cbse#viral#reels how much homework does my teacher give me Young entrepreneurs advised to come up with innovative business startups MOTOR GRADER DOES THEIR OWN FILLING OF A SMALL RIVER FOR THE ROAD How Does JohnDeer 670Gp Grader Work on the Dangerous Foothills of the Mountains? #grader COMMENTS Students spend three times longer on homework than average, survey This means that each grade level should have a maximum homework time incrementing by 10 minutes depending on their grade level (for instance, ninth-graders would have 90 minutes of homework, 10th-graders should have 100 minutes, and so on). As 'finals week' rapidly approaches, students not only devote effort to attaining their desired exam ... Average hours spent on homework per week and percentage of 9th- through NOTE: Data are based on the responses of the parent most knowledgeable about the student's education. Data exclude students who did not do homework outside of school; in 2007, parents reported that about 7 percent of 9th- through 12th-grade students did not do homework outside of school. Total includes other racial/ethnic groups not separately ... How Much Homework Is Too Much for Our Teens? In that poll teens reported spending, on average, more than three hours on homework each school night, with 11th graders spending more time on homework than any other grade level. By contrast ... Percentage of elementary and secondary school students who do homework Table 227.40. Percentage of elementary and secondary school students who do homework, average time spent doing homework, percentage whose parents check that homework is done, and percentage whose parents help with homework, by frequency and selected characteristics: 2007, 2012, 2016, and 2019 How Much Homework Is Enough? Depends Who You Ask From kindergarten to 5th grade, it was just under three hours per week; from 6th to 8th grade, it was 3.2 hours; and from 9th to 12th grade, it was 3.5 hours. There are two points to note. What's the Right Amount of Homework? The National PTA and the National Education Association support the " 10-minute homework guideline "—a nightly 10 minutes of homework per grade level. But many teachers and parents are quick to point out that what matters is the quality of the homework assigned and how well it meets students' needs, not the amount of time spent on it. If you could estimate the amount of hours of homework you have as a 9th As others have said, it really depends on coursework and teachers and stuff. I will list the classes that I took in 9th grade, and how much I spent a night, on average, for each of them: - Math 3 Honors: I spent around 2 hours a night on this before tests, and around 30 minutes a night on normal school days. - Biology Honors Do our kids have too much homework? Cooper points to "The 10-Minute Rule" formulated by the National PTA and the National Education Association, which suggests that kids should be doing about 10 minutes of homework per night per grade level. In other words, 10 minutes for first-graders, 20 for second-graders and so on. Too much homework vs. the optimal amount How Much Time Should Be Spent on Homework? In high school students will receive four to five sets of homework per week, taking them between seventy-five and 150 minutes per set to complete. As children progress through school, homework and the amount of time engaged in homework increases in importance. Due to the significance of homework at the older age levels, it is not surprising ... How to Succeed In 9th Grade How Much Homework Do 9th Graders Get? The amount of homework that ninth-graders get varies between teachers. However, there are several challenging courses in ninth grade, and it's common to have a lot of homework each night. If this is the case, it's essential to prioritize and schedule your homework around your other commitments (sports ... Homeroom: How Much Homework Is Too Much? Email them at [email protected]. Dear Abby and Brian, My son, who is in ninth grade, is a really good student, but I'm worried he's working far too much. He does an average of five or ... How Much Homework Do American Kids Do? (e.g., A third grader would have 30 minutes of homework, while a seventh grader would have 70 minutes). ... Race plays a role in how much homework students do. How To: Choose the Right Amount of Daily Homework Despite the differences in the recommendations from these sources, the table shows broad agreement about how much homework to assign at each grade. At grades 1-3, homework should be limited to an hour or less per day, while in grades 4-6, homework should not exceed 90 minutes. The upper limit in grades 7-8 is 2 hours and the limit in high ... What's the right amount of homework for my students? This framework is also endorsed by the National Parent Teacher Association National Parent Teachers Association. According to this rule, time spent on homework each night should not exceed: 30 minutes in 3 rd grade. 40 minutes in 4 th grade. 50 minutes in 5 th grade. 9th Grade Curriculum Guide: Everything You Need to Know About 9th Grade 9th Grade Curriculum Requirements. High school curriculum requirements vary depending on the state. However, most states require students to take 3-5 years of math and language arts with 4-6 years of science. Students may also be asked to take electives such as personal finance or foreign language. The Social Lives of the Teens Who Don't Have Phones Nathan, 16, who lives near Sacramento, used his Apple Watch to make plans until he got his phone just before ninth grade. He only felt he was truly missing out when his friends played the highly absorbing, multiplayer video games Clash Royal and Clash of Clans before school on their phones. Family: My ninth-grader has too much homework Homework guidelines are 15 minutes for first grade and an additional 10 minutes for each grade after that, which would mean the recommended amount of homework for a ninth-grader is 95 minutes. A Full Guide To Homeschooling A 9th Grader When homeschooling a 9th grader, tailoring your teaching strategies to their specific needs is crucial for a successful academic experience. At this age, students are navigating a critical phase of their education, where a balance of independence and guidance is key. Begin by acknowledging their growing autonomy while maintaining a supportive role. How Much Homework? The most popular guideline for the right amount of homework is 10 minutes each night for each grade. Therefore, your first-grader should have 10 minutes of homework; it would be 30 minutes for the third-grader and 70 minutes for the seventh-grader. While guidelines are a good idea, teachers will assign work at different rates depending on what ... Homeschool Hours by Grade Chart An education board released remote learning recommendations that denote minimum and maximum hours per day kids should spend on school work by grade level. How to Homeschool Ninth Grade Before you start homeschooling ninth grade, there are some steps you should take to prepare. Determine your state's homeschooling requirements. Select a curriculum. Create a schedule. Set learning goals. Plan your homeschool year. Designate a learning area in your home. Make sure to keep a homeschool portfolio. Assess progress. Grade Calculator Final Grade Calculator. Use this calculator to find out the grade needed on the final exam in order to get a desired grade in a course. It accepts letter grades, percentage grades, and other numerical inputs. The calculators above use the following letter grades and their typical corresponding numerical equivalents based on grade points. PDF FAQ's 2021 Website Yes, you may choose to take art. However, in the 9th grade all students take the Introduction to Arts at BHSEC. They will take half a semester of visual art, dance, theater, and music. 4. How many hours of homework is typical of a 9 t h grade student? This is dependent on the teachers you have and your work ethic. But many current 9th graders ... In the Media Stanford Graduate School of Education. 482 Galvez Mall Stanford, CA 94305-3096 Tel: (650) 723-2109 assignment essay homework paper phd report resume speech thesis