In his book The Homework Myth, writer and researcher Alfie Kohn concludes, “There is no evidence of any academic benefit from homework in elementary school." There is clear evidence on a related point though: Reading self-selected material boosts literacy.

Why should elementary students have homework?

A child working on homework. Proponents of homework say that it improves student achievement and allows for independent learning of classroom and life skills. They also say that homework gives parents the opportunity to monitor their child's learning and see how they are progressing academically.

Should primary school students have homework?

Overall the general benefits are likely to be modest if homework is more routinely set. ... Both reviews concluded that there was little evidence that homework improves academic performance for primary school students, but noted that homework could have other benefits, such as promoting parental engagement.