What’s the Right Amount of Homework Time for Middle School Students? 

One child finishes his/her homework in 30 minutes, while another child takes 2 hours. Why is homework time so confusing to parents, especially knowing what is the “normal” homework time for middle school students? Homework time cannot be lumped together into one size fits all because all students have different time management skills.  

What Experts Recommend 

The most common homework practice is the “10-minute rule.” For each grade level, it is recommended (but not mandated) to have 10 minutes of homework.  

For example: 

• 6th grade = 60 minutes
• 7th grade = 70 minutes
• 8th grade = 80 minutes 

Some schools assign more than this amount, making it hard to enforce as a parent. It is important to recognize what the assigned homework is and what the actual homework time required is.  

Why Does Homework Time Vary So Much? 

Some students may work more slowly and thoroughly or have different study techniques. Because of this, we have student factors that play into the homework time, varying from student to student. Focus and attention span, academic strengths and struggles, and perfectionism vs “get it done” mindset are all contributing student factors on why homework time varies.  

We also need to consider the course load. An Honors class or project-based classroom requires students to spend more time on their homework. Highly active and involved students also may find the homework time takes longer because they have sports practice, activities or a family schedule that impacts how efficiently they complete their homework.  

Homework and Time Management 

Time management is a critical middle school skill that is important for homework completion. Because middle school is an opportunity to learn and master these skills for high school, making this a priority now will give students success later.  

How Parents Can Support Better Homework Habits  

Help your student be successful with the following strategies: 

• Set a consistent homework routine-same time each day.
• Create a distraction-reduced environment.
• Encourage time awareness with timers, chunking, breaking up into smaller tasks.
• Give students independence with their homework.
• Communicate with teachers as needed. 

When to Be Concerned (and What to Do Next) 

If you find your student needs consistent support from you, homework is taking 2-3 hours, they comment they don’t have homework but then have late assignments, and/or frequent stress late at night, have a check-in with your child’s teacher to address a possible academic gap and/or to receive support. Students may be facing organizational challenges or an overloaded schedule and should be taken into consideration.  

Remember that the goal is to build strong homework and time management skills and focus less on the time. We want to shift the way we view homework to how effectively your student uses his/her time.