what means down with homework

Homework Policy Still Going Strong

• Posted January 15, 2014
• By Lory Hough

It's become one of those stories that has legs. Two years after we ran a feature story on whether schools should assign homework, we're still receiving letters to the editor and new tweets. On the Ed. site, the story has consistently been one of the most shared.

" Are You Down With or Done With Homework ?" featured Stephanie Brant, principal of Gaithersburg Elementary School in Gaithersburg, Md., who got rid of nightly homework in exchange for nightly reading and longer projects. At the time, Brant was just a few months into the homework change. Since the story in Ed. continues to spark so much interest among readers, we asked Brant if the policy was still in place, how it was going, and whether she had been approached by other media.

"Absolutely," she says, noting that The Washington Post , Family magazine, msn living, and The Huffington Post contacted her, as did several principals and school boards, asking if they could visit the school.

And the policy continues. "What's changed is the culture and community that we created," she says. "We've really built a culture of reading, at school and at home." Of course, some parents, especially new parents, still ask questions. "They ask, 'My child isn't doing math homework?' And I get it. I'm a parent, too."

But now, instead of reassuring them with talk of what she hopes will happen, she can tell them what has happened — students are making progress.

"The majority of our kids don't go to preschool. Now, since the policy, the majority of them leave kindergarten reading," she says. "At the end of the last school year, we looked at every student who started reading below grade level. Every one of them has risen at least 1.2 levels in growth. We've also had kids who grew 10 and 11 grade levels in one year."

Brant has made it easy for kids to embrace the new reading culture. Not only does she give them the time at home to read by not assigning other homework, but she also makes books readily available: Around school, there are book baskets in the halls. During the summer, in her gray Acura RDX, she becomes a one-woman bookmobile, driving around the city twice a week, giving out free books to kids — some donated, many that she paid for herself.

It's exactly what Brant wanted when she changed the homework policy. "Reading here has become the norm," she says. "My hope when I started this was to make reading a habit. Students who read become adults who read."

Are You Down With or Done With Homework?

Ed. Magazine

The magazine of the Harvard Graduate School of Education

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The Case for Homework

Question of the day: Are you down with, or done with, homework?

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The headline’s question prefaces an article in a Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education academic journal about the inadequacies of homework. Principals are getting rid of homework , asking students to relax and read at home. If students and parents insist on tasks connecting home and schoolwork, they can review the day’s academics together.

A survey making the rounds of parents and students in the Issaquah School District aims to gauge how families view homework. Is the work sent home with students relevant to what they are learning in class or just “busy work.”Does homework over holiday breaks defeat the purpose of a school break?

I view the backlash against homework as coming full circle from the efforts fueled by reports like  A Nation at Risk , which raised the alarm in 1983 about a “rising tide of  mediocrity” in American schools, calling for more academic rigor and schoolwork. The two arguments are not mutually exclusive. Academic rigor is essential. But that doesn’t mean homework serves as an expression of higher standards.

 Alfie Kohn, author of The Myth of Homework and a strong believer in  eliminating all homework, writes that, “The fact that there isn’t anything close  to unanimity among experts belies the widespread assumption that homework  helps.” At best, he says, homework shows only an association, not a causal  relationship, with academic achievement.

The 2006 book, “The Case Against Homework: How Homework is hurting our Children and What We Can Do About It,” offers a few questions teachers should use as a standard: Does assigning 50 math problems accomplish any more than assigning five? Is memorizing word lists the best way to increase vocabulary—especially when it takes away from reading time? There are more questions but I think that gets at the crux of how teachers could approach homework.

And then there’s author of award-winning, “Doing School: How We Are Creating a Generation of Stressed Out, Materialistic, and Miseducated Students.” Dr. Pope was also a featured expert in the acclaimed documentary, Race To Nowhere.

Are you satisfied with the amount and quality of homework given to your child? Any conversations or debate about homework in your school district?

Update: local parents speak out about homework:    Leslie Warrick, who is working on the Issaquah homework survey says: “We surveyed our Middle School students, the results point to math and rarely science as relevant homework.  Most students have a minimum of 1-2 hours per day of homework, few have less than that, and the other have over 2 hours.  Yes, homework is assigned over weekends and breaks (with large tests just after break).  Any afterschool activity = significant rise in stress and lack of sleep and tension in the home.  I have the results and will share the specifics at out (Pacific Cascade Middle School) Homework Forum that is open to all parents, students, and teachers.  We will share our feedback with our district.”

It does not change the educational landscape very much if only one or two high-performing districts engage on homework. To that point, Warrick says: “I can only hope that other districts are open enough to engage in meaningful dialogue with the community they serve. I understand the concept of preparing our students for the “real world”; we don’t just leave our work at the workplace anymore…perhaps instead of the onslaught of assignments on a daily basis, there could be more projects that could teach time management with due dates that have some leeway.  This would in turn allow for some flexible use of time during the week.”

Amen.  Another parent, who did not want to be named, talked about the need for balance.

I’m not against homework at all.  I think if done right, it can most defiantly reinforce what you are learning in class.  I am a proponent of quality over quantity for sure.  I have a child in a few “advanced” classes and sometimes I think there is a perception that throwing more work at a gifted student is good for them, keeps them engaged.  Not always.  They get just as irritated with “busy work” as anyone else.  For example, in a science work packet I can be ok with the crossword puzzle on the given subject–you have to look those answers up, so there is material to be learned.  Where as I disagree with a word search at the middle school level, that is busy work.  Also, I am dumbfounded when my child is struggling with a subject and I ask her to look it up in her text book only to hear “our text book has nothing to do with this subject, it’s not in there” or, ok you’re struggling look over your notes from class and try to remember what your teacher said about this and the response is “I can’t, we’re not even talking about this subject in class!”  What?!?  Then why is it homework?

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I’m not opposed to homework on weekends, as long as it falls within a reasonable level, such as that given on a nightly basis.  What I am opposed to is a big assignment given on a Friday and due on Monday.  For example a 12 slide power point that took 5+ hours on a weekend to complete. 

The clincher for some parents:

 Homework over breaks and big tests given within days of returning from a school scheduled vacation (winter break, mid-winter break, spring break etc…) where there will be no choice but to study for said test, I am very opposed to!  It is a break, let them have it!!  Do you as a teacher want to grade my child’s papers over your break?  No, probably not, and you probably won’t.  We’ve occasionally ran into teachers at the airport heading out of town for break, I have never seen them with a briefcase full of papers to grade, yet my kid is lugging around your classes text book so they can work over break for you.  Seem equatable? There is nothing more disappointing than paying thousands of dollars for a much needed family vacation, than to watch your kid pack a text book and note cards into their carry-on!  That’s going to be fun to have that hanging over your head all break, not to mention putting me as the parent in the position to have to ask about that studying or homework (nag maybe?).  Really, the whole family suffers.  Even if you are not heading out of town, these kids need down time.  It’s a time to sleep in, re-connect with family and friends, goof around, be silly, READ!  Now, if you are choosing to take time off outside of a school scheduled break, that is your problem and you should expect consequences. 

Has homework become the scapegoat for overscheduled kids?

 I’ve heard the argument from educators that we as parents are putting our kids in too many extracurricular activities.  That is absolutely true in many cases.  Here’s the rub though:  we all know how this game is played, what it takes to get your kid into a good (if not top) university.  Yep, I said it UNIVERSITY, you have to think about these things early…don’t pretend you don’t.  Every university admissions officer has said they don’t care to see you started volunteering and playing baseball your junior year of high school, that was obviously done for your college application.  What they want to see is commitment, and leadership…well that starts early.  Not to mention our kids (for the most part, if you’re doing it right) enjoy the activities they do outside of school.  Gasp, that’s right I said they like them!  Girl Scouts, and volleyball, and soccer, and book club, and volunteering, and dance, and art, and basketball are FUN!  Sometimes we forget about fun, and that’s sad.  We’re supposed to be raising well rounded, productive, kind members of society…sometimes I think all we’re raising are “grinders”.  How will our kids ever know what they love, what their passion is, unless they get out there and try all kinds of different things?  

 Let’s not turn their extracurricular activities into a stresser for them.  They need, and enjoy those outside of school activities.  I’ve seen my kid look at tournament schedules for the month, and see 2-day tournaments and weekend away games to new places on the horizon, and I can see the wheels turning “how is that going to happen with my work load, what if there is a big assignment given over that weekend?”.  I remember when my kid was chosen for a club/select level team her new coach said “you never know, maybe you might even get to miss a day of school to travel and play somewhere fun!”.  My kiddo turned to me shook her head, and said no way am I missing any school!

And finally:

As a parent I don’t need to see hours of homework a night to believe and prove my student is working hard in school.  I can tell that already.  I don’t need to see tons of homework for me to believe you’re doing a good job as a teacher, I can already tell that for myself.  A little flexibility would be wonderful, so maybe you can do something on the spur of the moment, when something extra special pops up.  Our kids are gone off on their own way too soon, families need to be able to make memories together.  Those are the ties that bind, not an extra 45 minutes of homework.

What are your thoughts about homework?

Does homework really work?

by: Leslie Crawford | Updated: December 12, 2023

Print article

You know the drill. It’s 10:15 p.m., and the cardboard-and-toothpick Golden Gate Bridge is collapsing. The pages of polynomials have been abandoned. The paper on the Battle of Waterloo seems to have frozen in time with Napoleon lingering eternally over his breakfast at Le Caillou. Then come the tears and tantrums — while we parents wonder, Does the gain merit all this pain? Is this just too much homework?

However the drama unfolds night after night, year after year, most parents hold on to the hope that homework (after soccer games, dinner, flute practice, and, oh yes, that childhood pastime of yore known as playing) advances their children academically.

But what does homework really do for kids? Is the forest’s worth of book reports and math and spelling sheets the average American student completes in their 12 years of primary schooling making a difference? Or is it just busywork?

Homework haterz

Whether or not homework helps, or even hurts, depends on who you ask. If you ask my 12-year-old son, Sam, he’ll say, “Homework doesn’t help anything. It makes kids stressed-out and tired and makes them hate school more.”

Nothing more than common kid bellyaching?

Maybe, but in the fractious field of homework studies, it’s worth noting that Sam’s sentiments nicely synopsize one side of the ivory tower debate. Books like The End of Homework , The Homework Myth , and The Case Against Homework the film Race to Nowhere , and the anguished parent essay “ My Daughter’s Homework is Killing Me ” make the case that homework, by taking away precious family time and putting kids under unneeded pressure, is an ineffective way to help children become better learners and thinkers.

One Canadian couple took their homework apostasy all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada. After arguing that there was no evidence that it improved academic performance, they won a ruling that exempted their two children from all homework.

So what’s the real relationship between homework and academic achievement?

How much is too much?

To answer this question, researchers have been doing their homework on homework, conducting and examining hundreds of studies. Chris Drew Ph.D., founder and editor at The Helpful Professor recently compiled multiple statistics revealing the folly of today’s after-school busy work. Does any of the data he listed below ring true for you?

• 45 percent of parents think homework is too easy for their child, primarily because it is geared to the lowest standard under the Common Core State Standards .

• 74 percent of students say homework is a source of stress , defined as headaches, exhaustion, sleep deprivation, weight loss, and stomach problems.

• Students in high-performing high schools spend an average of 3.1 hours a night on homework , even though 1 to 2 hours is the optimal duration, according to a peer-reviewed study .

Not included in the list above is the fact many kids have to abandon activities they love — like sports and clubs — because homework deprives them of the needed time to enjoy themselves with other pursuits.

Conversely, The Helpful Professor does list a few pros of homework, noting it teaches discipline and time management, and helps parents know what’s being taught in the class.

The oft-bandied rule on homework quantity — 10 minutes a night per grade (starting from between 10 to 20 minutes in first grade) — is listed on the National Education Association’s website and the National Parent Teacher Association’s website , but few schools follow this rule.

Do you think your child is doing excessive homework? Harris Cooper Ph.D., author of a meta-study on homework , recommends talking with the teacher. “Often there is a miscommunication about the goals of homework assignments,” he says. “What appears to be problematic for kids, why they are doing an assignment, can be cleared up with a conversation.” Also, Cooper suggests taking a careful look at how your child is doing the assignments. It may seem like they’re taking two hours, but maybe your child is wandering off frequently to get a snack or getting distracted.

Less is often more

If your child is dutifully doing their work but still burning the midnight oil, it’s worth intervening to make sure your child gets enough sleep. A 2012 study of 535 high school students found that proper sleep may be far more essential to brain and body development.

For elementary school-age children, Cooper’s research at Duke University shows there is no measurable academic advantage to homework. For middle-schoolers, Cooper found there is a direct correlation between homework and achievement if assignments last between one to two hours per night. After two hours, however, achievement doesn’t improve. For high schoolers, Cooper’s research suggests that two hours per night is optimal. If teens have more than two hours of homework a night, their academic success flatlines. But less is not better. The average high school student doing homework outperformed 69 percent of the students in a class with no homework.

Many schools are starting to act on this research. A Florida superintendent abolished homework in her 42,000 student district, replacing it with 20 minutes of nightly reading. She attributed her decision to “ solid research about what works best in improving academic achievement in students .”

More family time

A 2020 survey by Crayola Experience reports 82 percent of children complain they don’t have enough quality time with their parents. Homework deserves much of the blame. “Kids should have a chance to just be kids and do things they enjoy, particularly after spending six hours a day in school,” says Alfie Kohn, author of The Homework Myth . “It’s absurd to insist that children must be engaged in constructive activities right up until their heads hit the pillow.”

By far, the best replacement for homework — for both parents and children — is bonding, relaxing time together.

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11 Ways to Deal With Homework Overload

Last Updated: May 6, 2024 Fact Checked

Making a Plan

Staying motivated, starting good homework habits, expert q&a.

This article was co-authored by Jennifer Kaifesh . Jennifer Kaifesh is the Founder of Great Expectations College Prep, a tutoring and counseling service based in Southern California. Jennifer has over 15 years of experience managing and facilitating academic tutoring and standardized test prep as it relates to the college application process. She takes a personal approach to her tutoring, and focuses on working with students to find their specific mix of pursuits that they both enjoy and excel at. She is a graduate of Northwestern University. There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 253,642 times.

A pile of homework can seem daunting, but it’s doable if you make a plan. Make a list of everything you need to do, and work your way through, starting with the most difficult assignments. Focus on your homework and tune out distractions, and you’ll get through things more efficiently. Giving yourself breaks and other rewards will help you stay motivated along the way. Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you get stuck! Hang in there, and you’ll knock the homework out before you know it.

Things You Should Know

• Create a checklist of everything you have to do, making sure to include deadlines and which assignments are a top priority.
• Take a 15-minute break for every 2 hours of studying. This can give your mind a break and help you feel more focused.
• Make a schedule of when you plan on doing your homework and try to stick to it. This way, you won’t feel too overwhelmed as the assignments roll in.

• Make a plan to go through your work bit by bit, saving the easiest tasks for last.

• Put phones and any other distractions away. If you have to do your homework on a computer, avoid checking your email or social media while you are trying to work.
• Consider letting your family (or at least your parents) know where and when you plan to do homework, so they'll know to be considerate and only interrupt if necessary.

• If you have the option to do your homework in a study hall, library, or other place where there might be tutors, go for it. That way, there will be help around if you need it. You'll also likely wind up with more free time if you can get work done in school.

• To take a break, get up and move away from your workspace. Walk around a bit, and get a drink or snack.
• Moving around will recharge you mentally, physically, and spiritually, so you’re ready to tackle the next part of your homework.

• For instance, you might write “I need to do this chemistry homework because I want a good average in the class. That will raise my GPA and help me stay eligible for the basketball team and get my diploma.”
• Your goals might also look something like “I’m going to write this history paper because I want to get better as a writer. Knowing how to write well and make a good argument will help me when I’m trying to enter law school, and then down the road when I hope to become a successful attorney.”

• Try doing your homework as soon as possible after it is assigned. Say you have one set of classes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and another on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Do the Monday homework on Monday, instead of putting it off until Tuesday.
• That way, the class will still be fresh in your mind, making the homework easier.
• This also gives you time to ask for help if there’s something you don’t understand.

• If you want to keep everyone accountable, write a pact for everyone in your study group to sign, like “I agree to spend 2 hours on Monday and Wednesday afternoons with my study group. I will use that time just for working, and won’t give in to distractions or playing around.”
• Once everyone’s gotten through the homework, there’s no problem with hanging out.

• Most teachers are willing to listen if you’re trying and legitimately have trouble keeping up. They might even adjust the homework assignments to make them more manageable.

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• ↑ https://www.understood.org/en/articles/homework-strategies
• ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/homework.html
• ↑ https://kidshelpline.com.au/kids/tips/dealing-with-homework
• ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/focused.html
• ↑ http://www.aiuniv.edu/blog/august-2014/tips-for-fighting-homework-fatigue
• ↑ http://kidshealth.org/en/parents/homework.html
• ↑ https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/study-partners/

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5 Tips for Dealing with “Too Much” Homework

In the case of unreasonable “commitments,” you’re procrastinating doing your homework, but of course, there are people who genuinely are overwhelmed by their homework. With that in mind, how do you manage your time to get it all done? The following are five tips for any student (current or prospective) who’s struggling with getting their workload completed on time.

1. Don’t be a perfectionist

There’s an old principle of Pareto’s that’s been adapted to business (specifically management) called the 80-20 rule. The idea is that 80% of your results, come from 20% of your efforts. Think about that. When you tackle an assignment for school, are you trying to make everything perfect? Remember that you’re a student, no one is expecting you to be perfect, you’re in school to get better; you’re supposed to be a work in progress.

As a result, what may feel like “too much” homework, might really be you tackling assignments “too well.” For instance, there’s a reason “speed reading” is a skill that’s encouraged. A textbook is not a work of literature where every sentence means something, it’s okay to skim or, in some cases, skip whole paragraphs – the last paragraph just recaps what you read anyway.

Moreover, many schools or classes curve their grades. So an 80% could be a 100% in your class.

2. Do your homework as soon as it’s assigned to you

Due to the nature of college schedules, students often have classes MWF and different classes on Tuesday and Thursday. As a result, they do their MWF homework on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday in preparation for the following day. Rather than do that. Do your Monday homework, Monday; Tuesday homework, Tuesday; Wednesday homework, Wednesday and so on.

The reason for this is manifold. First of all, the class and the assignment are fresh in your mind – this is especially critical for anything math related to those who are less math-minded. So do the assignment after the class. Chances are, it’ll be much easier to complete.

The second reason is because if you have a question about Monday’s homework and you’re working on it on Monday night, then guess what? You can contact your professor (or a friend) Tuesday for help or clarification. Whereas if you’re completing Monday’s homework on a Tuesday night, you’re out of luck. This can assuage a lot of the stress that comes from too much homework.

This flows into the third reason which is that, rather than having a chunk of homework to do the day before its due, you’re doing a little at a time frequently. This is a basic time management tactic where, if you finish tasks as they’re assigned instead of letting them pile up, you avoid that mental blockade of feeling like there’s “too much” for you to do in the finite amount of time given.

3. Eliminate distractions

All too often, students sit down to do homework and then receive a text, and then another, and then hop on Facebook, and then comment on something, and then take a break. Before they’re aware of it, hours have passed.

The best way to overcome this is to create a workspace. Traditionally, many students go to the library, but there’s no reason you cannot create your own workspace elsewhere. Maybe head to a coffee shop, fold up the backseats of your car, or develop a space in your room for you to specifically to focus on your homework.

If you give your homework 100% of your attention, it’ll pass by more quickly. Regardless of whether you’re writing a paper or working on a math equation, it’s harder to complete any portion of it with interruptions. If you stop writing mid-sentence to answer a text, then you may wonder where you were taking that trail of thought; if you stop a math problem midway through, then you’ll end up going back over the equation, redoing your work, to figure it out.

Eliminating distractions can save you a great deal of time, so find your space.

4. Track your time

Really track it. There are plenty of free sites and apps that will monitor your time. If you can’t (or don’t) eliminate all your distractions, then start clocking where your time is going. Chances are, you’ll be able to cut something that’s draining your hours, out of your schedule.

This is the nature of the internet, social media sites, and games on your phone, usually you use them in micromoments; moments that too small or too insignificant to really be eating up your time, but they do. All too often, students find themselves wondering “where did the time go?” and have difficulty actually placing how much time was spent where or doing what. Time yourself and, more importantly, reserve time to do your homework or reading.

The other benefit of this is that once you start tracking your time, you’ll be able to quantify the problem and manage your time more appropriately. For instance, if a particular class averages 45 minutes of homework, then you know how much time is required to budget into your schedule. Meanwhile, if another class is regularly exceeding three hours, then you may want to consider a tutor or discussing the issue with your professor directly.

5. Accept homework

Homework is a responsibility; it’s a chore. And in the same way that many people don’t take out the trash until it needs to be taken out; many people don’t start homework until it needs to be finished. This is a problem of attitude towards homework more than anything else.

It’s what makes many students feel like there’s “too much” homework, when in actuality, they feel that way because they put off doing it until they absolutely need to do it. As a result, try to change your mode of thinking. Instead of thinking about the volume of reading and writing, accept that it needs to get done. This way, you’re less concerned with the consequences of not doing homework, and more willing to actually get it done.

Hopefully, these five tips will help you in your academic career. Time management is not an easy skill to learn, but once you’ve established it in your life, it will help immensely.

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Definition of homework

Examples of homework in a sentence.

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'homework.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

1662, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Dictionary Entries Near homework

Cite this entry.

“Homework.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/homework. Accessed 14 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

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Nobody knows what the point of homework is

The homework wars are back.

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As the Covid-19 pandemic began and students logged into their remote classrooms, all work, in effect, became homework. But whether or not students could complete it at home varied. For some, schoolwork became public-library work or McDonald’s-parking-lot work.

Luis Torres, the principal of PS 55, a predominantly low-income community elementary school in the south Bronx, told me that his school secured Chromebooks for students early in the pandemic only to learn that some lived in shelters that blocked wifi for security reasons. Others, who lived in housing projects with poor internet reception, did their schoolwork in laundromats.

According to a 2021 Pew survey , 25 percent of lower-income parents said their children, at some point, were unable to complete their schoolwork because they couldn’t access a computer at home; that number for upper-income parents was 2 percent.

The issues with remote learning in March 2020 were new. But they highlighted a divide that had been there all along in another form: homework. And even long after schools have resumed in-person classes, the pandemic’s effects on homework have lingered.

Over the past three years, in response to concerns about equity, schools across the country, including in Sacramento, Los Angeles , San Diego , and Clark County, Nevada , made permanent changes to their homework policies that restricted how much homework could be given and how it could be graded after in-person learning resumed.

Three years into the pandemic, as districts and teachers reckon with Covid-era overhauls of teaching and learning, schools are still reconsidering the purpose and place of homework. Whether relaxing homework expectations helps level the playing field between students or harms them by decreasing rigor is a divisive issue without conclusive evidence on either side, echoing other debates in education like the elimination of standardized test scores from some colleges’ admissions processes.

I first began to wonder if the homework abolition movement made sense after speaking with teachers in some Massachusetts public schools, who argued that rather than help disadvantaged kids, stringent homework restrictions communicated an attitude of low expectations. One, an English teacher, said she felt the school had “just given up” on trying to get the students to do work; another argued that restrictions that prohibit teachers from assigning take-home work that doesn’t begin in class made it difficult to get through the foreign-language curriculum. Teachers in other districts have raised formal concerns about homework abolition’s ability to close gaps among students rather than widening them.

Many education experts share this view. Harris Cooper, a professor emeritus of psychology at Duke who has studied homework efficacy, likened homework abolition to “playing to the lowest common denominator.”

But as I learned after talking to a variety of stakeholders — from homework researchers to policymakers to parents of schoolchildren — whether to abolish homework probably isn’t the right question. More important is what kind of work students are sent home with and where they can complete it. Chances are, if schools think more deeply about giving constructive work, time spent on homework will come down regardless.

There’s no consensus on whether homework works

The rise of the no-homework movement during the Covid-19 pandemic tapped into long-running disagreements over homework’s impact on students. The purpose and effectiveness of homework have been disputed for well over a century. In 1901, for instance, California banned homework for students up to age 15, and limited it for older students, over concerns that it endangered children’s mental and physical health. The newest iteration of the anti-homework argument contends that the current practice punishes students who lack support and rewards those with more resources, reinforcing the “myth of meritocracy.”

But there is still no research consensus on homework’s effectiveness; no one can seem to agree on what the right metrics are. Much of the debate relies on anecdotes, intuition, or speculation.

Researchers disagree even on how much research exists on the value of homework. Kathleen Budge, the co-author of Turning High-Poverty Schools Into High-Performing Schools and a professor at Boise State, told me that homework “has been greatly researched.” Denise Pope, a Stanford lecturer and leader of the education nonprofit Challenge Success, said, “It’s not a highly researched area because of some of the methodological problems.”

Experts who are more sympathetic to take-home assignments generally support the “10-minute rule,” a framework that estimates the ideal amount of homework on any given night by multiplying the student’s grade by 10 minutes. (A ninth grader, for example, would have about 90 minutes of work a night.) Homework proponents argue that while it is difficult to design randomized control studies to test homework’s effectiveness, the vast majority of existing studies show a strong positive correlation between homework and high academic achievement for middle and high school students. Prominent critics of homework argue that these correlational studies are unreliable and point to studies that suggest a neutral or negative effect on student performance. Both agree there is little to no evidence for homework’s effectiveness at an elementary school level, though proponents often argue that it builds constructive habits for the future.

For anyone who remembers homework assignments from both good and bad teachers, this fundamental disagreement might not be surprising. Some homework is pointless and frustrating to complete. Every week during my senior year of high school, I had to analyze a poem for English and decorate it with images found on Google; my most distinct memory from that class is receiving a demoralizing 25-point deduction because I failed to present my analysis on a poster board. Other assignments really do help students learn: After making an adapted version of Chairman Mao’s Little Red Book for a ninth grade history project, I was inspired to check out from the library and read a biography of the Chinese ruler.

For homework opponents, the first example is more likely to resonate. “We’re all familiar with the negative effects of homework: stress, exhaustion, family conflict, less time for other activities, diminished interest in learning,” Alfie Kohn, author of The Homework Myth, which challenges common justifications for homework, told me in an email. “And these effects may be most pronounced among low-income students.” Kohn believes that schools should make permanent any moratoria implemented during the pandemic, arguing that there are no positives at all to outweigh homework’s downsides. Recent studies , he argues , show the benefits may not even materialize during high school.

In the Marlborough Public Schools, a suburban district 45 minutes west of Boston, school policy committee chair Katherine Hennessy described getting kids to complete their homework during remote education as “a challenge, to say the least.” Teachers found that students who spent all day on their computers didn’t want to spend more time online when the day was over. So, for a few months, the school relaxed the usual practice and teachers slashed the quantity of nightly homework.

Online learning made the preexisting divides between students more apparent, she said. Many students, even during normal circumstances, lacked resources to keep them on track and focused on completing take-home assignments. Though Marlborough Schools is more affluent than PS 55, Hennessy said many students had parents whose work schedules left them unable to provide homework help in the evenings. The experience tracked with a common divide in the country between children of different socioeconomic backgrounds.

So in October 2021, months after the homework reduction began, the Marlborough committee made a change to the district’s policy. While teachers could still give homework, the assignments had to begin as classwork. And though teachers could acknowledge homework completion in a student’s participation grade, they couldn’t count homework as its own grading category. “Rigorous learning in the classroom does not mean that that classwork must be assigned every night,” the policy stated . “Extensions of class work is not to be used to teach new content or as a form of punishment.”

Canceling homework might not do anything for the achievement gap

The critiques of homework are valid as far as they go, but at a certain point, arguments against homework can defy the commonsense idea that to retain what they’re learning, students need to practice it.

“Doesn’t a kid become a better reader if he reads more? Doesn’t a kid learn his math facts better if he practices them?” said Cathy Vatterott, an education researcher and professor emeritus at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. After decades of research, she said it’s still hard to isolate the value of homework, but that doesn’t mean it should be abandoned.

Blanket vilification of homework can also conflate the unique challenges facing disadvantaged students as compared to affluent ones, which could have different solutions. “The kids in the low-income schools are being hurt because they’re being graded, unfairly, on time they just don’t have to do this stuff,” Pope told me. “And they’re still being held accountable for turning in assignments, whether they’re meaningful or not.” On the other side, “Palo Alto kids” — students in Silicon Valley’s stereotypically pressure-cooker public schools — “are just bombarded and overloaded and trying to stay above water.”

Merely getting rid of homework doesn’t solve either problem. The United States already has the second-highest disparity among OECD (the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) nations between time spent on homework by students of high and low socioeconomic status — a difference of more than three hours, said Janine Bempechat, clinical professor at Boston University and author of No More Mindless Homework .

When she interviewed teachers in Boston-area schools that had cut homework before the pandemic, Bempechat told me, “What they saw immediately was parents who could afford it immediately enrolled their children in the Russian School of Mathematics,” a math-enrichment program whose tuition ranges from $140 to about $400 a month. Getting rid of homework “does nothing for equity; it increases the opportunity gap between wealthier and less wealthy families,” she said. “That solution troubles me because it’s no solution at all.”

A group of teachers at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia, made the same point after the school district proposed an overhaul of its homework policies, including removing penalties for missing homework deadlines, allowing unlimited retakes, and prohibiting grading of homework.

“Given the emphasis on equity in today’s education systems,” they wrote in a letter to the school board, “we believe that some of the proposed changes will actually have a detrimental impact towards achieving this goal. Families that have means could still provide challenging and engaging academic experiences for their children and will continue to do so, especially if their children are not experiencing expected rigor in the classroom.” At a school where more than a third of students are low-income, the teachers argued, the policies would prompt students “to expect the least of themselves in terms of effort, results, and responsibility.”

Not all homework is created equal

Despite their opposing sides in the homework wars, most of the researchers I spoke to made a lot of the same points. Both Bempechat and Pope were quick to bring up how parents and schools confuse rigor with workload, treating the volume of assignments as a proxy for quality of learning. Bempechat, who is known for defending homework, has written extensively about how plenty of it lacks clear purpose, requires the purchasing of unnecessary supplies, and takes longer than it needs to. Likewise, when Pope instructs graduate-level classes on curriculum, she asks her students to think about the larger purpose they’re trying to achieve with homework: If they can get the job done in the classroom, there’s no point in sending home more work.

At its best, pandemic-era teaching facilitated that last approach. Honolulu-based teacher Christina Torres Cawdery told me that, early in the pandemic, she often had a cohort of kids in her classroom for four hours straight, as her school tried to avoid too much commingling. She couldn’t lecture for four hours, so she gave the students plenty of time to complete independent and project-based work. At the end of most school days, she didn’t feel the need to send them home with more to do.

A similar limited-homework philosophy worked at a public middle school in Chelsea, Massachusetts. A couple of teachers there turned as much class as possible into an opportunity for small-group practice, allowing kids to work on problems that traditionally would be assigned for homework, Jessica Flick, a math coach who leads department meetings at the school, told me. It was inspired by a philosophy pioneered by Simon Fraser University professor Peter Liljedahl, whose influential book Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics reframes homework as “check-your-understanding questions” rather than as compulsory work. Last year, Flick found that the two eighth grade classes whose teachers adopted this strategy performed the best on state tests, and this year, she has encouraged other teachers to implement it.

Teachers know that plenty of homework is tedious and unproductive. Jeannemarie Dawson De Quiroz, who has taught for more than 20 years in low-income Boston and Los Angeles pilot and charter schools, says that in her first years on the job she frequently assigned “drill and kill” tasks and questions that she now feels unfairly stumped students. She said designing good homework wasn’t part of her teaching programs, nor was it meaningfully discussed in professional development. With more experience, she turned as much class time as she could into practice time and limited what she sent home.

“The thing about homework that’s sticky is that not all homework is created equal,” says Jill Harrison Berg, a former teacher and the author of Uprooting Instructional Inequity . “Some homework is a genuine waste of time and requires lots of resources for no good reason. And other homework is really useful.”

Cutting homework has to be part of a larger strategy

The takeaways are clear: Schools can make cuts to homework, but those cuts should be part of a strategy to improve the quality of education for all students. If the point of homework was to provide more practice, districts should think about how students can make it up during class — or offer time during or after school for students to seek help from teachers. If it was to move the curriculum along, it’s worth considering whether strategies like Liljedahl’s can get more done in less time.

Some of the best thinking around effective assignments comes from those most critical of the current practice. Denise Pope proposes that, before assigning homework, teachers should consider whether students understand the purpose of the work and whether they can do it without help. If teachers think it’s something that can’t be done in class, they should be mindful of how much time it should take and the feedback they should provide. It’s questions like these that De Quiroz considered before reducing the volume of work she sent home.

More than a year after the new homework policy began in Marlborough, Hennessy still hears from parents who incorrectly “think homework isn’t happening” despite repeated assurances that kids still can receive work. She thinks part of the reason is that education has changed over the years. “I think what we’re trying to do is establish that homework may be an element of educating students,” she told me. “But it may not be what parents think of as what they grew up with. ... It’s going to need to adapt, per the teaching and the curriculum, and how it’s being delivered in each classroom.”

For the policy to work, faculty, parents, and students will all have to buy into a shared vision of what school ought to look like. The district is working on it — in November, it hosted and uploaded to YouTube a round-table discussion on homework between district administrators — but considering the sustained confusion, the path ahead seems difficult.

When I asked Luis Torres about whether he thought homework serves a useful part in PS 55’s curriculum, he said yes, of course it was — despite the effort and money it takes to keep the school open after hours to help them do it. “The children need the opportunity to practice,” he said. “If you don’t give them opportunities to practice what they learn, they’re going to forget.” But Torres doesn’t care if the work is done at home. The school stays open until around 6 pm on weekdays, even during breaks. Tutors through New York City’s Department of Youth and Community Development programs help kids with work after school so they don’t need to take it with them.

As schools weigh the purpose of homework in an unequal world, it’s tempting to dispose of a practice that presents real, practical problems to students across the country. But getting rid of homework is unlikely to do much good on its own. Before cutting it, it’s worth thinking about what good assignments are meant to do in the first place. It’s crucial that students from all socioeconomic backgrounds tackle complex quantitative problems and hone their reading and writing skills. It’s less important that the work comes home with them.

Jacob Sweet is a freelance writer in Somerville, Massachusetts. He is a frequent contributor to the New Yorker, among other publications.

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, the 5 best homework help websites (free and paid).

Other High School , General Education

Listen: we know homework isn’t fun, but it is a good way to reinforce the ideas and concepts you’ve learned in class. But what if you’re really struggling with your homework assignments?

If you’ve looked online for a little extra help with your take-home assignments, you’ve probably stumbled across websites claiming to provide the homework help and answers students need to succeed . But can homework help sites really make a difference? And if so, which are the best homework help websites you can use? 

Below, we answer these questions and more about homework help websites–free and paid. We’ll go over: 

• The basics of homework help websites
• The cost of homework help websites 
• The five best homework websites out there 
• The pros and cons of using these websites for homework help 
• The line between “learning” and “cheating” when using online homework help 
• Tips for getting the most out of a homework help website

So let’s get started! 

The Basics About Homework Help Websites–Free and Paid

Homework help websites are designed to help you complete your homework assignments, plain and simple. 

What Makes a Homework Help Site Worth Using

Most of the best sites allow users to ask questions and then provide an answer (or multiple possible answers) and explanation in seconds. In some instances, you can even send a photo of a particular assignment or problem instead of typing the whole thing out! 

Homework help sites also offer more than just help answering homework questions. Common services provided are Q&A with experts, educational videos, lectures, practice tests and quizzes, learning modules, math solving tools, and proofreading help. Homework help sites can also provide textbook solutions (i.e. answers to problems in tons of different textbooks your school might be using), one-on-one tutoring, and peer-to-peer platforms that allow you to discuss subjects you’re learning about with your fellow students. 

And best of all, nearly all of them offer their services 24/7, including tutoring! 

What You Should Should Look Out For

When it comes to homework help, there are lots–and we mean lots –of scam sites out there willing to prey on desperate students. Before you sign up for any service, make sure you read reviews to ensure you’re working with a legitimate company. 

A word to the wise: the more a company advertises help that veers into the territory of cheating, the more likely it is to be a scam. The best homework help websites are going to help you learn the concepts you’ll need to successfully complete your homework on your own. (We’ll go over the difference between “homework help” and “cheating” a little later!) 

You don't need a golden piggy bank to use homework help websites. Some provide low or no cost help for students like you!

How Expensive Are the Best Homework Help Websites?

First of all, just because a homework help site costs money doesn’t mean it’s a good service. Likewise, just because a homework help website is free doesn’t mean the help isn’t high quality. To find the best websites, you have to take a close look at the quality and types of information they provide! 

When it comes to paid homework help services, the prices vary pretty widely depending on the amount of services you want to subscribe to. Subscriptions can cost anywhere from $2 to $150 dollars per month, with the most expensive services offering several hours of one-on-one tutoring with a subject expert per month.

The 5 Best Homework Help Websites 

So, what is the best homework help website you can use? The answer is that it depends on what you need help with. 

The best homework help websites are the ones that are reliable and help you learn the material. They don’t just provide answers to homework questions–they actually help you learn the material. 

That’s why we’ve broken down our favorite websites into categories based on who they’re best for . For instance, the best website for people struggling with math might not work for someone who needs a little extra help with science, and vice versa. 

Keep reading to find the best homework help website for you! 

Best Free Homework Help Site: Khan Academy

• Price: Free!
• Best for: Practicing tough material 

Not only is Khan Academy free, but it’s full of information and can be personalized to suit your needs. When you set up your account , you choose which courses you need to study, and Khan Academy sets up a personal dashboard of instructional videos, practice exercises, and quizzes –with both correct and incorrect answer explanations–so you can learn at your own pace. 

As an added bonus, it covers more course topics than many other homework help sites, including several AP classes.

Runner Up: Brainly.com offers a free service that allows you to type in questions and get answers and explanations from experts. The downside is that you’re limited to two answers per question and have to watch ads. 

Best Paid Homework Help Site: Chegg

• Price: $14.95 to $19.95 per month
• Best for: 24/7 homework assistance  

This service has three main parts . The first is Chegg Study, which includes textbook solutions, Q&A with subject experts, flashcards, video explanations, a math solver, and writing help. The resources are thorough, and reviewers state that Chegg answers homework questions quickly and accurately no matter when you submit them.  

Chegg also offers textbook rentals for students who need access to textbooks outside of their classroom. Finally, Chegg offers Internship and Career Advice for students who are preparing to graduate and may need a little extra help with the transition out of high school. 

Another great feature Chegg provides is a selection of free articles geared towards helping with general life skills, like coping with stress and saving money. Chegg’s learning modules are comprehensive, and they feature solutions to the problems in tons of different textbooks in a wide variety of subjects. 

Runner Up: Bartleby offers basically the same services as Chegg for $14.99 per month. The reason it didn’t rank as the best is based on customer reviews that say user questions aren’t answered quite as quickly on this site as on Chegg. Otherwise, this is also a solid choice!

Best Site for Math Homework Help: Photomath

• Price: Free (or $59.99 per year for premium services) 
• Best for: Explaining solutions to math problems

This site allows you to t ake a picture of a math problem, and instantly pulls up a step-by-step solution, as well as a detailed explanation of the concept. Photomath also includes animated videos that break down mathematical concepts to help you better understand and remember them. 

The basic service is free, but for an additional fee you can get extra study tools and learn additional strategies for solving common math problems.

Runner Up: KhanAcademy offers in-depth tutorials that cover complex math topics for free, but you won’t get the same tailored help (and answers!) that Photomath offers. 

Best Site for English Homework Help: Princeton Review Academic Tutoring

• Price: $40 to $153 per month, depending on how many hours of tutoring you want 
• Best for: Comprehensive and personalized reading and writing help 

While sites like Grammarly and Sparknotes help you by either proofreading what you write via an algorithm or providing book summaries, Princeton Review’s tutors provide in-depth help with vocabulary, literature, essay writing and development, proofreading, and reading comprehension. And unlike other services, you’ll have the chance to work with a real person to get help. 

The best part is that you can get on-demand English (and ESL) tutoring from experts 24/7. That means you can get help whenever you need it, even if you’re pulling an all-nighter! 

This is by far the most expensive homework site on this list, so you’ll need to really think about what you need out of a homework help website before you commit. One added benefit is that the subscription covers over 80 other subjects, including AP classes, which can make it a good value if you need lots of help!  

Best Site for STEM Homework Help: Studypool

• Best for: Science homework help
• Price: Varies; you’ll pay for each question you submit

When it comes to science homework help, there aren’t a ton of great resources out there. The best of the bunch is Studypool, and while it has great reviews, there are some downsides as well. 

Let’s start with the good stuff. Studypool offers an interesting twist on the homework help formula. After you create a free account, you can submit your homework help questions, and tutors will submit bids to answer your questions. You’ll be able to select the tutor–and price point–that works for you, then you’ll pay to have your homework question answered. You can also pay a small fee to access notes, lectures, and other documents that top tutors have uploaded. 

The downside to Studypool is that the pricing is not transparent . There’s no way to plan for how much your homework help will cost, especially if you have lots of questions! Additionally, it’s not clear how tutors are selected, so you’ll need to be cautious when you choose who you’d like to answer your homework questions.  

What Are the Pros and Cons of Using Homework Help Sites?

Homework help websites can be a great resource if you’re struggling in a subject, or even if you just want to make sure that you’re really learning and understanding topics and ideas that you’re interested in. But, there are some possible drawbacks if you don’t use these sites responsibly. 

We’ll go over the good–and the not-so-good–aspects of getting online homework help below. 

3 Pros of Using Homework Help Websites 

First, let’s take a look at the benefits. 

#1: Better Grades Beyond Homework

This is a big one! Getting outside help with your studies can improve your understanding of concepts that you’re learning, which translates into better grades when you take tests or write essays. 

Remember: homework is designed to help reinforce the concepts you learned in class. If you just get easy answers without learning the material behind the problems, you may not have the tools you need to be successful on your class exams…or even standardized tests you’ll need to take for college. 

#2: Convenience

One of the main reasons that online homework help is appealing is because it’s flexible and convenient. You don’t have to go to a specific tutoring center while they’re open or stay after school to speak with your teacher. Instead, you can access helpful resources wherever you can access the internet, whenever you need them.

This is especially true if you tend to study at off hours because of your extracurriculars, work schedule, or family obligations. Sites that offer 24/7 tutoring can give you the extra help you need if you can’t access the free resources that are available at your school. 

#3: Variety

Not everyone learns the same way. Maybe you’re more of a visual learner, but your teacher mostly does lectures. Or maybe you learn best by listening and taking notes, but you’re expected to learn something just from reading the textbook . 

One of the best things about online homework help is that it comes in a variety of forms. The best homework help sites offer resources for all types of learners, including videos, practice activities, and even one-on-one discussions with real-life experts. 

This variety can also be a good thing if you just don’t really resonate with the way a concept is being explained (looking at you, math textbooks!).

Not so fast. There are cons to homework help websites, too. Get to know them below!

3 Cons of Using Homework Help Websites 

Now, let’s take a look at the drawbacks of online homework help. 

#1: Unreliable Info

This can be a real problem. In addition to all the really good homework help sites, there are a whole lot of disreputable or unreliable sites out there. The fact of the matter is that some homework help sites don’t necessarily hire people who are experts in the subjects they’re talking about. In those cases, you may not be getting the accurate, up-to-date, and thorough information you need.

Additionally, even the great sites may not be able to answer all of your homework questions. This is especially true if the site uses an algorithm or chatbot to help students…or if you’re enrolled in an advanced or college-level course. In these cases, working with your teacher or school-provided tutors are probably your best option. 

#2: No Clarification

This depends on the service you use, of course. But the majority of them provide free or low-cost help through pre-recorded videos. Watching videos or reading info online can definitely help you with your homework… but you can’t ask questions or get immediate feedback if you need it .

#3: Potential For Scamming 

Like we mentioned earlier, there are a lot of homework help websites out there, and lots of them are scams. The review comments we read covered everything from outdated or wrong information, to misleading claims about the help provided, to not allowing people to cancel their service after signing up. 

No matter which site you choose to use, make sure you research and read reviews before you sign up–especially if it’s a paid service! 

When Does “Help” Become “Cheating”?

Admittedly, whether using homework help websites constitutes cheating is a bit of a grey area. For instance, is it “help” when a friend reads your essay for history class and corrects your grammar, or is it “cheating”? The truth is, not everyone agrees on when “help” crosses the line into “cheating .” When in doubt, it can be a good idea to check with your teacher to see what they think about a particular type of help you want to get. 

That said, a general rule of thumb to keep in mind is to make sure that the assignment you turn in for credit is authentically yours . It needs to demonstrate your own thoughts and your own current abilities. Remember: the point of every homework assignment is to 1) help you learn something, and 2) show what you’ve learned. 

So if a service answers questions or writes essays for you, there’s a good chance using it constitutes cheating. 

Here’s an example that might help clarify the difference for you. Brainstorming essay ideas with others or looking online for inspiration is “help” as long as you write the essay yourself. Having someone read it and give you feedback about what you need to change is also help, provided you’re the one that makes the changes later. 

But copying all or part of an essay you find online or having someone write (or rewrite) the whole thing for you would be “cheating.” The same is true for other subjects. Ultimately, if you’re not generating your own work or your own answers, it’s probably cheating.

5 Tips for Finding the Best Homework Help Websites for You

Now that you know some of our favorite homework help websites, free and paid, you can start doing some additional research on your own to decide which services might work best for you! Here are some top tips for choosing a homework help website. 

Tip 1: Decide How You Learn Best 

Before you decide which site or sites you’re going to use for homework help, y ou should figure out what kind of learning style works for you the most. Are you a visual learner? Then choose a site that uses lots of videos to help explain concepts. If you know you learn best by actually doing tasks, choose a site that provides lots of practice exercises.

Tip 2: Determine Which Subjects You Need Help With

Just because a homework help site is good overall doesn’t mean that it’s equally good for every subject. If you only need help in math, choose a site that specializes in that area. But if history is where you’re struggling, a site that specializes in math won’t be much help. So make sure to choose a site that you know provides high-quality help in the areas you need it most. 

Tip 3: Decide How Much One-On-One Help You Need 

This is really about cost-effectiveness. If you learn well on your own by reading and watching videos, a free site like Khan Academy is a good choice. But if you need actual tutoring, or to be able to ask questions and get personalized answers from experts, a paid site that provides that kind of service may be a better option.

Tip 4: Set a Budget

If you decide you want to go with a paid homework help website, set a budget first . The prices for sites vary wildly, and the cost to use them can add up quick. 

Tip 5: Read the Reviews

Finally, it’s always a good idea to read actual reviews written by the people using these homework sites. You’ll learn the good, the bad, and the ugly of what the users’ experiences have been. This is especially true if you intend to subscribe to a paid service. You’ll want to make sure that users think it’s worth the price overall!

What’s Next?

If you want to get good grades on your homework, it’s a good idea to learn how to tackle it strategically. Our expert tips will help you get the most out of each assignment…and boost your grades in the process.

Doing well on homework assignments is just one part of getting good grades. We’ll teach you everything you need to know about getting great grades in high school in this article.

Of course, test grades can make or break your GPA, too. Here are 17 expert tips that’ll help you get the most out of your study prep before you take an exam.

Ashley Sufflé Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams.

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Less homework means children move more and go to bed earlier, study suggests

R educing the amount of homework children are given could make them more physically active and get more sleep, a new study suggests.

A trial of pupils in China found that cutting homework while also reducing screentime encouraged them to play outdoors and go to bed earlier.

As part of the scheme online gaming companies were forced to limit children to three hours a week, while at the same time teachers were instructed to reduce the amount of homework they set, and tutoring businesses were restricted in the amount of lessons they could run.

Bai Li, a lecturer in behavioural science at Bristol University ’s School for Policy Studies, who led the study, said: “The results are exciting as this type of regulatory intervention across multiple settings has never been tried before.”

Teenagers in China spend more time on homework than anywhere else in the world, at 14 hours a week, according to a report from the OECD. British children do about five hours.

The team from Bristol University analysed data from more than 7,000 primary and secondary school students in 2020 and 2021 from the Guangxi province in southern China.

Primary school pupils could not be set more than 60 minutes of homework a day, and secondary school pupils aged up to 15 not more than 90 minutes. Tutoring companies were banned from offering sessions in school holidays or at weekends, could not set exams for preschool, primary or middle school children, and could not publish rankings.

The team found that the children in the study aged nine to 18 spent on average 45 minutes less each day being sedentary.

Students were also shown to be 20 per cent more likely to meet the overall screen time recommendation of less than two hours daily after the regulations were introduced.

Bai Li said that both in China and the UK, parents often find it difficult to set and impose their own rules on things like screen time.

She said: “We know that leaving it to parents doesn’t work”, adding that it is easier for parents when they can tell their children that any more screen time would be against the law.

She added: “With these regulatory measures [in China], the onus has shifted to online gaming companies, schools and private tutoring companies to comply. This very different approach appears to be more effective, because it is aimed at improving the environment in which children and adolescents live.”

The results were published in the International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity.

The researchers told The Times they are exploring whether similar rules could be feasible in the UK, but stressed that the Chinese template would have to be modified.

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Harris utters a profanity in advice to young Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders

Vice President Kamala Harris was participating in a conversation moderated by actor and comedian Jimmy O. Yang when he asked her what it means to be the first vice president of Asian descent and how that heritage has informed her views and roles as a leader.

President Joe Biden welcomed Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders to the White House Monday, where he touted his administration’s record and slammed his Republican rival, Donald Trump, over immigration.

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks as President Joe Biden listens in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Monday, May 13, 2024, during a reception celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

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President Joe Biden listens as actor Lucy Liu speaks in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Monday, May 13, 2024, during a reception celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris arrive to speak in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Monday, May 13, 2024, during a reception celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Guests listen as President Joe Biden speaks in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Monday, May 13, 2024, during a reception celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Vice President Kamala Harris greets guests in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Monday, May 13, 2024, during a reception celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

President Joe Biden speaks in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Monday, May 13, 2024, as Vice President Kamala Harris listens during a reception celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

President Joe Biden speaks as actor Lucy Liu listens in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Monday, May 13, 2024, during a reception celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris used a profanity on Monday while offering advice to young Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders about how to break through barriers.

Harris was participating in a conversation moderated by actor and comedian Jimmy O. Yang when he asked her what it means to be the first vice president of Asian descent and how that heritage has informed her views and roles as a leader. Harris’ mother was from India and her father was from Jamaica, and she’s the first woman elected vice president.

Harris gave a lengthy response in which she told the young people to keep their chins up when they go into spaces where no one else looks like them.

She added: “We have to know that sometimes people will open the door for you and leave it open. Sometimes they won’t. And then you need to kick that f——— door down.”

The audience clapped and hollered. Laughing herself, Harris said, “Excuse my language.”

Profanity in politics is not altogether unusual. This past weekend, presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump led a crowd at a rally chanting “bulls—-" in reference to his criminal trial in New York City. When Joe Biden was vice president, he was overheard telling President Barack Obama that newly passed health care legislation was a “big f——— deal.” Harris generally avoids such language in her public appearances.

The vice president made her comments in a conversation at the annual Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies Legislative Leadership Summit . The conversation was live-streamed on the White House website.

Harris spoke later Monday, along with President Biden and actor Lucy Liu, at a White House Rose Garden reception celebrating May as Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month .

Liu said Harris’ election as the first female Black and Asian vice president was a “testament to the limitless possibilities of the American dream.”

Biden said Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders make up the fastest-growing demographic in the U.S. He said they represent immigrants, dreamers and a nation of freedom.

The president opened his remarks with: “My name’s Joe Biden. I work for Kamala Harris.”

BOM warns of level G4 geomagnetic storm impacting Earth — here's what that means

At least seven coronal mass ejections from the Sun have been observed, according to a US agency, after a severe geomagnetic storm event was expected to impact Earth.

On Friday, the Bureau of Meteorology warned the event would impact Earth from about 8pm AEST, with power outages possibly occurring and satellite services impacted.

The BOM urged governments and critical infrastructure operators to take action to reduce potential impacts on infrastructure and essential services, such as power grids.  

Geomagnetic storms are not considered dangerous to human bodies.

The US's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center captured some of the activity that occurred on the Sun's surface at about 4am AEST.

NASA said a strong solar flare peaked at 4:54am AEST with its "Solar Dynamics Observatory capturing an image of the event, which was classified as X3.9".

Level G4 (severe) geomagnetic storm conditions were expected to arrive at Earth from about 8pm AEST on Friday before reducing to G3, with a chance of reaching level G4 again on Saturday.

The G-scale is a measure of global geomagnetic activity, which refers to fluctuations in Earth's magnetic field across the globe. The G-scale ranges from G1 (minor) to G5 (extreme).

The BOM predicts these geomagnetic conditions will likely continue until 6am on Monday.

If G4 geomagnetic conditions occured, bright auroras would be visible at unusually low latitudes, including dark-sky locations near Sydney and Perth.

"To view auroras, you ideally need a dark night with little cloud cover and an unobstructed view to the south," the BOM posted on Facebook at 7pm AEST on Friday. 

"Bright auroras usually last for 1-3 hours and the best viewing time is around midnight — between 10pm and 2am."

The intensity of geomagnetic storms in Australia is usually lower than the planetary average.

The BOM says this event is a result of four coronal mass ejections observed at 3:36pm AEST and 10:24 pm AEST on Wednesday, and at 8.24am AEST and 7.36pm AEST on Thursday.

Coronal mass ejections occur when large clouds of plasma and magnetic field erupt in the Sun's outer atmosphere, according to the Australian Space Weather Alert System.

When the mass ejections hit Earth, they cause geomagnetic storms.

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says a severe magnetic storm includes the potential for an aurora to be seen in American states as far south as Alabama and northern California. 

Auroras may also be visible in the UK as far south as Liverpool. 

"Where skies are clear and provided dark enough skies, sightings are expected to develop following the [coronal mass ejections] arrival across the northern half of the UK, with a chance that aurora may become visible to all parts of the UK and similar geomagnetic latitudes," the UK's Meteorological Service office said in an update on its website. 

According to the BOM, geomagnetic storms of G4 level can potentially disrupt:

• critical infrastructure such as power grids, causing power outages
• satellite services, affecting communications and global position, navigation and timing services that use high-frequency radio communication.

The BOM will continue to monitor the situation.

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Pearl jam’s new album is tumbling down the charts.

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LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 08: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY) Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam performs on stage as ... [+] American Express Presents BST Hyde Park, in Hyde Park on July 08, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)

A little more than a week ago, Pearl Jam returned to the Billboard charts with their first new album in years. Dark Matter was received warmly by fans of the group, and the title earned rave reviews from critics. Just a short time after the project earned a lofty debut, it’s not just stepping back—it’s cratering.

In its second week on the Billboard charts, Dark Matter declines sharply on every list it appears on. It even fell off of at least one ranking it arrived on last time around.

The massive fall is perhaps most notable on the Billboard 200. Dark Matter opened at No. 5 last week on the ranking of the most-consumed albums in the U.S. It earned the second-loftiest debut of the frame, coming in behind Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department , of course. Now, it’s barely hanging on, and it may disappear from the tally shortly.

This frame, Dark Matter sits at No. 171 on the Billboard 200. That’s a decline of 165 spots—most of the chart—in a single downward movement.

In its second frame of availability, Dark Matter moved another 8,589 equivalent units, according to Luminate. That would be a healthy sum for many other albums, but it’s a far cry from what Pearl Jam managed when they first premiered their latest studio effort. That number is down more than 85% from one week to the next.

Sales-wise, Dark Matter didn’t fare much better. On the Top Album Sales chart, it only slips from No. 2 to No. 19. That’s not nearly as bad as on the Billboard 200, though its percentage drop is similar. In week two, Pearl Jam’s new set sold another 5,324 copies—down just under 90%.

Dark Matter is also falling on three genre-specific rankings. The project debuted at No. 1 on the Top Rock & Alternative Albums, Top Alternative Albums, and Top Hard Rock Albums charts last week. Now, it’s fallen to No. 41 on the Top Rock & Alternative Albums tally. It’s down at No. 20 on the alternative list. On the Top Hard Rock Albums roster, it manages to stay inside the top 10, dipping from the highest spot to No. 10.

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Last week, Dark Matter also ruled the Top Rock Albums chart. Now, it’s nowhere to be found, as it no longer ranks as one of the 25 most-consumed rock full-lengths in the country.

If this trend continues, it looks like Dark Matter won’t hang around for very long. In just a few hours, when Billboard refreshes all of its charts, there’s a good chance that Pearl Jam’s newest project might disappear from other tallies. It could slip off of one or two, or possibly vanish from all of them, ending its too-short life.

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California's $12 billion Medicaid experiment stretches the definition of health care

Angela Hart

Alondra Mercado, a community health worker with the Central California Asthma Collaborative, helps provide services through an ambitious California Medicaid initiative. On a recent morning in March, she visited a family in Turlock to teach a mother how to control in-home asthma triggers that cause flare-ups in her young son. Angela Hart/KFF Health News hide caption

Alondra Mercado, a community health worker with the Central California Asthma Collaborative, helps provide services through an ambitious California Medicaid initiative. On a recent morning in March, she visited a family in Turlock to teach a mother how to control in-home asthma triggers that cause flare-ups in her young son.

TURLOCK, Calif. — For much of his young life, Jorge Sanchez regularly gasped for air, at times coughing so violently that he'd almost throw up. His mother whisked him to the emergency room late at night and slept with him to make sure he didn't stop breathing.

"He's had these problems since he was born, and I couldn't figure out what was triggering his asthma," Fabiola Sandoval said of her son, Jorge, now 4. "It's so hard when your child is hurting. I was willing to try anything."

In January, community health workers visited Sandoval's home in Turlock, a city in California's Central Valley where dust from fruit and nut orchards billows through the air. They scoured Sandoval's home for hazards and explained that harsh cleaning products, air fresheners, and airborne dust and pesticides can trigger an asthma attack.

The team also provided Sandoval with air purifiers, a special vacuum cleaner that can suck dust out of the air, hypoallergenic mattress covers, and a humidity sensor — goods that retail for hundreds of dollars. Within a few months, Jorge was breathing easier and was able to run and play outside.

The in-home consultation and supplies were paid for by Medi-Cal, California's Medicaid health insurance program for low-income residents.

Gov. Gavin Newsom is spearheading an ambitious $12 billion experiment to transform Medi-Cal into both a health insurer and a social services provider, one that relies not only on doctors and nurses, but also community health workers and nonprofit groups that offer dozens of services, including delivering healthy meals and helping homeless people pay for housing .

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These groups are redefining health care in California as they compete with businesses for a share of the money, and become a new arm of the sprawling Medi-Cal bureaucracy that serves nearly 15 million low-income residents on an annual budget of $158 billion .

But worker shortages, negotiations with health insurance companies, and complex billing and technology systems have hamstrung the community groups' ability to deliver the new services: Now into the third year of the ambitious five-year experiment, only a small fraction of eligible patients have received benefits.

"This is still so new, and everyone is just overwhelmed at this point, so it's slow-going," said Kevin Hamilton, a senior director at the Central California Asthma Collaborative.

Fabiola Sandoval's son, Jorge Sanchez, got a relief from his asthma thanks to Medi-Cal's new funding for social services. Angela Hart/KFF Health News hide caption

The collaborative has served about 3,650 patients, including Sandoval's son Jorge, in eight counties since early 2022, he said. It has years of experience with Medi-Cal patients in the Central Valley and has received about $1.5 million of the new initiative's money.

By contrast, CalOptima Health, Orange County's primary Medi-Cal insurer, is new to offering asthma benefits and has signed up 58 patients so far.

"Asthma services are so difficult to get going" because the nonprofit infrastructure for these services is virtually nonexistent, said Kelly Bruno-Nelson, CalOptima's executive director for Medi-Cal. "We need more community-based organizations on board because they're the ones who can serve a population that nobody wants to deal with."

Meet basic needs, reduce health care costs down the line

Newsom, a Democrat in his second term, says his signature health care initiative, known as CalAIM , seeks to reduce the cost of caring for the state's sickest and most vulnerable patients, including homeless Californians, foster children, former inmates, and people battling addiction disorders.

In addition to in-home asthma remediation, CalAIM offers 13 broad categories of social services, plus a benefit connecting eligible patients with one-on-one care managers to help them obtain anything they need to get healthier, from grocery shopping to finding a job.

The goal, Newsom says, is to keep people healthier and avoid costly care such as emergency room visits, ultimately saving taxpayer money.

The 25 managed-care insurance companies participating in Medi-Cal can choose which services they offer, and contract with community groups to provide them. Insurers have hammered out about 4,300 large and small contracts with nonprofits and businesses.

So far, about 103,000 Medi-Cal patients have received CalAIM services and roughly 160,000 have been assigned personal care managers, according to state data , a sliver of the hundreds of thousands of patients who likely qualify.

"We're all new to health care" and learning to navigate the bureaucracy "is such a foreign concept," said Helena Lopez, executive director of A Greater Hope , a nonprofit organization providing social services in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, such as handing out baseball cleats to children to help them be active.

Fabiola Sandoval (left) has struggled to help her son, Jorge Sanchez, control his asthma since he was an infant. Alondra Mercado (right), a community health worker, secured several items for her including air filters, cleaning products, pillow and mattress covers, and a specialized vacuum that can suck dust out of the air. These items were covered by California's Medicaid. Angela Hart/KFF Health News hide caption

Fabiola Sandoval (left) has struggled to help her son, Jorge Sanchez, control his asthma since he was an infant. Alondra Mercado (right), a community health worker, secured several items for her including air filters, cleaning products, pillow and mattress covers, and a specialized vacuum that can suck dust out of the air. These items were covered by California's Medicaid.

Small nonprofits, big start-up costs to get paid by Medicaid

Tiffany Sickler runs Koinonia Family Services , which offers California foster children mental health and other types of care, and even helped a patient pay off parking tickets. But the program is struggling on a shoestring budget.

"If you want to do this, you have to learn all these new systems," for getting paid through CalAIM, she said. "It's been a huge learning curve, and very time-consuming and frustrating, especially without adequate funding."

Brandon Richards, a Newsom spokesperson, defended CalAIM, saying that it was "on the cutting edge of health care" and that the state was working to increase "awareness of these new services and support."

For nonprofits and businesses, CalAIM is a money-making opportunity — one that top state health officials hope to make permanent. Health insurers, which receive hefty payments from the state to serve more people and offer new services, share a portion with service providers.

In some places, community groups are competing with national corporations for the new funding, such as Mom's Meals, an Iowa-based company that delivers prepared meals across the United States.

Mom's Meals has an advantage over neighborhood nonprofit groups because it has long served seniors on Medicare and was able to immediately start offering the CalAIM benefit of home-delivered meals for patients with chronic diseases. But even Mom's Meals isn't reaching everyone who qualifies because doctors and patients don't always know it's an option, said Catherine Macpherson, the company's chief nutrition officer.

"Utilization is not as high as it should be yet," she said. "But we were well positioned because we already had departments to do billing and contracting with health care."

Middleman companies also have their eye on the billions of CalAIM dollars and are popping up to assist small organizations go up against established ones like Mom's Meals. For instance, the New York-based Nonprofit Finance Fund is advising homeless service providers how to get more contracts and expand benefits.

Full Circle Health Network , with 70 member organizations, is helping smaller nonprofit groups develop and deliver services primarily for families and foster children. Full Circle has signed a deal with Kaiser Permanente, allowing the health care giant to access its network of community groups.

"We're allowing organizations to launch these benefits much faster than they've been able to do and to reach more vulnerable people," said Camille Schraeder, chief executive of Full Circle. "Many of these are grassroots organizations that have the trust and expertise on the ground, but they're new to health care."

One of the biggest challenges community groups face is hiring workers, who are key to finding eligible patients and persuading them to participate.

Kathryn Phillips, a workforce expert at the California Health Care Foundation, said there isn't enough seed money for community groups to hire workers and pay for new technology platforms. "They bring the trust that is needed, the cultural competency, the diversity of languages," she said. "But there needs to be more funding and reimbursement to build this workforce."

Health insurers say they are trying to increase the workforce. For instance, L.A. Care Health Plan, the largest Medi-Cal insurer in California, has given $66 million to community organizations for hiring and other CalAIM needs, said Sameer Amin, the group's chief medical officer.

"They don't have the staffing to do all this stuff, so we're helping with that all while teaching them how to build up their health care infrastructure," he said. "Everyone wants a win, but this isn't going to be successful overnight."

In the Central Valley, Jorge Sanchez is one of the lucky early beneficiaries of CalAIM.

His mother credits the trust she established with community health workers, who spent many hours over multiple visits to teach her how to control her son's asthma.

"I used to love cleaning with bleach" but learned it can trigger breathing problems, Sandoval said.

Since she implemented the health workers' recommendations, Sandoval has been able to let Jorge sleep alone at night for the first time in four years.

"Having this program and all the things available is amazing," said Sandoval, as she pointed to the dirty dust cup in her new vacuum cleaner. "Now my son doesn't have as many asthma attacks and he can run around and be a normal kid."

This article was produced by KFF Health News, a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF . KFF Health News is the publisher of California Healthline , an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation .

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How Mike Macdonald has NFL offenses guessing and defenses following his lead

A defensive philosophical shift is happening in the NFL , and new Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald is at the heart of it.

The league transitioned a few years ago from the Seattle Cover 3 era into the Vic Fangio shell defense era , focused on stopping explosive plays. Like those from Pete Carroll’s coaching tree, most who branched out from Fangio’s tree mostly struggled to replicate his system. However, Fangio’s overarching philosophy of keeping a lid on top of offenses succeeded in permeating the league, and its emphasis on cutting down explosive plays is a reason scoring has trended downward in the past couple of seasons.

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However, not every coach wanted to sit back and just play coverage. Former Ravens defensive coordinator Wink Martindale went against the grain and continued to blitz as much as possible. That style saw success in Baltimore, but head coach John Harbaugh eventually wanted a more balanced, flexible attack, so he replaced Martindale with his former protege Mike Macdonald in 2022. His impact was felt immediately, and last season, the Ravens ranked first in nearly every major statistical category including DVOA.

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The Seahawks’ hired him to be their head coach this offseason, while his defensive line coach Zach Orr was promoted to Ravens defensive coordinator, and three other assistants got coordinator jobs elsewhere (Anthony Weaver, Dolphins ; Dennard Wilson, Titans ; Jesse Minter, Chargers ). That means five teams this season will be running the Macdonald system — so what is that system?

The Sean McVay of defense

Macdonald isn’t doing anything particularly unique schematically. He learned many of his blitzes and pressures from Martindale, whom he coached under from 2018-2021, except Martindale mostly used single-high safety defenses, and Macdonald calls a lot of two-deep defenses.

There are some similarities to the Fangio system on early downs. The Ravens showed a lot of two-deep safeties before rotating into their coverages to disguise. Macdonald is aggressive, but he actually doesn’t bring more than four rushers much. The Ravens have ranked 22nd in blitz percentage (13.7 percent) since 2022. Macdonald pressures offenses with the illusion of multiplicity and simulated pressures (four-man rushes with one or more rushers coming from the second or third level with one or two defensive linemen dropping into coverage).

When he does blitz, offenses usually have no idea where the pressure is coming from because his defenses can present so many different looks from week to week. The Ravens were so multiple because of the unique way Macdonald teaches and structures his pressure packages.

“What the Ravens have done so well is they pressure in so many ways that you can’t get a bead on them,” former NFL center A.Q. Shipley told The Athletic . “The other thing that’s great about them is you might watch them one week against Pittsburgh and it looks completely different against Cleveland , so it’s tough, too, because you’ve got to make so many in-game adjustments.”

One of the reasons the Ravens could present so many different looks for offenses to deal with is how Macdonald teaches his pressure packages.

Many defenses teach their fronts (where the defensive line and linebackers line up) with their blitzes. This approach makes sense because defenders have to know where to line up, what their assignments are and how to get to their assignments.

For example, on this page from the Seahawks’ 2012 defensive playbook, the staff taught this particular pressure from their “tuff” front. Tuff tells the defensive line that they’ll have four defensive linemen and two linebackers on the line with the Mike linebacker and free safety on the second level. When the defense gets the call, they know that both outside backers are rushing and every defensive lineman is running a stunt.

Instead of learning pressures attached to fronts, Macdonald teaches his players pressure patterns so they know each other’s jobs and how to execute different pressures from different fronts. This approach isn’t particularly unique to Macdonald. Some coaches teach some of their pressures this way but Macdonald completely leans into it to ensure his system is as flexible and easy to learn as possible.

Then he can easily mix fronts and pressures and add layers to them. The Ravens don’t deploy a ton of different fronts and pressures, but they have endless ways of changing the presentation for offenses. Essentially, he’s taking Sean McVay’s philosophy of making everything look the same until it isn’t but applying it to his pressure packages.

What’s in a name?

Another important feature of Macdonald’s system is purposeful nomenclature for each pressure. Though using nomenclature seems like a simple tool, the language of football — even at the highest level — can be confusing with terminology drawn from different systems and eras that have nothing to do with each other.

The confusing language of defensive coverages: NFL loaded with variations of terminology

Macdonald has a naming system for his pressures that makes it easier for players to learn and recall. For example, the defense could have 10 ways to run a simulated pressure with one player blitzing from the strong side and the weak end dropping into coverage. Each of those pressures is siloed together. Hypothetically, those types of simulated pressures could be named after NBA teams, so if players hear an NBA team name, they know what pressure they are running. The first letter of the name could be where it’s coming from, and from there, they can figure out everyone else’s job.

Seahawks rookie camp: First impressions of Mike Macdonald, Byron Murphy II

For example, “Suns” can tell the defense that the s afety is blitzing from the strong side, while the end from the weak side is dropping. The defense can run “Suns” from multiple fronts without teaching an entirely new blitz.

Also, by understanding the entire pressure pattern or call because of the name rather than just their individual jobs, they know what everyone else is doing, which makes it easier to switch positions when they want to add confusion for offenses.

“He’s doing a unique job. … I’ve kind of never experienced it,” Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey said at minicamp during Macdonald’s first season as defensive coordinator . “He’s really having everybody understand the whole philosophy of mainly just the group of coverages, as opposed to: ‘You got this call. How do you play this call?’ He’s kind of saying, grouping these calls all together, like, ‘What is the whole idea of this call?’ So I think he’s done a really good job of kind of really helping us all be smarter, to where I know what the D-line’s doing. I also know what the linebacker is doing. I also know what the safety’s doing — because ‘The reason why I call this defense is because of this.'”

The results

Here, Macdonald called one of his best pressures — a linebacker pick/stunt that linebacker Patrick Queen and defensive tackle Justin Madubuike executed with deadly precision throughout the 2023 season. On this play, the Ravens were lined up in a wide front with both defensive tackles outside of the guards and both linebackers mugging the A-gaps.

Linebacker Roquan Smith crept up to the line first to get the offensive line to slide in his direction. His job was to cross the center’s face to get him away from the pick/stunt. Queen’s job is to pick the inside shoulder of the guard to free up Madubuike.

On the other side, Jadeveon Clowney lined up at edge but dropped into coverage, making this a five-man rush.

Smith did his job as the center stepped toward the opposite A-gap with him, giving Queen and Madubike space to operate.

The center pushed Queen, but he ended up tripping the left guard, essentially occupying both linemen and freeing up Madubuike.

2023: Week 9, 4:01 remaining in the first quarter, third-and-11

In the same game, the Ravens ran the same pressure from an overload front with three defensive linemen to one side to force the offensive line to slide in that direction. Essentially, defensive tackle Michael Pierce and Queen are switching assignments. Like Queen in the previous example, Pierce’s job is to take the center away from the interior pick.

Pierce did his job and took the center with him, opening up space for Queen and Madubuike. Smith dropped into coverage on the other side, making this a five-man pressure with six in coverage.

In this situation, against the overload front, the Seahawks were in a seven-man protection with a tight end and a running back in the backfield, both of whom went to block Smith. Smith essentially took three blockers out of the play and freed Madubuike for a sack on third-and-long.

As players understand the pattern more and understand everyone’s assignment as the season progresses, Macdonald can get more exotic simply by having more players switch positions.

'He's the guy': Seahawks players embracing change under new coach Mike Macdonald

“They used to be so much more multiple with Wink (Martindale),” one offensive coordinator who had to game plan against Macdonald told The  Athletic. “Now, they’re probably more simple, but they play faster. From what I’ve heard, they’ve really simplified some of the verbiage so that they can just use those pieces and move guys around, and put certain guys in different spots … where a safety’s playing the nickel, the nickel’s playing safety, and kind of use some of those athletes they have. I think that’s where it’s kind of transformed to.”

2023: Week 15, 7:47 remaining in the fourth quarter, third-and-10

In this example from Week 15, the Ravens ran the same pick/stunt from a funky front with one defense tackle and three edge linebackers. Madubuike, who saw a lot of extra attention from offenses, was lined up on the opposite side of the stunt and edge linebacker Kyle Van Noy , who was in a two-point stance, played Madubuike’s usual position as the looper.

Again, Queen picked the guard and took the running back with him and freed up Van Noy for a clean path toward the quarterback.

The coverages and pressure patterns Macdonald uses aren’t particularly unique or innovative, but his defenses can stay a step ahead of offenses because they can run them out of so many fronts and it doesn’t take much learning for the defense — the previous three examples on this article showed the same pressure ran out of three different fronts. Though the offensive line has rules for blocking certain pressures, quarterbacks will study certain fronts to see what kind of pressures defenses will run out of them. However, it’s much harder to find tells because the Ravens can easily mix their fronts and pressures.

And because they can mix up their pressures so effortlessly, they can add multiple players to their pressure packages. For example, in Week 12, they found success with their pick/stunt out of the overload front (shown in the second Seahawks example in this article).

2023: Week 12, 1:57 remaining in the fourth quarter, fourth-and-6

Macdonald called his changeup on fourth-and-6 in the fourth quarter with the Chargers down by three. The Ravens lined up in their overload front (three defensive linemen on one side) from which they usually run their pick/stunt. Knowing that the running back would be keyed in on Queen, they had him line up outside to get him away from the rusher they were actually trying to free up.

The design worked. The line slid to the right and the running back went to block Queen, leaving no one to account for the nickel blitz coming from the left. Also, both defensive tackles dropped into coverage to get in the passing lanes for hot routes.

Without any hot routes to throw to, quarterback Justin Herbert was forced to hold the ball, which allowed nickel Arthur Maulet time to hit him, causing his pass to flutter incomplete.

One coach I spoke with compared Macdonald collecting versatile players and moving them around on defense to what 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan does with Deebo Samuel and Christian McCaffrey on offense. It messes with the opponent’s rules for handling certain personnel packages and looks, and there is only so much time a team has to prepare during the week.

“It simplifies your offensive game plan a little bit,” the offensive coordinator said. “And so that’s the battle and the struggle that you go when you face a team like that. Not only are they physical and fast and they’re good players. Now, you kind of have this scheme that makes you test all your rules in the run game, test all your rules in the pass game.”

Though there are schematic hallmarks to Macdonald’s system, it’s really a system of teaching that allows the defense to be as flexible as possible. It’s based on keeping the teaching simple and inexpensive for the defense while forcing offenses to feel like they must prepare for the bar exam. It’s not a copy-and-paste system. How the coaches from Macdonald’s tree can replicate how the system was taught in Baltimore will be key for creating the flexibility that made the Ravens’ defense a nightmare to prepare for. Of course, it never hurts to have fast, physical, smart and versatile players, too.

(Top photos: Lindsey Wasson / Associated Press; illustration: Ray Orr / The Athletic )

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Ted Nguyen is a NFL staff writer for The Athletic. He breaks down film to uncover the story that the X's and O's tell. He also covers the latest trends around the league and covers the draft. Follow Ted on Twitter @ FB_FilmAnalysis