How does a 4 day school week reduce stress?

Better Teacher and Student Morale Being out of school one extra day per week allows students to relax or to be more productive. The four-day format provides opportunities for an extra work day at an after-school job, engaging in volunteer activities or pursuing additional educational goals.

What are the benefits of a 4 day school week?

Proponents of a four-day school week argue that it offers several benefits, including cost savings, improved student attendance and increased teacher morale. By reducing the number of school days, schools can save money on transportation, food and energy costs.

How does shorter school days reduce stress?

Shorter days give students an opportunity to concentrate better, as human attention span is limited. More hours of sleep and reduced stress. When kids have spare time, they can use it to get more rest, which is crucial for brain development.

Does a 4 day school week improve sleep?

A 2021 study by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found that 4-day/week elementary kids got more sleep during the school week than 5-day/week kids, but middle and high school sleep remained the same. Call this one a draw.

How does homework cause stress and anxiety?

In sum, homework can be stressful! Not understanding the best time of day to complete it, how to plan and schedule it, and how to get help when they don't understand is often anxiety producing for both kids and teens. The good news is that there are loads of opportunities to teach important life skills to your child.

Pros and cons of a 4-day school week

Does homework reduce stress?

Students with too much homework have elevated stress levels.

Higher-achieving students — those who may have more homework — are at particular risk for stress-related health issues including sleep deprivation, weight loss, stomach problems and headaches.

Why do I cry over homework?

Perfectionism: Some kids who do really well in a subject may worry that their work “won't be good enough.” Trouble managing emotions: For kids who easily get flooded by emotions, homework can be a trigger for anxiety. Too much homework: Sometimes kids are anxious because they have more work than they can handle.

Is the US shifting to a 4 day school week?

Many school districts around the U.S. are moving to a four-day school week to retain teachers. Districts that don't want to raise taxes to pay teachers more are using the long weekend as an incentive.

What are the pros and cons of a 4 day school week?

What state has 4 days of school?

Oregon, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado have had four-day schools for a long time. They are a more recent addition in places like Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas and Missouri. The states are gatekeepers in a way, mandating a minimum number of instructional days or hours.

What country has the shortest school day?

Finland has the shortest school days! In Finland, children get a 15-minute break every 45 minutes. This equates to an average of three hours and 45 minutes of educational instruction each day. Primary school children in Germany go to school from 8:30–11:30.

Does longer school days cause stress?

With such long hours, the students are often left with little to no time to complete their homework and this can lead to a lot of stress and anxiety. Moreover, the long hours can take away from the quality of education that students are getting.

Do shorter school days improve mental health?

Shorter school days gives the student more time outside of school to accommodate other aspects of their life. This means a student finally has the time to maintain and work on their mental health. Whether this is in the form of getting restful sleep, decompressing, or pursuing hobbies!

Is a 4 day week good for students?

Though the four-day school week can, at first, seem like an appealing solution to some of the problems that beset schools across the United States, in the long run the benefits may not outweigh the drawbacks—both in slowing learning, and by papering over the deeper issues schools and teachers face.

What states have a 4 day school week?

What States Have Four-Day School Weeks? Several states have introduced four day school weeks, including Colorado, New Mexico, Idaho, Oklahoma, and Oregon. In fact, 60 percent of Colorado's districts and around 40 percent of New Mexico and Oregon's districts have implemented a four-day school week.

Is Florida switching to 4 day school week?

Four day workweek trials

A Florida school board is "trying something new" by adding four-day weekends to the school calendar to combat absenteeism. Pasco County School board members voted unanimously on Tuesday to approve three of these "mini-breaks" in October, February and April for the 2024-2025 school year.

Do teachers like four day school week?

Studies have shown that parents and students are fans of the change largely because it provides a day to catch up on work, run errands, and spend time with family. This model of shorter weeks is also thought to attract and retain teachers better than the traditional model.

Does a 4 day school week improve test scores?

While the mean test scores for five-day week schools exceeded those of four-day week schools in 11 of the 12 test comparisons, the differences were slight, with only one area revealing a statistically significant difference.

Why 23 Utah schools have moved to 4 day weeks?

On the positive side, some schools report that four-day school weeks are a boon for educators because they have an extra day to plan lessons, grade assignments and attend teacher training opportunities.

What are the cons of a 4 day school week?

One study found that the four-day week may hurt reading scores more than math scores. A large study released last year found that the shorter schedule held back student achievement in small-town and suburban districts but had little or no effect in rural districts.

Why should school be 5 days a week instead of 4?

Responders could choose from five options when stating why they are against the 4-day school week. Answers included: longer school days, getting home later after activities, less time with family during the week due to longer school days, less time to work after school, or other.

Is Saturday a school day in USA?

The typical school week in America is Monday through Friday. Some schools offer Saturday School also, but that isn't too common. The exception might be parochial schools which are Jewish or Muslim schools as their Sabbath days are not on Sundays.

Is it OK to cry at school?

Teachers have busy schedules, but even 5 minutes of conversation can lift a student's mood and make them feel valued. Let the student know that crying isn't something to be embarrassed about. 4. Don't ask “why are you crying?” Instead, ask directly if it has anything to do with the class or how they're performing.

Why does school exist?

Rather than every family being individually responsible for education, people soon figured out that it would be easier and more efficient to have a small group of adults teach a larger group of children. In this way, the concept of the school was born.

Why do I cry when someone yells at me?

You might cry when someone yells at you because you feel angry, fearful, stressed, or upset. If you're a highly sensitive person, you may cry more easily than others because you process your emotions at a deeper level. Hold back tears by pinching yourself, thinking of something funny, or taking deep breaths.