Homework

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Homework, short for homework assignments, refers to tasks assigned to students by their teachers to be completed mostly outside of class, and derives its name from the fact that most students do most of such work at home. Common homework assignments may include a quantity or period of reading to be performed, writing or typing to be completed, problems to be solved, or other skills to be practiced. Assignments are usually required to be completed and turned in by a specific deadline, usually the next schoolday. Homework generally counts as part of the student's grade in each class for which homework was assigned. The term homework usually refers to primary or secondary school assignments as opposed to college-level coursework.

A student reading his chemistry homework.

[edit] Main objectives and reasons for homework

The basic objectives of assigning homework to students are the same as schooling in general, to increase the knowledge and improve the abilities and skills of the student. Homework enhances and supplements classroom learning, and is usually intended to provide the student with a better education. In addition, homework may be intended to develop students in the traits of independence, responsibility, self-motivation, and self-discipline. More specifically, homework assignments may be designed to reinforce what students have already learned,^[1] prepare them for upcoming (or complex or difficult) lessons, extend what they know by having them apply it to new situations, or to integrate their abilities by applying many different skills to a single task. Homework also provides an opportunity for parents to participate in their children's education.

[edit] Amount of homework required

A review of over 60 research studies showed that there is a positive correlation between the amount of homework done and student achievement. The research synthesis also showed that too much homework could be extremely counterproductive. Homework overload can cause kids to "burn out". The research supports the "10-minute rule", the commonly accepted practice of assigning 10-minutes of homework per day per grade-level. For example, under this system, 1st-graders would receive 10-minutes of homework per night, while 5th-graders would get 50-minutes worth, 9th-graders 90-minutes of homework, etc. Some students, however, recieve up to 5 times that on some days.^[2]

[edit] Homework strategies

Learning and using effective study skills can help to speed up the completion of homework, allowing a student to focus on other endeavors.

In cases where the teacher assigns homework verbally or on the chalkboard, the student can prevent forgetting or misremembering the assignments by writing them down and keeping them well-organized in a notebook, planner, or agenda. It is also recommended to develop a strategy that decreases the child's chances of leaving completed homework at home.^[3]

Students who adopt a positive attitude toward homework, who enjoy it and work on it enthusiastically, generally complete their homework faster than if they viewed their homework negatively. Reluctance and resistance can make homework take longer. Minimizing distractions,^[4] such as by studying in a quiet room and leaving the TV off, etc, make it easier to concentrate on homework and get it done faster, while doing a better job. Contrary to specialists recommendations, there is no evidence that the radio, as opposed to the television, hinders performance. This may be because radios emit only audio and no video, so there is less distraction.^[4]

One approach for minimizing the amount of homework a student has to do at home is to complete as much of it as possible while still at school. Spare time between classes, during lunch, and especially during classes may be enough to get most or even all of the student's homework completed, depending on how much is assigned.

[edit] Homework resources

[edit] Internet homework resources

Research usually requires only one computer, although some people may use more than one,in an attempt to speed things up, with little relavent reason.

There are many homework-related resources available on the World Wide Web.^[5] There are web-sites dedicated to communicating about homework, for teachers to post assignments on-line for students, and to keep parents informed. Many schools host their own homework posting services on their websites. There are non-profit organizations on-line that help students with their homework for free. There are also tutorials on most school subjects, especially math, which students can use if they don't understand their homework assignments. Many websites provide homework tips on how to complete particular types of homework assignments, such as how to write an essay. Many libraries provide on-line resources which present subjects specifically for students who are looking for something to write about. And there are archives of ready-made homework assignments, including handouts, which teachers can use to provide homework to their students. Many other websites are good for research, especially search engines, such as Google, and encyclopedias, such as Wikpedia.

Parents are often encouraged to monitor their students' usage of the internet, as some sites can be deceiving and not child-friendly.^[5]

[edit] Tutoring

With an enhanced emphasis on homework, parents and students are turning to customized solutions. Private institutions like Sylvan Learning Centers and Kaplan tend to help students through individually-tailored assignments. Other parents find help through their community where study-groups and other resources may be made available.^[6] Many libraries provide tutors for helping students with their homework, both in-person and on-line. See Homework help service.

[edit] Parental homework strategies

Students generally benefit when their parents become involved in the homework process. However, too much parental involvement can prevent the positive effects of homework.^[7]

Setting a regular time to do homework^[7] and designating a specific place for doing homework helps keep the student well-focused on his or her studies. A flat surface, good lighting, school supplies (pens, pencils, paper, scissors, glue, eraser, ruler, etc.) and a dictionary, are often essential.

Teachers need to know what their students understand and can do independently, therefore they often advise parents not to do the children's homework assignments for them, nor correct their children's homework assignments and have them copy the corrections. Grades, and the teachers' other feedback, need to apply to the student's performance, not to the parents' performance, nor to student-parent co-performance.

Independent learning is encouraged and improved by providing guidance (such as explaining how to look up information or find a word in a dictionary) rather than merely providing the answers to the child's homework-related questions.

Having one's child read out loud allows the parent to provide corrections and help the student learn how to read better.

When parents do "homework" of their own at the same time as their children, it sets a good example and helps to foster a good attitude toward learning.^[5]

[edit] Teaching and homework effectiveness

Student learning improves when homework serves a clear purpose and is matched to both the skills of each individual student and to the current topics being taught in class. Feedback improves the effectiveness of homework, especially when given in a timely manner (within 24 hours). Effective feedback improves student learning by correcting misunderstanding, validating process, and highlighting errors in thinking. Embedded comments provide much better feedback than a mere grade at the top of the paper. Homework must be concentrated to be effective: mastering takes days or weeks of practice. Fifty-percent mastery may be achieved after 4 practice sessions, but it takes 28 practice sessions to achieve approximately the eighty-percent mastery level.^[8]

Another way teachers can be more effective is by alerting parents to their students' homework, giving parents a chance to become familiar with the material and their child's progress. This also encourages parents to become involved in the homework process.^[9] Messages tend to get lost in transit or even altered when using "pupil post" (passing verbal messages or written notes back and forth using the student as courier), and therefore direct communication is much more effective and prevents frustration all around. Methods available for directly reporting homework assignments (to both students and their parents) include the phone, email, and centralized web-pages.

[edit] Criticism

There is a growing amount of teachers, parents, and students that advocate the abolishment, or at least a limit in the amount, of homework.

[edit] History of homework

[edit] History of homework in the United States

Historically, homework was frowned upon in American culture. With few students interested in higher education, and due to the necessity to complete daily chores, homework was discouraged not only by parents, but also by the legislature. In 1901, Congress passed an act that effectively abolished homework for those who attended kindergarten through the eighth grade. But, in the 1950s, with increasing pressure on the United States to stay ahead in the Cold War, homework made a resurgence, and children were encouraged to keep up with their Russian counterparts. By the end of the Cold War in the early 1990s, the consensus in American education was overwhelmingly in favor of issuing homework to students of all grade levels.^[10]

In a study done at the University of Michigan, research concluded that the amount of homework given is increasing over time. In a sample taken of students between the ages of 6 and 9, it was shown that students spend more than two hours a week on homework, as opposed to 44 minutes in 1981.^[11]

[edit] See also

[edit] Resources

[edit] Homework posting

• yourhomework.com - free homework posting service, to improve teacher-student-parent communication of homework assignments and homework scheduling.

[edit] Parent resources

[edit] Student resources

[edit] Teacher resources

[edit] Notes and references