10 tips for giving better homework - includes related articles

Now that you've determined your level of homework savvy, let's look back at the scenarios mentioned in the quiz, and find out what the experts have to say about homework habits.

1 The Worksheet Dilemma

Teacher A gives worksheets as homework to help students practice skills. Most children like to do worksheets as practice homework, but worksheets often artificially isolate particular skills. It's important to assign homework that reinforces material learned in previous lessons or prepares and familiarizes students with topics yet to come. And worksheets are probably not the most effective way to do this.

2 Parental Input in Homework Policy

Teacher B is right to outline her homework policy for parents and make sure they understand it, but she should be willing to clarify any questions and address any doubts they may have.

An effective way to present your homework policy is in a letter home or in a contract presented to parents at open house, explaining:

* the reasons why you assign homework and why you feel it is appropriate for your grade level;

* the amount and frequency of homework parents can expect kids to have each night and each week;

* the expectations and responsibilities of both the students and the parents, including guidelines for when and how students should complete work; and

* how you will respond to homework (grade it, comment on it, check it, reward it, and so on).

3 Uniform or Unique Assignments?

Teacher C customizes his homework assignments to suit the styles of each individual student.

The jury of experts is still out on individualized homework like this. While some researchers find that in certain cases it's good practice, others say that homework is most effective when all the students receive the same or similar assignments.

Individualized assignments may call attention to the differences in children's abilities and skills, so it's better to assign open-ended work that each child can do to the best of his or her ability. Assignments for younger children should be short and simple enough that they can be done by all students.

4 Should Teachers Give Homework at All?

Teacher D chooses not to assign homework to her primary students because she feels that after school kids should have time to be kids.

In the 1980s some researchers disputed the value of too much compulsory homework, citing that, due to the "back to basics" trend, there were too many obligations on kids and not enough time left over for recreation and fun. Today, however, most teachers feel that, in moderation, homework is a good thing. Some researchers argue that homework enhances student achievement from the upper elementary grades through high school, but that it may not help the achievement of younger children. For a list of reasons experts have cited for assigning homework, see "Why Should Teachers Give Homework, Anyway?".

5 How Much Homework Should Upper-Grade Students Get?

A few of Teacher E's colleagues think his practice of assigning 30 to 45 minutes of homework three times a week is excessive. Some research suggests that in grades 4-6, homework assignments should be given two to four times a week and each one should last between 15 and 45 minutes. Others recommend longer homework periods, from 45 to 90 minutes. Because researchers haven't reached a consensus yet, a middle-of-the-road approach is probably best.

6 How "Creative" Can Homework Be?

Teacher F's goal is to cultivate a love of learning in her students, so she assigns creative homework--such as having the students learn a folk dance or a game from a country they've studied. She might even have the children do a Create-Your-Own-Homework Night where each student can choose a subject, study it, and present some aspect of it to the class. This works well to create and encourage observation, experimentation, critical thinking, and social skills. She's right on track. This type of homework usually generates interest in subjects studied, and most researchers agree that is a key purpose of homework. Creative homework should be challenging, require higher-order thinking skills, and integrate different domains of knowledge and experiences. (Some practice homework for younger students is fine, however.)

7 Should Teachers Correct and Grade Homework?

It's fine for Teacher G to have the students correct their homework the next day in class so they get quick feedback on it. However, he should also look at it (making notes of any problem areas), grade the paper or make some sort of comment on it, and return it quickly to the student. Research has found that all kinds of teacher feedback has positive effects, whether it is grading, comments, or just reinforcement for completing assignments. Homework with feedback produces higher achievement than homework that is not commented on or graded. Research also suggests that all homework be used as a diagnostic device to help teachers assess what students are learning and then tailor instruction accordingly.

8 What if you disagree with your school's homework policy?

In this scenario, the school system's homework policy is clearly not effective because Teacher H does not understand it. A school's homework policy should clearly reflect good educational thinking so teachers understand the reasons for having it and so they can explain the policy positively to parents. The policy should also be flexible enough that individual teachers can tailor their homework assignments to fit their instructional needs. Hopefully, teachers will have a say in setting their school's policy.

9 Should homework be used as a punishment?

Teacher I uses homework to punish students when disruptive behavior prevents them from finishing class-work. According to the experts, teachers should never use homework as a punishment. Students will learn to see it as such--and will immediately be turned off to it.

10 What role should parents play in homework?

Teacher J is right to question her practice of always requiring families to help their children do their homework. While parents are an important part of the homework process, they should play a supportive role--direct parental involvement should be kept to a minimum.

Practice-type homework assignments, such as math problems or writing sentences with spelling words, should be done by the student alone. At most, parents might check them, point out mistakes, and offer advice for corrections. For projects, reports, and experiments, parental guidance can be stronger--anything from taking the child to the library and helping her pick books to buying the wallpaper paste for the papier-mache project to overseeing a science experiment. It's best, though, not to overload families with too many library trips or purchases.

Explain to parents that it is important for them to set parameters for their child for doing homework. Parents should:

* provide a quiet place to do homework and even a consistent homework time;

* tell their child that homework is important to them as parents and should be to the student, too;

* keep pencils, paper, scissors, and such on hand for kids to use for homework; and

* offer help, but make sure the student gets the work done on his or her own.

Why Should Teachers Give Homework, Anyway?

Although it may incite moans and groan's, and on occasion a dog may eat an assignment, homework is sound practice when used for the following purposes:

* to practice, review, and reinforce what students have learned;

* to prepare for upcoming lessons;

* to apply skills to new situations and to real life;

* to give students leeway for individual creativity;

* to integrate many skills into a single assignment;

* to promote good attitudes toward learning and good study habits;

* to encourage responsibility and consequences for not meeting obligations;

* to show students that learning takes place all the time--in school and at home;

* to establish discussion between parent and child;

* to keep parents informed about what their child is doing in school; and

* to give parents the opportunity to show their children how much they value education.

Here's Your Homework!

If you want to know more about some of the research cited in this article, don't miss:

* Homework by Harris Cooper (Longman, 1989)

* Taming the Homework Monster by Ellen Klavan (Poseidon Press, 1992)

* Homework Without Tears for Teachers by Lee Canter (Lee Canter and Associates, 1990)

* Homework by Timothy Keith (Kappa Delta Press,1986)

KATHY FAGGELLA teaches language arts, science, and art at the Norwalk Seaport Association in Norwalk, Connecticut. She is also the project coordinator of P.A.T.H. (Parents as Teaching Heroes), a Literacy Volunteers of America program.

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