I have always hated homework, which is funny, because I’m now going to show you how to give effective homework that actually works. Seriously, it was the word-that-shall-not-be-named, as far as I was concerned. As a kid, I hated that I spent all day in school just to go home and continue the madness. Once my daughter started school, I hated forcing it on her and repeating “do your homework.” After becoming a teacher, my hate grew even more…homework was such a task each day to give out, keep track of, assign and grade. I remember writing homework assignments on the board that included various workbook pages and reading assignments from different textbooks. I mean, seriously, why would any teacher expect a child to do all that work after working all day? We don’t go home from work each day wanting to do more work….am I right?
So, why have homework at all, you might be wondering?! Well, believe it or not, homework can actually be a positive and important tool in a child’s education, if done correctly. That’s right…I flipped the script. You see, I used to hate homework, but now I feel the complete opposite.
Below, I’ll share what makes homework effective, the homework system I created for my own students, and my top ten tips for giving and managing homework.
A Few Important Things About Giving Effective Homework
- The rule “Quality over Quantity” should always be considered when assigning homework…Less is more. This is so true when it comes to homework. More is not better….it’s just MORE. If a child is exhausted and hates what they are doing, what are you really accomplishing?
- It can be a valuable tool for keeping parents informed and involved. When I send home homework, not only are my students getting a few minutes to put their knowledge to the test, but their parents now have the opportunity to see how their child is doing, and what they are learning in class and expected to know. It’s a win, win, win.
- It can help teachers make informed decisions and help guide instruction. When I see a student struggling with a skill from their homework, I know I have some reteaching to do. Class time is so limited and already stretched to the max, so I don’t have as much time as I would like to see if each and every student understands what I’ve taught each day. Homework is the perfect way to see if a student “gets it,” and it didn’t take any class time.
- It can help build student confidence and skill retention. Because I use a mostly-review style homework (I’ll get into that in a bit), students who didn’t get to master a skill in class while it was being taught will be given the opportunity to continue to practice that same skill on their nightly homework. In my experience, I have seen my students’ self-confidence boost! They may not master the skill on the first, second, or third night, but eventually, they do. Homework gives them the opportunity to keep practicing and feel success at their own pace.
Here is a quick reference guide of “Do’s and Don’ts.”
The Homework Solution
Years ago, I created a homework system for my students that would do all of the above and more. Simple…Thoughtful…Effective. That’s what I was going for. I wrote about 6-8 problems per night. I made sure most of them reviewed the topics I had already FULLY covered in class, while also including at least one question on the topic we were currently learning. My philosophy here is I didn’t want my students to spend time incorrectly practicing something they haven’t fully learned. When students practice a skill incorrectly, more time is required to reteach and break the bad habit. This is very different from traditional homework, which typically drills the skill learned that day with little review. With this traditional way, students and parents are likely to become frustrated, and as a result, the homework loses its effectiveness.
More Benefits of This Homework
- Students retain skills longer due to its repetitive nature.
- Daily practice helps students sharpen their skills.
- Students are more likely to do their work because it really doesn’t take that long.
- Parents like the predictability.
- Parents can see exactly what their child needs to know.
- It builds students’ self-esteem because they are more likely to be successful.
- It saves paper!
- It’s easy to differentiate (editable), so I can change up the difficulty of questions as needed.
My Top 10 Homework Tips for Teachers
Managing homework is definitely something that many teachers struggle with. Whether your issue is “How much should I give?”, “What is the best way to correct it?”, or “How can I make it more effective?”, I’ve got you covered. Here are my tried-and-true tips for EVERYTHING homework related!
Tip 1: Keep It Consistent!
This will save you TONS of headaches. Keeping things consistent will keep students from getting confused and forgetting their homework. Parents can also stay in control when they know what is expected. There should never be the question of “What is our homework tonight?” because everyone already knows.
The BEST way to keep your routine consistent is to pick a resource to use for your homework for each subject and stick with it. Try not to jump all over the place and pull random worksheets out. By doing so, you are setting up everyone to fail. Here is the system I use every single week. It is very consistent and everyone knows what to expect!
Tip 2: Use Homework for Review Only
I NEVER give my students homework on something I just taught them. Odds are, most of your students don’t understand the concept enough to perform on their own, so if you think about it, they will just be practicing the new skill incorrectly. Not good for anyone. Instead, give your students a nightly dose of review (include skills you’ve already fully taught) and maybe just one or two problems on the newest skill.
Tip 3: Don’t Grade It!
This just makes sense! Every student gets a different level of support at home with their work. It is safe to say that it is not fair to penalize a student for not having a parent who can answer questions and help them correct mistakes. Sally shouldn’t get punished by a low score because her parents weren’t available to assist her, while Jimmy gets 100% because his parents corrected all of his errors. See what I mean?
On the other hand, I personally don’t think there is anything wrong with giving a “complete” or “incomplete” score. Whether students turn in their homework or not is definitely something I keep track of.
Tip 4: Less Is More!
Focus on what is most important. Pick the areas you feel your students need the most support, practice, and review. You don’t have to have homework for EVERY subject. Aim to give your students a handful of review problems for each core subject (Math, Reading, etc.). These assignments should only take about 10-15 minutes each. Really, that is all that is needed. Giving too much homework can actually be less effective and just frustrate parents and students. However, giving some homework is important because it allows parents to stay informed and actually see what is expected of their child. I always use the rule “quality over quantity.”
Wondering how much is too much? Many schools follow the “10-minute rule”: about 10 minutes of homework per grade level each night, for all subjects combined. That’s around 30 minutes in 3rd grade and 50 minutes in 5th grade.
Tip 5: Creative Consequences
If a student doesn’t complete their homework, what then? I am not a believer in taking away recess, and I think many schools don’t encourage that either. So, what else can you do? I have come across a few strategies that have worked for different groups of students. First, I have told my students that I will call home and speak with their parents if homework is missed. A lot of times, students care more about this kind of consequence than they do about sitting out or working through lunch. As soon as I know their work is not with them, I call home. I have found that this consequence drastically limits the amount of missed homework.
If calling home isn’t for you, you could try having a student who doesn’t complete their homework sit down immediately and complete it. They are now responsible for completing their missed homework and whatever morning work is expected of them. If the real goal is to get them to do the work, this accomplishes that goal without the stress of calling home. However, I do recommend getting parents involved if this behavior is a regular occurrence.
Of course, my preferred method is a positive consequence. I find the most success when I reward those who do their homework rather than punishing those who don’t. No matter which way you decide to go, being consistent with your consequences is key.
Tip 6: Simplify Your Systems!
Don’t make correcting homework a hassle! In fact, don’t make anything homework related a hassle.
It starts with timing. Don’t wait until you are ready to start your school day to begin your homework routine. If possible, it is best to start your routine the minute your students begin entering your room. Waiting can cut into some seriously needed teaching time. That’s not good for anyone! Also, keep an open mind. Depending on your schedule, it may be best to go over homework at the very end of the day.
My next 4 tips explain more about how to keep it simple.
Tip 7: Hire a Student
You are busy! You don’t have time to spend each morning asking each student to show you their homework. So….don’t! Assuming you teach upper elementary or higher, you should totally be delegating the job of “homework checking” to a dependable student.
As students walked into my classroom, they knew the first thing they had to do was take out their weekly homework sheet and leave it on their desk. Then, my “student of the week,” or whichever student I felt could handle the job, would go around with my checklist and simply check for completion. Not correctness, just a simple “yes, they did it” or “no, they didn’t do it.” Done. This saves me time and my sanity during my morning routine.
Here is the checklist I use. It’s free!
Tip 8: Don’t Check It!
I don’t check homework! There, I said it. Who has time for that? However, I do go over homework as a group every single day. By doing this, I save lots of time and still use my homework effectively. (NOTE: I do check homework more closely during small group instruction and use it as a learning tool.)
Here is exactly what I do…
Before the day begins, I project the answer key up on the front board (zooming in on the day we are focusing on) for my students to check their work for accuracy. As I scroll down the answer sheet, my students ask me questions and we go over anything they are having trouble with. This usually takes about 5 to 10 minutes (longer only when necessary). I don’t waste time writing every problem on the board and solving it, because that just isn’t necessary.
Here is why this works…
You might be thinking, “This can’t work! Students aren’t going to ask questions.” This couldn’t be further from the truth, and here is why. From the first week of school, I establish a few key ideas about homework:
- Your homework is there to help you understand what you still need to work on.
- It is okay to get something wrong, as long as you try.
- You are accountable for your own learning. If you don’t understand something, it is your job to ask.
Very quickly, my students understand that homework review time is purely for their own benefit. There isn’t any pressure, and there are no hard feelings about not understanding something, because that is the whole point of this time. If they are having trouble with a problem, this is their opportunity to get more help, because they are more than likely going to see a similar problem on the next night’s homework.
If you really want to save time, GO DIGITAL! Google Forms are great for homework, and they grade themselves! I have a TON of Google Forms homework resources I know you will love!
Tip 9: Get More Out of Homework
Yes! Don’t just use homework for….well…..homework. Use homework to help you monitor your students’ progress and see what they still need to work on. Although I do not check every student’s homework, I do ask them to bring it to small groups. THIS is the time where I actually go deeper into the problems my students may have struggled with, and I use it to guide my instruction. I glance over everyone’s work and make a mental note of what I notice. By doing this, I have turned my homework into an instructional resource for myself and my students, and it has been a very helpful tool in making sure that ALL of my students are meeting the standards.
Tip 10: Be Flexible
Homework shouldn’t be stressful for anyone. If homework is stressing you out, step back and make a new plan. If you can incorporate some of the tips I mentioned, homework can be a pleasant and helpful experience for everyone involved.
Ready to simplify your homework routine? Click here to see the spiral review homework for your grade level. You might also like my posts on making reading homework meaningful, math spiral review, and why teachers should retire reading logs.
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