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Classroom Management

Effective Practices for Homework

On this page:, homework facts, practices that are less effective, practices that are more effective, homework has four basic purposes:.

• Practice (e.g., after the teacher has directly taught a math algorithm in class, the homework is to complete several problems requiring use of that algorithm).
• Preparation (e.g., pre-reading or looking over a new unit of study in a text for the next class meeting).
• Study (e.g., reviewing content to prepare for a test).
• Extend or elaborate (e.g., completing a project or paper on a topic such as investigating the causes of the Vietnam War).

Of these purposes, the most valuable in producing measurable academic gains is practice for the purpose of building proficiency, maintaining mastery or both. This is not to say that the other purposes lack legitimacy. However, in existing studies, it is evident that when homework is used to build fluency and maintain proficiency, student performance is most positively affected.

Practice can be provided via homework in two ways, single-skill or cumulative . Single-skill assignments are appropriate when students are mastering the taught skill itself; cumulative assignments are valuable when students are learning to determine which skill to use and then applying it. The example about teaching a math algorithm is a single-skill format. If the assigned homework included the newly learned algorithm along with some previously learned skill, it would be considered cumulative. Cumulative practice is critical for skill maintenance and is included in any model of effective teaching practices. Skill maintenance is especially difficult for students with LD.

A critical idea here is that the student must have demonstrated competence in the skill being practiced before being asked to do it independently (i.e., as homework). Research indicates students should be able to perform a skill at 90% accuracy before it should be assigned as homework for independent practice.

Researchers have examined homework in many different ways. In addition to assessing what homework practices are beneficial, they have been able to describe how and when homework is assigned. Here are some important facts about homework that one can learn from the research literature.

• Benefits vary by age. The older the student, the more likely homework will have a beneficial effect.
• Optimal time per night spent on homework varies with grade level. For, primary, upper elementary, middle school, and high school grades, the optimal time is about 20, 40, 60, and 90 minutes, respectively.
• Homework is given often. Reports indicate that students may get as many 400 assignments per year in grades 7-10.
• Homework has significant effects on grades. Up to 30% of course grades in grades 7-10 is based upon homework.
• Homework affects test scores. Successful completion of homework has been associated with gains (up to 15 percentile points) on standardized test scores.

Historically, individualization has been integral to effective education for students with Learning Disabilities. However, homework has been neglected as an area warranting individualization, especially for students served in inclusive settings. Studies show general education teachers and students accept modifications for students with Learning Disabilities for many areas of instruction (e.g., testing modifications), but when it comes to homework, they are less accepting of individualization.

However, the result of not individualizing homework can be devastating. Indeed, if students are assigned a task they are unable to complete independently or that takes them inordinate amounts of time to complete, the probability of their attempting the task is greatly reduced and they run the risk of practicing errors with serious consequences. Therefore, not individualizing homework is not an effective practice. Other ineffective practices are listed in the table below.

Research has also provided direction about some practices that are especially beneficial. Teachers of students with Learning Disabilities probably should employ these practices, as they are likely both to help the student acquire the content or skills being learned as well as help students to complete homework in the future. For teachers collaborating with colleagues in general education settings, these are practices that probably should be promoted. Effective homework practices are listed in the table below.

There are over 500 articles and books on the topic of homework but only a few are actual research studies. In the area of LD there are fewer than a dozen. This guide presents a compilation of the implications for practice from those studies. Based upon this research there are three big ideas to remember when using homework:

• The best use of homework is to build proficiency in recently acquired skills or to maintain skills previously mastered.
• Homework should be individualized.
• Teachers should evaluate homework and provide detailed feedback to students.

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Bryan, T., Nelson, C., & Mathur, S. (1995). Homework: A survey of primary students in regular, resource, and self-contained special education classrooms. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 10 , 85-90.

Cooper, H. (1989). Synthesis of research on homework. Educational Leadership, 47 , 85 91.

Cooper, H., & Nye, B. (1994). Homework for students with learning disabilities: The implications of research for policy and practice. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 27 , 470-479.

Epstein, M. H., Polloway, E. A., Foley, R. M., & Patton, J. R. (1993). Homework: A comparison of teachers’ and parents’ perceptions of the problems experienced by students identified as having behavioral disorders, learning disabilities, or no disabilities. Remedial and Special Education, 14( 5), 40-50.

Hughes, C. A., Ruhl, K. L., Schumaker, J. B., & Deshler, D. D. (2002). Effects of instruction in an assignment completion strategy on the homework performance of students with learning disabilities in general education classes. Learning Disabilities Research and Practice, 17 , 1-18.

Hughes, C. A., Ruhl, K. L., Schumaker, J. B., & Deshler, D. D. (1995). The assignment completion strategy. Lawrence, KS: EDGE Enterprises.

Hughes, C. A., Ruhl, K. L., Rademacher, J. A., Schumaker, J. B., & Deshler, D. D. (1995). Quality quest planner. Lawrence, KS: Edge Enterprises.

Hughes, C. A., Maccini, P., & Gagnon, J. C. (2003). Interventions that positively impact the performance of students with learning disabilities in secondary general education classrooms. Learning Disabilities: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 12 (3), 32-44.

Lenz, B. K., Ehren, B. J., & Smiley, L. R. (1991). A goal attainment approach to improve completion of project type assignments by adolescents with learning disabilities. Learning Disabilities Research and Practice, 6 , 166-176.

O’Melia, M. C., & Rosenberg, M. S. (1994). Effects of cooperative homework teams on the acquisition of mathematics skills by secondary students with mild disabilities. Exceptional Children, 60, 538-548.

Otto, W. (1985). Homework: A meta-analysis. Journal of Reading, 28 , 764-766.

Paschal, A., Weinstein, R., & Walberg, H. (1984). The effects of homework on learning: A quantitative synthesis. Journal of Educational Research, 78 , 97-104.

Polloway, E. A., Foley, R. M., & Epstein, M. H. (1992). A comparison of the homework problems of students with learning disabilities and nonhandicapped students. Learning Disabilities Research and Practice, 7 , 203-209.

Putnam, M. L., Deshler, D. D., & Schumaker, J. B. (1993). The investigation of setting demands: A missing link in learning strategy instruction. In L. Meltzer (Ed.), Strategy assessment and instruction for students with learning disabilities: From theory to practice (pp. 325-354). Austin, TX: PRO-ED.

Rademacher, J. A., Deshler, D. D., Schumaker, J. B., & Lenz, B. K. (1998). The quality assignment routine. Lawrence, KS: Edge Enterprises, Inc.

Rademacher, J. A., Schumaker, J. B., & Deshler, D. D. (1996). Development and validation of a classroom assignment routine for inclusive settings. Learning Disability Quarterly, 19 , 163-178.

Rosenberg, M. S. (1989). The effects of daily homework assignments on the acquisition of basic skills by students with learning disabilities. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 22 , 314-322.

Sah, A., & Borland, J. H. (1989). The effects of a structured home plan on the home school behaviors of gifted learning-disabled students with deficits in organizational skills. Roeper Review, 12 , 54-57.

Salend, S. J., & Gajria, M. (1995). Increasing the homework completion rates of students with mild disabilities. Remedial and Special Education, 16 , 271-278.

Salend, S. J., & Schliff, J. (1989). An examination of the homework practices of teachers of students with learning disabilities. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 22 , 621-623.

Trammel, D. L., Schloss, P. J., & Alper, S. (1994). Using self-recording , evaluation, and graphing to increase completion of homework assignments. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 27 , 75-81.

Related Topics

How to Mark Homework

29 March 2021

7 minutes to read

• 01. What Is Homework For?
• 02. Marking According to the Type of Homework
• 03. Things to Keep in Mind
• 04. More Things to Consider

As a teacher, you might want to give your students some homework to further their learning, consolidate what they learnt in class, or prepare them for an upcoming topic. Students from primary school to secondary school will regularly be given homework by their teachers.

However, a teacher will often need to mark or correct the homework they give students in a way that provides educational benefits to the student. When giving out homework, teachers sometimes forget to think about how they’re going to fairly mark it so that a student or parent can clearly understand how well they’ve performed.

In this article, Superprof is looking at how to fairly mark the homework that you give your students so that it offers valuable feedback to them and a clear indication of what they’ve done well, how they can improve, and what they’ve got wrong.

What Is Homework For?

Whether students are studying maths, science, English, French, geography, or history, their homework must be marked in a way that they can learn from the feedback.

Sometimes, homework is given to help students revise for an upcoming exam, a marked activity that counts towards their overall grade or to help them improve upon what they studied in class, meaning that their academic performance can be affected by how well they do their homework.

The advantages of handing out homework include:

• Homework can act as evaluation or training. This allows students to learn how to work independently and also see how well they’ve retained the information given to them during their course.
• Mark schemes give students a goal to achieve. They can look to improve on their scores.
• Homework is also a way to encourage students to work in groups, allowing them to improve their teamwork and communication skills.
• Parents and family members are given an opportunity to get involved with their children’s schooling and also work on the aforementioned group skills.
• Students can revise less if they’ve effectively used homework to consolidate their knowledge from in class.
• Doing homework is a good opportunity for students to catch up to their peers, especially if they’re starting to struggle in a given subject.
• Homework gives the teacher more time for teaching as they can use homework to evaluate students rather than tests and exams during class time.

That said, there are also disadvantages to evaluating students through homework rather than an exam.

• Homework mightn’t necessarily be all the student’s own work. Family members, friends, and even the internet can help students with their homework. However, this can teach students to be resourceful and do their own research both online and offline.
• By evaluating students outside of the classroom, their scores, grades, or marks mightn’t be representative of what they can achieve or how they would perform under exam conditions or in class.
• Some students may struggle to do their homework and some really bad grades could knock their confidence. You may want to be merciful when giving out incredibly low scores.
• A teacher will need to spend a lot of time making copies of worksheets, preparing homework activities, and then correcting them.

Homework can be a useful tool for encouraging students to work on their own and improve their academic performance when done right. Furthermore, hard-working students will take pride in their work and fully enjoy the benefits of homework.

Make sure that students understand why they’re doing their homework and that they’re free to ask questions about it before you set their homework. After all, they can’t clear up any confusion once they get home.

Check out our guide to homework .

Marking According to the Type of Homework

Not all homework is the same and the type of homework you’ll set will depend on the level and subject being taught. Homework gives struggling students an opportunity to spend more time on their work while also being able to call upon their parents, family members, or private tutors for help.

There are three main types of homework that students can be given:

• Exercises. This type of homework is common in maths and science. To correct or evaluate this type of homework, you need to check if the student has the correct answer and has used the technique or approach that you’re trying to teach them. It doesn’t take long to correct as it’s often just a matter of checking whether the answer or working is right.
• Research and reasoning. This type of homework is common in the humanities and subjects like history, philosophy, and languages. Students are tested on how well they can research a given topic, put forward an argument, and show their logic and reasoning. This type of homework can take longer to correct, but it’s less likely that any student will get a really low score. This type of homework includes essays, dissertations, etc.
• Projects and creative writing. This type of homework is common in language courses and the arts. Generally, this is an opportunity for students to create something on a given topic or theme. Normally, students won’t need much help with these tasks as they’re about using their creativity to make something within a set of constraints.

The latter is a great way for students to express themselves.

Make sure that you adapt the homework you set to your students. The homework has to be at their level, on a topic that they’ve studied, and an activity that will improve their academic performance.

Check out our favourite online homework resources .

Things to Keep in Mind

There are a few things you need to consider when marking your students’ homework. The rules are stricter in secondary school and students will be expected to follow guidelines and methodologies when doing their homework but the mark scheme will also be clearer.

The overall grade or mark will reflect on how well the student has achieved the objectives outlined in the homework or project. If they’ve kept the objective or goal in mind whilst they did their homework, it won’t be surprising if they get a high mark.

If they’re expected to show their working or use a particular approach, you need to make sure that this is clear to the student and that arriving at the right answer using a different approach may not result in the student getting high marks.

However, in subjects like history, languages, and the arts and humanities in general, the lines are a little blurrier. If the goal is to use a particular grammatical tense or specific vocabulary in a foreign language exercise, they could lose marks by not including this in their answer, even if it’s a really well-written piece of work.

It’s important that they’ve used the right approaches or methods. While there are often other solutions to problems, you’re probably testing them on a certain approach rather than testing whether or not they can get the actual answer.

In subjects where the quality of the research is important, marks will often be awarded for high-quality research and also sound logic. In these cases, the quality of the argument will be more important than the final answer.

In short, homework should be marked according to:

• The goal or brief.
• The use of techniques being tested or evaluated.
• The quality of logic or reasoning on display.
• The overall presentation of the work and expected quality.

Of course, there is always some leeway for the teacher to prioritise certain parts of the homework. In any case, this framework is a good place to start when marking students’ homework.

Learn about the type of homework you should be setting your students .

More Things to Consider

There are a few more things you need to think about when marking homework. Again, this will depend on the subject you’re teaching, but most of these things can be applied to most subjects.

Plagiarism shouldn’t be tolerated. Of course, this is harder to prove in maths than in English.

With the humanities, it’s quite easy to check if the student’s work is original. If you search for a sentence from the student’s work on Google, you’ll be able to see if it’s appeared elsewhere online. If you search for the entire text and get something, it’s probably been directly lifted from another source.

A fully plagiarised piece of work should instantly be disqualified from evaluation. It’s important that the students understand that this type of practice is unacceptable.

As part of the rules, you may want to penalise homework that’s handed in late. You can always mark a student down for late submission or give them half marks. This is often at your discretion.

Keep in mind that your scoring needs to be consistent and that it’s a good idea to outline the boundaries. For example:

• 60-70%: Fine.
• 70-80%: Good.
• 80-90%: Very good.
• 90-100%: Excellent.

You don’t need to use these exact numbers, especially if you rarely give students higher than 70%, for example.

Now you should know a bit more about marking homework. To learn more about homework, check out our other articles.

You can even look for help from a private tutor on Superprof!

Enjoyed this article? Leave a rating!

Joseph is a French and Spanish to English translator, language enthusiast, and blogger.

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Teaching approaches: First lessons

• 1 Teaching approaches: First lessons
• 2 Teaching approaches: checking-homework Challenge
• 3 Teaching approaches: computer assisted language learning
• 4 Teaching approaches: content-based teaching
• 5 Teaching approaches: functional approaches in EFL/ ESOL
• 6 Teaching approaches: task-based learning
• 7 Teaching approaches: the communicative classroom
• 8 Teaching approaches: the grammar-translation method
• 9 Teaching approaches: the negotiated syllabus
• 10 Teaching approaches: total physical response
• 11 Teaching approaches: translation as a language learning tool
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• 13 Teaching approaches: What is "suggestopedia"?
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• 15 Teaching approaches: what is the silent way?

Teaching approaches: checking-homework Challenge

By Jane Sjoberg

• No comments

These are just a few ideas of how to make the whole-class correction of homework less of a chore and more of an active challenge. The suggestions given are specifically geared to be used when correcting exercises set from a workbook or worksheet as homework but some ideas may also be used when giving feedback for tasks set in class.

• Give students a chance to compare their answers in pairs. Students can then correct/ change/ complete their own answers before a whole class check. This puts students at the centre of the correction process from the start and asks them to reflect upon their own and each other’s answers with a greater degree of learner autonomy.
• Take names out of a hat at random to nominate the students who are to supply answers (make sure this is done in a ‘fun’ way, explaining to students that they have an opportunity to PASS if their name is called).
• Use a ball or a scrunched up ball of newspaper weighted with a thick rubber band (lightweight balls that don’t bounce are best – bouncy balls have a tendency to get lost in the darkest corners of the classroom) to throw at random around the class to see who gets to give their answer to questions. Whoever gets the ball throws it to the next student. Again, give students an opportunity to pass if necessary.
• Alternate between asking for answers to be volunteered and calling on specific students to answer questions. Where the teacher is unfamiliar with the various ability groups in a class, nominating students can be a nightmare, especially if weaker or less confident learners are inadvertently asked to provide their answer to more complex questions. However, nominating is a way of ensuring the participation of those who are less likely to volunteer. Alternating between volunteers and nominated students solves this problem in part, but nominees should always be given the chance to pass if they prefer.
• To ensure that all students participate in the correction process, pre-prepare a grid that includes the question numbers for the various exercises that are to be corrected. Leave a space next to each question number. At the beginning of the lesson, get students to put their name down to answer the various questions. Tell students that, even if they did not do the homework they can still try to answer a question of their choice but do not force students to put their names down. When all the students who wish to participate have put their names down for at least one question, take the list in and use it to call on the students to answer the questions in turn. This ensures that the students called upon will be answering questions they themselves feel confident about (or else questions for which they would prefer individual feedback). If this process is repeated over several lessons, it also gives the teacher a chance to see whether there are students who repeatedly prefer not to be involved in the homework correction process. These students and their individual problems regarding homework can then be dealt with on a one-to-one basis.
• For fill-in-the-gaps exercises or simple one- or two-word answers present feedback in power point or on an OHP. Go through answers one by one giving time for students to check their own work. At the end of each exercise, stop and give students a chance to query, provide alternatives, or request further information regarding specific answers.
• Ask the class to do a quick survey in groups ranking exercises from the most to least difficult, the most to least interesting, the most to least useful etc.. Use student feedback to decide which exercise to correct together first and then give exercises ranked by the majority as the least interesting/difficult on OHP/power point as above to speed up the correction process. This ensures that students will be more alert during the correction of what they perceived to be the most problematic areas of their homework. Homework ranking tasks also provide important feedback to the teacher who may use the data provided to check on the cause of problems areas at a later date. Students may perceive certain exercises as difficult for different reasons – length, typology, unclear instructions, vocabulary density of exercise, grammatical problems, uninteresting topic etc.. A further analysis of these issues may help the teacher to decide which exercises to set or dedicate more time to in the future. Remember to check your students’ ranking of difficult exercises after correction – what students may have originally perceived as problematic may not actually correspond to their own performance. This again may be something that can be discussed and analyzed further at a later date.
• For teachers in a hurry to get correcting out of the way – simply vary the order in which exercises are corrected. This ensures that students are alert and are following the correction process.
• Get students to check through answers in pairs by photocopying the key (readymade or produced by the teacher) or displaying answers on an OHP. Set aside time at the end of the lesson for individual students to discuss problem areas or organize a tutorial session where students can come and discuss problems individually with the teacher while the group works on another task/project work.
• Change the time of the lesson in which homework is corrected. Most students expect homework corrections to come right at the beginning of a lesson and, let’s face it, it’s not the best or most enjoyable way to start off! Try checking homework as a way of ‘calming down’ after a boisterous group-work session or leave it till the end of the lesson. Incidentally, this also works with setting homework. Try varying the point of the lesson at which homework is set to ensure that all the students are paying attention!
• Take in students’ workbooks occasionally or provide photocopies of exercises that can be handed in. Though this does add to the teacher’s workload, it is worth taking a look at how students deal with more mechanical exercises that differ from extended written work which necessarily requires individual marking and feedback. Taking a look at a workbook can provide an idea of problem areas for individual students, again with a view to diagnosing problem areas in structures/ vocabulary or assessing difficulties that may be based on other factors such as lack of interest in the topic, unclear instructions etc.. It may also allow the teacher to gain insight into how much (or how little) homework an individual student is regularly putting in. Following the teacher’s appraisal of the students’ workbooks individual tutorials may be arranged to discuss issues as appropriate.
• Provide mini keys of individual exercises to distribute to pairs. Students then take it in turns to ‘play the teacher’ and check each other’s answers. Where more than two exercises need checking pairs can exchange keys and repeat the process as many times as necessary. The teacher can circulate and deal with queries as pairs are checking. However, remember to provide an opportunity for the discussion of problem areas at the end of the pair-work session or at the end of the lesson.
• Most workbook exercises that need to be checked are not specifically designed to practise pronunciation. Where pronunciation exercises are set make sure that adequate time is given to teacher modelling and student production of target items. In the majority of cases, i.e. where structures, vocabulary and functions are being practised, vary the correction procedure by taking time out along the way to focus on pronunciation/ intonation issues. Even the most boring feedback sessions can be livened up by a rousing choral repetition session!
• Spot check on lexis by occasionally eliciting synonyms/ antonyms/ similar expressions/ analogous idioms of items taken from the exercises being corrected. This also provides an added opportunity for those who did not do the homework to participate in the correction process and allows those who did not necessarily provide a correct answer in an exercise to regain their confidence in being able to answer extra questions. This technique is also useful for involving more competent or confident students. Spot check questions should therefore be carefully gauged to include the whole ability range. Extra questions can also include pronunciation issues by eliciting word stress, number of syllables, homophones etc. The teacher is obviously free to ask spot check questions at any point during the correction process. However, it may be worth just taking a quick look at the exercises that are to be corrected beforehand so that appropriate extra questions may be devised in advance.
• Using photocopies or an OHP transparency, create a multiple choice answer key for a few exercises where three possible answers to each question are provided, only one of which is correct. Students then compare their own answers with the alternatives given. They then choose the answer that they consider correct (which may or may not correspond with their own original answer). This activity gives students a chance to rethink their own answers before the teacher finally provides the key. It also gives less confident students and those who may not have completed the task an opportunity to take part in the correction process.
• Play the ‘Who wants to be a millionaire?’ game when correcting. In this case, students are placed in two teams. Students from each team are called upon alternately to provide answers to each question. Each team has a set number of ‘ask a friend’, ‘fifty-fifty’ and ‘pass’ cards which they can use at their discretion. (Numbers can be decided on the basis of how many students there are in each team. For a class of 12 students with teams of 6 players each, one card of each type should be ample. The ‘cards’ do not have to be made as such. They may be simply registered on the board for each team and rubbed off as they are used). For ‘ask-a-friend’ a student may ask another member of his/her team to provide the answer. For ‘fifty-fifty’ the teacher gives two alternative answers and the student must choose which he/she considers correct. (This may need some prior preparation, depending on the teacher’s ability to come up with sneaky alternatives!) If the student passes, the answer is given by the teacher and no points are scored. One word of warning – as this game has a strong competitive element, please make sure that an equal number of questions is given to each team and that a variety of exercises is ensured. It is a good idea to split individual exercises into two halves and give teams an equal number of questions each. If an exercise has an odd number of answers, the teacher can simply provide the answer to the first question as an example.
• Finally, be upbeat about homework correction. Camp up the performance if necessary with a round of applause for correct answers. Sound effects for applause can be recorded or included in power point presentations or the students themselves can be encouraged to clap when correct answers are given. With younger students, take care that clapping does not turn to booing wrong answers, however. If this is a risk, you might consider a collective round of applause at the end of each exercise corrected. Also remember that homework feedback which involves student participation may be an intense source of satisfaction when students are able to provide the right answer but it can also be a source of embarrassment for those who are unable to do so. Make sure lots of praise and encouragement is given for answers that are even partly correct and, where possible, give positive feedback for areas that are not necessarily the focus of the exercise (such as good pronunciation in the case of grammatical errors or wrong answers in comprehension exercises).

Remember: students quickly tune in to the mood of their teacher. If the teacher presents homework correction as a valid and interesting part of the learning process it will be infectious and homework corrections need never be boring again!

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Teaching approaches: computer assisted language learning

Teaching approaches: content-based teaching, teaching approaches: functional approaches in efl/ esol.

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What’s the Right Amount of Homework?

Decades of research show that homework has some benefits, especially for students in middle and high school—but there are risks to assigning too much.

Many teachers and parents believe that homework helps students build study skills and review concepts learned in class. Others see homework as disruptive and unnecessary, leading to burnout and turning kids off to school. Decades of research show that the issue is more nuanced and complex than most people think: Homework is beneficial, but only to a degree. Students in high school gain the most, while younger kids benefit much less.

The National PTA and the National Education Association support the “ 10-minute homework guideline ”—a nightly 10 minutes of homework per grade level. But many teachers and parents are quick to point out that what matters is the quality of the homework assigned and how well it meets students’ needs, not the amount of time spent on it.

The guideline doesn’t account for students who may need to spend more—or less—time on assignments. In class, teachers can make adjustments to support struggling students, but at home, an assignment that takes one student 30 minutes to complete may take another twice as much time—often for reasons beyond their control. And homework can widen the achievement gap, putting students from low-income households and students with learning disabilities at a disadvantage.

However, the 10-minute guideline is useful in setting a limit: When kids spend too much time on homework, there are real consequences to consider.

Small Benefits for Elementary Students

As young children begin school, the focus should be on cultivating a love of learning, and assigning too much homework can undermine that goal. And young students often don’t have the study skills to benefit fully from homework, so it may be a poor use of time (Cooper, 1989 ; Cooper et al., 2006 ; Marzano & Pickering, 2007 ). A more effective activity may be nightly reading, especially if parents are involved. The benefits of reading are clear: If students aren’t proficient readers by the end of third grade, they’re less likely to succeed academically and graduate from high school (Fiester, 2013 ).

For second-grade teacher Jacqueline Fiorentino, the minor benefits of homework did not outweigh the potential drawback of turning young children against school at an early age, so she experimented with dropping mandatory homework. “Something surprising happened: They started doing more work at home,” Fiorentino writes . “This inspiring group of 8-year-olds used their newfound free time to explore subjects and topics of interest to them.” She encouraged her students to read at home and offered optional homework to extend classroom lessons and help them review material.

Moderate Benefits for Middle School Students

As students mature and develop the study skills necessary to delve deeply into a topic—and to retain what they learn—they also benefit more from homework. Nightly assignments can help prepare them for scholarly work, and research shows that homework can have moderate benefits for middle school students (Cooper et al., 2006 ). Recent research also shows that online math homework, which can be designed to adapt to students’ levels of understanding, can significantly boost test scores (Roschelle et al., 2016 ).

There are risks to assigning too much, however: A 2015 study found that when middle school students were assigned more than 90 to 100 minutes of daily homework, their math and science test scores began to decline (Fernández-Alonso, Suárez-Álvarez, & Muñiz, 2015 ). Crossing that upper limit can drain student motivation and focus. The researchers recommend that “homework should present a certain level of challenge or difficulty, without being so challenging that it discourages effort.” Teachers should avoid low-effort, repetitive assignments, and assign homework “with the aim of instilling work habits and promoting autonomous, self-directed learning.”

In other words, it’s the quality of homework that matters, not the quantity. Brian Sztabnik, a veteran middle and high school English teacher, suggests that teachers take a step back and ask themselves these five questions :

• How long will it take to complete?
• Have all learners been considered?
• Will an assignment encourage future success?
• Will an assignment place material in a context the classroom cannot?
• Does an assignment offer support when a teacher is not there?

More Benefits for High School Students, but Risks as Well

By the time they reach high school, students should be well on their way to becoming independent learners, so homework does provide a boost to learning at this age, as long as it isn’t overwhelming (Cooper et al., 2006 ; Marzano & Pickering, 2007 ). When students spend too much time on homework—more than two hours each night—it takes up valuable time to rest and spend time with family and friends. A 2013 study found that high school students can experience serious mental and physical health problems, from higher stress levels to sleep deprivation, when assigned too much homework (Galloway, Conner, & Pope, 2013 ).

Homework in high school should always relate to the lesson and be doable without any assistance, and feedback should be clear and explicit.

Teachers should also keep in mind that not all students have equal opportunities to finish their homework at home, so incomplete homework may not be a true reflection of their learning—it may be more a result of issues they face outside of school. They may be hindered by issues such as lack of a quiet space at home, resources such as a computer or broadband connectivity, or parental support (OECD, 2014 ). In such cases, giving low homework scores may be unfair.

Since the quantities of time discussed here are totals, teachers in middle and high school should be aware of how much homework other teachers are assigning. It may seem reasonable to assign 30 minutes of daily homework, but across six subjects, that’s three hours—far above a reasonable amount even for a high school senior. Psychologist Maurice Elias sees this as a common mistake: Individual teachers create homework policies that in aggregate can overwhelm students. He suggests that teachers work together to develop a school-wide homework policy and make it a key topic of back-to-school night and the first parent-teacher conferences of the school year.

Parents Play a Key Role

Homework can be a powerful tool to help parents become more involved in their child’s learning (Walker et al., 2004 ). It can provide insights into a child’s strengths and interests, and can also encourage conversations about a child’s life at school. If a parent has positive attitudes toward homework, their children are more likely to share those same values, promoting academic success.

But it’s also possible for parents to be overbearing, putting too much emphasis on test scores or grades, which can be disruptive for children (Madjar, Shklar, & Moshe, 2015 ). Parents should avoid being overly intrusive or controlling—students report feeling less motivated to learn when they don’t have enough space and autonomy to do their homework (Orkin, May, & Wolf, 2017 ; Patall, Cooper, & Robinson, 2008 ; Silinskas & Kikas, 2017 ). So while homework can encourage parents to be more involved with their kids, it’s important to not make it a source of conflict.

Smart Classroom Management

A Simple, Effective Homework Plan For Teachers: Part 2

In part one of this two-part series on homework, we covered four strategies:

1. Assign what students already know.

2. Don’t involve parents.

3. Review before the end of the day.

4. Confront students who don’t have completed homework.

This week, we’ll finish the series with the final four strategies. At the end of the article, I’m going to issue a challenge—including a way to earn a free book.

Homework Strategies 5-8

5. Don’t collect it.

Most teachers collect homework.

Why? What are you going to do with it? Grade it and return it? Correct it so your students can analyze it later? Slap a sticker on it?

Collecting homework is a waste of time. Here’s why:

Upon return, nearly all students will stuff it in their desk or backpack and not give it another thought.

Returning it the next day–after you’ve moved on to the next lesson–is too late to be any benefit to students.

Homework is practice only and therefore shouldn’t be graded beyond a simple credit/no credit.

6. Partner check.

Instead of collecting it, have your students pair up and cross check their answers. Why? Because it adds ownership, motivation, and accountability to homework. It also deepens comprehension and is done before the next lesson–when it really matters.

If there is a discrepancy in answers, the students must work out who is right and why.

During this time, if there is a student whose homework is incomplete (rare, see strategies 1-4), he or she must begin work on it immediately and may not participate in the partner activity.

When your students are finished, allow for questions and be ready to provide further explanation.

7. Throw it away.

It’s done. You squeezed all the learning you needed from it. Now it’s time to throw the homework away. There is no reason to keep it, and pitching it in the trash underscores the importance of practice—which is an often-overlooked key to academic success.

It’s also an opportunity to have some fun. So grab a wastepaper basket and place it on a chair or desk in front of the room. Ask your students to crumble up their homework, and on your signal, shoot it at the basket.

Afterward, draw a crumbled ball or two from the basket and give out a simple prize—a sticker, first to line up, 15 seconds early for recess, whatever. This isn’t done as an incentive, mind you.

It’s done because it makes your classroom more fun , which is critical to effective classroom management.

8. Double it.

Any student who comes to school without homework completed, and doesn’t get it finished during partner check, must do it at home that evening along with the homework assigned for the day.

It is homework. And, sorry, but we’re busy learning today.

So the only time he or she can do it is at home. In the morning both homework assignments are due.

If a student comes to you and asks if it can be done during recess, it’s up to you. However, I’m not in favor of sending students to recess time-out .

If you decide to give your students the option of doing it during recess, I recommend you supervise them yourself in class and that you don’t accept the homework until the next morning.

A Challenge!

I challenge you to try this homework plan to begin the new school year.

If it doesn’t make your life easier, and you’re not thrilled with the improved learning and motivation in your students, email me and I’ll send you a free copy of any of my books.

Although, having seen this homework plan in action, I probably won’t believe you.

If you haven’t done so already, please join us. It’s free! Click here and begin receiving classroom management articles like this one in your email box every week.

What to read next:

• A Powerful Way To Relieve Stress: Part One
• A Simple Exercise Program For Teachers
• The Best Time To Review Your Classroom Management Plan
• Why Your New Classroom Management Plan Isn't Working
• 27 Things That Make Your Classroom Management Plan Work

30 thoughts on “A Simple, Effective Homework Plan For Teachers: Part 2”

I was wondering have you had safe and civil schools CHAMPS training by Randy Sprick? I just completed a 2 day training, and I feel everything I was ever taught to do is now obsolete. I was just curious what your thought on this were!

Sorry, I haven’t heard of it.

I have a question regarding strategy #8: Double it. What do you do if the student doesn’t return/complete both homework assignments the next day?

If you follow the first four strategies, and I encourage you to go back and read them, it shouldn’t happen. Done correctly, they provide irresistible motivation for students to complete homework. However, if it happens, then three assignments are due. If you follow the strategies, Shauna, you’ve done your part. At some point it’s up to the students and out of your hands. Coddling, encouraging, pep-talks, etc. won’t work.

If you lose a student, and he or she is refusing to do homework, then that is a different problem altogether. He or she cannot be a welcome member of your class any longer. Read the series on handling difficult students (right sidebar, near the bottom) for how to do this.

I am eager to try all 8 strategies tomorrow. I am skeptical, though. My students are inner-city minority kids who rarely manage to get their homework out the door. If they do there’s a good chance they have no space/tools/atmosphere in there home to do their homework. Is there any advice you can give me to remove those excuses from the list of excuses in the morning? I know they would be thrilled to trash it in the end.

Like all strategies on this website, the homework plan was developed and proven effective with disadvantaged students. One of the core philosophies of Smart Classroom Management is that there are no excuses, from the teacher managing the classroom to the students who we know can do the work. This attitude must permeate everything you do in the classroom. It is indeed possible to get homework back from all of your students every morning, but you have to believe it and know that it’s true before you can expect it from your students. It must become just the way things are done in your classroom.

This year In my first grade classroom I did weekly homework packets instead of nightly homework. Students were given packets of review work on Monday and they were due on Friday. The majority of the class turned them in but there was the same 2 or 3 who rarely had it done. I was wondering what you thought of weekly packets instead of nightly and I was wanting your comments on whether you feel homework is effective/necessary at first grade?

I’m not a fan of weekly homework packets. I think it’s something that needs to be checked daily. I’ll be sure to write about this topic in the future. As for your second question, I think homework can be beneficial (to a degree) for first grade as long as it’s review and doesn’t take long to complete.

Hello Mr. Linsin. I work in an experimental school where all work is done through email. We use little to no paper. The problem is that students have a built-in excuse: they can simply say they lost their internet connection or had other technology issues. Sometimes the files get corrupted on their USB drives. My question is, should I force a student who “lost” his or her data to re-do the homework during step 6?

If a student doesn’t have his or her homework, whatever the reason, it still must get done. So, yes, absolutely. Part of the learning with homework is in the responsibility. You may, however, want to require students who claim to have lost their data or have other tech issues to bring a note from parents. My guess is that this would be an exceedingly rare occurrence.

My school year starts next week, and I just found your articles on homework. I plan to implement these eight steps in my high school classroom. My question is, when a student turns the assignment in late, do you recommend still giving them full credit on a credit/no credit grade?

Hi Melanie,

No, I don’t recommend giving full credit for late homework. Depending on your students and their grade level, however, you may want to consider 1/2 credit for late homework.

its nice to go through the tips regarding home work need a long discussion and debate to improve it

Hi Michael, I recently began asking my students to get their tests signed by their parents. Quite a number of boys don’t bring it the next day; a few don’t bring it all. I think the main cause is a lack of responsibility (something I’ve seen come up quite often). Maybe 1 or 2 students are embarrassed to show their parents. The only strategies which seem relevant to this are 3 and 4. Is there anything else you’d suggest? Thanks!

It comes down to how much they have respect for you. The better rapport, and the more trusting relationship, and the more they admire, respect, and look up to you, the fewer problems like the one you describe. As you get better in this one area, you’ll have greater leverage–and then everything becomes much easier.

I love your website! One question about homework: isn’t one of the main purposes of homework assessment for learning? If it is not collected, how else do you suggest teachers getting hard data on student progress (other than summative assessment scores)?

Hi Bethany,

I believe homework should be used for practice. It grooves and solidifies learning that has already taken place. Although it can give teachers feedback, I don’t think it should be used as an assessment–for many reasons. Your data should come from a controlled environment (teacher speak for your classroom) to make sure it’s an accurate assessment of what your students can do. There is a lot more to this, and if it fits, I’ll write an article about it in the future.

Hi ya… Is this geared toward elementary students? Wondering how it would work in middle school? THanks!

Smart Classroom Management is for all K-8 grade teachers. However, on the upper and lower ends of that spectrum, expect to make some small but mostly obvious modifications.

I am a middle school math teacher. I have a question about throwing homework away. It sounds like so much fun and I really would like my kids to do it. However, we are using an online program, Zangle, to enter their assignments (homework, assessments, etc) that the students can see and check. I sometimes make mistakes on entering in grades and would like to have them keep their homework to make sure I entered it correctly. Do you have any suggestions? Thank you!

Hi Christina,

If you follow the series guidelines on how to check homework, then you don’t have to ask your students to keep it (because you’ll check it right in front of them).

Personally, I think these tips are great, but I wouldn’t mind having that free book either because, hey, free book.

And who doesn’t love free books?

I am a new teacher just getting my ABCTE certification. How do you handle students who are absent for legitimate reasons? Do you require them make up all the homework they miss? How do you help them catching up? Thanks a ton!

I will certainly use your hw policy. Do you have a deadline for late hw after which no credit is given?

I’ll put your questions related to absences on the list of possible future topics. As for your final question, students either have it or they don’t. The deadline is first thing in the morning.

Throw homework away?? Think I would get into some serious trouble if I couldn’t prove to leadership that homework was being done.

Also self or peer marking that often? again would get me into some serious hot water, with SLT saying I wasn’t doing my job correctly.

What do you do about students who have trouble with executive functioning and forget to bring their homework home, lose their homework before it’s done, forget to do it at home, forget where they put their homework by the time they get home, actually complete the homework but lose it after it’s done, leave their homework at home, forget where they put their completed homework, or forget to bring their completed homework to class? I’ve had all of these excuses from students, mostly those who need organizational help.

I’ve learned so much from your website since I’ve started reading your articles! Looking forward to your response. Thanks!

The point is that the students who do their homework want their credits and want to see their work appreciated. And what is the consequence for those who do not show effort? Thanks, Kathrine

Hi Michael,

My homework strategy is similar to yours. However when walking around and checking student homework I do not say anything, initially, to those who haven’t completed. Instead I just silently note the non-completer’s names on my clipboard. Then I return to the front of the class and issue a detention of 10 minutes to those who didn’t complete their homework (students are aware of the rule and consequence).

The student then has a choice of completing the homework before their detention and putting it on my desk when they enter the detention room for me to check or sitting down with it and completing it during detention and giving it to me when their detention is finished.

What do you think of this strategy? Do you think issuing detention for not completing homework is too harsh?

I like it, Gary. No, I don’t think it’s too harsh.

Thanks Michael.

Glad to hear it!

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How to Help with Homework: Talk with Teachers to Resolve Problems

On this page, tell the teacher about your concerns, work with the teacher.

This article answers common questions that parents, family members, and caregivers often ask about homework. The booklet also includes practical ideas for helping children to complete homework assignments successfully. See the complete guide for more ideas!

These tips were originally published in the U.S. Department of Education's guide, Helping Your Child with Homework .

You may want to contact the teacher if:

• your child refuses to do her assignments, even though you’ve tried hard to get her to do them
• the instructions are unclear
• you can’t seem to help your child get organized to finish the assignments
• you can’t provide needed supplies or materials
• neither you nor your child can understand the purpose of the assignments
• the assignments are too hard or too easy
• the homework is assigned in uneven amounts—for instance, no homework is given on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, but on Thursday four assignments are made that are due the next day
• your child has missed school and needs to make up assignments.

In some cases, the school guidance counselor or principal also may be helpful in resolving problems.

Continuing communication with teachers is very important in solving homework problems. As you work with your child’s teacher, here are some important things to remember:

Ask the teacher, school guidance counselor or principal if there are mentor programs in your community. Mentor programs pair a child with an adult volunteer who assists with the child’s special needs. Many schools, universities, community organizations, churches and businesses offer excellent mentoring programs.

• Talk with each of your child’s teachers early in the school year. Get acquainted before problems arise and let each teacher know that you want to be kept informed. Most elementary and middle schools hold regular parent-teacher conferences or open houses. If your child’s school doesn’t provide such opportunities, call the teacher to set up a meeting.
• Contact the teacher as soon as you suspect your child has a homework problem. (Also, when you think he’s having any major problems with his schoolwork). Schools have a responsibility to keep you informed about your child’s performance and behavior and you have a right to be upset if you don’t find out until report-card time that your child is having difficulties. On the other hand, you may figure out that a problem exists before the teacher does. By alerting the teacher, you can work together to solve a problem in its early stages.
• Request a meeting with the teacher to discuss homework problems. Tell him briefly why you want to meet. You might say, “Rachel is having trouble with her math homework. I’m worried about why she can’t finish the problems and what we might do to help her.” If English is your second language, you may need to make special arrangements, such as including in the meeting someone who is bilingual. Approach the teacher with a cooperative spirit. Believe that the teacher wants to help you and your child, even if you disagree about something. Don’t go to the principal without giving the teacher a chance to work out the problem with you and your child.
• They offer students options for different approaches to the same topic or lesson.
• They give extra assignments to students who want more challenge.
• They give specialized assignments to students who are having trouble in a particular area.
• During your meeting with the teacher, explain what you think is going on. In addition, tell the teacher if you don’t know what the problem is. Sometimes a student’s version of what’s going on isn’t the same as the teacher’s version. For example, your child may tell you that the teacher never explains assignments so that he can understand them. But the teacher may tell you that your child isn’t paying attention when assignments are given.
• Is the homework often too hard? Maybe your child has fallen behind and will need extra help from the teacher or a tutor to catch up.
• Does your child need to make up a lot of work because of absences? The first step might be working out a schedule with the teacher.
• Does your child need extra support beyond what home and school can give her?
• Make sure that communication is clear. Listen to the teacher and don’t leave until you’re sure that you understand what’s being said. Make sure, too, that the teacher understands what you have to say. If, after the meeting, you realize you don’t understand something, call the teacher to clarify. At the end of the meeting, it may help to summarize what you’ve agreed to do: “OK, so to keep track of Kim’s assignments, I’ll check her assignment book each night and write my initials beside new assignments. Each day you’ll check to make sure she’s written down all new assignments in her book. That way we’ll be certain that I know what her assignments are.”
• Follow up to make sure that the approach you agreed to is working. If the teacher told you, for example, that your child needs to spend more time practicing long division, check back in a month to talk about your child’s progress.

Homework can bring together children, families and teachers in a common effort to improve children’s learning. Helping your child with homework is an opportunity to improve your child’s chances of doing well in school and life. By helping your child with homework, you can help him learn important lessons about discipline and responsibility. You can open up lines of communication—between you and your child and you and the school. You are in a unique position to help your child make connections between school work and the “real world,” and thereby bring meaning (and some enjoyment) to your child’s homework experience.

• Return to “Helping Your Child with Homework”

United States Department of Education. “Helping Your Child with Homework.” © 2005.

Major support provided by our founding partner, the AFT.

With generous support provided by the National Education Association.

Related Content

• How to Help with Homework: Provide Guidance
• Homework Tips for Parents
• Helping Your Child With Homework
• How to Help with Homework: Monitor Assignments

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Knowing How and When to Correct Students in Class

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• TESOL Diploma, Trinity College London
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A crucial issue for any teacher is when and how to correct students' English mistakes. Of course, there are a number of types of corrections that teachers are expected to make during the course of any given class. Here are the main types of mistakes that need to be corrected:

• Grammatical mistakes (mistakes of verb tenses, ​ preposition use , etc.)
• Vocabulary mistakes (incorrect collocations , idiomatic phrase usage, etc.)
• Pronunciation mistakes (errors in basic pronunciation, errors in word stressing in sentences, errors in rhythm and pitch)
• Written mistakes (grammar, spelling and vocabulary choice mistakes in written work)

The main issue at hand during oral work is whether or not to correct students as they make mistakes. Mistakes may be numerous and in various areas ( grammar , vocabulary choice, the pronunciation of both words and correct stressing in sentences). On the other hand, correction of written work boils down to how much correction should be done. In other words, should teachers correct every single mistake, or, should they give a value judgment and correct only major mistakes?

Mistakes Made During Discussions and Activities

With oral mistakes made during class discussions, there are basically two schools of thought: 1) Correct often and thoroughly 2) Let students make mistakes.

Sometimes, teachers refine the choice by choosing to let beginners make many mistakes while correcting advanced students often.

However, many teachers are taking a third route these days. This third route might be called 'selective correction'. In this case, the teacher decides to correct only certain errors. Which errors will be corrected is usually decided by the objectives of the lesson, or the specific exercise that is being done at that moment. In other words, if students are focusing on simple past irregular forms, then only mistakes in those forms are corrected (i.e., goed, thinked, etc.). Other mistakes, such as mistakes in a future form, or mistakes of collocations (for example I made my homework) are ignored.

Finally, many teachers also choose to correct students after the fact. Teachers take notes on common mistakes that students make. During the follow-up correction session, the teacher then presents common mistakes made so that all can benefit from an analysis of which mistakes were made and why.

Written Mistakes

There are three basic approaches to correcting written work : 1) Correct each mistake 2) Give a general impression marking 3) Underline mistakes and/or give clues to the type of mistakes made and then let students correct the work themselves.

What's All the Fuss About?

There are two main points to this issue:

If I allow students to make mistakes, I will reinforce the errors they are making.

Many teachers feel that if they do not correct mistakes immediately, they will be helping reinforce incorrect language production skills. This point of view is also reinforced by students who often expect teachers to continually correct them during class. The failure to do so will often create suspicion on the part of the students.

If I don't allow students to make mistakes, I will take away from the natural learning process required to achieve competency and, eventually, fluency.

Learning a language is a long process during which a learner will inevitably make many, many mistakes. In other words, we take a myriad of tiny steps going from not speaking a language to being fluent in the language. In the opinion of many teachers, students who are continually corrected become inhibited and cease to participate. This results in the exact opposite of what the teacher is trying to produce: the use of English to communicate.

Why Correction Is Necessary

Correction is necessary. The argument that students just need to use the language and the rest will come by itself seems rather weak. Students come to us to  teach  them. If they only want conversation, they will probably inform us, or, they might just go to a chat room on the Internet. Obviously, students need to be corrected as part of the learning experience. However, students also need to be encouraged to use the language. It is true that correcting students while they are trying their best to use the language can often discourage them. The most satisfactory solution of all is to make correction an activity. Correction can be used as a follow-up to any given class activity. However, correction sessions can be used as a valid activity in and of themselves. In other words, teachers can set up an activity during which each mistake (or a specific type of mistake) will be corrected. Students know that the activity is going to focus on correction and accept that fact. However, these activities should be kept in balance with other, more free-form, activities which give students the opportunity to express themselves without having to worry about being corrected every other word.

Finally, other techniques should be used to make correction not only part of the lesson but also a more effective learning tool for the students. These techniques include:

• Deferring correction to the end of an activity
• Taking notes on typical mistakes made by many students
• Correcting only one type of error
• Giving students clues to the type of error they are making (in written work) but allowing them to correct the mistakes themselves
• Asking other students to remark on mistakes made and then explain the rules by themselves. A great technique for getting 'teacher pets' listening instead of answering each question themselves. However, use this with caution!

Correction is not an 'either/or' issue. Correction needs to take place and is expected and desired by students. However, the manner in which teachers correct students play a vital role in whether students become confident in their usage or become intimidated. Correcting students as a group, in correction sessions, at the end of activities, and letting them correct their own mistakes all help in encouraging students to use English rather than to worry about making too many mistakes.

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Grading Homework for Accuracy or Completion? Yes!

By Susan Zielinski, posted August 15, 2016 —

I was inspired when I read D. Bruce Jackson’s “homework sandwich” article in MT (Jackson 2014). He wrote, “Given two slices of bread—a problem and the answer—students fill in the fixings: their own mathematics reasoning.” This system is a brilliant solution to the common dilemma of how to grade homework: for completion or accuracy.

Neither method alone gives students incentive to revisit problems they missed on the first attempt, which is exactly what they need to do. The sandwich addresses this beautifully, in the end grading for both completion and accuracy. First, students self-grade their homework, checking their work against solutions in the back of the book or elsewhere, marking each problem correct or not-yet-correct. In my classes, students submit their grade online along with problems on which they are stuck. They then have a week to ask questions, come to receive extra help, correct their work, and resubmit their work for a new grade of up to 100 percent, which replaces the old grade. On any evening, students might be working on brand-new homework as well as revising old assignments. This distributed practice is great for learning (Grote 1995).

As with any system, it’s not perfect. First, I don’t know if students are completely truthful in self-grading. Random spot-checking helps ensure honesty. (I let the roll of a die decide whose homework to collect.) A bigger issue is that because students have solutions to the problems, they can just write them down without thinking. To combat this, I call on students who claimed success on a problem to present it to others. Student feedback and my experience confirm that they are mostly honest and accurate in self-grading; there’s less reason to fudge the numbers when they have a week to make it up.

The beauty is that I am not assessing their work—they are. This is not my learning—it’s theirs! They determine iwhether they need to do more work by assessing their own understanding. This system enhances their sense of responsibility, rewards them for persistence, and encourages a growth mindset. Although it’s more work for me than just recording a grade once (or not grading homework at all), it’s worth it. In the next post, I’ll talk about how I collect daily grades and feedback online.

Do you have an effective homework system you’d like to share? 

Grote, Michael G. 1995. Distributed Versus Massed Practice in High School Physics. School Science and Mathematics 95 (2): 97–101.

Jackson, D. Bruce. 2014. “ Algebra Homework: A Sandwich! ” Mathematics Teacher 107 (7): 528–33.

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Should Teachers Still Give Homework?

Giving homework is a standard practice in most educational facilities across all grade levels and locations. Homework is intended to further solidify concepts and practices that a student learns in class in their minds later at home. But that could all be changing. 

Educators are now taking many different approaches to homework with more of an emphasis placed on the relevancy of the work to both the students’ age and learning level. Some educators are joining the anti-homework movement, and have seen positive results from giving little to no homework for students. However, with outside parties like parents and families getting more involved in the conversation around homework, it may be here to stay. The question is, should it be?

• What is the history of homework?

For contemporary parents or guardians and their students, it might seem like homework has always been around. However, homework has actually been a widely debated topic since its inception in the 19th century. Horace Mann, among others, is credited with championing the idea of homework in the United States after touring German “Volksschulen (‘People’s Schools’)” while visiting the country.

As the idea of homework came across the Atlantic to America, it was quickly met with opposition and eventually a ban was placed on homework for any children under the age of 15 until 1917. When the United States and Russia entered the Cold War era, homework became relevant again as the United States placed emphasis on improving students’ knowledge to compete with other countries for success.

Various studies arguing both sides of the homework question have been released since then. The relevance of homework is now once again in question as educators and homeschooling parents try to understand the true purpose behind it. 

Is homework still relevant? 

Somewhere around 50% of educators still assign homework . However, this number might be bolstered due to parent involvement. Often, educators don’t want to assign homework or want to assign less homework, saving the time their students have at home for family bonding and other activities. 

But many parents are uncomfortable with a lack of homework assignments for the following reasons:

• Parents feel like their children need homework to solidify concepts learned in the classroom.
• Some parents also advocate for the time management, organization, and structure that homework can teach children.

They will often complain to the teacher, forcing the teacher to provide homework of some kind. So while half of all educators are assigning homework, the number of educators who believe it’s necessary may actually be less since some teachers feel pressured to assign homework when they otherwise wouldn’t. 

The relevance of homework when it is assigned is frequently up for debate because there are many nuances that go into the process of a student completing homework. When a teacher assigns homework they need to be aware of many things including:

• Student access to a reliable internet source and computer or tablet
• Student/parent dynamics at home
• Parent/parent dynamics at home
• Student accessibility levels
• Necessity to student learning

All of these factors play a role in how well the student will respond to homework. Other factors like grade level also play a role in the quality and quantity of homework being assigned. But beyond these factors, homework also needs to be thought out before it's assigned. To some extent, the relevancy of homework is determined by how well it’s been formulated by the teacher assigning it.

How much homework is too much? 

The quantity of homework will vary greatly by grade level. Teachers will often operate by the “ 10-minute rule ” which recommends that a child should be assigned 10 minutes of homework for every grade they’ve passed. So a fifth grader would have 50 minutes of assigned work. 

However, homework can become overwhelming when a teacher hasn’t put the time into creating meaningful assignments that can be completed in a reasonable amount of time. Thus the feeling of “too much homework” is often conflated with poorly constructed homework. A positively constructed homework assignment will contain a few things:

• Work reviewing material that the student has already learned in class
• Work that involves professor feedback or has a clear purpose
• Work that can be finished in the time period appropriate for the age and grade level of the student

Why is homework important? 

While many educators do not see much value in homework at the K–6 level, studies have shown that students in middle school or grades 7–12 do benefit from homework. Often this is because a student is learning more rigorous material and has a more fully developed brain that benefits from the reinforcement that homework provides. 

Many teachers argue that homework for students is like practice for athletes: it reinforces concepts and the neural pathways a student has used during class. Beyond these benefits , homework can also teach students time management and organizational skills.

__________ Become who you are called to be Pursue your purpose at PLNU. __________

Should teachers still give homework? 

Studies on the relevance of homework to actual success in the classroom are varied. One of the most comprehensive studies reinforces the idea that homework can have a positive impact if the teacher assigning it is doing so in the correct manner. In this case, the 2006 study conducted by Duke University psychology professor Harris Cooper, showed a positive correlation for students who were doing appropriate homework in higher grade levels. He stated that “a good way to think about homework is the way you think about medications or dietary supplements. If you take too little, they’ll have no effect. If you take too much, they can [hurt] you. If you take the right amount, you’ll get better.” 

The study also revealed that the impact of homework went down if the student was in elementary school. Therefore, the decision for teachers to assign homework should be based on the grade level they are teaching and the general intensity level of their students. One PLNU alumna, Megan Wheeler (19), who is also a grade school teacher has found this to be a sound policy and practices it with her own students:

“As an elementary teacher, I do not assign any homework to my students because I find that many students may not have home lives that are conducive to the demands that homework requires…My eight-year-old students are already working hard on school work for six hours during the day with me, so I would much rather they spend that time together as a family or participating in extracurricular activities.”

• Take the next steps to becoming an educator

Learning the ins and outs of properly constructed homework assignments can be a daunting task for rising educators, especially when the many types of student learning styles are taken into account. One of the best places to receive more instruction on how to assign the right kind of homework is in an education-specific degree program. 

PLNU boasts many undergraduate and graduate-level options for all types of budding educators so you can continue your education while pursuing a worthwhile career. Find out more about these programs by visiting PLNU’s School of Education website .

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The effects of teachers' homework follow-up practices on students' EFL performance: a randomized-group design

Affiliations.

• 1 Departamento de Psicologia Aplicada, Escola de Psicologia, Universidade do Minho Braga, Portugal.
• 2 Departamento de Psicologia, Universidad de Oviedo Oviedo, Spain.
• 3 Vicerrectoría Académica, Universidad Central de Chile Santiago de Chile, Chile ; Facultad de Educación, Universidad Autónoma de Chile Santiago de Chile, Chile.
• PMID: 26528204
• PMCID: PMC4603246
• DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01528

This study analyzed the effects of five types of homework follow-up practices (i.e., checking homework completion; answering questions about homework; checking homework orally; checking homework on the board; and collecting and grading homework) used in class by 26 teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) using a randomized-group design. Once a week, for 6 weeks, the EFL teachers used a particular type of homework follow-up practice they had previously been assigned to. At the end of the 6 weeks students completed an EFL exam as an outcome measure. The results showed that three types of homework follow-up practices (i.e., checking homework orally; checking homework on the board; and collecting and grading homework) had a positive impact on students' performance, thus highlighting the role of EFL teachers in the homework process. The effect of EFL teachers' homework follow-up practices on students' performance was affected by students' prior knowledge, but not by the number of homework follow-up sessions.

Keywords: English as a Foreign Language (EFL); academic performance; homework; teachers' practices; types of homework follow-up.

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• Academic Goals, Student Homework Engagement, and Academic Achievement in Elementary School. Valle A, Regueiro B, Núñez JC, Rodríguez S, Piñeiro I, Rosário P. Valle A, et al. Front Psychol. 2016 Mar 31;7:463. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00463. eCollection 2016. Front Psychol. 2016. PMID: 27065928 Free PMC article.
• Bang H. (2011). What makes it easy or hard for you to do your homework? An account of newcomer immigrant youths' afterschool academic lives. Curr. Issues Educ. 14, 1–26.
• Benjamini Y., Hochberg Y. (1995). Controlling the false discovery rate: a practical and powerful approach to multiple testing. J. R. Stat. Soc. Ser. B 57, 289–300.
• Buijs M., Admiraal W. (2013). Homework assignments to enhance student engagement in secondary education. Eur. J. Psychol. Educ. 28, 767–779. 10.1007/s10212-012-0139-0 - DOI
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How to Talk to the Teacher about Too Much Homework

As a former 3rd grade reading teacher and current elementary school parent, I hate homework. It’s not that I’m lazy and don’t want to grade the homework or oversee it in my own house. It’s just that I think too much homework in elementary school is doing a disservice to children. For the record, I also dislike homework in middle school, but this post is geared more toward mamas of little kids.

If you’re struggling at home with too much homework, I hope this post helps! I’d encourage you to start by asking yourself WHY it’s too much homework for your family, and troubleshoot accordingly from there. Good luck, Mama!

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission from your clicks. Check out my full disclosure  here .

Too much homework in elementary school is counterproductive.

First, there are certain types of homework that don’t bother me as badly. 

I have no problem with a teacher reminding families to read together each evening. That’s important, and it’s not graded. But if you attach a log or a tracker to it? That steals the fun of reading, and I’m totally opposed to that .

I also think sending home guided reading books that are targeted to your child’s reading level can be helpful.

I don’t mind it when teachers send home flash cards for multiplication facts or other rote memory tasks. Those are rare these days, however.

Most homework is in the form of worksheets reinforcing whatever skill is being taught in the classroom. Worse yet, teachers sometimes send home big important projects that will be on display at school. Big projects requiring parental support sets up some under-resourced children to fail from the beginning. 

It widens the achievement gap in public schools.

Homework overlooks the main purpose of public school, which is to provide each child with a level playing field, no matter their background or socioeconomic status. While private school has different goals, public school in America is meant to give each child an opportunity to succeed. 

When homework enters the equation, the highest achieving kids, who are often well supported at home, continue to grow. However, high achieving students don’t NEED homework to grow. They’ll often do that on their own with parental guidance.

Meanwhile, the at-risk student population continues to fall behind their peers. It’s not just less parental support at home that causes a problem. Many students don’t even have sufficient access to technology and supplies to do quality work outside of school.

Kids have so many valuable, non-academic skills to learn at home and in their communities.

Kids have limited time in the evening. They have extracurricular activities that add value to their lives like baseball, church and ballet. There are after-school clubs that can provide wonderful opportunities to kids who might not otherwise have a chance to participate in paid activities.

Kids also really need to learn life skills, like how to do laundry, make a bed, mow a lawn and contribute to their family life. I really believe that stuff is important, because it builds kids’ confidence and makes them feel proud of how much they know how to do! When the only thing our kids have time for is school and homework, we send the message that being smart is the only value you can add to society. 

Family time is so important.

No matter what form a family takes, those relationships are precious and not to be relegated to the weekend. But finding the quality time together is already hard enough before homework enters the equation. The time spent together should be fun and enriching, and homework is often not that. Families should be baking together, having dance parties in the kitchen, and enjoying the occasional movie night.

Homework is typically poorly differentiated for diverse learners.

Many teachers are required to give homework by their administration but don’t wholeheartedly support it themselves. Consequently, they assign work that is easy to grade, easy for parents to monitor, and not differentiated by ability groups. Therefore, some portion of the class finds the homework too easy and another group is overwhelmed and frustrated by it. 

Do teachers assign too much homework?

The only commonly stated rule of thumb, originally prescribed by the NEA and National PTA , is 10 minutes for each grade level. They recommend 10 minutes for first graders, 20 minutes for second graders, all the way up to 120 minutes for seniors in high school. These organizations admit it’s an imperfect system, and I’d rather not see any elementary school student doing more than 30 minutes of homework at night. To be honest, I think 120 hours for high school seniors is a bit much, too. 

Start by identifying WHY your child has too much homework. 

In order to make a game plan for your child who is doing way too much homework, you need to figure out what’s taking so long. Skim through these possible causes before requesting an in-person conversation with your child’s teacher. 

Homework is taking too long because the work is too challenging for my child.

This one is easy enough to explain. While you suspect the work is appropriate for some portion of the class, your child is getting frustrated, not understanding the directions, or unable to read the content or perform the operation. 

Recommended Solution

These kiddos do need extra support to catch up with their classmates, so adults in their lives should be adding extra help to catch them up. Simply offering on-grade level extension activities the child can’t complete independently serves no real purpose . This child needs work that is more targeted to their current ability level . The parent needs to replace the assignment with work that fills in the gaps. 

If the homework is for math , the child likely can’t complete the work because there’s a missing building block. Perhaps your child can’t figure out long division because grouping never really gelled in their mind or their facts are weak. That gap needs to be filled immediately. 

If the homework is for reading , your child is probably struggling because the reading level is inappropriate. Kids who are spending too much energy decoding what they read don’t have enough mental energy left over for comprehension. 

Occasionally, teachers will send home test prep in the form of old sample tests or portions of old tests. Some kids will have great comprehension and ability but are just poor with analytical reasoning. These kids need help learning how to take a test and sort through each answer choice. 

Sample Script for the Parent/Teacher Meeting

Begin by scheduling an in-person meeting. So much poor communication and frustration is borne out of a badly written email or terse text message. Just meet in person, even if you feel nervous or worried about it. Your child deserves for her parent to have a good relationship with her teacher. You can’t afford for the conversation to go sideways through written communication.

Do realize that a third person will likely be in the room, and this is usually standard procedure and nothing to feel weird about. Don’t be intimidated by that. 

In person, say something like this:

“Thanks so much for meeting with me. I’m really getting frustrated with homework. It’s taking us so long to complete, and it’s causing problems for our family. The work is too challenging for him. I really want him to succeed and catch up with his classmates. Can we work together to figure out an alternative assignment for him that will fill the gaps? I want him to grow quickly, but right now, the work is so challenging that we’re both feeling defeated.”

I can promise you that every teacher I’ve ever met (and I’ve worked with a lot) would happily accommodate the request. 

Homework is taking too long because my child is unfocused or unmotivated, even though s/he is more than capable of completing it. 

Sometimes really capable kids are just OVER IT at the end of the day. In fact, most of them feel that way. If your child is dragging out homework for ages, staring into space, fighting with you about it, or taking too many breaks, this may be the problem. If it appears to be an assignment that your child should finish quickly, it’s not really about having too much homework.

You should be able to eyeball the homework and know approximately how long it should take your child. Teachers in the classroom set timers for every assignment, and your child definitely needs a timer and an incentive to stay focused. Kids are used to seeing a digital timer in their classrooms like the one below. I recommend these be used for homework if kids are struggling to stay focused.

Make sure your kiddo has an after school snack, some outside time if possible, and time to just chill and have fun with family. Don’t fall into the trap of insisting that homework be done immediately after school. It’s normal for kids to need a lengthy break or physical activity. I would avoid screens after school, though. Many students spend a lot of time with technology during the school day. 

Move homework closer to bedtime, preferably after dinner. Let them know if they complete quality work before the timer goes off, they can have a reward of some sort. This could be video game time, movie time, etc. Consider adding extra rewards for one week of quality homework.

Of course, you can allow a few extra minutes (within reason) if your child was focused the entire time and you simply underestimated the length of time to complete the work. Resist the urge to correct the homework at the end. Elementary school homework is rarely consequential. If your child tried hard, just let it go and enjoy the rest of your night. 

My child is capable, focused, and hardworking, but it’s still just way too much homework. 

Sometimes this becomes a real problem as kids get into the upper elementary years and grade levels get departmentalized. The reading teacher thinks it’s no big deal to require 30 minutes of a reading log every night. Unfortunately, teachers from math, science, social studies and specials pile on from there. Before you know it, your third grader has 60 minutes of homework a night. It’s unreasonable, but give your teachers the benefit of the doubt. Try to find out why so much homework is being sent home. 

Sometimes, teachers just don’t realize that they’re not communicating well with each other about homework until a calm, reasonable parent walks through the door to address the situation. Teachers sometimes operate in silos, or simply don’t discuss the nitty-gritty of their assignments in meetings. There’s a good chance your child’s teacher doesn’t realize how full the backpack is becoming.

Schedule an in-person meeting with your child’s homeroom teacher rather than spouting off with an angry email.

“Thank you for meeting with me today! I wanted to discuss homework with you. I wondered if you’re aware that many nights each week, Tommy is struggling to complete his homework in under an hour each night. I’ve been supervising him, and he’s working really hard. Is it possible that the teaching team isn’t aware of how much is being sent home from the different classrooms?” 

Allow the teacher some time to answer the question. If she feels the amount of homework is justified, there’s no need to argue about it. Here’s how you might respond.

“Thank you for clarifying that. We have so many things we need to do together at home as a family: chores, games, and extracurricular activities. I really value education, but the amount of homework is hindering family time.

“I respect your decision to continue sending homework. However, I’m going to set a limit on homework time each night and make sure he works hard for the duration. He will do 30 minutes of homework at night, and we will rotate subjects as needed.

“I hate for his grades to drop, but I’m willing to make that sacrifice while he’s young. We really appreciate how hard you work, and I know you have such a tough job to do. I hope you can respect my decision to protect our family time and sanity.”

Follow Up Email Suggestion

Anytime there’s a disagreement between a teacher and a parent, I recommend you follow up with a quick email to smooth things over if necessary.  Try something like this: “Thank you again for taking the time to meet with me. I know you’re probably always short on time. I’m sorry we don’t see eye to eye on (insert issue), but I am grateful for the opportunity to talk and for the way you’re investing in my child.”

Are you frustrated with your child’s teacher? I’ve got info that might help.

Homework Correction Burden and Strategies for Junior High School English Teachers: An Interview Study

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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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'connect before you correct': bellevue uses new position to address school threats.

During the first year, the new Bellevue SRO position saw 360 calls for service.

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KETV first introduced you to Bellevue police officer Jonathan Hobbs in September 2022.

The viral video of him dancing with Bellevue West cheerleaders has more than 3 million views on Facebook.

He's about to embark on his third year as a school resource officer with Bellevue Public Schools.

"We really have three functions," he said. "It's called the SRO Triad - we're mentors, teachers, and we're here for law enforcement."

But Officer Hobbs is about to start his second year in his new role: threat assessment and threat reduction school resource officer.

"For some of my students - it's been like a 180," he told KETV.

Officer Hobbs now specializes in analyzing school threats, violence, and potential problems.

"I'm working with those students going forward to reduce those threats and in the future hopefully change behaviors to where we're not getting threats anymore from them," he said.

It's a collaboration with Bellevue Public Schools and Omaha Public Schools still in its infancy.

"I don't know of another program like it, at least regionally," said Rodney Brown, BPS's director of student services.

Brown said it all goes back to enhancing a support system that, for many kids, might not be there.

"The foundation of the program wasn't mean to be punitive," he said. "It was meant to build relationships between the student and our law enforcement community."

Officer Hobbs now works out of Bellevue East High School, but visits with students ranging from 2nd to 12th grades that have been put in his program.

Since the city of Bellevue is home to schools in both the Omaha and Bellevue districts, Hobbs collaborates with both districts.

"I have to connect before I correct," he said. "So building those connections and that relationship before we start changing behaviors is vitally important."

Hobbs started the new position in September 2023, and in his first school year, responded to 360 calls for service and put about 20 students on the program.

During the school year, he said he meets with 3-5 students per day.

He's joined by a mental health professional, and during the first meeting they go through a checklist that includes the incident, future goals, family life, communication, and other topics.

"The great benefit is that we've seen improved attendance, improved grades, and better behavior in our classrooms," Brown said.

Brown said the program was sparked by an increase in threats within the Bellevue Public Schools district and across the country, but he believes the data shows it's working.

"Any school resource officer - our primary job is to keep the school safe and secure," Hobbs said. "Unfortunately, yes, that includes school shootings, but that are other threats that can impact a school."

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Elektrostal

Elektrostal Localisation : Country Russia , Oblast Moscow Oblast . Available Information : Geographical coordinates , Population, Area, Altitude, Weather and Hotel . Nearby cities and villages : Noginsk , Pavlovsky Posad and Staraya Kupavna .

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Elektrostal

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Elektrostal , city, Moscow oblast (province), western Russia . It lies 36 miles (58 km) east of Moscow city. The name, meaning “electric steel,” derives from the high-quality-steel industry established there soon after the October Revolution in 1917. During World War II , parts of the heavy-machine-building industry were relocated there from Ukraine, and Elektrostal is now a centre for the production of metallurgical equipment. Pop. (2006 est.) 146,189.

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Savvino-storozhevsky monastery and museum.

Zvenigorod's most famous sight is the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery, which was founded in 1398 by the monk Savva from the Troitse-Sergieva Lavra, at the invitation and with the support of Prince Yury Dmitrievich of Zvenigorod. Savva was later canonised as St Sabbas (Savva) of Storozhev. The monastery late flourished under the reign of Tsar Alexis, who chose the monastery as his family church and often went on pilgrimage there and made lots of donations to it. Most of the monastery’s buildings date from this time. The monastery is heavily fortified with thick walls and six towers, the most impressive of which is the Krasny Tower which also serves as the eastern entrance. The monastery was closed in 1918 and only reopened in 1995. In 1998 Patriarch Alexius II took part in a service to return the relics of St Sabbas to the monastery. Today the monastery has the status of a stauropegic monastery, which is second in status to a lavra. In addition to being a working monastery, it also holds the Zvenigorod Historical, Architectural and Art Museum.

Belfry and Neighbouring Churches

Located near the main entrance is the monastery's belfry which is perhaps the calling card of the monastery due to its uniqueness. It was built in the 1650s and the St Sergius of Radonezh’s Church was opened on the middle tier in the mid-17th century, although it was originally dedicated to the Trinity. The belfry's 35-tonne Great Bladgovestny Bell fell in 1941 and was only restored and returned in 2003. Attached to the belfry is a large refectory and the Transfiguration Church, both of which were built on the orders of Tsar Alexis in the 1650s.  

To the left of the belfry is another, smaller, refectory which is attached to the Trinity Gate-Church, which was also constructed in the 1650s on the orders of Tsar Alexis who made it his own family church. The church is elaborately decorated with colourful trims and underneath the archway is a beautiful 19th century fresco.

Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral

The Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral is the oldest building in the monastery and among the oldest buildings in the Moscow Region. It was built between 1404 and 1405 during the lifetime of St Sabbas and using the funds of Prince Yury of Zvenigorod. The white-stone cathedral is a standard four-pillar design with a single golden dome. After the death of St Sabbas he was interred in the cathedral and a new altar dedicated to him was added.

Under the reign of Tsar Alexis the cathedral was decorated with frescoes by Stepan Ryazanets, some of which remain today. Tsar Alexis also presented the cathedral with a five-tier iconostasis, the top row of icons have been preserved.

Tsaritsa's Chambers

The Nativity of Virgin Mary Cathedral is located between the Tsaritsa's Chambers of the left and the Palace of Tsar Alexis on the right. The Tsaritsa's Chambers were built in the mid-17th century for the wife of Tsar Alexey - Tsaritsa Maria Ilinichna Miloskavskaya. The design of the building is influenced by the ancient Russian architectural style. Is prettier than the Tsar's chambers opposite, being red in colour with elaborately decorated window frames and entrance.

At present the Tsaritsa's Chambers houses the Zvenigorod Historical, Architectural and Art Museum. Among its displays is an accurate recreation of the interior of a noble lady's chambers including furniture, decorations and a decorated tiled oven, and an exhibition on the history of Zvenigorod and the monastery.

Palace of Tsar Alexis

The Palace of Tsar Alexis was built in the 1650s and is now one of the best surviving examples of non-religious architecture of that era. It was built especially for Tsar Alexis who often visited the monastery on religious pilgrimages. Its most striking feature is its pretty row of nine chimney spouts which resemble towers.

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16-year-old soccer player Lamine Yamal brings his homework to Euro 2024

Danielle Kurtzleben

16 year-old Barcelona soccer player Lamine Yamal brought his homework with him to Euro 2024.

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Here's what's open and closed on Juneteenth.

Update: This story was updated to correct that Indiana's state government offices will be open June 19.

The newest federal holiday, Juneteenth, is next week and it falls during the middle of the week.

Here's everything you need to know about the holiday, including when it is, what will be closed and why we celebrate.

When is Juneteenth 2024?

Juneteenth always falls on June 19. For 2024, it happens to be a Wednesday.

Is Juneteenth a national holiday?

Yes. Juneteenth is a federal holiday and has been since 2021 .

Are banks open on Juneteenth?

Like most federal holidays, you can expect your local banks and credit unions to be closed in observance of Juneteenth, so make sure you plan ahead if you need anything from your bank on Wednesday.

Are government offices open on Juneteenth?

All nonessential federal and Indianapolis city government offices are closed Wednesday, June 19, for the holiday, but Indiana offices will be open.

Indiana offices will be open and state employees will not be off Juneteenth, according to Kirollos Barsoum, communications director for the Indiana State Department.

Juneteenth is not on Indiana's list of recognized state holidays .

Things To Do Looking for Juneteenth celebrations? Indy has everything from jazz performances to boxing

Will the BMV be open on Juneteenth?

Yes, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles in Indiana will be open on Wednesday, June 19. The Indiana BMV does not have Juneteenth listed on its 2024 holiday schedule .

Will I get mail on Juneteenth?

You won't get your regular mail delivered on June 19 because the United States Postal Service will not be delivering.

However, you may still get deliveries: FedEx and UPS will be open and offering their usual services.

Are schools closed for Juneteenth?

Most schools should already be out for the summer, but if not, public schools will be closed for the federal holiday.

For private schools and universities, check their calendar to see if they are closed.

Will stores, restaurants close for Juneteenth?

Even though it is a federally recognized holiday, individual businesses can decide whether they would like to be open Juneteenth. You may want to call local stores or restaurants you're planning on going to and ask if they'll be open.

Why do we celebrate Juneteenth?

Juneteenth is a holiday marking slaves in Texas learning in 1865 that they had been freed by President Abraham Lincoln's  Emancipation Proclamation . The executive order outlawed slavery in Confederate states beginning Jan. 1, 1863, the midpoint of the Civil War.

The holiday rose to prominence in 2020 amid the nationwide protests about racial inequality after the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia, Breonna Taylor in Kentucky and George Floyd in Minnesota.

President Biden made Juneteenth a federal holiday in 2021.

Katie Wiseman is a trending news intern at IndyStar. Contact her at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @itskatiewiseman .