2 of 16

Write now Article Tools

Homework assignments should serve a purpose, that being one of reinforcing the day's or week's lessons. Anything less is a waste of time and effort, and anything more is extraneous to the job at hand.

Children are normally instructed on a particular subject or topic within the classroom; they are allowed time to briefly practice and review those items. Frequently the next lesson is a compilation of the previous day's, with an introduction to new material. At a relatively fast pace such as this, most children need more time to fully learn the concepts and to begin to retain them.

When no homework is assigned, kids can indeed lose ground rapidly from one day to the next, although this may not be apparent until some weeks have passed. Often this can result in an inability to catch up or to relearn the basics.

Of course a student should be given a cleared, well-lighted space in which to do his homework, and he should allow ample time to complete it. Many students are overscheduled by sports, clubs, and part-time jobs, but homework should always be a priority. It should, as well, be the student's priority, not that of a parent; if a child is taught early on that he alone is responsible for completing and turning in assignments, by high school age he should certainly be able to do this with no supervision.

Until then, however, a child should be given the tools to do his homework, and a parent should indeed check with the child, check with the teacher, or check the backpack or planner for assignments. A parent should be available to answer questions and explain misunderstood concepts, and a parent should check the child's homework for errors - which the child should be expected to correct. The point of homework is rendered senseless if a parent answers all parts of the assignment instead of having the child look for answers or if the parent tells the child how to make corrections.

Homework which appears unrelated to the topic often is just that - busy work which a teacher requires but that actually serves no conceivable purpose. An extreme example of this would be a map coloring worksheet given, to a high schooler, by which his grade partially depends upon staying within the lines. This is not only a waste of time, but a waste of brain power. Surely by this age a student has progressed far beyond such simple exercise.

There is a reason for having homework, which is to enforce learning concepts and to reiterate the day's lessons. If the assignments fit this criteria, and if a child is encouraged to view homework as an integral part of the day, not something which is optional; if he is given the means to flourish, he will wend his way through high school and beyond as one equipped to be academically successful.

Learn more about this author, Robin Tidwell.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about Teachers' tips for successful homework assignments?
We want to hear your view. Write now!