by Jonte Rhodes

Created on: January 27, 2009   Last Updated: March 08, 2009

Most children tend to strongly dislike having to do homework, despite the fact that most teachers encourage at least an hour per night to be spent on it. In the opinion of most adults however, homework is an important aspect of school life and teaches children important skills that they will need later in life.

One of the main reasons that homework is important is that having to work in their own time encourages children to develop a good work ethic and to be self disciplined. Unlike in the classroom, children doing homework are not being directly monitored or made to do the work in many cases. This means that in order to get the homework done they have to be self motivated, and also have to research the answers by themselves.

Another thing that homework teaches a child is to manage their own time effectively, and to make their own schedule to some degree. Having to find the time to complete homework before it is due is something that a child cannot learn very often in other aspects of their lives, which are usually controlled by their parents and having to attend school.

Aspects of schoolwork which need to be memorized such as the times tables, how to calculate formulas or the meanings of scientific terms and names are reinforced by homework. While a child might not be able to remember these kinds of things from experiences in the classroom alone, homework often acts as a reminder of things that they might have forgotten or overlooked in the classroom.

When children have to research things by themselves, they will also generate a love of learning things for themselves, and not because they are being told to do so. If a child can find something which they are interested in rather than something they are being forced to learn and then tested on, then they will learn about it themselves. Studying independently of school is an important skill for those who attend college and other types of higher education.

Homework is often also a good way to get parents more involved with their children's schoolwork as well. This often comes about because children will ask their parents for help, and the parents in turn will then become more closely observant of their children's progress. Not only this but in many cases this interaction can help to bring parents and children closer together, as many families these days spend very little time interacting together in the evenings.

Many types of homework can encourage creativity and independent thinking that isn't often seen while in

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