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Neag School of Education
How to use homework to support student success.
- by: Sandra Chafouleas
- January 13, 2022
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Editor’s Note: Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor Sandra Chafouleas shares insights on supporting students’ homework during the pandemic in the following piece, which originally appeared in Psychology Today , where she publishes a blog.
COVID has brought many changes in education. What does it mean for homework?
School assignments that a student is expected to do outside of the regular school day—that’s homework. The general guideline is 10 minutes of nightly homework per grade level beginning after kindergarten. This amounts to just a few minutes for younger elementary students to up to 2 hours for high school students.
The guidance seems straightforward enough, so why is homework such a controversial topic? School disruptions, including extended periods of remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, have magnified the controversies yet also have provided an opportunity to rethink the purpose and value of homework.
Debates about the value of homework center around two primary issues: amount and inequity.
First, the amount of assigned homework may be much more than the recommended guidelines. Families report their children are stressed out over the time spent doing homework. Too much homework can challenge well-being given the restricted time available for sleep, exercise, and social connection. In a 2015 study , for example, parents reported their early elementary children received almost three times the recommended guidelines. In high school, researchers found an average of three hours of homework per night for students living in economically privileged communities.
“ Debates about the value of homework center around two primary issues: amount and inequity.”
Second, homework can perpetuate inequities. Students attending school in less economically privileged communities may receive little to no homework, or have difficulty completing it due to limited access to needed technology. This can translate into fewer opportunities to learn and may contribute to gaps in achievement.
There isn’t a ton of research on the effects of homework, and available studies certainly do not provide a simple answer. For example, a 2006 synthesis of studies suggested a positive influence between homework completion and academic achievement for middle and high school students. Supporters also point out that homework offers additional opportunities to engage in learning and that it can foster independent learning habits such as planning and a sense of responsibility. A more recent study involving 13-year-old students in Spain found higher test scores for those who were regularly assigned homework in math and science, with an optimal time around one hour—which is roughly aligned with recommendations. However, the researchers noted that ability to independently do the work, student effort, and prior achievement were more important contributors than time spent.
Opponents of homework maintain that the academic benefit does not outweigh the toll on well-being. Researchers have observed student stress, physical health problems, and lack of life balance, especially when the time spent goes over the recommended guidelines. In a survey of adolescents , over half reported the amount and type of homework they received to be a primary source of stress in their lives. In addition, vast differences exist in access and availability of supports, such as internet connection, adult assistance, or even a place to call home, as 1.5 million children experience homelessness in the United States
The COVID-19 pandemic has re-energized discussion about homework practices, with the goal to advance recommendations about how, when, and with whom it can be best used. Here’s a summary of key strategies:
Strategies for Educators
Make sure the tasks are meaningful and matched..
First, the motto “ quality over quantity ” can guide decisions about homework. Homework is not busy-work, and instead should get students excited about learning. Emphasize activities that facilitate choice and interest to extend learning, like choose your own reading adventure or math games. Second, each student should be able to complete homework independently with success. Think about Goldilocks: To be effective, assignments should be just right for each learner. One example of how do this efficiently is through online learning platforms that can efficiently adjust to skill level and can be completed in a reasonable amount of time.
Ensure access to resources for task completion.
One step toward equity is to ensure access to necessary resources such as time, space, and materials. Teach students about preparing for homework success, allocating classroom time to model and practice good study habits such as setting up their physical environment, time management, and chunking tasks. Engage in conversations with students and families to problem-solve challenges When needed, connect students with homework supports available through after-school clubs, other community supports, or even within a dedicated block during the school day.
Be open to revisiting homework policies and practices.
The days of penalizing students for not completing homework should be long gone. Homework is a tool for practicing content and learning self-management. With that in mind, provide opportunities for students to communicate needs, and respond by revising assignments or allowing them to turn in on alternative dates. Engage in adult professional learning about high-quality homework , from value (Should I assign this task?) to evaluation (How should this be graded? Did that homework assignment result in expected outcomes?). Monitor how things are going by looking at completion rates and by asking students for their feedback. Be willing to adapt the homework schedule or expectations based on what is learned.
Strategies for Families
Understand how to be a good helper..
When designed appropriately, students should be able to complete homework with independence. Limit homework wars by working to be a good helper. Hovering, micromanaging, or doing homework for them may be easiest in the moment but does not help build their independence. Be a good helper by asking guiding questions, providing hints, or checking for understanding. Focus your assistance on setting up structures for homework success, like space and time.
Use homework as a tool for communication.
Use homework as a vehicle to foster family-school communication. Families can use homework as an opportunity to open conversations about specific assignments or classes, peer relationships, or even sleep quality that may be impacting student success. For younger students, using a daily or weekly home-school notebook or planner can be one way to share information. For older students, help them practice communicating their needs and provide support as needed.
Make sure to balance wellness.
Like adults, children need a healthy work-life balance. Positive social connection and engagement in pleasurable activities are important core principles to foster well-being . Monitor the load of homework and other structured activities to make sure there is time in the daily routine for play. Play can mean different things to different children: getting outside, reading for pleasure, and yes, even gaming. Just try to ensure that activities include a mix of health-focused activities such as physical movement or mindfulness downtime.
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In This Section
How to prioritize school assignments and homework: 8 tips.
A rigorous homework schedule can help children succeed in their classes and create a clear path for the future. However, students who aren't great at prioritizing assignments or creating good study habits can quickly fall behind and feel anxious about the homework they bring home every day.
So, how can you prioritize your work as a student? Following these tips below can help you create a clear homework schedule, complete your tasks on-time and achieve better learning outcomes.
Understand the Assignments
Completely understanding your assignments will save you time and help you plan effectively. Whenever you get homework, consider how you'll perform the task, how long each task will take to finish, any interconnected tasks and when each one is due.
While this may seem like a lot to take in, it can help to take a few minutes at the start of your homework time to complete a mental rundown of all your assignments. Then, you can start prioritizing assignments and optimizing the time you have to complete homework.
Rely on a Planning System and To-Do Lists
Next, you need to create a homework schedule and a to-do list.
Some people create three different lists — a daily to-do list with priority items marked, a calendar with a list of tasks and assignments with hour-by-hour listings, and an overall list of big projects and tasks. Good study habits rely on at least a daily to-do list. You can make your list by adding everything you need or want to do in a day and then rate the importance of each item.
Prioritizing Homework Assignments
Prioritizing assignments will help you know exactly what you have to do whenever you sit down to do your homework. A rating system works best for understanding which assignments you need to do fast.
For example:
· Put an "A" beside highly important activities
· Put a "B" beside somewhat important activities
· Put a "C" beside activities you want to do but aren't as important
Set Deadlines
Take a look at your ranked items and decide how long it will take to complete each task. Set realistic and honest deadlines so you're not rushing or taking too much time. You can also try giving yourself a buffer between items in case you need extra time.
Be Flexible
While you can plan your daily activities, life happens — and you can't always plan a clearly ordered list. What if a teacher gives you a surprise assignment that's due tomorrow? Or you have a group assignment that takes up more time than you thought? Be flexible, reprioritize and don't let any setbacks prevent you from moving forward with your list.
Get the Worst Assignments out of the Way First
Many people tackle their favorite subjects or homework assignments first. However, the assignments you hate doing are still on your to-do list, and they'll be in the back of your mind until you get them done. Good study habits include completing the worst assignments first, then focusing on what you love.
Take Planned Breaks
Trying to complete all your homework in one sitting can actually make you less productive. Scheduling breaks can help you stay focused and complete more accurate assignments. Try working for 45 minutes, then taking a 10-minute break and repeating until you're done.
Recognize a Job Well Done With a Reward
Another way to stay motivated while tackling your homework schedule is by rewarding yourself every time you complete an important or long task. Whether it's a snack, an additional break or a few minutes on your phone, that reward can help you stay focused.
Get Help With Homework at Wilbraham & Monson Academy
If you or your child struggles with how to prioritize school assignments and homework, Wilbraham & Monson Academy can help create good study habits for the future. You'll feel happy, enthusiastic about learning, engaged with the community, and able to create lifelong friends. Talk to our admissions department today to learn more.
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How to prioritize homework assignments: 5 steps
Katie October 18, 2021 executive function , good habits , homework , productivity , time management
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By Katie Azevedo, M.Ed.
Knowing how to prioritize homework is one of the keys to not feeling overwhelmed and falling behind in school.
There are some basic steps to prioritizing homework, which I explain below. But first, let’s get clear on the definition of prioritization.
Prioritization Definition : ranking tasks in order of importance and/or urgency for the purpose of determining which items to give primary attention to.
The goal with prioritizing homework assignments is to figure out which assignments to do first, on days when there’s limited time to begin with. Of course, the expectation is to complete all assignments eventually – but sometimes it really is impossible to complete everything within the time we have available. ( Are you doing too much? )
If you have fallen behind in your homework assignments and feel overwhelmed with getting it all done, the following homework prioritization tips can help you climb out of the hole.
Once you’re in the clear, though, it’s critical that you improve your time management skills so that you don’t end up in the same situation again. At the bottom of this post, I list my top time management resources to get you started.
How to prioritize homework assignments in 5 steps
1. find clarity.
You can’t prioritize what you don’t know. Here’s how to get clarity:
a. Get absolutely clear about everything you need to do. Gather all the information from your various sources (Google Classroom, Canvas, Blackboard, emails, classroom whiteboards, assignment notebook , syllabus, teacher, classmates, etc.).
b. Write all of the assignments down on a piece of paper and include the due date of each assignment. Don’t worry about organizing the list right now – just write things down.
2. Sort assignments by due date.
a. Organize your list by putting assignments in order of the earliest due date (at the top) to the furthest due date (at the bottom of the list).
b. Put all overdue assignments in another list on the same sheet of paper.
c. Highlight or star all the assignments due the earliest (most likely tomorrow)
3. Start with the assignments with the earliest due date.
You should start with the assignments due first, which you highlighted in step 2. If you don’t know whether to start with the easy ones or the hard ones, read this .
The reason you should start with the assignments with the earliest due date is so that they don’t become late assignments; we have to stop the bleeding at the source. Also, if you “can’t find time” to work on these assignments, read this .
4. Move on to late assignments.
After you’ve completed all the assignments that are due today or tomorrow, move over to your list of late assignments, which you created in part b of step 2.
a. Start with the assignment worth the most points. Late is late at this point, so we should prioritize this list by IMPORTANCE instead of DUE DATE.
b. Chip away at this list, one or two assignments at a time, until you’ve completed all the assignments, even if it takes you a few days. Try your hardest not to add any items to this list.
5. Chip away at assignments with further-out due dates.
I suggest alternating step 4 and step 5. In other words, go back and forth between completing late assignments (1-2 at a time) and moving forward on upcoming assignments. Focus on the ones that have the most weight, are the most complex, and will take the longest. This includes assignments like essays and projects.
Final notes on how to prioritize homework assignments
Here’s a quick summary of the 5 steps above:
- Figure out exactly what you have to do, and make a list of all your assignments.
- Organize the list by due date, and make a separate list on the same paper of late assignments.
- First, complete all your assignments that are due today or tomorrow.
- Next, move on to completing late assignments and making progress on forthcoming (not due yet) assignments. Alternate between these two lists until you’re done.
Of course, to ensure that you’re not in a situation like this again, tighten up your time management skills with the following resources:
- How to batch assignments
- How to use the Pomodoro Technique
- How to handle multiple projects at once
- How to plan time to study: 3 tips
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The Benefits & Drawbacks Of Having Homework
Benefits of homework, teaching students how to manage their time.
There is no better instrument than homework to teach a child how to manage his or her time wisely. This means that teaching and practising efficient use of one's time is a responsibility shared by the family and the school.
Even if your kid has other obligations, like playing or doing some minor chores, you should always give them plenty of time to finish their homework. Homework is best accomplished when one is in a calm, focused state of mind. It's important to make sure your kid is fed and rested before you start anything.
Sitting down with your kid and working through their schoolwork together is a great way to instill in them a sense of responsibility and teach them how to prioritise tasks.
As a consequence, with your help, your kid should be able to set his or her own priorities for the tasks. Using this strategy, you can more easily do multiple activities in a limited amount of time.
Teachers Can Gauge Their Students’ Progress in Their Lessons by Checking Their Homework
Ask yourself whether you've ever worried that your students didn't grasp the concepts you gave to them. Then perhaps you might think about giving them some homework.
Based on the students' answers, you'll have a good idea of how much they've retained from the lesson. If the answers aren't what you were hoping for, it's time to review the chapter and break it down into smaller, more digestible chunks.
Some of your students likely struggled to keep track of more technical terms because they didn't grasp them. The single most effective thing you can do is to encourage your students to seek clarification by asking questions about difficult ideas.
Additionally, feel free to incorporate a range of learning methods if you wish to ensure that the specific topic is grasped. Example: teaching pupils how to play an instrument requires direct interaction with the instrument itself. However, using real-world examples is the most effective method of visual education.
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Prepares them to take on challenges and find solutions.
- Problem-solving skills are crucial for success in school, and teachers will use them to gauge your child's reasoning and decision-making prowess.
When your kid is in a classroom, they can work on projects with other students and get feedback from their teacher. But when they're at home, they have to rely on what they've already learned to solve their problems in the most efficient way possible.
However, putting this plan into effect is not easy. Ability to focus and the willingness to get instant help with difficult concepts are needed.
- However, if your kid is successful at school and learns how to solve difficulties, they'll be well-equipped to use those same skills at home.
Parents must start instilling a sense of confidence in their children from a young age. Confidence is essential for both boosting pupils' self-esteem and allowing them to raise enquiries without fear of ridicule from their classmates.
Offers a Second Chance for Students to Review Course Content
There is no limit to learning, despite what you may have been taught in school. If you're a student who takes their studies seriously, you should do your best to do them at the comfort of your own home.
- If your child does their homework on a regular basis, they will have a unique chance to revisit the material they learned in class.
By reviewing material on a regular basis, students are able to learn more, remember details more quickly, and see more options for how to tackle the same problem.
Your child's knowledge is more deeply embedded in their mind when he or she has had ample opportunity to revisit it through homework.
Consequently, the more students do the exercises, the easier it will be for them to respond to similar questions in the future.
Parents Can View Their Children’s Lessons.
In addition to the student, the instructor also stands to gain from homework assignments.
- If a parent is interested in their child's growth and academic progress across a range of topics, they can learn just as much as their child.
- In just ten or twenty minutes, you can quickly brush up on your child's schoolwork and be up to speed on what they're learning.
Based on the assessment's findings, you can help your child work towards building a range of strategies for responding to different types of enquiries.
However, it is essential that you encourage your child to research solutions independently in order to be appropriately prepared for examinations that measure individual comprehension.
Students Develop a Sense of Responsibility by Taking Ownership of Their Learning
There's a school of thought that says giving kids homework will help them grow up to be responsible adults. Regular homework assignments serve as a subtle reminder to students of the value of their schoolwork.
Additionally, with each completed assignment, your child will be one step closer to achieving their educational goals and accepting responsibility for the decisions they make in their lives.
- In a nutshell, assigning your child homework helps them acquire the skills they'll need to take on adult responsibilities that are considerably more challenging and time-consuming than schoolwork.
Furthermore, your kid will have a growth attitude, which is a powerful tool for overcoming challenges and accomplishing ambitions.
When Students Are Forced to Do Something They Don’t Want to Do, They Learn to Do It
Most students dislike having homework to accomplish at home since it takes time away from their preferred pastimes.
However, if you give your kid homework and insist that he or she does it, you might help them learn an important lesson: that they have to do things even if they don't want to. Your kid should be ready to take part in the kinds of things that will be the norm for them by the time they're adults.
The emphasis is on prioritising long-term happiness over short-term satisfaction and learning to tolerate sacrifice.
The onus of being willing to make sacrifices in the name of success rests not only on the parents, but also on the offspring.
If your child is prepared to accept the rewards that come with making sacrifices, he or she will be in a better position to eliminate distractions and focus on the work at hand.
- Although it may be difficult, asking someone to turn off their TV and mobile phone is a great test of their focus and dedication.
It’s Great for Instilling Self-Discipline in the Form of Regular Practice
It's true that solving the same issues over and over again can be a real drag, yet doing so has long-term benefits for your discipline. Oftentimes, hearing something more than once is necessary to really get it.
With continued training, you eventually reach a higher level of proficiency. Especially if it's for a difficult subject, completing your homework every night will make the material much easier to understand.
The student will benefit from this in the future when applying for jobs in the student's chosen vocational field.
This Helps Bring Parents Into Their Children’s Lives
Occasionally, parents may feel lost when attempting to understand the Common Core's mathematical standards.
For instance, the answer that appears to be accurate if the mathematical problem known as 53 is recast as an additional problem is the three-digit sum 5+5+5.
Three times three times three times three is the correct solution, though.
- Students can get their parents interested in their children's education by giving them homework to do at home.
Many parents ask for their children's assignments to be sent to them through email so that they can keep up with class.
The early education programme offered by Dr. Study is individualised to meet the requirements of each child. We ensure that children have a positive first experience with school, one that helps them develop self-esteem and a passion for learning.
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You'll Learn How to Better Manage Your Time.
Homework is more than just a checklist item. As a result, teaching children (and parents) to effectively manage their time is essential.
Planning up your day in advance is essential for getting everything done. It encourages creative problem-solving and the development of one's own unique cognitive processes.
Research capacity is bolstered as a result. Furthermore, it requires both parents and children to practise excellent decision-making, which can be difficult for all parties involved.
Having Homework Establishes a Common Ground for Conversation
Students' personal lives at home are rarely discussed during class. Similarly, parents rarely see their children's classroom environments.
Through the completion of homework, there is tridirectional contact between the home, the classroom, and the school.
That way, people can meet and get to know one another better. Educators benefit from a deeper understanding of their student populations' needs thanks to this tool.
This is a great way for parents to find out what their child is capable of and where they may have some challenges. Collectively, we can create a curriculum that provides the best possible conditions for learning.
This Creates an Ideal Atmosphere for Serious Academic Work
While classrooms have certainly improved throughout the years, they still can't compare to the comfort and safety of one's own home or another trusted environment.
- When a youngster is given the freedom to learn in a setting where they feel most comfortable, they are more likely to retain material that could be forgotten in a more formal classroom.
It Gives You More Time to Finish off the Learning Process
Each academic subject is sometimes given only an hour a day, if that, in schools, especially those serving pupils in grades K-12.
In most cases, more time is required for students to grasp the underlying concepts and principles of the topic completely.
We can lessen the impact of time constraints by compensating for missed study time with homework assignments tailored to individual student's areas of weakness. Over time, this will benefit students greatly.
It’s Perfectly Fine to Treat It Like Any Other Extracurricular Activity
When children in a household are involved in too many extracurricular activities , everyone's time and energy are spread too thin.
More than 40 hours a week can be spent on clubs and sports teams outside of the regular school day.
When there is ample downtime, schoolwork can be included as one of these tasks. Some of the required preparation work can even be completed on the way to or from specific events.
The Downsides of Homework
Play is important for kids’ development.
- Learning can take place both inside and outside the classroom; both indoor and outdoor activities have their merits.
T oo much homework can stunt a child's development in cognitive and social areas since it cuts into their leisure time.
- A lack of play is associated with a number of negative outcomes, including underachievement in school, a lack of attention to safety, stunted character growth, and poor health as an adult.
It Encourages A Sedentary Lifestyle
It's possible that putting in the time and effort required for homework will pay dividends in terms of improved knowledge retention and skill acquisition, but this may come at a price.
We Can’t Assume That Everyone’s House Is a Safe Haven
The education of young children is a priority for some households. In some households, parents are actively involved in helping their kids with homework, while in others, tutors are available to help with more complex assignments.
On the other hand, there are some families that place little to no value on their children's education, which can be detrimental to their growth. Some parents refuse to help their kids with schoolwork, claiming that the school is to fault.
There are times when a parent would like to help and support their child, but they are unable to do so because of many factors. Ultimately, home life is not the same for every family.
For Most Kids, Schooling Already Constitutes Full-Time Work
Timetables for elementary schools often run from 9:00 am to 3:20 pm.
Children as young as five are devoting almost six hours daily to their schooling.
Schools actively encourage students to participate in extracurricular activities like athletics, musicals, and after-school programming, which can easily add another two hours to a student's daily instructional time.
Plus, you still have to do your homework?
Doing additional work or finishing homework early is a lot to expect of any kid, but especially younger ones.
No Research Has Shown That Assigning Homework Leads to Better Grades
- Studies have shown that assigning homework does nothing but make kids cynical about their schooling.
- On a nationwide scale, homework completion is also unrelated to student success in school.
According to certain sources[not in citation given] There is anecdotal evidence that students who have access to a knowledgeable tutor or parent perform better in certain areas, but no data to demonstrate that this has a widespread effect.
It Discourages Creative Endeavours
Each hour a pupil spends on homework is an hour they can't spend on something else.
Even if students enjoy these activities, schoolwork inhibits them from devoting the time necessary to improve their talents in areas like art, photography, and musical instrument performance.
Although original thought may be called for in completing some of the homework, this is usually not the case.
Enforcing Students to Complete Their Homework Might Be Challenging
Some pupils simply don't care if they finish their assignments. They know they can get good grades without it, so they choose not to bother.
For some students, no amount of encouragement from a parent or teacher will be enough to get them to do their homework.
Truth be told, you will need to put up some effort if you expect to finish your schoolwork successfully. Sometimes kids just don't want to put in the work that's needed.
Time Spent in Class Does Not Translate to Academic Success
Students in the United States spend over 100 hours more time in school than students in other high-performing countries throughout the world, but the educational gap between the two has not been closed.
The United States continues to slip behind other developed nations in a number of key educational indicators, even though kids are spending more time in class than ever before.
- Quality, not quantity, is what matters most while studying or completing assignments like homework.
It’s Possible That Realistic Training Is Unattainable
If students have homework, it is their responsibility (or that of a responsible adult) to acquire materials that will help them learn the concepts being discussed in class. Homework is assigned so that students may get some much-needed practice, but this serves no useful purpose if the students don't fully grasp the concepts behind the material they're working on.
Incorrect student practice requires the teacher to intervene, fix the problem, and then re-teach the material, lengthening the learning process.
Multiple Forms of Cheating Could Be Encouraged
- Some students may decide they can get away with cheating in class rather than doing their homework because of the time it would take them to finish it.
It's easy to fall into the trap of using Google or another online resource instead of thinking creatively and independently these days.
In order to save time and energy, families with multiple children may decide to manufacture copies.
Benchmarks Are Often Incorporated Into Homework Assignments
Homework is commonly offered to help students prepare for and perform better on upcoming assessments.
While this may have some positive outcomes, such as improved study abilities or habits, it ignores the reality that children's learning is impaired when they are sleepy.
The results of standardised tests tend to suffer when children are given more homework than is considered healthy. The stress level increases. The concept of burnout is addressed in class.
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Homework is essential for many students, but there are still those who struggle to do their homework on time or to the expected standard.
The benefits of homework include teaching students how to manage their time wisely, giving them plenty of time to finish their homework, and gauging their students' progress in their lessons by checking their homework.
Homework is best accomplished when one is in a calm, focused state of mind, and sitting down with your kid and working through their schoolwork together is a great way to instil in them a sense of responsibility and teach them how to prioritise tasks.
Help your child get ahead with one of the many online learning and tutoring programmes offered by Dr. Study.
The most important details in this text are that parents should encourage their students to seek clarification by asking questions about difficult ideas, incorporate a range of learning methods, prepare them to take on challenges and find solutions, and provide a second chance for students to review course content.
Additionally, parents should start instilling a sense of confidence in their children from a young age, which is essential for both boosting pupils' self-esteem and allowing them to raise enquiries without fear of ridicule from their classmates.
Finally, parents can view their children's lessons, and the instructor also stands to gain from homework assignments.
Giving kids homework can help them develop a sense of responsibility by taking ownership of their learning.
It also helps them acquire the skills they'll need to take on adult responsibilities that are more challenging and time-consuming than schoolwork.
When students are forced to do something they don't want to do, they learn to do it. The emphasis is on prioritising long-term happiness over short-term satisfaction and learning to tolerate sacrifice.
Homework is a great way to instil self-discipline in the form of regular practice. It also helps to bring parents into the students' lives by providing them with homework to do at home.
It also encourages creative problem-solving and the development of one's own unique cognitive processes, and it requires both parents and children to practise excellent decision-making.
Additionally, it establishes a common ground for conversation between the home, the classroom, and the school.
Finally, it teaches children how to manage their time better.
Homework is a great tool for educators to gain a deeper understanding of their student populations' needs and create a curriculum that provides the best possible conditions for learning.
It provides the comfort and safety of one's own home or another trusted environment, gives students more time to finish off the learning process, and encourages a sedentary lifestyle.
However, too much homework can stunt a child's development in cognitive and social areas, leading to negative outcomes such as underachievement in school, a lack of attention to safety, stunted character growth, and poor health as an adult.
It is important to treat homework like any other extracurricular activity, as it can be completed on the way to or from specific events.
The education of young children is a priority for some households, while others place little to no value on their children's education. ome parents refuse to help their kids with schoolwork, claiming that the school is to fault.
For most kids, schooling already constitutes full-time work, and homework can add another two hours to their daily instructional time.
No research has shown that assigning homework leads to better grades, and homework completion is unrelated to student success in school. It discourages creative endeavours, and forcing students to complete their homework can be challenging.
Some pupils simply don't care if they finish their assignments, so they choose not to bother.
Students in the United States spend more time in school than in other high-performing countries, but the educational gap between the two has not been closed. Quality, not quantity, is what matters most when studying or completing assignments like homework.
- Homework is assigned so that students may get some much-needed practice, but this serves no useful purpose if the students don't fully grasp the concepts behind the material they're working on.
Additionally, multiple forms of cheating could be encouraged.
Benchmarks are often incorporated into homework assignments to help students prepare for and perform better on upcoming assessments, but this ignores the reality that children's learning is impaired when they are sleepy.
The concept of burnout is addressed in class, and Study is an English, Math, Science, and Humanities education programme for youngsters that is available both online and in-person.
Content Summary
- The vast majority of students think that homework is extremely essential and value the time they spend on it.
- Nonetheless, there are still those students who consistently struggle to do their homework on time or to the expected standard.
- The benefits of giving students homework will be discussed, and strategies for getting it done quickly will be offered.
- There is no better instrument than the homework to teach a child how to manage his or her time wisely.
- This means that teaching and practising efficient use of one's time is a responsibility shared by the family and the school.
- Even if your kid has other obligations, like playing or doing some minor chores, you should always give them plenty of time to finish their homework.
- Sitting down with your kid and working through their schoolwork together is a great way to instil in them a sense of responsibility and teach them how to prioritise tasks.
- Then perhaps you might think about giving them some homework.
- The single most effective thing you can do is to encourage your students to seek clarification by asking questions about difficult ideas.
- Additionally, feel free to incorporate a range of learning methods if you wish to ensure that the specific topic is grasped.
- However, using real-world examples is the most effective method of visual education.
- But when they're at home, they have to rely on what they've already learned to solve their problems in the most efficient way possible.
- It's crucial for parents to start instilling a sense of confidence in their children from a young age.
- There is no limit to learning, despite what you may have been taught in school.
- There's a school of thought that says giving kids homework will help them grow up to be responsible adults.
- Regular homework assignments serve as a subtle reminder to students of the value of their schoolwork.
- However, if you give your kid homework and insist that he or she does it, you might help them learn an important lesson: that they have to do things even if they don't want to.
- It's true that solving the same issues over and over again can be a real drag, yet doing so has long-term benefits for your discipline.
- Especially if it's for a difficult subject, completing your homework every night will make the material much easier to understand.
- We ensure that children have a positive first experience with school, one that helps them develop self-esteem and a passion for learning.
- As a result, teaching children (and parents) to effectively manage their time is essential.
- Planning up your day in advance is essential for getting everything done.
- Educators benefit from a deeper understanding of their student populations' needs thanks to this tool.
- This is a great way for parents to find out what their child is capable of and where they may have some challenges.
- Collectively, we can create a curriculum that provides the best possible conditions for learning.
- In most cases, more time is required for students to completely grasp the underlying concepts and principles of the topic.
- We can lessen the impact of time constraints by compensating for missed study time with homework assignments tailored to individual students' areas of weakness.
- When children in a household are involved in too many extracurricular activities, everyone's time and energy is spread too thin.
- Too much homework can stunt a child's development in cognitive and social areas since it cuts into their leisure time.
- The education of young children is a priority for some households.
- In some households, parents are actively involved in helping their kids with homework, while in others, tutors are available to help with more complex assignments.
- On the other hand, there are some families that place little to no value on their children's education, which can be detrimental to their growth.
- Some parents refuse to help their kids with schoolwork, claiming that the school is to fault.
- Ultimately, home life is not the same for every family.
- Truth be told, you will need to put up some effort if you expect to finish your schoolwork successfully.
- Sometimes kids just don't want to put in the work that's needed.
- If students have homework, it is their responsibility (or that of a responsible adult) to acquire materials that will help them learn the concepts being discussed in class.
- The results of standardised tests tend to suffer when children are given more homework than is considered healthy.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does homework help students.
Homework teaches students how to set priorities. Second, homework helps teachers determine how well their students understand the lessons. Third, homework teaches students how to problem-solve. Finally, homework teaches students the importance of planning, staying organised, and taking action.
Is Homeworks Important?
Homework allows students to revise classroom learnings and builds the habit of self-study. In addition, it helps them to score better. Increases concentration: While doing homework, students find an isolated place to study to concentrate more.
How Often Should Homework Be Given?
This rule recommends that students are assigned a daily maximum of 10 minutes of homework per grade level. It means that a third-grader, for example, should do 30 minutes of homework each night. When they reach high school, this goes up to about two hours each night.
How Much Homework Is A Good Amount?
It would be best to assign too much homework: the maximum should be approximately one to two hours a day for high school students and one hour a day for elementary and middle school students. The amount of homework assigned to students should be gradually increased by around ten minutes with each grade.
How Does Homework Help Students In The Future?
Homework allows students to practice or extend the material learned in the classroom. Research tells us that doing homework increases students' learning and helps them learn important life skills such as organisation, problem-solving, goal-setting, and perseverance.
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Homework: Helping Students Manage their Time
Two simple strategies for guiding students to improve a crucial skill.
This is the second of two parts. Part one can be found here: Is Homework Helpful?: The 5 Questions Every Teacher Should Ask .
Teachers assign work each and every day, either in class or for homework. That is the easy part. Put it on the board, tell students to copy it down, and move on to the next item on the day’s agenda. But why don’t teachers help students figure out how much time to allot to assignments? How do students know if an assignment should take 10 minutes or 40?
It is a blind spot in my own teaching. I never realized until lately that I wasn’t supporting students with time management skills. I wasn’t developing their ability to assess an assignment and correctly evaluate how much time it should take.
Why is this important? With good time management, students know how much time they have, how long it will take to get assignments done, and what they can accomplish in the time they have. This gives them more breathing room, which reduces the feeling of being rushed, which in turn leads to less frustration and stress.
Here are two ways to support students in understanding time management.
Do the assignment yourself. See how long it takes you to complete the work. Then remember, you are the expert with this material. Ask yourself, how long would it take for a proficient student to complete it? What about students with disabilities, what might hinder their progress? Then provide students with a range of times. If you believe an assignment should take 15-25 minutes, let them know. The benefit of this is that it allows students to plan better. They can situate homework in the context of their entire day. A student may get home from school at 3:30 and has soccer practice at 5pm. He now knows that he can complete your homework in any 25-minute window between the end of the school day and the start of practice. The downside to this is that some students may lose confidence and doubt themselves if an assignment takes much longer than you suggested.
Rate the assignment. Classify assignments into three categories with time frames for each so that students know what type it is and how long it should take to complete. Here are three ways that I categorize assignments:
Quick checks: These assignments are measuring sticks of understanding and they are short and sweet. I expect students to spend 20-50 seconds on each question on these types of assignments. A 20-question quick check should take 6-10 minutes.
Thorough Responses: When you want answer with more substance and more development, I look for thorough responses. These types of assignments are different than quick checks because I expect students to spend 2-4 minutes per question. Thorough responses typically have fewer questions consequently.Thorough response assignments take my students 20-35 minutes.
Sustained Thought: When students must access new material, when there is challenging reading, or when they must chew on ideas before they formulate responses, students can expect to spend 30-40 minutes to complete an assignment.
This piece was originally submitted to our community forums by a reader. Due to audience interest, we’ve preserved it. The opinions expressed here are the writer’s own.
7 Top Tips for Setting and Managing Homework
Homework is still considered an integral part of the learning process in schools. After all, it has benefits for both teachers and pupils. Students – while they may not always enjoy working outside of the classroom – always learn a valuable lesson about managing heavy workloads independently. Meanwhile, homework allows teachers to further assess their pupils based on their understanding of the subject, skills to succeed, and attitude towards education. If you are currently teaching in the UK, you can enjoy these benefits just by making sure that you have the right approach to setting and managing homework. Here are seven top tips that will help you get started.
1. Establish a firm routine
Homework shouldn’t be sporadic or random. Instead, your pupils should quickly learn that it’s part of their routine. This means that you should set it with some sort of consistency and work to establish a pattern. A great way to start would be to decide how many hours should be completed each week (a figure that will vary depending on the age group you’re teaching). In addition, the work should be spread across both evenings and weekends. Don’t forget, lack of a routine might cause pupils to struggle with managing their homework and lead to it remaining incomplete.
2. Gather parents’ support
Parents must be clued up when it comes to homework. You can accomplish this by letting mums and dads know – perhaps with a letter or an email – that you’ll be setting regular out-of-hours work and that you expect it to be completed to a high standard. The best way to gain parents’ support is by proposing an amount that everyone will deem reasonable. From this point onwards, you should keep mums and dads in the loop when their children are failing to complete the agreed amount of homework and let them know how they can help.
3. Avoid overnight homework
It’s best to steer clear of setting homework to be completed overnight. For starters, it doesn’t give pupils a chance to approach you for help in between if they are unsure about how to tackle the project. Secondly, you’ll be making a somewhat unrealistic assumption that your students have spare time during that night to devote to homework. Some pupils may have other commitments – such as a family occasion to attend or a dance lesson that’s already been paid for – that would mean they’re too stretched to complete the work in the space of just one evening.
4. Don’t dawdle with marking
Homework is a two-way street and the rules are quite clear: pupils complete it and teachers mark it. This is why it can be problematic if you dawdle on the marking and subsequently create the illusion that you’re not holding up your end of the bargain. Of course, teachers often find themselves pressed for time and forced with juggling different tasks. However, you should make every effort to ensure that homework doesn’t remain unmarked for days on end or else you could send the message that it doesn’t really matter.
5. Collect homework in the morning
You should try to collect homework promptly at the first opportunity you get. If you don’t, you could find that some of your pupils are completing it throughout the day – including at break time, during lunch hour and when you’re teaching at the front of the class. This won’t just mean that the students could fall behind with the syllabus, it can also be demoralising for others who have sacrificed their free time to complete the work and they could begin to ponder whether it’s worth holding off on their own homework in future.
6. Reward effort
Pupils who have clearly put in a lot of effort with their homework should be rewarded regularly. The individual doesn’t necessarily have to have done an amazing job as long as it’s clear that they have tried to work independently and devoted time to the project. Whichever avenue you go down – whether it’s giving out gold stars or sending letters of praise to parents – the reward should always encourage pupils to continue devoting the same amount of effort to their homework.
7. Consequences for lack of effort
There should be consequences for those students who have failed to complete their homework or have clearly rushed through it. The best punishment is usually to issue an after-school detention in which the individual will be made to have a second attempt at the project. The best form of discipline will always make pupils think twice about whether it’s worth skipping their homework in future and instil in them that there are consequences for those who don’t try hard.
Now let’s set some homework
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Prioritization Skills: How to Manage Tasks for Better Productivity
Published on March 23, 2022
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Knowing how to prioritize tasks is an essential skill for students of any age. Students who know how to prioritize tasks and responsibilities have an advantage over classmates who approach homework and studying haphazardly. Prioritization keeps students organized and productive while ensuring they have plenty of time to finish assignments, study, complete household chores, and enjoy social and extracurricular activities.
Knowing how to prioritize work and responsibilities is a lifelong skill. Like any skill, prioritization improves with practice and can be taught at any age.
What Are Prioritization Skills?
Prioritization skills help students determine which tasks are the most important and urgent and how much time to allocate to each task. Knowing how to prioritize tasks helps students be more productive by making the best use of their time.
Prioritization is an executive functioning skill. Executive functioning describes the skills needed to plan, organize, focus, and follow instructions. Executive functioning skills include time management and organization .
How to Prioritize Tasks
With proper planning, students can list tasks and prioritize them by urgency and importance, allowing order to emerge from chaos and preventing “analysis paralysis,” which increases stress and decreases productivity.
Students should spend some time each day listing their school assignments and other activities and then identify the tasks requiring their immediate attention. For younger students, this can be as simple as making a to-do list and assigning each item on the list a priority number using the Ivy Lee Prioritization Template . Students then work on the highest priority task first, then the next most important, and so on down the list.
Older students can use more complex prioritization tools, such as a prioritization matrix. Also called the Eisenhower Matrix, a prioritization index uses a simple table to prioritize tasks by importance and urgency, as follows:
Urgent and important | Important but not urgent |
Not important but urgent | Neither urgent nor important |
Tasks that are urgent and important should be finished first. Once these tasks are complete, students can move on to tasks that are urgent but not important and then important but not urgent. Tasks that are neither urgent nor important can be completed when the student has less pressing responsibilities.
For instance, let’s say a student has to prioritize the following six tasks:
- Study for an exam at the end of the week
- Complete algebra homework for tomorrow
- Research a major science project due in two months
- Complete household chores
- Go swimming with friends
- Attend a family gathering over the weekend
Using a prioritization index, your child might organize their priorities like this:
Complete algebra homework Study for exam | Research science project
|
Complete household chores Go to family gathering
| Go swimming
|
A prioritization matrix helps students identify their most pressing tasks and responsibilities. Different students will prioritize tasks in slightly different ways. For instance, some might consider household chores urgent and important or move swimming with friends into the important but not urgent square.
Tips to Help Prioritize Work
- When prioritizing tasks, keep the Pareto Principle in mind. The Pareto Principle, or 80/20 rule, states that you get 80% of your results out of 20% of your efforts. Students should prioritize tasks that bring real, lasting results or move them toward a long-term goal.
- Make sure that each task has a clear deadline.
- Use a student planner to budget time each morning for prioritization.
- When in doubt, start with the least exciting task, as getting that out of the way will provide motivation for later assignments.
- Regularly reevaluate priorities as circumstances change. Learn to avoid the “ sunk cost fallacy ” of continuing tasks or activities that have decreased in urgency or importance due to changing conditions.
- Consider how spending time wisely today frees up time for other activities.
How Do Students Learn How to Prioritize?
A child’s prioritization and executive functioning skills begin to develop between ages three and five. According to the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, executive functioning skills strengthen once again during adolescence and early adult years. While these periods are prime opportunities to teach executive development skills, students can learn how to prioritize tasks at any age.
Some schools and individual teachers incorporate executive functioning skills into their curriculums, but this isn’t always universal. Many schools lack the resources to teach prioritization or expect students to have already mastered executive functioning skills. Revolution Prep tutors pride themselves on the teaching and application of prioritization skills — skills that provide both immediate and long-term academic benefits.
Need more information on prioritization and executive functioning skills? Check out our executive functioning guide . It’s a great starting resource for students to develop their prioritization skills. And consider working with a Revolution Prep private tutor for students who want to develop and hone their executive functioning skills.
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Importance of Time Management for Students: How Homework Helps
Time management is a critical skill that can make or break a student’s academic success. Whether in high school or college or just a graduate student working on a thesis, managing your time effectively can help you set your priorities straight and reach your full potential.
Homework, in particular, plays a crucial role in helping students develop good time management skills. With the right strategies and techniques, you can use homework to create a schedule, prioritize tasks, and stay on top of your workload.
This article will explore how homework helps with time management and provide tips and tricks for making the most of your time.
Time management importance for students: why should they take it seriously?
Before we examine how homework can help students with time management, let’s evaluate its importance.
As you might already know, time management is planning, organizing, and allocating time effectively to achieve specific goals or objectives. It typically involves developing priorities, creating a schedule, and manufacturing strategies for achieving tasks efficiently.
So why is time management important for students?
Time management is important for students because it helps them prioritize their tasks, meet deadlines, and balance their academic and personal responsibilities. Effective time management allows even the most average students to make the most of their time, reducing stress and improving their academic performance.
Additionally, good time management skills are essential for success in college and the workforce, as they help individuals become more productive and efficient in completing tasks.
How does homework help students with time management in their schoolwork?
Homework can help students with time management in several ways, some include:
- Prioritization
Homework assignments provide students with a clear list of tasks that need to be completed, which helps them prioritize their time and focus on what is most important.
Homework is typically given with due dates, encouraging students to plan and schedule their time accordingly.
- Accountability
Homework helps students develop a sense of responsibility for their learning and progress. It encourages students to take ownership of their time and use it effectively.
Homework allows students to practice time management skills such as planning, scheduling, and prioritizing. It also offers long-term benefits that will serve them well in college and the workforce.
It is important to note that homework alone is not enough to develop good time management skills; it should be combined with other techniques such as creating a schedule, setting goals, and breaking down large tasks into smaller manageable chunks.
School homework management software: what is it and how does it work?
A critical aspect of homework time management is using various educational software that supports organizational learning. Various types of homework management system or software are available to help students and teachers manage and organize homework assignments. Some popular options include:
- Google Classroom
This free platform allows teachers to assign and collect homework digitally, provide feedback, and communicate with students.
- Show My Homework
This web-based platform allows teachers to create, assign and track homework. It also offers a student calendar, which allows students to view and keep track of their homework assignments.
- My Study Life
This is a cross-platform planner for students, teachers, and lecturers, which helps them to manage their classes, homework, exams, and assignments.
- Microsoft Teams
It’s part of the Microsoft 365 suite, and it allows teachers to assign homework and communicate with students, and also students can collaborate and communicate with their peers for assignments.
- Blackboard Learn
It’s a Learning management system (LMS) that allows teachers to create and manage homework assignments, and grades, and provide feedback to students. This software can help students to stay organized and keep track of their assignments, and also helps teachers to easily manage and monitor student progress, provide feedback, and communicate with students.
Bottom line
Now, if you’re ever asked how does homework help with time management? Time management is an essential skill for students, and it can be particularly helpful when managing homework. You can emphasize how they help create schedules, set goals, establish routines, and take care of students’ physical and mental well-being.
Developing good time management skills improves student performance in school and helps develop a sense of discipline and responsibility that will serve them well in their future endeavors.
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Why Homework Is Good for Students: 20 No-Nonsense Reasons
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Is homework beneficial in education? It has long been a cornerstone, often sparking debates about its value. Some argue it creates unnecessary stress, while others assert it’s essential for reinforcing in-class learning. Why is homework important? The reality is, that homework is vital for students' personal and academic growth. It not only improves their grasp of the material but also develops crucial skills that extend well beyond the classroom. This review explores 20 reasons why homework is good and why it continues to be a key element of effective education.
Enhances Study Habits
Does homework help students learn? Establishing strong study habits is essential for long-term success. Home assignment plays a key role in enhancing these habits through regular practice. Here are reasons why students should have homework:
- Routine Building: Independent work creates a consistent study routine, helping learners form daily study habits. This consistency is crucial for maintaining progress and avoiding last-minute cramming.
- Time Management: Managing home assignments teaches students to balance academic duties with other activities and personal time.
- Self-Discipline: Finishing assignments requires resisting distractions and staying focused, fostering the self-discipline needed for success in and out of college or school.
- Organization: Home task involves tracking preps, deadlines, and materials, improving students' organizational skills.
These points underscore why homework is good for boosting study habits that lead to academic success. Regular home assignments help learners manage time, stay organized, and build the discipline necessary for their studies.
Facilitates Goal Setting
Setting and achieving goals is vital for student success. Homework assists in this by providing possibilities for setting both short-term and long-term academic objectives. Here’s why is homework beneficial for goal-setting:
- Short-Term Objectives: Homework encourages immediate targets, like finishing assignments by deadlines, and helping students stay focused and motivated.
- Long-Term Aspirations: Over time, preps contribute to broader accomplishments, such as mastering a subject or improving grades, providing direction in their studies.
- Motivation: Completing home tasks boosts motivation by demonstrating results from their effort. Achieving targets reinforces the importance of perseverance.
- Planning: Homework teaches essential planning and prioritization skills, helping learners approach tasks systematically.
These aspects demonstrate the reasons why homework is good for setting and achieving educational targets. Regular preps help students establish clear objectives, plan effectively, and stay motivated.
Improves Concentration
Attention is vital for mastering any subject. Homework offers an opportunity to develop this ability. Here’s why homework is important for boosting attention:
- Increased Focus: Regular assignments require sustained attention, improving mental engagement over time, benefiting both academic and non-academic tasks.
- Better Task Management: Homework teaches managing multiple tasks, enhancing the ability to concentrate on each without becoming overwhelmed.
- Mental Endurance: Completing home tasks builds stamina for longer study sessions and challenging tasks, crucial for advanced studies and career success.
- Attention to Detail: Home assignments promote careful attention to detail, requiring students to follow instructions and ensure accuracy.
These elements show ‘why is homework good for students’. Homework aids students in improving their focus, leading to better academic outcomes. Regular practice through homework improves mental engagement.
Reinforces Perseverance
Perseverance is key to success. Homework significantly contributes to teaching this skill. Here are reasons homework is good in supporting the development of perseverance:
- Problem-Solving: Homework challenges students to tackle difficult problems, fostering perseverance as they approach challenges with determination.
- Resilience: Regular homework helps build resilience against academic challenges, developing mental toughness.
- Persistence: Homework encourages persistence, teaching students to complete tasks despite difficulties, which is crucial for long-term goals.
- Confidence: Completing assignments boosts confidence, motivating students to tackle new challenges with determination.
These reasons highlight ‘Why is homework good for fostering perseverance?’ Engaging with home tasks consistently helps students overcome obstacles and achieve their goals.
Final Consideration
To recap, the motivating reasons for homework extend well beyond the classroom. From improving study habits and mental engagement to fostering goal-setting and perseverance, the advantages are clear. Preps equip students with skills necessary for personal and academic growth. What do you think are the top 10 reasons why students should have homework among the ones we listed? Discuss with your peers. To refine your homework or essays, consider using tools like the AI Essay Detector and College Essay Generator to boost your academic performance.
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Prioritization Activities: 10 Tips & Games for School and Home
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Kids who struggle with executive functioning, especially planning and prioritizing, probably could benefit from doing some prioritization activities.
Of course, it’s you- the parent who noticed this need. Your child was probably off trying to find a missing shoe, or getting hyperfocused on Minecraft, or waiting until the last minute to clean their toys before Grandma comes over. Or all at once, because that’s life with executive dysfunction.
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Executive functioning problems come in eight different flavors, but today we’re going to be talking about planning and prioritizing. This is how your brain evaluates information, recognizes sequences, decides what’s most important, and plots out your next moves. Complicated stuff! It shouldn’t be surprising that a child of any age struggles with these functions, never mind one with a diagnosis.
But to help give you some tools and tips, I’ve collected some of the best prioritization activities to do with your child. With some repetition and dedication, you can help them make significant improvements in their ability to plan ahead.
Prioritization Activities that are also Games
Timed races .
This can be a game between different kids or between a kid and a parent. Have each direction (without the number) written on strips of paper individually. Have child order them correctly and then do those actions in order:
- make a container with paper and duct tape
- run across a field/room
- Collect candies/pom poms/lego pieces/whatever
- carry items to starting location
- empty items into master bucket
If they enjoy this one and it helps, you can make up your own versions with different tasks in different orders!
Chess is excellent for learning to plan and prioritize because it involves so much strategy. What’s even better is that there’s a hugely competitive element to this learning activity. There are also clubs, championships, and rankings surrounding chess if your child desires to really get into it. Otherwise, they can simply play against the computer for a fun challenge.
“Following Directions” Drawing Game
This is an activity best done one-on-one between you and your child. Have your kiddo describe to you the proper way to draw a teddy bear, car, or other common item. Be sure to only draw what they tell you to start. For example, if they say “he has big, furry ears,” but haven’t yet asked you to draw the head, explain why you can’t do that. Soon, they’ll learn they need to describe the general shape of things first before getting lost in details.
Geocaching
Geocaching describes itself as “the world’s largest treasure hunt.” It combines running around in nature (which is really good for helping your child focus naturally ) and clues. This can be a very motivational prioritization activity because they get a prize at the end!
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Prioritization Activities for Students
Use a planner. .
Some teachers might call this an agenda notebook, homework organizer, or other term, but they’re all describing the same thing. These help your student understand what’s expected of them and when. Teach them to write down all homework or other to-dos, word for word, on the day they’re assigned. Then, another note on the day things are due to help them see the space in time between now and then. You can even teach them to write short notes the day before things are due to make sure nothing gets forgotten.
Wants vs Needs Lesson
They might want to go out and play kickball for the next three hours, but that’s not what they need. For a kid with executive dysfunction however, it can be hard to tell the difference. Help them out by doing a lesson on wants vs needs. Have a word bank filled with activities, like “be line leader,” “do my homework,” “have lunch,” or “go to recess.” This activity is great for discussion, because some things like “go to recess” could actually be both! Then you naturally get to talk about priorities and when that’s a want or a need.
Rewards
What kid doesn’t like a reward? Sometimes, the anticipation of the reward can really help a kid with ADHD, autism or other executive dysfunction really focus on something they might otherwise not. It can be hard to prioritize important but un-fun activities like classroom chores, homework, or We talked more about rewards in our article on improving impulse control , but .
Write Everything Down
I’m talking about the daily schedule, any agendas, and all notifications on the board every day. If the child can’t quite read yet, add in lots of visuals
Writing everything down serves two purposes: one, it helps you keep on task and moving throughout your day. (Every teacher needs help with that!) But two, it helps your students anticipate what’s coming and plan accordingly. It’s hard to remember to go to a cubby or locker to grab gym shoes if they forget it comes after lunch. Nailing down a routine with visual reminders on the board is an essential prioritization activity. Check out these morning and evening visual routines charts for some visual schedule help.
Prioritization Activities at Home
Talk about your own struggles.
Even adults want to have fun more than work sometimes. But if the children are fed, clothed, housed, and generally taken care of, that means you’ve done the hard work of prioritizing many times! You have a lot of experience in saying no to fun and prioritizing what’s important, so let your child learn from you.
You can teach them this as you go through making a chore to-do list together, planning a vacation to Grandma’s, or even just what the day will look like. When your child hears you verbalizing how you weigh choices, they learn the questions to ask themselves when they weigh their own. Here are some sample questions to think about teaching:
- What’s the most important task today/this week/this trip?
- How many things would we like to do?
- How long will everything take?
- Can any of these things be done another time?
- How much energy do I have today?
Cooking Activities for Prioritization
Cooking or baking together is one of the best prioritization activities because everyone needs to eat (priorities, people!) Get your child to help you plan the meals for a week. They can see how the leftovers from BBQ can become stir fry ingredients, but not vice versa. They also can see how grocery shopping needs to happen on time before anything can get made, too. This is doubly good if you’re worried about your child having good life skills when they get older.
As an added prioritization activity, baking requires precise steps. I mean when you’re actually cooking, everything must be done sequentially. If you feel adventurous, test out a few recipes where you do things out of order and see how the results change. (But maybe have the dog handy to help eat any failed experiments!)
For more reading on this topic:
- Executive Functioning Activities: 50 Skill Builders for Kids
- Impulse Control Activities for Kids (And What WON’T Work)
- 15 Sensory Toys for Executive Dysfunction
- Accommodations for ADHD: 25+ Tips & Recommendations
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Hillary is a former teacher who went rogue and became a freelance writer. When not offering support and advice to homeschooling families, she tends to her own garden, family, and cat. You can connect with her on her website, homegrownhillary.com .
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Successful Teens Know How to Prioritize
Prioritizing skills pay off in school and life success and satisfaction..
Posted June 12, 2023 | Reviewed by Michelle Quirk
- Why Education Is Important
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- The development of prioritizing skills during the school years is critical for time management in the future.
- Homework is a great starting place to build prioritizing strategies.
- Prioritizing involves separating information or material by relevance, value, and time requirements.
Guiding your teens to build their planning and prioritizing skills, pays off big time in their school and life success, satisfaction…and even leisure opportunities.
The development of prioritizing skills during the school years is critical for time management in higher levels of education or employment, when monitoring decreases and routines vary constantly.
What one gets from prioritizing skills
Prioritizing involves managing time effectively to make sure that the appropriate tasks are completed. When kids are successful at prioritizing, they can evaluate goals and allot more or less time to tasks based on difficulty, time demands, and importance of the outcome.
Heighten their motivation and prioritizing skill development efforts by encouraging them to think about things they don’t have enough time for now. What could they enjoy if they efficiently plan and prioritize where to dedicate their time and effort? When teens become skilled at prioritizing, they gain more control of their free time without guilt or pressure about tasks you know they “should” be doing.
Examples of benefits of prioritizing to discuss with kids to boost motivation include these:
- Completing daily homework in less time and increasing its quality
- Turning in papers and projects when due, instead of last-minute scrambling
- Saving time by having all work for reports, projects, and jobs together and in an accessible way
- Not missing appointments, meetings, deadlines, releases of ticket sales, or dates with friends
Setting the stage for their success
Prioritizing demands increase as school years progress and long-term projects and reports become more prevalent. It is also during these years when teens take on more social, athletic , club, and community activities.
Many teens think they are not good at prioritizing and never will be because they have not been successful so far. Build their motivation to put in the effort and try new strategies by helping them recognize successful prioritizing tasks they have already done:
- Selecting choices of which television programs to prerecord
- Choosing items to pack for their school backpack or small bag for a trip
- Picking the most important information to study for a test when they did well
Starting with the power of prioritizing homework
Homework is a great place to build prioritizing strategies. Guide them to consider which tasks are most valuable, challenging, and critical to do. Then, with that awareness, plan the amount of time and the order in which they’ll do the day’s assignments.
Written plans can help—especially when they create them for themselves. Here are examples of how they can create a day’s homework plan:
- List the tasks to be done to complete the assignments for each subject, including any items they need to bring in the next day.
- Rate each task from 1 to 5 to indicate its importance to the outcome or grade.
- Write down how much time they think they’ll need for each task. Take into consideration the rating of importance they designate for each task.
- Use these estimates to write down the predicted start and finish times for each task.
- Set a timer for estimated finish time to stay on track so they don’t overspend time on low-value tasks and run out before doing the high-value ones.
Kids can use a similar table for prioritizing in advance of future long-term projects.
- Include five-minute breaks after about 20 to 30 minutes of focused work time. These planned breaks reduce temptations to interrupt work to respond to texts, check email, or lose efficiency with other distractions.
When kids evaluate their insights about what worked and what they would change, it powers up their brains’ prioritizing skills. Encourage them to go back to the homework plans they prepared and followed for a few days and think about how things went.
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Long-term projects
As teens develop the skill of prioritizing, they’ll be able to evaluate which tasks are the highest priority and break the habit of putting off the ones they like the least, but that count the most.
The goal is for them to prioritize how they’ll divide their time before starting a long-term project or for planning a study schedule for final exams. Help them use calendars or written plans to schedule time allotments based on their evaluation of the importance of that task.
![Antoni Shkraba/Pexels Children's use of cell phones may impair academic success.](https://cdn2.psychologytoday.com/assets/styles/manual_crop_1_1_75x75/public/field_blog_entry_images/2024-08/Kids%20on%20cell%20phones%20-%20Antoni%20Shkraba.jpg?itok=meGu-h2W)
Opportunities can include the following:
- Create a plan for breaking long-term tasks into doable daily steps.
- Make a list of all the parts of an assignment, project, long-term plan, or big goal. Just write down the tasks as they come to mind, and then revise the list in the order in which things should be done.
- Next to each item, write stars to indicate the importance or value of that task to the outcome or grade.
- Write estimates for the time they predict each task will take.
- Know when they do their best work and plan their schedule accordingly. Plan to do “high-value” tasks that are particularly difficult at the times when they feel their brain's power is at its best (for example, first thing after school, or after some exercise, or before others come home and the house is noisy).
Prioritizing the most relevant information
Prioritizing involves determining hierarchies of importance and separating information or material based on relevance, value, and time requirements.
Prioritizing is also used for students to evaluate the value of information they use to effectively solve problems. This type of prioritizing might include determining which information in math word problems is necessary to reach a solution, what is extraneous, and what information is needed to solve the problem. Similarly, in reading, prioritizing involves the ability to recognize main ideas and essential characters and give this information more attention than lower-relevance details.
Prioritizing skills are also critical for kids to separate less-relevant details from the main ideas of a text, analyze essay questions, select what lecture information to include in notes, and decide what material to study for a test. Ask them what strategies they would use for the most efficient use of their time and effort.
Guide them to prioritize relevance on topics of their interest in magazines, newspapers, Web sites, or instructions for games they want to learn. Have them tell you the main ideas they recognize and which facts they feel are consistent with the major topic.
To prioritize information—that is, to emphasize what they need to remember from a lecture or textbook reading or what to study for a test—teens can use the approach of a news reporter. This familiar nursery rhyme will show them how it works:
Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water. Jack fell down and broke his crown And Jill came tumbling after.
- Who? Jack and Jill
- When? Not known
- What? A fall
- Where? A hill
- How? Using pails
- Why? To get water
- What is the important message? When on top of a high place, watch where you step.
Now invite them to use the same system to recognize the most important information to remember from a section of one of their textbooks or literature reading assignments.
Each time teens try this strategy, their brains will become more efficient at recognizing high-priority material.
Reflections about the outcome of their efforts
Teens can use these questions as guides for self-evaluation:
- What did I do that was the best use of my time?
- What improvement did I first notice?
- What did I try that I’d do again?
- What would I do differently next time?
- What other strategy do I think will boost my success?
It increases effort and future motivation when your kids take time to recognize and appreciate the impacts of their efforts. They might first note their greater success in things such as staying on top of assignments, class preparedness, or timely completion of long-term projects. Continue to encourage them to acknowledge their evolving skills and independence in using them. Share with them the recognition of the reduction in family strife, nagging, and frustrations. As your teens improve, give yourself a pat on the back for your efforts that supported their successes.
Judy Willis. Unlock Teen Brainpower . Rowman & Littlefield. November 2019.
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Judy Willis , M.D., is a board-certified neurologist and middle school teacher, specializing in classroom strategies derived from brain research.
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Concrete Ways To Help Students Self-Regulate And Prioritize Work
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There are a lot of skills necessary to succeed in school that aren't directly about mastering content, including the ability to recognize, name and control ones emotions. The school day often comes with lots of emotion, everything from elation to frustration, which makes it the perfect place to practice self-regulation.
"One of the most authentic ways for me to help them expand their own vocabulary is to use my personal experience with my own emotions in the classroom," said Lindsey Minder, a second grade teacher. She regularly models describing how she's feeling and why throughout the school day, as well as demonstrating simple practices like taking a deep breath to calm down.
"One of the critical features of learning is modeling," said Linda Darling-Hammond, president and CEO of the Learning Policy Institute in an Edutopia series on the science of learning. "We learn by watching others. In this classroom, we see the teacher modeling her recognition of her emotions and also modeling how she deals with them in productive ways. And that is the first step in helping children learn to manage their own emotions."
This type of modeling also helps students recognize that their teachers are people too, and that like students, they get frustrated when no one listens or follows directions. It builds empathy to know that all humans experience a range of emotions across a day and each person is doing their best to manage them productively.
Students must also learn and practice how to prioritize and tackle tasks for academic and life success. Executive function often develops in middle school when the skills become even more important as students juggle work from multiple classes with many deadlines. Learning how to prioritize work not only makes it feel more manageable, it also helps students use work time efficiently.
"Mark Twain said if you wake up every morning and eat a frog, everything else will taste great," said eighth grade teacher Catherine Paul. "So, I taught them to take their frog from the list, which is the thing they want to do the least, and get it out of the way, because everything else will seem easy."
Paul guides her students through the process of creating a priority list together so they have a tool to do it on their own later.
"Then you can know what to do first and categorize it and get it done efficiently," said Arius, an eighth grader.
By: Cathy Vatterott, Lee Jenkins, and Larry Sandomir
To assign homework or not to assign homework? To grade homework or not to grade homework? Educators, parents, students—they all have an opinion. So, what is the value of homework and should it be graded?
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Giving Feedback
Cathy Vatterott
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When you ask teachers about the value of homework, they often say it teaches responsibility—to complete the task you’ve been given and return it on time. That may encourage obedience and responsibility for working, but the more important purpose is to encourage students to take responsibility for learning. When properly designed, homework encourages students to self-evaluate and reflect on their learning. “What do I know and how well do I know it? What am I confused about?”
For the teacher, whether homework is for practice, to check for understanding, or for application, homework is feedback about learning. Homework allows teachers to assess student understanding, diagnose problems, and prescribe remedies. Homework creates a private conversation between the student and the teacher. But students will only have that conversation if there is no shame or penalty for not understanding. “I didn’t do it—it was a stupid assignment” often means “I couldn’t do it—it made me feel stupid.” Struggling students would gladly take the zero. Then the question becomes: “Why grade homework?”
The most common reply is “If I don’t grade it, they won’t do it.” But teachers can wean students off their addiction to points. The other common reply is “Homework grades help poor test takers.” But a passing grade is no gift to a student who goes on to advanced classes without mastering prerequisite skills. A better solution is to rethink the test and create alternatives.
The current consensus is that homework is formative assessment that informs the summative assessments. Does it “count”? Yes, because it helps you pass the assessment. Should homework be graded? No. Should homework receive feedback? Absolutely!
Teachers who don’t grade homework still monitor completion of assignments and communicate with parents about missing work. They just don’t count it as part of the student’s grade.
Coaches don’t keep score during practice, but they do give lots of individualized feedback and they do require their athletes to practice.
Cathy Vatterott is professor of education at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. [email protected] www.homeworklady.com
Removing Pressure
Lee Jenkins
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First, the premises:
- Homework is a method; it is not a subject.
- No method works on 100% of the students.
- Homework is good for some students, but not all.
- The issue is not whether you complete your homework, but whether you learn the content.
- Homework refers to daily assignments, not to long-term projects.
Next, the problems:
- Teachers say that most homework in secondary schools
- Teachers often do not have adequate time to prepare lesson plans because they are grading homework.
- Almost all classrooms have students who score an “A” on exams and are given a lower grade because they did not use the preferred method (homework) to learn the content.
Now the possibility:
- Assign homework.
- Do not collect it.
- Give a 2–5 item homework quiz, selecting some of the problems verbatim from the homework. Roll dice to see which questions to use.
- Grade the homework quiz.
Pressure removed. This simple possibility, which John MacDonald of Mayo High School in Rochester, Minnesota, shared with me, has greatly reduced the pressure for grading homework and the pressure for doing it in many classrooms across the United States. The homework quiz measures what is in the students’ heads and not what they copied or was completed by their parents. The quiz can be graded quickly, relieving the pressure on teachers for so much paperwork.
Almost all kindergarten students love school. After kindergarten, fewer and fewer students love school until we reach the low point of 39% in grade 9.
Our job as educators is not to motivate students; they come already motivated. Our job is to find out why two-thirds of the students don’t want to be there anymore and stop trying. Traditional homework practice is one of the major contributors of dislike or even disdain for school. How do we expect to have high standards and high success rates when two-thirds of the students have lost their kindergarten level of motivation?
Lee Jenkins, education consultant, is author of Permission to Forget: And Nine Other Root Causes of America’s Frustration with Education [email protected] www.lbellj.com
Making Meaning
Larry Sandomir
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There are many reasonable arguments against homework: Students are in school long enough. They need time to explore different parts of their lives after school. They need to rest, relax, and socialize. They need time to just be ridiculous and do things kids do when they can control their own time, just for a little while. Homework is often an exercise in repetition and boredom.
All true. So why give it?
For me, the question is not whether to give homework, but rather what kind, why, and when. Homework matters if it deepens and expands a student’s understanding of and appreciation for a particular subject. It matters if it helps a student better balance his or her life in terms of time management and sense of proportion. It matters if it gives a student an understanding of how to set priorities. It matters if, despite the challenge of time, it means something to the person doing it.
In my progressive environment, homework helps give students ownership of the material and allows them to personalize it. It asks them to apply the concepts to other parts of their lives. They make the meaning rather than answer teacher-directed questions. The homework sometimes is generated spontaneously from what’s happening in a given class. The class sparks an idea that’s worth considering, and the students give it shape while the teacher provides the foundation.
If I want my students to love words and their power, what I ask them to do must engage and invest them. There must be a purpose they can see. They should want to discuss what they are doing with their parents because it makes them think, wonder, get excited, or even struggle.
There must be flexible due dates. The fastest work is not the best work and students are more motivated to do well if they believe the teacher is sensitive to their outside lives or that to do their best, they might need an extra few days. Then students don’t mind evaluation.
I try to create a learning process rather than unnecessary learning tension.
Larry Sandomir is a middle school teacher at The Calhoun School in New York City. [email protected]
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How to... set successful homework
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Homework is so often feared and loathed that we are constantly rebranding it. “Home learning”, “extended learning”, “independent study”…take your pick.
But our issue with homework stems from an unspoken truth: a lot of the time we just aren’t very good at setting it.
With teachers straining under the weight of a five-period day, homework is too often an afterthought; an irritating byproduct of an awkward school policy that we struggle to wrangle into something useful.
Still, let’s not write off the untapped potential of homework just yet. Instead, let’s draw from the well of best evidence and start setting homework with something like success.
- Consolidate and review, don’t tackle anything new We often expect our students to learn with varying degrees of independence, but perhaps ironically, homework isn’t the time to start learning something new. We should save new learning for our classroom and instead use homework to provide the time for consolidation and practice of material we have already taught.
- The best-planned homework often goes awry Children (come to think of it, all of us) have lazy brains. As a consequence, they hate to plan, and when they do, they do it badly. They think they’ll do homework quicker and with more ease than they ever will in reality - and homework quality falls as a result. With these flaws in mind, walk through each step of students’ likely planning when you are setting homework. Give them timings and explicit steps to get it done successfully.
- Don’t ‘give homework over to Google’ You’ve heard the claim “why do you need a teacher when you have Google?” Our students might be the spawn of Snapchat, but if you leave them researching unattended, they will get lost down the bottom of the Google garden. Procrastination and poor search skills will reign, with dubious sources and illiterate online essays besmirching their homework like coffee stains. If the homework requires tech research, this needs to be tightly structured. Give students specific sources; otherwise learning gains will be slashed by criminal cut-and-paste attempts.
- Help students to strategise when stuck There is a Goldilocks principle for homework: not too easy, but not too hard. It needs to be tough enough to sometimes trip them up, but we need to plan with that in mind. With every piece of homework you set, supply your students with three potential strategies to use if they get stuck.
- Avoid the homework afterthought Setting homework at the end of the lesson often means we’re squeezed for time, so that all the aforementioned principles go up in smoke. Instead, set homework at the start of the lesson so that students understand its importance, or at a planned-for moment that gives you the time to handle it with care.
Alex Quigley is an English teacher and director of the research school at Huntington School in York. He is the author of The Confident Teacher .
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How does homework help students with time management?
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Introduction to Time Management Skills
Homework has long been a staple of the education system, serving as a bridge between classroom learning and independent study. One crucial, albeit sometimes overlooked, benefit of homework is its potential to help students develop effective time management skills. In today's fast-paced world, the ability to manage one's time efficiently is invaluable, and homework can play a pivotal role in fostering this essential life skill.
Setting Priorities
One of the first steps in effective time management is learning how to set priorities. Homework assignments vary in complexity and urgency, requiring students to assess which tasks need immediate attention and which can be deferred. This prioritization teaches students to differentiate between high-priority and low-priority tasks, an ability that extends beyond academics into everyday life and future careers.
Creating Schedules
Homework encourages students to create schedules and timelines. By allocating specific time slots for different subjects and assignments, students learn to break down their workload into manageable chunks. This practice not only makes large tasks seem less daunting but also helps students avoid the pitfalls of procrastination. Tools like planners, calendars, and digital apps can assist in this process, allowing students to visualize and organize their time effectively.
Developing Discipline
The regularity of homework assignments fosters a sense of discipline. Consistently dedicating time to homework helps students develop a routine, which is a cornerstone of effective time management. Over time, this routine becomes second nature, ingraining disciplined work habits that are beneficial in both academic and professional settings.
Enhancing Focus and Concentration
Effective time management is closely linked to the ability to focus and concentrate. Homework provides a structured environment for students to practice these skills. By setting aside dedicated time for homework, students learn to minimize distractions and concentrate on the task at hand. This focused approach not only makes homework more efficient but also enhances overall productivity.
Understanding Deadlines and Accountability
Homework assignments come with deadlines, teaching students the importance of time constraints. Meeting these deadlines requires students to plan their time wisely and stay on track. This understanding of accountability and responsibility is crucial for success in both academic and professional contexts. The ability to meet deadlines consistently is a skill highly valued by employers and can significantly impact a student's future career prospects.
Balancing Multiple Responsibilities
Students often juggle multiple responsibilities, including extracurricular activities, part-time jobs, and family commitments. Homework teaches students how to balance these various demands effectively. By managing their time to accommodate different responsibilities, students learn to navigate complex schedules and develop a holistic approach to time management. This multifaceted skill is essential for maintaining a healthy work-life balance in adulthood.
Improving Long-Term Planning
Homework assignments often require long-term planning, especially for projects or research papers. These tasks teach students to think ahead and plan for the future. By breaking down long-term assignments into smaller, manageable steps, students develop the ability to create and follow through with long-term plans. This skill is invaluable in both academic and professional settings, where long-term projects are common.
Using Time Management Tools
Homework provides an opportunity for students to explore and utilize various time management tools. Planners, calendars, and digital apps can help students organize their schedules and stay on top of their assignments. Familiarity with these tools enhances a student's ability to manage their time effectively and efficiently.
Building Resilience Through Time Management
Learning to manage time effectively can also build resilience. Students who develop strong time management skills are better equipped to handle stress and pressure. They learn to adapt to changing circumstances and to persevere through challenges. This resilience is a valuable asset in both academic and professional settings, where the ability to manage stress and adapt to change is essential for success.
Case Study: High School Students
Consider a high school student with multiple classes, each assigning homework regularly. This student must decide which assignments to tackle first, often prioritizing based on due dates and difficulty levels. By creating a schedule, the student allocates time for each task, ensuring that all assignments are completed on time. Over time, this practice becomes routine, ingraining disciplined work habits and enhancing the student’s ability to manage their time effectively.
Parental and Educator Support
Parents and educators play a crucial role in helping students develop time management skills through homework. By providing guidance and support, they can help students create effective schedules, set priorities, and develop disciplined work habits. Encouraging students to reflect on their time management practices and make adjustments as needed can further enhance their ability to manage their time effectively.
Challenges and Solutions
While homework can help students develop time management skills, it is not without its challenges. Students may struggle with procrastination, distractions, or unrealistic workloads. To overcome these challenges, students can employ strategies such as setting specific goals, creating a conducive study environment, and seeking support from teachers and parents. By addressing these challenges, students can maximize the benefits of homework and develop strong time management skills.
Reflection and Self-Assessment
An often overlooked aspect of time management is the importance of reflection and self-assessment. Homework provides students with regular opportunities to reflect on their time management practices. By evaluating what worked well and what didn't, students can make adjustments and continuously improve their time management skills. This reflective practice is essential for personal growth and development.
The journey of mastering time management through homework is like a winding path through a dense forest. Each assignment is a step forward, sometimes challenging, sometimes straightforward, but always moving towards a clearer understanding of how to navigate time. With each step, students gain insights and skills that shape their ability to manage time effectively, preparing them for the many trails they will encounter in life.
Related Questions
Homework has long been a cornerstone of educational systems worldwide. Primarily, it serves as a tool to reinforce what students learn in the classroom. However, its benefits extend far beyond simple reinforcement. One of the most significant advantages of homework is its ability to help students develop independent work habits. This article delves into the multifaceted ways through which homework fosters independent learning, providing an in-depth look at both common and rarely discussed aspects.
Ask Hotbot: How does homework help students work independently?
In the digital age, students have access to a plethora of applications designed to simplify their academic lives. These apps offer everything from detailed explanations of complex topics to organizational tools that help manage time effectively. The range of functionalities varies widely, catering to different subjects, learning styles, and academic levels.
Ask Hotbot: What app can help me with my homework?
Homework, a staple in educational systems worldwide, serves multiple purposes beyond just filling students' evenings. Its role is multifaceted, aiming to reinforce classroom learning, foster independent study habits, and promote a deeper understanding of subjects. While opinions on homework's efficacy vary, its potential benefits are numerous and substantial when well-implemented.
Ask Hotbot: What does homework help with?
Homework has been a cornerstone of the educational system for centuries, serving as a bridge between classroom learning and independent study. It offers numerous benefits that can significantly contribute to a student's academic success and personal growth. Understanding the multifaceted advantages of homework can help educators, parents, and students appreciate its value and implement it effectively.
Ask Hotbot: How can homework help students?
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The Toronto District School Board offers a simple guideline to help determine how much homework is appropriate at each grade level. Following the guideline of 10 minutes per grade level, each grade should have this amount of homework: 30 minutes in Grade 3. 40 minutes in Grade 4. 50 minutes in Grade 5.
Use homework as a tool for communication. Use homework as a vehicle to foster family-school communication. Families can use homework as an opportunity to open conversations about specific assignments or classes, peer relationships, or even sleep quality that may be impacting student success. For younger students, using a daily or weekly home ...
Rely on a Planning System and To-Do Lists. Next, you need to create a homework schedule and a to-do list. Some people create three different lists — a daily to-do list with priority items marked, a calendar with a list of tasks and assignments with hour-by-hour listings, and an overall list of big projects and tasks. Good study habits rely on ...
Organize your list by putting assignments in order of the earliest due date (at the top) to the furthest due date (at the bottom of the list). b. Put all overdue assignments in another list on the same sheet of paper. c. Highlight or star all the assignments due the earliest (most likely tomorrow) 3.
The education of young children is a priority for some households, while others place little to no value on their children's education. ome parents refuse to help their kids with schoolwork, claiming that the school is to fault. ... Homework teaches students how to set priorities. Second, homework helps teachers determine how well their ...
Then provide students with a range of times. If you believe an assignment should take 15-25 minutes, let them know. The benefit of this is that it allows students to plan better. They can situate homework in the context of their entire day. A student may get home from school at 3:30 and has soccer practice at 5pm.
Here are seven top tips that will help you get started. 1. Establish a firm routine. Homework shouldn't be sporadic or random. Instead, your pupils should quickly learn that it's part of their routine. This means that you should set it with some sort of consistency and work to establish a pattern.
For instance, let's say a student has to prioritize the following six tasks: Study for an exam at the end of the week. Complete algebra homework for tomorrow. Research a major science project due in two months. Complete household chores. Go swimming with friends. Attend a family gathering over the weekend.
There are many types of home assignments that a student cannot complete in one day, like creating a research paper, for example. If you learn to manage your time properly and deal with such assignments in time, it'll greatly help you in the adult life. It's full of long-term planning. Time Management Tips: How to Do Your Home Tasks Faster
Homework is typically given with due dates, encouraging students to plan and schedule their time accordingly. Homework helps students develop a sense of responsibility for their learning and progress. It encourages students to take ownership of their time and use it effectively. Homework allows students to practice time management skills such ...
These elements show 'why is homework good for students'. Homework aids students in improving their focus, leading to better academic outcomes. Regular practice through homework improves mental engagement. Reinforces Perseverance. Perseverance is key to success. Homework significantly contributes to teaching this skill.
Revisit goals and set new ones. At the start of each homework session, establish goals for completion of your child's tasks or assignments. Revisit the goals at the end of the session and acknowledge a sense of completion. This goal-setting process builds confidence over time and helps your child realize their potential even when faced with ...
Prioritization Activities for Students Use a Planner. Some teachers might call this an agenda notebook, homework organizer, or other term, but they're all describing the same thing. ... Teach them to write down all homework or other to-dos, word for word, on the day they're assigned. Then, another note on the day things are due to help them ...
When kids are successful at prioritizing, they can evaluate goals and allot more or less time to tasks based on difficulty, time demands, and importance of the outcome. Heighten their motivation ...
Paul guides her students through the process of creating a priority list together so they have a tool to do it on their own later. "Then you can know what to do first and categorize it and get it done efficiently," said Arius, an eighth grader. When teachers model self-regulation and executive function skills throughout the school day to helps ...
Lee Jenkins. First, the premises: Homework is a method; it is not a subject. No method works on 100% of the students. Homework is good for some students, but not all. The issue is not whether you complete your homework, but whether you learn the content. Homework refers to daily assignments, not to long-term projects.
Avoid the homework afterthought. Setting homework at the end of the lesson often means we're squeezed for time, so that all the aforementioned principles go up in smoke. Instead, set homework at the start of the lesson so that students understand its importance, or at a planned-for moment that gives you the time to handle it with care.
Homework teaches students how to balance these various demands effectively. By managing their time to accommodate different responsibilities, students learn to navigate complex schedules and develop a holistic approach to time management. This multifaceted skill is essential for maintaining a healthy work-life balance in adulthood.
2. Students learn how to prioritize their tasks. Explain to students that they are now going to prioritize their tasks. Say, "Let's imagine you have three things you have to do: go to a party, do your homework, and do some chores around the house.". Ask students to suggest ways that they would prioritize the tasks.
It's a fact that most priorities are set by teachers. Whether it's academic achievement, homework assignments or classroom management, setting students' priorities is a teacher priority. With regard to student motivation, when you as a teacher set priorities, you automatically establish values and standards which can increase the value of some ...
D. Start the episode, but only catch bits and pieces of it because you're reading Twitter, cleaning out your backpack, and eating a snack at the same time. 5. Your teacher asks you to stay after class because you've missed turning in two homework assignments in a row. When she asks you what's wrong, you say: A.
8. Practice Makes Perfect. Homework isn't a chore; it's your backstage pass to perfection. It's like the endless rehearsals of a musician or the tireless drills of an athlete. Homework is your playground for practice, where you can fine-tune your skills, ensuring you become a true master in various subjects.
Students take ownership. When students set their own goals, they own their goals and their learning. This sense of control and autonomy has many benefits, including increased self-confidence. Students continuously improve through formative assessment. Goal setting works hand-in-hand with formative assessment.
"I think it's really important to have a routine established, whether it's chores, homework, family, bonding, time, whatever the case may be, we need to schedule homework just like we schedule our ...
List down your tasks and activities, allocate time and start with the essential tasks. Make a habit of finishing a task within the time allotted. You will find that you get to accomplish a lot in ...