The obvious aim of assigning homework is to get your child to practice and strengthen academic skills. By devoting the proper time to homework, your child stands a much better chance of making good grades.

But homework has other important values. Homework can and should be a character-building experience. Handled properly by teachers and parents, homework helps a child develop emotional and behavioral skills needed in the adult world.

What Is Homework?

Homework is defined as out-of-class tasks assigned to students as an extension or elaboration of classroom work. There are three types of homework: practice, preparation, and extension.
Practice assignments reinforce newly acquired skills. For example, students who have just learned a new method of solving a mathematical problem should be given sample problems to complete on their own. Preparation assignments help students get ready for activities that will occur in the classroom. Students may, for example, be required to do background research on a topic to be discussed later in class. Extension assignments are frequently long-term continuing projects that parallel classwork. Students must apply previous learning to complete these assignments, which include science fair projects and term papers.

The Basics
Why Do Teachers Assign Homework?

Teachers assign homework for many reasons. Homework can help children

• review and practice what they've learned;
• get ready for the next day's class;
• learn to use resources, such as libraries, reference materials, and encyclopedias; and
• explore subjects more fully than time permits in the classroom.

Homework can also help children develop good habits and attitudes.
It can

• teach children to work independently;
• encourage self-discipline and responsibility (assignments provide some youngsters with their first chance to manage time and meet deadlines); and
• encourage a love of learning.

• Homework can also bring parents and educators closer together. Parents who supervise homework and work with their children on assignments learn about their children's education and about the school.
  Homework is meant to be a positive experience and to encourage children to learn. Assignments should not be used as punishment.

Why Is Homework Important?

Research in the last decade has begun to focus on the relationship between homework and student achievement and has greatly strengthened the case for homework. Although there are mixed findings about whether homework actually increases students' academic achievement, many teachers and parents agree that homework develops students' initiative and responsibility and fulfills the expectations of students, parents, and the public. Studies generally have found homework assignments to be most helpful if they are carefully planned by the teachers and have direct meaning to students.

How Can Parents Get Involved?

• Share any concerns you may have regarding the amount or type homework assigned with your child's teacher or principal.
• Encourage your child to take notes concerning homework assignments in case questions arise later at home.
• Provide a suitable study area and the necessary tools (for example, paper and books) to complete the homework assignments.
• Limit after-school activities to allow time for both homework and family activities.
• Monitor television viewing and establish a specific homework time.
  
• Plan a homework schedule with your child. Allow for free time when assignments are completed.
  
• Praise your child's efforts. If questions arise about the assignments, and your child asks for help, ask him or her questions or work through an example rather than simply providing the answer.
  
• Younger children need more parental assistance with homework than older children. Go over homework assignments with your child. Do several problems or questions together, then observe your child doing the next one or two.
  
• If your child is in elementary school, check completed assignments. At all levels, ask to look at homework once it has been marked and returned.
  
• Ask your child's teachers about their homework policy and specific assignments.
  
     How can you help?

  1. By showing an interest you are communicating the fact that school work is important and needs to be taken seriously.

  2. Encourage children to complete homework to the best of their ability.

  3. Urge children to watch less television and spend more time studying and reading.

  More Practical Ways to Help   1. Provide a quiet environment Provide a quiet, well lit study area. Avoid distractions such as the television and loud music. Encourage other family members to be quiet, especially youngsters. 2. Have a Regular Homework Routine Obviously household routines differ. Late at night is rarely a good time to study, as children are tired. You may need to be flexible if your child attends outside activities. Try to get a balance, but homework is a priority. If it is being rushed then consider reducing after school commitments or television viewing. Having a routine helps to avoid excuses such as "I'll do it after this programme" or "I forgot." It is important that a child learns to take responsibility rather than having to rely on reminders. Also do not expect your child to work on an empty stomach. No-one works well when they are hungry. 3. Praise Effort and Achievement It is vital to praise a child for his or her efforts and achievements. Positive comments are more effective than critical ones. A child can become disaffected if continually reminded of shortcomings. Building self-esteem is very important if a child is to try with school work. 4. Show an Interest Make time to talk about school in daily conversations. Take your child to the library if he or she needs to access reference materials such as books and CD-Roms. Librarians can also guide your child where to look for information. You can give your child a good start if you read with your child and discuss current reading books, at least up to the age of eleven. 5. Provide Equipment Ensure your child has basic equipment such as pens, pencils, a ruler, erasers, a dictionary and writing paper. Other useful items could include paper clips, a calculator, scissors, glue, a thesauras and sticky tape. These should be kept together. Homework bags are a good idea because books can be carried to and from school safely. Personal computers are not vital to successful home study, they obviously have great benefits in terms of being able to access information quickly from CD Roms or Internet. 6. Set a Good Example Children's attitudes to homework are mainly influenced by their parents' guidance and examples. They are more likely to want to study if they see you reading and writing. Remember that educational visits can also support learning. 7. Monitor Homework Obviously how closely children need to be monitored is dependent on several factors: the age of the child how able your child is academically how independently your child is able to work It is a good idea to check homework over. It is important to remember that the homework is not yours, but your child's. If you do the assignments you are not helping him or her to become an independent learner. Discuss with your child's teacher what support is expected from you.

  The Benefits    Homework's Hidden Values
  Parents who take an interest in their children's homework have a better knowledge of their education. Additionally, children who are able to complete assignments successfully are likely to develop a good working attitude. Students may not always view homework as a pleasant experience, but if the assignment serves a good purpose and parents reinforce the completion of the tasks, students will benefit by gaining higher grades, better study habits, and a more positive attitude toward school and learning. Homework assignments give parents insight into the school curriculum and offer a greater opportunity for student learning to occur.
  1. Responsibility: Homework is the child's responsibility. If you get too involved, you set the process on its head.
  2. Independence: Because it's the first time someone other than a parent assigns frequent tasks to the child, homework breaks new ground. How this golden opportunity is managed will either enhance or obstruct your child's progress toward self-direction.
  3. Perseverance: There's no point to a child's doing homework if every time the child becomes frustrated, you step right in and make it all better. It's OK to let your child struggle a bit with a problem.
  4. Time management: Children need to be told when to finish their homework, not when to start it. That way, instead of learning to waste time, the child learns to manage it.
  5. Initiative: Like a muscle, the ability to be a self-starter strengthens with exercise. That's why it's essential that the child decide when it's time to begin each homework assignment.
  6. Self-reliance: Homework can affirm a child's feeling of competency. Mismanaged, it deflates that feeling. Unfortunately, there is no in-between.
  7. Resourcefulness: The ability to be inventive in the face of problems is the very stuff of being human. Homework provides a wonderful setting for your child to practice such cleverness.

  Does Homework Help Children Learn?

  Homework helps your child do better in school when assignments are meaningful, are completed successfully, and are returned with constructive comments from the teacher. An assignment should have a specific purpose, come with clear instructions, be fairly well matched to a student's abilities, and designed to help develop a student's knowledge and skills.
  In the early elementary grades, homework can help children develop the habits and attitudes described earlier. From fourth through sixth grades, small amounts of homework, gradually increased each year, may support improved academic achievement. In seventh grade and beyond, students who complete more homework score better on standardized tests and earn better grades, on the average, than students who do less homework. The difference in test scores and grades between students who do more homework and those who do less increases as children move up through the grades.

  What Do Studies Say About Homework?

  Studies in Britain have shown that children who are supported by their families with homework are likely to perform significantly better in academic examinations at 16 years old and beyond than those who do not. If we want our children to be successful in school, family involvement is important.