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First Things First: Determine the Purpose of Your HW Assignments
There are a number of reasons to assign HW: because your school district requires it; to provide skill reinforcement at home; to show parents what kids are practicing in school and enable them to support learning at home; to refresh concepts learned earlier in the year; or to prepare students for an upcoming test. The one reason for assigning HW that I feel is ineffective is to teach skills you didn't have time to cover in class. HW should be a time for reinforcement of skills already learned and students should be able to complete assignments independently. Sending home work that students cannot do will result in frustration and reinforces incorrect practices and misconceptions. The reason(s) you give HW will influence the ways you answer the questions below regarding how much you give, what type, whether you grade it, etc., so it is critical that you answer this question before going any further: Why are YOU assigning homework?
Choices to Make About Your HW System
There are endless ways to manage an effective homework program, and I can't begin to describe them all here. What I'll do instead is pose several questions you'll need to ask yourself when designing your homework program. I'll list them for you here first, and then go through each question one by one to give you some ideas and suggestions for determining what's best for your class. There really are NO RIGHT OR WRONG answers to these questions: it's about what's developmentally appropriate for the age group you teach, and what fits the needs of your particular class. My homework system changes each year to reflect the age, personality, socio-economic status and home environment of my students so that my assignments are relevant to the kids and manageable for their families. You can read in detail about different systems I have used over the years on the Homework Assignments page.
1) How often will you assign and collect HW?
2) How long should it take your students to complete their HW?
3) What type of assignments will you give?
4) How will you communicate assignments to kids?
5) How will you collect HW?
6) How will you check and/or grade HW?
7) What policies will you have for late, incomplete, and make-up work?
8) What consequences/ rewards will you tie into your HW program?
1) How often will you assign and collect HW?
Most elementary teachers give HW daily, but there's no hard and fast rule about this unless your district requires something specific.
You can also do weekly HW packets. I dislike this concept in theory because I believe HW should be DAILY reinforcement, not a 4 hour marathon the night before HW is due, which is what usually happens. However, on a practical level, it seems to be the best solution for a lot of families. It works well for students who come from upper-class backgrounds and are run ragged with soccer and piano and ballet practice every night, as well as for students from lower-class families who have a lot of home responsibilities while their parents work.
I used weekly packets for several years, emphasizing to the parents and kids that HW should be done over the course of the week, and then leaving it up to them. I assigned new homework packets and collected the old ones on Fridays. This meant students had an entire week to do their HW (Friday to Friday) and could get a head start on it over the weekend, or wait until the following week to begin. To create the packets, I had my kids gather all the worksheet or workbook pages for the week as well as blank paper for spelling, etc. and put all the papers in the same order they were listed on the HW assignment poster. When I checked the previous week's HW to see if it was done, I also checked the new packet to make sure it was copied word-for-word, everything was spelled correctly, and the papers were in the right order. If the child had everything ready, I stapled it and initialed the corner so the parent would know that the child had copied the assignments correctly. The stapling procedure is what really held the kids accountable, though- they couldn't have a real packet, just a pile of loose papers, until they had written the right assignments. This was wonderful when I checked HW because everything was in order and I could easily tell if something was missing. Also, I didn't have to make any photocopies. Not having to collect homework during the rest of the week saved me a tremendous amount of time.
In addition to regular HW, I also give Home Learning Projects (HLPs). Depending on the particular class I have, I assign HLPs every month, bi-monthly, or quarterly. In 2005-2006, I assigned them on a bi-monthly basis. The HLPs are projects for students to enjoy completing with their families and allow for much more creativity than typical homework assignments. They also prepare students for the research projects and long-term assignments that are frequently given beginning in the fourth grade and provide practice in time management. Students are given a choice of 2-3 topics to research and present to the class in a format of their choosing: posters, dioramas, crafts, songs, poems, and booklets are very popular. Oral language, speaking, and listening skills are practiced and assessed during the presentations. HLPs are designed so that students can be successful with minimal parental involvement, but most families enjoy getting involved and often attend the student presentations, which are always fun and educational for the class. The first HLP is assigned during the second week of school (we our year begins very early in August) and is due at the end of September- for all other HLPs, two full months are given for students to work (Aug/Sept, Oct/Nov, Dec/Jan, Feb/Mar, Apr/May). Information on HLPs and the project checklists are located in the children’s BEE Book in the HLP section. (BEE Books are explained in BEE Books page). Click here to see my September 2003 third grade HLP example, or here for two examples of student projects.
2) How long should it take your students to complete their HW?
This is different from asking how much HW to give: 'how long' refers to your determination about what is developmentally appropriate for your students. You may need to modify assignments for some students to make them more or less challenging, but overall, should your kids spend 20 minutes on HW? 30 minutes? An hour? Your district will most likley have a policy on this. Generally, child development experts recommend 10 minutes for each grade level (1st grade= 10 minutes, 2nd grade= 20 minutes, etc.). Many teachers assign self-selected independent reading and require that on top of the regular HW- when I gave daily HW, my kids spent 30 minutes a night on written work and then read for 30 minutes, for a total of an hour.
A word of warning: no matter how much HW I give, I ALWAYS have at least one parent who complains that it's too much, and at least one parent who complains that it's not enough. Usually there are more of the former than the latter, but this happens every year. You can't please them all. The best way to handle this, in my experience, is to determine with your grade level team how much HW to give and be relatively consistent with one another. Parents and kids do talk to one another in their neighborhoods and it's not uncommon for a parent to approach a teacher and say, "How come you give 2 pages of math and Mrs. __ only gives 1 page? Why does Mrs. ___ give special projects and you don't?". It's not neccesary for the whole team to give the same assignments (although that's helpful), but it works in your favor if there is not a huge discrepancy between what your students do and what other students in your grade level do for HW. If particular parents want extra homework for their children, tell them you would be happy to suggest supplementary activities. I try to emphasize that the best thing parents can do is to read with their child and provide time on the computer to utilize specific sites I recommend. The kids do enough paper and pencil tasks in class and as part of regular homework- bombarding them with worksheets doesn't tend to improve the situation.
I also send home parent surveys a month after school starts to find out how long it's taking the children to do their HW and whether the parents think their children are getting too much, not enough, or the right amount. If a parent indicates there is a problem, I call them and we discuss ways to make the work more or less challenging. When I first started teaching, I felt that I should make the rules the same for everyone, but it's been my experience that the more flexible you are with parents in areas that matter to them, the more flexible they will be in the areas that matter to you. I have modified HW if the parent thought it was too much. In one situation, I allowed the parents to read to the child before bedtime for reading HW (instead of self-selected, independent reading)- the child recorded the information the same way on the reading calendar and no one knew the difference, but it made that family's busy schedule a little less hectic. In another situation, a child really struggled with math and took three times as long to complete the work as the rest of the kids. I began circling select problems for the child to complete, or assigning just the odd problems, and the child did the others if there was time. Some teachers disagree with this practice, saying if you give parents an inch, they'll take a mile, and you should be firm and consistent in your policies. For me, I have found that very few parents/children have required this kind of accomodation, and the support I received from them in other areas because of my flexibility was well worth it. My goal is equity, not equality, and that means trying to give each child what s/he needs.
3) What type of assignments will you give?
Will you give the same HW every night? Or maybe every Monday you'll give the same assignment, every Tuesday the same assignment, etc. Maybe kids will have choices in the types of assignments they choose, or you'll alternate different subject area practice. Perhaps you don't want a set format so you can assign whatever the kids need that day. You might even differentiate HW based on students' needs.
If you want to give your kids pre-printed HW instructions, here's an example of one of my HW sheets with the assignments already filled in and another example in the same format. I used these with my second graders.
My homework assignment sheet from 2003-2004 is perfect if you assign different HW every night or don't assign HW at all in certain subjects: this form does not have seperate sections for different subject areas.
My homework assignment sheet from 2002-2003 has a great format if you assign homework by subject in a traditional HW program. Thanks to whoever originally created it- I 'inherited' it from a veteran teacher at my old school who had found it years ago.
Students may have agenda books or day planners they can copy their assignments into- these are usually organized by subject.
If you're doing weekly packets, you can have instructions already typed or written up and photocopies, or have kids copy the assignments on regular notebook paper.
For ideas on types of assignments to give, see the HW Assignments page.
4) How will you communicate assignments to kids?
I have tried several effective ways of presenting homework assignments:
a) Provide students with a copy of the assignments. This saves time and ensures everyone has the correct information. I recommend it for grades K-2, when copying assignments is very difficult.
b) Have a homework assignment form: write the assignments on a transparency copy of the form, place it on the overhead, and have students copy it onto their own blank form. This requires only blank copies of the HW sheet, allows you to change/add to HW assignments as needed throughout the week, and doesn't take up any space on your chalkboard/whiteboard. When students are absent, it's easy for them to see what they missed when they look at the transparency.
c) Write assignments on a designated spot on your board. This works well because unlike transparencies, the HW is always visible. The photo above shows the homework board (2004-2005) where I kept assignments listed for students to copy in the mornings. I required them to turn in their assignments in the order in which they are listed on the board, so I usually wrote in red the previous night's assignments so they could check the order before turning in their work. In other words, when I checked their folders, I should have seen spelling work in front, with reading right behind it, then math, etc. Missing work forms went in the very front if anything was missing, along with notes or forms from parents. This kept me from having to dig around to find papers and helped the children ensure they had not forgotten to do an assignment. This system takes a tremendous amount of patience and modeling, modeling, modeling for several weeks but the payoff is SO worth it. My former co-teacher said her first-graders were able to do it successfully and our third graders should be able to, also. She was right!
d) Use a laminated poster or wipe-off board to display assignments for students to copy. I like this method because it's easily visible all the time, but I can take it down if I need the board space.
Unless you choose the first method, or teach upper elementary, you will need to check to make sure students have copied HW assignments correctly. My 3rd graders still make careless errors when copying at the end of the year, so I've just accepted that I'll always have to check behind them! Sometimes I have a Homework Helper who does this job for me. It's a good idea to also post HW on a class website in case students lose their assignments, are absent, or are out of town. There are some resources for setting up a class webpage for free on the Links page.
One trick that has really worked for me no matter how I display HW assignments is to have kids copy homework in the morning instead of before dismissal. I prefer it this way because a) checking to ensure kids copied HW assignments correctly at the same time I collect HW prevents me from having to deal with HW twice everyday, b) dismissal time is hectic and we often run out of time, and c) kids leave for early dismissals or illness throughout the day. Even if you don’t explain the HW until the lesson is taught, the kids will have already copied it. If you need to change the assignment, the kids just erase and write in the correction.
5) How will students keep their HW organized?
If you don't design a system for helping kids keep up with their assignments, most of them won't HAVE a system. Children are prone to lost HW, and even with solid procedures in place, you'll still find papers crumpled in the bottom of backpacks, old assignments shoved in random folders, etc. It's critical for teachers to establish a system that is meaningful for the kids and that they can organize themselves to minimize lost HW.
Here's one way to do this. Above are two photos of a student's BEE Book (Bring Everything Everyday). Homework packets and notes to/from home are kept in the front pocket. Papers that should be taken out at home are left in the back pocket. I customized these forms using these labels from teachingheart.net. (That site explains all kinds of variations of the BEE Book- very helpful as you determine how you want your kids to organize their papers). See the BEE Book page for more.
5) How will you collect HW?
This is a minor part of your homework program but it's an important routine that needs to be considered. Will kids turn in their work as soon as they enter the classroom, or after copying the next day's assignments, or at the end of the day? Will they pass it in, or will you have a special box/ file tray for them to place their assignments, or will you go around to each student's desk to check their work?
I've tried all these methods, and found each effective, depending on the classroom situation. When I started doing weekly HW packets, I collected HW on Fridays only: each child stapled together his or her work for the week and placed it into his or her portfolio for my review at a convenient time. This means I did not have to grade any papers and students handled the collection process independently. Most years, my method is to call each child up to my desk one by one and check HW: this is time-consuming but is extremely effective at holding kids accountable for their work, and isn't a big strain for me because it's only on Fridays (due to the weekly packets). I have done this when I assigned daily HW and found it too time-consuming, but many teachers prefer this method.
6) How will you check and/or grade HW?
You can assign letter grades and percentages or just mark the work as complete, incomplete, or missing. You can give a seperate HW grade if that's listed on your district report cards, and/or you can average HW assignments for each subject into the childrens' subject area grades.
Usually I glance over the work to make sure it was done completely and correctly: if the child didn't understand a concept, I re-teach it briefly one-on-one and send the child back to his/her seat to re-do it. (This works well because I only collect HW on Fridays, and the students fix their errors during Morning Work time). I do assign letter grades for Home Learning Projects. The basis for points is outlined on each project checklist so everyone is graded as objectively as possible.
I prefer not to grade HW because it's practice work only. I don't know whether the child did the HW, or had someone do it for him/her, or got a lot of help on it. It's not a good indicator of what the child really knows, so it's not something I want to record a grade for. The purpose of HW in my classroom is to reinforce skills, so grading it is unnecessary: it's either complete or incomplete. There are many teachers who disagree with this philosophy, claiming that if the children take the time to do the work, we as teachers should take the time to grade it. Some teachers would also add that their students would do sloppy work if they thought it wouldn't be checked. You'll have to use your professional discretion and see what's best for your classroom.
7) What policies will you have about late, incomplete, and make-up work?
I spell out my expectations very clearly in our class handbook and require parents and students to sign a contract to indicate they are in agreement. Here is the excerpt from the handbook that explains my policies:
Please note: Late homework for reasons other than an excused absence cannot be accepted, even with a parent note! When a student is missing an assignment, s/he simply fills out a Missing Work Form which documents exactly which assignments were not turned in and why, and staples the form to his/her HW packet. When I check to see if homework is completed, I circle any missing or incomplete assignments and keep the Missing Work Form for parental review during conferences. Most parents choose to have their children complete late assignments simply so the child gains the academic benefits from the work: when they do so, I mark the assignment ‘Late’ so that parents are aware that no credit was awarded but that I have noted that the child gained the skills practice. Student who are missing assignments use their Power Hour time on Fridays to make up work, as well (see Class Rules).
Occasionally true emergencies come up. Please know that two or three missed assignments each quarter will not hurt a child’s grade. I appreciate your cooperation with regard to my late work policy, and I assure you that the entire class benefits from the way it decreases the time devoted to checking homework and increases time for learning.
If you notify the office of an excused absence, please let me know that you did so with a quick note in the agenda so I can send home make-up work. Many of the activities we do in class are hands-on, involve class discussion or teamwork, or are otherwise unable to be duplicated at home. For these assignments, I simply mark the student in my grade book as having had an excused absence so they are neither penalized nor credited for it. No make-up work is provided for unexcused absences, as permitted by school board policy. Make-up work for excused absences is due two days after the student returns to school (i.e., for a Monday absence, the student returns to school and gets the make up work on Tuesday and must turn it in by Thursday in order to receive credit).
Homework is marked in my grade book as ‘Complete’, ‘Incomplete’, or ‘Missing’. If homework is done with an excessive amount of errors, I generally give it back for students to re-do during Power Hour. (No credit is taken off as long as the work was done; however, students quickly learn to do things right the first time or else they end up with double the amount of work). I go over the assignment briefly with the child to determine whether s/he did not understand the work or simply choose to rush through it. If the student needs extra help, I re-teach him or her one-on-one before having the child complete it during Fun Friday.
Turning in accurate, timely work is an important life skill that I try to teach students early on. I put a tremendous amount of effort into designing effective lessons and assignments and I expect students to work equally hard to complete them, as it is for their own benefit. I appreciate your support in this area as we work together to instill a solid work ethic in the children.
Parent signatures are REQUIRED on agendas each night! I use the agendas to communicate about missing work and behavior issues each day and it is crucial for families to maintain two-way communication. Signing the agenda lets me know you are aware of your child’s work habits and social growth and have reviewed the homework for completeness and accuracy. I encourage you to look at your child’s homework, rather than ask if it was done, and make sure the work your child shows you matches up with the assignments written on the homework packet, as many times a key element has been left out.
7) What consequences/ rewards will you tie into your HW program?
When I first began teaching, students who did not turn in their HW missed recess- that was just standard procedure for almost every teacher I knew. Now many teachers believe this practice is developmentally inappropriate, because children need to move around and release energy- often the kids who don't turn in HW are the ones who need to run around the most! My current school district does not allow teachers to take away recess for missing homework because of the obesity epidemic in our country. While I understood that reasoning, I wondered what leverage I would posssibly have for getting kids to turn in their work without factoring in recess. For an entire year, I had no consequences or rewards tied to HW, and I have to say, I saw absolutely no correlation between whether kids miss recess and the regularity of HW being turned in. Whether they lose recess or not, I always have a handful or children who just don't turn in their work. For this reason, I am convinced that taking away recess is not an effective way of getting kids to do HW, and it's much easier for me not to have to keep track of who has recess each day.
Most years, I do give a reward for those who turn in their HW all week. We do Fun Friday or Power Hour, which is 30-60 minutes at the end of the week for kids to play educational games, have free time in centers, or some other fun activity in the classroom. Those who didn't turn in all their work complete it during Fun Friday, and if they finish early, they either find other work to do or I assign them work. This is an effective motivator for most children, especially in the older grades when they are mature enough to wait for a delayed reward. It works especially well for weekly HW packets, because I collect the work on Friday mornings and then immediately give the reward to those who earned it. Another reward for students who do their homework is to have a picnic outside during lunch or watch a movie in the classroom while they eat. I only do this when 90% of the class has their homework turned in, so that peer pressure will work in my favor. While I don't announce who didn't do their homework, the children always ask each other, "Did you do it? Did you do it?". No one wants to be the person who forgot their homework and caused the class to miss out on the movie. This system creates a very high percentage of homework being turned in.
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