Homework: Is It Really That Important?

Opinions vary if homework has positive effects on academic achievement. According to the National Council of Teacher of Mathematics (NCTM: Homework-What the Research Says, Brief).

Kids and parents sure could use a break during the evening hours and teachers could probably use the break from checking it, right?

Homework helps students prepare. When students preview, review, or prepare by doing homework, they are ready for the next day’s lesson.

By reviewing and doing the math problems, your child becomes more comfortable with the materials presented in class. And if a child struggles on homework, the teacher will know if they need to re-teach or if they can move on. This is why homework should be a child’s work only – not done by parents! If they are struggling with a concept- that’s o.k., the teacher needs to know this.

By reading that history chapter for homework, they are previewing and preparing for tomorrow’s class discussion.

By bringing in that clipping from the newspaper about sale prices, they will be ready to participate in the class activity about economics.

What you can do to help no matter how old your child is:

  • Check to see if your child has homework
  • Ask to see it when it’s done
  • Have your child “teach” you about something they learned in school

Just by asking about and looking over your child’s homework this reminds your child that you know homework is important and may help to motivate them to get it done.

Category: Education Tools
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