Tips for Getting Homework Done

Homework completion is an ongoing problem for many of our students. Many teachers have "scrapped" homework because "they won't do it anyway". If we have decided to assign homework, even occasionally, it is helpful to understand some factors that might encourage, inspire, and motivate your students to do it.

Here are some tips for helping to increase student participation in and completion of homework:

1) Lay out expectations regarding homework early in the year (for students and for their adults)

Explain how often (and when) students should expect homework.

Explain the purpose of homework in your classroom.

Explain how homework completion can support student success in your classroom.

2) Create assignments with a purpose, and make sure students understand the purpose

Avoid "busy-work"

Review and practice

Get ready for tomorrow's class

3) Make assignments focused and clear

4) Create assignments that challenge students to think and to integrate

Besides review and practice, you might ask students to do things like:

Consider one meal you have eaten this week. Find the calorie and fat content of (at least 2 items) your meal.
Write and solve 4 different problems using the numbers -3 and 4
Find a recipe for a food you like. Write the ingredients list (at least 4) and convert the recipe to serve 12 people.
Interview one person in your household. Ask how they use numbers in their jobs.

5) Vary the assignments

Don't just give the same type of assignments. (Do 1 - 19 odd...) [Read page 24 and answer questions].

Vary the types of problems (Solve this problem using 2 methods; error analysis; choose 3 problems from section A; sketch and label one triangle of each type; find 2 circular objects in your house, sketch them, measure them to find area...)

6) Tie assignments to real life

Use nba.com to find the average height of the players on your favorite basketball team

Sketch or take a picture of a parabola in real life (shooting a basket, arches in your home, tossing a ball, swings on a swingset, ...)

Research your favorite car. What is the gas mileage? How much gas would it take to drive to San Diego?

7) Match assignments to the skills, interests, and needs of students.

8) Use school and community resources

9) Assign an appropriate amount of homework (see Homework Guidelines page)

10) Provide feedback (see Research on Homework), including praise and encouragement

(tips based on Helping Your Students With Homework: A Guide for TeachersOffice of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education)