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Top 7 English Homework Tips for Teachers, Students and Parents

7 ways to create meaningful English homework. Tips for teachers, parents and students

Homework. The bane of student life everywhere. And teachers too! Won’t someone please think of the teachers?

It has been one of the hottest debates among progressives and traditionalists in education circles for many years now; is homework help or a hindrance?

Millions of student hours per year are wasted on busy work, which adds little to student learning. But that doesn’t mean that the judicious use of homework can’t add greatly to student learning, particularly in an area as complex as literacy.

Regarding reading and writing homework, there are good points to be made on both sides. But, as with many hot-button issues, the truth likely lies somewhere in the middle.

In this article, we will look at what we need to consider when we set homework to ensure it provides value to our students’ learning. We will look at what to do, what not to do, and just how much of it to do.

ENGLISH HOMEWORK TIP 1: Bin the Busy Work!

Ask your average student what their pet peeve is regarding their current station in life, and more often than not, homework will be mentioned in the reply. It is just as much a fixture in the life of a student as an oven is in the life of a baker. Unfortunately, as many students robotically complete their homework as teachers that robotically set the tasks. And here lies our first problem – busy work!

Homework should ALWAYS be focused. It should be carefully designed and purposeful. Without clear objectives built-in, the homework serves little to no pedagogical purpose. It is more likely to be a waste of the student’s time and the time of the teacher who is doomed to mark it.

The first rule of Homework Club is Bin the Busy Work!

ENGLISH HOMEWORK TIP 2: Make The Homework Fit for Purpose

It may seem obvious, but homework must be suited to the ability of the student. How often have diligent students pulled their hair out struggling over a problem all night, press-ganging parents into the effort, only to be soundly trounced by a problem Einstein himself would need his morning coffee before attempting.

Avoid setting homework that will stretch the student to the elastic limits of their abilities. We don’t want anyone ‘snapping’ here. The material chosen for reading or writing homework should, however, challenge the student to some degree. Just as with strength training, some resistance is required to build ‘muscle’ here.

As in Rule #1 above, homework should be carefully designed to achieve a certain objective. But, one size most certainly doesn’t fit all. Be sure to differentiate homework appropriately for the different abilities of different students. Often, you won’t need to set different tasks, a slight tweak in the instructions given will be enough to make it suitable for the various ability levels.

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ENGLISH HOMEWORK TIP 3: Set Time Limits

We all have both good days and bad days, and all sorts of days in between. Regardless of what sort of day you had, one thing is for sure, there were 24 hours in it. One of the more difficult things as a teacher, especially in a school with a vague homework policy, is just how much homework to set. The answer is, of course, it depends , and while time is certainly an imperfect means of gauging this, it at least provides some guidelines.

Just how much time depends on quite a few things. The time of year, for example. If exams are ongoing, you may want to avoid heaping extra pressure on your students. Perhaps too, your school has a very prescriptive homework policy that restricts your flexibility in terms of how much time you can set for homework tasks.

All that aside, the general wisdom on setting homework is that it should start at around 10 minutes for grade 1 and gradually increase by around ten minutes per grade, up to a maximum of 2 hours per day for the oldest students.

Like most things in teaching, however, this is more of an art than a cold, hard science. Pay attention to your students and how they are bearing up under the workload. Your priority here should always be to maximize the learning done in the classroom, so don’t overdo it.

ENGLISH HOMEWORK TIP 4: Give Timely Feedback

For feedback to be useful, it must be timely. If a student has spent hours composing an essay; researching their material, drafting an outline, organising their structure, writing and rewriting to submit their finished piece only to be told 4 weeks later that the third paragraph lacks purpose, the third paragraph will not be the only thing that lacks purpose.

If feedback is to be of any value, you must strike while the mental forge is still hot. Our students’ lives are most likely busy and interesting. Often their focus will be transient, if not downright fickle. If you want your feedback to stick – it must be delivered while the smoke still hangs in the air.

ENGLISH HOMEWORK TIP 5: Get Creative with the Tasks

Many of our students hate homework. Perhaps ‘despise’ would be a better word. And is it any wonder? Especially when it comes to reading and writing. Learning to read and write well requires lots of practice, and a certain amount of repetition is inescapable. But, I would argue, there should be no reason for homework to be boring. There isn’t a more wondrous subject in the world than literacy, after all!

Reading and writing are very broad areas of learning. Ample opportunities are afforded to allow you to come up with engaging and creative ways for your students to reinforce their learning. You just need to begin with your learning objective and reverse engineer unique ways to get there.

Let’s take instruction writing as an example. Say you have already taught the key criteria of instruction writing: a title, a resource list, some diagrams with captions, bullet or numbered points, use of transition words and imperatives etc. You now want the students to consolidate their understanding of the genre by writing their own set of instructions at home, but how to do it in an interesting fashion?

Well, let’s brainstorm and see if we can’t make things a little more interesting for our students. Recipes are a type of instruction writing. You could set them the task of writing a recipe for their favorite sandwich, but that’s kind of, well, lame!

How about writing a recipe for the most disgusting sandwich in the world? Yes, now that’s much better. Maybe they could word process it too and include Creative Commons images to support the text, Or, they could even make a script and record a video instructional, sharpening up their video-editing skills along the way.

Regardless of which of these methods you choose, your students would still be fulfilling the original objective of reinforcing their understanding of the criteria of the genre.

Bear in mind, however, you should not set homework that requires students to use resources that they don’t have access to, so be sure to give this due consideration when getting creative with your homework tasks.

ENGLISH HOMEWORK TIP 6: Leverage Interest

“ You can bring a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink ”, as the old saying goes – and it certainly applies to homework.

This rule relies heavily on the relationship you build with your students over time. Allied to the point above, there are a million different ways to teach an objective, but try to engineer activities that leverage the specific interests of your students.

If you are setting a homework task to reinforce reading comprehension skills, for example, are there opportunities for you to select, or allow your students to select, material that they are interested in?

The same applies when selecting topics for writing. Where student interest is engaged, learning often becomes effortless.

ENGLISH HOMEWORK TIP 7: Give Homework At The Start of the Lesson

It is general practice to give homework at the end of the lesson. By then, you will have introduced a lesson objective, worked through some examples during class, and now you can set homework for the students to further consolidate their understanding at home.

It makes sense, right? Well, yes, but there is another option.

Sharing the homework task with your students at the start of class may, at times, be preferable. There are several benefits to this. Often, at the end of class, our students are worn out. They are like greyhounds at the starting gate, raring to go home, to the next class, or for lunch. The last place their attention is is on more of the topic they have just been working on. Setting homework at the start of the class avoids the feeling like you are trying to herd cats at the end of class.

Another strong benefit to setting the homework at the start of the class is that it focuses the students on specific learning goals for the lesson to come. Students will be motivated to engage more with their learning as it will make their homework much easier to do that evening. Give it a go with your class and see!

The Takeaways

Homework should be used as a means of consolidating learning done in the classroom. Tasks should be focused and offer opportunities for students to improve their understanding of important concepts or develop specific skills.

Homework should be designed in such a way that it is manageable by students. It should not be beyond the limits of their abilities and time limits should be set to prevent student frustration from boiling over if they struggle to complete it.

Feedback needs to be given in a timely fashion for it to serve any useful purpose. This means that consideration must be given to your workload when assigning homework. Will you have enough time to mark the students’ work and provide the necessary feedback in a timely manner?

If not, reconsider the tasks you are setting. Remember, you may also find value in peer assessment activities too.

Also, try setting homework at the start of class to motivate student participation in the lesson to come. And, you’ll avoid that tussle at lesson’s end as the students rush for the door!

Literacy is such a fascinating subject area that there will always be room to create interesting homework tasks. You just require a little space to allow your imagination to run freely. The personal interests of your students can provide a great starting point for the creation of engaging and fun homework tasks.

Remember too, there’s an upper limit to how much homework you should set, and it may not always be necessary to set homework. When you do set homework, set it judiciously, and you will undoubtedly add to the learning experience of your students.

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Tips for using your school diary

Why do you need to use a diary?

Let’s consider the limitations on our short memory for a moment.

Psychological research tells us that we can only hold on average only 4 (plus or minus 2) pieces of information in our short term memory at a time. Your brain cannot handle too much information all at once.

In order for you to learn new information effectively in class it’s going to make a difference if you can reduce the demands on your memory/mind. You need to reduce your mental load.

How can you reduce your mental load?

By far the easiest way to reduce your mental load is by using your student diary/organiser. You will be able to learn more effectively in class if you take things out of your head (e.g. “English essay due on Thursday” and “Swim trials on Monday”) and dump them into your organiser.

Tips for using your diary

1. Treat your diary like your school pants: Don’t go to school without it!

So bring your diary with you everywhere, every day!

2. Write it down then and there, or else forget it! Imagine you’re in class and the teacher says to you “Your science project is due in on Friday the 19th of March”, what should you immediately do? Write it down!

Another limitation of your short term memory is that you can only hold information there for approximately 20 seconds. If you don’t write the information down then and there, chances are you’re going to forget it.

So a good strategy is to have you diary placed next to you on your desk open to the relevant day or week.

3. Use colours

This is a map of Japan’s railway system. For a moment, I want you to enjoy the pretty colours of the different railway tracks on this map.

Now, have a look at a black and white version of the same map. You’ll notice that it’s really hard to separate out each track. The railway system becomes very confusing and overwhelming.

Likewise, I recommend that you use different coloured pens in diary to represent the things you need to do for each of your subjects. This will be more exciting for your brain than black pen on white paper and you’ll know exactly what needs to be done for each of your different subjects.

4. Use prompts to avoid nasty surprises

Imagine that you’ve had a busy week at school (see image above) – your art and health projects have been handed in and you’ve successfully completed your maths test. The weekend arrives and you just want to relax, so you hang out with your friends and don’t touch a single text book all weekend.

Now imagine this – the weekend is over and it’s Monday morning. You’re getting ready for school and you take out your diary, turn to today’s page only to discover that you have an english assignment due in today that you haven’t started! You start to stress out. There is no way in the world that you’re going to be able to get it done in the next 20 minutes.

This scenario could have been avoided by simply giving yourself a reminder the previous week in your diary (see below).

Alternatively, if you had used a wall calendar you would have been able to see in one glance what was happening for the entire month. For $2 and a little effort filling everything in, a wall calender is well worth it.

Do you have any tips on how to use your diary more effectively? Let me know!

8 thoughts on “ Tips for using your school diary ”

Hi, I just stumbled upon your blog (again!) so this time I thought’d I’d say thanks for the awesome site! Keep up the good work 😀

thank you it really helped me.I am new in using a diary so ya it helped thanks..:)

Thanks for your tips. I am now realizing the importance of using a diary to be completely in command of myself. But you forget to remind us to carry pens everywhere. Okay, I will.

Thank you for this tips.I will use this tips to use my diary

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Help yourself to meet deadlines even more by breaking the tasks down into smaller chunks and writing each in your diary. For example, with a project, do the reading and make a mind map on Tuesday, first draft of assignment on Wednesday, final writing on Thursday. It will all seem much more manageable

Am impressed and i will definately use these tips, thanx!

A diary has helped me to not forget important things like assignments, appointments and much more.

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5 Ways to Make Homework More Meaningful

Use these insights from educators—and research—to create homework practices that work for everyone.

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Homework tends to be a polarizing topic. While many teachers advocate for its complete elimination, others argue that it provides students with the extra practice they need to solidify their learning and teach them work habits—like managing time and meeting deadlines—that have lifelong benefits. 

We recently reached out to teachers in our audience to identify practices that can help educators plot a middle path. 

On Facebook , elementary school teacher John Thomas responded that the best homework is often no-strings-attached encouragement to read or play academically adjacent games with family members. “I encourage reading every night,” Thomas said, but he doesn’t use logs or other means of getting students to track their completion. “Just encouragement and book bags with self selected books students take home for enjoyment.” 

Thomas said he also suggests to parents and students that they can play around with “math and science tools” such as “calculators, tape measures, protractors, rulers, money, tangrams, and building blocks.” Math-based games like Yahtzee or dominoes can also serve as enriching—and fun—practice of skills they’re learning.

At the middle and high school level, homework generally increases, and that can be demotivating for teachers, who feel obliged to review or even grade halfhearted submissions. Student morale is at stake, too: “Most [students] don’t complete it anyway,” said high school teacher Krystn Stretzinger Charlie on Facebook . “It ends up hurting them more than it helps.”    

So how do teachers decide when to—and when not to—assign homework, and how do they ensure that the homework they assign feels meaningful, productive, and even motivating to students? 

1. Less is More

A 2017 study analyzed the homework assignments of more than 20,000 middle and high school students and found that teachers are often a bad judge of how long homework will take. 

According to researchers, students spend as much as 85 minutes or as little as 30 minutes on homework that teachers imagined would take students one hour to complete. The researchers concluded that by assigning too much homework , teachers actually increased inequalities between students in exchange for “minimal gains in achievement.” Too much homework can overwhelm students who “have more gaps in their knowledge,” the researchers said, and creates situations where homework becomes so time-consuming and frustrating that it turns students off to classwork more broadly.

To counteract this, middle school math teacher Crystal Frommert said she focuses on quality over quantity. Frommert cited the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics , which recommends only assigning “what’s necessary to augment instruction” and adds that if teachers can “get sufficient information by assigning only five problems, then don’t assign fifty.” 

Instead of sending students home with worksheets and long problem sets from textbooks that often repeat the same concepts, Frommert recommended assigning part of a page, or even a few specific problems—and explaining to students why these handpicked problems will be helpful practice. When students know there’s thought behind the problems they’re asked to solve at home, “they pay more attention to the condensed assignment because it was tailored for them,” Frommert said. 

On Instagram , high school teacher Jacob Palmer said that every now and then he condenses homework down to just one problem that is particularly engaging and challenging: “The depth and exploration that can come from one single problem can be richer than 20 routine problems.” 

2. Add Choice to the Equation 

Former educator and coach Mike Anderson said teachers can differentiate homework assignments without placing unrealistic demands on their workload by offering students some discretion in the work they complete and explicitly teaching them “how to choose appropriately challenging work for themselves.” 

Instead of assigning the same 20 problems or response questions on a given textbook page to all students, for example, Anderson suggested asking students to refer to the list of questions and choose and complete a designated number of them (three to five, for example) that give students “a little bit of a challenge but that [they] can still solve independently.” 

To teach students how to choose well, Anderson has students practice choosing homework questions in class before the end of the day, brainstorming in groups and sharing their thoughts about what a good homework question should accomplish. The other part, of course, involves offering students good choices: “Make sure that options for homework focus on the skills being practiced and are open-ended enough for all students to be successful,” he said. 

Once students have developed a better understanding of the purpose of challenging themselves to practice and grow as learners, Anderson also periodically asks them to come up with their own ideas for problems or other activities they can use to reinforce learning at home. A simple question, such as “What are some ideas for how you might practice this skill at home?” can be enough to get students sharing ideas, he said. 

Jill Kibler, a former high school science teacher, told Edutopia on Facebook that she implemented homework choice in her classroom by allowing students to decide how much of the work they’ve recently turned in that they’d like to redo as homework: “Students had one grading cycle (about seven school days) to redo the work they wanted to improve,” she said. 

3. Break the Mold 

According to high school English teacher Kate Dusto, the work that students produce at home doesn’t have to come in the traditional formats of written responses to a problem. On Instagram , Dusto told Edutopia that homework can often be made more interesting—and engaging—by allowing students to show evidence of their learning in creative ways. 

“Offer choices for how they show their learning,” Dusto said. “Record audio or video? Type or use speech to text? Draw or handwrite and then upload a picture?” The possibilities are endless. 

Former educator and author Jay McTighe noted that visual representations such as graphic organizers and concept maps are particularly useful for students attempting to organize new information and solidify their understanding of abstract concepts. For example, students might be asked to “draw a visual web of factors affecting plant growth” in biology class or map out the plot, characters, themes, and settings of a novel or play they’re reading to visualize relationships between different elements of the story and deepen their comprehension of it. 

Simple written responses to summarize new learning can also be made more interesting by varying the format, McTighe said. For example, ask students to compose a tweet in 280 characters or less to answer a question like “What is the big idea that you have learned about _____?” or even record a short audio podcast or video podcast explaining “key concepts from one or more lessons.”

4. Make Homework Voluntary 

When elementary school teacher Jacqueline Worthley Fiorentino stopped assigning mandatory homework to her second-grade students and suggested voluntary activities instead, she found that something surprising happened: “They started doing more work at home.” 

Some of the simple, voluntary activities she presented students with included encouraging at-home reading (without mandating how much time they should spend reading); sending home weekly spelling words and math facts that will be covered in class but that should also be mastered by the end of the week: “It will be up to each child to figure out the best way to learn to spell the words correctly or to master the math facts,” she said; and creating voluntary lesson extensions such as pointing students to outside resources—texts, videos or films, webpages, or even online or in-person exhibits—to “expand their knowledge on a topic covered in class.”

Anderson said that for older students, teachers can sometimes make whatever homework they assign a voluntary choice. “Do all students need to practice a skill? If not, you might keep homework invitational,” he said, adding that teachers can tell students, “If you think a little more practice tonight would help you solidify your learning, here are some examples you might try.”

On Facebook , Natisha Wilson, a K–12 gifted students coordinator for an Ohio school district, said that when students are working on a challenging question in class, she’ll give them the option to “take it home and figure it out” if they’re unable to complete it before the end of the period. Often students take her up on this, she said, because many of them “can’t stand not knowing the answer.” 

5. Grade for Completion—or Don’t Grade at All  

Former teacher Rick Wormeli argued that work on homework assignments isn’t “evidence of final level of proficiency”; rather, it’s practice that provides teachers with “feedback and informs where we go next in instruction.” 

Grading homework for completion—or not grading at all, Wormeli said—can help students focus on the real task at hand of consolidating understanding and self-monitoring their learning. “When early attempts at mastery are not used against them, and accountability comes in the form of actually learning content, adolescents flourish.” 

High school science teacher John Scali agreed , confirming that grading for “completion and timeliness” rather than for “correctness” makes students “more likely to do the work, especially if it ties directly into what we are doing in class the next day” without worrying about being “100% correct.” On Instagram , middle school math teacher Traci Hawks noted that any assignments that are completed and show work—even if the answer is wrong—gets a 100 from her.

But Frommert said that even grading for completion can be time-consuming for teachers and fraught for students if they don’t have home environments that are supportive of homework or if they have jobs or other after-school activities. 

Instead of traditional grading, she suggested alternatives to holding students accountable for homework, such as student presentations or even group discussions and debates as a way to check for understanding. For example, students can debate which method is best to solve a problem or discuss their prospective solutions in small groups. “Communicating their mathematical thinking deepens their understanding,” Frommert said. 

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What is a homework diary, and how can it benefit my pupils?

As the UK’s top supplier of school exercise books , supplementary reading materials , personalised school books , and homework diaries ; and here at EPSL , we know that homework diaries are by far one of the most useful organisational tools that your pupils can own. They’re the perfect way of tracking out-of-school learning, and provide a clear line of communication between teachers and parents. So, what exactly is a homework diary?

A quick definition

Simply put, homework diaries are an organisational tool that allow teachers, students, and parents to keep track of home learning tasks. Our ‘My School Homework Diary’ has a timetable and space for recording homework, important dates and making notes. The diary also includes a list of multiplication tables, as well as room for each child to record their favourite books, CDs and films as a fun addition. Homework diaries are your pupil’s best friends from an organisational point of view.

How do homework diaries help pupils?

Homework diaries are essential pieces of equipment for pupils all the way from primary school age until sixth form or college. They provide students with a range of benefits, including:

• Development of organisational skills - a homework diary instils a sense of responsibility in pupils, as it gives them the opportunity to take control of their own home learning tasks. As they progress through the school years, they’ll be set with more homework, which will eventually turn into revision for exams. So, getting your pupils into the habit of keeping track of their home learning from an early age prepares them for exam life as they move through their education.
• Reduces stress - the primary aim of a homework diary is to help your pupils keep track of their home learning tasks, it’s also the ideal tool for helping students plan their time so they know when they can relax and unwind. If you give your students deadlines for completing certain tasks, then your pupils will be able to plan their time accordingly, and reduce their stress levels.

Where can I purchase a homework diary?

Right here of course! We can’t stress enough how important it is to get pupils used to recording their home learning in a diary from an early age - it’s an unbelievably valuable skill that will help them massively in the future when it comes to revising for exams, studying in university, and generally taking responsibility for their own time management!

It all starts with your influence in the classroom, and while you’re busy encouraging your students to make full use of their homework diaries, we’ll continue to produce our huge range of school exercise books, personalised exercise books, and supplementary reading material to students of all ages so they have everything they need to achieve greatness in the classroom. Take a look through what we’ve got available on our site - and if you have any questions, feel free to give us a call on 01254 686 500. We’re always happy to help!

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Homework Diaries: A Deep Dive into Their Role in Primary vs. Secondary Schools

The evolution of homework diaries mirrors the progression students make from primary to secondary school . These indispensable tools transform in complexity and purpose, just as students’ academic demands and capabilities grow. Here’s how homework diaries differ and prove essential at each educational stage.

The Role of Homework in the Curriculum and Beyond

The role of homework in the educational landscape extends far beyond mere academic reinforcement. Homework diaries, in particular, have emerged as pivotal tools in this context. These diaries not only help students organise and prioritise their assignments but also foster skills like time management, responsibility, and self-discipline. As students jot down tasks in their homework diaries, they’re not just keeping track of schoolwork; they’re cultivating habits that will benefit them in the curriculum and in life beyond the classroom. The significance of these diaries underscores the evolving nature of homework and its broader implications for holistic student development.

Purpose and Significance of a Homework Diary:

Homework, while often seen as a mere extension of schoolwork, serves profound roles that resonate beyond the classroom:

Reinforcement of Curriculum Content: Homework provides a platform for students to revisit and delve deeper into the curriculum content they’ve encountered during school hours. This reinforcement not only solidifies their understanding but also enhances the retention of key concepts.

Skill Development: Homework transcends curriculum confines by fostering critical life skills. It cultivates attributes like discipline, responsibility, and perseverance, ensuring students are equipped for challenges both inside and outside the academic sphere.

Feedback Mechanism: Assignments extend a two-way communication channel. While students get to practice and internalize the material, educators receive insights into individual comprehension levels, facilitating tailored instruction.

Building Independence and Critical Thinking: Tasked with problems to solve away from the immediacy of the classroom, students learn to trust their instincts, seek out resources, and refine their decision-making skills.

Preparation and Anticipation: Homework often serves as a bridge to upcoming lessons. Preliminary tasks familiarise students with new topics, ensuring they step into classrooms with a foundational understanding, ready to absorb more.

Customising Homework with Diaries:

With the pivotal role that homework plays in academic development, it’s essential to manage and organise it effectively. Understanding how to make a homework diary can be a crucial first step. Homework diaries, whether tailored for primary or secondary students, serve as invaluable tools in this endeavor.

Primary School Homework Diaries: Building the Basics

Primary School Homework Diaries play a crucial role in laying the foundational skills for young learners . These diaries are more than just tools for tracking assignments; they’re instrumental in building the basics of organisation, time management, and responsibility. From the earliest stages of education, when students begin to record their tasks in these diaries, they’re introduced to the discipline of planning and the satisfaction of task completion.

As they navigate through their primary years, these homework diaries serve as a constant companion, guiding them in their academic journey and instilling habits that will benefit them throughout their educational trajectory. The emphasis on Primary School Homework Diaries underscores the importance of starting strong in the realm of academic organisation and responsibility.

Characteristics:

• Simplicity at its Best: Primary homework diaries prioritise ease of use, with an emphasis on straightforward task recording.
• Visual Appeal: Engaging designs, combined with vibrant colors, cater to young students, making the diary an appealing and inviting space.
• Parental Connect: Dedicated sections for parental comments build the bridge between home and school from an early age.
• Reading Records: Track a child’s reading progress, ensuring consistent growth and a love for literature from a young age.
• Schedules: Organise the week ahead, helping students anticipate important dates and build routines.
• First Step to Time Management: A homework diary can play a pivotal role in introducing young students to the principles of scheduling and task prioritisation.
• Strengthening the Home-School Bond: With sections specifically for parents, the diary fosters collaboration, deepening the family’s involvement in the child’s education.
• Cultivating Consistency: At this impressionable age, students are introduced to the importance of regular routines and responsibility.

Primary School Homework Diaries are not just a means to record assignments but a comprehensive tool that aids in the holistic development of a child. From instilling the principles of organisation, time management, and responsibility to strengthening the bond between home and school, these diaries are essential in laying a strong foundation for a child’s future. Moreover, the visual appeal, parental connect, and additional features like reading records and schedules make it an inviting and functional tool for both students and parents.

As children navigate through their primary years, the homework diary becomes a constant companion, guiding them on their academic journey and helping them cultivate habits that will benefit them throughout their educational trajectory and beyond. Therefore, the emphasis on Primary School Homework Diaries is not just about academic organisation; it is about shaping the future leaders, thinkers, and innovators of tomorrow

Secondary School Homework Diaries: Steering Towards Independence

Secondary School Homework Diaries play an indispensable role in guiding students towards greater independence and maturity . As adolescents transition from primary education, the challenges they face become more complex, and the need for organisation and self-management intensifies. A homework diary is not just repositories for assignments; they’re compasses that steer students towards self-reliance and proactive learning. By consistently using a homework diary, students cultivate the ability to plan, prioritise, and execute tasks with minimal supervision. They also develop a deeper understanding of their learning styles and academic strengths.

A Secondary School Homework diary are not just tools but catalysts, propelling students towards a future where they’re equipped to navigate the complexities of higher education and the world beyond with confidence and autonomy.

• Detailed and Defined: Secondary homework diaries come equipped with intricate sections for assignments, deadlines, and reflective notes, catering to the multifaceted academic requirements of older students.
• Streamlined by Subject: Segregated task sections based on different subjects allow students to keep a clear and organised academic view.
• Growth and Feedback Loop: Designated space for noting down learning objectives and areas where feedback is needed, turning these diaries into comprehensive tools that promote academic growth.
• Schedules: Detailed week-to-week or month-to-month schedules help students manage their growing list of commitments, from club meetings to exam revision sessions.
• Mastering Time Management: With intensifying academic demands, a homework diary act as students’ personal assistants, honing their scheduling and prioritisation skills.
• Evolving Ownership: The advanced features in secondary homework diaries empower students to take more control over their learning trajectory.
• A Prelude to Tertiary Education: Serving as foundational tools, these diaries prep students for the rigors and responsibilities they’ll encounter in higher education.

In summary, Secondary School Homework Diaries are more than just organisational tools ; they are catalysts for personal and academic growth. As students transition into adolescence, the challenges they face extend beyond the classroom, requiring a higher level of organisation, self-management, and proactive learning. The detailed and defined sections, subject segregation, and spaces for reflection and feedback in these diaries, not only help students manage their growing list of commitments but also empower them to take ownership of their learning trajectory. This, in turn, prepares them for the rigors and responsibilities of higher education and beyond.

Ultimately, by consistently using a homework diary, students are equipped to navigate the complexities of their academic journey with confidence and autonomy, laying the foundation for a successful future. Therefore, the emphasis on Secondary School Homework Diaries is not just about managing assignments; it is about empowering students to become independent, proactive learners, ready to face the challenges of higher education and the world beyond.

The journey from primary to secondary education is marked by significant changes in academic demands and student capabilities. Homework diaries play a crucial role in this transition, evolving in complexity and purpose to meet the dynamic needs of students at each stage. From fostering foundational skills like organisation, time management, and responsibility in primary students, to steering secondary students towards greater independence, proactive learning, and preparation for higher education, homework diaries are indispensable tools for holistic student development.

We understand the importance of these diaries and are dedicated to crafting fully customisable planners and homework diaries that align with your school’s unique requirements and ethos. By investing in tailored homework diaries, schools can ensure their students are equipped with the tools they need to navigate the academic landscape successfully and develop essential life skills that will serve them well beyond the classroom.

In a world where academic success is intertwined with personal development, the role of homework diaries cannot be overstated. They are not just tools for recording assignments; they are catalysts for growth, guiding students towards a future where they can confidently navigate the complexities of higher education and the world beyond. Invest in your students’ success by choosing customised homework diaries that reflect your school’s values and support your students’ unique needs.

Empower Students with Customised Homework Diaries!

We recognise the distinct needs of every educational institution. Understanding that one size doesn’t fit all, we specialise in crafting fully customisable planners and homework diaries tailored to your school’s unique requirements.

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• Diary Writing

How to Write a Diary

Last Updated: July 11, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Hyungbum Kang, MA, MSW, LCSW, MAC and by wikiHow staff writer, Amber Crain . Hyungbum Kang is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker based in Honolulu, Hawaii. With over a decade of experience, Hyungbum specializes in using an integrated therapeutic approach to treat ADHD, anger management, depression, and other mental health and social work struggles. He received a Bachelor’s degree in English and Master’s degrees in Sociology and Social Work. Hyungbum earned an MBA from Hawaii Pacific University (HPU) and is working on his Doctor of Psychology from HPU. He is a member of the American Psychological Association, the International Honor Society in Psychology, the National Association of Social Workers, and the California Consortium of Addiction Programs and Professionals. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 3,922,005 times.

Diaries are wonderful objects that allow you to discuss your emotions, record dreams or ideas, and reflect on daily life in a safe, private space. While there's no single, definitive way to write a diary, there are some basic tricks you can use to get the most out of your writing. If you aren't sure what to write about, using prompts like inspirational quotes can help get started on new entries.

Sample Diary Entries

Brainstorming Topics

• Feel free to veer off into any topic you want as you're writing about the day's events.
• For example, you could write about the English exam you took at school that day. Are you feeling good about the exam? Do you wish you had studied more? Are you nervous to receive your grade?

• For example, you could write about short-term goals like studying for your algebra exam or hitting the gym for a cardio session.
• Long-term goals would be stuff like choosing and applying to colleges or saving up money to buy a car.

• For example, if you're feeling sad, you can write a diary entry about why you feel that way and any events that may have contributed.
• You can add a line from the lyrics of a song you are often listening to in your entry to preserve the current mood.

• For example, you might write down a quote like, "The secret of getting ahead is getting started," which came from Mark Twain. Write a diary entry about what this means to you and what things you need to get started on to achieve certain goals.

• For example, if you love sports, write about why you love a certain sport, your favorite teams, and personal goals you have if you play any sports yourself.
• If you love painting, you could write about your favorite painters, the painting styles that speak to you the most, recent paintings you've made, and ideas for future paintings.

Creating Personal Entries

• If you like, you can also put the time, day of the week, and your location alongside the date.

• Once you start writing, you're free to veer off into any subject you like! But having something in mind when you start the entry can help kickstart the writing process.

• For example, you might write something like, "I'm worried about volleyball tryouts this week. I've practiced a lot and I feel ready, but I'm so nervous I can hardly eat."

• For example, you might write, "I feel jealous of Shaun's new car. I'm happy for him, but it seems really unfair that his parents bought him a brand new car. I'm working every day after school just to save up for a used car."
• If you're afraid someone will find and read your diary, there are things you can do to prevent this. Physical diaries with locks and password-protected digital diaries are two of the most popular ways to control privacy.
• Many people have epiphanies about themselves and their relationships through honest diary writing. Be open to learning about yourself as you write.

• For some people, it helps to take a few minutes at the beginning of each entry to simply free write.

• Detailed writing isn't for everyone, so don't feel like you have to write long, wordy sentences. If you find it easier to express your emotions in short bursts or even bullet points, feel free to do that.

Getting into a Routine

• For example, you might choose to write in your diary every night right before bed.
• Don't set an unrealistic schedule for yourself. If writing every day seems out of reach, plan on writing entry 3 times a week instead.

• For example, you could write a few key bullet points in your diary when you're pressed for time.
• Setting an intimidating schedule for yourself could be counterproductive. You want journaling to be an outlet, not a chore, so go easy on yourself.
• Pick a time to write when you don't have other obligations or time constraints.

• Quick drawings may also help you get down something that you want to remember but don't have time to write about.

Community Q&A

• Writing a diary should be a cathartic experience and not a chore. Allow yourself to enjoy your writing! Thanks Helpful 15 Not Helpful 1
• To camouflage your diary, write "Algebra Notes" or "School Notebook" on the cover. Thanks Helpful 12 Not Helpful 9

Tips from our Readers

• Remember that your diary can be a fascinating time capsule of who you are and what you were thinking when you read through it in the future, so be yourself and don't try to tailor it to someone else.
• For the most privacy, avoid writing your name in the diary. That said, writing your name can help someone return it to you if you ever lose it. Think carefully!
• Feel free to give your diary a name other than "Diary," if it helps you approach it in a more friendly or intimate way.
• Try writing in your diary in a secondary language to help you build up fluency in a low-stakes activity.

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-use-journaling-to-set-goals
• ↑ https://positivepsychology.com/writing-therapy/
• ↑ https://penzu.com/how-to-start-and-write-a-diary
• ↑ https://www.readingrockets.org/topics/writing/articles/journal-writing
• ↑ https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentID=4552&ContentTypeID=1

About This Article

If you're not sure what to write about in your diary, try to take the pressure off by reminding yourself that your diary is for your eyes only. Start each entry with the date and remember to write in the first person using "I" statements. You can write about stuff that happened that day, a problem you're having, a recent dream, or anything else you want. Be honest, use plenty of detail, and don't worry too much about grammar and spelling. For tips on choosing the best diary for you, read on! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Does Homework Really Help Students Learn?

A conversation with a Wheelock researcher, a BU student, and a fourth-grade teacher

“Quality homework is engaging and relevant to kids’ lives,” says Wheelock’s Janine Bempechat. “It gives them autonomy and engages them in the community and with their families. In some subjects, like math, worksheets can be very helpful. It has to do with the value of practicing over and over.” Photo by iStock/Glenn Cook Photography

Do your homework.

If only it were that simple.

Educators have debated the merits of homework since the late 19th century. In recent years, amid concerns of some parents and teachers that children are being stressed out by too much homework, things have only gotten more fraught.

“Homework is complicated,” says developmental psychologist Janine Bempechat, a Wheelock College of Education & Human Development clinical professor. The author of the essay “ The Case for (Quality) Homework—Why It Improves Learning and How Parents Can Help ” in the winter 2019 issue of Education Next , Bempechat has studied how the debate about homework is influencing teacher preparation, parent and student beliefs about learning, and school policies.

She worries especially about socioeconomically disadvantaged students from low-performing schools who, according to research by Bempechat and others, get little or no homework.

BU Today  sat down with Bempechat and Erin Bruce (Wheelock’17,’18), a new fourth-grade teacher at a suburban Boston school, and future teacher freshman Emma Ardizzone (Wheelock) to talk about what quality homework looks like, how it can help children learn, and how schools can equip teachers to design it, evaluate it, and facilitate parents’ role in it.

BU Today: Parents and educators who are against homework in elementary school say there is no research definitively linking it to academic performance for kids in the early grades. You’ve said that they’re missing the point.

Bempechat : I think teachers assign homework in elementary school as a way to help kids develop skills they’ll need when they’re older—to begin to instill a sense of responsibility and to learn planning and organizational skills. That’s what I think is the greatest value of homework—in cultivating beliefs about learning and skills associated with academic success. If we greatly reduce or eliminate homework in elementary school, we deprive kids and parents of opportunities to instill these important learning habits and skills.

We do know that beginning in late middle school, and continuing through high school, there is a strong and positive correlation between homework completion and academic success.

That’s what I think is the greatest value of homework—in cultivating beliefs about learning and skills associated with academic success.

You talk about the importance of quality homework. What is that?

Quality homework is engaging and relevant to kids’ lives. It gives them autonomy and engages them in the community and with their families. In some subjects, like math, worksheets can be very helpful. It has to do with the value of practicing over and over.

What are your concerns about homework and low-income children?

The argument that some people make—that homework “punishes the poor” because lower-income parents may not be as well-equipped as affluent parents to help their children with homework—is very troubling to me. There are no parents who don’t care about their children’s learning. Parents don’t actually have to help with homework completion in order for kids to do well. They can help in other ways—by helping children organize a study space, providing snacks, being there as a support, helping children work in groups with siblings or friends.

Isn’t the discussion about getting rid of homework happening mostly in affluent communities?

Yes, and the stories we hear of kids being stressed out from too much homework—four or five hours of homework a night—are real. That’s problematic for physical and mental health and overall well-being. But the research shows that higher-income students get a lot more homework than lower-income kids.

Teachers may not have as high expectations for lower-income children. Schools should bear responsibility for providing supports for kids to be able to get their homework done—after-school clubs, community support, peer group support. It does kids a disservice when our expectations are lower for them.

The conversation around homework is to some extent a social class and social justice issue. If we eliminate homework for all children because affluent children have too much, we’re really doing a disservice to low-income children. They need the challenge, and every student can rise to the challenge with enough supports in place.

What did you learn by studying how education schools are preparing future teachers to handle homework?

My colleague, Margarita Jimenez-Silva, at the University of California, Davis, School of Education, and I interviewed faculty members at education schools, as well as supervising teachers, to find out how students are being prepared. And it seemed that they weren’t. There didn’t seem to be any readings on the research, or conversations on what high-quality homework is and how to design it.

Erin, what kind of training did you get in handling homework?

Bruce : I had phenomenal professors at Wheelock, but homework just didn’t come up. I did lots of student teaching. I’ve been in classrooms where the teachers didn’t assign any homework, and I’ve been in rooms where they assigned hours of homework a night. But I never even considered homework as something that was my decision. I just thought it was something I’d pull out of a book and it’d be done.

I started giving homework on the first night of school this year. My first assignment was to go home and draw a picture of the room where you do your homework. I want to know if it’s at a table and if there are chairs around it and if mom’s cooking dinner while you’re doing homework.

The second night I asked them to talk to a grown-up about how are you going to be able to get your homework done during the week. The kids really enjoyed it. There’s a running joke that I’m teaching life skills.

Friday nights, I read all my kids’ responses to me on their homework from the week and it’s wonderful. They pour their hearts out. It’s like we’re having a conversation on my couch Friday night.

It matters to know that the teacher cares about you and that what you think matters to the teacher. Homework is a vehicle to connect home and school…for parents to know teachers are welcoming to them and their families.

Bempechat : I can’t imagine that most new teachers would have the intuition Erin had in designing homework the way she did.

Ardizzone : Conversations with kids about homework, feeling you’re being listened to—that’s such a big part of wanting to do homework….I grew up in Westchester County. It was a pretty demanding school district. My junior year English teacher—I loved her—she would give us feedback, have meetings with all of us. She’d say, “If you have any questions, if you have anything you want to talk about, you can talk to me, here are my office hours.” It felt like she actually cared.

Bempechat : It matters to know that the teacher cares about you and that what you think matters to the teacher. Homework is a vehicle to connect home and school…for parents to know teachers are welcoming to them and their families.

Ardizzone : But can’t it lead to parents being overbearing and too involved in their children’s lives as students?

Bempechat : There’s good help and there’s bad help. The bad help is what you’re describing—when parents hover inappropriately, when they micromanage, when they see their children confused and struggling and tell them what to do.

Good help is when parents recognize there’s a struggle going on and instead ask informative questions: “Where do you think you went wrong?” They give hints, or pointers, rather than saying, “You missed this,” or “You didn’t read that.”

Bruce : I hope something comes of this. I hope BU or Wheelock can think of some way to make this a more pressing issue. As a first-year teacher, it was not something I even thought about on the first day of school—until a kid raised his hand and said, “Do we have homework?” It would have been wonderful if I’d had a plan from day one.

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Senior Contributing Editor

Sara Rimer A journalist for more than three decades, Sara Rimer worked at the Miami Herald , Washington Post and, for 26 years, the New York Times , where she was the New England bureau chief, and a national reporter covering education, aging, immigration, and other social justice issues. Her stories on the death penalty’s inequities were nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and cited in the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision outlawing the execution of people with intellectual disabilities. Her journalism honors include Columbia University’s Meyer Berger award for in-depth human interest reporting. She holds a BA degree in American Studies from the University of Michigan. Profile

She can be reached at [email protected] .

Comments & Discussion

Boston University moderates comments to facilitate an informed, substantive, civil conversation. Abusive, profane, self-promotional, misleading, incoherent or off-topic comments will be rejected. Moderators are staffed during regular business hours (EST) and can only accept comments written in English. Statistics or facts must include a citation or a link to the citation.

There are 81 comments on Does Homework Really Help Students Learn?

Insightful! The values about homework in elementary schools are well aligned with my intuition as a parent.

when i finish my work i do my homework and i sometimes forget what to do because i did not get enough sleep

same omg it does not help me it is stressful and if I have it in more than one class I hate it.

Same I think my parent wants to help me but, she doesn’t care if I get bad grades so I just try my best and my grades are great.

I think that last question about Good help from parents is not know to all parents, we do as our parents did or how we best think it can be done, so maybe coaching parents or giving them resources on how to help with homework would be very beneficial for the parent on how to help and for the teacher to have consistency and improve homework results, and of course for the child. I do see how homework helps reaffirm the knowledge obtained in the classroom, I also have the ability to see progress and it is a time I share with my kids

The answer to the headline question is a no-brainer – a more pressing problem is why there is a difference in how students from different cultures succeed. Perfect example is the student population at BU – why is there a majority population of Asian students and only about 3% black students at BU? In fact at some universities there are law suits by Asians to stop discrimination and quotas against admitting Asian students because the real truth is that as a group they are demonstrating better qualifications for admittance, while at the same time there are quotas and reduced requirements for black students to boost their portion of the student population because as a group they do more poorly in meeting admissions standards – and it is not about the Benjamins. The real problem is that in our PC society no one has the gazuntas to explore this issue as it may reveal that all people are not created equal after all. Or is it just environmental cultural differences??????

I get you have a concern about the issue but that is not even what the point of this article is about. If you have an issue please take this to the site we have and only post your opinion about the actual topic

This is not at all what the article is talking about.

This literally has nothing to do with the article brought up. You should really take your opinions somewhere else before you speak about something that doesn’t make sense.

we have the same name

so they have the same name what of it?

lol you tell her

totally agree

What does that have to do with homework, that is not what the article talks about AT ALL.

Yes, I think homework plays an important role in the development of student life. Through homework, students have to face challenges on a daily basis and they try to solve them quickly.I am an intense online tutor at 24x7homeworkhelp and I give homework to my students at that level in which they handle it easily.

More than two-thirds of students said they used alcohol and drugs, primarily marijuana, to cope with stress.

You know what’s funny? I got this assignment to write an argument for homework about homework and this article was really helpful and understandable, and I also agree with this article’s point of view.

I also got the same task as you! I was looking for some good resources and I found this! I really found this article useful and easy to understand, just like you! ^^

i think that homework is the best thing that a child can have on the school because it help them with their thinking and memory.

I am a child myself and i think homework is a terrific pass time because i can’t play video games during the week. It also helps me set goals.

Homework is not harmful ,but it will if there is too much

I feel like, from a minors point of view that we shouldn’t get homework. Not only is the homework stressful, but it takes us away from relaxing and being social. For example, me and my friends was supposed to hang at the mall last week but we had to postpone it since we all had some sort of work to do. Our minds shouldn’t be focused on finishing an assignment that in realty, doesn’t matter. I completely understand that we should have homework. I have to write a paper on the unimportance of homework so thanks.

homework isn’t that bad

Are you a student? if not then i don’t really think you know how much and how severe todays homework really is

i am a student and i do not enjoy homework because i practice my sport 4 out of the five days we have school for 4 hours and that’s not even counting the commute time or the fact i still have to shower and eat dinner when i get home. its draining!

i totally agree with you. these people are such boomers

why just why

they do make a really good point, i think that there should be a limit though. hours and hours of homework can be really stressful, and the extra work isn’t making a difference to our learning, but i do believe homework should be optional and extra credit. that would make it for students to not have the leaning stress of a assignment and if you have a low grade you you can catch up.

Studies show that homework improves student achievement in terms of improved grades, test results, and the likelihood to attend college. Research published in the High School Journal indicates that students who spent between 31 and 90 minutes each day on homework “scored about 40 points higher on the SAT-Mathematics subtest than their peers, who reported spending no time on homework each day, on average.” On both standardized tests and grades, students in classes that were assigned homework outperformed 69% of students who didn’t have homework. A majority of studies on homework’s impact – 64% in one meta-study and 72% in another – showed that take home assignments were effective at improving academic achievement. Research by the Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) concluded that increased homework led to better GPAs and higher probability of college attendance for high school boys. In fact, boys who attended college did more than three hours of additional homework per week in high school.

So how are your measuring student achievement? That’s the real question. The argument that doing homework is simply a tool for teaching responsibility isn’t enough for me. We can teach responsibility in a number of ways. Also the poor argument that parents don’t need to help with homework, and that students can do it on their own, is wishful thinking at best. It completely ignores neurodiverse students. Students in poverty aren’t magically going to find a space to do homework, a friend’s or siblings to help them do it, and snacks to eat. I feel like the author of this piece has never set foot in a classroom of students.

THIS. This article is pathetic coming from a university. So intellectually dishonest, refusing to address the havoc of capitalism and poverty plays on academic success in life. How can they in one sentence use poor kids in an argument and never once address that poor children have access to damn near 0 of the resources affluent kids have? Draw me a picture and let’s talk about feelings lmao what a joke is that gonna put food in their belly so they can have the calories to burn in order to use their brain to study? What about quiet their 7 other siblings that they share a single bedroom with for hours? Is it gonna force the single mom to magically be at home and at work at the same time to cook food while you study and be there to throw an encouraging word?

Also the “parents don’t need to be a parent and be able to guide their kid at all academically they just need to exist in the next room” is wild. Its one thing if a parent straight up is not equipped but to say kids can just figured it out is…. wow coming from an educator What’s next the teacher doesn’t need to teach cause the kid can just follow the packet and figure it out?

Well then get a tutor right? Oh wait you are poor only affluent kids can afford a tutor for their hours of homework a day were they on average have none of the worries a poor child does. Does this address that poor children are more likely to also suffer abuse and mental illness? Like mentioned what about kids that can’t learn or comprehend the forced standardized way? Just let em fail? These children regularly are not in “special education”(some of those are a joke in their own and full of neglect and abuse) programs cause most aren’t even acknowledged as having disabilities or disorders.

But yes all and all those pesky poor kids just aren’t being worked hard enough lol pretty sure poor children’s existence just in childhood is more work, stress, and responsibility alone than an affluent child’s entire life cycle. Love they never once talked about the quality of education in the classroom being so bad between the poor and affluent it can qualify as segregation, just basically blamed poor people for being lazy, good job capitalism for failing us once again!

why the hell?

you should feel bad for saying this, this article can be helpful for people who has to write a essay about it

This is more of a political rant than it is about homework

I know a teacher who has told his students their homework is to find something they are interested in, pursue it and then come share what they learn. The student responses are quite compelling. One girl taught herself German so she could talk to her grandfather. One boy did a research project on Nelson Mandela because the teacher had mentioned him in class. Another boy, a both on the autism spectrum, fixed his family’s computer. The list goes on. This is fourth grade. I think students are highly motivated to learn, when we step aside and encourage them.

The whole point of homework is to give the students a chance to use the material that they have been presented with in class. If they never have the opportunity to use that information, and discover that it is actually useful, it will be in one ear and out the other. As a science teacher, it is critical that the students are challenged to use the material they have been presented with, which gives them the opportunity to actually think about it rather than regurgitate “facts”. Well designed homework forces the student to think conceptually, as opposed to regurgitation, which is never a pretty sight

Wonderful discussion. and yes, homework helps in learning and building skills in students.

not true it just causes kids to stress

Homework can be both beneficial and unuseful, if you will. There are students who are gifted in all subjects in school and ones with disabilities. Why should the students who are gifted get the lucky break, whereas the people who have disabilities suffer? The people who were born with this “gift” go through school with ease whereas people with disabilities struggle with the work given to them. I speak from experience because I am one of those students: the ones with disabilities. Homework doesn’t benefit “us”, it only tears us down and put us in an abyss of confusion and stress and hopelessness because we can’t learn as fast as others. Or we can’t handle the amount of work given whereas the gifted students go through it with ease. It just brings us down and makes us feel lost; because no mater what, it feels like we are destined to fail. It feels like we weren’t “cut out” for success.

homework does help

here is the thing though, if a child is shoved in the face with a whole ton of homework that isn’t really even considered homework it is assignments, it’s not helpful. the teacher should make homework more of a fun learning experience rather than something that is dreaded

This article was wonderful, I am going to ask my teachers about extra, or at all giving homework.

I agree. Especially when you have homework before an exam. Which is distasteful as you’ll need that time to study. It doesn’t make any sense, nor does us doing homework really matters as It’s just facts thrown at us.

Homework is too severe and is just too much for students, schools need to decrease the amount of homework. When teachers assign homework they forget that the students have other classes that give them the same amount of homework each day. Students need to work on social skills and life skills.

I disagree.

Beyond achievement, proponents of homework argue that it can have many other beneficial effects. They claim it can help students develop good study habits so they are ready to grow as their cognitive capacities mature. It can help students recognize that learning can occur at home as well as at school. Homework can foster independent learning and responsible character traits. And it can give parents an opportunity to see what’s going on at school and let them express positive attitudes toward achievement.

Homework is helpful because homework helps us by teaching us how to learn a specific topic.

As a student myself, I can say that I have almost never gotten the full 9 hours of recommended sleep time, because of homework. (Now I’m writing an essay on it in the middle of the night D=)

I am a 10 year old kid doing a report about “Is homework good or bad” for homework before i was going to do homework is bad but the sources from this site changed my mind!

Homeowkr is god for stusenrs

I agree with hunter because homework can be so stressful especially with this whole covid thing no one has time for homework and every one just wants to get back to there normal lives it is especially stressful when you go on a 2 week vaca 3 weeks into the new school year and and then less then a week after you come back from the vaca you are out for over a month because of covid and you have no way to get the assignment done and turned in

As great as homework is said to be in the is article, I feel like the viewpoint of the students was left out. Every where I go on the internet researching about this topic it almost always has interviews from teachers, professors, and the like. However isn’t that a little biased? Of course teachers are going to be for homework, they’re not the ones that have to stay up past midnight completing the homework from not just one class, but all of them. I just feel like this site is one-sided and you should include what the students of today think of spending four hours every night completing 6-8 classes worth of work.

Are we talking about homework or practice? Those are two very different things and can result in different outcomes.

Homework is a graded assignment. I do not know of research showing the benefits of graded assignments going home.

Practice; however, can be extremely beneficial, especially if there is some sort of feedback (not a grade but feedback). That feedback can come from the teacher, another student or even an automated grading program.

As a former band director, I assigned daily practice. I never once thought it would be appropriate for me to require the students to turn in a recording of their practice for me to grade. Instead, I had in-class assignments/assessments that were graded and directly related to the practice assigned.

I would really like to read articles on “homework” that truly distinguish between the two.

oof i feel bad good luck!

thank you guys for the artical because I have to finish an assingment. yes i did cite it but just thanks

thx for the article guys.

Homework is good

I think homework is helpful AND harmful. Sometimes u can’t get sleep bc of homework but it helps u practice for school too so idk.

I agree with this Article. And does anyone know when this was published. I would like to know.

It was published FEb 19, 2019.

Studies have shown that homework improved student achievement in terms of improved grades, test results, and the likelihood to attend college.

i think homework can help kids but at the same time not help kids

This article is so out of touch with majority of homes it would be laughable if it wasn’t so incredibly sad.

There is no value to homework all it does is add stress to already stressed homes. Parents or adults magically having the time or energy to shepherd kids through homework is dome sort of 1950’s fantasy.

What lala land do these teachers live in?

Homework gives noting to the kid

Homework is Bad

homework is bad.

why do kids even have homework?

Comments are closed.

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Is Homework Beneficial: Exploring the Pros, Cons, and Current Debates

Homework has been a cornerstone of education for generations. It has sparked endless debates among educators, parents, and students. Some see it as a vital tool for children’s learning. Others view it as an unnecessary burden that can cause stress and burnout. Still, most teachers assign homework. They believe additional tasks improve student achievement. As educational methods evolve, we must ask: does homework help students? Does it assist in learning and good study habits? Or does it just add to the pressures of a demanding school establishment? Let’s delve into the pros and cons of homework students receive daily to understand its role in modern education.

Table of Content

Tracing the Roots: A Historical Perspective on Homework

Homework has a long, varied history. It goes back centuries to the start of formal education. In ancient civilizations, only the upper classes received an education. Learning often took place at home, under a tutor or family member. In the 19th century, public education systems developed. Then, homework became a standard practice. It aimed to reinforce school lessons and instill discipline in students.

In the early 20th century, homework faced backlash in the U.S. Some educators and parents argued it stressed kids and cut into family time. During this time, progressive education movements gained momentum. They advocated for less rote memorization and more hands-on learning. However, the Cold War changed views on homework. The 1957 launch of the Soviet satellite Sputnik spurred the U.S. to prioritize math and science education. Homework was then seen as essential for academic competitiveness and national security. Indeed, teachers see till now how homework improves student achievement.

Today, the debate continues. We are reassessing homework’s role in a changing education system. We must balance academic rigor with students’ well-being. Understanding the history of homework helps us see its deep roots. It also explains why it is a contentious issue in education. The National Parent-Teacher Association oversees the quality of the educational process.

Homework has long been a staple in education. It bridges school and home, reinforcing learning and building skills. However, homework’s role in education is more complex than just extra student practice.

Psychological Impacts

One often overlooked aspect of homework is its influence on students’ psychics. Moderate homework can build discipline and responsibility. However, too much of it can cause stress and anxiety. Younger students may lack the skills to handle heavy homework, which can harm their mental health and love of learning. Educators and parents must recognize these stressors. They should adjust homework policies to support, not hinder, a child’s education.

The Role of Socioeconomic Status

Socioeconomic status plays a crucial role in how homework affects students. For affluent families, homework may be easy. They have a good environment and access to resources like books, the Internet, and quiet study spaces. In contrast, lower-income students might face challenges. They may lack access to the necessary resources. They might live in a noisy, crowded home. They may also have to work part-time or care for siblings. These disparities can make homework harder and widen the achievement gap. For this reason, schools must consider these factors when assigning homework. They should also support students to ensure a fair chance to succeed.

The Influence of Technology on Homework

Technology has significantly changed how homework is assigned and completed in today’s digital age. Many educators use online platforms to assign, collect, and grade homework, which can make learning more interactive and engaging. However, this shift also raises concerns about digital equity. Some students lack access to computers or reliable Internet at home, hindering their ability to complete home tasks. Additionally, there is a debate about screen time’s impact on students’ health. It suggests that digital homework should be balanced with offline assignments.

Cultural Perspectives on Homework

Cultural attitudes towards homework vary significantly around the world. In some countries, homework is vital to education. It shows a strong focus on academic success and discipline. Otherwise, some nations want to reduce homework. They seek a better balance with time for play, creativity, and family. Educators in diverse communities must understand these cultural differences. It’s key to developing homework policies that respect all students and families.

Strengthening Learning and Developing Skills

Homework has various benefits:

• It can greatly improve a student’s education and growth.
• It helps students retain skills, build life skills, and boost parental involvement.
• One of the most notable advantages is its role in reinforcing classroom learning.
• Homework helps students remember what they learned in school by revisiting those concepts.

Repeated exposure is crucial for mastering subjects. It’s especially true in math and language arts, where skills are built incrementally if you attend college. As a result, HW tasks help to develop children’s academic strengths.

Moreover, homework fosters essential skills that extend beyond academics. Students develop many skills by completing assignments outside of class. These include time management, self-discipline, and responsibility. Students learn to organize, prioritize, and work independently by dedicating time to study and homework. These skills are vital for academic success in school and work.

Also, homework lets parents engage with their child’s education. When parents help with assignments to high school boys and girls, they learn what their kids are studying. This can improve communication and collaboration with teachers. This helps create a supportive home learning environment. It reinforces that education is a shared responsibility among students, teachers, and families.

When students feel confident, they have good college attendance. Together, these create a better education. If you need help with HW assignments, feel free to address Edubrain for homework answers .

The Drawbacks of Homework

Homework aims to benefit students. However, it has downsides, and some teachers prefer to eliminate homework. This has sparked debate among educators, parents, and students. One of the most significant concerns is the stress and burnout that homework can cause. As academic demands rise, students feel overwhelmed by too many assignments and marks in a high school journal.

This causes anxiety and harms their mental health. This stress can hinder their ability to socialize, relax, and join activities. All are crucial for healthy development and well-being.

Another major drawback is the role homework can play in exacerbating educational inequalities. Not all students have the same access to resources and support outside of school. For instance, low-income students may lack a quiet space to study, have limited access to educational materials for homework, or face extra responsibilities at home. These factors can make it hard to complete homework. This gap can widen the academic achievement gap, hurting struggling students. These students need to finish homework fast, so they need help.

Also, there is debate about homework’s effectiveness in improving learning. Some research suggests that too much homework can backfire. This is especially true for elementary school students.

They may lack the skills or attention span to benefit from long study sessions during the school day and outside of school. In such cases, homework may not help learning. It can instead cause frustration and disengagement. Homework and academic success influence attending college.

Here’s a comparative table outlining the pros and cons of homework:

This table shows the pros and cons of schoolwork. It shows the need for a balanced approach to HW tasks, weighing its benefits and drawbacks.

The Complex Homework’s Impact on Learning

Research on the effectiveness of homework reveals a complex and often contradictory picture. Many studies have explored how homework affects students. Results vary by age, subject, and assignment quality.

Homework for the Youngest

Research generally suggests that homework has limited benefits for younger students. It reveals no academic gains for elementary students. Too much homework now can hurt kids’ love of learning, raise stress, and lower their enthusiasm for school. Experts agree that homework should be minimal for young kids. It should foster a love of learning, not drill-specific skills.

Homework in Middle and High School Periods

As students move to middle and high school, additional homework helps improve their grades. Research shows that moderate homework can boost learning and grades. This is especially true for math and science. However, this positive correlation plateaus when the amount of homework is excessive. Studies show that high school students swamped with homework may suffer. The stress can harm their mental health and well-being.

Homework Develops Kid as a Person

Research also shows that homework helps develop skills beyond academics. It improves time management, self-discipline, and independent problem-solving, which are crucial for success in higher education and the workforce. However, the effectiveness of homework in fostering these skills depends on the nature of the assignments. Homework that is meaningful and well-designed is better than busywork. It is more likely to help students if it aligns with classroom instruction. Busy work just wastes time and adds no value.

Overall, research findings underscore the importance of a balanced approach to homework. Homework can help learn and build skills. Still, its benefits depend on its quality and quantity. It also helps prepare for standardized tests. Finding the right balance is key to maximizing its positive impact on students’ education and well-being. Students can use different resources for assignments.

For example, they can Google “ how to use AI for homework ” and use AI to improve academic achievement.

Rethinking the Role of Homework in Modern Education

Homework’s role in education is a hot debate. Views and practices are shifting, reflecting changes in educational philosophies and priorities. A recent movement is growing among educators, parents, and policymakers. They want to reassess the traditional approach to completing homework. Concerns over student well-being and homework’s effectiveness in promoting learning drive this.

One major trend is the push toward a more personalized approach to homework. Some schools are testing differentiated homework policies. They know each student has unique needs, abilities, and home environments. This approach tailors homework to each student’s learning style and pace. It aims to make it more relevant and manageable. Personalized homework wants to engage middle school students and encourage ownership of their learning. Still, it should not overwhelm them with tasks that may not suit their needs.

Another trend is to assign less homework, particularly in elementary schools. Some educators and schools are adopting a “no homework” policy for young students, and others are reducing homework. This shift is based on research. It suggests that less excessive homework in the early years can foster a positive attitude towards school and prevent burnout. It also allows time for play, family, and activities, essential for holistic development.

In addition, there is a growing emphasis on the quality rather than the quantity of homework. Educators are urged to assign meaningful homework. It should reinforce learning and promote critical thinking, not memorization or busy work. Pupils should not just finish homework fast ; they should understand what and why they did it. This trend supports many education goals, including building problem-solving skills and a love of learning.

Technological advancements are also influencing current debates about homework. Digital tools and online resources offer new opportunities for engaging, interactive assignments. They let high school students access a wealth of information and learn in more dynamic ways. However, this shift raises concerns about screen time and access to technology. It also highlights the need for guidance on using digital resources effectively.

Overall, the current debates and trends in homework reflect a broader reevaluation of its role in education. Excessive homework will be a hot topic as schools adapt to students’ diverse needs. Discussions will focus on best supporting elementary school students’ learning and well-being.

Conclusion: Striking the Right Balance in Homework Practices

The debate over homework’s value is ongoing. It reflects varying views on its effect on student learning, social skills and well-being. Homework can reinforce learning and build life skills. However, it can also cause stress, increase inequality, and fail to boost grades. As education changes, we must rethink the role of homework. It should support, not hinder, student success.

Recommendations for Effective Homework Practices:

• Quality over Quantity: Focus on the quality of assignments rather than the amount. Homework should be meaningful, purposeful, and aligned with what elementary school students are learning in the classroom. It should promote critical thinking and problem-solving, not just drill facts or practice repetitive tasks.
• Age-Appropriate Assignments: Tailor homework to the student’s developmental stage. Younger children should have little homework. It should foster a love of learning. Older students can handle increased homework and can take home assignments. Homework should build on classroom lessons and prepare them for college and jobs.
• Personalized Homework: Consider each student’s unique needs, abilities, and circumstances. Personalized homework can help here. It can engage all students, no matter their background, with the material in a meaningful, manageable way.
• Encourage a Balanced Approach: Recognize the importance of balance in students’ lives. Homework should not overwhelm elementary students. It should not cut into family time, extracurriculars, or rest. These are critical for their development.
• Utilize Technology Wisely: Use digital tools to create engaging, interactive assignments and effective homework, such as AI science solver . But limit screen time. Ensure all students have equal access to the needed resources.

References:

For a deeper look at the research on homework, see these sources:

• Cooper, H. (2006). The Battle Over Homework: Common Ground for Administrators, Teachers, and Parents. Corwin Press.
• Kohn, A. (2006). The Homework Myth: Why Our Kids Get Too Much of a Bad Thing. Da Capo Press.
• OECD (2014). PISA 2012 Results: What Students Know and Can Do. Volume I, Revised edition, February 2014.
• Marzano, R. J., & Pickering, D. J. (2007). The Case For and Against Homework. Educational Leadership, 64(6), 74-79.

By carefully considering these recommendations and drawing from a wide range of research, educators and parents can work together to create homework practices that enhance learning, support well-being, and foster a positive educational experience for all students.

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Homework Planner

Our free homework planner printable will keep you organized and on top of your homework assignments. We also offer a digital version if you prefer. Both are free.

Homework Planner Template

Our free homework planner printable will keep you organized and on top of your homework assignments. If you prefer a digital version, you can open the PDF homework trackers on an iPad and write on them with a note-taking app and stylus (see digital planner ).

Select any homework planner template from the selection below. Select a format that you think will work best for you.

Homework Calendar

When I was a student, I personally loved using a homework calendar. It helped me see the bigger picture and take all of my obligations into account. You can use the homework calendar template as is or you can edit it to suit your needs. Add your list of assignments below. Add each assignment to the calendar on the due date. This is a blank calendar that you can use for any month.

Word | Editable PDF | Image

The following homework schedule is similar to the one above but it doesn’t have a list of assignments.

Add your list of assignments or homework on the due date. Mark each one once you have completed it.

Daily Homework Planner

This daily homework planner will help you keep track of assignments received and due.

Word | Editable PDF | Image | Excel

Editable PDF | Image

Weekly Homework Planner

This weekly school planner will keep track of the assignments and homework you received all week and when each one is due. There is also a checkbox to mark it when it is complete.

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday

Thursday and Friday

Homework Checklist

If you select the Excel version, then there is a dropdown list to select the subject, priority, and status. You can edit the list of subjects under the “subjects” tab. Each subject is automatically assigned a color code . All assignments that are due the next day are colored red. Assignments due that week are orange and those that are due that month are yellow.

Word | Editable PDF | Excel | PNG

This homework tracker can track your homework assignments, the subjects, due dates, and the status of each assignment. There is a dropdown list to select the subject and each subject will be marked with a different color. To change the list of subjects, go to the subject tab and list each subject. The priority can be either urgent, high, normal, or low. The status is either “to do” or “done”. You can change the priority or the status in the tabs.

Assignment Tracker

This Excel spreadsheet keeps track of assignments, who is responsible for each, and when each assignment is due. The color of each assignment changes according to the due date. When the assignment is due it will turn yellow. You can also open this spreadsheet on Google Sheets.

What is a homework planner?

This is a planner to track your homework and assignments to ensure that you prepare and submit everything on time. An assignment planner can keep track of all your assignments and is a great tool for priority management. However, if you have other obligations such as tests, social and family gatherings, etc, it might be better to prepare a planner that takes all your obligations into account. If you have a family gathering the day before a test, then you will know you will need to start studying one day earlier than you would have. If you don’t keep track of deadlines and everything you need to do, you might find yourself stressed or too late to get everything done. Planning will take the stress out of school and help you be more productive and organized.

How to use an assignment tracker?

Learning how to manage your time is an essential skill that will be needed later on in life as well. Time management is something that sets efficient people apart from those who do not manage their time well and get little done or even fall apart when stressed. Our job as parents is to give our children the skills and tools to manage their time well and get things done, even when they have a lot on their plate.

Start helping your kids to get organized when they are young. Help them write their assignments in their planner. Help them organize their time and schedule. The younger they are, the less they have on their plate. This is the time to help them acquire the skills they will need when they are older and obligations start to become more overwhelming. Remind your kids to review their planner regularly until it becomes a habit. By the time they are older, in high school or college, they will be able to manage their time efficiently.

It isn’t enough to write assignments and homework in a planner when you receive them. In order for a planner to be efficient, you will need to review it regularly. Start a daily habit where you check your homework calendar daily to see what needs to be done. This should be part of your child’s daily routine. If it isn’t feasible to check daily, then it should happen at least once or twice a week. If that doesn’t work, then try setting reminders on your phone.

How to make a homework planner?

Choose whether you want a weekly assignment planner or a daily or monthly planner. Whatever works for you. Scan the templates on this page and see which one you think will be the most helpful. If you like it as-is then download the PDF version. If you prefer to edit it to meet your specific needs then select the Microsoft Word version and edit as you please. Make it work for you.

If you feel comfortable using a spreadsheet then try the assignment deadline spreadsheet template above.

If you are a college student, then you might want a comprehensive student planner that includes a homework tracker:

• College Student Planner (our free student planner includes a class schedule and all other tools you will need during the school year)
• Best Planners for College Students
• School Calendar Template

2 thoughts on “Homework Planner”

amazing resources for students- thank you.

Thank you for your wonderful collaboration with these material 🙂

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Grading Math Homework Made Easy

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Grading math homework doesn’t have to be a hassle!  It is hard to believe when you have a 150+ students, but I am sharing an organization system that will make grading math homework much more efficient.  This is a follow up to my Minimalist Approach to Homework post. The title was inspired by the Marie Kondo book, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up .  Though I utilized the homework agenda for many years prior to the book, it fits right in to the idea of only keeping things that bring you joy.

One thing is for sure, papers do not bring a teacher joy.

For further reading, check out these posts about homework:

• The Homework Agenda Part 2 (Grading Math Homework)
• Should Teachers Assign Math Homework?

I am also aware that homework brings on another conversation:

• what to do if it is not complete AKA missing assignments

Any teacher will tell you that a missing assignment is a giant pain.  No one enjoys seeing the blank space in the grade book, especially a middle school teacher with 125+ students. (Side note, my first year I had 157.  Pretty much insane.)

Grading Homework, Yes or No?

Goodness, this is a decision you have to make for you and the best interest of your students. In my experience, I would say I graded 85% of assignments for some type of accuracy.  I am not a fan of completion grades.  The purpose of homework is to practice, but we don’t want to practice incorrectly.   Completion grades didn’t work for me, because I didn’t want students to produce low quality work.  

Students had a “tutorial” class period (much like homeroom) in which they were allowed 20 minutes a day to work on assignments.  I always encouraged students to work on math or come to my room for homework help.  Yes, this often led to 40+ students in my room.  But, that means 40 students were doing math practice.  I love that.

I also believe that many students worked on it during that time because they knew it was for a grade.  This helps to build intrinsic motivation.  

Grading math homework:  USING THE HOMEWORK AGENDA

During the warm up, I circulated and checked for homework completion. Students would receive a stamp or my initials on their Homework Agenda. Essentially, the Homework Agenda (freebie offered later in this post) is a one-pager that kept students homework organized. As a class, we quickly graded the homework assignment. Then, I briefly would answer or discuss a difficult question or two.  To avoid cheating, any student who did not have their homework that day were required to clear their desk while we graded.

I would then present a grading scale.  This is where I might make math teachers crazy, but I would be generous.  Eight questions, ten points each.  Missing two problems would result in an 80.   I tried to make it advantageous to those who showed work and attempted, yet not just a “gimme” grade. 

Students would record their grade on their Homework Agenda. They would repeat this for every homework assignment that week. A completed Homework Agenda would have 4 assignments’ names, with 4 teacher completion signatures, and 4 grades for each day of the week that I assigned homework.

Later in the class or the following day as I circulated, I was able to see on the front of the Homework Agenda how students were doing and discuss personally with them whether or not they needed to see me in tutorials.   I was able to give specific praise to students who were giving 110% effort or making improvements. 

This is why I love the Homework Agenda.

“There is no possible way, I could collect the assignments individually and return them in a timely fashion. I tried that my first year and there was no hope. Since using it, I am quickly able to provide individual and specific feedback in a timely manner. It opens up conversations and helps be to encourage and be a champion for my students. ”

On Friday, I would collect the Homework Agenda.  If during the week you were absent, had an incomplete assignment, or didn’t complete one, Friday was D day.  It was going in the grade book on Friday.

Here is my weekly process:

• Collect homework agendas
• Have frank conversation with students who did not have it
• Record grades on paper (mostly to make putting it in the computer faster because they were ordered)
• Record grades in computer
• Send the same email to parents of students that did not turn in the agenda – write one email, then BCC names.
• List names of missing assignments on post-it note next to desk (official, I know)
• Pull students from tutorial time (homeroom) who owed me the homework
• Follow up with any students who were absent Friday and still needed to turn in their homework to me

What About the Missi ng Assignments?

Yes, there will be missing assignments.  Yes, students will come to Thursday and have lost their precious agenda.  However, it won’t happen often to the same kiddo.  My least organized student, who carried everything in their pocket, could fold that agenda up and hang onto it for a week.  It was too valuable.  Too many grades, too many assignments to redo.

We all know that it is much more work when students don’t complete their assignments.  It would be a dream world if everyone turned in their work everyday.  Unfortunately, we all live in reality.

We can vent our frustrations over students not doing work, which is legitimate.  We can also work towards solutions. 

The reality is that not every student has a support system at home.  I would love for us to be that voice of inspiration and encouragement.   Sometimes that voice sounds like tough love and a hounding for assignments and just being consistent that you value their education and you are not willing to let them give up on it.

They will appreciate it one day and you will be happy you did the extra work.

Want to try the Homework Agenda?  Download the template here, just type and go!

This post is part 2 in a two part series.  To read part 1, click here.

Digital Math Activities

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Reader Interactions

42 comments.

February 29, 2016 at 2:39 pm

How do you prevent kids from cheating and writing a better grade than deserved? And you said 8 questions 10 points each, so do you then give them 20 points for attempting for making it an even 100?

March 1, 2016 at 2:46 am

Hi Lisa, thanks for the question. You make a great point about students wanting to write a better grade than they earned. The first few weeks, I really talk about what it means to be honest and check over their shoulders. As I walk around to check I will make sure everyone is marking their assignment correctly. I even will flip through what has been turned in on Fridays and double check or “spot” check. After several years of doing this, I can only count a handful of times when I had to deal with a situation. You would be surprised! Yes, I tried to make everything easy to grade as well as giving points for effort, especially if the assignment was difficult. Hope that helps!

May 20, 2016 at 10:03 pm

So do you have students turn in all the papers on friday as well or just the agenda? How do you spot check if you only collect the agenda?

May 20, 2016 at 10:38 pm

Hi Heather! Yes, I have students turn in their work with the agenda. If it was a handout/worksheet I provided, I just set the copier to staple it to the back. If it was something out of a text book, they would staple it to the agenda. Hope that helps!

June 4, 2016 at 9:42 pm

The ‘initials’ box on the homework agenda is for you to sign when checking who has it done? Or is the person correcting the paper initializing it?

Do you take off points for students not having an assignment done by the time Friday rolls around? Also, what does the small 1’s and 2’s in the corner of your gradebook mean?

June 5, 2016 at 6:56 am

Hi Alysia! I use the initials box to sign or stamp that it was complete before we graded it. I think you could have the student grading do that, but then you wouldn’t have a good grasp on how kids were doing throughout the week. I really liked going around at the beginning of class and touching base with students/seeing who needed extra help. Yes, I took off points for turing it in late. We had a standard policy on our campus that I followed. Also, by not having initials, it was by default late because it didn’t get checked when I came around. This section of my gradebook was during review for state testing, so the 1’s and 2’s were a little incentive I was running in my classroom. Review can be so boring and tedious, so I tried to spice it up with a sticker/point system for effort and making improvement. Hope this helps!

August 15, 2016 at 6:27 pm

I’m a bit confused how you assigned a grade to the homework assignment. First, you mentioned each problem was assigned 10 points. How did you determine how many points students would receive for each problem? If I read your blog correctly it sounds like you had the students score the assignment, how did you instruct them to score each problem? With 10 points for each problem it seems like there is a potential to have a wide range of scores for each problem based on who is grading it. Also, did the grader score it or did the student give their own work a grade? Sorry for all the questions…thank you!

August 16, 2016 at 6:43 am

Hi Tanya! In my example, there were eight problems but I only counted each as being worth ten points. That would be twenty points left over for trying/showing work/etc. As for marking it, each problem incorrect would be ten points off. Hope that helps. You could have either the student self grade or do a trade and grade method, whichever you felt more comfortable with.

November 28, 2016 at 1:28 am

Can you explain your grading system in the photo on this page where it reads, “Grading without the stacks of paper”? What do the small 1, 2 and 3’s mean? I assume your method on this posting is to avoid the complicated grading, but you’ve got me curious now about what method you were using in your photo. Thanks for clarifying this for me.

January 2, 2017 at 9:48 pm

The small numbers in the corner were used for an incentive. This photo is from a state assessment prep and I used various points for incentives to keep working!

December 26, 2016 at 7:31 pm

I like the idea of trade and grade. Right not I just check hw for completion and they get 5 points for doing the assignment. I treat this like extra credit for them. Most of them will at least attempt the problems and show their work. We also talk about just writing random numbers and how that will get no points.

December 26, 2016 at 7:34 pm

Ugh! The name is Celeste

March 11, 2017 at 7:25 pm

We aren’t allowed to do trade and grade due to privacy issues and legal issues. Otherwise, I do like this idea.

April 1, 2017 at 2:33 pm

I have heard that from other teachers. You could have them check their own, too.

May 30, 2017 at 3:19 pm

Do you allow them to redo and make corrections to their work for credit back? Or does the grade stand no matter what? This is why I go back and forth between correctness and completion. While they need to practice correctly, I don’t like being punitive for getting the answers wrong when they are learning the material for the first time. I want them to practice, and practice correctly. But I also want them to be motivated to persevere and relearn until they master the material.

June 4, 2017 at 6:10 am

Yes, it depended on the school policy but I would typically drop the lowest homework grade at the end of the grading period. If a student is willing to come in and work on their assignment (redo, a new one, etc), then I was always thrilled and would replace the grade! We want kids to learn from their mistakes. 🙂

June 4, 2017 at 1:48 pm

Regarding grading homework, my students have three homework assignments each week, with between 8 and 13 practice problems per assignment. I go through each problem and award 0-3 points per problem. 0 points if they did nothing. And then 1 point for attempting the problem, 1 point for showing necessary/appropriate work, and 1 point for a correct answer. This way, even if students get the problem wrong, they can still get 2 out of 3 points. If a student got each problem wrong, but were clearly trying, I would give them an overall grade of 70%.

June 20, 2017 at 8:13 pm

Great ideas! Love that!

August 31, 2019 at 8:27 am

Are you grading that, or the students?!?!

March 15, 2024 at 10:44 am

It depends! Usually I had my students grade!

June 15, 2017 at 4:54 pm

Do you staple the agenda to a homework packet to hand out on Monday?

June 20, 2017 at 8:07 pm

Yes! Well actually, I would copy it all together or if it was out of a text book, they would staple their work.

June 19, 2017 at 12:16 am

Our district insists that we MUST allow students an opportunity to complete assignments, and we have to accept them late. They do not specify how late though. I was bogged down with tons of late work this last year, and hated it. Can you please share with me your secret of how you handle late work, how late can it be, how much credit does it receive, and how do you grade it? That would help me tremendously. Thank You!

June 20, 2017 at 8:00 pm

We always had school policies for the amount of credit a student could earn, so I would follow that for credit. As far as actually collecting and grading, I did the following: 1. If it was late, I didn’t sign their assignment sheet. Instead I wrote late. 2. They had until Friday, when I collected the assignment sheet and homework to complete it. 3. On Friday, I would collect everything complete or not, and put grades in the grade book. Then, I would send an email to parents letting them know. Usually, kids would then be motivated to come to tutoring to complete any missing grades. I tried to not take any papers other than the Assignment Sheet and its corresponding work.

August 11, 2019 at 2:47 pm

If the students came in the next week and finished the missing assignment, would you give them full points or would they still lose some points for turning the assignment in late?

March 15, 2024 at 10:47 am

Hi, Jackie! I would go with your school’s grading policy.

August 12, 2018 at 1:55 pm

I really hate taking late work but when im forced to I tell my students that the highest grade they could receive is 5 points lower than the lowest grade fromthe student that turned it in on time.

July 17, 2017 at 3:30 pm

What percentage of their overall grade is homework? We are only allowed to give 10% which is why I only grade for completion and showing work. Maybe I’m not understanding correctly, but you have 80 points per assignment roughly?

August 11, 2017 at 5:26 am

Yes, I really tried to be generous and would give points for showing work/effort, to make the grading scale easy. Thanks!

July 30, 2017 at 9:07 pm

Love all the ideas. One question though – do you have any problems with kids not having their homework done, but making note of the correct answers while the class is grading and then just copying those answers later?

August 11, 2017 at 5:18 am

I would suggest to monitor and ask them to have a cleaned off desk if they did not have their assignment. Thanks!

August 22, 2017 at 11:37 am

What does your class look like on Fridays? If you only assign homework M-Th, when do your students get practice on the material that you teach on Friday?

September 2, 2017 at 9:01 pm

Hi Briana! I didn’t assign homework on Fridays, and really tried to plan for a cooperative learning activity if possible. This way we could practice what we did all week.

August 5, 2019 at 9:21 am

I love the idea of the homework agenda. I tried passing out papers and filing them but it was to time consuming. If students are allowed to take the packet back and forth every day what keeps them from sharing their answers to other students from another class period throughout the day? I love that you can put notes/reminders at the bottom of the agenda page.

June 11, 2018 at 11:07 am

Hello! Do you have a editable copy if your homework agenda anywhere? It seems like an interesting concept. I would love to see the overall layout.

March 15, 2024 at 10:13 am

Yes! You can get it here: https://www.maneuveringthemiddle.com/math-homework/

June 13, 2018 at 7:39 pm

What are your procedures for the agenda for those students who were absent the day you graded?

Hi, Brittany! What a great question. I would just collect any absent students’ packets when they return and grade them on my own.

December 2, 2018 at 11:21 am

I often give homework on Quizizz or EdPuzzle which scores for me. The kids who cannot do the assignment at home due to computer or internet issues can do it in tutoring. (I offer before school, after school, and lunch opportunities for tutoring.)

December 9, 2018 at 9:16 pm

How do you set up your homework agenda? In the date box do you put the due date? Or the date they receive the assignment? Do you have an example homework agenda?

December 22, 2018 at 11:34 am

Hi Alyssa! Yes, check out this blog post for more ideas and a sample: https://www.maneuveringthemiddle.com/math-homework/

August 20, 2019 at 11:41 pm

How and when in this process do you grade the homework for accuracy? At your quick glance at the start of class? On Friday after you collect the agenda and associated work? What mechanism do you use to provide constructive, timely feedback to the students?

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How to Introduce ESL Journal Writing to Your Students

Engaging journal writing will capture your students’ thoughts, feelings and memories. Journals can be made personal yet fun, and the writing can make a true difference not only in your students’ English skills , but in their development as people.

Check out the nine tips below for introducing ESL journal writing to your students, and helping them to fully engage with the activity.

• 1. Consider multiple mediums

2. Encourage students to add a personal touch

3. make housekeeping matters a priority, 4. allocate a reasonable amount of in-class writing time, 5. give a variety of prompts from different categories, 6. create an interesting writing mood, 7. stick to a consistent feedback format, 8. sustain students’ interest by giving timely feedback, 9. help students create compelling entries, benefits of journal writing for esl students.

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1. Consider multiple  mediums

Journals can come in anything from a beautiful bound book consisting of lined or blank pages to loose sketch papers manually bound by a plastic spine.

To find which will be best for your students, first ask whether your students are able/willing to purchase their own journals. If not, is your school able to issue journals or sketch books to them?

The next best alternative is for students to write their entries on blank pieces of paper that can be manually compiled .

If you’d like to give your students the option of using online templates for their journals, the links below may provide you with some ideas:

• Printable lined paper
• “What’s On Your Mind?” template
• Travel journal pages

You can instill a sense of ownership by getting students to decorate their journal covers, add photos and paste pictures. Adding a personal touch will be a first step to encourage your students to write.

You can instill creativity in entries by letting your students include sketches and illustrations alongside their writing.

For students who love to doodle, urge them to draw using all forms of medium—pencil, charcoal, colored pencils—to complement their journal entries. Students will surely be motivated to write because they are allowed to imprint their feelings and imagination by way of drawing.

Have a look at these beautiful samples to ignite your imagination:

• 31 things to do 
• Colorful journal entry
• Seoul in love
• I want to learn to…
• “Smash book” pages

Letting students browse Pinterest in English is another great activity to get them excited for journal writing.

You will have to consider when students will bring and submit the journals, when you will return them and how to execute the topics before getting students started with the writing process.

I recommend getting your students to bring their journals to school on a daily basis, but of course it will all depend on your class schedule. Whether you decide to assign topics on a weekly or a daily basis, stick to it.

Weekly journal writing allows more capable students to proceed on to subsequent topics without waiting for the next one to be announced. On the other hand, making journal writing a daily affair is ideal for getting into the momentum. If the majority of students in your class need support, giving them daily topics will be easier to monitor. You could always gradually reduce the sessions to two or three times a week in class, and expect two additional topics to be done outside of class.

There is no one-size-fits-all procedure, so try out some different options and adjust as you go along until you begin to see an effective formula. We will dive into a few of these housekeeping matters more in depth in the following tips, but just make sure to get a plan in place.

I always give my students class time to write their journal entries, and if they can’t complete the entries they are allowed to take them home. This also gives students time to decorate their entries at home, while working on the bulk of the writing in class.

But how long should you allow your students to write in their journals? The rule of thumb is to allow somewhere in between 10 to 30 minutes. With that in mind, 20 minutes is a great amount of time for your first session.

If students tend to get restless and lose interest by the end of the lesson, you will want to slot in journal writing at the beginning of the lesson when their concentration level is high.

If your class is productive and fixed in temperament, perhaps incorporating journal writing sessions at the end of the lesson as a winding down phase will be a good idea. This helps students to explore their creativity and express freely through writing and illustration .

Allocating suitable topics for the class as homework is beneficial in two ways: (1) It provides a continuum for students to practice writing in a habit-forming way and (2) students get to write about personal topics in a space outside the classroom without time constraints.

Ideally, it is recommended that you introduce prompts category by category, in order of difficulty. In general, the four categories I will introduce are ordered from easiest to most difficult as follows:

Descriptive

Imaginative

Once students have been introduced to all the categories and have had practice writing on each one, you can mix them up to add variety in subsequent journal writing sessions.

Here are some example topics to get you familiar with each type of entry:

• Describe how you spent the last weekend.
• Describe your favorite place in the house.
• Describe an unforgettable holiday.
• If you were a superhero, what kind of power would you like to have and why?
• Imagine that you have been chosen to live on Mars for a few years. What would you build there and why?
• What animal would you like to be and why?
• What is the most valuable thing you have learned in the past few months and how has it helped you grow?
• Write about the friends you have made since you joined the school and explain the importance of friendship.
• Think about one thing you would most like to have and explain the reasons why.
• What do you think is the cause of the problems between the rich and the poor today?
• Can climate change be reversed?
• How can we reduce child exploitation in third-world countries?

For beginners and pre-intermediate classes, it is best to concentrate on the descriptive and imaginative prompts. If you are hungry for more ideas,  look to the Internet for an exhaustive list of prompts .

By controlling the writing environment, you can change the mood to make writing an inviting and fun activity. Here are a few ways you can do this:

• Use music.  Get to know the kind of music your students listen to. Play easy listening pop music in the background to stimulate creativity and arouse students’ interest. Albums that work well for this include  Michael Buble’s “To Be Loved”  and Adele’s “25.”
• Display visuals.  Provide images in the form of pictures, clip art and photos related to the topic at hand. These not only give students stimulus for writing, but also inject some fun and color to the activity.
• Encourage imagination.  Think outside the box and encourage students to be imaginative. Let’s say you’d like students to write about three things they would need the most if they were stranded on an island and to explain why. If narrated with animation and a tone of suspense, you will be able to successfully capture your students’ attention and get them interested to write.
• Play sound effects.  Collect a list of sounds and burn them on a CD or play relevant sounds from Soundbible . This will come in handy as stimuli to trigger students’ imaginations. Play the soothing sounds of waves and the cawing sounds of seagulls when getting students to write about a day at the beach. The sounds of thunder and rain  will have a calming effect no matter what they are writing about!

If the aim of introducing journal writing is to produce positive outcomes, you should consider putting a systemic marking strategy in place.

Consider using a combination of the following methods:

Selective grading using code markers

Below are abbreviations of parts of speech you can use when grading your students’ entries. ( Here are a few more.)

SV – subject verb agreement

Prep – preposition

P – punctuation

WO – word order

WW – wrong word

In selective grading, you can select one or two areas to look out for in each entry, such as tenses and punctuation. The idea is to read the content, paying particular attention to the selected areas. That way, it does not become another writing exercise where you need to correct each and every mistake. You can choose to switch areas of focus each time you grade an entry.

Inform your students about the selective grading process so that they know not all the errors are marked and what each abbreviation stands for. This is an effective grading process, as it enables you to identify students’ weak areas, work on them in class and chart their progress.

Prompt using questions

Another method of giving feedback is to write questions in the margins for students to reflect on and expand their ideas.

Examples are as follows:

• Would you return to this place in the future?
• What makes cooking so relaxing?
• How can you be a better friend?

Make an effort to ask a variety of open-ended questions: what, how, why. Encourage your students to answer these questions in subsequent entries.

Commenting on strengths and areas for improvement

At the end of each journal entry, you could choose to write comments on the overall content, use of language and ideas expressed. Bear in mind to start with a positive comment and then comment on an area for improvement.

Try to evoke an enthusiastic and encouraging tone as much as possible, while maintaining honesty at the same time.

To ensure that students look through all the graded entries, get them to answer prompts you have written. Acknowledge your students’ attempts at improving their entries by adding your initials once you have read them.

Now that you have some options for types of feedback, decide how often you will give feedback. I recommend either daily or weekly, depending on how often students are writing, as anything less frequent will be less effective.

Daily basis.  Immediate feedback is the ideal method of getting back to your students if you see them every day. The entries are fresh in their minds. Students can take necessary measures to look through their mistakes and make the additions to their content as part of their improvement strategy.

Weekly basis.  This is an alternative to the immediate feedback arrangement. Here, students submit one entry or a set of entries on a weekly basis. This works well if you don’t see your students daily. However, it would then be more time consuming for you, as you could have five entries per student instead of one. 

It could also then feel overwhelming for students to be faced with the onerous task of responding to your comments on multiple entries at once.

Use your discretion and trial out each method to see what works best for your class.

The next stage of journal writing is getting students to elaborate on ideas so the entries sound appealing. To teach students to add color to their writing, consider the following tips:

• Color code.  Highlight nouns in red, for example, where adjectives could have been included, and highlight verbs in blue where adverbs could have been included. Make this known to students and stick to the same colors for the same parts of speech. Encourage students to write adjectives/adverbs above the color upon receiving their graded entries, so that they are more mindful of this next time.
• Write questions for students to reflect on and answer.  Include when, where, what, how, why and who questions for students to consider, as mentioned in #7. You can choose to ask a mixture of closed- or open-ended questions as the intent is simply to get your students to add color to their writing.
• Encourage students to look at an idea from various angles. This will be suitable for more mature and advanced level students. For example, if your students are asked to write about their feelings on happiness, you can teach them to think of the topic from different points of view—that of a student, working adult or a parent, or those in various living conditions and cultural backgrounds.
• Remind students to include sensory details.  Sensory details include the senses of hearing, tasting, sight, sound and touch. If writing about the beach, encourage your students to add details about the water, sand, people, etc. Get them to use many adjectives to describe common nouns.

“The soft, powdery sand feels light under my feet.”

“I could hear the excited voices of children playing happily in the calm water.”

• Provides an effective platform for writing practice.  When integrated regularly in your ESL lessons, journal writing can be a meaningful way for students to practice and improve the quality of their writing.
• Allows the use of high order thinking skills.  When you introduce journal writing in your ESL class, you encourage your students to think about past activities or events and evaluate them. They get to use adjectives and emotive words to express their feelings about past occurrences. But the benefit doesn’t end there. Your students will also get to use high order thinking skills in analytical or hypothetical questions. This helps them to inculcate maturity in thought.
• Serves as preparation for personal recount writing.  Since personal recount is a text type that students need to be exposed to, why not jumpstart it with journal writing? This way, the transition to personal writing can be quite smooth when you get there.
• Translates to a relationship builder.  Journal writing can be an effective medium through which you can gain access to your students’ deepest thoughts and feelings. Journal writing can be a non-threatening way for students to reveal their fears, joy and worries. In short, it is a fabulous way to get to know your students better so that you can work on their strengths and improve their weaknesses.

Journal writing is a tried and proven method to help students improve their writing in the long run. As you can see, it is a supplementary exercise to encourage ESL students to write without the fear of making mistakes.

Explore different ways of making journal writing fun. Incorporate your students’ interests and use their strengths for journal writing to be a win-win for both you and your students.

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Homework Diaries

A homework diary is the perfect way to promote organisation skills and to communicate between school and home.

Our homework diaries are the perfect organisational tool for students, teachers and parents. With bespoke and ‘off-the-shelf’ options, there really is something to suit every school and budget.

Studies show that effective planning through use of a homework diary can be an excellent way to keep learners motivated and on-track. We give your students the tools they need to succeed.

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Throughout the years, we have learned what makes a good homework diary – versatility! One school’s needs will not be the same as another school, that’s why we have a huge variety of different content options in our library.

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Search our database of 10,000+ Microsoft Office templates.

5+ School Student Diary/Planner Templates for MS Word [Free .docx files]

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#1 – class notebook diary/planner.

#2 – Student Class Assignment Diary Design

#3 – Student Daily Class Work Diary Format

#4 – Student Homework Diary/Planner

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Most common sections in a daily school diary.

• A heading that defines the school diary. You might call it a student diary, a school planner, a study planner, and student homework guide, etc.
• The homework lists
• The list of activities to be performed every day
• Weekly, and monthly activities to be performed
• Separate schedules for each subject
• List of upcoming monthly, bimonthly, or annual exams
• List of arts activities to be performed and the materials needed
• List of extracurricular and co-curricular activities that students can take part in, and so on.

How to make a school diary fun and not so boring for students?

• As cliché as it might sound, the importance of a strong diary title page cannot be neglected. A beautiful, colorful, and interesting cover page will instantly attract children’s attention. In addition, this makes it easier to arouse their curiosity in planning and scheduling.
• The pages inside that cover basic everyday work planning need to be made as fun looking as possible too. There is no point in keeping them boring!
• Children can be indulged in the planner by introducing activities like sticker pasting, cut and pasting, coloring, etc.

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