make a homework

Publish your worksheet to make it printable

My Worksheet Maker is the free, easy, and fun way to make polished worksheets for your students. My Worksheet Maker works best on larger displays and may not work well on this device. Please use a device with a larger screen or Click here to continue.

‘Make homework’ vs. ‘do homework’ in English

First, let me note that “homework” is an uncountable (mass) noun in English. It is a common mistake, even among some non-native teachers of English as a foreign language, to say things like, “Hand in your homeworks, please.” The word “homework”, being uncountable, does not have a plural form. If you really must refer to several separate “pieces” of homework, the word you are looking for is “assignment”:

It is also not possible to use “homework” with “a”:

Let’s move on to the main topic of this article. Without further ado, the correct verb to use with “homework” is “do”, not “make”:

“Homework” is not in any way special in this respect. We always use “do” with activities and “make” with objects that are being made. Just like we “do work”, not “make work”, we also “do homework”, meaning the activity.

The confusion arises from the fact that the most direct translation of “homework” into other languages often refers to the sheets of paper on which the assignments are written, hence it would make sense to “make it”. For the very same reason, we wouldn’t usually speak about “writing homework”:

By the way, have you already seen my brand new web app for non-native speakers of English ? It's based on reading texts and learning by having all meanings, pronunciations, grammar forms etc. easily accessible. It looks like this:

Use the image

Choose Your Test

Search Blogs By Category
College Admissions
AP and IB Exams
GPA and Coursework

How to Do Homework: 15 Expert Tips and Tricks

Coursework/GPA

Everyone struggles with homework sometimes, but if getting your homework done has become a chronic issue for you, then you may need a little extra help. That’s why we’ve written this article all about how to do homework. Once you’re finished reading it, you’ll know how to do homework (and have tons of new ways to motivate yourself to do homework)!

We’ve broken this article down into a few major sections. You’ll find:

A diagnostic test to help you figure out why you’re struggling with homework
A discussion of the four major homework problems students face, along with expert tips for addressing them
A bonus section with tips for how to do homework fast

By the end of this article, you’ll be prepared to tackle whatever homework assignments your teachers throw at you .

So let’s get started!

How to Do Homework: Figure Out Your Struggles

Sometimes it feels like everything is standing between you and getting your homework done. But the truth is, most people only have one or two major roadblocks that are keeping them from getting their homework done well and on time.

The best way to figure out how to get motivated to do homework starts with pinpointing the issues that are affecting your ability to get your assignments done. That’s why we’ve developed a short quiz to help you identify the areas where you’re struggling.

Take the quiz below and record your answers on your phone or on a scrap piece of paper. Keep in mind there are no wrong answers!

1. You’ve just been assigned an essay in your English class that’s due at the end of the week. What’s the first thing you do?

A. Keep it in mind, even though you won’t start it until the day before it’s due B. Open up your planner. You’ve got to figure out when you’ll write your paper since you have band practice, a speech tournament, and your little sister’s dance recital this week, too. C. Groan out loud. Another essay? You could barely get yourself to write the last one! D. Start thinking about your essay topic, which makes you think about your art project that’s due the same day, which reminds you that your favorite artist might have just posted to Instagram...so you better check your feed right now.

2. Your mom asked you to pick up your room before she gets home from work. You’ve just gotten home from school. You decide you’ll tackle your chores:

A. Five minutes before your mom walks through the front door. As long as it gets done, who cares when you start? B. As soon as you get home from your shift at the local grocery store. C. After you give yourself a 15-minute pep talk about how you need to get to work. D. You won’t get it done. Between texts from your friends, trying to watch your favorite Netflix show, and playing with your dog, you just lost track of time!

3. You’ve signed up to wash dogs at the Humane Society to help earn money for your senior class trip. You:

A. Show up ten minutes late. You put off leaving your house until the last minute, then got stuck in unexpected traffic on the way to the shelter. B. Have to call and cancel at the last minute. You forgot you’d already agreed to babysit your cousin and bake cupcakes for tomorrow’s bake sale. C. Actually arrive fifteen minutes early with extra brushes and bandanas you picked up at the store. You’re passionate about animals, so you’re excited to help out! D. Show up on time, but only get three dogs washed. You couldn’t help it: you just kept getting distracted by how cute they were!

4. You have an hour of downtime, so you decide you’re going to watch an episode of The Great British Baking Show. You:

A. Scroll through your social media feeds for twenty minutes before hitting play, which means you’re not able to finish the whole episode. Ugh! You really wanted to see who was sent home! B. Watch fifteen minutes until you remember you’re supposed to pick up your sister from band practice before heading to your part-time job. No GBBO for you! C. You finish one episode, then decide to watch another even though you’ve got SAT studying to do. It’s just more fun to watch people make scones. D. Start the episode, but only catch bits and pieces of it because you’re reading Twitter, cleaning out your backpack, and eating a snack at the same time.

5. Your teacher asks you to stay after class because you’ve missed turning in two homework assignments in a row. When she asks you what’s wrong, you say:

A. You planned to do your assignments during lunch, but you ran out of time. You decided it would be better to turn in nothing at all than submit unfinished work. B. You really wanted to get the assignments done, but between your extracurriculars, family commitments, and your part-time job, your homework fell through the cracks. C. You have a hard time psyching yourself to tackle the assignments. You just can’t seem to find the motivation to work on them once you get home. D. You tried to do them, but you had a hard time focusing. By the time you realized you hadn’t gotten anything done, it was already time to turn them in.

Like we said earlier, there are no right or wrong answers to this quiz (though your results will be better if you answered as honestly as possible). Here’s how your answers break down:

If your answers were mostly As, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is procrastination.
If your answers were mostly Bs, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is time management.
If your answers were mostly Cs, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is motivation.
If your answers were mostly Ds, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is getting distracted.

Now that you’ve identified why you’re having a hard time getting your homework done, we can help you figure out how to fix it! Scroll down to find your core problem area to learn more about how you can start to address it.

And one more thing: you’re really struggling with homework, it’s a good idea to read through every section below. You may find some additional tips that will help make homework less intimidating.

How to Do Homework When You’re a Procrastinator

Merriam Webster defines “procrastinate” as “to put off intentionally and habitually.” In other words, procrastination is when you choose to do something at the last minute on a regular basis. If you’ve ever found yourself pulling an all-nighter, trying to finish an assignment between periods, or sprinting to turn in a paper minutes before a deadline, you’ve experienced the effects of procrastination.

If you’re a chronic procrastinator, you’re in good company. In fact, one study found that 70% to 95% of undergraduate students procrastinate when it comes to doing their homework. Unfortunately, procrastination can negatively impact your grades. Researchers have found that procrastination can lower your grade on an assignment by as much as five points ...which might not sound serious until you realize that can mean the difference between a B- and a C+.

Procrastination can also negatively affect your health by increasing your stress levels , which can lead to other health conditions like insomnia, a weakened immune system, and even heart conditions. Getting a handle on procrastination can not only improve your grades, it can make you feel better, too!

The big thing to understand about procrastination is that it’s not the result of laziness. Laziness is defined as being “disinclined to activity or exertion.” In other words, being lazy is all about doing nothing. But a s this Psychology Today article explains , procrastinators don’t put things off because they don’t want to work. Instead, procrastinators tend to postpone tasks they don’t want to do in favor of tasks that they perceive as either more important or more fun. Put another way, procrastinators want to do things...as long as it’s not their homework!

3 Tips f or Conquering Procrastination

Because putting off doing homework is a common problem, there are lots of good tactics for addressing procrastination. Keep reading for our three expert tips that will get your homework habits back on track in no time.

#1: Create a Reward System

Like we mentioned earlier, procrastination happens when you prioritize other activities over getting your homework done. Many times, this happens because homework...well, just isn’t enjoyable. But you can add some fun back into the process by rewarding yourself for getting your work done.

Here’s what we mean: let’s say you decide that every time you get your homework done before the day it’s due, you’ll give yourself a point. For every five points you earn, you’ll treat yourself to your favorite dessert: a chocolate cupcake! Now you have an extra (delicious!) incentive to motivate you to leave procrastination in the dust.

If you’re not into cupcakes, don’t worry. Your reward can be anything that motivates you . Maybe it’s hanging out with your best friend or an extra ten minutes of video game time. As long as you’re choosing something that makes homework worth doing, you’ll be successful.

#2: Have a Homework Accountability Partner

If you’re having trouble getting yourself to start your homework ahead of time, it may be a good idea to call in reinforcements . Find a friend or classmate you can trust and explain to them that you’re trying to change your homework habits. Ask them if they’d be willing to text you to make sure you’re doing your homework and check in with you once a week to see if you’re meeting your anti-procrastination goals.

Sharing your goals can make them feel more real, and an accountability partner can help hold you responsible for your decisions. For example, let’s say you’re tempted to put off your science lab write-up until the morning before it’s due. But you know that your accountability partner is going to text you about it tomorrow...and you don’t want to fess up that you haven’t started your assignment. A homework accountability partner can give you the extra support and incentive you need to keep your homework habits on track.

#3: Create Your Own Due Dates

If you’re a life-long procrastinator, you might find that changing the habit is harder than you expected. In that case, you might try using procrastination to your advantage! If you just can’t seem to stop doing your work at the last minute, try setting your own due dates for assignments that range from a day to a week before the assignment is actually due.

Here’s what we mean. Let’s say you have a math worksheet that’s been assigned on Tuesday and is due on Friday. In your planner, you can write down the due date as Thursday instead. You may still put off your homework assignment until the last minute...but in this case, the “last minute” is a day before the assignment’s real due date . This little hack can trick your procrastination-addicted brain into planning ahead!

If you feel like Kevin Hart in this meme, then our tips for doing homework when you're busy are for you.

How to Do Homework When You’re too Busy

If you’re aiming to go to a top-tier college , you’re going to have a full plate. Because college admissions is getting more competitive, it’s important that you’re maintaining your grades , studying hard for your standardized tests , and participating in extracurriculars so your application stands out. A packed schedule can get even more hectic once you add family obligations or a part-time job to the mix.

If you feel like you’re being pulled in a million directions at once, you’re not alone. Recent research has found that stress—and more severe stress-related conditions like anxiety and depression— are a major problem for high school students . In fact, one study from the American Psychological Association found that during the school year, students’ stress levels are higher than those of the adults around them.

For students, homework is a major contributor to their overall stress levels . Many high schoolers have multiple hours of homework every night , and figuring out how to fit it into an already-packed schedule can seem impossible.

3 Tips for Fitting Homework Into Your Busy Schedule

While it might feel like you have literally no time left in your schedule, there are still ways to make sure you’re able to get your homework done and meet your other commitments. Here are our expert homework tips for even the busiest of students.

#1: Make a Prioritized To-Do List

You probably already have a to-do list to keep yourself on track. The next step is to prioritize the items on your to-do list so you can see what items need your attention right away.

Here’s how it works: at the beginning of each day, sit down and make a list of all the items you need to get done before you go to bed. This includes your homework, but it should also take into account any practices, chores, events, or job shifts you may have. Once you get everything listed out, it’s time to prioritize them using the labels A, B, and C. Here’s what those labels mean:

A Tasks : tasks that have to get done—like showing up at work or turning in an assignment—get an A.
B Tasks : these are tasks that you would like to get done by the end of the day but aren’t as time sensitive. For example, studying for a test you have next week could be a B-level task. It’s still important, but it doesn’t have to be done right away.
C Tasks: these are tasks that aren’t very important and/or have no real consequences if you don’t get them done immediately. For instance, if you’re hoping to clean out your closet but it’s not an assigned chore from your parents, you could label that to-do item with a C.

Prioritizing your to-do list helps you visualize which items need your immediate attention, and which items you can leave for later. A prioritized to-do list ensures that you’re spending your time efficiently and effectively, which helps you make room in your schedule for homework. So even though you might really want to start making decorations for Homecoming (a B task), you’ll know that finishing your reading log (an A task) is more important.

#2: Use a Planner With Time Labels

Your planner is probably packed with notes, events, and assignments already. (And if you’re not using a planner, it’s time to start!) But planners can do more for you than just remind you when an assignment is due. If you’re using a planner with time labels, it can help you visualize how you need to spend your day.

A planner with time labels breaks your day down into chunks, and you assign tasks to each chunk of time. For example, you can make a note of your class schedule with assignments, block out time to study, and make sure you know when you need to be at practice. Once you know which tasks take priority, you can add them to any empty spaces in your day.

Planning out how you spend your time not only helps you use it wisely, it can help you feel less overwhelmed, too . We’re big fans of planners that include a task list ( like this one ) or have room for notes ( like this one ).

#3: Set Reminders on Your Phone

If you need a little extra nudge to make sure you’re getting your homework done on time, it’s a good idea to set some reminders on your phone. You don’t need a fancy app, either. You can use your alarm app to have it go off at specific times throughout the day to remind you to do your homework. This works especially well if you have a set homework time scheduled. So if you’ve decided you’re doing homework at 6:00 pm, you can set an alarm to remind you to bust out your books and get to work.

If you use your phone as your planner, you may have the option to add alerts, emails, or notifications to scheduled events . Many calendar apps, including the one that comes with your phone, have built-in reminders that you can customize to meet your needs. So if you block off time to do your homework from 4:30 to 6:00 pm, you can set a reminder that will pop up on your phone when it’s time to get started.

This dog isn't judging your lack of motivation...but your teacher might. Keep reading for tips to help you motivate yourself to do your homework.

How to Do Homework When You’re Unmotivated

At first glance, it may seem like procrastination and being unmotivated are the same thing. After all, both of these issues usually result in you putting off your homework until the very last minute.

But there’s one key difference: many procrastinators are working, they’re just prioritizing work differently. They know they’re going to start their homework...they’re just going to do it later.

Conversely, people who are unmotivated to do homework just can’t find the willpower to tackle their assignments. Procrastinators know they’ll at least attempt the homework at the last minute, whereas people who are unmotivated struggle with convincing themselves to do it at a ll. For procrastinators, the stress comes from the inevitable time crunch. For unmotivated people, the stress comes from trying to convince themselves to do something they don’t want to do in the first place.

Here are some common reasons students are unmotivated in doing homework :

Assignments are too easy, too hard, or seemingly pointless
Students aren’t interested in (or passionate about) the subject matter
Students are intimidated by the work and/or feels like they don’t understand the assignment
Homework isn’t fun, and students would rather spend their time on things that they enjoy

To sum it up: people who lack motivation to do their homework are more likely to not do it at all, or to spend more time worrying about doing their homework than...well, actually doing it.

3 Tips for How to Get Motivated to Do Homework

The key to getting homework done when you’re unmotivated is to figure out what does motivate you, then apply those things to homework. It sounds tricky...but it’s pretty simple once you get the hang of it! Here are our three expert tips for motivating yourself to do your homework.

#1: Use Incremental Incentives

When you’re not motivated, it’s important to give yourself small rewards to stay focused on finishing the task at hand. The trick is to keep the incentives small and to reward yourself often. For example, maybe you’re reading a good book in your free time. For every ten minutes you spend on your homework, you get to read five pages of your book. Like we mentioned earlier, make sure you’re choosing a reward that works for you!

So why does this technique work? Using small rewards more often allows you to experience small wins for getting your work done. Every time you make it to one of your tiny reward points, you get to celebrate your success, which gives your brain a boost of dopamine . Dopamine helps you stay motivated and also creates a feeling of satisfaction when you complete your homework !

#2: Form a Homework Group

If you’re having trouble motivating yourself, it’s okay to turn to others for support. Creating a homework group can help with this. Bring together a group of your friends or classmates, and pick one time a week where you meet and work on homework together. You don’t have to be in the same class, or even taking the same subjects— the goal is to encourage one another to start (and finish!) your assignments.

Another added benefit of a homework group is that you can help one another if you’re struggling to understand the material covered in your classes. This is especially helpful if your lack of motivation comes from being intimidated by your assignments. Asking your friends for help may feel less scary than talking to your teacher...and once you get a handle on the material, your homework may become less frightening, too.

#3: Change Up Your Environment

If you find that you’re totally unmotivated, it may help if you find a new place to do your homework. For example, if you’ve been struggling to get your homework done at home, try spending an extra hour in the library after school instead. The change of scenery can limit your distractions and give you the energy you need to get your work done.

If you’re stuck doing homework at home, you can still use this tip. For instance, maybe you’ve always done your homework sitting on your bed. Try relocating somewhere else, like your kitchen table, for a few weeks. You may find that setting up a new “homework spot” in your house gives you a motivational lift and helps you get your work done.

Social media can be a huge problem when it comes to doing homework. We have advice for helping you unplug and regain focus.

How to Do Homework When You’re Easily Distracted

We live in an always-on world, and there are tons of things clamoring for our attention. From friends and family to pop culture and social media, it seems like there’s always something (or someone!) distracting us from the things we need to do.

The 24/7 world we live in has affected our ability to focus on tasks for prolonged periods of time. Research has shown that over the past decade, an average person’s attention span has gone from 12 seconds to eight seconds . And when we do lose focus, i t takes people a long time to get back on task . One study found that it can take as long as 23 minutes to get back to work once we’ve been distracte d. No wonder it can take hours to get your homework done!

3 Tips to Improve Your Focus

If you have a hard time focusing when you’re doing your homework, it’s a good idea to try and eliminate as many distractions as possible. Here are three expert tips for blocking out the noise so you can focus on getting your homework done.

#1: Create a Distraction-Free Environment

Pick a place where you’ll do your homework every day, and make it as distraction-free as possible. Try to find a location where there won’t be tons of noise, and limit your access to screens while you’re doing your homework. Put together a focus-oriented playlist (or choose one on your favorite streaming service), and put your headphones on while you work.

You may find that other people, like your friends and family, are your biggest distraction. If that’s the case, try setting up some homework boundaries. Let them know when you’ll be working on homework every day, and ask them if they’ll help you keep a quiet environment. They’ll be happy to lend a hand!

#2: Limit Your Access to Technology

We know, we know...this tip isn’t fun, but it does work. For homework that doesn’t require a computer, like handouts or worksheets, it’s best to put all your technology away . Turn off your television, put your phone and laptop in your backpack, and silence notifications on any wearable tech you may be sporting. If you listen to music while you work, that’s fine...but make sure you have a playlist set up so you’re not shuffling through songs once you get started on your homework.

If your homework requires your laptop or tablet, it can be harder to limit your access to distractions. But it’s not impossible! T here are apps you can download that will block certain websites while you’re working so that you’re not tempted to scroll through Twitter or check your Facebook feed. Silence notifications and text messages on your computer, and don’t open your email account unless you absolutely have to. And if you don’t need access to the internet to complete your assignments, turn off your WiFi. Cutting out the online chatter is a great way to make sure you’re getting your homework done.

#3: Set a Timer (the Pomodoro Technique)

Have you ever heard of the Pomodoro technique ? It’s a productivity hack that uses a timer to help you focus!

Here’s how it works: first, set a timer for 25 minutes. This is going to be your work time. During this 25 minutes, all you can do is work on whatever homework assignment you have in front of you. No email, no text messaging, no phone calls—just homework. When that timer goes off, you get to take a 5 minute break. Every time you go through one of these cycles, it’s called a “pomodoro.” For every four pomodoros you complete, you can take a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes.

The pomodoro technique works through a combination of boundary setting and rewards. First, it gives you a finite amount of time to focus, so you know that you only have to work really hard for 25 minutes. Once you’ve done that, you’re rewarded with a short break where you can do whatever you want. Additionally, tracking how many pomodoros you complete can help you see how long you’re really working on your homework. (Once you start using our focus tips, you may find it doesn’t take as long as you thought!)

Two Bonus Tips for How to Do Homework Fast

Even if you’re doing everything right, there will be times when you just need to get your homework done as fast as possible. (Why do teachers always have projects due in the same week? The world may never know.)

The problem with speeding through homework is that it’s easy to make mistakes. While turning in an assignment is always better than not submitting anything at all, you want to make sure that you’re not compromising quality for speed. Simply put, the goal is to get your homework done quickly and still make a good grade on the assignment!

Here are our two bonus tips for getting a decent grade on your homework assignments , even when you’re in a time crunch.

#1: Do the Easy Parts First

This is especially true if you’re working on a handout with multiple questions. Before you start working on the assignment, read through all the questions and problems. As you do, make a mark beside the questions you think are “easy” to answer .

Once you’ve finished going through the whole assignment, you can answer these questions first. Getting the easy questions out of the way as quickly as possible lets you spend more time on the trickier portions of your homework, which will maximize your assignment grade.

(Quick note: this is also a good strategy to use on timed assignments and tests, like the SAT and the ACT !)

#2: Pay Attention in Class

Homework gets a lot easier when you’re actively learning the material. Teachers aren’t giving you homework because they’re mean or trying to ruin your weekend... it’s because they want you to really understand the course material. Homework is designed to reinforce what you’re already learning in class so you’ll be ready to tackle harder concepts later.

When you pay attention in class, ask questions, and take good notes, you’re absorbing the information you’ll need to succeed on your homework assignments. (You’re stuck in class anyway, so you might as well make the most of it!) Not only will paying attention in class make your homework less confusing, it will also help it go much faster, too.

What’s Next?

If you’re looking to improve your productivity beyond homework, a good place to begin is with time management. After all, we only have so much time in a day...so it’s important to get the most out of it! To get you started, check out this list of the 12 best time management techniques that you can start using today.

You may have read this article because homework struggles have been affecting your GPA. Now that you’re on the path to homework success, it’s time to start being proactive about raising your grades. This article teaches you everything you need to know about raising your GPA so you can

Now you know how to get motivated to do homework...but what about your study habits? Studying is just as critical to getting good grades, and ultimately getting into a good college . We can teach you how to study bette r in high school. (We’ve also got tons of resources to help you study for your ACT and SAT exams , too!)

These recommendations are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links, PrepScholar may receive a commission.

Trending Now

How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League

How to Get a Perfect 4.0 GPA

How to Write an Amazing College Essay

What Exactly Are Colleges Looking For?

ACT vs. SAT: Which Test Should You Take?

When should you take the SAT or ACT?

Get Your Free

Find Your Target SAT Score

Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests

How to Get a Perfect SAT Score, by an Expert Full Scorer

Score 800 on SAT Math

Score 800 on SAT Reading and Writing

How to Improve Your Low SAT Score

Score 600 on SAT Math

Score 600 on SAT Reading and Writing

Find Your Target ACT Score

Complete Official Free ACT Practice Tests

How to Get a Perfect ACT Score, by a 36 Full Scorer

Get a 36 on ACT English

Get a 36 on ACT Math

Get a 36 on ACT Reading

Get a 36 on ACT Science

How to Improve Your Low ACT Score

Get a 24 on ACT English

Get a 24 on ACT Math

Get a 24 on ACT Reading

Get a 24 on ACT Science

Stay Informed

Get the latest articles and test prep tips!

Ashley Sufflé Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams.

Ask a Question Below

Have any questions about this article or other topics? Ask below and we'll reply!

Our Mission

Illustration of person sitting on a chair of books and working on laptop

5 Ways to Make Homework More Meaningful

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

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.

Skip to Nav
Skip to Main
Skip to Footer

Saved Articles
Newsletters

How to Create Effective Homework

Please try again

Based on a recent spate of articles on homework, it’s clear that the homework wars -- how much? how often? -- are still topic of big interest to both parents and teachers. Some teachers hate to give homework; others see it as a vital necessity. But according to some research presented by Annie Murphy Paul, the question isn’t how much, but whether the homework teachers do give actually advances learning.

“A recent study, published in the Economics of Education Review,” Paul wrote in “How Can We Make Homework Worthwhile?” , “reports that homework in science, English and history has ‘little to no impact’ on student test scores. (The authors did note a positive effect for math homework.) Enriching children’s classroom learning requires making homework not shorter or longer, but smarter.” Paul goes on to describe specific practices, like spaced repetition (in which information is presented and repeated spaced out over time), retrieval practice (testing or quizzing not for assessment, but to reinforce material learned), and cognitive disfluency (“desirable difficulties” used to make learning stick) -- all memory/retrieval techniques that may help homework move beyond busy work and advance real learning.

But to get those elements to work, said Fires in the Mind author and speaker Kathleen Cushman, students must be motivated to do their homework in the first place. One example Cushman gave was creating a project so interesting and involved, students naturally wanted to keep working on it after the bell rang. She pointed to a chapter in the book where she describes a particular motivation for some high school students she interviewed, under the heading “Homework We Actually Want to Do”:

“Christina and Nicholas both remembered a global studies unit on the French Revolution in which students acted out a courtroom trial of the king and queen. The project brought even routine homework assignments to life, they said.

“I was the queen. So of course I wanted to do my homework all the time, so I could know the facts of what happened and what didn’t happen, know what I wanted to say when someone tried to say I did this or that thing. I could say, ‘Oh no, I didn’t!’ - because I’d read my homework,” said Christina.

Christina was using a form of retrieval practice -- but because it was so much fun to be the queen, she only knew she wanted to stay in character. The queen had to study the information to get it right.

Another way teachers can take a good, hard look at homework practices, said Cushman, is to ask themselves a few vital questions: “Does this homework ask each student to practice something that the student hasn’t yet mastered? Does the student clearly see its purpose? When students are asked to repeat or rehearse something, does it require them to focus? Or can they do it without really paying attention?” If the homework meets these criteria, she said, then it falls into the desirable realm of “deliberate practice .”

Dan Bisaccio, former high school science teacher and now Director of Science Education at Brown University, said that after years of experience giving homework to high school students, he now “preaches” to his future teachers: “Homework should be practice and extensions of what happens in class and should not be ‘new learning,’” he said. “That is, students [shouldn’t be] having to teach themselves new content or skills.”

He said he agreed with Cushman that motivation is key, and tried to design homework that kept students interested. “Teachers need to clue into what motivates their students, giving them something that they really want to complete, and complete well.” One assignment Bisaccio used, called an “Experience Map,” asked students to create a map of their experiences after a field study or other important project - a technique employing both retrieval practice and the somewhat trickier interleaving, a “desirable difficulty” in which problems of different types are presented in one assignment, making students think harder to come up with solutions and answers.

“We ‘map’ mentally and physically each day. It helps to keep us orientated through our frenzied sun-up to sun-down daily experiences,” reads the assignment. Directions are to draw a field experience map, including -- with regard to the class -- where students have been, what they have done, new challenges, and insights. Special suggestions for drawing include “a place of danger, a favorite place, a place of power, a place with a secret.” Students are also called upon to map the places where they learned the most, where they were challenged the most, and where the funniest experience happened.

In addition, Bisaccio asked students to write what had challenged them most as a learner, what had stretched their limits most -- meant to be reflections just for students themselves, and asked to be kept on the back of the map. “What they wrote on the back was not shared with others,” he said. Once the assignment was completed, maps were posted to form a class atlas of what they had learned.

All the examples included here, however, are examples of homework in a traditional classroom. What about homework in a flipped classroom , where the lectures, usually videos, are the homework? A recent New York Times article on flipped classrooms may provide insight into flipping homework on its head, too: it quoted high school senior Luwayne Harris, saying, “Whenever I had a problem on the homework, I couldn’t do anything about it at home. Now if I have a problem with a video, I can just rewind and watch it over and over again.”

Skip to main content
Skip to primary sidebar
Skip to footer

Additional menu

Khan Academy Blog

Making Homework Easier: Tips and Tools for Parents

posted on September 20, 2023

By Stephanie Yamkovenko , group manager of Khan Academy’s Digital Marketing Team.

Homework can present challenges for parents and children alike. You naturally want to provide support for your child’s learning journey and ensure they are reaching their full potential. In this blog post, we will delve into practical strategies to assist your child with their homework. From fostering understanding and offering encouragement to breaking down tasks and implementing rewards, we will explore a variety of effective approaches to help your child achieve academic success.

Step 1: Set Up Your Child for Success

Your child’s study environment can have a significant impact on their homework performance. Create a space that is free from distractions like the television, smartphones, or noisy siblings. The study space should be comfortable, well lit, and have all the necessary materials your child might need, such as pens, papers, and textbooks. If your child’s workspace is noisy or uncomfortable, they may have difficulty focusing on their homework, resulting in lower productivity.

For example, if you live in a small apartment, consider setting up a designated corner with a small desk or table where your child can focus on their work. You can use dividers or screens to create a sense of privacy and minimize distractions.

If the only place to do homework is in the dining room or kitchen, try to establish a routine where the area is cleared and organized before study time. This can help signal to your child that it’s time to concentrate and be productive.

Remember, it’s important to adapt to your specific circumstances and make the best of the available space. The key is to create a dedicated study area that promotes focus and minimizes interruptions regardless of the size or location of your home.

Try Confidence Boosters for Your Child Here!

Step 2: make it fun.

It’s important to make homework fun and engaging for your child. Here are some examples of how you can do it:

Use games : Incorporate educational games like card games, board games, or puzzles that align with the subject your child is learning. For instance, use Scrabble to practice spelling or Sudoku to enhance problem-solving skills.
Turn it into a challenge : Create a friendly competition between siblings or friends by setting goals or time limits for completing assignments. Offer small rewards or incentives for accomplishing tasks.
Make it interactive : Use hands-on activities or experiments to reinforce concepts learned in class. For science or math, conduct simple experiments at home or use manipulatives like blocks or counters to visualize abstract concepts.
Use technology : Explore online educational platforms or apps that offer interactive learning experiences. There are various educational games, virtual simulations, and videos available that can make homework more enjoyable.
Incorporate creativity : Encourage your child to express their understanding through art, storytelling, or multimedia presentations. For example, they can create a comic strip to summarize a story or make a short video to explain a concept.

Remember, by making homework enjoyable, you can help your child develop a positive attitude towards learning.

Step 3: Use Rewards

Rewards can be a powerful motivational tool for children. Offering positive reinforcement can encourage them to complete their homework on time and to the best of their ability.

Here are some examples of rewards our team has used with their children:

Extra screen time: “I use Apple parental controls to add screen time on their iPad.”
Access to a favorite toy: “My eight year old has a drum kit, which drives us all up the wall. (Thanks, Grandma!) But when they’ve been doing a lot of school work, we put on headphones and let him go nuts.”
Praise for a job well done: “Specific, measurable praise is what works best.”
Trip to the park: “A trip to the park is good for everyone, especially for the kids to run around with the doggos.”
Movie night: “I know every word and song lyric in Moana ; we now reserve showings for good behavior.”
Stickers or stamps: “Gold stars were such a thing growing up in the 80s; turns out they still work.”
Stay up a little later: “An extra 30 minutes feels like a whole day for my young ones; use this reward with caution as it can become the expectation!”

So, celebrate your child’s efforts and encourage them to continue doing their best.

Step 4: Break Down Difficult Tasks

When facing daunting homework assignments, follow these step-by-step instructions to break down the tasks into smaller, manageable chunks:

Understand the requirements and scope of the task.
Break down the assignment into individual tasks or sub-tasks.
Splitting the middle term
Using formula
Using Quadratic formula
Using algebraic identities
Determine the order in which tasks should be completed based on importance or difficulty.
Start with the easiest task. Begin with the task that seems the least challenging or time-consuming.
Progress to more challenging tasks: Once the easier tasks are completed, move on to more difficult ones.
Take breaks: Schedule short breaks between tasks to avoid burnout and maintain focus.
Check completed tasks for accuracy and make any necessary revisions.
Finish the remaining task(s) with the same approach.
Celebrate small achievements to boost confidence and keep motivation high.

By following these steps, you can make daunting homework assignments more manageable and less overwhelming for your child.

Step 5: Get Targeted Help

If your child is struggling with homework, it might be worth considering seeking personalized assistance. You have the option to search for professional tutors or explore online tutoring platforms, such as Khan Academy’s AI tutor, Khanmigo .

This AI tutor can offer personalized guidance and support tailored to your child’s specific needs, helping them grasp complex concepts and practice essential skills. Incorporating this approach can effectively complement your child’s learning and enhance their homework performance.

Enhance your child’s learning and boost homework performance!

Homework can be a challenge for both parents and children. But with the right approach, you can help your child overcome difficulties and support their learning. Encourage and understand your child, create a comfortable environment, break down difficult tasks, use rewards, get professional help when needed, and make it fun. With these tips and techniques, you can help your child achieve success, develop a love for learning, and achieve academic excellence. Remember that each child learns differently, so it’s essential to adjust your approach to meet their unique needs.

Get Khanmigo

The best way to learn and teach with AI is here. Ace the school year with our AI-powered guide, Khanmigo.

For learners For teachers For parents

Articles / Homework

Smart Homework: 13 Ways to Make It Meaningful

by MiddleWeb · Published 08/04/2014 · Updated 11/17/2019

In the first installment of Rick Wormeli’s homework advice, he made the case for take-home assignments that matter for learning and engage student interest . In Part 2, Rick offers some guiding principles that can help teachers create homework challenges that motivate kids and spark deeper learning in and out of school.

These articles are adapted and updated from Rick’s seminal book about teaching in the middle grades, Day One & Beyond: Practical Matters for New Middle Level Teachers . Rick continues to offer great advice about homework, differentiation, assessment and many other topics in workshops and presentations across North America. Check back in Part 1 for some additional homework resources.

I’ve been accumulating guiding principles for creating highly motivating homework assignments for many years — from my own teaching and from the distilled wisdom of others. Here are a baker’s dozen. Choose the ones most appropriate for students’ learning goals and your curriculum.

1. Give students a clear picture of the final product. This doesn’t mean everything is structured for them, or that there aren’t multiple pathways to the same high quality result. There’s room for student personalities to be expressed. Students clearly know what is expected, however. A clear picture sets purpose for doing the assignment. Priming the brain to focus on particular aspects of the learning experience helps the brain process the information for long-term retention. Setting purpose for homework assignments has an impact on learning and the assignment’s completion rate, as research by Marzano and others confirms.

2. Incorporate a cause into the assignment. Middle level students are motivated when they feel they are righting a wrong. They are very sensitive to justice and injustice. As a group, they are also very nurturing of those less fortunate than them. Find a community or personal cause for which students can fight fairly and incorporate your content and skills in that good fight— students will be all over the assignment.

4. Incorporate people whom students admire in their assignments. Students are motivated when asked to share what they know and feel about these folks. We are a society of heroes, and young adolescents are interested in talking about and becoming heroic figures.

5. Allow choices, as appropriate. Allow students to do the even-numbered or odd-numbered problems, or allow them to choose from three prompts, not just one. Let them choose the word that best describes the political or scientific process. Let them identify their own diet and its effects on young adolescent bodies. Let them choose to work with partners or individually. How about allowing them to choose from several multiple-intelligence based tasks? If they are working in ways that are comfortable, they are more likely to do the work. By making the choice, they have upped their ownership of the task.

6. Incorporate cultural products into the assignment. If students have to use magazines, television shows, foods, sports equipment, and other products they already use, they are likely to do the work. The brain loves to do tasks in contexts with which it is familiar.

7. Allow students to collaborate in determining how homework will be assessed. If they help design the criteria for success, such as when they create the rubric for an assignment, they “own” the assignment. It comes off as something done by them, not to them. They also internalize the expectations—another way for them to have clear targets.

With some assignments we can post well-done versions from previous years (or ones we’ve created for this purpose) and ask students to analyze the essential characteristics that make these assignments exemplary. Students who analyze such assignments will compare those works with their own and internalize the criteria for success, referencing the criteria while doing the assignment, not just when it’s finished.

9. Spruce up your prompts. Don’t ask students to repeatedly answer questions or summarize. Try some of these openers instead: Decide between, argue against, Why did ______ argue for, compare, contrast, plan, classify, retell ______ from the point of view of ______, Organize, build, interview, predict, categorize, simplify, deduce, formulate, blend, suppose, invent, imagine, devise, compose, combine, rank, recommend, defend, choose.

10. Have everyone turn in a paper. In her classic, Homework: A New Direction (1992), Neila Connors reminded teachers to have all students turn in a paper, regardless of whether they did the assignment. If a student doesn’t have his homework, he writes on the paper the name of the assignment and why he didn’t do it.

11. Do not give homework passes. I used to do this; then I realized how much it minimized the importance of homework. It’s like saying, “Oh, well, the homework really wasn’t that important to your learning. You’ll learn just as well without it.” Homework should be so productive for students that missing it is like missing the lesson itself.

12. Integrate homework with other subjects. One assignment can count in two classes. Such assignments are usually complex enough to warrant the dual grade and it’s a way to work smarter, not harder, for both students and teachers. Teachers can split the pile of papers to grade, then share the grades with each other, and students don’t have homework piling up in multiple classes.

There are times when every teacher on the team assigns a half-hour assignment, and so do the elective or encore class teachers. This could mean three to four hours of homework for the student, which is inappropriate for young adolescents.

13. Occasionally, let students identify what homework would be most effective. Sometimes the really creative assignments are the ones that students design themselves. After teaching a lesson, ask your students what it would take to practice the material so well it became clearly understood. Many of the choices will be rigorous and very appropriate.

This is one reason I always recommend that, as a basic premise, we avoid Monday morning quizzes and weekend or holiday homework assignments. Sure, there will be exceptions when long-term projects come due. But if we are really about teaching so that students learn and not about appearing rigorous and assigning tasks to show that we have taught, then we’ll carefully consider all the effects of our homework expectations. Our students will be more productive at school for having healthier lives at home.

▶ More resources from Rick Wormeli:

Although Rick never mentions the word homework in this article about helping adolescent students improve their “executive function,” you will immediately see the connections! At the AMLE website .

NEXT: In our final excerpt from Day One & Beyond, Rick Wormeli shares his approach to homework assessment – with an clear emphasis on maintaining teacher sanity.

His books include Meet Me in the Middle ; Day One and Beyond ; Fair Isn’t Always Equal: Assessment and Grading in the Differentiated Classroom ; Differentiation: From Planning to Practice; Metaphors & Analogies: Power Tools for Teaching Any Subject, and Summarization in Any Subject , plus The Collected Writings (So Far) of Rick Wormeli: Crazy Good Stuff I Learned about Teaching Along the Way .

He is currently working on his first young adult fiction novel and a new book on homework practices in the 21 st century.

4 Responses

Pingbacks 0

This is a really great article. It has helped me tremendously in making new and better decisions about homework.

Fabulous sage advice! Although I love every single suggestion you’ve included, I am particularly fond of the elimination of the “homework pass”. As a former middle-level teacher and administrator, I too found the homework pass diminished the importance of follow-up work – a necessary component in determining the level of student understanding.

I do give 2 passes, but they just extend due date by a day. And if not used, they may be returned at the end of the 9 weeks for extra credit.

Rick Wormeli’s ideas and tips in this article continue to be stimulating and useful. That said, it’s been more than a decade since the first edition of his book on grading, homework and assessment, Fair Isn’t Always Equal appeared.

In the intervening years, Rick’s thinking about homework has benefited from his work with teachers and in schools and plenty of debate. In April 2018, he published a new 2nd edition of Fair Isn’t Always Equal that includes an even deeper discussion of homework and its relationship to best practice, differentiation, and the moral obligation of educators to insist on effective homework policies.

Visitors to the Stenhouse page for the new book can preview the *entire* text for free, so be sure to check that out.

Here’s a brief excerpt from the new book:

Tenet: Homework should enable students to practice what they have already learned in class and should not present new content for the first time. Principled Responses:

• I will not assign homework to students who do not understand the content. • I will give homework to some students and no homework or different assignments to others, depending on their proficiency. • I will use exit slips and formative assessment during class so I can determine proper after-school practice for each student. • I will not give homework because parents and administrators expect me to do so, or assign homework because it’s a particular day of the week. • I will assign homework only if it furthers students’ proficiency in the field we’re studying.

Thanks to Rick for giving us permission to share this!

Sign Up & Receive the Latest News about Our Content…

Email address:

First Name:

Read our Privacy Policy

BOOK REVIEWS

How Reader’s Theater Builds Reading Fluency

Use Emotional IQ Skills to Navigate Turbulence

Reach Past the Timeline with Thematic History

Literacy Instruction Can Promote Social Justice

Centering Love, Justice & Liberation in Schools

Routines for Creating Reading Communities

All the Tools You’ll Need for Differentiation

What MATH-ish Can Add to Your Math Classes

Coaching That Builds GT Teacher Capacity

Building Skills in the World Language Class

Mapping Out Diverse Gifted Programs

Using 100-Word Stories for Expansive Writing

What to Expect from AI in Class and Beyond

Strategies for Teaching Against Disinformation

The Democratic Roots Essential to Literacy

How to Reclaim Your Energy, Passion, & Time

High Impact Tutoring Built By Math Experts

Personalized standards-aligned one-on-one math tutoring for schools and districts

Free ready-to-use math resources

Hundreds of free math resources created by experienced math teachers to save time, build engagement and accelerate growth

13 Fun Homework Ideas: The Best Ways To Make Homework Fun For Kids Quickly & Easily

Sophie Bartlett

Figuring out how to make homework fun can be a tricky task for parents.

Does it feel like you’re constantly nagging your kids to do their homework? If your answer is yes, know that we’ve all been there! It’s natural for parents to want their children to progress and do well in school, but after an entire day of paper, pencils, and books many youngsters will resist getting on with their homework – and that’s putting it mildly!

Fun Math Games and Activities Packs for Kindergarten to 5th Grade

Individual packs for Kindergarten to Grade 5 containing fun math games and activities.

Top Tips To Make Homework Fun:

1. work together, 2. use rewards and incentives, 3. make them a snack, 4. make it visual, 5. try different learning apps, 6. set up a homework play date, 7. go outside, 8. turn it into a game, 9. let them play teacher, 10. use a timer, 11. create a special homework space, 12. remember to be positive, 13. get help if you need it.

Thankfully, there are ways of making homework less boring and that are a little bit more fun for your child. Whether they need to practice spelling, learn their times tables or revise for an important exam, our top fun homework ideas will help you magically take the ‘work’ out of homework.

Adults often work best in the company of others, and the same can be said of kids, so why not sit with your child while they’re studying and get on with some of your own work or life admin?

Whether you’re returning emails or doing your online banking, creating a shared workspace and modeling focused work is a great way to spend quality time together while they complete their homework. Win-win!

Quick win : While your child is tackling their fractions homework, you could sit down with them and take a look through your finances.

Rewards and incentives are great when it comes to getting your children to follow your household rules and routines, and homework is no different. Things like stickers or the promise of time on their iPad or games console for slightly older children can all work wonders in getting them to do their homework without a battle.

Quick win: For every few questions they answer they could get a minute of screen time!

Let’s face it: A hungry child is an unfocused, unmotivated and unhappy child.

Most children come out of school ravenous, so let them nibble on a nutritious after-school snack while they get on with homework; things like popcorn, apple slices, grapes, or crackers and cheese are all great snack options.

If you’re feeling a bit more adventurous, Active for Life has a list of healthy after-school snack ideas and recipes to try.

Quick win: One of the best brain foods for kids is a nice and crispy apple! So when your child is craving something sweet just cut up an apple and let them munch away.

Help to eliminate the late night ‘Oh, I forgot to do that’, and create a weekly homework chart so your child can see what they have to do each day and check off each ‘to do’ task as it’s been completed.

Again, Pinterest has some great free printables to help keep kids organized. Get them involved by letting them color it, or decorate it with their favorite stickers, and pin it up somewhere at their height, where they will see it easily every day as a reminder. Some exciting new stationery and colorful pens might help too.

Quick win: An easy way to make homework fun is to grab a piece of paper and get your child to draw out and decorate a ‘homework chart’ consisting of 5 days. Stick it on the fridge and add a sticker to each day after they’ve done their homework, when they’ve collected 5 stickers they get a treat!

Fun Homework Ideas - try different learning apps

If your child prefers to be online, there are some great online apps around that children will have fun using, yet encourage learning too. Here are our favorite free math websites for example. Speak to your child’s teacher too and see which apps the children use in school so you can support what they’re doing at home.

Quick win: One of our favorite websites that makes homework fun is Tang Math !

Holding a homework playdate where your child can invite one of their best school buddies over to do homework together can be a great way for them to learn and make sure the work gets done, especially older children in elementary school.

Plus, it’s likely that their parents will be delighted!

Younger children may need a bit more support and guidance but can still gain a lot from the experience of learning together with a friend – think of this as a mini-educational play date for them.

Quick win: Let your child and their friend play for a while, and then get them to work through their homework with the incentive of a yummy ‘ice cream party’ when they’ve completed all of their homework.

If the weather allows, create a comfortable outside study space and allow your child to do their homework outdoors.

The fresh air can help kids with their concentration if they’ve been stuck in a classroom all day, and studies also show that being outside, closer to nature, can increase productivity. The reward of a quick game of Frisbee or a kick-around of a soccer ball between tasks will help them stay motivated too.

Who said home learning had to be boring? If children enjoy what they’re learning, they’re more likely to remember what they’re being taught, so turn their learning into a fun game. Using sweets like Smarties to help with math and number work can turn the experience from a chore into a treat. If they get the right answer, they get to eat some!

Another trick that you can use when your child is learning spellings is to write them in shaving cream or in magnetic letters. It sounds simple but we can guarantee that it will make homework a lot more fun for your child.

These math games for kids and times tables games are a great place to start.

Quick win: If you’re looking for some fun homework ideas then check out this simple multiplication activity you can do at home, it’ll even get in one of your child’s five a day!

Make another fun homework game by creating your own mini-classroom and letting your child step into the role of teacher.

Have your child explain a concept to you as a teacher, as you, or their sibling, play the role of the student. This game works particularly well with subjects that require theory, like Science for example, as it will improve their understanding of the concept and build logic and reasoning skills.

Quick win: Make homework fun by getting your child to choose their favorite teddies and toys and setting them up in their own mini- classroom. Start off with registration, ‘mom’ ‘present’, ‘mr teddy’ ‘here’ etc. You’ll soon notice that your child is growing in confidence regardless of the topic as children love playing teacher!

Some children may have difficulty working for prolonged periods of time without a break, so using a timer can be great for getting them to complete homework without whining. For example, if your child is given 20 math problems for homework, you can say “Complete the first 10 questions, then we’ll take a 5-minute break, then complete the next 10 questions”.

Many children will need a mental break and will work more effectively when given the opportunity to take one. At the end of the task, they get to pick an activity of their choice. If your child gets easily distracted, a timer game can work well to keep them focused on the task in hand.

Quick win: Put the timer on your phone so that your child can see the countdown while they’re working.

A special study space can make homework more fun and help motivate your child to get it done! Choose a space in your house that’s least likely to distract your child, and create simple, organized, and kid-friendly homework.

You could hang up some of their artwork above the desk, and have all their school essentials nearby so everything is close to hand.

Quick win: Make sure that they aren’t surrounded by things that will distract them. Televisions and iPads are a no go at homework time!

Remember to always be upbeat and positive about school and the importance of their homework. Give your child lots of praise and encouragement about how well they’re doing to help them stay motivated and on track.

Quick win: After every homework session, spend five minutes talking through what your child has accomplished. If you’re running out of activities to do, have a look at our list of home learning packs – all free to download.

Homework can be frustrating if your child doesn’t understand the material or gets bored easily. If your child is struggling, get them some expert help!

Quick win: Third Space Learning has plenty of advice on learning math for kids and parents but if you need more support, our primary school math tutors are easy to organize and very affordable.

Do you have students who need extra support in math? Give your students more opportunities to consolidate learning and practice skills through personalized math tutoring with their own dedicated online math tutor. Each student receives differentiated instruction designed to close their individual learning gaps, and scaffolded learning ensures every student learns at the right pace. Lessons are aligned with your state’s standards and assessments, plus you’ll receive regular reports every step of the way. Personalized one-on-one math tutoring programs are available for: – 2nd grade tutoring – 3rd grade tutoring – 4th grade tutoring – 5th grade tutoring – 6th grade tutoring – 7th grade tutoring – 8th grade tutoring Why not learn more about how it works ?

The content in this article was originally written by primary school teacher Sophie Bartlett and has since been revised and adapted for US schools by elementary math teacher Christi Kulesza.

Teaching Money: 11 Nifty Tips For Unearthing Kids’ Inner Billionaires

Math Homework Guide For Helping Kids With Math At Home

How To Prevent The Summer Slide: 9 Ways To Prepare Students For The New School Year

Back To School Math Ideas For Parents: How To Make Sure Your Child Is Ready For Math In The New School Year

PEMDAS Math Poster (Spanish Version) [FREE]

Trying to help remember what the mnemonic PEMDAS stands for? Display this poster to engage young learners with answering questions on the order of operations.

Check out more English and Spanish posters available in our US resource library!

Privacy Overview

Internet Explorer is no longer supported

Please upgrade to Microsoft Edge , Google Chrome , or Firefox .

Lo sentimos, la página que usted busca no se ha podido encontrar. Puede intentar su búsqueda de nuevo o visitar la lista de temas populares.

Get this as a PDF

Enter email to download and get news and resources in your inbox.

Share this on social

Strategies to make homework go more smoothly.

Routines and incentive systems to help kids succeed

Writer: Peg Dawson, EdD, NCSP

Clinical Experts: Peg Dawson, EdD, NCSP , Karol Espejo, LCSW

Here is the best guide to helping kids do homework successfully that we’ve seen, published by the National Association of School Psychologists on their website, NASPonline.org . Our thanks to NASP for sharing it with us.

There are two key strategies parents can draw on to reduce homework hassles. The first is to establish clear routines around homework, including when and where homework gets done and setting up daily schedules for homework. The second is to build in rewards or incentives to use with children for whom “good grades” is not a sufficient reward for doing homework.

Homework Routines

Tasks are easiest to accomplish when tied to specific routines. By establishing daily routines for homework completion, you will not only make homework go more smoothly, but you will also be fostering a sense of order your child can apply to later life, including college and work.

Step 1. Find a location in the house where homework will be done. The right location will depend on your child and the culture of your family. Some children do best at a desk in their bedroom. It is a quiet location, away from the hubbub of family noise. Other children become too distracted by the things they keep in their bedroom and do better at a place removed from those distractions, like the dining room table. Some children need to work by themselves. Others need to have parents nearby to help keep them on task and to answer questions when problems arise. Ask your child where the best place is to work. Both you and your child need to discuss pros and cons of different settings to arrive at a mutually agreed upon location.

Step 2. Set up a homework center. Once you and your child have identified a location, fix it up as a home office/homework center. Make sure there is a clear workspace large enough to set out all the materials necessary for completing assignments. Outfit the homework center with the kinds of supplies your child is most likely to need, such as pencils, pens, colored markers, rulers, scissors, a dictionary and thesaurus, graph paper, construction paper, glue and cellophane tape, lined paper, a calculator, spell checker, and, depending on the age and needs of your child, a computer or laptop. If the homework center is a place that will be used for other things (such as the dining room table), then your child can keep the supplies in a portable crate or bin. If possible, the homework center should include a bulletin board that can hold a monthly calendar on which your child can keep track of longterm assignments. Allowing children some leeway in decorating the homework center can help them feel at home there, but you should be careful that it does not become too cluttered with distracting materials.

Step 3. Establish a homework time. Your child should get in the habit of doing homework at the same time every day. The time may vary depending on the individual child. Some children need a break right after school to get some exercise and have a snack. Others need to start homework while they are still in a school mode (i.e., right after school when there is still some momentum left from getting through the day). In general, it may be best to get homework done either before dinner or as early in the evening as the child can tolerate. The later it gets, the more tired the child becomes and the more slowly the homework gets done.

Step 4. Establish a daily homework schedule. In general, at least into middle school, the homework session should begin with your sitting down with your child and drawing up a homework schedule. You should review all the assignments and make sure your child understands them and has all the necessary materials. Ask your child to estimate how long it will take to complete each assignment. Then ask when each assignment will get started. If your child needs help with any assignment , then this should be determined at the beginning so that the start times can take into account parent availability. A Daily Homework Planner is included at the end of this handout and contains a place for identifying when breaks may be taken and what rewards may be earned.

Incentive Systems

Many children who are not motivated by the enjoyment of doing homework are motivated by the high grade they hope to earn as a result of doing a quality job. Thus, the grade is an incentive, motivating the child to do homework with care and in a timely manner. For children who are not motivated by grades, parents will need to look for other rewards to help them get through their nightly chores. Incentive systems fall into two categories: simple and elaborate.

Simple incentive systems. The simplest incentive system is reminding the child of a fun activity to do when homework is done. It may be a favorite television show, a chance to spend some time with a video or computer game, talking on the telephone or instant messaging, or playing a game with a parent. This system of withholding fun things until the drudgery is over is sometimes called Grandma’s Law because grandmothers often use it quite effectively (“First take out the trash, then you can have chocolate chip cookies.”). Having something to look forward to can be a powerful incentive to get the hard work done. When parents remind children of this as they sit down at their desks they may be able to spark the engine that drives the child to stick with the work until it is done.

Elaborate incentive systems. These involve more planning and more work on the part of parents but in some cases are necessary to address more significant homework problems. More complex incentives systems might include a structure for earning points that could be used to “purchase” privileges or rewards or a system that provides greater reward for accomplishing more difficult homework tasks. These systems work best when parents and children together develop them. Giving children input gives them a sense of control and ownership, making the system more likely to succeed. We have found that children are generally realistic in setting goals and deciding on rewards and penalties when they are involved in the decision-making process.

Building in breaks. These are good for the child who cannot quite make it to the end without a small reward en route. When creating the daily homework schedule, it may be useful with these children to identify when they will take their breaks. Some children prefer to take breaks at specific time intervals (every 15 minutes), while others do better when the breaks occur after they finish an activity. If you use this approach, you should discuss with your child how long the breaks will last and what will be done during the breaks (get a snack, call a friend, play one level on a video game). The Daily Homework Planner includes sections where breaks and end-of-homework rewards can be identified.

Building in choice. This can be an effective strategy for parents to use with children who resist homework. Choice can be incorporated into both the order in which the child agrees to complete assignments and the schedule they will follow to get the work done. Building in choice not only helps motivate children but can also reduce power struggles between parents and children.

Developing Incentive Systems

Step 1. Describe the problem behaviors. Parents and children decide which behaviors are causing problems at homework time. For some children putting homework off to the last minute is the problem; for others, it is forgetting materials or neglecting to write down assignments. Still others rush through their work and make careless mistakes, while others dawdle over assignments, taking hours to complete what should take only a few minutes. It is important to be as specific as possible when describing the problem behaviors. The problem behavior should be described as behaviors that can be seen or heard; for instance, complains about h omework or rushes through homework, making many mistakes are better descriptors than has a bad attitude or is lazy.

Step 2. Set a goal. Usually the goal relates directly to the problem behavior. For instance, if not writing down assignments is the problem, the goal might be: “Joe will write down his assignments in his assignment book for every class.”

Step 3. Decide on possible rewards and penalties. Homework incentive systems work best when children have a menu of rewards to choose from, since no single reward will be attractive for long. We recommend a point system in which points can be earned for the goal behaviors and traded in for the reward the child wants to earn. The bigger the reward, the more points the child will need to earn it. The menu should include both larger, more expensive rewards that may take a week or a month to earn and smaller, inexpensive rewards that can be earned daily. It may also be necessary to build penalties into the system. This is usually the loss of a privilege (such as the chance to watch a favorite TV show or the chance to talk on the telephone to a friend).

Once the system is up and running, and if you find your child is earning more penalties than rewards, then the program needs to be revised so that your child can be more successful. Usually when this kind of system fails, we think of it as a design failure rather than the failure of the child to respond to rewards. It may be a good idea if you are having difficulty designing a system that works to consult a specialist, such as a school psychologist or counselor, for assistance.

Step 4. Write a homework contract. The contract should say exactly what the child agrees to do and exactly what the parents’ roles and responsibilities will be. When the contract is in place, it should reduce some of the tension parents and kids often experience around homework. For instance, if part of the contract is that the child will earn a point for not complaining about homework, then if the child does complain, this should not be cause for a battle between parent and child: the child simply does not earn that point. Parents should also be sure to praise their children for following the contract. It will be important for parents to agree to a contract they can live with; that is, avoiding penalties they are either unable or unwilling to impose (e.g., if both parents work and are not at home, they cannot monitor whether a child is beginning homework right after school, so an alternative contract may need to be written).

We have found that it is a rare incentive system that works the first time. Parents should expect to try it out and redesign it to work the kinks out. Eventually, once the child is used to doing the behaviors specified in the contract, the contract can be rewritten to work on another problem behavior. Your child over time may be willing to drop the use of an incentive system altogether. This is often a long-term goal, however, and you should be ready to write a new contract if your child slips back to bad habits once a system is dropped.

Click here to download the homework planner and incentive sheet .

Frequently Asked Questions

To help homework go more smoothly, e stablish a routine that includes a time and place where it will be done, a planner that lists each assignment, scheduled breaks when some of the work is done, and a reward system for kids who are not motivated by good grades alone.

Set a good homework routine following these steps: Find a location in the house where homework will be done. Set up a homework center stocked with needed materials . Establish a homework time. Use a daily homework planner so that your child has everything in writing.

One tool that can make homework go more smoothly i s a Daily Homework Planner , which lists each assignment, how long it should take to complete, and what rewards may be earned for completing each assignment.

Was this article helpful?

Explore popular topics, subscribe to our newsletters.

" * " indicates required fields

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Join Our Community of Parents

Get expert advice on parenting, resources to help kids thrive, and much more.

Homework Q&A

Drag image here or click to upload

Anatomy & Physiology
Astrophysics
Earth Science
Environmental Science
Organic Chemistry
Precalculus
Trigonometry
English Grammar
U.S. History
World History

HIX Tutor AI Homework Helper

Solve hard problems and prepare for exams with a trustworthy homework AI!

AI Homework Helper That's Got Everything Covered

Say goodbye to your homework and exam stress! Make studying a joy with HIX Tutor, a smart AI homework helper. Get detailed, step-by-step solutions to any hard homework and exam problems.

Accuracy-Guaranteed Homework AI

HIX Tutor uses the power of the latest GPT models but goes beyond just that. With our tailored enhancements, it provides quick, precise, and comprehensive homework assistance for all subjects.

Accuracy rate

Average grade increase

How Our Homework AI Works?

Our homework AI is designed to help you master your study with ease.

Ask Your Question

Upload the document or image of your homework problem, or type your question.

We Run the Analysis

Our advanced homework AI will analyze the questions and prepare the solutions.

Get The Detailed Answer

Get the detailed, step-by-step AI answer, ready to be used on your homework.

AI Homework Helper That Covers All Subjects

HIX Tutor is a trusted AI question solver for your homework in any subject.

From basic arithmetic to advanced calculus, get understandable steps for complex math problems.

Demystify topics ranging from basic mechanics to advanced electromagnetism with detailed solutions

Dive into the depths of prose, poetry, and plays. Analyze themes, decipher metaphors, and understand historical contexts

Chemistry AI

Guide yourself through chemical equation balancing, reaction mechanisms, and periodic trends. Solve chemistry problems faster than ever.

Clarify doubts, and get insights on complex processes and terminologies. Get accurate answers to hard biology questions.

Foreign Languages

Master vocabulary, grammar, and conversation practice. Achieve fluency more easily in any language.

Distinctive Question AI

See why our question AI outperforms other competitors out there:

Well-Explained Answers

HIX Tutor doesn't just give you the answer only, but also offers a comprehensive explanation and a step-by-step guide to enhance your understanding.

Various Inputs Supported

You can simply type your question, or upload the document or image containing your question to ask HIX Tutor for help.

Instant Study Help

HIX Tutor is ready to solve any question you have 24/7. Feed it the problem, and you'll get accurate answers in a flash.

Why Rely On Our AI Question Solver?

🤖 Smart tutoring technology	High-accuracy, efficient study help
📚 All subjects covered	Math, physics, chemistry, biology, …
🔍 Detailed AI answers	Comprehensive, in-depth guides
🎓 Trustworthy study help	Boost your grade easily

What is homework AI?

Homework AI refers to advanced AI tools created to help students with their homework and academic assignments. These tools use sophisticated algorithms to offer immediate solutions, explanations, and assistance in various subjects, such as math, science, and literature.

Is HIX Tutor's question AI free?

Yes, Our question AI is free to try! You can access our features without any cost initially. However, if you require extensive usage beyond the free limit, you will need to upgrade to a paid subscription for continued access.

What's the best AI homework helper?

The best AI homework helper currently available is HIX Tutor. This innovative tool is designed to assist students across a wide range of subjects, providing instant and accurate answers to homework questions. HIX Tutor stands out due to its ability to analyze complex problems and deliver detailed, step-by-step solutions, making studying more efficient and enjoyable.

How does HIX Tutor provide help with homework?

HIX Tutor offers step-by-step solutions and detailed explanations to help you understand and solve homework questions. It can assist with your study in various subjects including math, physics, chemistry, biology, and more.

Is HIX Tutor a homework AI for both high school and college students?

Yes, HIX Tutor is designed to cater to the academic needs of both high school and college students, adjusting the complexity of explanations and solutions to match the level of the student.

As an AI question solver, can HIX Tutor help me prepare for exams?

Absolutely. HIX Tutor's question AI can provide instant answers to practice questions and explain complex concepts to help you prepare effectively for your exams.

How accurate is HIX Tutor as a homework AI helper?

HIX Tutor is built with advanced algorithms and is regularly updated to ensure about 98% accuracy in solving problems and providing explanations. However, as with any tool, it's recommended to cross-check solutions when possible.

Will using our question AI be considered cheating?

Our question AI tool is intended as a study aid to enhance learning and understanding. It's important to use it responsibly and abide by your school or institution's academic integrity policies.

Can this AI homework helper tackle textbook material?

Yes, our AI homework helper can explain concepts presented in textbooks, clarify difficult ideas, and solve practice problems to enhance your comprehension of the material.

Does this homework AI offer personalized learning experiences?

Yes, our homework AI adapts to your own learning requirements, offering personalized feedback and solutions based on your specific needs and progress.

Discover Accurate Answers to Frequently Asked Homework Questions

How is blood in the feet returned to the heart against the force of gravity?
Are muscles and glands part of the central nervous system, receptors, part of the peripheral nervous system, or effectors?
What is the longest cranial nerve?
What is the pH of carbon dioxide? What is the pH of carbon dioxide?
What is the medical term for the eardrum?
How do sweat glands protect the human body?
What is an infarct of right and left parietal lobes of brain?
What changes occur in a human body after death?
Bones are part of which system?
What is the purpose of the microvilli of the small intestine?
What is the distance from earth to the planet pluto in meters?
Do any other planet in our solar system have Iron metal, not necessarily in the core?
What is the brightest planet seen from earth?
How does red shift relate to the universe?
Why do astronomers try to find the distance to stars using parallax?
Is our solar system really a binary star system?
Does the solar system change over time?
How far is the sun from earth in light years?
What causes day and night and different seasons?
What is the parallax formula?
How can meteorites be interplanetary arks?
How does luminosity differ from the brightness of the same object as seen at the earth?
How can solar flares affect communications on earth?
Light from the sun travels through space to Earth's atmosphere. What will light waves do when they move from empty space into matter made up of different gases?
How can parallax be used to determine distances?
When can the zodiacal light be seen during the night?
In which layer of the atmosphere are the ionized particles that cause the aurora borealis?
What makes the speed of light exactly 299,792,458 metres per second?
What is the temperature of betelgeuse?
What is a magnetic field? How were they formed?
What term defines a gene made up of two different alleles?
How do stomata help conserve water?
What is in atp that ADP also has?
Why do materials diffuse across a membrane?
How are angiosperms and gymnosperms related?
How are the long DNA molecules found in eukaryotes packed into short chromosomes?
Why is a species hard to define?
What is the importance of matter cycles to an ecosystem?
Are protists autotroph or heterotroph?
What is the taxonomic classification of a horse?
How many electrons are in an isotope of nitrogen with 8 neutrons?
A given volume of a buffer solution contains #6.85 x 10^-3# mol of the weak acid HY and #2.98 x 10^-3# mol of the salt NaY. The pH of the buffer solution is 3.78. How do you calculate the value of #pKa# for the acid HY at this temperature?
A sample of hydrogen gas is mixed with water vapor. The mixture has a total pressure of 745torr, and the water vapor has a partial pressure of 24 torr. What is the partial pressure of the hydrogen gas?
For the reaction, #"2XO + O"_2 → "2XO"_2#, data obtained from measurement of the initial rate of reaction at varying concentrations are?
How much calcium metal must be added to an excess of water to produce 3.7g of calcium hydroxide?
What are the mole fractions of each component prepared by adding #5*g# of water to #95*g# of ethanol?
What is the value of the equilibrium constant at 655 K for each of the following reactions?
Calculate no. Of photons emitted by a 60 watt light bulb in 10 h if a bulb emitted least 6.62 A°?
What is the atomic number of carbon?
Why did Mendeleev have problems arranging the elements #Te# and #I#?
Why do sedimentary rocks have layers?
Does every rock go through the complete rock cycle, from igneous rock to sedimentary rock to metamorphic rock and back to igneous rock, each time around?
What is the difference between lava and magma?
What are the three factors that contribute the most to the formation of coastal currents?
What are two recreational activities that can speed up weathering by exposing new rock surfaces?
What is convection and how is it related to the mantle?
How does the sun affect the solar system?
What traps solar energy in the atmosphere?
What is residence time and what are the average residence time for some of the major water reservoirs on earth?
How do soils differ from sediments?
What does the mining reclamation process look like?
When did the world population reach 1 billion?
Where is an elephant on the food pyramid?
Is natural selection a law or theory?
How does the rock cycle affect the atmosphere of the earth?
What does the future of nuclear energy around the world look like?
Do living organisms defy the second law of thermodynamics?
What are some positive and negative impacts of agriculture?
What are four examples of air pollutants?
How can nuclear energy be improved?
How is #NH_3 # acting in the reaction #H^++:NH_3 ->[H:NH_3]^+#according to the Lewis definition?
What is ethyl alcohol used for?
How can benzene be separated from thiophene chemically?
Are aromatic amines less basic?
What does "cis" isomer mean in cyclohexane ring?
How do you draw geometric isomers?
What amino acid has an aromatic ring in its side chain?
How are SN1 and SN2 reactions different?
How can I read a #C^13 NMR# spectrum?
Why are there different Newman projections for one molecule in organic chemistry?
If a worker pulls a 10kg bucket up a 25 m well, how much work has he or she done?
If a projectile is shot at a velocity of #2 m/s# and an angle of #pi/6#, how far will the projectile travel before landing?
The force applied against a moving object travelling on a linear path is given by #F(x)= sinx + 2 #. How much work would it take to move the object over #x in [ 0, (7 pi) / 8 ] #?
A charge of #18 C# passes through a circuit every #4 s#. If the circuit can generate #24 W# of power, what is the circuit's resistance?
A projectile is shot at an angle of #pi/8 # and a velocity of # 8 m/s#. How far away will the projectile land?
What is the kinetic energy of a #8 kg# object moving at #5/4 m/s#?
A ball with a mass of #350 g# is projected vertically by a spring loaded contraption. The spring in the contraption has a spring constant of #9 (kg)/s^2# and was compressed by #7/4 m# when the ball was released. How high will the ball go?
An electric toy car with a mass of #5 kg# is powered by a motor with a voltage of #12 V# and a current supply of #1 A#. How long will it take for the toy car to accelerate from rest to #3 m/s#?
A projectile is shot from the ground at an angle of #pi/12 # and a speed of #8 /3 m/s#. Factoring in both horizontal and vertical movement, what will the projectile's distance from the starting point be when it reaches its maximum height?
A model train with a mass of #4 kg# is moving along a track at #9 (cm)/s#. If the curvature of the track changes from a radius of #36 cm# to #24 cm#, by how much must the centripetal force applied by the tracks change?
How do you simplify #\frac { 18x ^ { 4} y ^ { 3} } { 24x ^ { 2} y ^ { 3} }#?
How do you factor # 2x^2 - 13x#?
How do find the vertex and axis of symmetry, and intercepts for a quadratic equation #y=x^2-7x-28#?
How do you find the c that makes the trinomial #x^2+22x+c# a perfect square?
What is the vertex of # y= 4(x+2)^2-2x^2-4x+3#?
How do you write the quadratic in vertex form given #y=x^2-5#?
How do you factor completely #2x^3+10x^2+14x+70#?
How do you solve using the completing the square method #x^2 + 2x = 7#?
What is the axis of symmetry and vertex for the graph #y= -7x^2#?
How do you write #y = x^2 - 9x - 10# into vertex form?
What is the derivative of #f(x)=(x^2-4)ln(x^3/3-4x)#?
How do you differentiate #cos(pi*x^2)#?
What is the derivative of #y=sin(tan2x)#?
What is the derivative of this function #arcsec(x^3)#?
What is the derivative of this function #y=sin^-1(2x)#?
What is the derivative of this function #sin^-1(x/4)#?
How do you differentiate #(3+sin(x))/(3x+cos(x))#?
How do you differentiate #f(x)= 1/ (lnx)# using the quotient rule?
How do you find the derivative of #y=tan(3x)# ?
How do you differentiate #g(y) =(60x^2+74)( 2x+2) # using the product rule?
How can we find the area of irregular shapes?
A triangle has corners at #(5 ,1 )#, #(2 ,9 )#, and #(4 ,3 )#. What is the area of the triangle's circumscribed circle?
What is the trinomial that represents the area of a rectangular rug whose sides are (x+3) feet and (2x-1) feet?
A triangle has corners at #(5 ,6 )#, #(4 ,3 )#, and #(2 ,2 )#. What is the area of the triangle's circumscribed circle?
What is the area of the quadrilateral bounded by #y=5#; #x=1#; #y=1#; and #y=-2x+9#?
How is the formula for the area of a parallelogram ABCD derived?
Circle A has a center at #(2 ,5 )# and a radius of #2 #. Circle B has a center at #(4 ,-1 )# and a radius of #6 #. Do the circles overlap? If not, what is the smallest distance between them?
An equilateral triangle is circumscribed inside a circle with a radius of 6. What is the area of the triangle?
Two corners of an isosceles triangle are at #(5 ,8 )# and #(9 ,2 )#. If the triangle's area is #36 #, what are the lengths of the triangle's sides?
How do you find the circumference of a circle with a diameter of 7.5 in?
Jeanie has a 3/4 yard piece of ribbon. She needs one 3/8 yard piece and one 1/2 yard piece. Can she cut the piece of ribbon into the two smaller pieces? Why?
How do you find the GCF of #25k, 35j#?
How do you write 132/100 in a mixed number?
How do you evaluate the power #2^3#?
How do you simplify #(4^6)^2 #?
How do you convert 3.2 tons to pounds?
How do you solve #\frac { 5} { 8} + \frac { 3} { 2} ( 4- \frac { 1} { 4} ) - \frac { 1} { 8}#?
Tiffany pays $40 for 160 minutes of talk time on her cell phone. How many minutes of talk time does she get per dollar?
Jay made 8 of 10 free throws. Kim made 25 of 45. Who made free throws at the better rate?
How do you convert the word phrase to symbols. "The product of twenty and eight, increased by ten?"
How do you describe the end behavior for #f(x)=x^4-x^2-2#?
How do you find vertical, horizontal and oblique asymptotes for #y = (4x^3 + x^2 + x + 5 )/( x^2 + 3x)#?
How do you find all the asymptotes for function #y=(3x^2+2x-1)/(x^2-4 )#?
How do you find the asymptotes for #f(x) = (x^2) / (x^2 + 1)#?
How do you find #f(x)# and #g(x)# when #h(x)= (x+1)^2 -9(x+1)# and #h(x)= (fog)(x)#?
How do you determine whether the graph of #y^2+3x=0# is symmetric with respect to the x axis, y axis or neither?
How do you determine whether the graph of #y^2=(4x^2)/9-4# is symmetric with respect to the x axis, y axis, the line y=x or y=-x, or none of these?
How do you find the inverse of #y=x^(2)-6x+4# and is it a function?
How do you write a rule for the nth term of the arithmetic sequence and then find #a_10# for #d=5, a_5=33#?
How do you solve #2^(x-1)=23#?
A set of data contains 200 elements. How do you find the median of the data?
What is the variance of a binomial distribution for which n = 75 and p = 0.20?
Given 9 starting batters on a baseball team, how many batting orders are possible if the shortstop must bat first and the right fielder must bat fourth?
What is the value of a? P(X≥a)=0.5
Can someone help me answer this question?
If you roll a die three times, how many different sequences are possible?
What does an R-Squared value indicate about a linear regression?
On a spinner, #P(3) = 2/5# and the #P(4) = 3/8#, what is the probability of getting 3 or 4?
What is the z-score of sample X, if #n = 81, mu= 43, St. Dev. =90, and E[X] =57#?
Suppose that the temperature is normally distributed with expectation 50℃ and variance 4℃.What is the probability that the temperature T will be between 48℃ and 53℃?What is the probability that T≥52℃?
How can you verify #sinx/(sinx+cosx)=(cotx-1)/(cotx+1)# by only manipulating the left side?
How do you identify the point (x,y) on the unit circle that corresponds to t=-11pi/4?
How do you use the half angle formulas to simplify the expression #-sqrt((1-cos8x)/(1+cos8x))#?
How do you solve this trigonometric equation?
How do you write #2 +4i# in trigonometric form?
A triangle has sides A, B, and C. Sides A and B have lengths of 4 and 3, respectively. The angle between A and C is #(pi)/3# and the angle between B and C is # (pi)/4#. What is the area of the triangle?
If #A = <5 ,2 ,8 >#, #B = <2 ,5 ,6 ># and #C=A-B#, what is the angle between A and C?
How do you solve (2sinx+1)(sinx-1)=0?
How do you prove # (cosA - cotA) / ( 1 - sinA) = - cotA#?
How do you sketch y=2sinx when x is between 0 and 360?
What is an intransitive complete verb?
Is "Let's don't." grammatically correct?
What is the difference between a metaphor and a symbol?
What is the future tense of "lay"? I am using it in a line of a poem.
Is "fur coat" a compound noun? For example, "First, its husky build and heavy fur coat allowed the Samoyed to sand changes in temperature."
What are some examples of antithesis?
What does this aphorism mean: "the doors of wisdom are never shut."? It is by Benjamin Franklin. What message was Franklin trying to send to the 18th century Americans when he wrote it?
How can you rewrite the following sentence from the first-person perspective of someone in the sentence?: They bought a coat and gave it to the homeless man on the corner.
I want to write a counterargument in an argumentative essay, but I have a hard time "un"-proving the point I bring up from the other side of the argument. Should I pick a new point?
What is the collective noun for whales?
Why did Lincoln need the support of the border states?
What proposal was included in Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton's financial plans in the 1790s?
When did the first American combat troops arrive in Vietnam?
Which Great Awakening preacher warned people that God would punish them if they did not change their ways?
What are the advantages to Marshall's "broad" interpretation of the Constitution? What are its disadvantages?
What act of U.S. expansion was the direct result of Matthew Perry's naval journey to Japan?
How does the baby boom illustrates a break from Depression Era American life?
Do you agree with Susan B. Anthony that women should receive equal pay for equal work?
Under President Ronald Reagan, the United States had the largest peacetime military buildup in history. How was this a challenge to the Soviet Union?
What was the first act that the Parliament passed in an attempt to raise revenue by taxing the American colonists?
What other nations joined Germany in forming the Axis Powers?
Which group has dominated Russia's politics throughout most of its history?
What kind of relationship did the Soviet Union have with the United States in 1945?
What does this logo stand for?
How and why did Africans come to Latin America?
How did the the Zionist movement lead to the creation of the State of Israel?
How would you describe USA and Italy's intentions behind the terms of the Treaty of Versailles?
Bolivia is one of two landlocked countries in South America. What is the other country?
What inventions sped up communication beginning in the late 19th century?
How were early factories powered and who created the first factory?

Get Started with Our Smart Homework AI Now!

Get Started with Our Free Homework AI Now!

Struggling with homework? HIX Tutor is here to help! Get instant answers and step-by-step solutions—start your free trial today!

How to Make Homework Fun

Post author By admin
September 6, 2023

Discover engaging strategies for how to make homework fun. Explore personalized study spaces, gamification, collaboration, and more to make learning enjoyable.

Hey there, homework warriors! Let’s face it, homework often gets a bad rap for being a total buzzkill. The mere thought of it can make us want to escape to a world of video games, socializing, or anything but those looming assignments. But guess what? It doesn’t have to be that way!

In this article, we’re about to embark on a journey to uncover the secret sauce of making homework downright fun. That’s right, we’re flipping the script and turning the dreaded “H-word” into an exciting adventure.

So, if you’re ready to banish the boredom and inject some pizzazz into your study sessions, keep reading. We’ve got 15 game-changing tips coming your way to transform homework from a chore into a choice activity!

Table of Contents

How to Make Homework Fun?

Have a close look at how to make homework fun:-

Design a Homework Haven

Transforming a corner of your room into a cozy study nook is all about creating an inviting space that inspires productivity. Consider adding a:

Comfy Chair

Choose a chair with good lumbar support and a cushioned seat for long study sessions.

Soft Cushions

Scatter a few soft cushions on your chair or on the floor to make the nook extra inviting.

Motivational Posters

Hang up posters with motivational quotes or images that resonate with your goals. For instance, a poster featuring a quote like “You’ve Got This!” can provide daily encouragement.

Set a Homework Schedule

Creating a daily study schedule tailored to your rhythm can significantly boost your productivity. Here’s how to go about it:

Identify Your Peak Hours

Pay attention to when you feel most alert and focused during the day. Are you a morning person, or does your energy peak in the evening?

Designate Prime Study Time

Once you’ve identified your prime hours, set aside that time for your most challenging subjects or tasks. For example, if you’re a night owl, designate 8 PM to 10 PM as your prime study time.

Set Goals and Rewards

Setting goals and rewards can turn studying into a thrilling game. Here’s how to make it work:

Task-Based Rewards

Break your study session into smaller tasks. For instance, if you have a 2-hour study session, set a timer for every 30 minutes. When you complete a task within the allotted time, reward yourself with a mini-break or a quick treat.

Dance Breaks

After accomplishing a particularly tough assignment or study session, treat yourself to a five-minute dance break to your favorite upbeat song.

Group Study Sessions

Studying with friends can make homework a social and interactive experience. Here’s how to organize a productive group study session:

Choose Study Buddies

Invite friends who are equally committed to studying. Avoid distractions and focus on collaborative learning.

During breaks, enjoy some snacks and refreshments together. It’s an excellent opportunity to bond and recharge.

Gamify Your Homework

Turning your assignments into a game can make them engaging and competitive. Here’s an example:

Math Challenges

For every correct math problem you solve, award yourself points. Set a target, like 100 points. Once you reach that goal, treat yourself to a favorite dessert or activity.

Use Technology Wisely

Leveraging educational apps and websites can make learning enjoyable. Consider:

Learning Languages

Apps like Duolingo and Babbel gamify language learning with interactive lessons and quizzes.

Science Simulations

Websites like PhET Interactive Simulations offer fun science experiments and simulations.

Listen to Music

Creating a playlist for different study moods can set the tone for productive work:

Upbeat Playlist

Compile lively tunes for subjects like math or science to keep your energy high.

Chillout Playlist

Use calming melodies for reading assignments or essay writing to stay focused.

Change Your Study Materials

Enhance your study materials with colors and visual appeal:

Colorful Notes

When taking notes, use different colored pens for headings, key points, and examples. Highlight important concepts with bright markers.

Create a Homework Playlist

Crafting a motivational playlist can boost your enthusiasm for study sessions:

Personalized Mix

Include songs that motivate you. Whether it’s energetic rock, inspiring pop, or calming instrumental, curate a playlist that resonates with you.

Relate Homework to Real Life

Connecting assignments to real-life situations can make them more meaningful. For example:

Applying Math

If you’re learning about percentages, practice by calculating discounts while shopping online. It’s a practical application of what you’re studying.

Ask for Help When Needed

Don’t hesitate to seek assistance when you’re stuck:

Online Tutors

Utilize online tutoring services like Khan Academy or Chegg when you need clarification on complex topics.

Celebrate Your Achievements

Reward yourself for completing challenging assignments:

Mini Rewards

After finishing a tough essay or solving a set of difficult problems, treat yourself to a favorite snack or a short episode of your favorite TV show.

Use Colorful Visual Aids

Visual aids can make complex topics easier to understand:

Timeline for History

Create a timeline of historical events using colorful markers and sticky notes. It helps you visualize the sequence of historical occurrences.

Stay Organized

Organization is key for effective studying:

Digital Planner

Use digital tools like Google Calendar or Todoist to keep track of assignments and due dates. Set reminders to stay on top of your tasks.

By incorporating these detailed strategies and examples, you can transform your homework routine into an enjoyable and productive experience tailored to your preferences and learning style.

These examples demonstrate practical ways to infuse fun and engagement into your homework routine, making the learning process more enjoyable and productive.

What are ways to make homework fun?

Create a Comfortable Space: Design a cozy study spot with your favorite things.
Set a Schedule: Stick to a regular study routine that suits you.
Break Tasks Down: Divide homework into smaller, manageable chunks.
Reward Yourself: Treat yourself after completing tasks or goals.
Study with Friends: Make it social by studying with buddies.
Use Apps: Try fun and educational apps for learning.
Listen to Music: Create a motivating study playlist.
Make It Visual: Use colors and visuals to make notes pop.
Connect to Real Life: Relate homework to everyday situations.
Stay Organized: Use planners to stay on top of assignments.

These simple tips can make homework less daunting and more enjoyable.

How do I make my homework less boring?

Want to jazz up your homework and banish the boredom? Here’s the lowdown:

Create Your Happy Place

Start by transforming your study spot into a haven of fun. Add some quirky decorations, fairy lights, or even a cozy blanket fort – whatever makes you smile.

Slice and Dice

Homework can feel like a mountain, right? Well, cut it into bite-sized chunks. Tackling one piece at a time feels way less overwhelming.

Goals with a Side of Rewards

Set yourself mini-goals and sprinkle rewards on top. Finish that math problem? Treat yourself to a victory dance or a mini snack party.

Study Squad

Invite a friend for a study date. You can help each other out and share some giggles during breaks.

Homework Gamified

Turn your homework into a game. Assign points or rewards for completing tasks. Hit a certain score, and it’s time to indulge in your favorite treat.

Dive into educational apps or websites. Learning becomes a blast when it’s interactive and entertaining.

Musical Motivation

Craft a playlist with your favorite tunes. Pop on some energetic beats for those math equations, or soothing melodies for reading assignments.

Colorful Creativity

Don’t just take notes, make them a work of art with colorful pens and highlighters. Visuals can make studying way more interesting.

Real-World Homework

Connect your assignments to real life. If you’re tackling percentages, apply them to calculate discounts while shopping online.

Stay Organized and Sane

Keep your homework organized using planners or digital tools. No more last-minute panics about forgotten deadlines.

With these tricks up your sleeve, homework will become a breeze, and you might even have some fun along the way!

How do I make myself enjoy homework?

Making yourself enjoy homework can be a challenge, but it’s possible with a few mindset shifts and strategies:

Find Purpose

Understand why you’re doing the homework. Connect it to your long-term goals and how it benefits you. Knowing the “why” can make it more meaningful.

Positive Mindset

Approach homework with a positive attitude. Focus on the sense of accomplishment you’ll feel when you complete it.

Set Realistic Goals

Break your homework into smaller tasks and set achievable goals. Completing each part can give you a sense of progress and satisfaction.

Create a Comfortable Space

Design a cozy and organized study area that you enjoy spending time in. A pleasant environment can make a big difference.

Mix up your subjects and tasks to avoid monotony. Switching between different assignments can keep things interesting.

Set a Schedule

Establish a study routine that suits your natural rhythm. Find the time of day when you’re most alert and use it for more challenging tasks.

Reward Yourself

Treat yourself after completing homework or reaching specific milestones. It can be as simple as a small snack, a short break, or doing something you love.

Stay Engaged

Try to actively engage with the material. Ask questions, discuss concepts with classmates, or relate it to real-life situations.

Study Groups

Consider joining or creating study groups with friends. Discussing topics and helping each other can make the process more enjoyable.

Celebrate Progress

Celebrate your achievements, even small ones. Recognize your efforts and improvements.

Mindfulness Techniques

Practice mindfulness or relaxation techniques before starting homework to reduce stress and increase focus.

If you’re struggling with a particular subject, don’t hesitate to ask for help from teachers, classmates, or online resources.

Visual Aids

Use visual aids like diagrams, charts, or flashcards to make studying more engaging and easier to grasp.

Incorporate Interests

If possible, relate homework topics to your interests or hobbies. It can make the material more relatable and enjoyable.

Use planners or digital tools to keep track of assignments, due dates, and progress. Being organized can reduce stress.

Remember that enjoying homework might not happen overnight, but by implementing these strategies and maintaining a positive mindset, you can make the process more enjoyable and rewarding.

How can I make my high school homework fun?

Making high school homework fun requires creativity and a positive attitude. Here are some tips to make your high school homework more enjoyable:

Personalize Your Space

Create a study environment that reflects your personality and interests. Decorate your study area with posters, photos, or artwork that inspires you.

Set a Homework Routine

Establish a consistent homework routine that aligns with your energy levels. Determine the best time of day for you to focus and stick to it.

Break Tasks into Smaller Steps

Divide your assignments into smaller, manageable tasks. Completing each step feels like an accomplishment and keeps you motivated.

Incorporate technology into your homework. Explore educational apps and websites that make learning interactive and engaging.

Study with Friends

Organize study groups with friends to tackle assignments together. You can explain concepts to each other and share different perspectives.

Gamify Your Learning

Turn your homework into a game. Set challenges, time limits, or point systems for completing tasks. Reward yourself when you meet your goals.

Create playlists for different subjects or moods. Upbeat music can boost your energy for math, while calming tunes can help you concentrate on reading assignments.

Experiment with different study materials. Use colorful pens, highlighters, or digital tools to make your notes visually appealing.

Real-Life Applications

Relate your homework to real-life situations whenever possible. For example, if you’re studying economics, analyze current events or business news .

Seek Support

Don’t hesitate to ask for help when needed. Reach out to teachers, classmates, or online resources for clarification or guidance.

Celebrate Achievements

Celebrate your accomplishments, no matter how small. Reward yourself with a treat, a short break, or an activity you enjoy after completing homework.

Use planners, to-do lists, or digital tools to stay organized and track assignments and deadlines.

Challenge Yourself

Set personal challenges to make homework more engaging. Aim to finish assignments faster or with higher accuracy than before.

Whenever possible, relate homework topics to your interests or future career goals. It can make the material more relatable and engaging.

Stay Positive

Maintain a positive attitude toward your homework. Focus on the sense of accomplishment and knowledge gained through your efforts.

By incorporating these strategies into your high school homework routine, you can make the experience more enjoyable and productive while achieving academic success.

In conclusion, making homework fun is not just a distant dream; it’s a practical approach that can transform the way you tackle your assignments.

By personalizing your study space, setting goals and rewards, collaborating with friends, and gamifying your learning, you can turn the once-dreaded homework into an engaging adventure.

Incorporating technology, music, colorful materials, and real-life connections adds an extra layer of enjoyment. Remember to celebrate your achievements along the way and stay organized to reduce stress.

With a positive mindset and these strategies in your arsenal, you can embark on your homework journey with enthusiasm, making it not only bearable but genuinely enjoyable.

So, let’s turn the page and dive into the exciting world of learning, one fun homework assignment at a time!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can i really make homework fun.

Absolutely! With the right approach and mindset, homework can be an enjoyable part of your academic journey.

What if I can’t concentrate with music?

Not everyone finds music helpful. Experiment with different study environments to discover what suits you best.

How do I avoid procrastination?

Creating a schedule and setting achievable goals can help you stay on track and avoid procrastination.

What if I still find a particular subject boring?

Try to connect it to your interests or real-life situations to make it more engaging.

How can I make studying with friends productive?

Ensure that your study group remains focused on the task at hand and avoids distractions.

australia (2)
duolingo (13)
Education (284)
General (78)
How To (18)
IELTS (127)
Latest Updates (162)
Malta Visa (6)
Permanent residency (1)
Programming (31)
Scholarship (1)
Sponsored (4)
Study Abroad (187)
Technology (12)
work permit (8)

My Education.com accounts

To switch between accounts click on the account below

Worksheet Generator

Reading worksheet generator.

Need to help reinforce your child's spelling, vocabulary, reading comprehension or site word skills? Create and print fully customizable crossword puzzles, word searches, matching lists, and word scrambles with our reading worksheet generator! Simply enter whatever words and clues you'd like, add a splash of color with a theme, download, and print.

Math Worksheet Generator

Need to create a timed test or just want to print out some extra practice for your child or class? Create endless addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and fact family worksheets with our math worksheet generator. Simply adjust the difficulty to match grade-level expectations for each skill, add a splash of color with a theme, download, and print.

Just for Fun Worksheet Generator

If your child or class could use a brain break, then create a maze, puzzle, or other just-for-fun worksheet that puts kids' logic to the test without the headache. More worksheets coming soon!

Add to collection

Create new collection, new collection, new collection>, sign up to start collecting.

Bookmark this to easily find it later. Then send your curated collection to your children, or put together your own custom lesson plan.

Tell us about yourself

I'm interested in grades:.

Does homework really work?

by: Leslie Crawford | Updated: December 12, 2023

Print article

You know the drill. It’s 10:15 p.m., and the cardboard-and-toothpick Golden Gate Bridge is collapsing. The pages of polynomials have been abandoned. The paper on the Battle of Waterloo seems to have frozen in time with Napoleon lingering eternally over his breakfast at Le Caillou. Then come the tears and tantrums — while we parents wonder, Does the gain merit all this pain? Is this just too much homework?

However the drama unfolds night after night, year after year, most parents hold on to the hope that homework (after soccer games, dinner, flute practice, and, oh yes, that childhood pastime of yore known as playing) advances their children academically.

But what does homework really do for kids? Is the forest’s worth of book reports and math and spelling sheets the average American student completes in their 12 years of primary schooling making a difference? Or is it just busywork?

Homework haterz

Whether or not homework helps, or even hurts, depends on who you ask. If you ask my 12-year-old son, Sam, he’ll say, “Homework doesn’t help anything. It makes kids stressed-out and tired and makes them hate school more.”

Nothing more than common kid bellyaching?

Maybe, but in the fractious field of homework studies, it’s worth noting that Sam’s sentiments nicely synopsize one side of the ivory tower debate. Books like The End of Homework , The Homework Myth , and The Case Against Homework the film Race to Nowhere , and the anguished parent essay “ My Daughter’s Homework is Killing Me ” make the case that homework, by taking away precious family time and putting kids under unneeded pressure, is an ineffective way to help children become better learners and thinkers.

One Canadian couple took their homework apostasy all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada. After arguing that there was no evidence that it improved academic performance, they won a ruling that exempted their two children from all homework.

So what’s the real relationship between homework and academic achievement?

How much is too much?

To answer this question, researchers have been doing their homework on homework, conducting and examining hundreds of studies. Chris Drew Ph.D., founder and editor at The Helpful Professor recently compiled multiple statistics revealing the folly of today’s after-school busy work. Does any of the data he listed below ring true for you?

• 45 percent of parents think homework is too easy for their child, primarily because it is geared to the lowest standard under the Common Core State Standards .

• 74 percent of students say homework is a source of stress , defined as headaches, exhaustion, sleep deprivation, weight loss, and stomach problems.

• Students in high-performing high schools spend an average of 3.1 hours a night on homework , even though 1 to 2 hours is the optimal duration, according to a peer-reviewed study .

Not included in the list above is the fact many kids have to abandon activities they love — like sports and clubs — because homework deprives them of the needed time to enjoy themselves with other pursuits.

Conversely, The Helpful Professor does list a few pros of homework, noting it teaches discipline and time management, and helps parents know what’s being taught in the class.

The oft-bandied rule on homework quantity — 10 minutes a night per grade (starting from between 10 to 20 minutes in first grade) — is listed on the National Education Association’s website and the National Parent Teacher Association’s website , but few schools follow this rule.

Do you think your child is doing excessive homework? Harris Cooper Ph.D., author of a meta-study on homework , recommends talking with the teacher. “Often there is a miscommunication about the goals of homework assignments,” he says. “What appears to be problematic for kids, why they are doing an assignment, can be cleared up with a conversation.” Also, Cooper suggests taking a careful look at how your child is doing the assignments. It may seem like they’re taking two hours, but maybe your child is wandering off frequently to get a snack or getting distracted.

Less is often more

If your child is dutifully doing their work but still burning the midnight oil, it’s worth intervening to make sure your child gets enough sleep. A 2012 study of 535 high school students found that proper sleep may be far more essential to brain and body development.

For elementary school-age children, Cooper’s research at Duke University shows there is no measurable academic advantage to homework. For middle-schoolers, Cooper found there is a direct correlation between homework and achievement if assignments last between one to two hours per night. After two hours, however, achievement doesn’t improve. For high schoolers, Cooper’s research suggests that two hours per night is optimal. If teens have more than two hours of homework a night, their academic success flatlines. But less is not better. The average high school student doing homework outperformed 69 percent of the students in a class with no homework.

Many schools are starting to act on this research. A Florida superintendent abolished homework in her 42,000 student district, replacing it with 20 minutes of nightly reading. She attributed her decision to “ solid research about what works best in improving academic achievement in students .”

More family time

A 2020 survey by Crayola Experience reports 82 percent of children complain they don’t have enough quality time with their parents. Homework deserves much of the blame. “Kids should have a chance to just be kids and do things they enjoy, particularly after spending six hours a day in school,” says Alfie Kohn, author of The Homework Myth . “It’s absurd to insist that children must be engaged in constructive activities right up until their heads hit the pillow.”

By far, the best replacement for homework — for both parents and children — is bonding, relaxing time together.

Homes Nearby

Homes for rent and sale near schools

Families-of-color-fighting-for-discipline

How families of color can fight for fair discipline in school

What to do when the teacher underestimates your child

Dealing with teacher bias

The most important school data families of color need to consider

Yes! Sign me up for updates relevant to my child's grade.

Please enter a valid email address

Thank you for signing up!

Server Issue: Please try again later. Sorry for the inconvenience

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.

Explore Related Topics:

Share this story

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.

Latest from Bostonia

Bu alum chompon boonnak runs mahaniyom, one of greater boston’s hottest thai restaurants, champion of indie films, china scholar merle goldman dies, cfa alum jonathan knight is head of games for the new york times, is our democracy at risk americans think so. bu experts talk about why—and the way forward, a commitment to early childhood education, reading list: alum bonnie hammer publishes 15 lies women are told at work —plus fiction, poetry, and short stories, one good deed: jason hurdich (cas’97) is uniting the deaf community, one cup at a time, space force general b. chance saltzman is a bu alum, using glamour for good: alum’s nonprofit organization brings clothes and beauty products to those in need, gallery: shea justice (cfa’93), oscar-nominated actor hong chau (com’01) stars in new action-comedy the instigators, alum’s new book recounts the battle for inclusion in boy scouts, feedback: readers weigh in on a bu superager, the passing of otto lerbinger, and alum’s book fat church, law alum steven m. wise, who fought for animal rights, dies, pups wearing custom-designed veterinary collars get star treatment in alum’s new coffee-table book, opening doors: ellice patterson (questrom’17), an alum’s new memoir recounts six decades of beatlemania, bu alum in paris keeping olympians’ minds sharp and healthy, erika jordan departs bu alumni engagement office to return to california.

Free Assignment Tracking Template for Google Sheets

Last updated December 14, 2023

Are you looking for an assignment tracking template? When your tasks begin to pile up into several imaginary towers, it’s easy for you to be overwhelmed, not knowing where to start. Moreover, you might not even be able to keep track of all of them, resulting in missed assignments and potentially bad marks.

Having an assignment tracker to keep every task means you’ll be able to organize, stay on top, and complete all your assignments on time. All you need to do is open our Assignment Tracking Template , hit the “Make a copy” button and start sorting out your to-do list.

Access Template

While it’s easy to navigate, make sure you read ahead to discover how to use our assignment tracking template to the fullest. We also have another assignment tracking template that lets you map out your assignments throughout the semester—a perfect fit for your syllabus.

Table of Contents

What Should a Good Homework Spreadsheet Have?

In general, you’ll want a few fields that will help describe your assigned tasks and some markers for better organization. Here are some essential components to look for:

Assignment description: An efficient assignment tracking template will have space so you can jot down assignment notes. This avoids confusion and lets you anticipate the difficulty of your to-dos.
Dates: Having dedicated fields for your due dates lets you plan your schedule better. This way, you know how much time you have to complete a task. Additionally, when paired with your assignment notes, you can sort them according to priority levels.
Completion status: Keeping track of task statuses lets you know which tasks have started, are in progress, are accomplished, or need revision. Moreover, it’s also a great way to remember which tasks you need to return to.
Subject and type: You also want to categorize your assignments into their respective subjects. Another way to group them is by assignment type, including papers, lab reports, collaborative work, and similar tasks.

The components above are only a few useful fields in an assignment tracking template. For example, some spreadsheets also include monthly views or trackers for semester-wide assignment lists . Templates such as these will undoubtedly have other categories you’d need to explore.

Basic Assignment Tracking Template

With all the considerations laid out above, we created a simple but effective assignment tracking template you can use for free. While it may only feature a single functional tab, it has nine named columns you can organize according to your tasks.

If you haven’t already, you can download our free assignment tracking template here:

Let’s discuss the template in more detail .

Column A—Days Remaining

This is self-explanatory, but you can refer to this column to see the number of days you have left to do or submit your assignment. Depending on the days remaining, you can also decide which tasks to prioritize according to their deadlines.

The cells under this column are automatically updated using our pre-loaded formulas , so avoid modifying them. Instead, you can change the values under the last two columns of this template.

Assignment tracking template—days remaining column

Columns B to D—Tags for Status, Subject, and Task Type

Under these columns, you can set the categories of your assignments either by their completion status, class, or assignment type. You can select the values from the drop-down lists that come with the template based on the American curriculum.

Additionally, these statuses are associated with specific colors, making them more visual so that you can view and handle multiple ongoing tasks more efficiently. If the subjects listed differ from what you’re currently taking, you can modify the options.

To modify the subject options, follow the steps below:

First, click on a cell’s drop-down list and locate the pen icon at the bottom.

Assignment tracking template—drop-down list pen icon

Click the pen icon to open the drop-down settings on the left-hand side of your screen.
Change the values listed on the options, such as editing Math to Physics.
Once you’ve set your preferred selection, click the “ Done” button.

Assignment tracking template—data validation on Google Sheets

Upon clicking, a pop-out might appear on your screen asking whether to apply the changes to a wider cell range.
Simply click “Apply to all” to replicate the changes to the other cells.

Assignment tracking template—apply data validation to all

Another handy feature is the filter option in the “Status” column. You can use this to view your tasks based on their completion level. For example, you can choose to see only the in-progress tasks. Here’s how you do it.

To get started, click on the filter icon next to the “Status” label.

Assignment tracking template—filter icon on Google Sheets

You should see a list of values with checkmarks on their left side once you scroll down.
To deselect all of them, click on “ Clear.”

Assignment tracking template—clearing filter values on Google Sheets

Next, begin selecting the tasks you want to see per status, such as To start and In-progress.
Finally, click “OK.”

Assignment tracking template—change filter value on Google Sheets

To revert the view, simply follow steps one to five, ensuring to select all the categories again.

Columns E to I—Assignment Details

You can start entering the information you know about the tasks at hand. The columns E to G are divided into three categories: Assignment Title, Description, and Files/Links. If your assignment has attachments and URLs, such as resources, you can keep them in the last column mentioned.

Assignment tracking template—assignment details tracker

Meanwhile, columns H to I serve as fields where you can input the dates when your task is given and when you need to submit it. Take note that these are installed with data validation rules—you can’t enter values that aren’t valid dates. These values are also used to calculate the Days Remaining column.

Semester Assignment Spreadsheet

If you are looking to plan your entire semester ahead of time with your potential tasks, this is a helpful assignment tracking template. It’s much simpler than the previous spreadsheet discussed and gives you a semester-wide overview of your assignments.

Get the template here: Semester Assignment Spreadsheet

This assignment tracking template has only three fields that you can update. The first field is the (1) Date , which is located under the seven days of the week (with a total of fifteen weeks in the spreadsheet as per the American semester.)

Assignment tracking template—semester assignment spreadsheet

The second is the (2) Tags field, which allows you to categorize your tasks according to the subject. As with the other template, these tags are color-coded for an easier view. Lastly, you can also populate the (3) Assignment Details , the blank spaces beside the tags.

Why Use Our Assignment Schedule Templates?

You can virtually make a never-ending list of benefits from using a homework spreadsheet, but to name a few, here are some reasons why they’re beneficial for managing your workload.

Organization: As repeatedly emphasized, these assignment tracking templates help you categorize your tasks according to subject, type, and completion status, making it easier to organize your workload.
Time Management: You can keep track of your due dates better with the automated counting of the days remaining for a task. You can manage your time better and learn to prioritize tasks according to deadlines.
Easy Access: Our spreadsheets run on Google Sheets , which you can easily access anywhere, as long as you are connected to the internet. On top of that, they’re also ready to be filled out as soon as you make a copy for yourself.

Wrapping Up

Sticking to your deadlines and organizing your tasks doesn’t need to be complicated. You can easily do this with the help of our assignment tracking template on Google Sheets. Access more of these excellent templates by visiting our other blogs too!

If you want to learn about Google Sheets to the next level, consider checking out relevant courses at Udemy .

5 Useful Google Sheets Project Management Templates [Free]
The Free Google Sheets Task List Template [Easy Guide]
How to Assign a Task in Google Sheets [Easy Guide]
Free Balance Sheet Template for Google Sheets
The 9 Best Google Sheets Templates to Streamline Your Life
Volleyball Statistics Spreadsheet: Free Template

Most Popular Posts

Highlight duplicates in Google Sheets with a single formula.

How To Highlight Duplicates in Google Sheets

Copy and Paste the code in the code editor

How to Make Multiple Selection in Drop-down Lists in Google Sheets

GOOGLEFINANCE to Fetch Currency Exchange Rates over a Time Period

Google Sheets Currency Conversion: The Easy Method

A 2024 guide to google sheets date picker, related posts.

Rental Property Spreadsheet: Track Income and Expenses

Talha Faisal
July 10, 2024

The Only Project Plan Template You’ll Ever Need

Princess Angolluan
June 3, 2024

The Best Habit Tracker Google Sheets Templates

Chris Daniel
May 15, 2024

Free Purchase Order Template for Google Sheets (+ How to Use)

May 6, 2024

Thanks for visiting! We’re happy to answer your spreadsheet questions. We specialize in formulas for Google Sheets, our own spreadsheet templates, and time-saving Excel tips.

Note that we’re supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commission at no extra cost to you.

Like what we do? Share this article!

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 🙂

How to Plan a Homework Schedule

Last Updated: June 28, 2024 Approved

This article was co-authored by Ronitte Libedinsky, MS . Ronitte Libedinsky is an Academic Tutor and the Founder of Brighter Minds SF, a San Francisco, California based company that provides one-on-one and small group tutoring. Specializing in tutoring mathematics (pre-algebra, algebra I/II, geometry, pre-calculus, calculus) and science (chemistry, biology), Ronitte has over 12 years of experience tutoring to middle school, high school, and college students. She also tutors in SSAT, Terra Nova, HSPT, SAT, and ACT test prep. Ronitte holds a BS in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MS in Chemistry from Tel Aviv University. There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 91% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 480,847 times.

It feels like homework never stops getting piled on, and keeping track of it all can feel a little chaotic. That’s where a homework schedule comes in. With a good schedule, you won’t have to worry about missing homework assignments or not having enough time to finish them, and it’s surprisingly easy to put one together. Not sure where to start? Don’t worry—we’ll walk you through what to do step-by-step below!

Setting Up a Homework Schedule

Step 1 Set a time frame for doing homework.

Creating a Homework Space

Step 1 Select your environment carefully.

Understanding What Needs To Get Done

Step 1 List all of the homework and activities that you have for that day or week.

The subject or course in which the work is assigned (for example, Spanish , algebra , French or English )
Know what you're expected to hand in or do and ask if you do not understand (for example, turn in an essay , develop a PowerPoint presentation, or take a test.)
The details of your assignments (for example, double-spaced or single-spaced, blue ink or black).
Page numbers (which pages you need to read, study, or refer to complete your assignment.)
Due date of the assignment.

Getting All of Your Homework Done

Step 1 Estimate how much time will be needed to complete each assignment.

To solve this problem, if you cannot meet all the deadlines, use a static priority rate-monotonic policy. Find the course that releases new homework the most frequently, and list it the highest (do the work first), and so forth. This is mathematically optimal among all static-priority scheduling policies. In other words, if ANY static priority scheme can meet all the deadlines, the rate-monotonic static priority scheme will meet all the deadlines, too. When the static priority scheme misses deadlines, it is deterministic - the lowest priority class assignments will be skipped, so it behaves predictably when you are overloaded. If certain assignments have the same due date, then start with the one(s) that are hardest or will take the longest.

If you have a five-page English paper due on Friday, evenly spread the total amount of hours you believe it is going to take to complete the paper between each day.
If you have multiple assignments to complete in one night, it may be helpful to start with the most challenging on and leave the easier ones for later.
Reader Poll: We asked 335 wikiHow readers about how they organize their schoolwork, and 48% of them said that they tackle the most difficult topics first, while they have the most energy . [Take Poll]

Homework Planner Template

Expert Q&A

Reader videos.

Avoid distractions such as TV, video games, phone conversation, or surfing the internet. You must fully devote your schedule to doing this. That means turning off all electronics except your lamp , clock , and room light, and, if needed, your computer. You may even want to turn off your phone. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

Tips from our Readers

Try writing reminders on sticky-notes about your assignment due dates or important information you really need to remember. Put these sticky notes in a place you regularly go to in your house (such as your homework area, bedroom, or closet), so that you'll see them and be reminded.
If you're having a really hard time concentrating, take a short break (even if it isn't your schedule break time). Even taking a walk outside for ten minutes or grabbing a quick snack from the kitchen can help you reset.
If music with lyrics distracts you, don't try to listen to it while you do homework. Consider playing white noise or instrumental music instead to help you focus.

↑ https://www.wssd.k12.pa.us/SettingUpaHomeworkSchedule.aspx
↑ https://childmind.org/article/strategies-to-make-homework-go-more-smoothly/
↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/homework.html
↑ Ronitte Libedinsky, MS. Academic Tutor. Expert Interview. 26 May 2020.
↑ https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/learning-at-home/homework-study-skills/homework-strategies
↑ https://www.lifehack.org/articles/featured/6-proven-ways-to-make-new-habits-stick.html
↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/happiness-in-world/201203/how-prevent-procrastination

About This Article

Send fan mail to authors

Reader Success Stories

Did this article help you?

Sandu Getty

May 29, 2019

Syroaghina Beckumnbaineo

Oct 6, 2016

Mckenzie Adams

Sep 29, 2022

Ramji Srinivasan

Dec 21, 2016

Featured Articles

Watch Articles

Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
Do Not Sell or Share My Info
Not Selling Info

wikiHow Tech Help Pro:

Level up your tech skills and stay ahead of the curve

Organized Charm

Professional Organization and Interior Design for Kids' Spaces

How to Create a Semester Assignment Spreadsheet

(Read: How to Make a Daily, Prioritized Study List )

1. Gather the syllabi from all of your classes

That would be completely catastrophic.

2. Open a Spreadsheet in Excel

(Read: How to Organize Your Class Binders )

3. Create Columns

4. put in every assignment due date.

Then, check it (23 times, if you’re me) to make sure you didn’t skip over any.

5. Sort by due date

A. select the due date column.

B. Order the list the old fashioned way

6. Format it so that it all fits onto one page

(Read: How to Get Better Grades in College )

7. Print it out

(Related: Your Ultimate Back to School Checklist )

8. Track your progress

Here is what I do:

(Related: 5 Must-Know Time Management Tips for College )

What are some ways that you keep track of your assignments? How do you prioritize your projects?

Published by Kirsten Horton

Hi, I'm Kirsten! An organization-obsessed Kindergarten teacher and kids' interior designer who believes in making life as bright, cheery, and orderly as possible! :) View all posts by Kirsten Horton

1 thought on “How to Create a Semester Assignment Spreadsheet”

Pingback: How to Make a Daily Prioritized Study List – Organized Charm

make a homework

IMAGES

VIDEO

COMMENTS

Publish your worksheet to make it printable

‘Make homework’ vs. ‘do homework’ in English

Use the image

Choose Your Test

How to Do Homework: 15 Expert Tips and Tricks

How to Do Homework: Figure Out Your Struggles

How to Do Homework When You’re a Procrastinator

3 Tips f or Conquering Procrastination

#1: Create a Reward System

#2: Have a Homework Accountability Partner

#3: Create Your Own Due Dates

How to Do Homework When You’re too Busy

3 Tips for Fitting Homework Into Your Busy Schedule

#1: Make a Prioritized To-Do List

#2: Use a Planner With Time Labels

#3: Set Reminders on Your Phone

How to Do Homework When You’re Unmotivated

3 Tips for How to Get Motivated to Do Homework

#1: Use Incremental Incentives

#2: Form a Homework Group

#3: Change Up Your Environment

How to Do Homework When You’re Easily Distracted

3 Tips to Improve Your Focus

#1: Create a Distraction-Free Environment

#2: Limit Your Access to Technology

#3: Set a Timer (the Pomodoro Technique)

Two Bonus Tips for How to Do Homework Fast

#1: Do the Easy Parts First

#2: Pay Attention in Class

What’s Next?

Trending Now

How to Get a Perfect SAT Score, by an Expert Full Scorer

How to Improve Your Low SAT Score

How to Get a Perfect ACT Score, by a 36 Full Scorer

How to Improve Your Low ACT Score

Ask a Question Below

5 Ways to Make Homework More Meaningful

1. Less is More

2. Add Choice to the Equation

3. Break the Mold

4. Make Homework Voluntary

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

How to Create Effective Homework

Additional menu

Making Homework Easier: Tips and Tools for Parents

Step 1: Set Up Your Child for Success

Try Confidence Boosters for Your Child Here!

Step 3: Use Rewards

Step 4: Break Down Difficult Tasks

Step 5: Get Targeted Help

Enhance your child’s learning and boost homework performance!

Get Khanmigo

Smart Homework: 13 Ways to Make It Meaningful

Share this:

4 Responses

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Sign Up & Receive the Latest News about Our Content…

BOOK REVIEWS

13 Fun Homework Ideas: The Best Ways To Make Homework Fun For Kids Quickly & Easily

Top Tips To Make Homework Fun:

Related articles

PEMDAS Math Poster (Spanish Version) [FREE]

Privacy Overview

Internet Explorer is no longer supported

Get this as a PDF

Share this on social

Homework Routines

Incentive Systems

Developing Incentive Systems

Frequently Asked Questions

Was this article helpful?

Join Our Community of Parents

HIX Tutor AI Homework Helper

AI Homework Helper That's Got Everything Covered

Accuracy-Guaranteed Homework AI

How Our Homework AI Works?

Ask Your Question

We Run the Analysis

Get The Detailed Answer

AI Homework Helper That Covers All Subjects