Designing Meaningful Homework

What is the purpose of homework? Homework is important, however, how much is too much?  Also, is the homework that teachers assign actually meaningful and worthwhile?  I’ve struggled with the concept myself, and have taught at schools where homework is not assigned in any subject, to schools where it is assigned every single night for every subject.  Which balance is the appropriate one?  Is homework always necessary, and if so, when and what should be assigned? 

I have spoken with colleagues that teach various levels and subjects, and have made a decision; homework should only be given if it will provide added value to the student.  This, therefore, can take many different forms – is the “homework” used to support struggling learners or to enhance and enrich the learning of advanced ones?  If teachers view homework as either a way to support struggling students or enrich the learning of advanced students, homework can greatly affect students’ performance in school.  This therefore means that teachers should not only be differentiating their lessons to suite their students’ needs, but also the students’ homework.   Homework can be divided into three distinct sections: review of prior content, review of current content and enrichment.  

Let’s begin with homework for the lowest group of students, the ones who need prior content reviewed.  Their homework can be a collection of review from the past few days of classwork along with a small “preview” of what is to come.  This way, the students are consistently reviewing the material they learned, while also being briefly exposed to future content.

The second group of students have a basic understanding of the content, however, might need certain aspects reviewed.  Their homework should consist of a simple review of the material learned that day, while also providing the students with a basic understanding of what they will learn the following day.  By creating homework that gives students review of the current day and insight to the following day, they will be consistently studying what they had learned, while also being prepared for upcoming lessons. 

Finally, the most advanced students should receive homework that will push them to further develop their skills and understanding of the content.  Since the students in this group demonstrate that they can easily understand the material when it is taught, their homework should help them to go “above and beyond” what is needed and to create connections to real world and past knowledge.

By differentiating the homework given to students, they will receive additional assistance that will either help them better understand the material or to push their learning further.  Although it might be difficult for the teacher to create multiple homework assignments, by differentiating the material they are ensuring that all of the students are receiving appropriate instruction and therefore will not fall behind, while also being intellectually challenged.