janet does ____ homework at home

Exercise on Simple Present - Present Progressive

Complete the story. Use Simple Present and Present Progressive.

• It (be) early in the morning.
• Sally (get) out of bed, (open) the window and (go) into the bathroom.
• Then she (have) breakfast.
• After breakfast, Sally usually (cycle) to school.
• After school, she (go) back home.
• Sally usually (eat) her lunch at home.
• In the afternoons, she first (do) her homework and then she (meet) her friends in the park.
• What (do / she) now?
• She (play) the guitar.
• Her friends (listen) and some of them (sing) along.
• When Sally (come) home in the evening, she (have) dinner and then she (watch) TV.
• She (go) to bed at about 8 o'clock every day.

Do you like chocolate _______ vanilla ice cream?

Select your answer:          

Next Quiz >

Other quiz:

Janet does ____ homework at home.

There’s … money in my handbag.

How to use : Read the question carefully, then select one of the answers button.

GrammarQuiz.Net - Improve your knowledge of English grammar, the best way to kill your free time.

Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word. Janet has ___________ left home. just so ever yet

The correct option is a just adverbs of time tell us when an action happened and also, for how long and how often. the given sentence indicates that janet left home only a while back. option a indicates very recently or in the immediate past. thus, according to the intended meaning, the correct answer will be option a. option b indicates up until the present or any specified time. option c indicates in the way or manner indicated. option d indicates at any time..

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!

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.

When Kids Need Help With Homework

On a recent afternoon my eight year old son asked me to help with his homework. His class is reading the novel Stone Fox and his assignment was to answer the question, “Does the grandfather have a sense of humor?” The students were asked to make an argument, cite an example from the text, and finally, to draw a picture of the dog in the story, Searchlight.

I admired my son’s decision to complete this work on that Monday, since it wasn’t due until Friday. He apparently has not inherited my tendency to procrastinate. (“Procrastinators of the World Unite…Tomorrow!”)

He knew the sentence he wanted to cite–the part about the grandfather pretending to be a scarecrow to fool his grandson—but he didn’t know how to use quotation marks. He found the section and I guided him in the placement of the quotation marks.

Once he had completed the written part of the assignment, it was time to draw, but he announced, “I can’t draw dogs!” It makes me cringe to hear a child express frustration. Even though I know that frustration does not harm a child – that it is, in fact, an important and positive feeling for a person to face and work through — it’s hard to refrain from erasing a child’s frustration by fixing every problem. I’m no artist, but I certainly could have outlined a dog for my son. But then I would have robbed him of a learning experience that could have helped him gain confidence in his abilities. Showing him how to draw the dog would only reinforce his feeling of artistic ineptitude.

This is one of the many instances in which an adult’s help can hinder the child’s cognitive and emotional development. The child allows the adult to take over the task and then feels less competent as a result. Infant expert Magda Gerber instructed parents to intervene minimally with babies when they are problem solving, and I have found that her approach applies to older children too. “[B]y allowing them to do what they are capable of, by restraining ourselves from rescuing them too often, by waiting and waiting and waiting, by giving minimal help when they really need it, we allow our infants to learn and grow at their own time, and in their own way.”

I know this is controversial, but I don’t believe we should sit down to do homework with our children. Homework is designed by a teacher to be within a child’s capabilities. Unfortunately, I now know many bright and capable children who believe they cannot manage schoolwork—or at least the level of work their parents expect—without the aid of the parents, babysitters and tutors. On their own they are not good enough. These children are robbed of the self-confidence and independence that they could have had if parents stayed out of the way. (And according to clinical psychologist Wendy Mogel , tutoring can actually encourage children to stop listening and focusing in class because they know they can depend on private instruction.)

Parents can give productive assistance by being available if the child asks for help. Then they are advised to give the minimum direction necessary to allow the child to continue to struggle with the problem himself and ultimately own both his process and his accomplishments.

This rule of thumb applies equally to infants as older children. If an infant’s ball rolls under a low table, the parent’s best tactic is the following: first, wait and see if the child even wants to retrieve the ball; he may just want to look at it, or he might move on to something else. Second, let the child make his own attempt at solving the problem, even if aggravation mounts. Third, if frustration persists, talk the child through the process of retrieving the ball. If that does not work, move the table the tiniest bit so that the child can then retrieve the ball. We then help the infant to be as autonomous as possible.

Older children need to continue this experience of autonomy. Children find interest in ‘process.’ Adults are more result-oriented. With this in mind I tried to think of a way to help my son as minimally as I could. He continued to insist that he could not draw a dog.

Stone Fox rested on the table in front of us and had a picture of Searchlight, the husky on the cover. “There’s a picture of the dog right here,” I pointed out. My son checked to see if he could trace the picture, but his book report paper was not transparent enough. “Nice try,” I said, relieved that he would have to be more creative than that. He and I were both at a loss for what to do next. I waited. His alarm was growing. I winged it. Looking at the dog in the picture, I asked, “Okay, what’s the first thing you see?” “I see the spot,” he answered. There was a white spot on the forehead of Searchlight (hence his name). “Okay, draw that, “ I suggested. He drew a small, lonely circle on the page. “Now what do you see?” “I see his mouth,” he said, and he drew a suspended mouth with teeth under the spot. He went on to see Searchlight’s eyes, ears, legs and then a tail, and soon he had drawn a dog that satisfied him.

I don’t always remember to trust a child and stay out of the way. One time last year I looked at my son’s finished homework and saw so many spelling errors that I blurted out, “Do you want me to help you with some spelling mistakes?” “No! We correct it in class!” he scolded me. I felt chagrined, but smiled to myself. My son has blazed his own educational path since infancy and has seldom needed me to light the way.

Share This Page

Stay up-to-date   with newly posted articles, podcasts and news. Enter your first name and email address:

Check your inbox or spam folder now to confirm your subscription.

13 Comments

Please share your comments and questions. I read them all and respond to as many as time will allow.

That situation with homework has to strike a chord with every parent. I can’t say that I’ve always stayed out of the way (as I should have), but I have noticed that frustration almost always precedes growth.

My 7 year-old granddaughter asked me to draw a half-moon she saw on a poster in my studio. I told her I would not want to do that because I don’t believe adults should draw on children’s art work. She accepted that without doubt, although she was not smiling, (we have basic trust in each other, learned since her birth), and, looking up on the wall, began to see what she could do to recreate the image. Within a few minutes she had finished her effort and declared “It’s a seahorse!” What a revelation of self-confidence to her and affirmation of my confidence in her. That’s what it takes to let go – “nature’s plan,” Magda says – we need to grow confidence in our children and ourselves to “do less, observe more and enjoy more”.

Your advice to “trust the child and stay out of the way” takes me back almost fifty years to something a four year old child (coincidentally named Janet) taught me during my first year as an intern in a Montessori school. For days, she would wander aimlessly about the classroom holding a small basket of alphabet letters, a blank expression on her face. I grew concerned that she wasn’t engaging with the materials and might have some “special need” that had gone undiagosed. One day she picked out the letter D and handed it to me. “This is for David,” she said. Then she handed me an S and said, “This is for Sherry.” On and on it went until she had presented me with the first letter of the first name of every child in the class.I was dazzled by her. Her expression hadn’t been blank. It was a gaze that looked inward and outward at the same time, one that showed me what treasures we can find when we see things from a child’s point of view.

I’m reminded of Magda’s advice to “Be careful about what you are teaching. It may interfere with something they might be learning.”

Wonderful story, Carol. Thank you for sharing!

Oh! Thank you for this blog it is very needed. I agree with your point, Children have the right to learn their own way and on their own time.

Hi, Janet. I enjoy your post and felt it was very well written. I actually do sit with my children, though I don’t “hover”. I keep myself available as I prepare lessons for my class, write, read or do my own homework. I do check their homework with them (they are beginning to learn to double check their own work) and have them correct their mistakes. I do not give them answers or do it for them though. I also like to extend on the topics by exploring encyclopedias and the internet, which they really enjoy! My children love school, are avid readers and get great grades!

It sounds like you’ve found an excellent balance — providing assistance, but still fostering independence — and it’s paying off for your children. Cool!

My husband and I have always trusted our children to complete their own work. We have always asked about it, but have never forced a child to show it to us unless it was requested or required by the teacher, nor did we look on-line for missing assignments.

That all changed last fall when we found our daughter had looked us in the eye and lied about doing her homework for the entire first half of the second grading period. She had done NONE in any class. This is a bright, GATE/Honors student who went from straight As in 5th grade to Ds and Fs when the switch to middle school came. What would you do? We cancelled all winter break plans (my husband and I were both off work) and she completed every single assignment. We still didn’t do the work for her, but I did — for the first time ever — sit with her each day for a set amount of time, until she got the hang of what was expected of her. She then worked independently… 2 weeks of vacation down the toilet. The lesson, priceless. Her teachers appreciated the support and were amazed by the quality of her assignment. We do want to trust her, but now ask specific questions about her assignments. She tells us about the work she has done, and now and then I drop in to the website to make sure she has been truthful. It has been quite a learning experience, but her grades rebounded and she learned how much her teachers appreciate diligent work and consistent effort.

What would you do then?

Dawn, honestly? I think the way you and your husband handled this sounds perfect.

I’m no expert in adolescent psychology, but it might be a good idea to explore the social issues, or any other changes she’s experiencing in middle school to try to understand what might have happened… The change in your daughter from 5th to 6th Grade sounds so extreme. If I were you, I would want to know why.

Thank you for this post! As a teacher, I can often tell when a parent has helped a lot or done the project themself. I understand that the parents are coming from a loving place, but I feel bad for the child. The child has been robbed of an opportunity to learn, to work, and to demonstrate their abilities. Homework is a tricky thing to navigate and I think this article can help parents to learn to trust their child’s abilities.

I agree with us letting them do it. But my daughter thinks if she doesn’t nail it first time right in the 1st second (be it the picture, learning time tables) she starts crying. The crying that sounds as if she is in physical pain. I first got agitated. I even gave a hiding once or twice because she upset everyone in the house so much. I then decided to stop doing homework. Tell her to take 5 until she has calmed herself and try again. This happens every time and once she stops crying she aces it. She such a perfectionist (not from me at all). And it pains me to see here be so self critical? Am I handling it right?

I would fully accept and allow her expressing her frustration, so that she can pass through those feelings with your support. Punishing her and getting agitated yourself will only make her more fearful and self-critical.

Thank you for this article. I was wondering the same thing – should I help and how much; should I correct her, should I point to her mistakes, should I sir with her… My mom, of course, never had anything to do with my homework or school per se. She just expected everything to be perfect. And, in a way, it was a good approach (besides from the perfect part). But, on the other hand, I felt left out, like she doesn’t care. I’m trying to fit somewhere in the middle.

I know Magda Gerber is your favorite, but this approach goes back to Maria Montessori. She was also convinced that children shouldn’t be helped with anything they can do by themselves. I am so fascinated by her and her work that we enrolled or daughter into Montessori school.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

 Yes, add me to your mailing list

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

More From Janet

Books & Recommendations

Stainless Steel Bowls

Mindfulness Tools (to help us recenter in challenging situations)

Jumbo Nuts Bolts, STEM Toy, Educational Enlightenment Toys, OT Autism – Matching Fine Motor Toy for Toddlers, Preschoolers

Child-Sized Table and Chairs

Taking Back Childhood: A Proven Roadmap for Raising Confident, Creative, Compassionate Kids

Becoming the Parent You Want to Be: A Sourcebook of Strategies for the First Five Years

Choose the correct answer.

Janet is an athlete, and she wakes up at 4:30 am every weekday morning. She spends the first 30 minutes reading and then 15 minutes meditating. At 5:15 am Janet checks her email for only 30 minutes and then goes for her first run of the day. She runs for an hour and a half along the lake near her house. After running, Janet has a shower and then prepares breakfast, which is usually cereal and fruit. However, she occasionally has a less healthy breakfast. She usually finishes breakfast at around 8 am. If it is a weekday, she always leaves the house at 8:20 and goes to training. Her training starts at 9 am, and she needs 30 minutes to drive to the gym. She trains for 3 hours with her team and then goes home for lunch. She always eats a very big and healthy lunch. As soon as she finishes lunch, she has a nap for one hour.

If it is a weekday, Janet leaves the house at _______ to go to training.

Câu hỏi thuộc Bài tập:

A1 reading 010

• Skip to main content
• Skip to main navigation
• Skip to search
• Skip to talk navigation

Advertisement

How can I be better at making my child do homework

Hufflemuff · 24/08/2024 22:18

My ADHD DS is going into year 6 and I'm stressing he's going to bomb his SATS. I need help in being better at getting him to work at home! He is behind in all subjects by a bit, so he can catch up, but I really need to pull my socks up here. I need to just find a way to be better for him... So DS school is homework free, all they need to do is read for 20 mins a night and do a maths game app which takes about 5 mins. Sounds easy right? I don't want to turn this into a school bashing post, when it's about me basically abandoning my responsibility to get my son to do home reading for almost 2 years. BUT... The school have a really shit book level system (based on quizzing on a book after reading it) which kept DS on really infantile books, despite being capable of more at home. So for example, he could read Fantastic Mr Fox at home, but he would come home with a school given book - something even more basic than the Gruffalo. His peers were mocking him, he lost all confidence and associated reading with feeling very small. Despite 3 meetings with his year 3 and year 4 teachers on the same topic and numerous emails, school refused to put him on the books he was showing me he could read at home - so I thought - fuck them! I even gave up writing in his reading journal altogether in April last school year. I'm not a mum who gives into her kid, I'm really not - but I find the whole reading at bedtime so awful. It's the worst way to end the day - on a huge argument! I've tried moving the time he reads to the morning - shit argument before school. I've tried after school - exhausted after school and winging he's had enough learning. I've tried after a snack and a break at home for 30 minutes... I've tried not allowing devices until he's read. On the flipside, I've tried sticker charts, rewards, praise, freedom to choose any books, choice to read wherever he wants to etc. I've even tried to set him up with a private tutoring group! With the maths - it's an app that rewards daily streaks. He got to 100 days before then we went away and forgot it for 2 days and he lost his whole streak and had to go back to day 1. He never wants to touch it anymore due to this. Plus he's never going to compete with the 3 kids in his class that are on over 700 day streaks. So he thinks - why bother! I need your tips and tricks please!

Does he have the maturity to understand why this stuff is important (and it's not so he can do well in his SATS, which really don't matter)? I'd try and do away with all of the bribes and punishments and nagging and try treating him like someone who has a stake in his own future success. Try and motivate him to want to do it for its own sake rather than arbitrary rewards/ punishments. Does he know what he wants to be when he grows up?

My son has ASD and we found that the stress of homework just wasn’t worth it. He was on the verge of burnout after school anyway so we decided to just stop homework, didn’t send him to the revision classes etc. He found it much easier to be at school without having additional stuff afterwards. He was generally ‘working towards’ according to the teachers and I didn’t think he’d pass his SATS owing to the pressure. I told him from day 1 that I wasn’t interested in anything other than him doing his best to get through the week. He got over 100 in all and 117 in one which was the highest for that paper in his year. If you can concentrate of getting him to be happy and engage at school that is plenty in my opinion. BTW he has an EHCP and is going to a specialist senior school.

NuffSaidSam · 24/08/2024 22:26

I don't know if its the ADHD, the lack of maturity or a bit of self preservation - but he completely glazes over when you try and have a serious or profound conversation with him... He will make infuriatingly stupid comments/argumentative quips to me when I try and be serious/kind.

We never bothered with the set homework from school or reading the school scheme books. Your DC should read any book that interests them at home. All reading is good 😊. Fiction, non-fiction, newspapers, magazines, annuals, football programmes, anything really. And for Maths practice you can make up games to do at home or find ideas online. Don’t get hung up on SATs. They’re a measure of the school not your kid, and they are pretty meaningless once DC get to Y7.

Absolutely do not worry about the SATs ( I say this as a teacher) they mean nothing to anyone who matters! With the reading, it sounds like the school think he isn't fully understanding what he is reading as he isn't able to answer the questions afterwards. If this is the case, just discuss the books he does like reading to help him with his comprehension. I can add some questions you could use- if useful. Sometimes parents are not the person to do work with at home. Would you consider a tutor, as he might respond better to working with them?

I don’t blame him for not wanting to read inappropriately easy books at home - it sounds humiliating and boring. But if he is reading other books, just let him do that. It doesn’t matter what the school sets, all that matters is that he is reading - and if he is reading more challenging material at home than at school, that is far better for him. Again with maths, find a different app or website or book - there are lots out there. Again, what matters is that he practises the content, not that he uses a particular app. The competitive streak angle works for some kids but not for others, so forget it and find something he enjoys more.

When ds was in primary school I agreed with them he would read every night but not the school books because he wasn’t finding them engaging. He is now going into year 10 and we still read together every night. reading needs to be for pleasure not as a chore

Mumsnet Weekly Hot Threads

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

Try being on his side, you have made a very insightful observation about him that he can do better when he's given agency and he succeeds at reading. So nurture that. Cook together at tea time, some thing simple but from a recipe book? Get him to help you with the instructions so you guys can get through the steps and make the recipe. Needs a bit of forward planning (have you got all the ingredients etc) but I promise you it works. I think, as its been said by others here, it's important to focus on his happiness. Get him to read from cereal packets, food wrappers the menu at McDonald's etc. Schools take on learning systems that they subscribe to but some times are less successful at catering for children with different learning needs. But seriously, how can anyone expect him to be enthusiastic about a system which is not catering to his needs or interests. To reassure you, he will learn from literature from every where in life not just from systemised reading systems in school. On buses, in cinemas, museums, online, literally everywhere, even recipe books! Buy (or borrow) him books and magazines on anything he's interested in and just leave them on the table. Read them your self and pull out a few nuggets of info, mention it in conversation now and again, before you know it he'll be checking them out himself. I agree school bashing posts don't really help apart from the therapeutic venting but there will be times when you will need to advocate for him if some thing is causing him a problem. That's your absolute responsibility. You're on his side no matter what. If he's set home work give him a space and peace and time to do it. But if he refuses then the home is not a battle ground and fighting with him every night is not an option either. His school will have their own consequences for not doing home work and he'll have to negotiate that if he won't do it with your help and support. Don't worry about the Sat's. Proven non indicator of a child's future success. The stress children and their teachers suffer getting through them can be very damaging. Same as a post I read earlier, one of mine was so worried about them I told him I wasn't. That it wasn't an indicator of his real ability, he did them and achieved levels two years above his ability but I really wouldn't have cared if he hadn't. I'll put that remark in context, my profession is teaching. I've read the papers, the abstracts the research, I'm confident I took the right approach with him. Each child is different and we are supposed to teach the whole child. The fact that you care so much about this is testimony to your concern for your child. Maybe you could enlist some help from the sendco or student support department. He just needs a few short term achievable targets in his learning plan that are meaningful to him, that don't emphasise a sense of otherness or defeat for him and that may well mean that the school approach needs adjusting but you can all work on that together. He must be at the centre of everything and included in planning and strategising so that he can take ownership of it. I'm standing shoulder to shoulder with you in support of your wish to find something that works for you both moving forward. The fact that you are concerned is commendable. Remember the home is not a battleground, if he won't do it (homework or reading) there's nothing you can do. A dialogue with school might help. A relationship with him that includes how he feels about all of this will be invaluable. So he know he matters to you, so he knows that he can trust you, that you're not judging him but rather, youre trying to find a solution to help and that there are choices to make. All the best, please update us as to how it goes, I shall think about you both and wish you well. There's some great advice on here, keep your self plugged in, some of it may help and some not but it's great for you to learn from the experiences of others and realise you're not alone in this difficulty.

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

Question 4. Janet usually does her homework_________

Cập nhật ngày: 30-04-2024

Chia sẻ bởi: Nguyễn Đăng An

Chủ đề liên quan