Homework is something every child has had to go through during their schooling. It may have been preparing a presentation, drawing up a poster or completing a worksheet. This is one subject that guarantees vastly varying opinions. Some believe there should be none at all and others find a reasonable amount of it quite useful. Some think less should be set, some think more. So, what is the reason for such contrasting opinions? What is the significance of homework?
Homework is important as it allows students to develop and hone important skills, such as time management and discipline. These are skills that they will find invaluable in the near future – including higher education and their work career. It also acts as a way for the teacher, as well as the pupil themselves, to realise their current level along with their progress. Homework also helps pupils to consolidate class work. Through this they can ensure full and clear understanding.
These are just a few reasons that highlight the significance of homework in the life of school pupils’ lives. Continue reading this article to find out more about why it’s so important as well as some helpful information on dealing with homework.
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Why is Homework Important for Students?
Homework has numerous benefits on a child’s education, school life and home life. Homework is generally an engaging and interactive task set by the teacher to allow students to consolidate and apply the content they covered in class. The act of going over this content once again the student will be able to solidify their understanding.
However, they may also realise any gaps in their knowledge or questions upon doing the set task. This is equally important as it means the next day, at school, they will be able to ask their teacher. If the homework was not set, the pupil wouldn’t have realised their lack of understanding. A few advantages of homework are covered below.
Improve Time-Management
Through completing their homework students can gain several important life skills to make themselves more responsible. Homework gives pupils the responsibility of completing the given task by a given time. This encourages them to become more independent and disciplined.
This may involve planning out their after-school time and deciding to complete a homework task in a given time limit. For example, the pupil may plan to spend 20 minutes on their maths homework, take a ten-minute break, and then spend 30 minutes on geography. This is something they will find fundamental during exams as well as in their future career.
Encourage Creativity
When teachers set engaging tasks, such as presenting a theme in a chosen way, it gives the pupil the ability to design their own work. This encourages originality through creativity. Homework may also allow students to think outside the box to come up with ideas. This is a tool they will find useful throughout their life.
Furthermore, through completing creative and engaging tasks, a pupil will be able to discover their learning style. They will realise whether or not they like and can learn from posters, mind maps and flash cards. They can continue to apply their preferences throughout school, especially when revising for exams.
Develop Research Skills
Homework teaches children how to use the resources on-hand to benefit themselves. When a pupil is given a research project, they must go online to find relevant material that they can present. Also, if they are confused and do not fully understand a question, they will need to find the answer. This teaches students how to find information through a variety of sources, such as going online, using a library, or talking to an informed person.
By knowing how to access relevant learning materials the student will find any future homework, learning and revision easier.
Learn Other Relevant Content
Homework provides an opportunity for a pupil to dive deeper into a specific topic. This may because they’ve been told to complete a project on a chosen topic. This allows students to discover potential interests. They’ll be able to go above and beyond classwork and possibly find their future subject choices or career.
Why Do Teachers Set Homework?
The reasons above all clearly set out the insurmountable advantage that homework poses to students. Student’s benefit is the teacher’s best interest. However, what most students forget when complaining about the ‘ridiculous amount of work’ their teachers set is that the teacher needs to mark around thirty pupil’s ‘ridiculous amount of work’. So why do they do it? Why give out homework?
Homework acts as a clear representation of the pupil’s understanding and ability of the subject. It is debatably more accurate than tests, exams, or class work. This is because homework encourages the pupil to complete the work independently, without the option of asking the teacher for help. It is also done in a calm, comfortable environment. Therefore, it can show progress or activity over a long period of time if set consistently. This is unlike a quick test or quiz which is a one-time result.
Alternatively, often when a pupil fails to complete the classwork that they were meant to, due to distraction or absences, it will be set as homework. This is a reasonable solution, especially if the work done class will be essential in future lessons or tests.
Is Homework Important in Primary School?
Many argue that at such a young age children should not be made to stress over large piles of work. Other counter this with an argument that pupils must begin learning their life skills early – through homework. Neither are incorrect arguments.
This is why, during primary school, most teachers set a limited amount of homework. This prevents too much pressure at a young age. They will also be able to get enough sleep at night. Furthermore, this ensures sufficient time for any after school clubs or going round to a friend’s house. These activities are very important at a young age, arguably more so than homework, because they also provide valuable development.
Also, primary school homework is found to be less restrictive and more engaging. This helps children to learn better.
How Should You Do Your Homework?
Often homework can become a daunting task. A major counter argument to setting homework is the stress it places on young student. So how can a student handle their out-of-school workload without it affecting their mental health?
An important factor is maintaining a comfortable but distraction-free environment. You should not be working in a stressful area. For some this may be a public area such as a quiet café. Others are unable to work comfortably in their own home. If this is the case some suitable options would be the local library or a quiet café. In the summer, you could even sit under a tree in the park to get some work done.
To maintain a distraction-free zone, some common ideas consider placing your phone in a different room, listening to songs without lyrics. Find some other useful tips and tricks to improve your focus and concentration at this Think Student article. This can help you deal with any homework stress or anxiety that you may facing.
It is also important to plan out your time, so the burden of homework does not seep into your free time. It is vital to maintain a schoolwork and life balance.
Online Homework
During lockdown, the entire world collectively suffered from a complete shift in our lifestyles. Most schooling (including primary, secondary and university) was moved online. Teachers began to set homework online, such as on OneNote, or Word Documents. This means getting distracted is much easier. For some people, it may even make remembering or learning much harder since they cannot physically complete it.
In this case it is important to find available resources suited to you, that can help you get the most out of online homework.
Online Homework Help
We’ve included some links down below including YouTube channels to clearly explain out topics, websites with topic summary notes, websites with interactive quizzes and other useful online help. It is essential to find an engaging and well-suited online learning method for you. If in school, make sure your chosen resources are for the specific exam board you will be writing, especially if you are revising.
In addition to the links below, also check out your own school’s website to find some useful resource links as well. When in doubt, contact your teachers to ask for useful resources for subject help.
- For help with Sciences, English and Maths: go to the Savemyexams website here.
- Another incredibly useful website which summarises the important points of a topic briefly and clearly is the BBC bitesize website. This website has resources for primary, secondary and post-16. There also interactive feature such as quick quizzes.
- The YouTube channel Science with Hazel also provides friendly videos that cover the whole syllabus. Check out this channel here.
- Seneca Learning is another very useful website for KS2, KS3, GCSE and A-Level. It has many interactive features. It covers most subjects including the core subjects, social sciences and languages. You can visit this website here.
- For English websites such as CliffsNotes and SparkNotes can help you to summarise characters and themes in a book.
You are not limited to the links above, there are many more online resources out there, so speak to your fellow pupils and teachers to find out more online help.