homework can be independent practice

Independent Practice: 17 Examples, Strengths & Weaknesses

Independent practice occurs when the teacher has demonstrated a task or process and then gives students the opportunity to practice on their own.

In the stage of independent practice, the teacher can monitor student progress and may offer some suggestions and guidance as the student attempts to replicate the modeled behavior or task.

Although the teacher might want to offer a lot of guidance, it is also important for students to learn how to monitor and adjust their own actions and self-correct.

Independent practice is an integral part of many lesson plans, especially those that involve skills-based learning outcomes. In those cases, the only way to master a skill is through repetition.

Approaches to Independent Practice

Independent practice has been widely used in teacher-centered approaches to instruction. In this model, the teacher first provides direct instruction , followed by independent practice (in the form of rote repetition) by the students.

While a teacher-centered model has its downsides (such as lack of differentiation for individual student needs), variations that integrate strong teacher support and a transition to student-centered active learning continue to embrace independent practice.

For example, the guided practice, I Do We Do You Do, modelled instruction, and flipped learning all conclude with independent practice:

• Modelled Instruction : In this model, the teacher starts with a teacher-centered approach. It involves the teacher demonstrating how to do the task. Following modelling, the students are encouraged to copy the teacher’s model.
• Guided Practice : The teacher uses scaffolding to walk students through the learning task. The teacher is a guide, giving support until the student can engage in independent practice without teacher assistance.
• I Do We Do You Do: Building on the previous two approaches, this method is a three step model. First, the teacher demonstrates the task. Second, the class attempt the task as a group. Third, individual students do the task independently.
• Flipped Instruction : Students learn the content at home by reading and watching videos. In class, students engage in independent practice and the teacher gives personalized help to students who need it. Here, we have ‘flipped’ the location where instruction takes place and the location where homework (i.e. the independent practice) takes place.
• Capstone Projects: A capstone project is a self-guided task that students engage in at the end of their university degree. Often, it involves independently coming up with a research topic, methodology, study, and findings.

Ideally, independent practice only occurs once a student is capable of trying the task on their own without guidance. For this, we can employ the Zone of Proximal Development framework from Lev Vygotsky. In this framework, scaffolding (teacher guidance) is required until the student is capable to do the task themselves.

After scaffolding, students may be able to practice on their own until they achieve mastery . In other words, independent practice helps students move across the threshold from the ZPD zone to the ‘easy’ zone:

Independent Practice Examples

• Sam can’t keep up in his advanced calculus class like his peers. So, he goes home and watches Khan Academy on slow motion (and repeatedly) until he finally understands, then practices with worksheets until he’s mastered it.
• Mr. Johnson shows his students how to use a Venn Diagram using two animals as an example. He then lets his students try using their own worksheets.
• Natalie is trying to repeat the sequence of keystrokes her piano teacher has demonstrated so many times, but she just can’t get them right yet. Her teach may need to provide more intervention and scaffolding.
• Mrs. Ellen has demonstrated how to solve a math equation and now lets her students practice at their desks. While they’re practicing independently, she walks around and provides tailored support where needed.
• Jonatan is learning English. He thinks he’s got decent conversational skills so he goes out to the local English-language book fair and tried to engage in conversations in English with the native English speakers at each booth.
• Juson watched carefully as his coding instructor demonstrated how to fix a computer issue, but when he attempts the steps at his computer station, it never seems to work.
• Michael is struggling to improve his batting average so he goes to the local automated batting cages and practices hitting 500 balls a day, focusing on his hand-eye coordination.
• Kumar’s yoga trainer showed him how to do the Cow Face Pose, but when he practiced at home, he can’t get his hands to touch. To improve, he tries new stretches daily before doing the Cow Face Pose.
• Javi can make the paper airplane in class when his teacher helps, but he always forgets at least one step when he tries on his own. He’s not quite at the level for independent practice yet.
• Janelle’s coach showed the team the secret to doing a layup with your non-dominant hand. She practiced a lot over the weekend and was eventually able to master the move fairly well. She impressed her teammates at the next training session.
• Students in Dr. Henson’s statistics course always complain that he goes through the steps in SPSS too quickly. When they practice over the weekend, it’s very frustrating, because they haven’t had enough scaffolding.
• Minato remembers how his Home Economics teacher made lasagna, but the version he prepared over the weekend was not nearly as delicious as his teacher’s.
• Maria loves her architecture class. She has the same software at home that her instructor uses, so she gets lot of practice.
• Hannah has an upcoming exam at university so she spends 1.5 hours per day at the library doing exams from previous years.
• Amandeep has an upcoming presentation that will be in front of 200 people. To prepare, she stands in front of the mirror and makes sure she looks up, projects her voice, and recites the presentation with confidence.
• Students learning to write letters are given handwriting worksheets to trace for homework each afternoon.
• Sarah is trying to learn how to do the splits but she’s not quite there yet. She realizes that 1 hour per week at her dance classes aren’t enough, so she practices for 10 minutes each afternoon.

Strengths of Independent Practice

1. strengthens skills.

One of the main benefits of independent practice is that students will be able to strengthen their skills.

Because repetition is so important when mastering certain skills-based tasks, independent practice allows students the opportunity to get in the necessary practice.

Mistakes will be made of course, but older students will be able to catch those errors, recall the instructor’s demo, and try again.

Performing independent practice at home is often necessary because there is only so much time available during class.

2. Self-Correction

For older students with experience, independent practice allows for self-correction. However, for younger students, this ability may not be so well-developed.

Therefore, allowing younger students an opportunity to work independently, without the teacher watching over their shoulder, helps them build a very valuable skill; the ability to catch their own mistakes and then self-correct.

3. Builds Autonomy

Particularly for younger students, independent practice helps build a sense of autonomy.

Although a lot of younger students want to be independent and make their own decisions, when it comes to learning tasks, many become too dependent on their teacher.

In class, the teacher is always there; willing and able to provide guidance and assistance almost immediately. This is not always in the best interest of the student.

Younger students have to learn to be independent, and independent practice helps them develop this attribute over time.

See Also: Examples of Autonomy

4. Builds Self-Efficacy

When students are faced with performing a challenging task, many can feel overwhelmed and anxious.

They may feel that they just can’t do it, or at least cannot do it well enough.

However, one of the greatest results of independent practice is that students that once feared failure, eventually succeed. This boosts confidence and pride, and ultimately helps students develop a sense of self-efficacy .

5. Assessment of Individual Progress

After a teacher has demonstrated the necessary steps to perform a certain task, they will allot some time for independent practice.

This gives the students an opportunity to give-it-a-go by themselves and see what happens.

This will also give the teacher an opportunity to conduct an informal assessment. By walking around the classroom and observing each student’s efforts, the teacher can gain a firm grasp of each student’s skill level.

Now they know who needs additional instruction and who is ready to move forward to the next step.

6. Computer-Assisted Independent Practice

The increasing availability and sophistication of computer software has opened new opportunities for independent practice.

For example, software can monitor the user’s reading progress and adjust the level of difficulty of the learning tasks accordingly (Mostow, 2013).

In a sense, the computer serves as a kind of tutor. The student is engaged in independent practice, but at the same time receiving some assistance.

This software may be particularly beneficial for children with learning disabilities (Flower, 2014) or children who struggle to focus but can benefit from gamified computer learning.

Independent Practice Weaknesses

1. level of task difficulty.

One of the biggest hurdles with independent practice is adjusting the level of task difficulty.

The teacher needs to choose a level that is not too challenging, or too easy. There will be students that already possess advanced skills, so a task that is too simple will make them feel bored.

On the other hand, a certain percentage of the class may have very little experience with the task. Therefore, the teacher will need to find a level of difficulty that builds the confidence of these students early on. More challenging components can be attempted later.

Striking a balance will always be a challenge for teachers, especially in larger classes with a wider range of student abilities.

2. Student Frustration

When a student attempts to perform a task but fails, it can be very frustrating.

Many students, particularly younger ones, have not yet learned how to deal with failure. For these youngsters, they might just quit. They will immediately conclude that they just can’t do it.

They don’t yet have enough life experience to build self-efficacy. Nearly everything they encounter in life is novel, and this can be a bit frightening for students that are timid or lack confidence.

So, in this sense, independent practice runs the risk of doing more harm than good.

3. Faulty Learning

Sometimes independent practice takes place in the safety of a classroom, and sometimes it doesn’t.

If students engage the learning task independently at home, they may develop faulty habits.

Since the teacher is not available to correct mistakes, students might think they are performing the task correctly, only to discover later that they are not.

When students return to the classroom to demonstrate their skills, they may feel embarrassed that they have been practicing the wrong way. They may feel that they have wasted time practicing the wrong way, and, some parents may agree.

Summary Table

Independent practice is a valuable step in many lesson plans. Giving students an opportunity to practice a skill independently has numerous benefits.

Many skills taught in class require repetition to master, this includes learning how to solve algebraic equations, writing the alphabet, or mastering the dance moves of a complicated routine.

It helps students strengthen their abilities, helps them develop confidence and a sense of self-efficacy, and it can give the teacher an opportunity to conduct informal assessment.

At the same time, younger students that lack life experience and confidence may find independent practice too frustrating. This can damage their self-esteem and lower motivation.

de Barros, A., Ganimian, A. J., & Venkatachalam, A. (2022). Which students benefit from independent practice? Experimental evidence from a math software in private schools in India. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, 15 (2), 279-301. https://dpi.org/10.1080/19345747.2021.2005203

Flower, A. (2014). The effect of iPad use during independent practice for students with challenging behavior. Journal of Behavioral Education, 23, 435–448. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10864-014-9206-8

Mostow, J., Nelson-Taylor, J., & Beck, J. E. (2013). Computer-guided oral reading versus independent practice: Comparison of sustained silent reading to an automated reading tutor that listens. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 49 (2), 249–276. https://doi.org/10.2190/EC.49.2.g

Prichard, S. (2021). The impact of music practice instruction on middle school band students’ independent practice behaviors. Journal of Research in Music Education, 68 (4), 419–435. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022429420947132

Straumberger, W. (2018). Using self-assessment for individual practice in math classes. In: Thompson, D., Burton, M., Cusi, A., Wright, D. (Eds.). Classroom Assessment in Mathematics . ICME-13 Monographs. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-73748-5_4

Dave Cornell (PhD)

Dr. Cornell has worked in education for more than 20 years. His work has involved designing teacher certification for Trinity College in London and in-service training for state governments in the United States. He has trained kindergarten teachers in 8 countries and helped businessmen and women open baby centers and kindergartens in 3 countries.

• Dave Cornell (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/dave-cornell-phd/ 25 Positive Punishment Examples
• Dave Cornell (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/dave-cornell-phd/ 25 Dissociation Examples (Psychology)
• Dave Cornell (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/dave-cornell-phd/ 15 Zone of Proximal Development Examples
• Dave Cornell (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/dave-cornell-phd/ Perception Checking: 15 Examples and Definition

Chris Drew (PhD)

This article was peer-reviewed and edited by Chris Drew (PhD). The review process on Helpful Professor involves having a PhD level expert fact check, edit, and contribute to articles. Reviewers ensure all content reflects expert academic consensus and is backed up with reference to academic studies. Dr. Drew has published over 20 academic articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education and holds a PhD in Education from ACU.

• Chris Drew (PhD) #molongui-disabled-link 25 Positive Punishment Examples
• Chris Drew (PhD) #molongui-disabled-link 25 Dissociation Examples (Psychology)
• Chris Drew (PhD) #molongui-disabled-link 15 Zone of Proximal Development Examples
• Chris Drew (PhD) #molongui-disabled-link Perception Checking: 15 Examples and Definition

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Does Homework Really Help Students Learn?

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

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

Do your homework.

If only it were that simple.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Senior Contributing Editor

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

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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?

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Writing a Lesson Plan: Independent Practice

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In this series about lesson plans, we're breaking down the 8 steps you need to take to create an effective lesson plan for the elementary classroom. Independent Practice is the sixth step for teachers, coming after defining the following steps:

•   Objective
• Anticipatory Set
• Direct Instruction
• Guided Practice
•   Closure

Independent Practice essentially asks students to work with little to no assistance. This part of a lesson plan ensures that students have a chance to reinforce skills and synthesize their newly acquired knowledge by completing a task or series of tasks on their own and away from the teacher's direct guidance. During this part of the lesson, students may need some support from the teacher, but it is important to empower students to try to work through problems independently before providing assistance to point them in the right direction on the task at hand.

Four Questions to Consider

In writing the Independence Practice section of the Lesson Plan , consider the following questions:

• Based on observations during Guided Practice , what activities will my students be able to complete on their own? It's important to be realistic in assessing the class's capabilities and anticipate any challenges that may arise. This allows you be proactive in determining assistive tools that can empower students to work independently.
• How can I provide a new and different context in which the students can practice their new skills? Real world applications always bring lessons to life and help students see the value in what they are learning. Finding new, fun, and creative ways for your class to practice what they have just learned will not only help with mastery of the topic and skills at hand in the moment but also better assist students in retaining the information and skills over a longer period of time.  
• How can I offer Independent Practice on a repeating schedule so that the learning is not forgotten? Students can get weary of repeated tasks, so looking for ways to provide a repeating schedule with creative options is vital to success. 
• How can I integrate the learning objectives from this particular lesson into future projects? Finding ways to weave the current lesson into future ones, as well as past lessons into the current one, can be a great way to also support retaining knowledge and skills. 

Where should Independent Practice take place?

Many teachers operate on the model that Independent Practice can take the form of a homework assignment or worksheet, but it is also important to think of other ways for students to reinforce and practice the given skills. Get creative and try to capture the students' interest and capitalize on specific enthusiasms for the topic at hand. Find ways to work Independent Practice into the school day, field trips, and even offer ideas for it in fun activities they may do at home. Examples vary greatly by lesson, but teachers are often great at looking for creative ways to foster learning!

Once you receive the work or reports from Independent Practice, you should assess the results, see where learning may have failed, and use the information you gather to inform future teaching. Without this step, the whole lesson may be for naught. It's important to consider how you will assess the results, particularly if the assessment isn't a traditional worksheet or homework assignment. 

Examples of Independent practice

This section of your lesson plan can also be considered the "homework" section or the section where students independently work on their own. This is the section that reinforces the lesson that was taught. For example, it may say "Students will complete the Venn Diagram worksheet, categorizing the six listed characteristics of plants and animals."

3 Tips to Remember

When assigning this section of the lesson plan remember students need to be able to perform this skill on their own with a limited number of errors. When assigning this piece of the lesson plan keep these three things in mind.

• Make a clear connection between the lesson and the homework
• Make sure to assign the homework directly after the lesson
• Clearly explain the assignment and make sure to check for students understating before sending them off on their own.

Difference Between Guided and Independent Practice

What is the difference between guided and independent practice? Guided practice is where the instructor helps to guide the students and does the work together, while independent practice is where students must complete the work by themselves without any help. This is the section where students must be able to understand the concept that was taught and complete it on their own.

Edited by Stacy Jagodowski

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Response: Best Homework Practices

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Katie Ciresi asked :

What is the best approach teachers can take towards homework?

I think the guest responses today, along with numerous reader comments, provide a great perspective on the topic. If you’d like to read more research and discover additional ideas, you might want to explore my collection at The Best Resources For Learning About Homework Issues .

Todays guests are educator/authors Dr. Cathy Vatterott and Bryan Harris. Reader suggestions follow their contributions.

Response From Dr. Cathy Vatterott

Dr. Cathy Vatterott is the author of Rethinking Homework: Best practices that support diverse needs (2009):

1. Treat homework as feedback. Homework should be used as formative feedback about learning, not as a summative assessment of learning. When homework is used as assessment of learning, and students are penalized for incomplete or incorrect assignments, it’s often easier or less embarrassing for them to not attempt the work. If homework is understood by students, teachers, and parents to be formative feedback about learning, we remove the shame of not understanding as well as the temptation of parents to complete or correct homework.

2. Check for understanding before assigning practice. Practice homework should not be assigned until the teacher has assigned homework to check for understanding. Sometimes teachers think they are assigning practice, only to discover that for some students it’s new learning! Homework should not be used for new learning.

3. Track homework completion but don’t count it as part of the grade. This approach is consistent with the use of homework as formative assessment. As more schools move to standards based grading, it is becoming increasingly common that homework is not graded, but given feedback and monitored for completion. If homework is not graded, homework completion is typically reported as a work habit.

4. Help students see homework as practice for assessments. While teachers fear students won’t do homework if it’s not graded, it shouldn’t take long for students to see the relationship of homework to their performance on assessments. We are simply delaying gratification! Teachers can encourage this insight by having students chart the relationship between the percentage of homework assignments completed and their grades on assessments. For the teacher, this often reveals for which students homework is effective, as well as for which students homework is ineffective or even unnecessary.

5. Don’t assume your homework tasks are infallible. We tend to assume that a specific homework task will lead to the learning we desire, and will work for all students. If we allow students to have input into the tasks that work best for them, we empower students to take more responsibility for their learning.

Response From Bryan Harris

Bryan Harris serves as the Director of Professional Development & Public Relations for the Casa Grande (AZ) Elementary School District. He is the author of two books published by Eye On Education and regularly speaks across the country on the topics of student engagement and classroom management:

Homework is a hot topic and your frustrations are felt by fellow educators all over the country. Some perfectly capable students don’t seem to care enough to put forth even a little effort. For those of us on the front lines of educating kids, we can relate to the disappointment of working with students who don’t seem to have the internal drive to continue their learning.

The research on the effectiveness of homework is mixed and inconclusive. While many educators value homework as a means to instill a positive work ethic and self-discipline in students, it is unclear if homework increases student achievement or long-term learning (Bennett & Kalish, 2007; Cooper, 2007; Kohn, 2007). With the research still inconclusive regarding the benefits of homework, these three questions can serve as a valuable starting point:

• Does the homework have a clear purpose and rationale?

• Can the student successfully complete the homework without assistance?

• How much time should it take for a student to complete the homework?

Once those questions are considered, there are some strategies that will help to increase the percentage of kids who turn in homework:

• Avoid calling it “homework”. It is likely that some students have negative feelings towards homework...they hear the word and tune out or have a negative reaction. Rather, refer to the tasks, assignments, and projects that are to be completed for the following day.

• Make homework occasional and special. Reserve homework for those tasks that have a special purpose and are connected to an authentic task.

• Communicate exactly how the homework will be used. Give students a clear reason (beyond the assignment of a grade) that the assignment needs to be completed.

• De-emphasize extrinsic motivators. Many of our students are not motivated by grades, prizes, or rewards. Reminding them that their grades will suffer if they don’t complete an assignment is not likely to help. So, emphasize how the assignment is going to help them learn something that is interesting, relevant, or immediately useful.

• Start the assignment in class. Give students a head start and build momentum. Before chronic non-homework-doers leave class, highlight how much they have completed and how little they have left.

• Ask for a commitment. Most people, even challenging students, prefer to follow through on their stated intentions. Therefore, in a non-confrontational way, ask the student to verbally commit to when and where they will be able to complete the assignment.

• Call home. In full communication with parents, call home to offer assistance on the completion of the assignment.

• Avoid lecturing and nagging the entire class. Emphasize the positive behavior of the majority. In nearly every classroom, most of the students are cooperative, helpful, and a joy to teach. However, teachers often spend time nagging the entire class about the inappropriate behavior of just a few students. Click here for a blog explaining the concept of Negative Social Proof .

Responses From Readers

When assigned, homework should be relevant and meaningful, and should serve as independent practice of a skill learned in the classroom. Or, in the case of a flipped classroom, homework can be initial learning of content when class time is used for guided or independent practice. I’m not a proponent of homework being used as a vehicle to “teach responsibility” thereby resulting in policies of downgrading or assigning zeroes for work turned in late.

Julie Harding:

My basic rule is that homework should be relevant and helpful.Homework should never be busywork. It should absolutely extend the student’s experience with the learning with the goal of developing mastery. Acceptable homework in English is reading, writing and working towards a project or other goal. Never should students just be answering comprehension questions, defining vocabulary words, filling out worksheets, which are viewed by students as irrelevant.

If homework interferes with a student’s ability to succeed in a class, it should be reduced or done away with. For instance, if a student works or takes care of siblings, he or she should not be penalized for not doing homework. That may be part of the culture of a class or a school, depending on demographics. In these instances, homework can be optional, extra credit, extension, etc. On the other hand, if a student masters the skills or content easily and doesn’t do homework because he feels it’s pointless, it should not significantly impact his grade (I have seen students move from a B to a F because of homework) because that would be harmful.

I’ve used Storify to collect many of the tweets that were sent in response to this question:

Thanks to Cathy, Bryan and to many readers for contributing their responses, .

Please feel free to leave a comment sharing your reactions to this question and the ideas shared here. Consider contributing a question to be answered in a future post. You can send one to me at [email protected] .When you send it in, let me know if I can use your real name if it’s selected or if you’d prefer remaining anonymous and have a pseudonym in mind.

You can also contact me on Twitter at @Larryferlazzo .

Anyone whose question is selected for this weekly column can choose one free book from a selection of seven published by published by Jossey-Bass .

Just a reminder -- you can subscribe to this blog for free via RSS Reader or email ....

And,if you missed any of the highlights from the first year of this blog, you can check them out here . You can also see a list of the ten most popular posts in 2012.

Look for the next “question-of-the-week” in a few days....

The opinions expressed in Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.

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Designing Effective Homework

Best practices for creating homework that raises student achievement

Homework. It can be challenging…and not just for students. For teachers, designing homework can be a daunting task with lots of unanswered questions: How much should I assign? What type of content should I cover? Why aren’t students doing the work I assign? Homework can be a powerful opportunity to reinforce the Shifts in your instruction and promote standards-aligned learning, but how do we avoid the pitfalls that make key learning opportunities sources of stress and antipathy?

The nonprofit Instruction Partners recently set out to answer some of these questions, looking at what research says about what works when it comes to homework. You can view their original presentation here , but I’ve summarized some of the key findings you can put to use with your students immediately.

Does homework help?

Consistent homework completion has been shown to increase student achievement rates—but frequency matters. Students who are given homework regularly show greater gains than those who only receive homework sporadically. Researchers hypothesize that this is due to improved study skills and routines practiced through homework that allow students to perform better academically.

Average gains on unit tests for students who completed homework were six percentile points in grades 4–6, 12 percentile points in grades 7–9, and an impressive 24 percentile points in grades 10–12; so yes, homework (done well) does work. [i]

What should homework cover?

While there is little research about exactly what types of homework content lead to the biggest achievement gains, there are some general rules of thumb about how homework should change gradually over time.

In grades 1–5, homework should:

• Reinforce and allow students to practice skills learned in the classroom
• Help students develop good study habits and routines
• Foster positive feelings about school

In grades 6–12, homework should:

• Prepare students for engagement and discussion during the next lesson
• Allow students to apply their skills in new and more challenging ways

The most often-heard criticism of homework assignments is that they simply take too long. So how much homework should you assign in order to see results for students? Not surprisingly, it varies by grade. Assign 10-20 minutes of homework per night total, starting in first grade, and then add 10 minutes for each additional grade. [ii] Doing more can result in student stress, frustration, and disengagement, particularly in the early grades.

Why are some students not doing the homework?

There are any number of reasons why students may not complete homework, from lack of motivation to lack of content knowledge, but one issue to watch out for as a teacher is the impact of economic disparities on the ability to complete homework.

Multiple studies [iii] have shown that low-income students complete homework less often than students who come from wealthier families. This can lead to increased achievement gaps between students. Students from low-income families may face additional challenges when it comes to completing homework such as lack of access to the internet, lack of access to outside tutors or assistance, and additional jobs or family responsibilities.

While you can’t erase these challenges for your students, you can design homework that takes those issues into account by creating homework that can be done offline, independently, and in a reasonable timeframe. With those design principles in mind, you increase the opportunity for all your students to complete and benefit from the homework you assign.

The Big Picture

Perhaps most importantly, students benefit from receiving feedback from you, their teacher, on their assignments. Praise or rewards simply for homework completion have little effect on student achievement, but feedback that helps them improve or reinforces strong performance does. Consider keeping this mini-table handy as you design homework:

The act of assigning homework doesn’t automatically raise student achievement, so be a critical consumer of the homework products that come as part of your curriculum. If they assign too much (or too little!) work or reflect some of these common pitfalls, take action to make assignments that better serve your students.

[i] Cooper, H. (2007). The battle over homework (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

[ii] Cooper, H. (1989a). Homework .White Plains, NY: Longman.

[iii] Horrigan, T. (2015). The numbers behind the broadband ‘homework gap’ http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/04/20/the-numbers-behind-the-broadband-homework-gap/ and Miami Dade Public Schools. (2009). Literature Review: Homework. http://drs.dadeschools.net/LiteratureReviews/Homework.pdf

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About the Author: Claire Rivero is the Digital Strategy Manager for Student Achievement Partners. Claire leads the organization’s communications and digital promotion work across various channels including email, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, always seeking new ways to reach educators. She also manages Achieve the Core’s blog, Aligned. Prior to joining Student Achievement Partners, Claire worked in the Communications department for the American Red Cross and as a literacy instructor in a London pilot program. Claire holds bachelor’s degrees in English and Public Policy from Duke University and a master’s degree in Social Policy (with a concentration on Education Policy) from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

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How to Help Students Develop the Skills They Need to Complete Homework

Middle and high school students can learn to work more efficiently by using strategies that improve their executive function skills.

The effects of homework are mixed. While adolescents across middle and high school have an array of life situations that can make doing homework easier or harder, it’s well known that homework magnifies inequity . However, we also know that learning how to manage time and work independently outside of the school day is valuable for lifelong learning. From the homework wars  to students who have little time for homework to students who don’t even know where to begin, everyone can agree that kids who can self-regulate and engage in independent rehearsal are better positioned for whatever the future holds.

How can we empower students to overcome barriers to doing homework well?

Executive Functioning

Homework is partially an assessment of executive functioning. Executive functioning and self-regulation take time to develop. They depend on three types of critical brain function: working memory, mental flexibility, and self-regulation .

Let’s break this down to consider how to improve their efficiency.

Working memory: Don’t hold everything in your head; it is not possible. When doing homework, students should write down their ideas, whether they are notes while reading, numbers when working through a math problem, or non-school-related reminders about chores, such as remembering to take the dog for a walk. Clearing working memory for the immediate task at hand allows the brain to focus as the strain is reduced.

Mental flexibility: As students build their independence and grow their homework routines, seeing an array of strategies, or more than one way to solve a problem, is important. Consider the results when a child gets stuck and doesn’t know what to do to get unstuck or when one keeps trying the same failed approach. Chunking homework helps simplify the process. When stuck, a student looks at a smaller piece, which makes it easier to see other solutions. More practice with mental flexibility happens when others model thinking in different ways, and students practice flexible thinking with partners by asking them: What is another way? Use this bubble map to chart out multiple ways.

Self-regulation: Learning how to prioritize work and stick with it by not giving in to impulses is a skill that students develop over time . One way to teach self-regulation is to have students practice control by concentrating for short periods of time with the goal of building up to longer, more sustained periods of time as the year progresses. For a child who struggles with reading for an extended time, start with five minutes and then build from there.

Another self-regulation tip is creating a plan to overcome distractions. What happens when the child stumbles? Three minutes into reading and a student is reaching for their cell phone. Recommend that they practice moving the cell phone away from the homework area, and summarize before returning to the reading. Stops and starts are frustrating and often result in lost homework time. Have students practice responses to distraction, and make this part of their homework. When a student struggles to stay on task, they should be encouraged to remove any distraction in order to regain focus.

Use classroom assessment as a tool to plan for and support student homework. Record the following information for students:

• Do they write, read, and/or solve problems in class? For how many minutes independently?
• What is the quality of their work? Are they actually learning, or are they just going through the motions?
• Do they know how to strategize on their own or get help from a peer when they’re stuck? Observe them and take notes, and/or have them reflect on this question.

We cannot expect that students will independently practice a skill they don’t engage with during class. If it doesn't happen in the classroom, it's not going to happen at home. The teacher should be able to realistically gauge how much and what students might achieve at home. A suggestion to build independence is to use task analysis . Here is a model . For students who struggle with getting homework done, at first they may not actually do homework; rather, they practice the routines of setting up and getting started.

Direct Instruction

The following are some techniques that help students with homework:

• Mindful meditation to gain focus
• Prioritizing and estimating time
• Filtering out distractions

Peers as Partners

Class partnership routines need practice. With strong partnerships, kids learn how to support and learn from each other. Access to teachers will never match the unlimited access to peers. The hours that students who achieve at high levels put in after class are often spent alone rehearsing the content or with peers who push each other to improve.

Class-to-Home Connection

While some students struggle with executive functioning, others rush through their homework. The most important step in having homework count is to make it seamless, not separate from class. Homework flows from classwork. Especially with a mix of synchronous and asynchronous work, now there is no homework, just work done for our classes. Consistent instructional goals with engaging and meaningful tasks help students see the value in working beyond the last bell.

How to Use Homework to Support Student Success

Covid has brought many changes in education. what does it mean for homework.

Posted January 12, 2022 | Reviewed by Ekua Hagan

• Generally, homework should include about 10 minutes per night per grade level.
• The value of homework is debated, with questions about the right amount and potential for inequity.
• Families should view homework as a communication tool, strive to be good helpers, and monitor balance.

School assignments that a student is expected to do outside of the regular school day—that’s homework. The general guideline is 10 minutes of nightly homework per grade level beginning after kindergarten. This amounts to just a few minutes for younger elementary students to up to 2 hours for high school students.

The guidance seems straightforward enough, so why is homework such a controversial topic? School disruptions, including extended periods of remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, have magnified the controversies yet also have provided an opportunity to rethink the purpose and value of homework.

Debates about the value of homework center around two primary issues: amount and inequity.

First, the amount of assigned homework may be much more than the recommended guidelines. Families report their children are stressed out over the time spent doing homework. Too much homework can challenge well-being given the restricted time available for sleep, exercise, and social connection. In a 2015 study , for example, parents reported their early elementary children received almost three times the recommended guidelines. In high school, researchers found an average of three hours of homework per night for students living in economically privileged communities.

Second, homework can perpetuate inequities. Students attending school in less economically privileged communities may receive little to no homework, or have difficulty completing it due to limited access to needed technology. This can translate into fewer opportunities to learn and may contribute to gaps in achievement.

There isn’t a ton of research on the effects of homework, and available studies certainly do not provide a simple answer. For example, a 2006 synthesis of studies suggested a positive influence between homework completion and academic achievement for middle and high school students. Supporters also point out that homework offers additional opportunities to engage in learning and that it can foster independent learning habits such as planning and a sense of responsibility. A more recent study involving 13-year-old students in Spain found higher test scores for those who were regularly assigned homework in math and science, with an optimal time around one hour—which is roughly aligned with recommendations. However, the researchers noted that ability to independently do the work, student effort, and prior achievement were more important contributors than time spent.

Opponents of homework maintain that the academic benefit does not outweigh the toll on well-being. Researchers have observed student stress, physical health problems, and lack of life balance, especially when the time spent goes over the recommended guidelines. In a survey of adolescents , over half reported the amount and type of homework they received to be a primary source of stress in their lives. In addition, vast differences exist in access and availability of supports, such as internet connection, adult assistance, or even a place to call home, as 1.5 million children experience homelessness in the United States.

The COVID-19 pandemic has re-energized discussion about homework practices, with the goal to advance recommendations about how, when, and with whom it can be best used. Here’s a summary of key strategies:

Strategies for Educators

Make sure the tasks are meaningful and matched. First, the motto “ quality over quantity ” can guide decisions about homework. Homework is not busy-work, and instead should get students excited about learning. Emphasize activities that facilitate choice and interest to extend learning, like choose your own reading adventure or math games. Second, each student should be able to complete homework independently with success. Think about Goldilocks: To be effective, assignments should be just right for each learner. One example of how do this efficiently is through online learning platforms that can efficiently adjust to skill level and can be completed in a reasonable amount of time.

Ensure access to resources for task completion. One step toward equity is to ensure access to necessary resources such as time, space, and materials. Teach students about preparing for homework success, allocating classroom time to model and practice good study habits such as setting up their physical environment, time management , and chunking tasks. Engage in conversations with students and families to problem-solve challenges When needed, connect students with homework supports available through after-school clubs, other community supports, or even within a dedicated block during the school day.

Be open to revisiting homework policies and practices. The days of penalizing students for not completing homework should be long gone. Homework is a tool for practicing content and learning self- management . With that in mind, provide opportunities for students to communicate needs, and respond by revising assignments or allowing them to turn in on alternative dates. Engage in adult professional learning about high-quality homework , from value (Should I assign this task?) to evaluation (How should this be graded? Did that homework assignment result in expected outcomes?). Monitor how things are going by looking at completion rates and by asking students for their feedback. Be willing to adapt the homework schedule or expectations based on what is learned.

Strategies for Families

Understand how to be a good helper. When designed appropriately, students should be able to complete homework with independence. Limit homework wars by working to be a good helper. Hovering, micromanaging, or doing homework for them may be easiest in the moment but does not help build their independence. Be a good helper by asking guiding questions, providing hints, or checking for understanding. Focus your assistance on setting up structures for homework success, like space and time.

Use homework as a tool for communication. Use homework as a vehicle to foster family-school communication. Families can use homework as an opportunity to open conversations about specific assignments or classes, peer relationships, or even sleep quality that may be impacting student success. For younger students, using a daily or weekly home-school notebook or planner can be one way to share information. For older students, help them practice communicating their needs and provide support as needed.

Make sure to balance wellness. Like adults, children need a healthy work-life balance. Positive social connection and engagement in pleasurable activities are important core principles to foster well-being . Monitor the load of homework and other structured activities to make sure there is time in the daily routine for play. Play can mean different things to different children: getting outside, reading for pleasure, and yes, even gaming. Just try to ensure that activities include a mix of health-focused activities such as physical movement or mindfulness downtime.

Sandra M. Chafouleas, Ph.D., is a Distinguished Professor in the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut.

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Guided vs. Independent Practice

Janelle cox.

• August 21, 2020

Teachers often grapple with the question of how much guidance they should provide their students. Students need to develop independence, however, too much independence without the right amount of guidance can result in students facing difficulties. Guided practice and independent practice both hold important roles in the learning process, each offering numerous benefits in the classroom. Here we will examine each method as well as the students who thrive under each approach.

What Is Guided and Independent Practice?

Guided practice, as the name suggests, is where the teacher guides or works with students to help them acquire new skills or knowledge. Traditionally, during guided instruction teachers provide step-by-step instruction and then release students to “practice” what they’ve learned on their own helping and guiding students as they need along the way.  This learning approach is often referred to as the “we do” part of the lesson because students practice what they’ve learned under the supervision of their teacher.

Independent practice differs from guided practice because the teacher encourages students to perform a task independently. This phase of the lesson is referred to as the “you do” phase because students work on their own to complete a task without any help from the teacher. The teacher’s role is solely to facilitate.

Benefits of Guided Practice

Guided practice offers several benefits for students. First and foremost, it allows for immediate feedback. For example, if a student is misunderstanding a concept or made a mistake the teacher can help to identify what went wrong, helping the student to understand the concept. Secondly, guided practice is extremely effective when it comes to skill development because it allows students to enhance their ability in a specific area while under the supervision of an expert. Additionally, this approach can help to foster a student’s confidence, engagement, and motivation , knowing they have the teacher’s guidance and support.

Benefits of Independent Practice

Several advantages of independent practice will help students not only in the classroom but in other various aspects of their lives. Independence empowers students to take ownership which can lead to a sense of accomplishment and confidence. While working independently, students develop invaluable skills like self-discipline, problem-solving , and decision-making, all of which can be applied in both their personal and educational lives. Additionally, independent practice requires the ability to manage time effectively which is another essential skill students will find invaluable in their lives.

What Students Benefit from Guided Practice?

Guided practice can be beneficial for a variety of students from novice learners to students with learning disabilities . Here are a few groups of students who thrive from this learning approach.

Novice Learners

Guided practice can help students who are learning a new subject or skill gain confidence when they are being guided by a teacher.

Struggling Students

Having the help and guidance of the teacher can help students who are struggling with a specific concept or skill.

Diverse Learners

Guided practice is beneficial for students who have diverse learning styles because this type of approach is easily adaptable.

Students with Learning Disabilities

Guided practice can help students with learning disabilities learn to break down complex concepts or tasks.

English Language Learners (ELL)

ELL students will benefit from language assistance such as clarifications or explanations.

What Students Benefit from Independent Practice?

Just as a variety of students benefit from guided practice, independent practice can be a valuable approach for a range of students as well. Here are the groups of students who can reap the benefits from this learning method.

Advanced Students

Independent practice offers gifted students the extra time to dig deeper into a subject or explore a more challenging curriculum or material.

Independent Learners

Students with self-discipline will benefit from learning at their own pace.

Students with Special Interests

Students with a passion or a special interest can benefit from independent learning because they can explore topics that are of interest to them.

Confident Learners

Students who are confident in their own abilities will thrive with independent learning because it will allow them to demonstrate their knowledge and skills.

Students with Self-Management Skills

Learners who have demonstrated effective study skills and who have developed time management skills will thrive on taking responsibility for their own learning.

Does Guided and Independent Practice Look Different After COVID?

The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed education, leading educators to reevaluate their teaching methods. With the adoption of remote and hybrid learning during the pandemic, educators had to adapt their learning strategies to accommodate the new changes as well as the needs of their students. With these post-COVID pandemic changes, there have also been notable modifications with guided and independent practice.  Here are a few ways these learning methods look different today.

Greater Focus on Technology

During the pandemic, teachers relied heavily on digital tools such as apps , and other digital resources. After the pandemic, teachers continued to utilize these tech tools with a greater focus on technology within both guided and independent practice.

The Need for Flexibility

One thing teachers learned during the pandemic was that they had to be flexible. In today’s classrooms, guided practice might be through asynchronous communication which doesn’t occur in real-time while during independent practice students are in charge and have control over where and when their learning will take place as well as the pace at which they progress.

Blended Learning is More Flexible

When it comes to guided and independent practice, blended learning has become more flexible. Today, students may participate in guided learning virtually and then shift to independent practice using what they learned on their own with a self-paced module.

Greater Emphasis on Personalized Learning

After the pandemic, there was an increase in individualized learning. Teachers utilized the data they received during the pandemic and employed that information to tailor and customize guided and independent practice to meet each of their students’ needs.

Today’s education system has been transformed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The challenges educators went through altered the teaching methods and accelerated the adoption of technology within the education system. While guided and independent practice continues to be a valuable learning approach. Ultimately finding the right balance between guidance and student independence is the key to ensuring all students thrive and reach their full potential.

*Updated November 2023

• #GuidedPractice , #IndependentPractice

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Independent Practice

 principles of instruction - independent practice .

 Overview

Independent practice is also known as the “you do” component of an explicitly taught lesson. Independent practice provides an opportunity for students to practise the skills or concepts from the lesson. Its purpose is to increase students’ fluency, enabling for a more automatic recall of the skills that have been learnt as well as freeing up space in working memory so that higher-order tasks can be applied. Independent practice should be meaningful and directly link to the key concepts and learning intentions of the lesson. Students should be able to complete independent practice tasks with a minimum of teacher assistance. During this component of teaching however, teachers should still check for student understanding and provide effective feedback.

  Classroom Illustration

Teachers should ensure that independent practice tasks closely match to the learning intentions of the lesson. Tasks should not include skills or concepts that have not been previously taught. Independent practice tasks can be completed by students individually , in pairs or in small groups and is most beneficial when teachers ensure that it is structured. Teachers can use phrases such as: Class in a few minutes we will go over the answers to Problems 1 and 2 . Students should know how to complete the tasks as well as understand the teacher’s expectations about their completion. 

Click to observe different examples of independent practice tasks .

  Personalised Learning

A barrier can be an obstacle or issue that may prevent students from successfully accessing and participating in the instructional practice. During Independent Practice, there can be some potential barriers that need to be considered for students with additional needs. These barriers may include the complexity of teacher instructions, access to resources and material and the modes of response such as written or verbal.

Some potential adjustments may include:

• Ensuring the start point for the task is clearly indicated: e.g. a green dot.
• Segmenting the task into sections, with teacher check-ins after each section.
• Pairing the student with a buddy who could prompt the student to keep going.
• Providing a sticky note with the steps of the task written, starting with simple achievable steps such as write your name at the top; and include regular hands up and check with the teacher or your buddy.
• Providing an alternate visual sequence of the steps required to complete the activity.
• Exploring the use of technology in providing access.

  Resources

This webpage provides specific information about independent practice with video examples and ideas about possible independent practice tasks.

Access resource

In this podcast, Josh Vine unpacks the ’you do’ component of the lesson. The role of teachers and monitoring as well as other key features such as extension work for students is also discussed.

Explore All Principles of Instruction

Daily Review

Teacher Presentation

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Checking for Understanding

Lesson Closure

School Life Balance , Tips for Online Students

The Pros and Cons of Homework

Updated: December 7, 2023

Published: January 23, 2020

Homework is a word that most students dread hearing. After hours upon hours of sitting in class , the last thing we want is more schoolwork over our precious weekends. While it’s known to be a staple of traditional schooling, homework has also become a rather divise topic. Some feel as though homework is a necessary part of school, while others believe that the time could be better invested. Should students have homework? Have a closer look into the arguments on both sides to decide for yourself.

Photo by  energepic.com  from  Pexels

Why should students have homework, 1. homework encourages practice.

Many people believe that one of the positive effects of homework is that it encourages the discipline of practice. While it may be time consuming and boring compared to other activities, repetition is needed to get better at skills. Homework helps make concepts more clear, and gives students more opportunities when starting their career .

2. Homework Gets Parents Involved

Homework can be something that gets parents involved in their children’s lives if the environment is a healthy one. A parent helping their child with homework makes them take part in their academic success, and allows for the parent to keep up with what the child is doing in school. It can also be a chance to connect together.

3. Homework Teaches Time Management

Homework is much more than just completing the assigned tasks. Homework can develop time management skills , forcing students to plan their time and make sure that all of their homework assignments are done on time. By learning to manage their time, students also practice their problem-solving skills and independent thinking. One of the positive effects of homework is that it forces decision making and compromises to be made.

4. Homework Opens A Bridge Of Communication

Homework creates a connection between the student, the teacher, the school, and the parents. It allows everyone to get to know each other better, and parents can see where their children are struggling. In the same sense, parents can also see where their children are excelling. Homework in turn can allow for a better, more targeted educational plan for the student.

5. Homework Allows For More Learning Time

Homework allows for more time to complete the learning process. School hours are not always enough time for students to really understand core concepts, and homework can counter the effects of time shortages, benefiting students in the long run, even if they can’t see it in the moment.

6. Homework Reduces Screen Time

Many students in North America spend far too many hours watching TV. If they weren’t in school, these numbers would likely increase even more. Although homework is usually undesired, it encourages better study habits and discourages spending time in front of the TV. Homework can be seen as another extracurricular activity, and many families already invest a lot of time and money in different clubs and lessons to fill up their children’s extra time. Just like extracurricular activities, homework can be fit into one’s schedule.

The Other Side: Why Homework Is Bad

1. homework encourages a sedentary lifestyle.

Should students have homework? Well, that depends on where you stand. There are arguments both for the advantages and the disadvantages of homework.

While classroom time is important, playground time is just as important. If children are given too much homework, they won’t have enough playtime, which can impact their social development and learning. Studies have found that those who get more play get better grades in school , as it can help them pay closer attention in the classroom.

Children are already sitting long hours in the classroom, and homework assignments only add to these hours. Sedentary lifestyles can be dangerous and can cause health problems such as obesity. Homework takes away from time that could be spent investing in physical activity.

2. Homework Isn’t Healthy In Every Home

While many people that think homes are a beneficial environment for children to learn, not all homes provide a healthy environment, and there may be very little investment from parents. Some parents do not provide any kind of support or homework help, and even if they would like to, due to personal barriers, they sometimes cannot. Homework can create friction between children and their parents, which is one of the reasons why homework is bad .

3. Homework Adds To An Already Full-Time Job

School is already a full-time job for students, as they generally spend over 6 hours each day in class. Students also often have extracurricular activities such as sports, music, or art that are just as important as their traditional courses. Adding on extra hours to all of these demands is a lot for children to manage, and prevents students from having extra time to themselves for a variety of creative endeavors. Homework prevents self discovery and having the time to learn new skills outside of the school system. This is one of the main disadvantages of homework.

4. Homework Has Not Been Proven To Provide Results

Endless surveys have found that homework creates a negative attitude towards school, and homework has not been found to be linked to a higher level of academic success.

The positive effects of homework have not been backed up enough. While homework may help some students improve in specific subjects, if they have outside help there is no real proof that homework makes for improvements.

It can be a challenge to really enforce the completion of homework, and students can still get decent grades without doing their homework. Extra school time does not necessarily mean better grades — quality must always come before quantity.

Accurate practice when it comes to homework simply isn’t reliable. Homework could even cause opposite effects if misunderstood, especially since the reliance is placed on the student and their parents — one of the major reasons as to why homework is bad. Many students would rather cheat in class to avoid doing their homework at home, and children often just copy off of each other or from what they read on the internet.

5. Homework Assignments Are Overdone

The general agreement is that students should not be given more than 10 minutes a day per grade level. What this means is that a first grader should be given a maximum of 10 minutes of homework, while a second grader receives 20 minutes, etc. Many students are given a lot more homework than the recommended amount, however.

On average, college students spend as much as 3 hours per night on homework . By giving too much homework, it can increase stress levels and lead to burn out. This in turn provides an opposite effect when it comes to academic success.

The pros and cons of homework are both valid, and it seems as though the question of ‘‘should students have homework?’ is not a simple, straightforward one. Parents and teachers often are found to be clashing heads, while the student is left in the middle without much say.

It’s important to understand all the advantages and disadvantages of homework, taking both perspectives into conversation to find a common ground. At the end of the day, everyone’s goal is the success of the student.

Related Articles

Education resources › Blog › Rosenshine’s ninth Principle of Instruction: Independent practice

Rosenshine’s ninth Principle of Instruction: Independent practice

• Rosenshine’s Principles

For his 9 th  principle, Rosenshine states that teachers should not only make independent practice a mandatory part of their lessons – they should monitor students’ practice as well. This is so the knowledge and skills that students acquire becomes automatic to them and  memory recall is easier .

And the more students engage in independent practice, the more likely they are to become mature,  independent learners  that take responsibility for their learning.

In  this blog series , the concept of independent practice has been touched upon in several of Rosenshine’s principles:

• Principle 4: Provide Models
• Principle 5: Guide student practice
• Principle 8: Use scaffolding

But what exactly does Rosenshine mean by this? Let’s take a closer look…

What does Rosenshine say?

Rosenshine takes the stance  that the more a student practises, the better their learning gains will be.

It’s important that guided student practice and independent practice are not confused with one another. Guided practice is when teachers support students’ learning by providing models and  using scaffolds until students  feel confident and are successful in their attempts to complete a new task. Independent practice typically follows guided practice and is when all support is taken away so “overlearning” can occur.

“Overlearning” is when  students practise a task again and again  until they can complete it fluently and without errors. As a result, their newly acquired knowledge becomes so automatic that it doesn’t take up space in  their working memory  anymore, which makes them less likely to experience a cognitive overload. This enables students to focus on further developing a deeper understanding of new lesson content and successfully applying their newly-learned skill.

Rosenshine emphasises that the lesson content students practise independently should be the same as what they’re practising during guided practice. This is so students are fully prepared to engage with the material on their own and are  less likely to practise making errors .

What does the research say?

But how much independent practice should students engage in? The reality is that there is no set number of hours students should do. The more overall hours students put in, the better their performance. However, independent practice should only be for short periods of time, well-spaced out on both a  weekly and monthly basis .

One study  looking at 7,451 teenagers from Spain found that the most effective students spent between 90 to 110 minutes a day on homework. However, the learning gains experienced after the one-hour period were so low, it did not justify the extra time. The study also showed that students who completed homework independently and without help from their parents performed 10% better in their exams than those students who did not.

Practical implications in the classroom

So, how can you encourage and successfully implement independent practice in the classroom?

Prioritise mastering a skill

Research shows  that there are two types of motivation that students feel:

• Mastery-orientation motivation
• Ego-orientation motivation

The first describes students who enjoyed improving and developing their skills as they feel most successful when they’ve mastered a task. The second type of motivation is driven by the need to know where they rank against their peers, and those students feel most successful when they’ve done better than others.

However, students who have ego-orientation motivation tend to have lower levels of confidence,  motivation and self-regulation , perform worse academically and have increased anxiety as a result of this constant comparison. Therefore, it’s important that students understand why they  should set goals for themselves  and not just to prove something to others. This way, they’ll be more inclined to work, even when no one is watching.

Avoid things such as class rankings and putting everyone’s grades on the board for the whole class to see. Encourage your students to  reflect on how they can get better  and what environment they perform best in. Not only will students focus on their own progress more, but it’ll be easier for them to pinpoint areas they may need to do further independent practice on.

Watch out for the Planning Fallacy

75% of students consider themselves procrastinators. For 50% of those students,  procrastination has become such a norm  that it’s problematic. Higher levels of procrastination are associated with low self-efficacy and has a detrimental effect on students’ academic performance. However,  research suggests  that for some students, procrastinating on a task may be unintentional. The reality is that students fall victim to  the Planning Fallacy , which is when a person underestimates how long a task will take to complete.

Research shows  that 70% of students reported finishing their assignment a lot later than what they had originally predicted. By underestimating how long a task will take, students don’t spend enough time engaging with the task on a deeper level, reducing the quality of their independent practice.

One way for teachers to help students overcome this is, when setting homework, they should provide a rough estimate of how long the task will take so students can set aside an adequate amount of time. Alternatively,  teachers can set small but regular deadlines  for students to independently practise the material they learnt in class. Not only will students perform better academically, they will also be able to engage with the task more effectively.

Set regular homework tasks

Although 57% of teachers and 84% of students  consider homework a  major source of stress , it’s a necessary evil that provides students with the opportunity to independently practise new skills and content.  Research shows  that students perform significantly better when they are set regular homework tasks by their teachers.

However, this doesn’t mean that teachers should overwhelm students with homework tasks that take hours to complete. In fact, when students hit the  1.5-hour to 2.5-hour mark , homework provides little benefit to their learning. Too much homework can also cause students to feel overwhelmed by the task, which consequently results in procrastination and less active learning. So, when setting homework, small but steady wins the race.

Focus on the why

Students need to realise why independent practice is important – otherwise, they’re not going to have that motivational edge.  Getting students to think about the “why”  forces them to think  deeply about a topic . By self-reflecting and thinking curiously, students learn topics faster and have better memory recall as they understand the topics they’re learning a lot better.

Pushing your students to think critically about their learning also  helps develop a sense of purpose . Research shows that students who were taught why completing a task was beneficial to them  were more likely to put more effort  into completing it, thanks to higher levels of intrinsic motivation. Encouraging self-reflection and goal setting amongst your students and connecting material to the real world are a few ways teachers can help their students  develop a sense of purpose .

Final thoughts

Helping students become more confident in their ability to effectively engage in independent practice can be a challenge. However, students need to be able to successfully apply their knowledge without your guidance. By encouraging your students to think reflectively and constantly providing them with opportunities to practice what they’ve learnt, they will be better equipped to work independently. 

Stay tuned for the final part of this series which covers Rosenshine’s 10 th  Principle of Instruction and why it’s important to not only  engage in daily reviews of knowledge  but weekly and monthly reviews as well.

Read our complete guide to Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction…

Jump to section:

Recommended Rosenshine’s Principles reads

5 reasons why you should present material in small steps

Why daily, weekly and monthly reviews matter

4 questions to check students’ knowledge and understanding

5 things to do during your daily review, according to Rosenshine

What is the most important of Rosenshine’s Principles?

Rosenshine’s 5 tips for engaging students with questions

6 questions Rosenshine suggested you ask your students

The Cognitive Science behind Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction

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Building a Lesson Plan

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• 2. Outcomes
• 3. Content Standards
• 4. Relevance / Rationale
• 5. Language Objective
• 6. Model of Co-Teaching
• 7. Anticipatory Set / Activating Strategy
• 8. Introductory / Short Lecture and/or Developmental Activities
• 9. Teacher Guided Practice

10. Independent Practice or Activities

Describe your independent practice or activities.

• 11. Assessment / Closure
• 12. Resources / Materials
• 13. Access for All
• 14. Differentiation
• 15. Reflection

Independent Practice Suggestions & Ideas

• What Is Independent Practice? Video from Arizona State University's Teach English Now! open course.
• Independent Practice Instruction and tips from the Houston Independent School District.
• Collaborative or Independent Practice - Reading Recovery An example independent or collaborative practice process from an early reading program through Clemson University.
• Learning Strategies: Establish Independent Practice Video demonstration of a teacher setting up an independent practice in writing, from the IRIS Center at Vanderbilt University.

Reliable Sources for More Information

Published books, articles, and multimedia on independent practice..

• Search for ""independent practice" teaching" at Rowan University Libraries These results include learners of all ages, including adult learners. You can narrow to a school level by adding another word to the end of the search. For example: "independent practice" teaching elementary

When you have reviewed the instructional material on this page and the information you have found, describe the independent practice or activities to be used in your lesson plan in the appropriate space on the lesson plan template.

Continue to 11. Assessment / Closure

• << Previous: 9. Teacher Guided Practice
• Next: 11. Assessment / Closure >>
• Last Updated: Feb 7, 2024 10:53 AM
• URL: https://libguides.rowan.edu/lessonplans

Helping Your Child Gain Independence with Homework

Fostering independence is accomplished by moving your child from dependence on you to dependence on homework buddies and material resources (e.g., references, lists, reminders). Remember that focusing on what is right about your child is the best way to help him or her strengthen and develop homework completion skills.

Although young children require your close observation, support, and your ability to identify their work style and preferences, eventually you must provide your child with opportunities for decision making, planning, and goal setting. This is particularly important to achieve prior to the adolescent years when there is a more delicate balance between assistance and interference. As we have written in previous columns, during the elementary years, perhaps even more important than the goal of practice and rehearsal, homework helps your child develop the skills necessary to become an independent learner. Independent learning is a critically important skill for middle, high school and college success.

By laying this important foundation you and your teen will be prepared when he or she expresses a preference to work alone and your assistance may be perceived as an intrusion. Many teenagers find parent help with homework an unwelcome offer. By the late elementary school years your involvement may be most effective when it is defined as awareness and monitoring, rather than direct assistance or physical supervision. By the middle school years homework should be completed independently. You should act as a consultant and information source rather than a task master or supervisor. Forcing your assistance on your child at any age will only result in conflict and reduced motivation.

Authors: Dr. Sam Goldstein and Dr. Sydney Zentall

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Poland’s children rejoice as homework is banned. The rest of the world watches on for results

Some studies have shown little benefit to homework for young learners, article bookmarked.

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Ola Kozak is celebrating. The 11-year-old, who loves music and drawing, expects to have more free time for her hobbies after Poland ’s government ordered strict limits on the amount of homework in the lower grades.

“I am happy,” said the fifth grader, who lives in a Warsaw suburb with her parents and younger siblings. The lilac-colored walls in her bedroom are covered in her art, and on her desk she keeps a framed picture she drew of Kurt Cobain.

“Most people in my class in the morning would copy the work off someone who had done the homework or would copy it from the internet. So it didn’t make sense,” she said.

The government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk enacted the ban against required homework this month amid a broad discussion about the need to modernise Poland's education system, which critics say puts too much emphasis on rote learning and homework, and not enough on critical thinking and creativity.

Under the decree, teachers are no longer to give required homework to kids in the first to third grades. In grades four to eight, homework is now optional and doesn't count towards a grade.

Not everyone likes the change – and even Ola’s parents are divided.

“If there is something that will make students enjoy school more, then it will probably be good both for the students and for the school,” said her father, Pawel Kozak.

His wife, Magda Kozak, was skeptical. “I am not pleased, because (homework) is a way to consolidate what was learned,” she said. “It helps stay on top of what the child has really learned and what’s going on at school.”

(Ola's brother Julian, a third grader, says he sees both sides.)

Debates over the proper amount of homework are common around the globe. While some studies have shown little benefit to homework for young learners, other experts say it can help them learn how to develop study habits and academic concepts.

The rest of the world will be watching Poland’s results closely.

Poland's educational system has undergone a number of controversial overhauls. Almost every new government has tried to make changes — something many teachers and parents say has left them confused and discouraged. For example, after communism was thrown off, middle schools were introduced. Then under the last government, the previous system was brought back. More controversy came in recent years when ultra-conservative views were pushed in new textbooks.

For years, teachers have been fleeing the system due to low wages and political pressure. The current government is trying to increase teacher salaries and has promised other changes that teachers approve of.

But Sławomir Broniarz, the head of the Polish Teachers' Union, said that while he recognized the need to ease burdens on students, the new homework rules are another case of change imposed from above without adequate consultation with educators.

“In general, the teachers think that this happened too quickly, too hastily,” he said.

He argued that removing homework could widen the educational gaps between kids who have strong support at home and those from poorer families with less support and lower expectations. Instead, he urged wider changes to the entire curriculum.

The homework rules gained impetus in the runup to parliamentary elections last year, when a 14-year-old boy, Maciek Matuszewski, stood up at a campaign rally and told Tusk before a national audience that children “had no time to rest.” The boy said their rights were being violated with so much homework on weekends and so many tests on Mondays.

Tusk has since featured Matuszewski in social media videos and made him the face of the sudden change.

Education Minister Barbara Nowacka said she was prompted by research on children’s mental health. Of the various stresses children face, she said, "the one that could be removed fastest was the burden of homework.”

Pasi Sahlberg, a prominent Finnish educator and author, said the value of homework depends on what it is and how it is linked to overall learning. The need for homework can be “very individual and contextual.”

“We need to trust our teachers to decide what is good for each child,” Sahlberg said.

In South Korea, homework limits were set for elementary schools in 2017 amid concerns that kids were under too much pressure. However, teenagers in the education-obsessed country often cram long into the night and get tutoring to meet the requirements of demanding school and university admission tests.

In the US, teachers and parents decide for themselves how much homework to assign. Some elementary schools have done away with homework entirely to give children more time to play, participate in activities and spend time with families.

A guideline circulated by teachers unions in the US recommends about 10 minutes of homework per grade. So, 10 minutes in first grade, 20 minutes in second grade and so on.

The COVID-19 pandemic and a crisis around youth mental health have complicated debates around homework. In the US, extended school closures in some places were accompanied by steep losses in learning, which were often addressed with tutoring and other interventions paid for with federal pandemic relief money. At the same time, increased attention to student wellbeing led some teachers to consider alternate approaches including reduced or optional homework.

It's important for children to learn that mastering something "usually requires practice, a lot of practice,” said Sahlberg, in Finland. If reducing homework leads kids and parents to think school expectations for excellence will be lowered, “things will go wrong.”

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Steelers Could Leave Pitt Behind With New Facility

The Pitt Panthers shared facility agreement with the Pittsburgh Steelers may potentially come to an end.

• Author: Dominic Campbell

In this story:

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers share a football facility, UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, with the Pittsburgh Steelers on the South Side and have done so for more than two decades, but that may come to an end sooner rather than later.

The two teams share the facility, which includes five outdoor fields, two for the Panthers and three for the Steelers, as well as an indoor field. There is a separation between the internal facilities, in terms of weight rooms, offices, meeting rooms, etc.

The Steelers received poor grades in a 2024 NFLPA survey for their facilites, with an 'F' for the locker room, and a 'D+' for the training room. This is somewhat unsurprising.

Some critics blame the shared facility with the Panthers as a reason for the poor grades. They say that the facility isn't big enough, resorting to a cramped feeling for most players and coaches, while the shared agreement also makes it tough for both parties to address important changes and do so quickly.

This is despite the Steelers not updgrading their side of the facility and the Panthers using donations to upgrade a number of different areas of their side of the facility.

One of their most recent renovations last year included new hot and cold pools, installation of new electrical wiring, an underwater treadmill, new walls and floors and some miscellaneous mechanical upgrades. 

Still, it is likely that if the Steelers choose to build a new practice facility, they would do so without Pitt involved, according to the Post-Gazette's Ray Fittapaldo.

He also suggested that Pitt needs to move closer to their campus, despite the facility residing less than two miles from the Cathedral of Learning in the Oakland area of the city, plus a lack of land on campus for what the football team needs.

Pitt also unveiled Victory Heights, which is bringing upgrades for 16 of the 19 programs at the University, aside from football and men's and women's basketball.

There is also little space within the city limits of Pittsburgh for land the Steelers would have access to, forcing them to move out to the suburbs or even further, depending on how big of an area they need/want to make those improvements.

Pitt does have their own benefits in sharing a facility with the Steelers. This includes keeping the college-pro connection there for the players and making it easier for their players to transition from the ACC to the NFL, leading to more sustained success for alumni.

Make sure you  bookmark Inside the Panthers  for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more!

• Pitt Contacts Newly Available Five-Star PG
• Pitt Offers Arkansas State DE
• Former Pitt F Transfers to Xavier
• Pitt Makes Top Eight for 4-Star TE
• Pitt's Dayon Hayes Officially Enters Transfer Portal

Follow Inside the Panthers on Twitter:  @InsidePitt

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