3. INTRODUCTION
Research has proven that every 30 minutes of additional
home work a student does per night, his or her overall
grade point average (GPA) increases about half a point.
This means that if a student with a GPA of 2.00 Increases
the amount of homework she does by 30 minutes per
night, her GPA will rise to 2.50 (Keith T.Z. (1982)
Students, for one reason or another, are not always happy
with homework. But when done properly, homework leads
to mastery of learning..
4. FUNCTION HOMEWORK
The homework is the last but not
the least part of a lesson plan. What
are the functions of homework ?
Vatterott, author of ASCD member
book “Rethinking Homework” (2009)
cites four, as follows:
6. – The homework is a preparation for an in- depth
discussion of the next lesson by getting an
introduction or a background. It is also a way of
finding out what students already knows about a
topic or what they are interested to learn more
about the topic by asking the students to write
down questions about what they were assigned to
read.
8. By way of homework, teachers
gain insight into student learning.
Asking students to identify literary
devices in a short story shows whether
students understood the lesson on
literary devices.
10. Homework is an opportunity for
practice of rote skills such as multiplication
tables, spelling words, or facts that need to
be memorized for internalization and
mastery. For homework to yield positive
results, practice must be correct and must
be distributed.
12. Homework is used when teachers
want students to reflect on concepts
discussed in class, integrate and
apply learned concepts and skills in
real life, and think of new
questions.
13. Guiding Principles in the use of Homework
For the learners to get the most from
homework, the following guiding principles
may be of help:
1. The purpose of homework and outcome
of homework should be identified and
articulated.
14. 2. Homework tasks should be differentiated by:
a.) difficulty or amount of work
b.) by the amount of scaffolding provided and
c.) learners’ learning style or interest.
3. Parent involvement in homework should be kept to
a minimum. The role of parents in doing homework
should only be facilitative.
15. 4. If homework is assigned, it should be commented on. Of what
use is homework if it is not read, evaluated and returned?
5. Move from grading to checking. Focus on feedback
(Vatterott, 2009). Should homework be graded? No! with
Guskey”s (2003) observation: “Grades on homework
often get in the way of learning ,demotative students, and
create power struggles between students and teachers
and between students and parents.”
16. 6. Established and communicate a homework policy.
7. Established a homework support programs.
During PTCA meetings share tips on how to make
homework time successful such as the following:
Designate a well-lit space for homework’
Establish time to do the work use the calendar to
plan when the work can be done if schedules vary.
17. Ask students specifics about the school day
and what needs to be done each night.
Tell them the numerous benefits of
homework and provide statement that parents
can use with their child.
Assure parents that you want to hear if the
student needs a lot of coaching from parents.
