What Homework Works?

 Parents and students had positive outcomes when homework involved real-world applications like costing out a pizza party or building something out of cube blocks. Homework that has a real-world application to it feels easier for parents to complete, and it also allows parents to share their knowledge with their children. These types of assignments allow children to see their parents as capable and knowledgable.

Open ended, collaborative assignments lead to more harmony over homework at home. It improved student’s agency and parents were more confident because they were not constrained by doing math “right” per the instructions of the teacher. Open-ended assignments allow parents to help students at home without the stress of constraints put against the execution.

Students who saw homework as clear and relevant had a more positive attitude towards that homework. Homework with clear outlines and expectations also help parents assist their children better with the work.

Students enjoy homework that is creative, gamified, and/or collaborative. The homework can be gamified within the classroom or with their families at home. Students enjoy collaborating with their peers on homework and this practice helps them build bonds and grow their socio-emotional skills.

Students who were assigned homework more frequently performed better on tests. The strongest effect was assigning small amounts of homework very frequently. These findings apply strongest to students above 6th grade with math and science homework.

Students work best with homework that does not take too much time to complete. Homework should be something that they could potentially complete on their own after dinner and before bedtime.