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True or False?
A Teacher's Guide to Homework Tips for Parents

Text and speaker's notes for slide are below

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Text (slide 3):

True or False?

Speaker's Notes (slide 3):

  1. Homework should only be given to students in grades four and above.

    False. Homework can have many benefits for children in the primary grades. It can improve a child's ability to remember and understand schoolwork. Homework can help students develop study skills that will be of value even after they leave school. It can teach them that learning takes place anywhere, not just in the classroom. Homework can benefit children in more general ways as well. It can foster positive character traits such as independence and responsibility. Homework can teach children how to manage time. Experts agree that the amount of homework should depend on the age and skills of the student. Many national groups of teachers and parents, including the National Parent Teacher Association (PTA), suggest that homework for children in kindergarten through second grade is most effective when it does not exceed 10-20 minutes each day. In third through sixth grade, children can benefit from 30-60 minutes of homework per day. Junior high and high school students can benefit from more time on homework, and the amount may vary from night to night. Reading at home is especially important for young children. Reading assignments might push the time on homework a bit beyond the minutes suggested above.

  2. Assigned homework should focus only on one aspect of learning.

    False. Homework assignments typically have one or more purposes. The most common purpose is to have students practice material already presented in class. Practice homework is meant to reinforce learning and help the student master specific skills. Preparation homework introduces material that will be presented in future lessons. These assignments aim to help students learn new material better when it is covered in class. Extension homework asks students to apply skills they already have to new situations. Integration homework requires the student to apply many different skills to a single task, such as book reports, science projects or creative writing.