Homework LinkCentral
Links to Homework Resources Everywhere. Scroll Down!
How Important Is Homework?
Three tips to avoid homework stress
The right kind of homework
increases student achievement
The Fight Against Homework!
That's What Kids Do - Homework Blues
Assigning homework serves various
educational needs. It
serves as an intellectual discipline, establishes study habits,
eases time constraints on the amount of curricular material that
can be covered in class, and supplements and reinforces work
done in school. In addition, it fosters student initiative, independence,
and responsibility and brings home and school closer together.
What Is Homework?
Homework is defined
as out-of-class tasks assigned to students as an extension or
elaboration of classroom work. There are three types of homework:
practice, preparation, and extension.
Practice assignments
reinforce newly acquired skills. For example, students who have
just learned a new method of solving a mathematical problem should
be given sample problems to complete on their own. Preparation
assignments help students get ready for activities that will
occur in the classroom. Students may, for example, be required
to do background research on a topic to be discussed later in
class. Extension assignments are frequently long-term continuing
projects that parallel classwork. Students must apply previous
learning to complete these assignments, which include science
fair projects and term papers.
Why Is Homework Important?
Research in the last
decade has begun to focus on the relation- ship between homework
and student achievement and has greatly strengthened the case
for homework. Although there are mixed findings about whether
homework actually increases students' academic achievement, many
teachers and parents agree that homework develops students' initiative
and responsibility and fulfills the expectations of students,
parents, and the public. Studies generally have found homework
assignments to be most helpful if they are carefully planned
by the teachers and have direct meaning to students.
How Can
Parents Get Involved?
Share any concerns
you may have regarding the amount or type of homework assigned
with your child's teacher or principal.
Encourage your child
to take notes concerning homework assignments in case questions
arise later at home.
Provide a suitable
study area and the necessary tools (for example, paper and books)
to complete the homework assignments.
Limit after-school
activities to allow time for both homework and family activities.
Monitor television
viewing and establish a specific homework time.
Plan a homework schedule
with your child. Allow for free time when assignments are completed.
Praise your child's
efforts. If questions arise about the assignments, and your child
asks for help, ask him or her questions or work through an example
rather than simply providing the answer.
Younger children need
more parental assistance with homework than older children. Go
over homework assignments with your child. Do several problems
or questions together, then observe your child doing the next
one or two.
If your child is in
elementary school, check completed assignments. At all levels,
ask to look at homework once it has been marked and returned.
Ask your child's teachers
about their homework policy and specific assignments.
How Much Time Should
My Child Spend on Homework?
According to some researchers,
two ways to increase students' opportunities to learn are to
increase the amount of time that students have to learn and to
expand the amount of content they receive. Homework assignments
may foster both these goals. Reforms in education have called
for increased homework, and as a result, reports show that students
are completing considerably more homework than they did a decade ago.
According to statements
by the National PTA and the National Education Association (NEA),
the following amounts of homework are recommended:
From kindergarten to
third grade, no more than 20 minutes per day.
From fourth to sixth
grade, 20 to 40 minutes per day.
From seventh to twelfth
grade, the recommended amount of time varies according to the
type and number of subjects a student is taking. In general,
college-bound students receive lengthier and more involved homework
than students preparing to enter the workforce immediately after
graduation.
Why Should Parents
Be Concerned About a School Homework Policy?
Lack of an established
homework policy may place either insufficient or unrealistic
demands on your child. Students may not be expected to work to
capacity; alternatively, they may receive too many assignments
from different teachers on the same evening.
Schools with homework
policies tend to set guidelines for teachers to correct, grade,
and return homework systematically to their students, thus reinforcing
learning.
Schools with homework
policies generally provide specific guidelines regarding what
is expected from parents.
Schools with homework
policies tend to carefully design and provide homework assignments
appropriate to each grade level.
Students may not always
view homework as a pleasant experience, but if the assignment
serves a good purpose and parents reinforce the completion of
the tasks, students will benefit by gaining higher grades, better
study habits, and a more positive attitude toward school and
learning. Homework assignments give parents insight into the
school curriculum and offer a greater opportunity for student
learning to occur.
Links to Homework Resources Everywhere!
Air Force
Crossroads Teens and Youth Section - This page has tons to offer both kids
and teenagers alike. From sports to arts to video games, you
will find information and entertainment that will keep you coming
back for more.
American Memory - Visit the digital library
and learn all about American history and culture.
Ask
Joan of Art
- Do you have a question about American art and don't know how
to find the answer? Art information specialists at the Smithsonian
American Art Museum can help using both print and electronic
reference resources.
Ben's Guide to US Government
for Kids
- This site provides learning tools for K-12 students, parents,
and teachers. These resources will teach how our government works,
and much more.
Create a Graph - Try your hand at creating
some and see if it helps explain what you are trying to show.
Try using homework problems, things you have a special interest
in, or just make up some numbers of your own!
Encyclopedia Smithsonian - Encyclopedia Smithsonian
features answers to frequently asked questions about the Smithsonian
and links to Smithsonian resources on subjects from Art to Zoology.
Energy Kid's Page - Learn along with Energy Ant
about different types of energy. This site is from the Energy
Information Administration.
Fact
Finder Kids' Corner
- Learn about the U.S. Census, get facts about your state, and
have fun with quiz questions.
JetStream - An Online Weather
School -
This site is designed to help you learn about weather and weather
safety. The information contained in JetStream is arranged by
subject; beginning with global and large scale weather patterns
followed by lessons on air masses, wind patterns, cloud formations,
thunderstorms, lightning, hail, damaging winds, tornados, tropical
storms, cyclones and flooding.
Kids in the House - Explore the role the Office
of the Clerk plays in the U.S. House of Representatives. Learn
about the legislative process and its effect on you.
Law-4-Kids - Here is an introduction to
questions you may have about our legal system.
MapStats for Kids - Check out this site and you
can learn concepts about maps and statistics through cool games.
NationalAtlas.gov
- Make interactive maps within your web browser! This program
allows you to make your own maps. Select, change, and display
map layers. Roam across America and zoom in to reveal more detail.
Point at map features to learn more about them. Locate and map
more than 2,000,000 geographic names in the United States. New
map layers are added each month.
Smithsonian
Education For Students
- This is a place for kids to explore, discover and learn. Find
out about art, science, history and the secrets of the Smithsonian
Students' Classroom - The National Center for Education
Statistics (NCES) has made a page for students that includes
CRUNCH (an online 'zine), a multi-media playhouse, and other
good stuff. (Flash Player required)
Today In History - The Library of Congress began
a day-by-day listing of historical events. Search the archive
for the day of your choice.
Organization
Sites
Doing
a Science Project? Science Buddies - It's time to start planning for your
science project. Whether you are starting your first science
project, looking for advanced help with your science project,
or just trying to teach students at your school how to do a good
science project you have come to the right place! Science Buddies
offers a multitude of online resources for students tackling
a science project.
Figure This! - Have you been alive for one
million minutes? Investigate math challenges like this which
include hints, answers, and ways to test them out.
Global Schoolhouse - The Global Schoolhouse is
a virtual meeting place where kids from all over the world can
work and learn together.
Go Figure - PBS Kids - At this fantastic website
you can play with your favorite PBS characters! Check out lots
of cool games or be a history detective!
Homework
Help - National Geographic
- Check out this page for information, or search One-Stop Research
for pictures, articles, maps, and more on subjects like animals,
history and science - perfect for reports, presentations, and
more!
HomeworkNYC.org - This is a great resource
for kids on many different subjects - from launguages to science.
Find out what happened today in history and there's even a link
for study notes.
Reading Planet - Reading is
Fundamental
- This site has read-along stories and songs help you with spelling
and pronunciation. You can also learn about illustrators and
authors.
Scholastic Kids Fun Online - This site has a number of
games, books, fun activities, resources and more.
Stately
Knowledge
- Need to know the capital of Alabama? Want to know which hockey
teams are in California? How about the size of Montana? These
web pages will help you find out the basic facts of any state
in the Union, including Washington, D.C.
TeenSpace
- Internet Public Library - The Internet Public Library
(IPL), is a public service organization and learning/teaching
environment at the University of Michigan School of Information.
This reference site was created specifically for kids and contains
hundreds of links to fascinating information grouped by subject
area. A great place to surf.
The WHY Files - The Why Files cover issues
of science, health, environment and technology from a unique
perspective. Using news and current events as a springboard to
explore science and the larger issues it raises, we hope to show
science as a human enterprise and a way of looking at the world.
Education
Sites
Ask Dr. Math
(Elementary Grades)
- Ask Dr. Math is a question and answer service for math students
and their teachers. A searchable archive is available by level
and topic, as well as summaries of Frequently Asked Questions.
Commercial
Sites
A+ Math - Come to this neat site to
have fun with math! You can make your own flashcards, play Matho
and Hidden Picture in the games room, use the homework helper
tools to check solutions, or even get worksheets for offline
practice.
AAA Math - Choose your grade level and
check out the basic skills, activities, and challenge games.
Math concepts are also explained in detail.
Ask Jeeves for Kids - Ask Jeeves for Kids allows
you to ask a question in plain English and, after interacting
with you to confirm the question, Ask Jeeves for Kids takes you
to one and only one web site that answers your question.
Brain Boosters - Browse through challenging
Brain Boosters. Play fun games that include sorting things, logic,
number and math play, word and letter play and much more!
Brainpop.com - BrainPOP's unique, award-winning
Health, Science and Technology (HS&T) content is based on
original, animated movies created to explain the human body and
the world around us in an engaging, interactive journey for kids.
Coolmath - Explore this amusement park
of mathematics. Have fun with interactive activities and games
for kids like Lemonade Stand and Arithmattack!
Discovery School - Information on a variety
of topics presented in a fun manner.
Education Place - Kids Place - Free games, activities, and
resources for students studying math, reading, social studies,
and science.
Education
World -
This site reviews and links to loads of informational sites on
a variety of school subjects.
e- encyclopedia - e.encyclopedia combines the
best of a traditional encyclopedia with an extra digital dimension.
The book's dedicated website has been created with Google, the
world's leading search engine. It guides the reader to the most
helpful, appropriate and amazing sites the web has to offer.
Essay Writing Tips - Here
are some simple steps that will guide you through the essay writing
process, take a look at some writing samples or browse through
some other on-line essay writing resources.
Fact Monster - Fact Monster is a reference
site for kids that provides a dictionary, encyclopedia, almanac
as well as homework help and a variety of daily features, including
This Day in History, Today's Birthday, and a variety of educational
games.
Geology.com - Geology is the study of the
Earth, the materials of which it is made, the structure of those
materials, and the processes acting upon them. Check out this
site for great interactive maps!
Homework Hub - Homework Hub supplies you
with innovative tools, resources, and top-notch tips to support
student homework success while strengthening the home-school
connection.
It's
Fun To Read!
- This is a great site from Starfall.com where you and your friends
have fun learning to read. There's an art gallery, poetry and
even fun tongue twisters!
K-8 Kids Place - Developed by Houghton Mifflin,
this site contains a number of helpful online educational, interactive
materials for students from kindergarten to 8th grade.
Kids Post - Get the scoop on current
events and entertainment, homework help, and have fun with games,
polls, and more from The Washington Post.
Lissa Explains it All - This site will show you how
to create your own web page and publish it on the world web web.
Learn how to play music on your website or visit Icon Art and
make your own cursors.
National Geographic Kids News - Wanna here about current
events? National Geographic gives you the top news stories on
animals and nature, people and places, and even wacky news.
Science
Fair Central
- Get great ideas and tips for your next science fair or homework
project.
Science Project
Planning
- This site helps you prepare and present your science fair project.
This information will help you use your time wisely, organize
your materials effectively and prepare a winning presentation
of your project.
Student
Connections
- The New York Times Learning Network Learn about who's
who and what's what in current events, explore specific subjects,
get help with your homework, and challenge yourself to the word
of the day.
Study
Buddy - StudyBuddy.com is an education Web site and homework
help destination for students. It features an easy-to-use search
engine with dependable results, reference tools, fun activities,
games and more.
Study Starters - Browse through and learn
some amazing science facts! Find out about rocks and minerals,
oceans, plant and much more! New Study Starters are featured
weekly, so check back often.
StudyWeb - Links for Learning - This has everything divided
into categories. The categories are sorted according to the approximate
appropriate grade level, making it easy for everyone.
Whatis?com - The IT-Specific
Encyclopedia
- Whatis.com® is a knowledge exploration tool about information
technology, especially about the Internet and computers. It contains
over 2,000 individual encyclopedic definition/topics and a number
of quick- reference pages.
WordCentral.com - Fun dictionary site where
you can look up words, get a word of the day to learn, and more.
World Flag Database - This sites show flags from
countries around the world. Also includes basic facts on each
country such as its population, capital city, languages, currency
and religions.
Yahooligans! - Yahooligans! is a browsable,
searchable directory of Internet sites for kids. Games, Sports
and News pages, Movies, Animals, Science and Dinosaurs, a Reference
section and lots more.
Do You Want A Master Copy of the
Parental Involvement Report Card
For Mass Distribution In Your Schools?
Here's What You Get In The Parental Involvement Toolbox!
Parent
Volunteer Recruitment Tools
A Master Copy of your
school's own Parental Involvement Pledge.
A Master Copy of the
Inventory of Volunteer Interests
in which parents can choose among 37 home and school based volunteer
activities.
PLUS! The Parental
Involvement Pledge Online!
Project Appleseed sets up a web page with your school's own Pledge
Online. Ask parents to take the Pledge from any computer connected
to the Internet in your school or in the homes of your students.
Link the Pledge Online to your School's Website!
Staff
Support Tools
A Master Copy Faculty
and Staff Parental Involvement Pledge Volunteer Request.
Teachers are asked what sorts of volunteer tasks they need
for classroom and/or extracurricular activities.
Live staff support
from Project Appleseed's national office.
Suggestions on How
To Run A Successful Pledge Campaign.
Twenty-Six Ways
to Reach Out to Parents.
Ideas about how to create parental involvement events and ways
to get involved in Project Appleseed's National Parental Involvement
Day and Public School Volunteer Week.
Project Appleseed's
Newsletter Appleseed Today.
A Certificate
of Recognition for participating school(s) or organization.
Title I, Parental
Involvement Certification
for your State Education Agency (SEA) No Child Left Behind Act
of 2002.
Regular e-mail
updates on Project Appleseed and parental involvement
best practices from around the United States!
Parent
Organizing Software
Take a look at the some
of the features of the Parental Involvement Toolbox 1.0:
Organize volunteers
for district campaigns such as tax increases and bond issues
for schools...........and much more!
How Can Parents Get Involved?
Do You Want A Master Copy of the
Parental Involvement Report Card
For Mass Distribution In Your Schools?
Here's What You Get
In The Parental Involvement Toolbox!
