What Is The Main Purpose Of Homework: Question Of The Day
Homework.
The word that has induced a billion groans. Every day in class, students sit, wait and pray that the bell rings before the teacher says that dreaded word. But, inevitably, the teacher does say it and the students trudge home lamenting the work they need to do before bed.
Pointless though it may seem at times, homework does have its purposes. It is useful in a variety of ways, as has been shown by diverse research. Here is how homework’s purposes have been defined:
- Instructional Homework
This type of homework is assigned to students for the following purposes.
- To practice:
This is by far the most common reason teachers assign homework. It is meant to help students practice and master what has been taught in the class.
- To prepare:
This type of homework is assigned so that the student can prepare for what the teacher will be teaching next. It can also be used to prepare the student for future exams.
- To extend skills:
This type of homework induces a student to apply learned skills to different areas.
- To integrate:
This kind of assignment is given to students so that they can work on a project and use the various skills that they have learned at school.
- Non-instructional Homework
This kind of homework can also be assigned for various reasons:
- Communications 1:
This type of homework is assigned to enable the child to have more open communications with his or her parents. This can help improve family life leading to a more confident and expressive child.
- Communications 2:
This kind of assignment ensures that the students learn to communicate better among themselves. This type of homework is mostly in the form of group or team assignments. Communications with fellow students allows children to find creative solutions to problems and helps the learning process.
- Personal Development:
This type of work is assigned to students so that they can improve various areas of their personal behaviors, for example managing their time better.
- Legislated homework:
This type of homework is usually assigned to fulfill the school’s obligations of a set amount of homework for a given period of time, say a week, as mandated by school or government policy.
Whatever your personal feelings about homework, knowing that it is assigned to you because of well thought out reasons may help you better cope with doing it. That is because now you know it is assigned to you for good reasons. Good luck!