How Does Homework Help Students in the Future?

How Does Homework Help Students in the Future?

As adults, most of us can look back and admit that homework helped us prepare for the ‘grown-up world’. Whether it was completing a multiplication table, or penning a critical essay, homework has its benefits.

We are relatively young parents and to see how much the workload has increased. Especially since we were in school, it can be daunting.

Let’s review the skills that consistently completing homework helps to develop.

Improves Time Management

There is a set number of hours in the day. Yet, today’s students seem to have more assignments to complete than ever before. Given the finite constraints of time, students must anticipate the number of hours they feel they will need to complete a task. Then plan to work within their own time frame to complete it.

When they do this successfully, they are able to hand in their work on time. Alternatively, students who hand in work late are often penalized by having marks docked for each day the assignment is late. While being graded with a letter or percentage doesn’t accurately translate into adulthood, the time management skills reinforced through homework do.

Helps Build Independence

Even if you help your child with their homework, their school assignments are very much individual tasks. Especially since the material necessary to complete the assignment is taught in class. Homework can be seen as one of the first things a child must take ownership of. Working on homework instills a sense of personal agency. It is one of the first ways we see our children follow-through with a project from start to finish — all on their own.

Teaches Students to Be Proactive

When it comes to completing homework assignments, many students can—and often do—procrastinate. When they are proactive about completing their assignments, they feel good. They aren’t stressed to meet the deadline and often produce higher quality work. This behaviour often leads to better grades and an increased sense of pride for the work they produce.

Teaches Problem Solving Skills

Homework provides an excellent opportunity for students to develop problem-solving skills early on in life. Students are required to apply what they learned that day in class. Then given a related assignment that encourages them to apply critical thinking, research, analysis, writing, editing, and general problem-solving skills.

These methods and processes eventually become ingrained into their work ethic and are carried forward into adulthood. The problems will be different, but this level of critical thinking and methodology remains.

Helps Curate Their Interests

Your child may have a few subjects that stand out as their favourites. Homework can help to further develop a child’s interest in these subjects. They develop interests in other areas they may not have previously considered. This curation can have a hand in developing their academic, and eventual career. Paths that will ensure they are happy and fulfilled in all that they do.

Make No Mistake:

There will certainly be times when your child simply doesn’t want to do their homework. Trying to instill the long-term benefits of their schoolwork might help encourage them to put pen to paper. Then they will want to apply themselves to the assignments they receive.

That being said, we have to be realistic. Not every child will feel or understand the real-world value of homework. At least not enough to push them to study and work hard.

If your child is struggling with their homework or is having trouble keeping up in class, they may find the idea of homework discouraging. Maybe it’s time to look into a reputable tutoring service to help change your child’s mindset and improve their ability to learn.

We traveled a lot when Gabby was younger and we took advantage of tutoring service to keep her on track. While world schooling is awesome, we didn’t want her to leave traditional school.

Homework can help students practice the lessons from class in a practical manner, but it doesn’t always work on its own. Exploring every resource to success is crucial.

Why not explore it?

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Do you help your kids with homework?

Let me know, til then–cheers m’deres!