From the Head of Academic Culture's Desk
Strategies to get the most from homework and minimise stress
Some teachers and parents believe homework is vital for their child’s academic success; others believe it is an unnecessary consumer of student and family time, achieving little. Research tells us that the efficacy of homework depends on the type of homework. Most useful of all is work that prepares students for the learning they will be doing the next day, such as exposure to the content that will be developed further in class. Least useful is homework that is just “busy work” - time-consuming, and of little educational merit.
At Christway College, we view homework as useful for three reasons, reinforcing key learning through revision of fundamental skills and pre-learning (using the ‘Flipped’ model of teaching), but most importantly, as a way of developing habits of diligence and time management so vital for successful completion of VCE and tertiary education.
As such we have developed a model where homework increases incrementally as students move through Primary to Secondary and then Senior Secondary school.
The model is as follows:
| Year 7 | In Year 7, students are introduced to homework gradually with an emphasis on the development of time management, diary use and good habits in Term 1, increasing to regular homework amounting to approximately 1 hour each weeknight and 1 hour on the weekend. |
| Year 8 | In Year 8, students can expect to be given approximately 1¼ hours of homework each night and the same on the weekend. |
| Year 9 | In Year 9, the homework allocation increases slightly to approximately 1½ hours each weeknight and 1½ hours on the weekend. |
| Year 10 | In Year 10, students will need to complete, on average 2 hours homework each night and two hours on the weekend but students who choose to undertake a VCE subject may need to set more time aside for revision and SAC preparation. The time commitment should be taken into consideration when Year 9 students are choosing their electives for Year 10. |
| VCE | In VCE, the homework load increases. To achieve their academic potential, students need to be aware that 2 – 3 hours each weeknight, and 3 – 6 hours on the weekends is recommended. Some students will do substantially more when preparing for SACs. |
It is imperative that parents help their children to develop habits of regular completion of homework because, as you can see, the homework can easily build up to an overwhelming burden if neglected for a few nights.
There are two errors students can make with homework, both of which lead to stress. The first is to neglect their homework and allow it to accumulate. The second is to dedicate hours to completing tasks that the teacher intends to take no more than 20 minutes. To combat the first, teachers will record and communicate when students are not completing homework so parents, students, and teachers can together strategise ways to develop more consistent habits. To combat the second, teachers will communicate how much time they think it should take a student to complete a homework task. Students are encouraged to communicate with their teachers when they are struggling to complete their homework in the recommended timeframe.
At Christway College, we are committed to the wellbeing of our students and their academic success, so the partnership between parents and teachers is vital in fostering a positive mindset, as well as productive habits.
Angela Landy
Head of Academic Culture
