The purpose of homework is to expand upon or review a concept that was taught in class. Homework should only be assigned when students have practiced with the concept multiple times in class and definitely understand the lesson or topic that the homework was addressing. If students are able to complete their homework independently and successfully, they feel good about themselves. According to Hill and Flynn (2006), "Students should be given homework that requires them to use what they already know or what they are learning" (p.79). Homework should not be intended to make students feel overwhelmed or frustrated, which might be the case if they are unsure about how to complete it or if they are unfamiliar with the topics being addressed.
In addition to relating to material that is relevant and being covered in class, homework objectives should be clearly stated. Students should understand why they are completing this homework and how the purpose is relevant and important to them. All students should understand the purpose of each homework assignment and understand why it impacts them as a learner. This component also addresses the different stages of language development, because a teacher should scaffold the homework given or the questions asked based on where ELLs are in terms of understanding and working with language. Hill and Flynn (2006) write, "[ELL's] homework assignments will vary depending on their level of language proficiency" (p.79). I believe that this again relates back to the fact that homework should be do-able instead of frustrating. Regardless of which stage of language acquisition a child may be at, they still should have purposeful and productive homework that fits their specific needs.
Because ELLs benefit so much from working in cooperative groups or examining visual representations, homework routines should fall into these same parameters. When receiving feedback, students might conference with a teacher about their ideas or they might conference with peers and hear different ways of thinking. Students might also see examples of other students' homework and compare it to their own. Feedback should be personal and varied depending on each student, the homework assignment, and his/her needs at the time.
Technology can play a role into how assigning homework might look or how a student might do homework at home. On our school website, parents or students can click on our grade level and see our homework schedule for the week. Next to the homework, we also state the lesson or objectives that we are working on in class to ensure that the homework truly does line up with content addressed. This also helps with the parent communication piece of homework. Also on our grade level website there are many different links and websites that students can click on that will take them directly to different sites that might help them work on specific content areas. Students have a list of various websites that they can choose from to work on the skill(s) that they want. This is another way, in addition to the paper homework that we send home, that students can practice academic skills in an exciting manner.
Homework should be purposeful and related to content taught in the classroom, the objective should be clearly stated, and feedback should be thoughtful and personal to specific students. Homework should expand on concepts and ideas reviewed in class, and students should always feel successful after the completion of their homework.
