Dr. Cathy Vatterott
Associate Professor of Education
University of Missouri-St. Louis
One University Boulevard
St. Louis, Missouri 63121 vatterott@umsl.edu
www.homeworklady.com
(314) 516-5863
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*What we want is to develop and refine intellectual skills— but when students don’t do homework, they may not perfect math skills, may not read as well, or may lack depth of knowledge for future learning.
*What we want is to develop independent learners— but when students don’t do homework, they may fail to develop independent strategies and may not experience the sense of efficacy that comes from completing work independently.
*What we want is to nurture within students an identity of a successful learner— but when students don’t do homework they may have trouble keeping up in class, may receive failing grades, and may lose confidence in their ability to learn.
have a clear academic purpose (not busy work)
are customized to promote ownership (personal)
instill a sense of competence (doable)
are “aesthetically pleasing”(well-organized, easy to understand, pleasant)
Purposes of homework
Practice, checking for understanding, pre-learning, or processing
purpose of homework type of homework task
Purpose of homework
Pre-learning
Example of skill or content
Example of homework task
Checking for understanding
Main ideas of chapter
Reading comprehension
Complete an advance organizer of the chapter
Create a concept map of the chapter
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Checking for understanding
Practice of skill
Practice of rote memory
Processing— analysis and reflection
Division of fractions
Division of fractions
Multiplication tables
Boston Tea
Party
Explain the steps, do three problems
Do 10 practice problems. Write two word problems for other students
Write, recite, or create a grid of multiplication tables
Write an editorial defending or
Criticizing the actions of the participants of the Boston Tea
Party.
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Allow for choices
Offer students an opportunity to personalize their work
Allow students to share information about themselves or their lives
Tap emotions, feelings, or opinions about a subject
Allow students to create products or presentations (Vatterott, 2007)
“I never heard of a child not doing his work. It’s our work he’s not doing.”
Write an op-ed piece defending a war, a theory, a method, a character, an author, etc
Create your own galaxy, rhythm pattern, poem, game, etc. (requires a rubric)
Create a lesson plan to teach_______________to students in a lower grade.
List the 3 most interesting things about the chapter.
Draw a graphic summary of the chapter.
Create a concept map of the chapter.
Do 5 math problems, explain the steps.
Have practice problems lag a few days behind to make sure of understanding.
Choose any 10 problems of the 30 problems(differentiate).
Bring three questions about the topic for discussion.
Design your own method for learning multiplication tables that they then share with others—cards, writing, reading, drawing pictures, creating a song, rap, or poem
Write a story or newspaper article showing you know the meaning of the 15 vocabulary words for the week.
Create a jeopardy game that covers the main ideas of the chapter
Maximum of 10 minutes per grade level per night(6 th grade=60 minutes)
(recommended by the PTA and the NEA)
(recommended time to be spent on all subjects combined)
[the 10-minute rule is consistent with the research]
How much is too much? Depends on the student
If we know students differ in readiness, why would we give everyone the same assignment?
If we know students differ in working speed,
why would we expect slower students to spend more time instead of giving them
less work?
If we know students have responsibilities and activities after school, why would we give students an assignment at 3 pm and expect it back at 8 am the next day?
Diagnosing readiness—what level of work can they do?
Standards-based—which concepts do they need to work on?
Fewer concepts for struggling learners—how can we show them they can be successful with independent work?
Prioritizing of subjects for some students—what are the most critical subjects for future success?
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Difficulty/amount of work
Amount of structure/scaffolding
Learning style/Interest
Difficulty/amount of work
“What level of work can the student successfully complete?”
Simpler reading or more concrete tasks
Adapted reading packets (that come with the text)
Optional challenge questions
Amount of writing required
Time “Do what you can in 20 minutes, draw a line, work longer if you like”.
“Fifty minutes is fifty minutes”. Parent note: “We spent our 50 minutes on science and math and had no time for reading tonight.”
Many teachers have discovered that the homework completion rate
skyrockets when they simply give less work!
Structure/scaffolding
Create a graphic organizer vs fill in a graphic organizer
Amount of writing required
Word banks/answer banks
Learning style/Interest
Create own method to study—outline, cards, pictures
Method of showing learning(written, typed, verbal, pictures)
Format choices: talk show, commercial, short story
When differentiating for slower learners, ask:
“Are we doing the most efficient thing?”
“Have we accurately diagnosed the student’s readiness and learning strengths?”
“Does the student need a more structured task?”
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Purpose of
homework
Practice of a skill
Pre-learning
Check for understanding
What differentiated homework looks like
Practice of rote memory
Example of skill or content
Multiplication tables
Division of whole numbers
Main ideas of the chapter
Causes and effects of the
Boston Tea
Party
Differentiation for difficulty/
Amount of work
Some students may work on only one set at a time until they achieve some mastery. Other students may work on several sets at one time
Some students problems will use 2-digit numbers, some
3-digit numbers, some 4 –digit numbers. Some students will be assigned fewer problems.
Abbreviated reading assignment focusing only on certain sections of chapter.
Focused questions to guide student to main ideas
Differentiation for scaffolding/
Structure
Some students may have a completed grid that they trace.
Some students may write from memory
Some students will receive problems that are partially filled in—they provide the missing numbers. Some students have explanations of steps written in the margin of their assignment
Advance organizer given to some students. Word bank to chose main ideas from.
Some students will list the causes and effects. Other students will receive a partial list and will have to fill in the blanks.
Differentiation for learning style/interest
Students may chose to write, recite, create their own table, set tables to music to help them learn.
List main ideas
Draw a graphic summary
List the 3 most interesting things about the chapter
Defend or criticize the actions of the participants of the Boston Tea
Party with an editorial, poster, or concept map.
Checking is diagnostic—teacher is an advocate
Grading is evaluative—teacher is a judge(Guskey)
Grades are not necessary for learning, but feedback is
The goals of feedback are
To improve learning and to improve performance on summative assessments
To promote student ownership of learning and self-assessment
Everything does not need a number!
How much time do we spend adding up points and recording numbers?
(Once you put a number on it, it can be compared to other students)
Formative feedback, summative grading
Short trials to check for understanding, Practice comes later
Intermittent feedback on long term projects
More one-on-one feedback with students as others are working
More paired work, help your neighbor, study buddies
Front-load grading by using rubrics that students get at the beginning
Limit the number of grades in the gradebook/subjective is okay!
Grades are temporary--Students correct mistakes after feedback
Quality Feedback is:
Formative---assessment for learning takes place during learning.
Corrective—provides specific information to the student about how to reach the learning target.
Interactive-- requires dialogue between teacher and student(written or verbal) or student and student
Not part of the grade—“We don’t keep score during practice”
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Teacher quote: “If I don’t grade it, they won’t do it”
Because we allow them not to do it. This is learned behavior and can be unlearned. This is a teacher expectation issue.
The attitudinal change is that homework is for feedback about their understanding,not gotcha, not grading.
Should all homework be graded? No
Should all homework receive feedback? Yes
Is the teacher the only one who can give feedback? No
Quick visual check—two piles: got it/didn’t get it(no marks)
Student self check
Quick self-check—students write one of three symbols at top of homework indicating:
got it/understood ! /happy face/ green sticker
sort of got it/not sure ? / neutral face/yellow sticker
didn’t get it/totally lost #&/frowning face/red sticker
Students check keys, use rubrics
Students meet in groups, compare answers, ask each other questions, report back to teachers
Use Abbreviations SYW show your work
Make a list of common comments for a specific project
(check comments like a rubric)
Many students don’t know how to self-assess because assessment has always been “done to “ them. They need ungraded, non-threatening practice to get used to the concept.
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~~Work ethic + behaviorism = using grades to reward virtue and punish vice
(often to the detriment of learning and motivation)
~~Giving a zero for incomplete work is not “holding them accountable”.
Accountability is making them finish the work.
~~We think we’re teaching them responsibility,
but are we teaching them math?
~~What if grades reflected what students really learned,
not which work they chose or were able to complete?
~~If poor children are disproportionately failing due to homework,
are they being punished for their home environment?
U.S. teachers lead 50 countries in the grading of homework. Almost 70% of
U.S. teachers use homework to calculate student grades, compared to 28% in
Canada, and 14% in Japan (Baker and LeTendre, 2005).
Losing the reward/punishment mentality
The grade/learning mismatch
~A’s on tests but fails because of assignments not turned in.
~A’s for course because all homework is completed, but testing way below grade level.
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*First, do no harm—don’t kill motivation or course grade by being too punitive
*Preferably, don’t grade at all, but require completion so you can assess learning.
*Give credit for completion only, not correctness or accuracy
*Count homework 10% of the grade or less
*Have lenient late policies
Student Hw#1
Content
100 pts
Amy 100
Hw#2
Content
100 pts
100
A 100(content)/20(work habits) grade
Hw #3
Content
100 pts
100 hw #4 content
100 pts
100
Hw #5
Content
100 pts
100 hw #1 work habits
20 pts
20 hw #2 work habits
20 pts
20 hw #3 work habits
20 pts
20 hw #4 work habits
20 pts
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Jack
Alex
88
100
88
100
88 88
100
88
100
20
0
20
0
20
0
20
0
The importance of “winning streaks” (Stiggins)
“Students decide whether the learning is worth the risk and effort required to acquire it. They decide if they believe they are smart enough to learn it.”(Stiggins,
2005, p. 18)
“The Homework Trap” (Goldberg, 2007)
Incomplete work poor grades poor attitudes predictable avoidance /resentment
“ When students fail to complete homework, we tend to approach it more like discipline than learning. That is, remedies for students who don’t do their homework tend to focus on punitive solutions as the key to changing behavior— consequences like points off, failing grades, or missing recess or lunch to complete homework.” (Vatterott, in press) hw #5 work habits
20 pts
20
20
0
600 pts possible
600 A
540 A
500 B
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Is the climate one of learning or compliance?
~”We are faced with the irony that a policy that may be grounded in the belief of holding students accountable(giving zeros) actually allows some student to escape accountability for learning”(O’Connor, 2007, p. 86)
What % of your students got D’s and F’s?
What % fail because of homework?
What do the D’s and F’s represent?
The learning goal for homework is to GET IT DONE,
better late than never.
Work done deserves some credit—
Make a generous time limit (like two weeks)
(The goal is for the student to do the work—not to punish them for not following the rules)
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Full stamp=10 pts Completed and turned in on time, full credit
Half stamp=5 points Turned in on time, but incomplete
(Complete it before the day of the test and you earn 7 pts)
No stamp=0 points Was not turned in on time
Complete it before the day of the test and you earn 5 pts
(This connects the purpose of the homework to the assessments)
*Makeup work *Redo’s *Birddogging
~~Instead of trying to teach kids responsibility, what if we force them to practice responsibility?
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Diagnosing WHY the homework is not getting done
5 REASONS WHY HOMEWORK IS NOT GETTING DONE
Academic—work is too hard or too lengthy for the student’s working speed
Organizational— getting it home /Getting it done/getting it back
Motivational—burnout, overload, too much failure, frustration with tasks
Situational—unable to work at home, too many other activities
Personal—depression, anxiety, family problems, etc.
(Teachers need to lay back when necessary, respect kid’s emotional needs.)
Completion Strategies--Put a check by the ones you could try
_____Give less homework
_____Make homework for feedback only
_____Explain to students the learning purpose of each homework assignment.
_____Provide a copy of the textbook for students to keep at home.
_____Make sure the student has written down the homework assignment.
_____Have a written copy of the assignment for some students.
_____Assign students “homework buddies” to work together or call for help.
Set a maximum amount of time the student should work on each assignment
Prioritize assignments in case the student does not have time to complete all homework.
_____Give students more than one day to complete assignments
_____Give all assignments for the next week on Friday, due next Friday.
_____Give intermittent due dates for parts of long term projects.
Allow parents or students to call the teacher at home when necessary.
Give parents guidance on how to help with homework and how much to help.
Provide a cover sheet that encourages parents to communicate about homework in writing to the teacher.
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Which links are weak or broken?
[ ] (1) Realize an assignment is being given
[ ] (2) Understand the assignment
[ ] (3) Record the assignment accurately
[ ] (4) Understand how to perform the assignment correctly
[ ] (5) Check to bring correct books home
[ ] (6) Arrive home with materials and the homework assignment
[ ] (7) Begin the homework time
[ ] (8) Complete all homework
[ ] (9) Check that it is complete, accurate, and neat
[ ](10) Set completed homework in a special place
[ ](11) Take completed homework to school
[ ](12) Arrive at class with completed homework
[ ](13) Turn completed homework in on time
HOMEWORK CARD FOR PARENTS
Child’s name___________________
Grade level____________________
It would be helpful for your child’s teacher to know how homework fits into your child’s daily schedule. Please complete the homework card by writing down how your child typically spends their time in the weekday hours when they are not in school
(ie: homework, sports practices, music lessons, visitation with non-custodial parents, dinner, sleep, play, tv, computer.)
3:00-4:00 pm
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday
4:00-5:00 pm
5:00-6:00 pm
6:00-7:00 pm
7:00-8:00 pm
8:00-9:00 pm
9:00-10:00 pm
10:00-11:00 pm
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Student feedback checklist
Dear student:
I estimate you can complete this assignment in _______minutes.
It is not necessary for you to work longer than____minutes on this assignment, even if you do not finish it. You will not be penalized.
How much time did you spend on this assignment?______________
If you did not finish the assignment, please check the reason or reasons why below:
____I could no longer focus on the task
____I was too tired
____I did not understand the assignment
____I did not have the necessary materials to complete the assignment
____I did not have enough time due to other outside activities
____other reason (please explain)
______________________________________________ student signature
We all have ways we like to work. These questions will help you figure out the best way to do homework. Circle the answer that is most like you. (For prereaders, read questions and have students draw their answers)
1.My favorite position to do homework is
at a desk
sitting on the floor
standing
laying down
2.
It is easiest for me to pay attention to homework
In a quiet place
With noise or music in the background
3.
When I am working on homework
I need to have something to eat or drink
I don’t need to have drinks or food
4.
When I have more than one thing to do
I like to do the easiest thing first
I like to do the hardest thing first
5.
After I start working, I like to
Work for a long time before I take a break
Work for a short time, take a break, then work more
6.
WHEN is it easiest for me to do homework?
I like to work as soon as I get home from school
I need to play for a little while and then work
I need a long break after school before I am ready to work
7.
WHERE will I do homework?
I can work in the same place every day and can keep my homework things there. That place is_____________________.
I have to work in different places on different days so I need to keep my homework things in a box that I can move. Some of the places I will work are
_________________________________________________
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Options for finding time in the school day
Voluntary or mandatory after-school homework assistance program
Lunch and Work—homework catch-up program
One-hour lunch period to accommodate homework assistance
Advisory time used as teacher or peer assistance
In-school suspension also houses homework support program
Monthly late start days
Shorten classes once a week to provide catch-up time
Extending school day—extra period at end of day for all for supervised homework
Curricular and scheduling options
Academic lab period/study hall/independent learning for credit
Academic lab periods that allow students to travel for teacher help
Independent Study/Alternative Strategies—elective courses
Mandatory “Math help” or “Credit recovery” course is place of an elective
Middle school--Pull out of one exploratory wheel, short term or for quarter/semester to catch up and learn homework management skills
Elementary school—once a week “Bonus PE” period for students not missing homework/time with teacher for students needing homework time
Limit the number of AP classes students may take
For more information, see Homework Support Programs Handouts at www.homeworklady.com
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Brookhart, S. M. (2007-2008). Feedback that fits. Educational Leadership, 65(4),
54-59.
Christopher, S. (2007-2008). Homework: A few practice arrows. Educational
Leadership, 65(4), 74-75.
Darling-Hammond, L. and Ifill-Lynch, O. (2006). If they’d only do their work!,
Educational Leadership, 63(5), 8-13.
Stiggins, R. (2007). Assessment through the student’s eyes. Educational
Leadership, 64(8), 22-26.
Winger, T. (2005). Grading to communicate, Educational Leadership, 63(3), 61-65.
Kohn, A. (2006). The homework myth: Why our kids get too much of a bad thing.
Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press. (good website www.alfiekohn.org)
Kralovec E., and Buell, J. (2000). The end of homework: How homework disrupts families, overburdens children and limits learning. Boston: Beacon Press.
Guskey, T. R. and Bailey, J. M.(2001). Developing grading and reporting systems for student learning. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
O’Connor, K. (2002). How to grade for learning: Linking grades to standards.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Stiggins, R. J. (2005). Student-involved assessment for learning (4
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. th edition).
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Bennett, S., and Kalish, N. (2006). The case against homework: How homework is hurting our children and what we can do about it. New York: Crown Publishers.
(Sara Bennett has an awesome website www.stophomework.com with news articles, forums, etc.)
Buehl, J. (2004). Closing the book on homework: Enhancing public education and freeing family time. Philadelphia: Temple University Press.
Baker, D. P., and LeTendre, G. K. (2005). National differences, global similarities:
World culture and the future of schooling. Stanford, California: Stanford
University Press
Cameron, L. and Bartel, L(2008). Homework realities: A Canadian study of parental opinions and attitudes. Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of
Toronto.
Cooper, Harris (2007). The battle over homework: Common ground for administrators, teachers, and parents(3 rd edition). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin
Press.
Cooper, H., Robinson, J. C., and Patall, E. A.(2006). Does homework improve academic achievement? A Synthesis of research, 1987-2003, Review of
Educational Research, 76(1), 1-62.
Corno, L. and Xu, J. ((2004). Homework as the job of childhood, Theory into
Practice, 43(3), 227-33.
Goldberg, K. (2007) The homework trap. Paper presented at the American
Educational Research Association Annual Conference.
KennethGoldberg@comcast.net.
Hart, B., and Risley, T. R. (1995). Meaningful differences in the everyday experience of young American children. Baltimore, MD: P.H. Brookes.
Levine, M., M.D. (2003) The myth of laziness. New York: Simon and Schuster.
Marzano. R. J., Pickering, D. J., and Pollock, J. E. (2001). Classroom instruction that
20 works: Research-based strategies for increasing student achievement. Alexandria,
VA: ASCD.
O’Connor, K. (2007). A repair kit for grading: 15 fixes for broken grades.
Portland, Oregon: Educational Testing Service.
Pope, D.C. (2001). “Doing school”: How we are creating a generation of stressed out, materialistic, and miseducated students. New Haven: Yale University Press.
Rosemond, J. (1990). Ending the homework hassle: Understanding, preventing, and solving school performance problems. New York: Universal Press.
Rosenfeld, A., M.D. and Wise, N. (2000). The overscheduled child: Avoiding the hyper-parenting trap. New York: St. Martin’s Press.
Rothstein, R. (2004). Class and schools: Using social, economic, and educational reform to close the black-white achievement gap. Teachers College Press.
Taylor, J. (2007). Motivating the uncooperative student: Redeeming discouragement and attitude problems. Monmouth, Oregon: A.D.D.-Plus.
Vatterott, C. (in press). Rethinking homework: Best practices that support diverse needs. Alexandria, VA: ASCD(expected summer 2009)
Vatterott, C.(2008). What is effective homework? ASCD Express Online
Newsletter, January 10.
Vatterott, C. (2007). Becoming a middle level teacher: Student focused teaching of early adolescents. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Vatterott, C. (2005) Mom and Dad aren’t taking algebra this year, Our Children
(National PTA magazine), October-November, 4-5.
Vatterott, C. (2005). Don’t let homework interfere with education, The Globe and
Mail (Canada’s national newspaper), August 29 commentary.
Vatterott, C. (2003). There’s something wrong with homework. Principal, volume
82, No. 3, 64. Available at www.homeworklady.com.
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About the presenter
Dr. Cathy Vatterott is an Associate Professor of Education at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, as well as a parent and a former teacher and principal. She is the author of three books— Academic Success through Empowering Students (National Middle School Association, 1999), Becoming a Middle Level
Teacher: Student-focused Teaching of Early Adolescents (McGraw Hill, 2007), and Rethinking
Homework: Best Practices that Support Diverse Needs (ASCD, in press, summer 2009). She has presented her homework research to over 5000 educators and parents in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. She has been interviewed as a homework expert for articles appearing in such magazines as Parents , Better
Homes and Garden , Child , and Working Mother , and for articles appearing in numerous U.S. newspapers and educational websites