Homework

Homework - any assignment your teacher asks you to complete when you are not in class - is a fact of life for most students today.

Homework helps you learn new things, review and practise what you learned in class and, most importantly, helps you figure out how to learn. Learning how to learn is a lifelong skill that is the key to understanding the world.

Some tips for making the time you spend doing your homework as productive as possible are:

• Schedule a time for doing your homework when you are at your best. If you're an early bird, you might schedule some time after breakfast before going to school to do your homework. If you're a nighthawk, you might want to make time for it before going to bed.
• Pick a location that is quiet and away from distractions.
• Turn off the television, or find a place to work where you can't see or hear it.
• If you like to listen to music while doing your homework, make sure it's not too loud.
• Have a positive attitude when you're doing your homework.
• Have all the materials you will need - pens, papers, rulers and so on - on hand before you begin work.

Note what time you start your homework and when you end. You decide when you've had enough, but the following guide may be helpful in determining how the total amount of time you should spend on your homework four nights a week:

• In Grade 4, 20 to 30 minutes.
• In Grade 5, 30 to 40 minutes.
• In Grade 6, 40 to 50 minutes.
• In Grades 7 and 8, one hour.
• In Grades 9 and 10, 1.5 hours.
• In Grades 11 and 12, 2 hours.

Remember, there is no rule requiring homework every day. If your teacher doesn't give you homework, do you own thing and use the time to be physically active, read, build something, create some artwork, play music or do something else productive.

If you don't understand a homework assignment, ask your parents to explain it to you or discuss it with your teacher the following day. If your homework is too hard and you're unable to complete it, write a note about what the problem is, have it signed by your parent or guardian and bring the note to your teacher.