homework and housework

Difference between HOMEWORK and HOUSEWORK

Learn more about our courses

What’s the difference between homework and housework ?

These two words seem practically identical, but they actually have separate meanings and uses. I’ll clarify that in today’s lesson, so that you can be sure to use the right word.

And at the end I’ll also tell you about a common mistake that English learners often make with homework and housework.

How to use HOMEWORK in English

Homework refers to schoolwork that you do at home.

So if you’re in class, your teacher might give you homework – maybe a worksheet, maybe a book/article to read, maybe an exercise to do or something to research – and then you do that homework outside of class, at home.

Homework is usually extra practice or an additional assignment to help you practice what you learned inside class, or take your learning further.

How to use HOUSEWORK in English

Housework refers to the physical tasks that are necessary to take care of your house or apartment , the place where you live. We usually use housework to refer to cooking, cleaning, and laundry (washing your clothes).

So homework is schoolwork you do at home, and housework involves maintaining your living space.

What about “chores”?

One of my students asked if the word chores means the same thing as housework.

Yes – chores is another word we can use for those things that you have to do around the house. Washing dishes, sweeping the floor, cleaning the toilet, and so on. You probably don’t really enjoy them, but they need to get done.

And it’s also common to use this word chores you have a parent who makes their children help with these tasks. So the parent would say, “you have to do your chores.” You need to do those things around the house that you’re responsible for, like cleaning up your room or maybe helping with the laundry.

HOMEWORK and HOUSEWORK are always singular!

Now here’s an important detail – the word chore is countable, so you can have one chore, two chores, three chores, or a lot of chores to do.

But homework and housework are BOTH considered uncountable . So we always use them in the singular, always homework and housework, never homeworks or houseworks.

They are singular even when they refer to multiple tasks. So even if you have multiple assignments to do and multiple things to do in your house, it’s still only homework and housework.

You can talk about general quantity by saying a little homework/housework or a lot of homework/housework – but don’t use numbers, like “three homeworks,” and don’t add an S, “a lot of houseworks” – it’s not correct.

WORK / WORKS

This rule also applies to the word “work” – most of the time it’s singular.

Don’t say “I have a lot of works to do.” – the correct way would be “I have a lot of work to do.” You can say tasks, you can say projects, you can say assignments, you can say things – those can all be plural, but work is typically singular.

There’s one situation where we can say “works” and that’s specifically when we’re talking about works of art, works of music, or works of literature. So when we’re talking about productions in the artistic world, then sometimes we use works in the plural. For example, this is one of Picasso’s greatest works of art.

But in everyday life, when talking about the work you have to do, it’s always work, singular and same with homework and housework, singular.

Now you know the difference between homework and housework – and remember, doing homework is really important for reviewing and practicing what you learn!

A lot of our courses at Espresso English include homework. Sometimes that’s a quiz so you can test yourself on the lesson, and sometimes the homework is a writing task or speaking task where you can send your answers to our teaching team and get correction and feedback.

Our students often find this the most valuable part of our courses, because then you’re not just watching or reading or listening to me in English, but you’re also using English yourself. It really makes a difference in helping you learn and remember better.

Join our courses to improve your English fast in just a few minutes a day!

Take free sample lessons

More Espresso English Lessons:

About the author.

Shayna Oliveira

Shayna Oliveira is the founder of Espresso English, where you can improve your English fast - even if you don’t have much time to study. Millions of students are learning English from her clear, friendly, and practical lessons! Shayna is a CELTA-certified teacher with 10+ years of experience helping English learners become more fluent in her English courses.

What’s the difference between homework and housework?

This week we are looking at two words which are commonly confused because of their similar spellings: homework and housework .

Homework  is work that school pupils are given to do at home. You say that pupils ‘ do homework ’. You don’t say that they ` make homework ‘.

Have you done your English  homework ?

Homework is an uncountable noun.

Housework  is work such as cleaning or washing that is done in a house.

She relied on us to do most of the  housework .

Housework is an uncountable noun.

Find out more in our English Usage article .

This blogpost is based on Collins COBUILD English Usage , written for learners of English. For more examples of English usage points, please visit:   https://grammar.collinsdictionary.com/english-usage .

All opinions expressed on this blog are those of the individual writers, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of Collins, or its parent company, HarperCollins.

Related Articles

What’s the difference between scarce and scarcely, 9 other words for ‘talk’, what’s the difference between cup, mug and glass, what’s the difference between critic and critical, what’s the difference between salute and greet, other articles.

Saying goodbye

Making a phone call

Using the Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary to Develop Vocabulary Building Skills

Sign up for the newsletter.

Get the latest news

collins_dictionary_official

The home of living language. #wotd #wordlovers #collinsdictionary Read our word of the week definitions and blog posts:

collinsdictionary

English365plus.com

• Confused Words

Confused Words: Homework vs. Housework

Hi learners! Today we’ll delve into an interesting English language topic. We’re going to differentiate between the terms “ Homework ” and “ Housework “. Both words seem similar but have distinct meanings and uses. Let’s go!

“ Homework ” (IPA: /ˈhoʊmˌwɜːrk/) refers to tasks assigned to students by their teachers, intended to be completed outside of class, generally at home.

Here are 10 examples:

• The teacher gave us a lot of homework today. (The teacher assigned many tasks)
• I need to finish my math homework before dinner. (I need to complete my math tasks)
• She is diligent about completing her homework every day. (She is conscientious about doing her school assignments)
• He stayed up late to complete his homework . (He stayed up late to finish his school tasks)
• Can you help me with my English homework ? (Can you help me with my English assignments)
• I have homework over the weekend. (I have school tasks to do over the weekend)
• She forgot her homework at home. (She forgot her school assignments at home)
• He was punished for not doing his homework . (He was punished for not completing his school tasks)
• The homework is due tomorrow. (The school tasks need to be completed by tomorrow)
• Our homework involves researching climate change. (Our school assignment involves researching climate change)

Housework ” (IPA: /ˈhaʊsˌwɜːrk/), on the other hand , refers to the general cleaning or maintenance tasks done in a house or apartment.

• I have a lot of housework to do this weekend. (I have many cleaning or maintenance tasks)
• He helps his mother with the housework . (He assists his mother with home chores)
• She dislikes doing housework . (She dislikes cleaning and maintaining the house)
• Can you help me with the housework ? (Can you help me with the home chores)
• We share the housework equally. (We share the cleaning and maintenance tasks)
• He hired a maid to do the housework . (He hired a maid to perform the home chores)
• Washing dishes is part of my housework . (Washing dishes is one of my home chores)
• She does the housework every Sunday. (She does the home chores every Sunday)
• I finished my housework early today. (I finished my cleaning and maintenance tasks early)
• They believe in sharing housework responsibilities. (They believe in sharing home chores)

The distinction between “ Homework ” and “ Housework ” is now clear. “Homework” refers to school assignments completed outside the class, while “Housework” refers to cleaning or maintenance tasks performed at home. Understanding these differences will help refine your English usage.

Share this post

You may also like....

Confused Words: Brave vs. Courageous

Confused Words: Diverse vs. Various

Confused Words: Day by Day, Day after Day & Day-to-day

Confused Words: No More, Not Anymore, No Longer, Not Any Longer

Confused Words: Raise vs. Rise

10 Phrasal Verbs with CATCH

27 Collocations Related to Entertainment

Phrase Explanation: Out of Sight, Out of Mind

Phrase Explanation: At Cross Purposes

Confused Words: Holiday vs. Vacation

Learn English Free

Common mistakes and confusing words in english.

School Life Balance , Tips for Online Students

The Pros and Cons of Homework

Updated: December 7, 2023

Published: January 23, 2020

Homework is a word that most students dread hearing. After hours upon hours of sitting in class , the last thing we want is more schoolwork over our precious weekends. While it’s known to be a staple of traditional schooling, homework has also become a rather divise topic. Some feel as though homework is a necessary part of school, while others believe that the time could be better invested. Should students have homework? Have a closer look into the arguments on both sides to decide for yourself.

Photo by  energepic.com  from  Pexels

Why should students have homework, 1. homework encourages practice.

Many people believe that one of the positive effects of homework is that it encourages the discipline of practice. While it may be time consuming and boring compared to other activities, repetition is needed to get better at skills. Homework helps make concepts more clear, and gives students more opportunities when starting their career .

2. Homework Gets Parents Involved

Homework can be something that gets parents involved in their children’s lives if the environment is a healthy one. A parent helping their child with homework makes them take part in their academic success, and allows for the parent to keep up with what the child is doing in school. It can also be a chance to connect together.

3. Homework Teaches Time Management

Homework is much more than just completing the assigned tasks. Homework can develop time management skills , forcing students to plan their time and make sure that all of their homework assignments are done on time. By learning to manage their time, students also practice their problem-solving skills and independent thinking. One of the positive effects of homework is that it forces decision making and compromises to be made.

4. Homework Opens A Bridge Of Communication

Homework creates a connection between the student, the teacher, the school, and the parents. It allows everyone to get to know each other better, and parents can see where their children are struggling. In the same sense, parents can also see where their children are excelling. Homework in turn can allow for a better, more targeted educational plan for the student.

5. Homework Allows For More Learning Time

Homework allows for more time to complete the learning process. School hours are not always enough time for students to really understand core concepts, and homework can counter the effects of time shortages, benefiting students in the long run, even if they can’t see it in the moment.

6. Homework Reduces Screen Time

Many students in North America spend far too many hours watching TV. If they weren’t in school, these numbers would likely increase even more. Although homework is usually undesired, it encourages better study habits and discourages spending time in front of the TV. Homework can be seen as another extracurricular activity, and many families already invest a lot of time and money in different clubs and lessons to fill up their children’s extra time. Just like extracurricular activities, homework can be fit into one’s schedule.

The Other Side: Why Homework Is Bad

1. homework encourages a sedentary lifestyle.

Should students have homework? Well, that depends on where you stand. There are arguments both for the advantages and the disadvantages of homework.

While classroom time is important, playground time is just as important. If children are given too much homework, they won’t have enough playtime, which can impact their social development and learning. Studies have found that those who get more play get better grades in school , as it can help them pay closer attention in the classroom.

Children are already sitting long hours in the classroom, and homework assignments only add to these hours. Sedentary lifestyles can be dangerous and can cause health problems such as obesity. Homework takes away from time that could be spent investing in physical activity.

2. Homework Isn’t Healthy In Every Home

While many people that think homes are a beneficial environment for children to learn, not all homes provide a healthy environment, and there may be very little investment from parents. Some parents do not provide any kind of support or homework help, and even if they would like to, due to personal barriers, they sometimes cannot. Homework can create friction between children and their parents, which is one of the reasons why homework is bad .

3. Homework Adds To An Already Full-Time Job

School is already a full-time job for students, as they generally spend over 6 hours each day in class. Students also often have extracurricular activities such as sports, music, or art that are just as important as their traditional courses. Adding on extra hours to all of these demands is a lot for children to manage, and prevents students from having extra time to themselves for a variety of creative endeavors. Homework prevents self discovery and having the time to learn new skills outside of the school system. This is one of the main disadvantages of homework.

4. Homework Has Not Been Proven To Provide Results

Endless surveys have found that homework creates a negative attitude towards school, and homework has not been found to be linked to a higher level of academic success.

The positive effects of homework have not been backed up enough. While homework may help some students improve in specific subjects, if they have outside help there is no real proof that homework makes for improvements.

It can be a challenge to really enforce the completion of homework, and students can still get decent grades without doing their homework. Extra school time does not necessarily mean better grades — quality must always come before quantity.

Accurate practice when it comes to homework simply isn’t reliable. Homework could even cause opposite effects if misunderstood, especially since the reliance is placed on the student and their parents — one of the major reasons as to why homework is bad. Many students would rather cheat in class to avoid doing their homework at home, and children often just copy off of each other or from what they read on the internet.

5. Homework Assignments Are Overdone

The general agreement is that students should not be given more than 10 minutes a day per grade level. What this means is that a first grader should be given a maximum of 10 minutes of homework, while a second grader receives 20 minutes, etc. Many students are given a lot more homework than the recommended amount, however.

On average, college students spend as much as 3 hours per night on homework . By giving too much homework, it can increase stress levels and lead to burn out. This in turn provides an opposite effect when it comes to academic success.

The pros and cons of homework are both valid, and it seems as though the question of ‘‘should students have homework?’ is not a simple, straightforward one. Parents and teachers often are found to be clashing heads, while the student is left in the middle without much say.

It’s important to understand all the advantages and disadvantages of homework, taking both perspectives into conversation to find a common ground. At the end of the day, everyone’s goal is the success of the student.

Related Articles

20 Pros and Cons of Homework

Homework. It’s a word that sends a shudder down the spine of students and parents alike.

It is also a question that has become divisive. Some people feel that homework is an effective way to reinforce the concepts that were learned at school. Others feel like the time that homework demands would be better spent with a meaningful activity that brings the family together.

Is homework important? Is it necessary? Or is the added stress that homework places on students and parents doing more harm than good? Here are some of the key pros and cons to discuss.

List of the Pros of Homework

1. It encourages the discipline of practice. Repeating the same problems over and over can be boring and difficult, but it also reinforces the practice of discipline. To get better at a skill, repetition is often necessary. You get better with each repetition. By having homework completed every night, especially with a difficult subject, the concepts become easier to understand. That gives the student an advantage later on in life when seeking a vocational career.

2. It gets parents involved with a child’s life. Looking at Common Core math can be somewhat bewildering to parents. If you see the math problem 5×3 expressed as an addition problem, 5+5+5 seems like the right answer. The correct answer, however, would be 3+3+3+3+3. By bringing homework to do, students can engage their learning process with their parents so everyone can be involved. Many parents actually want homework sent so they can see what their children are being taught in the classroom.

3. It teaches time management skills. Homework goes beyond completing a task. It forces children (and parents, to some extent) to develop time management skills. Schedules must be organized to ensure that all tasks can be completed during the day. This creates independent thinking and develops problem-solving skills. It encourages research skills. It also puts parents and children into a position where positive decision-making skills must be developed.

4. Homework creates a communication network. Teachers rarely see into the family lives of their students. Parents rarely see the classroom lives of their children. Homework is a bridge that opens lines of communication between the school, the teacher, and the parent. This allows everyone to get to know one another better. It helps teachers understand the needs of their students better.

It allows parents to find out their child’s strengths and weaknesses. Together, an educational plan can be developed that encourages the best possible learning environment.

5. It allows for a comfortable place to study. Classrooms have evolved over the years to be a warmer and welcoming environment, but there is nothing like the comfort that is felt at home or in a safe space. By encouraging studies where a child feels the most comfortable, it is possible to retain additional information that may get lost within the standard classroom environment.

6. It provides more time to complete the learning process. The time allotted for each area of study in school, especially in K-12, is often limited to 1 hour or less per day. That is not always enough time for students to be able to grasp core concepts of that material. By creating specific homework assignments which address these deficiencies, it becomes possible to counter the effects of the time shortages. That can benefit students greatly over time.

7. It reduces screen time. On the average school night, a student in the US might get 3-4 hours of screen time in per day. When that student isn’t in school, that figure doubles to 7-8 hours of screen time. Homework might be unwanted and disliked, but it does encourage better study habits. It discourages time being spent in front of the television or playing games on a mobile device. That, in turn, may discourage distracting habits from forming that can take away from the learning process in the future.

8. It can be treated like any other extracurricular activity. Some families over-extend themselves on extracurricular activities. Students can easily have more than 40 hours per week, from clubs to sports, that fall outside of regular school hours. Homework can be treated as one of these activities, fitting into the schedule where there is extra time. As an added benefit, some homework can even be completed on the way to or from some activities.

List of the Cons of Homework

1. Children benefit from playing. Being in a classroom can be a good thing, but so can being on a playground. With too much homework, a child doesn’t have enough time to play and that can impact their learning and social development. Low levels of play are associated with lower academic achievement levels, lower safety awareness, less character development, and lower overall health.

2. It encourages a sedentary lifestyle. Long homework assignments require long periods of sitting. A sedentary lifestyle has numerous direct associations with premature death as children age into adults. Obesity levels are already at or near record highs in many communities. Homework may reinforce certain skills and encourage knowledge retention, but it may come at a high price.

3. Not every home is a beneficial environment. There are some homes that are highly invested into their children. Parents may be involved in every stage of homework or there may be access to tutors that can explain difficult concepts. In other homes, there may be little or no education investment into the child. Some parents push the responsibility of teaching off on the teacher and provide no homework support at all.

Sometimes parents may wish to be involved and support their child, but there are barriers in place that prevent this from happening. The bottom line is this: no every home life is equal.

4. School is already a full-time job for kids. An elementary school day might start at 9:00am and end at 3:20pm. That’s more than 6 hours of work that kids as young as 5 are putting into their education every day. Add in the extra-curricular activities that schools encourage, such as sports, musicals, and after-school programming and a student can easily reach 8 hours of education in the average day. Then add homework on top of that? It is asking a lot for any child, but especially young children, to complete extra homework.

5. There is no evidence that homework creates improvements. Survey after survey has found that the only thing that homework does is create a negative attitude toward schooling and education in general. Homework is not associated with a higher level of academic achievement on a national scale. It may help some students who struggle with certain subjects, if they have access to a knowledgeable tutor or parent, but on a community level, there is no evidence that shows improvements are gained.

6. It discourages creative endeavors. If a student is spending 1 hour each day on homework, that’s an hour they are not spending pursuing something that is important to them. Students might like to play video games or watch TV, but homework takes time away from learning an instrument, painting, or developing photography skills as well. Although some homework can involve creative skills, that usually isn’t the case.

7. Homework is difficult to enforce. Some students just don’t care about homework. They can achieve adequate grades without doing it, so they choose not to do it. There is no level of motivation that a parent or teacher can create that inspires some students to get involved with homework. There is no denying the fact that homework requires a certain amount of effort. Sometimes a child just doesn’t want to put in that effort.

8. Extra time in school does not equate to better grades. Students in the US spend more than 100 hours of extra time in school already compared to high-performing countries around the world, but that has not closed the educational gap between those countries and the United States. In some educational areas, the US is even falling in global rankings despite the extra time that students are spending in school. When it comes to homework or any other form of learning, quality is much more important than quantity.

9. Accurate practice may not be possible. If homework is assigned, there is a reliance on the student, their parents, or their guardians to locate resources that can help them understand the content. Homework is often about practice, but if the core concepts of that information are not understood or inaccurately understood, then the results are the opposite of what is intended. If inaccurate practice is performed, it becomes necessary for the teacher to first correct the issue and then reteach it, which prolongs the learning process.

10. It may encourage cheating on multiple levels. Some students may decide that cheating in the classroom to avoid taking homework home is a compromise they’re willing to make. With internet resources, finding the answers to homework instead of figuring out the answers on one’s own is a constant temptation as well. For families with multiple children, they may decide to copy off one another to minimize the time investment.

11. Too much homework is often assigned to students. There is a general agreement that students should be assigned no more than 10 minutes of homework per day, per grade level. That means a first grader should not be assigned more than 10 minutes of homework per night. Yet for the average first grader in US public schools, they come home with 20 minutes of homework and then are asked to complete 20 minutes of reading on top of that. That means some students are completing 4x more homework than recommended every night.

At the same time, the amount of time children spent playing outdoors has decreased by 40% over the past 30 years.

For high school students, it is even worse at high performing schools in the US where 90% of graduates go onto college, the average amount of homework assigned per night was 3 hours per student.

12. Homework is often geared toward benchmarks. Homework is often assigned to improve test scores. Although this can provide positive outcomes, including better study skills or habits, the fact is that when children are tired, they do not absorb much information. When children have more homework than recommended, test scores actually go down. Stress levels go up. Burnout on the curriculum occurs.

The results for many students, according to research from Ruben Fernandez-Alonso in the Journal of Educational Psychology, is a decrease in grades instead of an increase.

The pros and cons of homework are admittedly all over the map. Many parents and teachers follow their personal perspectives and create learning environments around them. When parents and teachers clash on homework, the student is often left in the middle of that tug of war. By discussing these key points, each side can work to find some common ground so our children can benefit for a clear, precise message.

Quantity may be important, but quality must be the priority for homework if a student is going to be successful.

English EFL

Learn the Difference

Difference Between Homework and Housework

Intermediate

What’s the difference between  homework  and  housework ?

And at the end I’ll also tell you about a common mistake that English learners often make with homework and housework.

How To Use HOMEWORK In English

Homework refers to  schoolwork that you do at home.

So if you’re in class, your teacher might give you homework – maybe a worksheet, maybe a book/article to read, maybe an exercise to do or something to research – and then you do that homework outside of class, at home.

Homework is usually extra practice or an additional assignment to help you practice what you learned inside class, or take your learning further.

How To Use HOUSEWORK In English

Housework refers to the  physical tasks that are necessary to take care of your house or apartment , the place where you live. We usually use housework to refer to cooking, cleaning, and laundry (washing your clothes).

So homework is schoolwork you do at home, and housework involves maintaining your living space.

What About “Chores”?

One of my students asked if the word  chores  means the same thing as housework.

Yes – chores is another word we can use for those things that you have to do around the house. Washing dishes, sweeping the floor, cleaning the toilet, and so on. You probably don’t really enjoy them, but they need to get done.

And it’s also common to use this word chores you have a parent who makes their children help with these tasks. So the parent would say, “you have to do your chores.” You need to do those things around the house that you’re responsible for, like cleaning up your room or maybe helping with the laundry.

HOMEWORK And HOUSEWORK Are Always Singular!

Now here’s an important detail – the word chore is countable, so you can have one chore, two chores, three chores, or a lot of chores to do.

But homework and housework are BOTH considered  uncountable . So we  always  use them in the singular, always homework and housework,  never  homeworks or houseworks.

They are singular  even when they refer to multiple tasks.  So even if you have multiple assignments to do and multiple things to do in your house, it’s still only homework and housework.

You can talk about general quantity by saying  a little homework/housework or a lot of homework/housework  – but don’t use numbers, like “three homeworks,” and don’t add an S, “a lot of houseworks” – it’s not correct.

WORK / WORKS

This rule also applies to the word “work” – most of the time it’s singular.

Don’t say “I have a lot of  works  to do.” – the correct way would be “I have a lot of  work  to do.” You can say tasks, you can say projects, you can say assignments, you can say things – those can all be plural, but work is typically singular.

There’s one situation where we can say “works” and that’s specifically when we’re talking about works of art, works of music, or works of literature. So when we’re talking about productions in the artistic world, then sometimes we use works in the plural. For example, this is  one of Picasso’s greatest works of art.

But in everyday life, when talking about the work you have to do, it’s always work, singular and same with homework and housework, singular.

Now you know the difference between homework and housework – and remember, doing homework is really important for reviewing and practicing what you learn!

Course Curriculum

• Difference Between Homework and Housework 20 mins
• Difference Between Accept and Except 20 mins
• Difference Between Ad and Add 10 mins
• Difference Between Adapt and Adopt 30 mins

• PRO Courses Guides New Tech Help Pro Expert Videos About wikiHow Pro Upgrade Sign In
• EDIT Edit this Article
• EXPLORE Tech Help Pro About Us Random Article Quizzes Request a New Article Community Dashboard This Or That Game Popular Categories Arts and Entertainment Artwork Books Movies Computers and Electronics Computers Phone Skills Technology Hacks Health Men's Health Mental Health Women's Health Relationships Dating Love Relationship Issues Hobbies and Crafts Crafts Drawing Games Education & Communication Communication Skills Personal Development Studying Personal Care and Style Fashion Hair Care Personal Hygiene Youth Personal Care School Stuff Dating All Categories Arts and Entertainment Finance and Business Home and Garden Relationship Quizzes Cars & Other Vehicles Food and Entertaining Personal Care and Style Sports and Fitness Computers and Electronics Health Pets and Animals Travel Education & Communication Hobbies and Crafts Philosophy and Religion Work World Family Life Holidays and Traditions Relationships Youth
• Browse Articles
• Learn Something New
• Quizzes Hot
• This Or That Game New
• Train Your Brain
• Explore More
• Support wikiHow
• About wikiHow
• Log in / Sign up
• School Stuff
• Managing Time During School Years

How to Plan a Homework Schedule

Last Updated: February 2, 2024 Approved

This article was co-authored by Ronitte Libedinsky, MS . Ronitte Libedinsky is an Academic Tutor and the Founder of Brighter Minds SF, a San Francisco, California based company that provides one-on-one and small group tutoring. Specializing in tutoring mathematics (pre-algebra, algebra I/II, geometry, pre-calculus, calculus) and science (chemistry, biology), Ronitte has over 10 years of experience tutoring to middle school, high school, and college students. She also tutors in SSAT, Terra Nova, HSPT, SAT, and ACT test prep. Ronitte holds a BS in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MS in Chemistry from Tel Aviv University. There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 89% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 477,069 times.

It feels like homework never stops getting piled on, and keeping track of it all can feel a little chaotic. That’s where a homework schedule comes in. With a good schedule, you won’t have to worry about missing homework assignments or not having enough time to finish them, and it’s surprisingly easy to put one together. Not sure where to start? Don’t worry—we’ll walk you through what to do step-by-step below!

Setting Up a Homework Schedule

Creating a Homework Space

Understanding What Needs To Get Done

• The subject or course in which the work is assigned (for example, Spanish , algebra , French or English )
• Know what you're expected to hand in or do and ask if you do not understand (for example, turn in an essay , develop a PowerPoint presentation, or take a test.)
• The details of your assignments (for example, double-spaced or single-spaced, blue ink or black).
• Page numbers (which pages you need to read, study, or refer to complete your assignment.)
• Due date of the assignment.

Getting All of Your Homework Done

• To solve this problem, if you cannot meet all the deadlines, use a static priority rate-monotonic policy. Find the course that releases new homework the most frequently, and list it the highest (do the work first), and so forth. This is mathematically optimal among all static-priority scheduling policies. In other words, if ANY static priority scheme can meet all the deadlines, the rate-monotonic static priority scheme will meet all the deadlines, too. When the static priority scheme misses deadlines, it is deterministic - the lowest priority class assignments will be skipped, so it behaves predictably when you are overloaded. If certain assignments have the same due date, then start with the one(s) that are hardest or will take the longest.

• If you have a five-page English paper due on Friday, evenly spread the total amount of hours you believe it is going to take to complete the paper between each day.

Homework Planner Template

Expert Q&A

• Avoid distractions such as TV, video games, phone conversation, or surfing the internet. You must fully devote your schedule to doing this. That means turning off all electronics except your lamp , clock , and room light, and, if needed, your computer. You may even want to turn off your phone. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

Tips from our Readers

• Try writing reminders on sticky-notes about your assignment due dates or important information you really need to remember. Put these sticky notes in a place you regularly go to in your house (such as your homework area, bedroom, or closet), so that you'll see them and be reminded.
• If you're having a really hard time concentrating, take a short break (even if it isn't your schedule break time). Even taking a walk outside for ten minutes or grabbing a quick snack from the kitchen can help you reset.
• If music with lyrics distracts you, don't try to listen to it while you do homework. Consider playing white noise or instrumental music instead to help you focus.

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.wssd.k12.pa.us/SettingUpaHomeworkSchedule.aspx
• ↑ https://childmind.org/article/strategies-to-make-homework-go-more-smoothly/
• ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/homework.html
• ↑ Ronitte Libedinsky, MS. Academic Tutor. Expert Interview. 26 May 2020.
• ↑ https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/learning-at-home/homework-study-skills/homework-strategies
• ↑ https://www.lifehack.org/articles/featured/6-proven-ways-to-make-new-habits-stick.html
• ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/happiness-in-world/201203/how-prevent-procrastination

About This Article

• Send fan mail to authors

Reader Success Stories

Did this article help you?

Sandu Getty

May 29, 2019

Syroaghina Beckumnbaineo

Oct 6, 2016

Mckenzie Adams

Sep 29, 2022

Ramji Srinivasan

Dec 21, 2016

Featured Articles

Trending Articles

Watch Articles

• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Do Not Sell or Share My Info
• Not Selling Info

Don’t miss out! Sign up for

wikiHow’s newsletter

The Tech Edvocate

• Advertisement
• Home Page Five (No Sidebar)
• Home Page Four
• Home Page Three
• Home Page Two
• Icons [No Sidebar]
• Left Sidbear Page
• Lynch Educational Consulting
• My Speaking Page
• Newsletter Sign Up Confirmation
• Newsletter Unsubscription
• Page Example
• Privacy Policy
• Protected Content
• Request a Product Review
• Shortcodes Examples
• Terms and Conditions
• The Edvocate
• The Tech Edvocate Product Guide
• Write For Us
• Dr. Lynch’s Personal Website
• The Edvocate Podcast
• Assistive Technology
• Child Development Tech
• Early Childhood & K-12 EdTech
• EdTech Futures
• EdTech News
• EdTech Policy & Reform
• EdTech Startups & Businesses
• Higher Education EdTech
• Online Learning & eLearning
• Parent & Family Tech
• Personalized Learning
• Product Reviews
• Tech Edvocate Awards
• School Ratings

Reading Groups: Everything You Need to Know

Product review of the ultenic p30 grooming kit, reading anxiety in children: everything you need to know, iep meetings and parent-teacher conferences: everything you need to know, college disability services and accommodations: everything you need to know, spam vs. phishing: how are these unwanted messages different, how to charge your iphone properly, encouraging your teenager to read: everything you need to know, 8 ways to service an air conditioner, 3 ways to stop a baby from vomiting, 3 ways to balance homework and chores.

In today’s fast-paced world, finding time for both homework and chores can be a challenge for students. It is essential to strike a balance between academic responsibilities and household duties to ensure overall success in the various aspects of life. This article explores three effective ways to achieve harmony between homework and chores.

1. Prioritize and Plan

Time management is key when it comes to balancing homework and chores. To ensure that you fulfill both your academic and household responsibilities, begin by creating a structured yet flexible schedule. Start by listing down all the tasks you need to complete, including both homework assignments and household chores.

Once everything is listed out, prioritize your tasks according to their deadlines, importance, or difficulty level. It’s vital to strike a balance between tackling crucial academic assignments while still fulfilling your household duties. Use a planner or digital scheduling tool to organize your daily, weekly, or monthly tasks accordingly.

2. Break Tasks into Smaller Chunks

One of the most effective ways to balance multiple responsibilities is through breaking them down into smaller, more manageable parts. For instance, divide lengthy homework assignments into sections or chapters that you can complete over several days instead of trying to tackle them all at once.

Apply the same concept to chores by breaking them down into smaller tasks, such as wiping surfaces one day and vacuuming the next day instead of attempting a full deep clean in one go. Breaking tasks into smaller chunks will help reduce stress levels and facilitate easier completion of both homework and chores.

3. Combine Activities Where Possible

Another method for creating balance between school work and chores is finding opportunities for multitasking when appropriate. By combining simpler academic assignments with more mundane household tasks, you can accomplish both more efficiently.

For example, play an audio recording of your lecture notes while folding laundry or doing dishes. Likewise, during short study breaks, complete quick tasks like sweeping the floors or sorting out mail.

Remember, it’s essential to use your discretion when combining activities – avoid overloading yourself or compromising on either your academic or household obligations.

In conclusion, balancing homework and chores is an achievable goal with well-organized time management, breaking tasks into smaller chunks, and wisely combining activities. By incorporating these strategies into your daily routine, you can create a balanced lifestyle that accommodates both academic and household responsibilities.

5 Ways to Become a Paid Writer

3 ways to tell better stories.

Matthew Lynch

Related articles more from author.

3 Ways to Grow Out an Undercut

3 Ways to Do Hand Stretches for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

How to Do a Let’s Play: 13 Steps

3 Ways to Prevent Ingrown Hairs After Shaving

3 Ways to Clean the Inside of a Slow Cooker

How to Bathe a Baby Boy: 11 Steps

Homework doesn't align with our family values. Here's how I explain that to teachers and my kids.

• I think there are more meaningful ways to spend the after school hours.
• I typically tell teachers that our family won't be completing homework.
• Sometimes, my fourth grader still wants to do the assignments.

Despite my best efforts to avoid over-scheduling my family, our weekday calendars are full. My daughters, in kindergarten and fourth grade, do horse riding , swim lessons , and soccer. I have powerlifting two evenings a week. As we run out the door to those activities, our dog looks at us longingly with his leash in his mouth, so we try to squeeze in walks with him.

All of that leaves very little time for homework . This is why I've decided that in our family, homework is strictly optional and sometimes downright discouraged.

The hours between after school and bedtime are so limited. My girls get home at about 3:45 p.m. and are off to bed by 6:30 p.m. Factor in dinner time, I have only two hours to offer them the after-school enrichment that most aligns with our family values.

Homework simply doesn't make the cut.

My daughter is supposed to do about 40 minutes of homework each night

It's important to acknowledge that my district doesn't give much homework in elementary school. My fourth grader is expected to do 20 minutes of reading and 10 minutes each for math facts and penmanship. Gone are the endless worksheets that I remember from school.

And yet, 40 minutes is a huge chunk of our afternoons together. Reading, math, and penmanship are important, but practicing them happens organically throughout our day — when we talk about money skills together or pen a letter to their grandparents.

Rather than sitting down at a desk for 40 minutes, I'd prefer my girls gain confidence and safety skills in the water, contribute to their community by doing barn chores, or just be silly outside in the fresh air.

I sent teachers an email saying we wouldn't be doing homework

I spoke to my daughter's teachers about homework in second grade when I first felt the pressure to choose between homework, after-school activities, and getting the kids to get on time.

I kept it straightforward and sent the teacher an email: "Our schedules make homework challenging, so my daughter will not be completing the weekly assignments. We'll continue to practice math and reading at home. Please let me know if you have any concerns about this now or in the future."

Neither that teacher nor the one after had any worries. I got the impression that their beliefs aligned with mine: there were many ways to learn in the afternoons, and not all of them were academic. As long as the lack of homework wasn't impacting my daughter in the classroom, skipping it was ok.

This year, we're doing more homework than ever before

This year, my approach to homework has been challenged, and I've been reminded that nothing is black and white. My kindergartener is in speech therapy and regularly has "homework" assignments from her therapist. Those go to the top of our priority list — not only does she love doing the exercises, but there's a clear benefit that we can hear with our own ears.

More surprisingly, my fourth grader has decided she's devoted to homework. Just like I was, she's a bit of a teacher's pet and gets genuine satisfaction from the check mark she receives on each assignment. I have no problem with her doing her homework for fun, as long as it's not coming at the expense of more important things, like sleep, outdoor time, and hobbies.

Recently she explained she was going to wake up extra early to complete her reading assignment for the day. I just raised an eyebrow and said, "You know you really don't have to do that, right?"

I'm not sure how we'll handle homework as she moves into middle, then high school. For now, we're taking a laid-back approach.

Passage One The topic of this paragraph is Millennials.

• They gravitate toward group activities.
• They identify with their parents' values and feel close to their parents.
• They spend more time doing homework and housework and less time watching TV.
• They believe it's cool to be smart.
• They are fascinated by new technologies.
• They are racially and ethnically diverse, and 20% have one immigrant parent.

Source: Helen Woodman, Ed., Basic Skills SPIN Newsletter , November, 2004, National Association for Developmental Education.

Passage Two The topic of this paragraph is personal digital assistants.

    Personal digital assistants (PDAs) are small, hand-held electronic organizers that come in a range of prices and capabilities. These lightweight computers are usually operated with a stylus, a special "pen." The most basic, inexpensive PDAs have monochromatic screens. They can be used to organize and store contact information, such as names, phone numbers, and email addresses. More expensive models have color screens and offer computer-like applications. For example, you can manage email and create documents. In addition, they include a calendar function that allows you to keep track of appointments and events. They feature the ability to play video and audio files. The most expensive PDAs also offer a phone function, including text messaging.

Passage Three The topic of this paragraph is prepaid debit cards for teenagers .

   A growing number of parents are using a new way to teach their teenagers to handle money wisely: a prepaid debit card. Parents put a certain amount of money on a Visa® or Mastercard® debit card, for example. Teens use it instead of cash. Purchases show up on their parents’ monthly statement, so parents can monitor how the money is being spent and how fast it is being spent. When the money is used up, parents can "reload" the card. Depending on the plan, parents may pay initial set-up fees, monthly fees, or transaction fees. They feel the safety, monitoring capability, and convenience are worth it.

Passage Four The topic of this paragraph is eating nutritious food .

   Are you in the habit of skipping breakfast? Breakfast is important; it gets your metabolism going. Then spread your remaining calories throughout the rest of the day by eating a wholesome lunch, nutritious snack, and balanced dinner. Eating this way keeps your metabolism high. You are also less likely to binge on junk food. You will have more energy and feel better if you eat nutritious food at least every four hours.

Passage Five The topic of this paragraph is college campuses and criminal activity and violence .

   College campuses can be the site of criminal activity and violence, so they require the same level of caution and awareness that you would use in other situations. Keep in mind that 80% of campus crimes are committed by one student against another student. Also, alcohol or drug use is involved in 90% of campus felonies. Drinking or drug use can affect judgment and lower inhibitions, so be aware if you or another person is under the influence.

Source: Adapted from Paul Insel and Walton Roth, Core Concepts on Health, Brief ed., 9 th ed., p. 387. Copyright © 2002 The McGraw-Hill Companies.

What is the difference between homework and housework ?

Quick word challenge

Quiz Review

Score: 0 / 5

• Entertainment
• Science and Tech
• Education Today

Opinion: Classwork, Homework and Housework

The housework that a student does should also be given due academic credit as it imparts skill that forms part of learning process

By KSS Seshan

The secondary school phase in the hierarchy of the educational system today is midway between the primary stage and the higher educational system. Lower Kindergarten (LKG) to 5th grade form a part of the primary level classes while 6th-10th grade comes under secondary school and above it is broadly categorised as the higher educational level. The higher educational phase has three segments. While Plus-two, also known as Intermediate, is the first, the degree course at the collegiate level is the second and the third is the postgraduate course under the University level. Of the primary, secondary and higher educational levels, secondary school has greater significance as it is the single deciding phase of the future course of education of the children.

Secondary School When the child comes to the 6th grade, the entry point to the secondary school, s/he is generally about 10 years of age. From then on till about the 15th year, the child navigates through this phase before moving on to the Plus 2 stage. This is the stage when the child is metamorphosed into a young adult with visible signs of physical, mental and emotional transformation. The rapid growth both in physical and mental makeup also leads to psychological maturity. The child exhibits independent traits that ultimately lead to increasing individualism.

The secondary school level also witnesses a major transformation in the methods and contents of the curriculum. At the primary level, most of the learning process is around teachers and the classroom plays a pivotal role. However, at the collegiate and higher educational levels, it is more about the personal effort, interest and enthusiasm of students. Secondary schooling can broadly be said to possess three main channels of educational curriculum: classwork, homework and housework.

Classroom Learning The teachers, unlike at the primary level, are subject specialists in secondary schools. There are separate teachers for Mathematics, Sciences and Social Studies. Classroom explanation through the teacher serves as the basis for the learning of the child, without which it will be a futile exercise for a secondary school student.

Classroom learning also involves practical classes in subjects like Physics, Chemistry and Biology. This reinforces the theory studied in the book and the students are endowed with greater conviction about the truth they study in the textbook. In Social Studies too, visits to historical places, public buildings and institutions help in understanding history, geography and polity better.

Homework Divergent views have been expressed by many on the need, quantum, relevance and efficacy of homework as a part of learning that a child at the secondary school level should carry daily. The basic aim of the ‘homework’ is to reinforce and concretise the classroom work the child already is introduced to. Unfortunately, this essential purpose of homework is overlooked and “assignments” not related to the classwork are assigned to children only to keep them engaged in some activity at home.

It is well known that homework many a time turns out to be the work for the parents. The deadlines become such nightmares for students that they get frustrated, stressed, and as a few recent studies have pointed out, children tend to develop behavioural problems.

To overcome the problems of perennial homework, in recent times, technology has come in handy. Any assignment given by teachers has a solution in Google Search and students even in remote village schools are adept at making use of smartphones to do the daily dose of homework. Instant messaging, photostat making, forwarding solved formulas and sharing answers among friends etc have made homework easy, quick and efficient. Parents are happy as they are now a relieved lot. Those who have no access to smartphones and the internet are the ones who face the wrath of the teachers when they fail to do homework. The secret of doing regular homework is pasting from Google without any mental effort on the part of students.

Housework The most contentious but generally overlooked and unrecognised task that secondary school-level students directly or indirectly engage on a daily basis is the housework. They have some obligation to attend to as a responsible growing member of the family. While in affluent families, servants may be assigned every chore, children in middle and lower-middle-class families have several odd tasks to perform on a daily basis. Starting with getting a milk packet from the nearby kiosk to dropping a guest at the bus stop, several such works are generally the duties of a schoolgoing lad. Similarly, girls are expected to help in the kitchen.

However, for children in the villages and remote rural areas, the housework they generally attend to is more intense and has a strong bearing on the family avocation. For the children in the agricultural families, for example, numerous responsibilities get lined up on each single day. It is an unwritten rule that boys and girls in the family have to clean the cowshed, feed the cattle, take them out to graze and attend to the small but constant regular tasks connected to agriculture, horticulture or animal husbandry. Similar is the case with the families of artisans, businessmen or farm hands.

The housework for an urban child as well as a rural ward though vastly varies in nature, the fact remains that the task does exist and due credit is to be given for the discharge of this task. These household works in a way equip them with practical knowledge leading to skill development in those avocations. While the project work of students, done from the readily available ‘Google’, carries a considerable credit in the evaluation of their performance, it is strange that the time, energy and interest invested in the housework by the young students go unrecognised. In short, the housework that a student does should also be given due academic credit as it also imparts skill development that forms part of the learning process.

Educational experts and planners who gloat about the features of the New Educational Policy (NEP) should give a thought to the nature of the numerous tasks like the classwork, homework and housework that an average secondary schoolgoing student is expected to perform and due credit should be assigned to all such tasks, with a balance. The performance of the children in academics should be assessed on such multi-tasking methods and not merely on the type of answers dished out at the year-end board examinations.

(The writer is a retired Professor of history, University of Hyderabad)

• Follow Us :
• Lower Kindergarten
• New Educational Policy

Related News

Launch of new ChatGPT-like AI tool for scientific discovery

When Amitabh Bachchan failed Physics exam: ‘I was blank during BSc’

Nobel Prize in Chemistry honours innovators of ‘quantum dots’ technology

Rewind: Hacking History

Latest news, 23-year-old patient from mauritius gets neurostimulator implanted for chronic headache at aig hospitals in hyderabad, ‘10k democracy run’ hosted to encourage voter participation in hyderabad, super saturday at hyderabad’s u.s. consulate: 1,500 visa interviews conducted, drake uses ai-generated voices of tupac & snoop dogg on diss track ‘taylor made freestyle’, zomato slapped with rs 11.81 crore gst demand, penalty order, athiya shetty cheers as kl rahul hits half-century in csk vs lsg ipl clash, kareena kapoor khan drops adorable post with sons taimur and jeh for mother’s birthday, stefanos tsitsipas survives scare, advances to barcelona open semifinals.