Parents and teachers working together can take the hassle out of homework. This article offers sample letters and tips for teachers to adapt to communicate to parents the purposes and basic guidelines of homework. (MT)

Offers suggestions for making newspaper activities part of the reading curriculum. (FL)

Ideas for organizing homework and ensuring parental involvement are discussed. Making students responsible for their own behavior is emphasized. (MT)

Math can be the sort of homework parents respect, children enjoy, and teachers savor. Suggestions for achieving this are offered. (MT)

To encourage students to do routine homework assignments, teachers might occasionally assign silly homework assignments (such as "Brush your teeth with the hand you usually don't use"). Class discussions and parent reactions provide feedback. A list of suggestions and a reproducible page are offered. (JL)

Presents math games for parents to use at home with their children to reinforce math skills taught in the classroom. Areas covered include: sorting and counting; number recognition; shapes; basic skills; measuring; and problem solving. (JMB)

A letter from a parent about a homework assignment involving much repetition (and time) is used as the vehicle to discuss the problem. (MNS)

Homework, like grandmother's spring tonic, is a useless and hated ritual that is continued only because everyone seems to expect it. The best way to make homework enriching and personal is to prepare idea cards for each study unit, allowing each student to select a suitable project. (SJL)

Methods for encouraging thoughtful use of encyclopedias in elementary school report writing are suggested. (LH)

Tips are presented for teachers to write letters to parents to encourage their participation in their child's writing program, and suggestions are also listed for parents to help improve their child's writing skills. (CB)

Ways that instructional materials for elementary school students can be taken from room to room or from school to home are described. Ideas include mesh carryall bags, knapsacks, and paper carriers. (CJ)

For homework to be effective, a clear, written policy should be developed that considers local needs, sound educational theories, and current research. This handbook is intended to assist school districts, particularly in Pennsylvania, in planning, developing, and implementing homework policies and guidelines. The booklet first briefly reviews the…

Research findings indicate that homework gives parents a window on their children's school work and that families reshape their activities around homework. Principals, teachers, and parents need to cooperate in making homework policy and in deciding goals, evaluating present policies, and individualizing assignments. (MLF)

Research on homework in mathematics is briefly reviewed, with the conclusion that homework may be useful since it may increase achievement but won't decrease it. Specific suggestion for planning homework are included. (MNS)

Testing can be a time-consuming and tedious method of evaluation. This article suggests methods which don't take additional classroom time or turn students off, and which provide more immediate and constructive feedback than routine testing. (IAH)