After spending most of the day in school, students are given additional assignments to be completed at home. It is worth asking not only whether there are good reasons to support the nearly universal practice of assigning homework, but why it is so often taken for granted--even by vast numbers of teachers and parents who are troubled by its impact…

Presents experts' answers to 54 questions on a variety of teaching issues, such as teaching about religious holidays, giving candy as a reward, violating children's confidences, managing classroom routines, assigning homework, grading and using teacher aides. (JMB)

For homework assignments to be effective, they must serve to develop skills and help students gain a sense of accomplishment. Suggestions for developing interesting, positive homework assignments that use contracts and skill cards are offered. (DF)

Describes 17 attributes of excellent teachers identified in a recent study by Ruth Tschudin. (JMB)

Interactive language arts homework helps parents and children come together on activities they enjoy. The article presents a project in which students interview their parents on hairstyles from their youth, write a paragraph about the subject, then follow up with class activities. Includes a questionnaire form for students to give their parents.…

Involving parents is a good way to promote student success. By sharing an interactive homework assignment, teachers can help parents understand what their children are learning about averages and how they can reinforce the learning at home. Two reproducibles provide models for teachers to create math take-homes. (SM)

The "Kitchen of Words" home project lets parents help their children master nouns and adjectives within their own kitchens, focusing students on the words involved in the kitchen setting. Students create a list of words that apply to their kitchens, recording nouns, their adjectives, and adjectives suggested by family members. (SM)