HOME WORK AND PRACTICE
Homework
Homework provides students with opportunities to practice, review, and apply knowledge. Given that “schooling occupies only about 13 percent of the waking hours in the first 18 years of life” (Fraser, Walberg, Welch, & Hattie, 1987, p. 234), homework is an effective means of extending student learning beyond the school day.
There are some general guidelines to keep in mind regarding homework for ELLs. In its online resource, In the Classroom: A Toolkit for Effective Instruction of English Learners (n.d.b), the National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition (NCELA) recommends that mainstream K–6 teachers include the following items to help ensure that homework assignments will be understood and accomplished:
•Concrete, nonlinguistic examples such as photographs, objects, visual organizers, graphics, demonstrations, notes, or outlines
•Opportunities for students to ask questions and discuss assignments orally
•Native language support through bilingual tutors, instructions, or materials
• Peer support for note taking and homework
• Modified or additional instructions
• Tips and strategies for learning
In another online resource, In the Classroom: Guiding Principles (n.d.c), NCELA advises teachers to make time available for ELLs to ask questions about the homework and receive further explanations from the teacher. Students will better understand their assignments if you provide clear and concise directions, post the assignment on the board, and offer visual organizers.
Homework can be modified for ELLs by reducing complexity and increasing applicability. For example, Echevarria and Graves (1998) suggest shortening the list of science terms on a study sheet (reduced complexity) or extending the due date (increased applicability). Appropriate homework assignments require students to practice things they have already learned in the classroom, such as vocabulary, concepts, or written language activities.
