Homework+and+Practices+Strategy



=**Homework and Practices Strategy**= Homework and practice are essentially the same concept. Homework is the act of practing what was taught in school that particular day or week. Research referenced in Marzano, Pickering, and Pollock's book indicate students need to practice a skill 24 times to reach 80% competency, with the first four practices yielding the greatest effect. This means students need lots of practice to grasp a concept prior to actually mastering a skill. Homework needs to effectively intergrate skills taught and skills that need further practice. "Research on homework indicates that it should be approached not as an afterthought to the school day, but as a focused strategy for increasing understanding," (NETC 2005).



"Homework is appropriate and purposeful. Key concepts are reviewed to build mastery" (Essential Educator).

The following Key Research Findings are very important to the **Homework** Strategy:

 * Teachers should assign appropriate homework at instructional levels that match students' skills and provide positive consequences for homework completion (Rademacher, Deshler, Schumacher, & Lenz, 1998; Rosenberg, 1989).


 * Students should receive feedback on their homework. Student achievement can vary based on the kind of feedback provided by the teacher (Walberg, 1999). Grading homework is helpful, but homework in which a teacher has embedded instructive comments has the greatest effect on learning.


 * Homework assignments provide the time and experience students need to develop study habits that support learning. They experience the results of their effort as well as the ability to cope with mistakes and difficulty (Bempechat, 2004).

The following Key Research Findings are very important to the **Practice** Strategy:


 * Mastery requires focused practice over days or weeks. After only four practice sessions students reach a halfway point to mastery. It takes more than 24 more practice sessions before students reach 80 percent mastery. And this practice must occur over a span of days or weeks, and cannot be rushed (Anderson, 1995; Newell & Rosenbloom, 1981).


 * Teachers in the United States tend to compress many skills into practice sessions and instructional units. Students learn more when allowed to practice fewer skills or concepts, but at a deeper level (Healy, 1990).
 * Complex processes should be broken down into smaller bits, or skills, which should be taught with time allotted for student practice and adaptation (Marzano, Pickering, & Pollock, 2001).

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Some examples of how homework and practicing are implemented are shown below. This particular strategy is used to improve teaching and learning as a whole.
 * The following is from the NETC websiteand describes how we must understand the four types of homework. Know when and why to have students practice:
 * 1) Memorization of basic rules, algorithms, or laws so the skill becomes rote.
 * 2) Increase in skill speed, used for improving students' abilities to apply these skills in more complex problem solving.
 * 3) Deepening understanding of a concept—providing students time to read further, elaborating on a new idea and expanding their understanding.
 * 4) Preparation for the following day's learning, such as an advance organizer or cue to increase readiness for new information.