Though studies on homework show contradictory results, the research on family engagement in education is clear: involving families in students’ learning increases academic achievement and student success for all students, regardless of race, socioeconomic background, or gender.

So, what if homework were a tool for both advancing student understanding and getting families involved and excited about learning, rather than a source of frustration and exclusion? Re-framing how schools approach homework has the potential to make it both more meaningful and more effective. Pivoting the intention of homework to focus on ways to engage families in learning can expand student understanding in a powerful way.

Family engaged homework finds ways to involve families in active learning. It invites students and their families to create, collaborate, and think critically about the learning from school, while helping students bridge their classroom to the outside world.

With family engaged homework, it is important to note that less is often more. By assigning students limited work, families can focus their time and effort on the specific task, decreasing frustration while increasing student understanding.  This improvement results from focusing on the process of learning, rather than the product to be turned in.

Read more about family engaged homework by Erin Gohl and Kristen Thorson at Getting Smart