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##  Five Homework Strategies for Teaching Students with Disabilities.               ERIC/OSEP Digest E608.                                                       

Homework is one aspect of the general education curriculum that has             been widely recognized as important to academic success. Teachers               have long used homework to provide additional learning time,                    strengthen study and organizational skills, and in some respects,               keep parents informed of their children's progress. Generally, when             students with disabilities participate in the general education                 curriculum, they are expected to complete homework along with their             peers. But, just as students with disabilities may need                         instructional accommodations in the classroom, they may also need               homework accommodations. 
Many students with disabilities find                 homework challenging, and teachers are frequently called upon to                make accommodations for these students. What research supports this             practice? This digest describes five strategies that researchers                have identified to improve homework results for students with                   disabilities. 
STRATEGY 1. GIVE CLEAR AND APPROPRIATE                          ASSIGNMENTS 
Teachers need to take special care when assigning                 homework. If the homework assignment is too hard, is perceived as               busy work, or takes too long to complete, students might tune out               and resist doing it. Never send home any assignment that students               cannot do. Homework should be an extension of what students have                learned in class. 
To ensure that homework is clear and                        appropriate, consider the following tips from teachers for assigning            homework: 
* Make sure students and parents have information                   regarding the policy on missed and late assignments, extra credit,              and available adaptations. Establish a set routine at the beginning             of the year. 
* Assign work that the students can do. 
* Assign               homework in small units. 
* Explain the assignment clearly. 
*                Write the assignment on the chalkboard and leave it there until the             assignment is due. 
* Remind students of due dates                             periodically. 
* Coordinate with other teachers to prevent homework            overload. 
Students concur with these tips. They add that teachers             can: 
* Establish a routine at the beginning of the year for how               homework will be assigned. 
* Assign homework toward the beginning             of class. 
* Relate homework to class-work or real life (and/or                inform students how they will use the content of the homework in                real life). 
* Explain how to do the homework, provide examples and            write directions on the chalkboard. 
* Have students begin the                 homework in class, check that they understand, and provide                      assistance as necessary. 
* Allow students to work together on                 homework. 
STRATEGY 2. MAKE HOMEWORK ACCOMMODATIONS 
Make any                 necessary modifications to the homework assignment before sending it            home. Identify practices that will be most helpful to individual                students and have the potential to increase their involvement,                  understanding, and motivation to learn. The most common homework                accommodations are to: 
* Provide additional one-on-one assistance             to students. 
* Monitor students' homework more closely. 
* Allow             alternative response formats (e.g., allow the student to audiotape              an assignment rather than handwriting it). 
* Adjust the length of             the assignment. 
* Provide a peer tutor or assign the student to a             study group. 
* Provide learning tools (e.g., calculators). 
*                Adjust evaluation standards. 
* Give fewer assignments. 
It is                important to check out all accommodations with other teachers,                  students, and their families. If teachers, students, or families do             not find homework accommodations palatable, they may not use                    them. 
STRATEGY 3. TEACH STUDY SKILLS 
Both general and special               education teachers consistently report that homework problems seem              to be exacerbated by deficient basic study skills. Many students,               particularly students with disabilities, need instruction in study              and organizational skills. 
Here is a list of organizational                   strategies basic to homework: 
* Identify a location for doing                 homework that is free of distractions. 
* Have all materials                   available and organized. 
* Allocate enough time to complete                   activities and keep on schedule. 
* Take good notes. 
* Develop a             sequential plan for completing multi-task assignments. 
* Check                assignments for accuracy and completion before turning them in. 
*             Know how to get help when it is needed. 
* Turn in completed                   homework on time. 
Teachers can enhance homework completion and                accuracy by providing classroom instruction in organizational                   skills. They should talk with parents about how to support the                  application of organizational skills at home. 
STRATEGY 4. USE A               HOMEWORK CALENDAR 
Students with disabilities often need additional            organizational support. Just as adults use calendars, schedulers,               lists, and other devices to self-monitor activities, students can               benefit from these tools as well. Students with disabilities can                monitor their own homework using a planning calendar to keep track              of homework assignments. Homework planners also can double as                   home-school communication tools if they include a space next to each            assignment for messages from teachers and parents. 
Here's how one             teacher used a homework planner to increase communication with                  students' families and improve homework completion rates: 
Students            developed their own homework calendars. Each page in the calendar               reflected one week. There was a space for students to write their               homework assignments and a column for parent-teacher notes. The                 cover was a heavy card stock that children decorated. Students were             expected to take their homework planners home each day and return               them the next day to class. 
In conjunction with the homework                  planner, students graphed their homework return and completion                  rates-another strategy that is linked to homework completion and                improved performance on classroom assessments. The teacher built a              reward system for returning homework and the planners. On a                     self-monitoring chart in their planner, students recorded each time             they completed and returned their homework assignment by: 
*                   Coloring the square for the day green if homework was completed and             returned. 
* Coloring the square for the day red if homework was               not done. 
* Coloring one-half of the square yellow and one-half of            the square red if homework was late. 
If students met the success              criterion, they received a reward at the end of the week, such as 15            extra minutes of recess. The teacher found that more frequent                   rewards were needed for students with emotional and behavioral                  disabilities. 
STRATEGY 5. ENSURE CLEAR HOME/SCHOOL                            COMMUNICATION 
Homework accounts for one-fifth of the time that                successful students invest in academic tasks, yet students complete             homework in environments over which teachers have no control-which,             given the fact that many students experience learning difficulties,             creates a major dilemma. Teachers and parents of students with                  disabilities must communicate clearly and effectively with one                  another about homework policies, required practices, mutual                     expectations, student performance on homework, homework completion              difficulties, and other homework-related concerns. 
Recommended                ways that teachers can improve communications with parents                      include: 
* Encourage students to keep assignment books. 
*                   Provide a list of suggestions on how parents might assist with                  homework. For example, ask parents to check with their children                 about homework daily. 
* Provide parents with frequent written                 communication about homework (e.g., progress reports, notes,                    letters, forms). 
* Share information with other teachers regarding            student strengths and needs and necessary accommodations. 
Ways                that administrators can support teachers in improving communications            include: 
* Supply teachers with the technology needed to aid                  communication (e.g., telephone answering systems, e-mail, homework              hotlines). 
* Provide incentives for teachers to participate in                face-to- face meetings with parents (e.g., release time,                        compensation). 
* Suggest that the school district offer after                 school and/or peer tutoring sessions to give students extra help                with homework. SUMMARYThe five strategies to help students                with disabilities get the most from their homework are: 
1. Give               clear and appropriate assignments. 
2. Make accommodations in                  homework assignments. 
3. Teach study skills. 
4. Use a homework              planner. 
5. Ensure clear home/school                                          communication. RESOURCESBryan, T., Nelson, C., & Mathur,                  S. (1995). Homework: A survey of primary students in regular,                   resource, and self-contained special education classrooms. Learning             Disabilities Research & Practice, 10(2), 85-90. 
Bryan, T., &                  Sullivan-Burstein, K. (1997). Homework how-to's. TEACHING                       Exceptional Children, 29(6), 32-37. 
Epstein, M., Munk, D.,                    Bursuck, W., Polloway, E., & Jayanthi, M. (1999). Strategies for                improving home-school communication about homework for students with            disabilities. The Journal of Special Education, 33(3),                          166-176. 
Jayanthi, M., Bursuck, W., Epstein, M., & Polloway,                  E. (1997). Strategies for successful homework. TEACHING Exceptional             Children, 30(1), 4-7. 
Jayanthi, M., Sawyer, V., Nelson, J.,                   Bursuck, W., & Epstein, M. (1995). Recommendations for                          homework-communication problems: From parents, classroom teachers,              and special education teachers. Remedial and Special Education,                 16(4), 212-225. 
Klinger, J., & Vaughn, S. (1999). Students'                   perceptions of instruction in inclusion classrooms: Implications for            students with learning disabilities. Exceptional Children, 66(1),               23-37. 
Polloway, E., Bursuck, W., Jayanthi, M., Epstein, M., &                Nelson, J. (1996). Treatment acceptability: Determining appropriate             interventions within inclusive classrooms. Intervention In School               and Clinic, 31(3), 133-144. 
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ERIC/OSEP Digests are in the              public domain and may be freely reproduced and disseminated, but                please acknowledge your source. This digest was prepared with                   funding from the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), US                Department of Education, under Contract No. ED-99-CO-0026. The                  opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect               the positions or policies of OSEP or the Department of Education.            **Title:** Five Homework Strategies for Teaching Students with Disabilities.               ERIC/OSEP Digest E608.                                                       **Document Type:** Information Analyses---ERIC Information Analysis Products (IAPs) (071); Information Analyses---ERIC Digests (Selected) in Full Text (073); **Target Audience:** Practitioners, Teachers                                                      **Available From:** ERIC Clearinghouse on Disabilities and Gifted Education, Council for            Exceptional Children, 1110 North Glebe Rd., Arlington, VA                       22201-5704. Tel: 800-328-0272 (Toll Free); e-mail:                              [email protected]. For full text: http://www.ericec.org.                   **Descriptors:**  Academic Accommodations (Disabilities),  Disabilities, Elementary              Secondary Education,  Homework, Inclusive Schools, Parent School                Relationship, Research and Development,  Research Utilization, Self             Management, Study Skills, Teaching Methods,  Theory Practice                    Relationship                                                                 **Identifiers:**
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