Does Homework Really Help? | Importance and Benefits of Holiday Homework

Parenting is a magnificent yet overwhelming journey!

From babysitting to schooling, and homework blues, this experience comes with tons of pleasures and hardships. Amongst the many challenges, helping a child with studies is a BIG TASK for parents/caregivers.

Do you know that Indian parents spend around 12 hours per week assisting their child/children with homework?

Alarming isn’t it?

And more importantly, we are at the top of the list when compared to other countries (refer to the table below).

Country	Hours spent per week on homework
India	12
Vietnam	10.2
Turkey	8.7
Colombia	8.7
Indonesia	8.6
Uganda	8.1

Homework is a regular task for most parents. And vacation time comes with a separate version i.e. holiday homework.

Let’s delve deeper into this topic and discover if this version of homework is USELESS or BENEFICIAL for our students/children?

What is Holiday Homework?

Schools/institutions assign holiday homework during vacations. These separate tasks/assignments (over and above the regular classwork or everyday homework) are given by teachers to maintain continuity in learning during school breaks.

Mostly, teachers assign creative or hands-on work as holiday homework for class 1 to 5. But at the middle and high school levels, students are given research, Science, craft, or online projects to hone skills like creativity, research, problem-solving, etc.

Why is it essential to get children involved in school assignments during holidays?

It’s time to explore!

Importance of Holiday Homework?

Builds Good Study Habits

Even a small time devoted to homework for summer vacation helps in cultivating long-term good study habits in students. It adds value to their cognitive capacities. And when handled properly (without too much adult support), it also helps students in the middle and higher grades become more independent learners.

Takes Learning Beyond Classrooms

Both summer and winter holiday homework help students realize the endless possibilities of learning irrespective of boundaries, location, or timetables. When they develop good self-study habits, it also helps them to make a smooth transition to hybrid or 100% online learning (through online schools) easily as per their choice. In other words, holiday homework builds the right mindset required to perform well in any educational setting.

Time Management

While holiday homework for class 1 to 5 promotes skills like creativity in kids, this homework has many more advantages for students in higher grades. They can develop excellent time management skills while planning leisure activities along with summer holiday homework and winter holiday homework.

Now we cannot overrule the importance of holiday homework for students. Because it does help students learn planning skills. And they understand the value of prioritizing tasks in day-to-day life.

As stakeholders, we are always ready to invest our time and effort in our children/students. But isn’t it true that completing holiday homework on time is a daunting task for many of us?

Well!

Here’s a plan to get rid of the homework BLUES!

How to Complete Your Homework During the Holidays?

Plan it Well

It is possible to succumb to laziness in the happy vacation time. But again, it doesn’t help!

Plan holiday homework on the first day of the vacation. You can simply set aside some hours of a day (other than holiday homework for class 1 to 5). And keep enough time to pursue hobbies or relaxation. Trust your planning skills and create a practical schedule to avoid a lag with work, this will keep you going in the right momentum.

Be with Study Pals

Holiday homework can be super fun if students collaborate and complete it in groups (or pairs). Look for helping hands only for any logical support. And get buddies on your schedule at home or simply pay them a visit.

Remember! Each day can be productive if we know how to make studies engaging. So make those routine visits worth something during your vacations.

Simple isn’t it?

Start with Complex Assignments/Tasks

If you plan and create a schedule for winter holiday homework and summer holiday homework, it will be easy to set aside leisure time. Start with the most complex assignments initially. Because it will be easy to cover up a bigger chunk later with the easy assignments. And the student will stay motivated to complete the simple ones later.

Say No to Shortcuts

Seeking assistance for holiday homework is a prevalent yet harmful practice. Try to stay away from these malpractices, and plan homework for summer vacation well to complete it on time. As per a leading journal, 90% of students approach homework specialists at the end time. On the other hand, around 60 to 70% of students approach them well in advance. Similarly, it is reported that middle-income families spend Rs. 300-400 on each project given during homework for summer vacation.

As parents/stakeholders we must focus on utilizing these opportunities for skill building. But for this, we ourselves need to acknowledge the importance of holiday homework for students before we expect our children to understand it.

It is understandable that many parents find certain homework tasks tedious, time taking, or inappropriate as per their child’s age. However, it is in the best interest of the student, parents and teachers must collaborate on issues like winter holiday homework or summer holiday homework in case of ambiguity/difficulty.

Utilize Educational Apps & Collaborate

You can use online resources too!

One of the hidden benefits of the pandemic was the rise of online learning (online schooling and educational apps). It also started a new trend of using online apps for educational and research purposes.

In interesting study shows that almost 77% of Indian students believed that educational apps were helpful for their homework. 33% found online resources helpful for Maths, 17% for English, and 15% for Science.

Some more interesting trends (for homework for summer vacation and winter holiday homework):

Students prefer to collaborate with parents – 58%
Students prefer to collaborate with peers – 67%

These numbers prove that online resources are a great support for holiday homework. However, it is advisable to seek support for research. And completely refrain from malpractices like plagiarizing (copy-pasting), etc.

Quick Tips for Completing Holiday Homework (for Parents)

Always estimate the time you require to complete each assignment/task.
Switch off devices during homework time.
Continue using the study corner as the regular school days to set the right mood.
Use flashcards and sticky notes to remember the day’s assignments.
Do not expect any date extensions, simply focus on deadlines.
Seek help if you need any. But do not encourage over-assistance or allow handing over tasks to others (adults).
Understand the importance of holiday homework for students and reinforce desirable behavior appropriately.

Final Thoughts

We cannot deny the importance of holiday homework. But again, too much work during vacations can certainly kill the student’s drive to learn. Globally, students find holiday homework useless (20% to 30% of students felt like this). Hence, there is a need to introspect and revamp our practices to win over the trust of our students and parent community.

Fortunately, this digital age offers great solutions. And top online schools have already created a shift from homework to quality classwork through their well-planned online classes. The best solution is to put our heads together and plan beneficial assignments for vacations, thereby encouraging learning without ruining the joy of happy summers and chilling winters!

Hope we give it serious thought and plan holiday homework in a way that can serve a GREATER PURPOSE!

Thanks for Reading!

Frequently Asked Questions

How to complete the holiday homework on time?
Plan a schedule to complete all tasks from complex to easy every day. Spare time for outings aside. And be regular with holiday homework to avoid last-minute rush.
How do I enjoy homework?
Make it fun by involving your friends from the neighborhood. Spare some extra time to learn more organizational skills, and apply these to your homework.