11 Strategies to Make Homework Fun and Manageable

Doing homework after a long day of school can be a real backbreaker for many young learners! Downtime is both limited and cherished, so making assignments enticing is key. So, what can we do to make the process less burdensome and possibly pleasing?

Smiling student sitting at a desk writing in an open notebook, beneath a headline about making homework fun and manageable.

Homework Don'ts:

Never pair homework with a punishment. When this is done, students associate homework with unpleasantness, and it can have a negative impact on future assignments.
Don't call home assignments "homework." Who wants to take their work home? Besides, when it is called work, it becomes work. Personally, I like to call it "home fun!"

Homework Dos:

Create enticing names for home assignments. For example, I never teach script or cursive. I teach roller-coaster letters!
Generate excitement about upcoming assignments by sharing your own excitement and enthusiasm for the content.
Bring creative options such as drawing, sculpting, and music into assignments.
Introduce the fun factor to your lessons. Many students enjoy making games as well as playing them, so try to weave these into the curriculum. Encouraging these entertaining options can make academics more memorable, too.
Bring color into assignments. Instead of requiring your students to write in pencil or a black pen, encourage them to use an array of erasable colors, highlighters, and pens. Personally, I love to use Frixion pens, highlighters, and markers.
Offer a variety of assignment options. Students possess different strengths, and they also have their own preferred ways of learning. Providing options allows them to share their knowledge and choose an approach that appeals to them.
Limit the amount of homework. Students are often cognitively exhausted after a long day of schooling, and they need time to relax and also get involved in other after-school activities.
Offering students extra credit for completing home assignments can be very motivating. One of my favorite assignments is offering students the opportunity to make test corrections. This way, students can learn from mishaps, and any misconceptions can be corrected.
Offer homework passes: We all need personal days.

I hope you found this blog helpful. If you have other ideas, please share them.

Math Resources link to Good Sensory Learning with a boy smiling

Cheers, Erica

Dr. Erica Warren is the author, illustrator, and publisher of multisensory educational materials at Good Sensory Learning. She is also the director of Learning to Learn and Learning Specialist Courses.