Bitesize has the answers to lots of interesting questions like, why doesn't ketchup come out of the bottle? Or what happens when you strike a match in space? While knowing the answer to these questions is extremely useful, especially if you want to add some flavour to your chips or light a candle in space, there's one question we're sure you'll want to know the answer to right now… why do we have to do homework?
Doing homework actually helps you consolidate your knowledge, which can make it easier to keep up with work in lessons. Watch this short video from our 鶹Լwork Helpline heroes to see some other benefits to doing homework and then, if you want to understand more about why we do homework, you can check out our expert guide below.
Our 鶹Լwork Helpline heroes are comedians Louise Young, Inel Tomlinson, and actor Lenny Rush – happy to help!
Evie: Hi. My name is Evie and I'm in year eight. My question is: why do we have to do homework? Don't we spend enough time working in school?
Louise: I used to think this, to be honest with you. 鶹Լwork comes easily to some people, and then not so easily for others, and it can feel like a bit of a chore. But we have some great expert tips and tricks to kind of genuinely explain why it is important to do it.
Inel: You know, one of the benefits of doing homework is, like, doing your homework trains you to do your classwork
Lenny: I think doing homework, you can get you familiar with like the language of the lesson. In Science you can get some really weird words.
Inel: Yeah like photosynthesis, or chlorophyll, nucleus…They’re all words I read in the script.
Lenny: Our experts say doing homework can help you learn new words in modern former languages, like French or Spanish.
Louise: Oui, si.
Inel: See, I think it makes you even more confident in the classroom, because when you're doing your homework, you're taking a look at the work in your own time at home. So by the time you get to class you hit the ground running.
Louise: Absolutely! It's working out what works best for you. Our experts to do actually say the best thing to do is get into a routine so it becomes second nature. You get in from school, you look you and see 'have I got any homework?' and then if you have - prioritise what's most important to do and then don't put it off. And it's really good, because it'll help you cope as a demands will increase and that should set you in good stead.
Inel: So, what have we got? Doing your homework can actually make you feel more confident doing your work in class.
Lenny: Doing homework helps you to get more familiar with the language of the lesson, and in turn, saves time with the teacher having to explain it to you.
Louise: And also if you get used to the routine of homework in Years seven and eight, once you sort of hit Years nine ten and eleven where the demands increase, you won't feel as overwhelmed.
Inel: And don't forget. You can check out the great homework help, tips and tricks on 鶹Լ Bitesize support.
So, why exactly do we do homework?
Confidence building
鶹Լwork helps you review what you know, which will help you feel more confident, and allow you to be able to complete more complicated work. Doing homework can also help free up time in lessons for the teacher to help you with other things.
Language booster
鶹Լwork can help you become more fluent in the language you have to use in a subject. You expect to learn new words in French or Spanish lessons, but you'll also have to learn a wide range of subject-specific vocabulary in other subjects. Chances are you didn't know the word photosynthesis before you learnt it in Science? The more comfortable you are with the language of a subject, the more you’ll be able to learn in lessons.
Practice makes perfect
鶹Լwork can help you practise the processes you need to complete problems. As with any skill, the more you practise it, the more automatic it becomes. Top sportspeople practise drills over and over again to get close to perfection. Doing homework is like training for the things you learn in school.
Good habits
鶹Լwork helps you build the habits and routines that will help you succeed as you move through the school years. It will help you identify what works best for you as the work demands increase further up the school.
If you need support
You should always tell someone about the things you’re worried about. You can tell a friend, parent, guardian, teacher, or another trusted adult. If you're struggling with your mental health, going to your GP can be a good place to start to find help. Your GP can let you know what support is available to you, suggest different types of treatment and offer regular check-ups to see how you’re doing.
If you’re in need of in-the-moment support you can contact , where you can speak to a counsellor. Their lines are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
There are more links to helpful organisations on 鶹Լ Action Line.
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