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How To: Help Students to Complete Missing Work: The Late-Work Teacher-Student Conference

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The reasons that students fall behind in assignments are many. Students who are just developing homework skills , for example, often need more time than peers to complete independent assignments, can find it challenging to focus their attention when working on their own, and may not have efficient study skills (Cooper & Valentine, 2001). To be sure, student procrastination and avoidance in work assignments is a widespread problem. And many students who fall behind in their work also develop a maladaptive, self-reinforcing pattern of escape-maintained behavior: as these students owe ever-increasing amounts of late work, they respond to the anxiety generated by that overhang of overdue assignments by actively avoiding that work. And thus the problem only grows worse (Hawkins & Axelrod, 2008).

When a student begins to slip in the completion and submission of assignments, the teacher can take steps proactively to interrupt this work-avoidant pattern of behavior by meeting with the student to create a plan to catch up with late work. (It is also recommended that the parent attend such a conference, although parent participation is not required.) In this 'late-work' conference, the teacher and student inventory what work is missing, negotiate a plan to complete that overdue work, and perhaps agree on a reasonable penalty for any late work turned in. Teacher, student (and parent, if attending) then sign off on the work plan. The teacher also ensures that the atmosphere at the meeting is supportive, rather than blaming, toward the student. And of course, any work plan hammered out at this meeting should seem attainable to the student.

Below in greater detail are the steps that the teacher and student would follow at a meeting to renegotiate missing work. (NOTE: Teachers can use the Student Late-Work Planning Form: Middle & High School to organize and document these late-work conferences.):

• Inventory All Missing Work. The teacher reviews with the student all late or missing work. The student is given the opportunity to explain why the work has not yet been submitted.  
• Negotiate a Plan to Complete Missing Work. The teacher and student create a log with entries for all of the missing assignments. Each entry includes a description of the missing assignment and a due date by which the student pledges to submit that work. This log becomes the student’s work plan. It is important that the submission dates for late assignments be realistic--particularly for students who owe a considerable amount of late work and are also trying to keep caught up with current assignments.  A teacher and student may agree, for example, that the student will have two weeks to complete and submit four late writing assignments. NOTE: Review this form as a tool to organize and document the student’s work plan.  
• [Optional] Impose a Penalty for Missing Work. The teacher may decide to impose a penalty for the work being submitted late. Examples of possible penalties are a reduction of points (e.g., loss of 10 points per assignment) or the requirement that the student do additional work on the assignment than was required of his or her peers who turned it in on time.  If imposed, such penalties would be spelled out at this teacher-student conference. If penalties are given, they should be balanced and fair, permitting the teacher to impose appropriate consequences while allowing the student to still see a path to completing the missing work and passing the course.  
• Periodically Check on the Status of the Missing-Work Plan. If the schedule agreed upon by teacher and student to complete and submit all late work exceeds two weeks, the teacher (or other designated school contact, such as a counselor) should meet with the student weekly while the plan is in effect. At these meetings, the teacher checks in with the student to verify that he or she is attaining the plan milestones on time and still expects to meet the submission deadlines agreed upon. If obstacles to emerge, the teacher and student engage in problem-solving to resolve them.

Attachments

• Download This Blog Entry in PDF Format: How To: Help Students to Complete Missing Work: The Late-Work Teacher-Student Conference
• Cooper, H., & Valentine, J. C. (2001). Using research to answer practical questions about homework. Educational Psychologist, 36 (3), 143-153.
• Hawkins, R. O., & Alexrod, M. I. (2008). Increasing the on-task homework behavior of youth with behavior disorders using functional behavioral assessment. Behavior Modification, 32, 840-859.

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Late or Missing Work Form

by Admin · 27 November, 2008

Communicate with parents about a student’s late or missing assignments. Send this home and have parent sign to keep them informed about late or missing work.

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Adolescence

How to Help a Teen Out of a Homework Hole

The more students fall behind in the pandemic, the less likely they are to feel that they can catch up.

By Lisa Damour

Pandemic school is taking its toll on students, especially teens. A recent study , conducted by NBC News and Challenge Success, a nonprofit affiliated with the Stanford Graduate School of Education, found that 50 percent more kids in high school report feeling disengaged from school this year than last. In December, Education Week reported that schools were seeing “ dramatic increases in the number of failing or near-failing grades ” on report cards.

A major symptom of school disengagement is not turning in homework, a problem that can easily snowball. The further students fall behind, the more overwhelmed they often become and the less likely they are to feel that they can catch up .

The good news is that finding out about missing homework is a first step to helping kids get back on track. You just need to keep a few considerations in mind.

Empathy will get you further than anger

At this point in the pandemic, finding out that your child has let schoolwork slide may trigger an angry response. Everyone is worn down by the demands of pandemic life and many parents are already operating on their last nerve . Getting mad, however, is likely to cause kids to adopt a defensive or minimizing stance. Instead, try to be compassionate. What students who have fallen behind need most are problem-solving partners who want to understand what they are going through.

If you’re having trouble summoning your empathy, bear in mind that there are many good reasons a student could fall off pace this year. For instance, Ned Johnson, a professional tutor and co-author of the book “The Self-Driven Child,” noted that most teens have very little experience managing email, which is now a main source of information for those in remote or hybrid arrangements. “We know how overwhelmed we as adults are by email. Imagine not being comfortable with it, and then suddenly getting everything — from Zoom links to assignments — that way.”

Some students learning remotely may also have unreliable broadband service; others may miss key information because their attention is split between the teacher on the screen and distractions at home.

“Many adults are having the exact same issues,” said Ellen Braaten, a psychologist and the executive director of the Learning and Emotional Assessment Program at Massachusetts General Hospital. “They are really productive when they can physically be at work, but may find themselves less attentive in the unstructured environment of working from home.”

Even teens who are attending school in person and using familiar systems for tracking assignments may be having a hard time managing their work now. The mental skills that help us stay organized — commonly called executive functioning — are being undermined by psychological stress, which is unusually high among today’s teens.

Work together to diagnose the problem

Finding out that your child is in academic trouble can tempt you to jump to solutions. It’s best, however, to properly diagnose the problem before trying to address it. Liz Katz, assistant head for school partnership at One Schoolhouse, an online supplemental school, suggested looking into the reasons students fall behind at school. Some don’t know what they’re supposed to be doing, others know and aren’t doing it, and still others “are doing their best and just can’t meet expectations.”

As you talk with a teenager about where things have gone off the rails, be kind, curious and collaborative. “This isn’t about you being in trouble or getting off the hook,” you might say. “It’s simply about figuring out what’s going wrong so we can solve the right problem.”

Students who are struggling to keep track of what’s expected of them may need to reach out to their teachers, either for clarification about specific assignments or for general guidance on where and when they should be looking for information about homework. As a parent or caregiver, you can coach them on how to approach their instructors. Start by pointing out that teachers are almost always eager to lend support to students who seek it. You can also offer to give feedback on a draft email to an instructor explaining where the student got lost and what they have already tried.

“For many students, the ability to ask for help is not fully formed,” said Ms. Katz, “or it can feel like an admission that they’ve done something wrong. Normalizing and praising self-advocacy is so important.”

For students who know what they’re supposed to do but aren’t doing it, other approaches make sense. They may be having a hard time sustaining motivation and need support on that front , or they may be swamped with commitments, such as caring for younger siblings, that make it impossible to complete their schoolwork. Here, parents and students will want to work together to make a realistic plan for addressing the biggest priorities in light of these circumstances. This might mean coming to an agreement about where the teen’s energies should be directed or exploring what additional support might be put in place.

In some cases, academic problems may be linked to issues with mental health. If there’s a question of whether a student is suffering from depression or anxiety; using drugs; or exhibiting any other significant emotional or behavioral concern, check in with the school counselor or family doctor for a proper assessment. Treatment should always take precedence over schoolwork. “If you’re depressed,” Dr. Braaten said, “no amount of executive function coaching is going to help, because that’s not the issue.”

Some students have subtle learning or attention disorders that became an issue only when school went online. Under regular conditions, said Mr. Johnson, instructors can notice when a student is tuning out and bring back his or her attention in a gentle way. Unfortunately, “Teachers really can’t do that effectively on Zoom.” If this is a concern, parents should consider checking in with teachers or their school’s learning support staff to get their read on the problem and advice for how to move forward.

Step back to see the big picture

“We all need to be easier on ourselves,” Dr. Braaten said, “and to sort through what students really need to do and what they don’t.” Well-meaning parents might hope to motivate students by emphasizing the importance of high grades, but that can make it harder for kids to recover from a substantial setback.

As students start to work their way back, give some thought to how comprehensive their turnaround needs to be. Do they really need to get equally high grades in every class? Could they instead direct their energy toward getting square with the courses they care about most? Could they work with their teachers to agree upon trimmed-down assignments for partial credit? According to Mr. Johnson, “Lowering expectations, for now , can actually help kids to get back on track.”

Dr. Braaten also noted that much of what students gain from school is not about content, but about learning how to solve problems. Engaging teens in constructive conversations to figure out how they fell behind can be an important lesson unto itself. “Having a 16-year-old who understands, ‘When I’m stressed, this is how I react,’” says Dr. Braaten, “may put us further ahead in the long run.”

In any school year, students learn a great deal beyond academic content. This year, more than most, might be one where students gain a deep understanding of how they respond when feeling overwhelmed and how to ask for help or rebound from setbacks — lessons that they will draw on long after the pandemic is gone.

Lisa Damour is a psychologist and the author of the New York Times best sellers “Untangled” and “Under Pressure.” Dr. Damour also co-hosts the podcast “Ask Lisa: The Psychology of Parenting.” More about Lisa Damour

Missing Assignment Reminder & Warning Forms

This collection contains information about procedures for dealing with missing assignments from students. Some of the posts also have documents that can be used to help track, warn, or remind students about missing assignments.

I've used this weekly check-list format with my classes from 3rd grade up to 6th grade. I've tried lots of different things, so this form has evolved over the years and has proven to be the most efficient for me. My students sit in table groups. Each table group marks their homework on a check list, first thing each morning. They each take a day, marking whether or not the homework was done. They must actually see the page to verify that it is done. For questionable work effort, they bring the work to me and I decide how it should be marked. These are the marks they use: 0 = No Work/Poor effort √ =Work completed √+ =Work completed with extra effort √- = Work incomplete At the end of the week the pages are filed in a binder. For most assignments, we correct the homework as a class when we get to each subject area.

I am also thinking and making changes for next year and homework collection/checking was at the top of my list. I just developed a table that will be attached to manila folder with brads(like you see in the doctor's office for the patients) one for each student. I will start by students that do not have his or her homework will get a citation/mark in their school provided agenda then I will transfer the missed work into the manila folder. The student will fill-in the HW missed and sign and date and when the HW is complete I will check it off and sign. Until I have signed the missed HW as made up the student will have consequence; like not participating in fun Friday. I am looping with my students, so I really needed to change things that did not work because some students would get off not making up HW or would not mind missing recess to make it up. This new system helps me keep track of how many times a student has missed homework on a weekly and within the 9 week grading period. This is also more documentation for the parents at parent-teacher conferences. I think I am going to add a place for parents to sign weekly. I am going to try to attach now. Maybe this will help. I also like the one provided by Risa.

This year, I just walked around and checked it off on my clipboard,or had students hold it up and I would check it off that way. This year,may be different.A co teacher has a large pocket chart,and when students come in in the a.m., they put their work in their name pocket. She could then quickly look and see whose was missing. I may try it.

I take 10 points off for late work. I also send a note home to parents the first time an assignment is late, requiring their signature. After 10 missing assignments, I send students to the office. I am attaching the form that I use to track missing work. I found the idea on here and modified it to fit my own needs. You would make a folder for each child with this form in it and fill it out as need be.

7th and 8th grade science so it is a little different for me as far how my day is set up. However, I have the same problem with this age group. They just don't want to do homework. Towards the end of last year I was ready to pully my hair out. This year I'm going to really focus on what I assign as homework. I plan to be much more hands-on this year than I have been in the past. Students won't be assigned books, so that will really limit my homework assignments. My mentor told me she doesn't really assign homework. Any assignment she gives them, she makes sure they have plenty of time to do this in class and whatever they get done in class is what they get done. Obviously she adjust if she sees they are all struggling or whatever. This ensures that everyone gets a grade and a 5% is better than a 0. I'm going to try to do this in August. However, our prinicpal will be giving us longer periods with homework at the end of class in mind instead of more "teaching time" so this will be easier for me to do. All that to say I've just been really evaluating the assignments I want to give as homework. What is their purpose?

While you will always get at least one or two who just never seem to catch on to any system you come up with (it is murphy's law or something ) you can use Homeworkopoly in your room as a positive reinforcement. The 2 years I have used it for have given me much better results with homework being turned in. I also do Fun Friday with a colleague. What happens is, one teacher takes the kids who have not been completing assignments (we called it Homework Club last year, but I am going to think up a new name) and they sit in her room silently and either complete that work or do something like practice math facts flash cards (I don't like them to silent read b/c I don't want them to see reading as punishment). The other teacher takes the students who did complete their work and they are allowed to play board games, draw with friends, play on the computer, etc. It does work wonders and I also use it for behavior consequences.

Several teachers at the school where I student taught used the following policy: 1st late/missed HW: do it at recess, then go play 2nd late: do it at recess and stay in afterward 3rd late: parent contact and administrative form 4th late: not allowed on field trips Every quarter they were given a clean slate. You better believe only one kid missed a field trip before everyone fell in line. I understand at some public schools students cannot be held in at recess, so I guess it would need tweaking for that. Also, I've read that making the homework part of a fun activity that is continued in class the next day is THE way to go, but that just seems easier said than done to me (like much of educational theory). There are some things that just can't be made fun, so I can't see it working on a daily basis in every subject. Maybe it's just me.

I also teach 4th grade. I do weekly homework packs so checking homework is much easier since it only comes in once a week. I have a student collect all of the homework and actually makes an announcement saying that it is final call. Then the student puts them in numerical order (each student has a number.) I have a chart near my desk that has all of the students names on it and then the collector puts a check mark next to the names of the handed in papers. The students are allowed to hand in homework one day late and the homework collector will write a "L" for late. This is a nice graph to look across the columns and see how often a student misses homework. I actually use it when I meet with parents. It is also helpful because I can look up at the big chart when I am filling out weekly reports. When the student is finished checking all homework onto the log he/she will come to me for a binder clip and then it is all nicely organized. :)

I also have been using Homeworkopoly for about three years now and I really like it. I teach fourth grade also. I adapt the rewards to my class and they even come up with some, like help to be Paul (our janitors) Pal for lunch recess, or sit in a cusion chair for the day, bring their own game on Fun Friday. We do not give any food rewards, but I do let them pick out of my treasure box. Also to answer another question asked about where to put homework. I bought at Office Max a gray cardboard file with eight sections in it. I label each one with a subject and that it where they hand in all there assignments. That way they always know where to had them in. Never do they hand it onto my desk, that is considered the black hole. LOL Hope this helps. :)Good Luck! I do also like the missing assignment log too. So you can keep track of them.

I collect homework daily and I use to tear my hair out trying to keep track of missing papers until I came up with this system. I purchased 2 long red pocket charts, the kind with the pockets that are big enough to put a piece of paper in. Each pocket has a label and I wrote the students' numbers on the labels in alphabetical order, with the lowest numbers at the bottom. When the kids come in, they put their homework papers in their pocket and I can tell at a GLANCE who did not turn in their work. I can quickly check with students who are missing papers and often find that they had just forgotten to turn it in. If the student did not do the work, I quickly jot their name down and they stay in at morning recess to do it. Once I have checked with everybody, I can pull the papers out of the pockets in about 5 seconds and best of all, they are in alphabetical order!! I use the pockets to collect most of the work the kids do because it is so easy to see when everyone is done and check with those that haven't handed in their work. I don't even have to touch a piece of paper to be able to do this and I can tell from across the room. It is so easy to pull the papers, that I usually pull them after each assignment is done, so the pockets are empty for the next assignment. I LOVE THIS POCKET CHART. It has saved me tons of time!! Here's a link to the one I use: http://ateachersupply.com/cart/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=4

I do the Homeworkopoly game. How the kids get to play is that they have to have their homework punch card punched 10 times (2 weeks of completed homework) in order to play. I use index cards, write their name on them and number 1-10 on each end of the card (that way you can use it for 4 weeks). They have to turn in their completed homework with the homework card paperclipped to it (I keep the homework cards in a basket next to the homework basket). Then I can easily tell who hasn't turned in their homeowork. If the homework is comleted, the card gets punched. At the end of 2 weeks, whoever has all 10 punches gets to play. If their are some that have just 1 day not punched, they get to go into a drawing and one gets picked to play. It is a real motivator for 5th graders. I have a class treasure basket that I also use along with the cards.

My 5th graders come in and turn their homework in a basket. Then they "sign-in" on a checksheet that I created for the week during their morning procedures. They find their name, write down a #1 (turned in all homework), #2, (turned in some homework), or a #3 (didn't turn in homework) and then they initial. Before our lesson in which they did homework for, I have two students help pass back their homework, so that we can check it together, and so I can also see whose desk is "empty" because no homework was passed back to them. I quickly check the clipboard with their morning sign-in sheet to make sure everyone was trustworthy about writing down the right # for their homework. I have had a couple of students not tell the truth when they sign in. For example, they would write down a #1 when they either didn't turn in their howework at all, or was missing a piece. I them call them out in front of the class for not being trustworthy, and it usually doesn't happen again. :) I LOVE this system because it helps keep documentation of every student's weekly homework and it also helps academically to pass the homework back out to check together because it's a great review of the upcoming lesson. Those that didn't do their homework also benefit from watching the review. It usually only takes me about 5 minutes to go over the answers. I also love it because it makes it easy to see who's absent, if their name section is blank. :) I would attach my sign-in sheet, but I'm a new member and I don't have that luxury yet. :) I use homeworkopoly on Fridays too. The student of the week grabs the clipboard and calls the students that had all #1's on their sign-in sheet to roll the dice. I don't manage the game at all....which they LOVE!! Students that don't have all #1's work on making up one piece of their missing homework during this time.

I make checklists of all my kids and use them for EVERYTHING! I use baskets for each subject as well. I have one kid go through the basket towards the end of the day and check off who has it. If someone doesn't have it, then that child goes and asks them for it. Those that don't finish, I give a verbal reminder and then they are responsible for getting it back to me. Trust me...I still get holes in my gradebook, but it is usually from the same two or three. Much easier to track. Then I attach the checklist to my stack and then when I grade it I can see at a glance who has it and who doesn't. If they are absent, I mark A by their names. I use my checklist from everything to returning report cards to collecting field trip $$$. I can always tell in second who is missing it. My kids are third graders. I have several girls that are very dependable about getting things checked off for me. HTH!

When missing assignments have been a big problem, I send home missing work notices. I've attached mine, feel free to edit and use it. :)

Like Teachtoscrap, I keep copies of the list of students in my class (see attachment), so I (or a student) can easily and quickly check off who turned in what. My students love to help with this. I keep the list attached to the stack of papers. If I'm not near my computer to enter grades, I can put the grade on the checklist too to put in the electronic grade book later. Rick Morris wrote a book called New Management that has lots of fantastic techniques for reducing the time we spend on these kinds of things. I use many of his ideas in my classroom.

I teach 4th grade and our school has a system in place to use when a child doesn't do his/her homework. It consists of a homework slip, 3 slips = afterschool detention. That works for some kids, but it doesn't seem to bother others. However, in my classroom we play a math game every Friday and a winner is chosen (random) from the winning team. The student who wins gets a rubber duck ( I bought them from Oriental Trading). This is a BIG DEAL to the kids.........and, you guessed it, if you didn't do a homework assignment that week you don't get to play on Friday! And there goes your chance at winning the weekly duck! I know it sounds silly, but my homework is usually at 100%!

I actually got this idea from my nephew's school and have used it for several years successfully. Now grades 3-6 in our school use it....Here is how it works: At the start of each nine weeks, I have a green sheet for each child in my binder. On each preprogrammed sheet it explains that the child forgot their HW on a particular date, and I write down what it was, send it home for the parents to sign and return. I then return it to my binder for the next time. Missing HW #2-4, the form is filled out the same way, but the student stays in at recess to complete the missing work. The sheet states that this is happening. Missing HW#5 is an afterschool detention with the principal! Since I have instituted this plan, I very rarely have kids forget homework. In years past, at the end of the nine weeks, those children who have NEVER had a green sheet during that time are invited to "Breakfast of Champions", which is where they come to school about 15 minutes early, and I provide them with donuts and juice. They LOVE it! For those who can't come early...we save a donut for them to eat when they get there. (This also motivates the others when they see the yummy treats!) I wish I could attach my sheet for you, but it was lost on a disk sometime back, I only have my original hard copy. Sorry!

Our district has a policy that we must assign homework. The amount is determined by the grade level. I teach sixth grade ILA & SS and have partners who teach ILA & math, science, etc. Our grade level is assigned 60 minutes a night. My team has divided up that hour into minutes for the required subject areas so that we meet the district policy. (We don't agree but are already fighting that battle on the correct level.) Anyway, the policy includes that after three missed assignments a madatory after-school detention must be assigned. Because I had a problem with such a negative approach when I arrived three years ago in this grade level, my partner and I decided to acknowledge the hard work the children who DID the required homework. We instituted the following: If a student does all the homework in every subject every night for a marking period, we treat them to lunch and give them a free homework pass to any subject. Sometimes we order Chinese food, Taco Bell, subs, pizza, etc. Parents were notified, kids responded positively, and administration supports it and is even looking to fund us since my partner and I foot the bill. We have four lunches which is one for each marking period. At graduation we give an award to those who did all four lunches. Last year we gave a certificate of recognition and a gift card to the movies. When I taught Kindergarten I was always picking up little things to add to my centers and theme days. I saved a huge amount of money moving to sixth and feel this expense is well worth it. The children who always do homework always will...we hope to catch the ones on the fringe and push them over to the responsible side...plus we wanted to let all the homework doers know that we appreciate their efforts. PS: We are in a small district...36 sixth graders! That makes a huge difference! If you are in a bigger situation, this would be way out of line unless you had funding!

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4 strategies to get those missing assignments turned in

Published: May 13, 2022

As we get closer and closer to the end of the school year, it happens as reliably as the changing of the seasons—students notice the late, missing, or forgotten assignments that might have a real impact on their grade.

Sound familiar?

Most teachers spend too much valuable time toward the end of the school year reminding students about their missing assignments. This process doesn’t have to be time-consuming or painful though.

Here are 3 simple and repeatable tips to help classroom teachers encourage students to—finally—submit those late, missing, or forgotten assignments.

1. Help students manage their own assignment completion

There’s no better way to promote accountability than to help students to keep track of and manage their own assignments list. LMS tools like Schoology or Google Classroom make the process easier than ever before.

With clear assignment instructions and due dates, every student can log into their LMS and see a clean list of which assignments have been turned in, and which are still outstanding—even if they miss a class!

2. Get parents, families, and caregivers on board to help keep students on track

One of the best ways to keep students from getting too far behind is to recruit the champions they have outside school. When parents and guardians are kept in the loop about the assignments that are upcoming—along with expectations and due dates—they can help students avoid missing assignments well before the due date.

Keeping parents and guardians aware when assignments become late or get entered as missing increases the likelihood that assignment will get completed too. The Parent/Guardian Portal in Schoolytics gives parents and guardians easy access to student assignments in each of their classes. There are even reminders you can automate when an assignment is late or counted missing.

3. Send automated reminders when assignments are past due

You know what they say about an ounce of prevention…

Setting up a Schoolytics account and syncing it with your Google Classroom ( remember: it’s free to sign up! ) lets teachers set up an automated report of late or missing assignments. You never have to click into each Classroom for assignment details!

You can even set up automatic reports for late or missing assignments—Friday late work roundup anyone? And now you can send a bulk reminder to every student with a link to their missing work.

4. Try a new communication method

Each generation of students is more online than the last, and Gen Z is spending most of its time on video-forward platforms like YouTube and TikTok. As teachers, we can either fight this reality or lean into it in our communication with students.

The good news is that the rise of online video has coincided with the advent of easy-to-use video creation tools, making it easier than ever to create engaging videos for free. Tools like Veed are great for trimming videos and testing your webcam to ensure you get the perfect take to keep students engaged and on top of their assignments.

In conclusion...

These interventions make it quick and simple to keep students on track for assignment completion. And they reduce the headache for teachers to have to manage chasing down late or missing assignments.

Have any other tips for helping keep late and missing assignments under control? Let us know on Twitter at @Schoolytics

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Homework Letter to Parents | Email Templates

As a teacher, communicating with parents about the homework expectations for their children is crucial for fostering a successful learning environment. Crafting a homework letter that is both informative and engaging can be a challenging task. That’s why we’ve created a list of homework letter-to-parents templates that you can use to effectively communicate with parents about the assignments, expectations, and goals for their child’s homework. In this article, we’ll go over the key elements of a successful homework letter, and provide you with a customizable template that you can use for your classroom.

The key elements of an effective homework letter to parents include

• A clear introduction that establishes your purpose and goals for the homework,
• A detailed explanation of the assignments, expectations, and grading policies,
• A schedule outlining when homework is due, and a section dedicated to answering frequently asked questions or addressing concerns.
• Additionally, adding information or resources about how parents can support their child’s learning at home and providing resources for additional support can also be helpful.

These elements will help ensure that parents are well-informed about their child’s homework and can effectively support their child’s academic success.

Example of detailed Homework letter to parents

I hope this email finds you, your child, and in good health. I wanted to take the time to talk about the value of homework and how it may aid in your child’s development as we begin the new school year. I’ve designed a template for a homework letter to parents that I’ll be using this year to assist keep you informed about your child’s homework requirements.

The homework template was created to give you succinct, clear information about the homework assignments, goals, and expectations for your child. It will also include a schedule explaining when homework is due, as well as a part devoted to addressing any worries you might have or frequently asked questions.

I’ll explain how the assignment helps your child learn in the introduction, as well as its purpose and goals. You can have a clear grasp of what is expected of your child by reading the thorough explanation section. This section defines the assignments, expectations, and grading guidelines. You may assist your child manage their time by giving them the due dates as per the timetable area.

I have also included some resources to help your child’s learning at home. You can learn how to support your child’s academic success.

I am aware that parents and students alike may find the topic of homework to be difficult, which is why I am providing this homework letter. I hope that this template will make it easier for you to support your child’s learning by having a clear understanding of the homework expectations.

If you have any questions or concerns about the homework letter to parents template, please do not hesitate to reach out to me. I am always available to discuss your child’s academic progress and answer any questions you may have.

Thank you for your continued support in your child’s education.

Homework letter to parents templates

• Dear parent, This is a reminder that it is your child’s responsibility to bring their homework assignments home. We encourage you to make sure your child has their work ready with them each day so we all spend less time on this task and more time on teaching. Missing homework assignments may result in a lower grade for the assignment or even being taken out points from the report card altogether. Please see attached a list of missing homework assignments from your child’s class.
• Dear Parent, We are writing to inform you that we have not received homework from your child for the following subjects [list]. If we do not receive this assignment by 2024, your child will receive a zero grade on all assignments until the missing homework is submitted. We thank you in advance and appreciate your help with this matter.
• Dear parent, we noticed that your child did not hand in his/her homework. We will do our best to ensure your child does not miss out on learning from this lesson. Please ensure that your child brings home their homework next week. Thank you for your time and cooperation.
• Dear Parent, It is important that your child complete their homework on time each night. Please help them by discussing the importance of homework completion and encouraging it to be done every night. Thank you.
• Dear Parent, It has been brought to our attention that your child has been missing homework. We are asking that you remind your child of the importance of homework. Please ensure it is being completed daily, as this greatly helps your child in the classroom. Thank you for your time and cooperation.
• Dear parents, Please see below a list of your child’s missing homework assignments. Please check if there are any questions you may have and then sign the form at the end. We apologize for any inconvenience. Thank You,
• Dear Parent, Your student has not turned in the homework assignment. Please see that they bring it with them tomorrow. If you have any questions or concerns please contact me at [number]. Thank you for your time. Sincerely,
• Dear parent, this is our weekly homework reminder. We would appreciate it if you could check and make sure that your children have their homework completed. That way, they will be capable of focusing on school work instead of struggling to complete missing assignments in class. Thank you for your help.
• Dear Parent, your child has been marked absent for missing homework. Please see the attached document for more information.
• Dear Parent, I am sending this email to notify parents that the assignment [name] was not turned in. I hope that the assignment will be returned soon.
• Dear Parent, We noticed that you missed the lesson titled [name] on Monday. This lesson was designed to help your child develop a better understanding of grammar and sentence structure, which are crucial skills to learn as they grow into successful adults. To access this lesson again and complete the homework assignment please visit the link. If you have any questions or concerns during this process please do not hesitate to contact me. 

More Simplestic Templates: 

• Email to parents about academic concerns
• Positive Email to Parents from Teacher: 15 Example Emails

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Keeping parents informed on missing homework

Discussion in ' Elementary Education ' started by shoreline02 , May 25, 2016 .

shoreline02 Cohort

May 25, 2016

How do you keep parents informed about their child's missing homework? I teach science and have about 70, 4th grade students. I thought about sending home a weekly slip if students were missing anything and parents would have to sign and return the slip. Also, keeping parents informed about their child's behavior. On the same notice perhaps?  

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otterpop Phenom

I do this: Before handing in homework, every student holds theirs up in the air. I can immediately see and make note of who does not have theirs. Then, I send a quick email to all parents (bcc) of those children saying that their student did not turn in their homework. Simple, easy, quick.  

geoteacher Devotee

shoreline02 said: ↑ How do you keep parents informed about their child's missing homework? I teach science and have about 70, 4th grade students. I thought about sending home a weekly slip if students were missing anything and parents would have to sign and return the slip. Also, keeping parents informed about their child's behavior. On the same notice perhaps? Click to expand...

May 26, 2016

Most of our parents don't have an email or computer. Some have phones that connect to the internet, some don't.  

TXforever Companion

May 29, 2016

I bought duplicate missing assignments notes/ forms from Really a Good Stuff. They're kind of expensive, but it's nice to have instant documentation. When the notes are returned signed, I just put them in a file,  

Sarge Enthusiast

="otterpop, post: 1992615, member: 84048"]I do this: Before handing in homework, every student holds theirs up in the air. I can immediately see and make note of who does not have theirs. Then, I send a quick email to all parents (bcc) of those children saying that their student did not turn in their homework. Simple, easy, quick. Click to expand...

Unfortunately, many of my kid's parents do not have email addresses, computers, or access to internet with their phone. I guess a note home will be my only way to go.  

minnie Habitué

May 30, 2016

I would suggest Remind 101. Every parent in America has a cell now  

shoreline02 said: ↑ Unfortunately, many of my kid's parents do not have email addresses, computers, or access to internet with their phone. I guess a note home will be my only way to go. Click to expand...

I might be able to connect electronically with 25/30 of my parents.  

catnfiddle Moderator

Since I know for a fact all of our parents have access to a portal where they can view their kiddos accounts, I simply call the parents of those who are disengaged and ask they log in. Sometimes, when it's been a terrible year for a few students, I will send a letter home with a copy of the grade book, making sure the envelope doesn't have school insignia (you'd be amazed how many students will intercept mail).  

mathmagic Enthusiast

I do weekly reflection sheets for students that goes home with their papers from the week. This contains a quick 3/2/1 on how they're doing interdisciplinary-wise as well as an "on-time"/late/missing for each homework assignment. It's supposed to come back on Monday, so they will see it over the weekend. Those with numerous missing assignments I have set up a plan to contact daily - briefly listing the night's HW - so that the parents can help build the stronger habits with their child. For me, these methods give a good balance of driving student responsibility and holding them accountable.  

Thank you everyone!  

Rabbitt Connoisseur

Jun 1, 2016

Do you have an assignment notebook or agenda that could be signed by parents? I would only use this with frequent flyers.  

BioAngel Science Teacher - Grades 3-6

Jun 5, 2016

Create a checklist of that week's assignments - check off what assignments came in (with a grade if it's graded) and which assignments did not (you can do this as you go through the week or have it ready to go home for the weekend). (You can probably have students help you do their own checklists as the school year goes on.) The checklist can go into their folder and has to be signed over the weekend and returned with any missing work. You can then put that checklist paper into the student folder and have documentation that the parents saw their grades and missing assignments.  

Jun 6, 2016

I'm so embarrassed to admit this 30+ years later, but I was an expert at screwing with those checklists when I was in middle school. I'd write the assignments in for the teacher to sign, but I'd do it so lightly that I could erase / edit as I felt like doing. If I could do it in the 80s, these kids could do so now. These days, parents have the ability to check grades and assignments online. Even a weekly check using a library computer should work for parents who don't have home internet or smart phones.  

MrsC Multitudinous

All of our students in grades 1-8 have agendas to keep track of homework and assignments. During the first half of the year, I check agendas every day as they leave (it only takes about 2 minutes to do a check of all 28); during the second half of the year, I only need to check about 1/3. I'm strongly leaning towards having a Twitter account for the class next year and posting a photo of the Homework board every day. Between these two methods, everyone will have access to the information.  

catnfiddle said: ↑ These days, parents have the ability to check grades and assignments online. Even a weekly check using a library computer should work for parents who don't have home internet or smart phones. Click to expand...

Jun 9, 2016

catnfiddle said: ↑ I was an expert at screwing with those checklists when I was in middle school. I'd write the assignments in for the teacher to sign, but I'd do it so lightly that I could erase / edit as I felt like doing. Click to expand...

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Dealing With Missing Homework

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In the spring, a young teacher’s fancy turns to thoughts of . . . homework? That’s what happened in the TLN forum discussion group last week, when a fifth-year middle school teacher asked her colleagues: “What’s your feeling about students who won’t or don’t do work outside of school?”

She went on to explain:

I carefully plan my class so that the homework I give is meaningful. Basically, I ask students to continue the reading process we begin in school. Home reading is a valuable habit for them to develop, and practical since I can’t devote enough class time to silent reading for my students to get through books in a timely manner.

Much of the time they have chosen their own books and by October most of my students are reading in class and for homework. But I have a few students who just hold out on me. They read in class, but no matter what, it seems they won’t read at home. These are students who also don’t do any work outside of school in any of their other classes. It’s true they go home to chaotic environments and some have lots of household duties. But does this mean they truly can’t work outside of school? Or are they simply refusing? Is it okay? How hard should a teacher push on this?

My close colleague grew up with both her parents working long hours and she basically raised her four younger brothers and sisters. She was exhausted, but she did her school work despite it and she excelled in school. She is a great teacher and has no sympathy for students who don’t do work outside of school. She believes it’s necessary for students to take responsibility for their education and she refuses to “make excuses for them.” She has the highest number of failing students in the building. Nonetheless, students say they learn a lot from her and come back to visit her, saying she prepared them for high school (we both teach 8th grade).

Where do you stand on students working on assignments outside of school? What about those few that don’t?

A suburban high school English teacher replied:

There are a variety of aspects to consider: the students’ ages, individual circumstances, the expectations of the school and department, the expectations in their high schools, and any relevant standards you operate within.

I’m sure you appreciate the importance of communicating one-to-one with these students and showing that you value them and want to understand the relevant factors that prevent them from doing work. At the same time, you can use that interaction to communicate the importance of what you’re asking—how it will serve them well in the future, that it’s not an arbitrary requirement you cooked up to torture students. Beyond that, I’m not sure what the consequences should be for that age group, in your context.

Working with high school students in the context that I do, I have a clear expectation, consistent with my department, school, and district, that students must do work on their own outside of school. Like you, I aim to keep it relevant and valuable—no busy work. When students don’t do the work, I talk to them, and offer support and flexibility on the amount or timing of work as warranted—but there’s not much chance of getting around the basic expectation of reading and writing outside of school hours.

When students say they just can’t do it, I’m comfortable saying that they also can’t expect a grade of C or higher in the class. I try to present it as a matter of providing evidence. They may very well be capable of satisfactory completion of a high school English class, but if, for whatever reason, they can’t demonstrate it at this time, the grade is unfortunately reflecting that there’s no evidence to warrant a more desirable grade.

Another middle school teacher, in a small midwestern town, wondered: “Should failure be an option?”

I teach 7th grade math and try not to assign homework as such. However, math is very skill-oriented and there are assignments each day. Students who use class time wisely usually have little or no work to complete outside of class. I plan my assignments so students can complete them during class time because I want to be available to help them if they are struggling.

Unfortunately, the students who struggle most tend to be either slow workers or those who care very little about their grades anyway. These students seldom finish their assignments in OR out of class, and consequently, their grades suffer. I have a fairly liberal grading policy. Homework not turned in does not count against students. However, students who do not complete daily work have little chance of being successful on assessments.

I am not sure what the solution is. I have tried working with individual students, writing contracts with parents/students, offering to stay after school to help, whatever. But for some students (and their parents) school is simply not a priority. While I understand that other things interfere with students and time to complete assignments, I also feel that school should be their number one priority right now and somehow we need to make them understand this.

An upper elementary teacher in New York state wrote:

I see great value in the concept of meaningful homework for a variety of reasons. Obviously, it’s valuable for the transfer of content and strategies along with the positive effects of practice and reinforcement. I also think it is a perfect way to provide opportunities to build character in terms of responsibility and personal accountability—skills that can go a long way in life.

A high school teacher in the rural deep south remembered:

I once visited the home of a student who almost never did his homework. I discovered that he lived in a trailer (not double-wide) with five siblings, two cousins, and three adults. There were two light bulbs in the entire trailer: one in the bathroom, the other over the kitchen area. I started making arrangements for him to do his homework in my room after school or early in the morning.

Our local youth ministry operates a homework club that provides space and support for members to do homework a couple of nights each week. We have many parents who are illiterate or semi-illiterate. Some push their children to get an education; others are intimidated by anything from school and embarrassed that they can’t help their children. Consequently, I’ve become much less rigid about work done outside of school. It’s always optional, although I stress the value of it for the doer.

A teacher in California questioned whether there is evidence that homework actually improves learning.

I recently read an article stating that homework had little or no impact on student achievement in content. Other research I’ve read supports that thinking as well. It’s one of those sacred cows that would be worth discussing and learning more about.

Do my kids do work at home? Yes. But mostly they do it on their own terms based on what they need in order to accomplish projects by a certain date. Reading is an expectation too, but it’s always their choice of book. Work completion and quality have risen since I ceased assigning “homework,” and I see how much more serious they are about the work we do in class together.

Rick Wormeli, a TLN forum member who writes and speaks about homework issues frequently as a professional development consultant, had this to say:

Some teachers see homework as evidence of learning. This is true, but it’s formative evidence at best. As such, it is never to be used in the final summative grade, or if used, it should be used with an extremely small influence on the overall grade—2 percent, 5 percent, or similar. Most experts will cringe even at this concession. We should use any evidence gained in assessing homework assignments to provide feedback to students and revise instruction, not as the final declaration of what a child knows and is able to do regarding a standard or outcome.

Homework is definitely practice. In fact, in my middle school classes, we called it what it was—"practice.” The phrasing I used was, “Students, your science practice tonight will be...,” or, “For practice tonight in English, please do the following....” This kept both students and me mindful of homework’s true role in learning (and its weight in grading) and removed a lot of the emotional baggage associated with the term “homework.”

Nowhere else in the world do we grade practice. We don’t give the gold medal to Olympians who trained well and worked hard, we give it to those who achieve the highest results. Homework is the time to practice and wrestle with the ideas, try out hunches, and explore the topic. If the score on our practice work counts for much of our grade, we don’t have the freedom to explore without fear of labeling and rejection.

This, perhaps, is the change in metaphor we need to consider: Grades are not compensation. They never were. Grades are reports of what happened—that’s it. They are communication, and as such, they must be accurate.

If we include such factors as homework performance; the number of days he used a quiet, indoor voice; whether she brought her supplies in a timely manner; if she completed tasks assigned, met deadlines, or brought in canned food for food drives; or a host of other distorting factors, we remove all validity in the initial report of what the students knows and can do regarding the standards/outcomes. Now the grade can no longer be used to inform academic decisions, document progress, or provide accurate feedback. Our enterprise is undermined.

Some suggest that doing homework builds character and therefore should be counted in the grade. I agree that doing assigned tasks, meeting deadlines, managing time, and sticking it out to finish an assignment when you’d rather be watching television all have their place in building character. But responding with inappropriate grading policies is not the way to build moral fiber. Hold students accountable for doing homework and following through on requests from the adults in their lives, but don’t do it through your grading practices. Grades are very poor teachers.

One last thing: There are numerous research reports regarding the impact of homework on student achievement in school, and the correlations are nothing or next to nothing for primary and elementary grades. In middle school there is a small bump, and in high school a slightly higher bump, but the correlation is still stunningly low. We have to accept the fact that while homework is one tool for learning a topic, it is only that—one tool. We have hundreds of other ways to teach students.

If the homework door is closed for whatever reason, it’s not the end of learning. Consider how you would teach if you didn’t have homework assignments to rely upon. When I did this earlier in my career, it changed what I did the classroom. My instruction improved as a result.

So how about you? Is homework important? Do you include it in your grading system? Have your views changed over time?

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Notice for Missing Homework

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