do you get homework in 5th grade

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Fifth Grade Math Worksheets

Free & printable grade 5 math worksheets.

Our grade 5 math worksheets cover the 4 operations, fractions and decimals at a greater level of difficulty than previous grades. We also introduce variables and expressions into our word problem worksheets .  

Choose your grade 5 topic:

4 operations.

Place Value & Rounding

Add & Subtract

Multiply & Divide

Order of Operations

Add & Subtract Fractions

Multiply & Divide Fractions

Converting Fractions

Fractions to / from Decimals

Add & Subtract Decimals

Multiply Decimals

Divide Decimals

Data & Graphing

Word Problems

Sample Grade 5 Math Worksheet

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5th Grade Math Resources

You’ve made it – or almost made it – to the top of the elementary school mountain! As a 5th grader, you’ve come a long way in your math journey. Now’s the time where you put your math skills to the test and develop a few new tricks to get you ready for your next adventure: middle school. 

DoodleMath has the 5th grade math concepts, games , guides, and practice problems you need so you can take that next step in stride!

Select a skill

In 5th grade, students move beyond basic mathematic concepts and into a more complex understanding of math and its real-world applications. Sometimes, this transition can be a little tough, but DoodleMath is here to help. Select a math skill you wish to practice and master those big kid questions in no time.

Practice multiplying and dividing decimals. 

Find out more

Dive into multiplying and dividing fractions!

Conversions

Learn how to convert different units of measurement.

Long Division

Master multi-digit division problems.

Multiples and factors

Everything you need to master multiples and factors.

Learn how to find an object’s volume. 

Long division

Multiples and factors.

Learn how to find an object’s volume.

5th-grade math support

Whether you have a fifth-grader for the first time or it’s your third time around the block, our goal is to take the guesswork out of elementary math . Browse our 5th grade math guides designed to make learning math a breeze.

5th-grade math help

For parents with a fifth-grader who is struggling with math, read about 7 ways a fifth-grade teacher recommends offering math help.

Common Core Standards

Deep dive into Common Core 5th grade math standards so you feel confident about what your student should know by the start of first grade.

5th-grade math problems

Practice fifth-grade math at home with these 35 math problems that cover fractions & more. Check your work with the provided answer sheet!

Looking for a different grade?

All about 5th grade math

Once they reach 5th grade, students have mastered basic skills like addition , subtraction , multiplication , and division . Now, they’re building on those concepts. In 5th grade, they’ll be expected to multiply and divide decimals and fractions, use data to plot line graphs, and measure volume .

These can be challenging skills to learn, and it’s not uncommon for students to struggle. But, these are fundamental building blocks your child will need as they move into middle school. We’ve pulled popular 5th grade math standards from across the country to give you an idea of what your student will learn. 

Some of the skills 5th graders will be expected to master include:

Operations and numerical expressions

• Using brackets and braces when solving problems. Students will understand what a bracket or brace in an equation means and how to solve these types of problems. 
• Understanding the place value system. Your child will be able to recognize what each number in a multi-digit number represents. For example, they will know that 4,250 means there are four 1,000s, two 100s, five 10s, and zero 1s. 
• Using their understanding of place value to round decimals . By the end of 5th grade, students will be able to use decimal points to round to the nearest 10th. 
• Performing operations with multi-digit whole numbers and decimals to the hundreds. They will be able to multiply, divide, add, and subtract multi-digit whole numbers (up to four digits) and how to divide and multiply decimals to the hundredths. 
• Using equivalent fractions to add and subtract fractions . Kids will make fractions with different denominators equal so they can successfully add and subtract fractions. 
• Multiplying and dividing fractions . Yes, it’s time to learn how to divide and multiply fractions , which may feel complicated at first, but it gets easier with practice, practice, practice. 

Measurement and data

• Converting units of measurement . Students will learn how to take 5cm and convert it to meters (0.05 m, for the record!).
• Making a line plot to display data. This data will include fractions. Essentially, students will learn how to graphically represent data using a line graph.
• Recognizing and measuring volume. Important not only for math but for science class as well, students will learn what volume is and how to calculate and measure it.
• Graphing points on the coordinate plane to solve real-world and mathematical problems. Students will learn what the coordinate plane is and how to graph data on the X and Y axes.
• Categorizing shapes . Students will be able to categorize shapes as parallelograms, quadrilaterals , and more. 
• Arranging shapes in a hierarchy. Students will learn how to sort different shapes into a hierarchy. So, for example, if you’re looking at a square, you would first identify it as a polygon, then a quadrilateral, then a parallelogram, then a rectangle, and finally, since all sides are equal, a square.  

Of course, there’s more to 5th grade math than the concepts we’ve listed above. Visit your state’s Board of Education website to get the complete list of standards for 5th grade math curriculum.

Frequently asked questions about 5th grade math

The 5th grade math curriculum varies from state to state, but overall, students in 5th grade will learn how to add, subtract, multiply and divide whole numbers, fractions, and decimals. They will also begin to learn about plotting data points on a coordinate plane and how to solve equations with brackets and braces. 

No, most 5th graders are not expected to learn algebra. However, they will learn basic concepts like multiplication, division, and probability, along with formulas for area and volume, which will help set the foundations for algebra later in their academic careers. 

There are a number of ways you can help your fifth grader with math . The first is to help them practice mathematical concepts. If they ask you a question, try to sit down with them and work through the math problem. Helping them visualize equations, especially when it comes to remainders, decimals, and more, can really help them grasp concepts they’re learning in the classroom. This may make them more confident. 

There are a few tell-tale signs that may show up even before you get that bad grade on a report card. The biggest is a student hating the subject they’re studying, or missing every problem but not being able to understand why. 

The good news is, there are plenty of math tutoring services, like Kumon and Sylvan, that are available to help. Additionally, many high school students who are taking higher level mathematics, such as precalculus or calculus, usually love tutoring kids in math to keep their own skills sharp, especially over the summer!

Parents, sign up for a DoodleMath subscription and see your child become a math wizard!

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Getting Ready for Fifth Grade

Fifth grade is a big year for kids find out what skills, lessons, and challenges to expect..

It's the race to middle school! Fifth grade is all about prepping for the big transition.

What she’ll be learning:

• How to see the big picture (Frank Lloyd Wright homes represent a time in history as well as an exercise in geometry.)
• Critical thinking skills about big themes like conflict (She’s not only memorizing dates and generals but also pondering the global factors that lead to war.)
• How to write with similes and metaphors, and maybe dialogue
• Early algebra, operations using decimals and fractions, volume, and graphing 

What you’ll love:

At the beginning of the year, there’s a lot of silence as it sinks in that the teacher will not be giving away the answers. But by spring, your child’s unique way of thinking will reveal itself, and that maturity is a revelation. “Kids are coming into who they are,” says Sharon Wright, a fifth-grade teacher in St. Charles, IL. “You’re getting a preview of the adult ahead.” Friendships align based more on shared interests than on proximity (same class, same block).

Don’t stress over . . .

The know-it-all attitude:  Being the big kids on campus makes fifth-graders a tough audience. “Keeping students connected and engaged is hard,” says Wright. And thanks to blossoming BS detectors, “a teacher needs to keep it authentic, really knowing her purpose,” says Wright. Good advice for you, too. Try looking for a coming-of-age book like  Where the Red Fern Grows  or  To Kill a Mockingbird . Relatable characters are what will keep reading going strong.

Hormone havoc:  The start of acne, the first menstrual period, and a growing interest in what everyone is wearing, texting, and doing can make this grade a bit of a rough ride. Try letting your kids see you struggle and fail, so they see that it’s normal not to be perfect. Let them know mistakes are the best teachers.

Plus: Read more on fifth-grade skills, lessons, and readiness.

Find out what to expect in:

• Pre-Kindergarten
• Kindergarten
• First Grade
• Second Grade
• Third Grade
• Fourth Grade

• Grades 6-12
• School Leaders

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70 Tips, Tricks, and Ideas for Teaching Fifth Grade

Brilliant ideas from brilliant teachers (like you).

Let’s be honest. One of the hardest parts of teaching is those two dreaded words: lesson planning. Sometimes the inspiration just isn’t hitting, and we could use a little help. We scoured our WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook and the web to put together a collection of ideas for teaching 5th grade to help you get through “The Sunday Night Blues.” Plus there’s advice from teachers like you on classroom management techniques and the best ways to communicate with parents. You’ll see everything organized by topic so you can find what you’re looking for easily. New to teaching? Fifth grade veteran? You’re g uaranteed to find something here to inspire you!

Getting Your Classroom Ready

1. create an inviting classroom.

Need ideas to take your classroom to the next level? We’ve gathered real-life 5th grade classrooms  for you to browse!

2. Gather all the supplies

Not sure what supplies you need for your classroom? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with this list of essential 5th grade classroom supplies .

3. Try different classroom layouts

Long gone are the days of straight rows of desks lining the classroom.  Throw out your seating chart and try one of these ideas instead .

4. Fill your classroom library with our favorite 5th grade books

Teaching 5th grade involves a lot of reading! Here are our favorite 5th grade books.

5. Get a jump start on lessons

Teacher planning and prep time are precious! It makes life a lot easier when you can purchase existing lessons, bundles, books, and pages when you’re teaching 5th grade. And why not support other teachers while you do it? Check out our favorite Teacher Pay Teachers sellers for 5th grade.

The First Days of School

6. introduce yourself creatively.

Make day one memorable by introducing yourself in a creative way, such as sending postcards over the summer! Here are creative teacher introduction ideas .

7. Put all hands in

Get to know your 5th grade class and finish decorating during the first week of school with an activity that has students trace their hands and decorate with words and pictures that describe themselves. We love this idea from Teaching in Room 6 .

8. Establish a culture of kindness

Print these free, downloadable posters to remind your students that kindness matters most of all.

9. Build your students’ social-emotional skills

Teaching 5th grade means building SEL skills. Use these SEL read-alouds  to talk about everything from kindness to courage to trying your best.

10. Create classroom jobs for your students

Here are some creative ideas for classroom jobs from our teacher community: tech support, environmental support, organizer, textbook coordinator, sanitation engineer, librarian, substitute, chief in charge, messenger, paper passer, supply clerk, IT technician, human resources officer, administrative assistant, waste management. Plus check out this big list of unique classroom jobs .

11. Make a class time capsule

At the beginning of the year, have students write down their thoughts, expectations, goals, feelings, and predictions. Put them all in a decorated jar, seal it up, and then read them all back to them in the last week of school!

12. Use the walls for anchor charts instead of premade posters

You can check out our  top 5th grade anchor charts for inspiration here.

Ideas for Language Arts

13. incorporate daily writing prompts.

We’ve gathered these 5th grade writing prompts that you can download and use to have your 5th graders practice their writing skills.

14. Read aloud

Book series make great read-alouds because you can carry them through the entire year. Here are some of our top read-aloud picks for 5th grade.

15. Encourage higher-order thinking

Looking for resources to encourage higher-order thinking in your young readers? Check out our list of higher-order thinking questions and stems .

16. Grade all assignments for spelling

“I take spelling grades off of any type of assignment: a science response, an essay, anything. You get a better snapshot of their real spelling level, not if they have help at home.” — Jessica R.

17. Use paint chips to inspire sensory poetry

Letting color work its inspiration for your 5th grade poets is a great idea from Fabulous in Fifth . Check out other  educational uses for paint chips  here!

18. Teach the difference between tone and mood

Practice applying the definitions by reading passages in class and asking students to identify the difference between tone and mood in each passage with this helpful anchor chart.

19. Teach how to use context clues to bridge into larger close-reading skills

We love this context clues anchor chart from Crafting Connections .

20. Teach the difference between literal and figurative meanings through writing and drawing

Take sentences from your class’s current text that use figurative language and have students (literally!) illustrate and explain the difference in the literal and figurative meanings of the expressions. Check out these figurative language anchor charts to get started.

21. Try a vocabulary activity. Or 15!

Use RAFTs, try Vocabulary Jeopardy, and more with these vocabulary activities .

22. Use scavenger hunts to teach how to cite evidence

Find four of our favorite activities for citing textual evidence—two for fiction and two for nonfiction.

23. Teach theme in language arts

To fully explore theme, students must understand what they read and then extract ideas from the text. Here are 14 ways to get started teaching theme .

24. Have fun with poetry

Help your class learn to read, appreciate, and write poetry with these poetry lessons, templates, and worksheets .

25. Use nonfiction to draw in reluctant readers

Have a student that just won’t read? Use these types of nonfiction to entice them!

26. Offer life-changing books

Fifth grade is a big year for many students. They are beginning to gain more maturity and life experience. Give your students access to texts that will expand their minds and hearts. Share these 5th grade chapter books with your students.

Ideas for Math

27. reinforce prime numbers with a fun card game.

Prime numbers become instantly cool when you use them to win this card game from Education.com. Download the activity for free .

28. Use bulletin boards as a math resource

Make your bulletin boards interactive and useful to aid kids in learning new mathematical concepts and to bolster independent learners. Check out these math bulletin boards that are creative and different to add to your room this year.

29. Focus on fractions

If it’s not math fluency, it’s fractions. The better understanding 5th graders have of fractions, the better off they’ll be when the quantities get more complicated or the operations get sophisticated. Check out our favorite fraction activities .

30. Make it easy to reinforce

Reinforce new concepts with games that don’t need a ton of prep and can even be played at home. Check out these easy-to-play 5th grade math games that cover many math standards.

31. Watch videos

It’s much more fun to teach multiplication and division when  you’re watching a video !

32. Teach the dreaded word problem

Use these math word problem activities and strategies .

33. Whip out the songs

Yes, by 5th grade, students should all know their multiplication facts. But let’s be real, sometimes it’s still a bit shaky. Try these catchy multiplication songs to finally have them solidify those facts!

34. Have a snack while you’re learning

Students will love combining cooking and chemistry with this engaging Compound Cookie activity where students follow a recipe to make a yummy snack. A fun (and delicious) way to go about teaching 5th grade math and science.

35. Graph paper isn’t just for graphing

Tired of messy math work? Try this hack to transform the way students show their math work.

Ideas for Financial Literacy

36. spend, save, give.

Teach your students to be more thoughtful and responsible about how they use money to help them be successful adults.

37. Making money

Kids love learning how to earn some extra cash. Use this making-money lesson to give them the vocabulary they need to dig deeper into topics like allowances, job, wages, and salaries.

38. Saving money

Saving money can be tricky for kids (and adults!). Use this lesson on saving money to help students learn how to save money in an age-appropriate way. It also covers other topics like investing and credit.

Yes! Kids can learn how to be financial planners. Set them up for future financial success by teaching them how to make financial plans to reach financial goals with this budgeting lesson .

40. Charitable giving

There is a strong push for educators to teach social-emotional skills. It’s important for our students to understand why and how to give back. Check out this charitable-giving lesson to add to your financial literacy lessons.

41. Hands on Banking

Our Hands on Banking resource has a whole host of resources to help teach students money skills. Online games, app recommendations, worksheets, lessons—it’s definitely worth a look!

Ideas for Science

42. get hands-on with science.

Science is the perfect subject for kids to get down and dirty. Try these 5th grade science projects for inspiration.

43. Try daily STEM challenges

These  STEM challenges are designed with your 5th graders in mind. Try one each day or each week to get their minds thinking outside the box.

44. Teach the plant life cycle

The plant life cycle is always a fun science unit. You get to talk about growing, planting, and nature. Plus, students love digging in and getting their hands dirty when they plant seeds themselves.

45. Teach electricity

It’s electrifyingly good fun!  Shock them with these science experiments .

46. Explore animal habitats

Ready to explore animal habitats around the world, from rain forests to deserts and everything in between? These fun habitat activities are just what you’re looking for.  Take a walk on the wild side!

47. Host a science fair

These science fair project ideas give students a chance to develop all sorts of skills like critical thinking, research, and writing.

Ideas for Social Studies

48. try social studies inquiry circles.

Address the required standards through inquiry-based learning. Here’s a how-to guide from the One Stop Teacher Shop. Watch your kids sink their teeth into the “thick versus thin” concept, and the Work Plan Form will help students take control of their own learning.

49. Let your students be TV producers

Fifth grade teacher Brittany R. had her class work “in small groups toward the end of the year and make commercials to try and get ‘tourists’ to visit their location (ancient civilizations).” — Brittany R.

50. Learn about heroes

Read biographies about famous people in history. Match books to holidays or other commemorations, like Presidents’ Day  or  Black History Month.

51. Use online learning

There are some amazing websites out there for teaching social studies lessons.  Check out our 50+ favorites .

52. Take a field trip

Being the oldest student on campus affords some privileges, not the least of which is awesome field trips. No baby field trips here. Take advantage of having more mature learners, and try one of these engaging field trips that you can only really do in 5th grade .

Ideas for Classroom Management

53. be consistent when teaching 5th grade.

Consistency is key. “I’ve been teaching 5th grade for 15 years, and I can honestly say that for me it comes down to one word: consistency. If you are not consistent and do not plan to follow through (rules, routines), then you will have a great big mess on your hands academically, socially, and behaviorally. You need be consistent and keep to your schedule, routine, and rules. Fifth graders learn quickly that if you don’t mean what you say, they do not have to do their best.” — Maria S.

54. Incentivize

Fifth graders may think they are big kids, but they’re still motivated by rewards. “I give tickets to my students (bought from a party-supply store). They can redeem them every other Friday. A certain number of points can be cashed in for prizes, like a piece of candy or extra computer time. Sometimes I give one or two tickets and other times I pull off a long string of 10 to 15, especially if I want to change the behavior of other students! Tickets can be earned for good behavior, turning in work, showing respect, appropriate class participation, and so on.” — Becky S.

55. Think soft, not loud

“If students are being loud, my instinct used to be to raise my voice to try to be louder than them. Now, I’ve started doing the opposite: I’ll speak more quietly. This tends to intrigue them, and they’ll start hushing each other so they can hear what I have to say. Try it!” — Erin F.

56. If you assign it, grade it

Make sure kids know that all their work is valuable and deserves their best effort. “If you assign it (project, test, homework), then you need to check or grade it!” — Maria S.

57. Encourage kids to develop their passions

Give your 5th grade kids a Genius Hour where they can explore a topic of their choice. Students spend a set amount of time each day researching the topic before creating a project they will eventually present to the class.

58. Let your students be the teachers

“I let my students work in groups to read part of a chapter and then teach it to the class. They did various things such as present graphic organizers, skits, raps, and acrostics. They took questions from the students and they also gave out questions as mini-quizzes!” — Brittany R.

59. Incorporate arts and crafts into lessons

“I’ve done Egyptian units where kids create their own sarcophaguses. It has to have representations of things that are important to them.” — Laura N.

“We created cubes (made of poster board and cut and glued with hot glue) to create an informational cube about Egyptians. They did their own research for the topics covered.” — Brittany R.

60. Have a classroom debate—in costume

“We do a debate between the Patriots and the Loyalists, complete with costumes. The kids LOVED this activity.” — Sherrie R.

61. Get the wiggles out

Even grown-ups can’t sit still and listen all day! Get your kids up and moving with awesome 5th grade brain breaks .

62. Prizes don’t have to be the way to go

Looking to explore other ways of classroom management? Check out what this teacher has to say about rewards .

63. Scratch the “I don’t know …”

Teach students these eight alternatives to “I don’t know” to help promote perseverance in your classroom!

64. Respond in ways that promote thinking

It can be so frustrating when our students look at us and blurt out “I don’t get it” after an in-depth lesson. Here are five practical ways you can respond to get those brains thinking!

65. Teach kids perseverance

Create a classroom community of students who don’t give up when challenges present themselves. Learn ways to build perseverance in your classroom when you’re teaching 5th grade!

66. Encourage a growth mindset

A growth mindset helps students embrace challenges, learn how to fail and try again, and gain more skills to becoming independent. Learn ways to incorporate growth mindset into your daily lessons and routines.

Other Ideas

67. have a sense of humor.

Teaching 5th grade requires a sense of humor, for both yourself and your students. Try one of our 5th grade jokes to start the day .

68. Build positive relationships with parents

Here are  tips for working with parents that make it the easiest part of your job.

69. Tweak your lingo

Sometimes a mere tweak in your language can make a big change in classroom participation!

70. Know the goals

New to 5th grade? Not sure of the skills your students need when they head off to middle school? Here are the skills one teacher says every 5th grader must have by the end of the school year.

What are your top tips for teaching 5th grade? Come share in our WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group  on Facebook.

Plus, check out our guide to the 5th grade classroom ..

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Should Kids Get Homework?

Homework gives elementary students a way to practice concepts, but too much can be harmful, experts say.

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Effective homework reinforces math, reading, writing or spelling skills, but in a way that's meaningful.

How much homework students should get has long been a source of debate among parents and educators. In recent years, some districts have even implemented no-homework policies, as students juggle sports, music and other activities after school.

Parents of elementary school students, in particular, have argued that after-school hours should be spent with family or playing outside rather than completing assignments. And there is little research to show that homework improves academic achievement for elementary students.

But some experts say there's value in homework, even for younger students. When done well, it can help students practice core concepts and develop study habits and time management skills. The key to effective homework, they say, is keeping assignments related to classroom learning, and tailoring the amount by age: Many experts suggest no homework for kindergartners, and little to none in first and second grade.

Value of Homework

Homework provides a chance to solidify what is being taught in the classroom that day, week or unit. Practice matters, says Janine Bempechat, clinical professor at Boston University 's Wheelock College of Education & Human Development.

"There really is no other domain of human ability where anybody would say you don't need to practice," she adds. "We have children practicing piano and we have children going to sports practice several days a week after school. You name the domain of ability and practice is in there."

Homework is also the place where schools and families most frequently intersect.

"The children are bringing things from the school into the home," says Paula S. Fass, professor emerita of history at the University of California—Berkeley and the author of "The End of American Childhood." "Before the pandemic, (homework) was the only real sense that parents had to what was going on in schools."

Harris Cooper, professor emeritus of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University and author of "The Battle Over Homework," examined more than 60 research studies on homework between 1987 and 2003 and found that — when designed properly — homework can lead to greater student success. Too much, however, is harmful. And homework has a greater positive effect on students in secondary school (grades 7-12) than those in elementary.

"Every child should be doing homework, but the amount and type that they're doing should be appropriate for their developmental level," he says. "For teachers, it's a balancing act. Doing away with homework completely is not in the best interest of children and families. But overburdening families with homework is also not in the child's or a family's best interest."

Negative Homework Assignments

Not all homework for elementary students involves completing a worksheet. Assignments can be fun, says Cooper, like having students visit educational locations, keep statistics on their favorite sports teams, read for pleasure or even help their parents grocery shop. The point is to show students that activities done outside of school can relate to subjects learned in the classroom.

But assignments that are just busy work, that force students to learn new concepts at home, or that are overly time-consuming can be counterproductive, experts say.

Homework that's just busy work.

Effective homework reinforces math, reading, writing or spelling skills, but in a way that's meaningful, experts say. Assignments that look more like busy work – projects or worksheets that don't require teacher feedback and aren't related to topics learned in the classroom – can be frustrating for students and create burdens for families.

"The mental health piece has definitely played a role here over the last couple of years during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the last thing we want to do is frustrate students with busy work or homework that makes no sense," says Dave Steckler, principal of Red Trail Elementary School in Mandan, North Dakota.

Homework on material that kids haven't learned yet.

With the pressure to cover all topics on standardized tests and limited time during the school day, some teachers assign homework that has not yet been taught in the classroom.

Not only does this create stress, but it also causes equity challenges. Some parents speak languages other than English or work several jobs, and they aren't able to help teach their children new concepts.

" It just becomes agony for both parents and the kids to get through this worksheet, and the goal becomes getting to the bottom of (the) worksheet with answers filled in without any understanding of what any of it matters for," says professor Susan R. Goldman, co-director of the Learning Sciences Research Institute at the University of Illinois—Chicago .

Homework that's overly time-consuming.

The standard homework guideline recommended by the National Parent Teacher Association and the National Education Association is the "10-minute rule" – 10 minutes of nightly homework per grade level. A fourth grader, for instance, would receive a total of 40 minutes of homework per night.

But this does not always happen, especially since not every student learns the same. A 2015 study published in the American Journal of Family Therapy found that primary school children actually received three times the recommended amount of homework — and that family stress increased along with the homework load.

Young children can only remain attentive for short periods, so large amounts of homework, especially lengthy projects, can negatively affect students' views on school. Some individual long-term projects – like having to build a replica city, for example – typically become an assignment for parents rather than students, Fass says.

"It's one thing to assign a project like that in which several kids are working on it together," she adds. "In (that) case, the kids do normally work on it. It's another to send it home to the families, where it becomes a burden and doesn't really accomplish very much."

Private vs. Public Schools

Do private schools assign more homework than public schools? There's little research on the issue, but experts say private school parents may be more accepting of homework, seeing it as a sign of academic rigor.

Of course, not all private schools are the same – some focus on college preparation and traditional academics, while others stress alternative approaches to education.

"I think in the academically oriented private schools, there's more support for homework from parents," says Gerald K. LeTendre, chair of educational administration at Pennsylvania State University—University Park . "I don't know if there's any research to show there's more homework, but it's less of a contentious issue."

How to Address Homework Overload

First, assess if the workload takes as long as it appears. Sometimes children may start working on a homework assignment, wander away and come back later, Cooper says.

"Parents don't see it, but they know that their child has started doing their homework four hours ago and still not done it," he adds. "They don't see that there are those four hours where their child was doing lots of other things. So the homework assignment itself actually is not four hours long. It's the way the child is approaching it."

But if homework is becoming stressful or workload is excessive, experts suggest parents first approach the teacher, followed by a school administrator.

"Many times, we can solve a lot of issues by having conversations," Steckler says, including by "sitting down, talking about the amount of homework, and what's appropriate and not appropriate."

Study Tips for High School Students

Tags: K-12 education , students , elementary school , children

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5th Grade Worksheets

Browse printable 5th grade worksheets for math and ELA, all aligned to the common core standards. These well-curated worksheets supplement classroom learning and offer structured practice of key concepts like multi-digit arithmetic, operations on fractions & decimals, graphing, order of operations, readin ... Read more g, writing, grammar, vocabulary, etc. Loved by kids, teachers, & parents! Start now for free!

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Number Sense Worksheets

Check the Number Comparisons Worksheet

This worksheet tests your knowledge on comparing multi-digit numbers through a series of true or false statements.

Form the Greatest and the Smallest Number Worksheet

Learn number sense at the speed of lightning by forming the greatest and the smallest number.

Compare and Arrange Digits to Form 4-Digit Numbers Worksheet

A worksheet designed to practice comparison skills by arranging digits to create and compare different 4-digit numbers.

Compare Large Numbers Using Symbols Worksheet

Boost your numerical skills with this worksheet on comparing large, multi-digit numbers.

Multiplication Worksheets

Multiply 1000 and 2-Digit Numbers: Horizontal Multiplication Worksheet

Learners must multiply 1000 and 2-digit numbers to enhance their math skills.

Multiply Multiples of 1000 and 1-Digit Numbers: Horizontal Multiplication Worksheet

This downloadable worksheet is designed to multiply multiples of 1000 and 1-digit numbers.

Facts of 11: Horizontal Multiplication Worksheet

Boost your math skills by practicing the facts of 11 by printing this playful worksheet.

Multiply by Doubling and Halving Worksheet

Assess your math skills by multiplying by doubling and halving in this worksheet.

Division Worksheets

Divide 2-Digit Numbers by 2-Digit Numbers without Remainder: Horizontal Division Worksheet

Reinforce math concepts by dividing 2-digit numbers by 2-digit numbers without remainder.

Choose the Better Estimate of the Quotient Worksheet

Focus on core math skills with this fun worksheet by choosing the better estimate of the quotient.

Divide By Multiples of Ten Worksheet

Put your skills to the test by practicing to divide by multiples of ten.

Divide By Ten And Its Multiples Worksheet

Learners must divide by ten and its multiples to enhance their math skills.

Fractions Worksheets

Check the Fraction Order Worksheet

This worksheet will test your ability to correctly order fractions without the aid of visual models.

Round Fractions to the Nearest Whole Number Worksheet

Print this worksheet to practice rounding fractions to the nearest whole number like a math legend!

Compare Unlike Fractions Worksheet

Reinforce math concepts by practicing to compare unlike fractions.

Identify Mixed Numbers Represented by the Model Worksheet

Assess your math skills by identifying mixed numbers represented by the model in this worksheet.

Decimals Worksheets

Comparing Decimals Up to Hundredths Worksheet

Make math practice a joyride by solving problems by comparing decimals upto hundredths.

Represent Decimal Fractions as Decimal Number Worksheet

Combine math learning with adventure by representing decimal fractions as decimal numbers.

Arranging Decimals Worksheet

Help your child revise decimals by solving to arrange them.

Round Up or Round Down Worksheet

Reinforce math concepts by practicing to round up or round down.

Geometry Worksheets

Drawing Lines of Symmetry Worksheet

Boost your geometry skills with this worksheet on drawing lines of symmetry in 2D shapes.

Classifying Angles by Their Measurements Worksheet

This worksheet involves identifying and categorizing angles based on their degree measurements.

Classifying Shapes Worksheet

Enhance your knowledge of 2D shapes hierarchy with this 'Classifying Shapes' worksheet.

Identifying Parallel Sides in Shapes Worksheet

Improve your understanding of parallel lines with this worksheet on identifying parallel sides in shapes.

Measurement Worksheets

Calculating Perimeter of Rectangles Worksheet

Boost your geometry skills with this worksheet on calculating the perimeter of rectangles.

Convert Customary Units - Capacity

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Convert Customary Units of Capacity Worksheet

Improve your measurement conversion skills with this worksheet on Customary Units of Capacity.

Calculate Area of Rectangles and Color the Shapes Worksheet

An engaging worksheet focused on calculating the area of rectangles and coloring 2D shapes.

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Word Problems on Dividing Money Worksheet

An engaging worksheet tackling real-life scenarios through word problems on dividing money.

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Generating Number Patterns Worksheet

Dive into this fun-filled printable worksheet by generating number patterns.

Identify the Rule of the Given Number Pattern Worksheet

Reinforce math concepts by practicing to identify the rule of the given number pattern.

Identify Expressions and Equations Worksheet

Combine math learning with adventure by solving to identify expressions and equations.

Identify Prime and Composite Using Factors Worksheet

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Word Problems on Subtracting Decimals Worksheet

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Word Problems on Comparing Division Expression Worksheet

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Word Problems on Adding Decimals Worksheet

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Solve the Multiplication Word Problems Worksheet

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Lets read Camping in the Rain! Worksheet

Seth is excited about going camping. Will he get to go? Read on to find out and answer the questions that follow.

Eli Tries to Escape: Comprehension Skills Worksheet

Join Eli on his great escapade at the grocery store. Read all about Eli's colorful imagination and use your own to answer the questions that follow.

Elis Day of Adventure:Comprehension Skills Worksheet

Eli imagines himself as a pirate and sheriff to escape the boredom of waiting in line. With his mom, they conquer grocery stores and Burger Barn before heading to the park. Read and practice your comprehension skills.

Read and Answer - Camping in the Rain Worksheet

Read about the camping adventures of Seth in this fun worksheet that helps you sharpen your comprehension skills.

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Picture Description: A Robbery Gone Wrong

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Write A Wintery Story Worksheet

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Creative Writing: My Favorite Sport

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Practice Writing: New Year Worksheet

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Find the Comparative or Superlative Adverbs Worksheet

The adverbs are comparing themselves to each other. So, they have divided themselves into comparative and superlative. Can you tell them apart in this worksheet?

Winter Adjectives Worksheet

Add elements of fun to your ELA practice by exploring Winter Adjectives .

Christmas Word Search Worksheet

Experience the joy of the festive season while enhancing your vocabulary with our meticulously designed worksheet.

Pronoun Parade Worksheet

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Spelling Bee: Commonly Misspelled Words

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Spelling Bee: Double Consonants

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A Snowy Word Scramble Worksheet

Unscramble letters to form snowy compound words in 'Snowy Compound Words Worksheet'.

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They're Confusing Worksheet

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Abbreviations Worksheet

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Contractions Continued Worksheet

A Halloween-themed grammar worksheet to identify and break down contractions in sentences.

Let's Affix It Worksheet

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Add the Numbers using the Column Method Worksheet

Solidify your math skills by practicing to add numbers using the column method.

Estimate the Sum or the Difference Worksheet

Solidify your math skills by practicing to estimate the sum or the difference.

Compare the Multiplication Expressions Worksheet

In this worksheet, learners will get to compare multiplication expressions.

Use Patterns of Zero to Divide Worksheet

Use patterns of zero to divide to strengthen your math skills.

Match the Angles with Their Fraction Turn Worksheet

Engaging worksheet for learning about angles through matching them with their fraction turns.

Identify the Decimal Fractions Worksheet

Learn fractions at the speed of lightning by practicing to identify decimal fractions.

Compare the Given Word Problems Worksheet

Print this worksheet to compare the given word problems like a math legend!

Subtract the Numbers using the Column Method Worksheet

Help your child revise number sense by solving to subtract the numbers using the column method.

Word Problems on Comparing the Multiplication Exp Worksheet

Boost your ability to solve word problems on comparing the multiplication expressions.

Use Patterns of Zero in Division Sentences Worksheet

Solve this printable math worksheet to use patterns of zero in division sentences.

Decimal Fractions to Decimal Numbers Worksheet

Assess your math skills by converting decimal fractions into decimal numbers in this worksheet.

Sorting Shapes with Parallel Sides Worksheet

An engaging worksheet designed to help students identify and categorize shapes based on parallel sides.

Word Problems on Estimating Sum or Difference Worksheet

Boost your ability to solve word problems on estimating the sum or difference in this worksheet.

Practice Writing: Spring Verbs Worksheet

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Making Adverbs from Adjectives Worksheet

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Abbreviation Attack Worksheet

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Convert Sentences Using the Associative Property Worksheet

Explore this worksheet to master converting sentences using the associative property of multiplication in math.

Compare Division Expressions Worksheet

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Choose the Correct Fraction Worksheet

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Add Decimal Fractions to Write Decimal Number Worksheet

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Convert Customary Units of Length Worksheet

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Find the Missing Numbers in the Repeating Pattern Worksheet

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Model the Multiplication Word Problems Worksheet

Combine math learning with adventure by modeling multiplication word problems.

Practice Writing: Summer Adjectives Worksheet

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Compare Large Numbers with Words Worksheet

A worksheet designed to help students understand and practice comparing multi-digit numbers using words.

Browse Printable 5th Grade Worksheets for Math and ELA

Introducing our grade 5 worksheets for math and ELA, designed to support students, teachers, and parents in the educational process. These printable and downloadable worksheets are crafted in alignment with the grade 5 curriculum, offering a broad spectrum of practice sheets and educational materials in math and ELA .

SplashLearn's online worksheets provide a well-structured learning path, organized by grade, subjects, and topics. The worksheets offer a balanced mix of topical coverage, ensuring a comprehensive and enjoyable learning experience.

• Grade 5 Math Worksheets : Find a variety of exercises covering key concepts from the 5th grade math curriculum, such as  writing and understanding numerical expressions, multi-digit arithmetic, estimating products, times tables, place value of multi-digit numbers, multi-digit operations involving fractions and decimals, numerical expressions, conversion of measuring units, understanding coordinate plane, and more.
• Grade 5 ELA Worksheets : These worksheets are focused on essential ELA topics and concepts, such as reading, writing, spelling, vocabulary, grammar, identifying the cause and effect, finding the inference, identifying the main idea, choosing an appropriate heading for the text, and more.

Your search for easy-to-use and effective printable worksheets for 5th graders ends here! Download our high-quality 5th grade worksheets now for hands-on practice and fun-filled learning!

Features of Our 5th Grade Printable Worksheets

Our 5th grade fun worksheets are created keeping in mind different factors, such as curriculum, learning abilities, attention span, common learning challenges, etc. Here are key features:

• Aligned with Grade 5 Curriculum : Our 5th grade worksheets meet the common core standards, ensuring kids get to practice relevant and crucial concepts from the curriculum with ease!
• Free for Teachers and Schools : While teachers have free access after registration , parents can sign up to download these worksheets for home use.
• Easy to Print and Download : Download the worksheets with ease from the SplashLearn website using a computer or laptop.
• Diverse Question Types : Introduce children to a variety of question styles to enhance their thinking and problem-solving abilities.
• Bite-Sized Practice Activities : Our worksheets divide lessons into short, engaging exercises to suit the learning needs of young students.
• Uses Visuals over Text: Keeping text minimal and using more pictures makes learning easier for everyone. These worksheets for fifth graders are super-fun and vibrant. Their compelling designs keep kids interested and invested.

Benefits of Using Our 5th Grade Worksheets

• Promotes Active Engagement : Explore a variety of challenging exercises with our fifth grade worksheets. They help solidify concepts like fractions, decimals, graphing points on the coordinate plane, reading comprehension, advanced grammar, etc.
• Identifies Learning Gaps: Helps parents and teachers recognize specific skill gaps in learning.
• Encourages Self-Motivated Learning : These exercises engage students actively and encourage self-learning and independent practice.
• Offers Effective Practice : These fifth grade worksheets include activities such as solving fraction word problems, comprehending complex texts, and creative writing exercises.
• Perfect Homework Assignments : An excellent assessment tool for both classroom and home use. These worksheets offer focused practice on individual concepts, helping in comprehensive learning and evaluation.

What Are the Best 5 Worksheets for 5th Graders?

Sharing 5 engaging and fun worksheets for 5th graders:

• Identify Ordered Pairs On Coordinate Grid Worksheet
• Write and Interpret Numerical Expressions Worksheet
• Add Mixed Numbers Using Models Worksheet
• Elements of the Story Worksheet
• Vocabulary Worksheet – Abbreviations Mastery

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How to Get Good Grades

Last Updated: May 18, 2024 Approved

This article was co-authored by Jennifer Kaifesh and by wikiHow staff writer, Hannah Madden . Jennifer Kaifesh is the Founder of Great Expectations College Prep, a tutoring and counseling service based in Southern California. Jennifer has over 15 years of experience managing and facilitating academic tutoring and standardized test prep as it relates to the college application process. She takes a personal approach to her tutoring, and focuses on working with students to find their specific mix of pursuits that they both enjoy and excel at. She is a graduate of Northwestern University. There are 9 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 50 testimonials and 83% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 2,241,915 times.

No matter how old we are, getting good grades is a goal for many of us. Juggling homework, tests, and projects can be tough, but with a little bit of effort and dedication, you can get (and keep) your grades up. Keep reading to learn how you can stay on top of your schoolwork and put your best foot forward during class.

Get a planner.

• Every day when you get home from school, check your calendar and see what needs to be done before tomorrow, as well as what's on the horizon for the next few days. Check off what you have already done so you don’t get confused.

Participate in class.

• If you’re an auditory learner, try recording the lectures so you can listen to them later on.
• Your teacher will really appreciate it if you participate, especially if you’re one of the only people doing so. And if you get on their good side, they’re more likely to be lenient on you during the grading process.

Take good notes.

• To write notes quickly, try using shorthand instead of full sentences. For instance, if you’re in math class, shorten “geometry” to “geo” and “algebra” into “alg.”
• Understand the 80/20 rule of studying: 80% of the test questions surround 20% of the most important concepts. If you are crammed for time figure out these core concepts by looking at past tests and study these first.

Ask your teacher for help.

• Often things we're told one-on-one stick with us more than things we're just being lectured about.
• If you’re a visual learner, try asking the teacher for handouts or study guides you can use.
• If you’re a hands-on learner, your teacher might have suggestions for you on how you can translate your work into good study material.

Get a tutor if you need to.

• Your school might also have a tutoring center where you can go and get help from different departments.

Joseph Meyer

Review basic concepts before diving into advanced topics. Identifying the gaps in your knowledge helps you avoid difficulties later on. Take an assessment or get your teacher's advice on where you can improve. Practice targeted exercises to build a strong foundation so you can confidently tackle new lessons.

Make a study schedule.

• Use your common sense when it comes to allotting time to specific classes. For example, Badminton needs a lot less time than the Principles of Celestial Mechanics.

Form a study group.

• This takes the information off the page and makes it fun and memorable. When you have to explain something to a friend, you think about it in a different way that can make it easier to understand.

Use memory tricks for memorization.

• Associations work, too. If you're trying to remember that India used to be a British colony, picture the queen jogging laps around the Taj Mahal. When the test comes, you may not remember what you actually should remember, but you'll remember enough to jog your memory!

Study for 10 to 20 minutes every day instead of cramming.

• Try not to pull all-nighters before a test, either. If you’re tired and groggy, you won’t be able to think clearly and effectively.

Try practice tests.

• There are tons of practice tests for big exams like the SAT or the ACT online.
• If you have trouble finding a practice test, ask your teacher to give you one.

Take 15-minute breaks every 45 minutes.

• Make sure you do something on your break that’s actually relaxing. It will help you feel rested and ready to tackle the rest of your work.

Eat a good, healthy breakfast every day.

• Pick a breakfast that’s both filling and nutritious. Go for oatmeal, toast, bagels, eggs, fresh fruit, yogurt, or granola to fuel your mind and your body.

Supercharge Your Studying with this Expert Series

Expert Q&A

Reader Videos

• Don't worry about competing with people around you, as they may have other goals. Just work hard and try to achieve your own goals for yourself. Thanks Helpful 5 Not Helpful 0
• At the end of each day, summarise the information you have learnt and put it in a different book. That way, when you want to do revision, you can see the key points quickly and easily, and not focus on the less important pieces of information. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ Jennifer Kaifesh. Academic Tutor. Expert Interview. 8 November 2019.
• ↑ https://hbculifestyle.com/improve-your-grades-in-college/
• ↑ https://math.osu.edu/undergrad/non-majors/resources/good-grade
• ↑ https://www.umassd.edu/dss/resources/students/classroom-strategies/how-to-get-good-grades/
• ↑ https://www.oxfordlearning.com/benefits-of-tutoring/
• ↑ https://www.oxfordlearning.com/studying-alone-vs-studying-in-a-group/
• ↑ https://www.oxfordlearning.com/mnemonic-devices/
• ↑ https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/releases/back-to-school-cramming-doesnt-work-in-the-long-run.html
• ↑ https://blog.collegeboard.org/how-to-improve-your-sat-score

About This Article

To get good grades, stay organized by keeping a planner with all of your assignments and upcoming tests in it. Make a study schedule for each week so you know exactly how much you should study for your classes. Make sure you take good notes and participate in class so you're more prepared for tests. Try to do your homework right after school every day so you don't procrastinate. If you feel like you're struggling with a subject, don't be afraid to ask your teacher for help or meet with a tutor. For more tips, like how to study for tests, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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What’s the Right Amount of Homework?

Decades of research show that homework has some benefits, especially for students in middle and high school—but there are risks to assigning too much.

Many teachers and parents believe that homework helps students build study skills and review concepts learned in class. Others see homework as disruptive and unnecessary, leading to burnout and turning kids off to school. Decades of research show that the issue is more nuanced and complex than most people think: Homework is beneficial, but only to a degree. Students in high school gain the most, while younger kids benefit much less.

The National PTA and the National Education Association support the “ 10-minute homework guideline ”—a nightly 10 minutes of homework per grade level. But many teachers and parents are quick to point out that what matters is the quality of the homework assigned and how well it meets students’ needs, not the amount of time spent on it.

The guideline doesn’t account for students who may need to spend more—or less—time on assignments. In class, teachers can make adjustments to support struggling students, but at home, an assignment that takes one student 30 minutes to complete may take another twice as much time—often for reasons beyond their control. And homework can widen the achievement gap, putting students from low-income households and students with learning disabilities at a disadvantage.

However, the 10-minute guideline is useful in setting a limit: When kids spend too much time on homework, there are real consequences to consider.

Small Benefits for Elementary Students

As young children begin school, the focus should be on cultivating a love of learning, and assigning too much homework can undermine that goal. And young students often don’t have the study skills to benefit fully from homework, so it may be a poor use of time (Cooper, 1989 ; Cooper et al., 2006 ; Marzano & Pickering, 2007 ). A more effective activity may be nightly reading, especially if parents are involved. The benefits of reading are clear: If students aren’t proficient readers by the end of third grade, they’re less likely to succeed academically and graduate from high school (Fiester, 2013 ).

For second-grade teacher Jacqueline Fiorentino, the minor benefits of homework did not outweigh the potential drawback of turning young children against school at an early age, so she experimented with dropping mandatory homework. “Something surprising happened: They started doing more work at home,” Fiorentino writes . “This inspiring group of 8-year-olds used their newfound free time to explore subjects and topics of interest to them.” She encouraged her students to read at home and offered optional homework to extend classroom lessons and help them review material.

Moderate Benefits for Middle School Students

As students mature and develop the study skills necessary to delve deeply into a topic—and to retain what they learn—they also benefit more from homework. Nightly assignments can help prepare them for scholarly work, and research shows that homework can have moderate benefits for middle school students (Cooper et al., 2006 ). Recent research also shows that online math homework, which can be designed to adapt to students’ levels of understanding, can significantly boost test scores (Roschelle et al., 2016 ).

There are risks to assigning too much, however: A 2015 study found that when middle school students were assigned more than 90 to 100 minutes of daily homework, their math and science test scores began to decline (Fernández-Alonso, Suárez-Álvarez, & Muñiz, 2015 ). Crossing that upper limit can drain student motivation and focus. The researchers recommend that “homework should present a certain level of challenge or difficulty, without being so challenging that it discourages effort.” Teachers should avoid low-effort, repetitive assignments, and assign homework “with the aim of instilling work habits and promoting autonomous, self-directed learning.”

In other words, it’s the quality of homework that matters, not the quantity. Brian Sztabnik, a veteran middle and high school English teacher, suggests that teachers take a step back and ask themselves these five questions :

• How long will it take to complete?
• Have all learners been considered?
• Will an assignment encourage future success?
• Will an assignment place material in a context the classroom cannot?
• Does an assignment offer support when a teacher is not there?

More Benefits for High School Students, but Risks as Well

By the time they reach high school, students should be well on their way to becoming independent learners, so homework does provide a boost to learning at this age, as long as it isn’t overwhelming (Cooper et al., 2006 ; Marzano & Pickering, 2007 ). When students spend too much time on homework—more than two hours each night—it takes up valuable time to rest and spend time with family and friends. A 2013 study found that high school students can experience serious mental and physical health problems, from higher stress levels to sleep deprivation, when assigned too much homework (Galloway, Conner, & Pope, 2013 ).

Homework in high school should always relate to the lesson and be doable without any assistance, and feedback should be clear and explicit.

Teachers should also keep in mind that not all students have equal opportunities to finish their homework at home, so incomplete homework may not be a true reflection of their learning—it may be more a result of issues they face outside of school. They may be hindered by issues such as lack of a quiet space at home, resources such as a computer or broadband connectivity, or parental support (OECD, 2014 ). In such cases, giving low homework scores may be unfair.

Since the quantities of time discussed here are totals, teachers in middle and high school should be aware of how much homework other teachers are assigning. It may seem reasonable to assign 30 minutes of daily homework, but across six subjects, that’s three hours—far above a reasonable amount even for a high school senior. Psychologist Maurice Elias sees this as a common mistake: Individual teachers create homework policies that in aggregate can overwhelm students. He suggests that teachers work together to develop a school-wide homework policy and make it a key topic of back-to-school night and the first parent-teacher conferences of the school year.

Parents Play a Key Role

Homework can be a powerful tool to help parents become more involved in their child’s learning (Walker et al., 2004 ). It can provide insights into a child’s strengths and interests, and can also encourage conversations about a child’s life at school. If a parent has positive attitudes toward homework, their children are more likely to share those same values, promoting academic success.

But it’s also possible for parents to be overbearing, putting too much emphasis on test scores or grades, which can be disruptive for children (Madjar, Shklar, & Moshe, 2015 ). Parents should avoid being overly intrusive or controlling—students report feeling less motivated to learn when they don’t have enough space and autonomy to do their homework (Orkin, May, & Wolf, 2017 ; Patall, Cooper, & Robinson, 2008 ; Silinskas & Kikas, 2017 ). So while homework can encourage parents to be more involved with their kids, it’s important to not make it a source of conflict.

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Common denominators

• Finding common denominators (Opens a modal)
• Common denominators: 1/4 and 5/6 (Opens a modal)
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How Much Homework Is Enough? Depends Who You Ask

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Editor’s note: This is an adapted excerpt from You, Your Child, and School: Navigate Your Way to the Best Education ( Viking)—the latest book by author and speaker Sir Ken Robinson (co-authored with Lou Aronica), published in March. For years, Robinson has been known for his radical work on rekindling creativity and passion in schools, including three bestselling books (also with Aronica) on the topic. His TED Talk “Do Schools Kill Creativity?” holds the record for the most-viewed TED talk of all time, with more than 50 million views. While Robinson’s latest book is geared toward parents, it also offers educators a window into the kinds of education concerns parents have for their children, including on the quality and quantity of homework.

The amount of homework young people are given varies a lot from school to school and from grade to grade. In some schools and grades, children have no homework at all. In others, they may have 18 hours or more of homework every week. In the United States, the accepted guideline, which is supported by both the National Education Association and the National Parent Teacher Association, is the 10-minute rule: Children should have no more than 10 minutes of homework each day for each grade reached. In 1st grade, children should have 10 minutes of daily homework; in 2nd grade, 20 minutes; and so on to the 12th grade, when on average they should have 120 minutes of homework each day, which is about 10 hours a week. It doesn’t always work out that way.

In 2013, the University of Phoenix College of Education commissioned a survey of how much homework teachers typically give their students. From kindergarten to 5th grade, it was just under three hours per week; from 6th to 8th grade, it was 3.2 hours; and from 9th to 12th grade, it was 3.5 hours.

There are two points to note. First, these are the amounts given by individual teachers. To estimate the total time children are expected to spend on homework, you need to multiply these hours by the number of teachers they work with. High school students who work with five teachers in different curriculum areas may find themselves with 17.5 hours or more of homework a week, which is the equivalent of a part-time job. The other factor is that these are teachers’ estimates of the time that homework should take. The time that individual children spend on it will be more or less than that, according to their abilities and interests. One child may casually dash off a piece of homework in half the time that another will spend laboring through in a cold sweat.

Do students have more homework these days than previous generations? Given all the variables, it’s difficult to say. Some studies suggest they do. In 2007, a study from the National Center for Education Statistics found that, on average, high school students spent around seven hours a week on homework. A similar study in 1994 put the average at less than five hours a week. Mind you, I [Robinson] was in high school in England in the 1960s and spent a lot more time than that—though maybe that was to do with my own ability. One way of judging this is to look at how much homework your own children are given and compare it to what you had at the same age.

Many parents find it difficult to help their children with subjects they’ve not studied themselves for a long time, if at all.

There’s also much debate about the value of homework. Supporters argue that it benefits children, teachers, and parents in several ways:

• Children learn to deepen their understanding of specific content, to cover content at their own pace, to become more independent learners, to develop problem-solving and time-management skills, and to relate what they learn in school to outside activities.
• Teachers can see how well their students understand the lessons; evaluate students’ individual progress, strengths, and weaknesses; and cover more content in class.
• Parents can engage practically in their children’s education, see firsthand what their children are being taught in school, and understand more clearly how they’re getting on—what they find easy and what they struggle with in school.

Want to know more about Sir Ken Robinson? Check out our Q&A with him.

Q&A With Sir Ken Robinson

Ashley Norris is assistant dean at the University of Phoenix College of Education. Commenting on her university’s survey, she says, “Homework helps build confidence, responsibility, and problem-solving skills that can set students up for success in high school, college, and in the workplace.”

That may be so, but many parents find it difficult to help their children with subjects they’ve not studied themselves for a long time, if at all. Families have busy lives, and it can be hard for parents to find time to help with homework alongside everything else they have to cope with. Norris is convinced it’s worth the effort, especially, she says, because in many schools, the nature of homework is changing. One influence is the growing popularity of the so-called flipped classroom.

In the stereotypical classroom, the teacher spends time in class presenting material to the students. Their homework consists of assignments based on that material. In the flipped classroom, the teacher provides the students with presentational materials—videos, slides, lecture notes—which the students review at home and then bring questions and ideas to school where they work on them collaboratively with the teacher and other students. As Norris notes, in this approach, homework extends the boundaries of the classroom and reframes how time in school can be used more productively, allowing students to “collaborate on learning, learn from each other, maybe critique [each other’s work], and share those experiences.”

Even so, many parents and educators are increasingly concerned that homework, in whatever form it takes, is a bridge too far in the pressured lives of children and their families. It takes away from essential time for their children to relax and unwind after school, to play, to be young, and to be together as a family. On top of that, the benefits of homework are often asserted, but they’re not consistent, and they’re certainly not guaranteed.

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Grade Calculator

Use this calculator to find out the grade of a course based on weighted averages. This calculator accepts both numerical as well as letter grades. It also can calculate the grade needed for the remaining assignments in order to get a desired grade for an ongoing course.

Final Grade Calculator

Use this calculator to find out the grade needed on the final exam in order to get a desired grade in a course. It accepts letter grades, percentage grades, and other numerical inputs.

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The calculators above use the following letter grades and their typical corresponding numerical equivalents based on grade points.

Brief history of different grading systems

In 1785, students at Yale were ranked based on "optimi" being the highest rank, followed by second optimi, inferiore (lower), and pejores (worse). At William and Mary, students were ranked as either No. 1, or No. 2, where No. 1 represented students that were first in their class, while No. 2 represented those who were "orderly, correct and attentive." Meanwhile at Harvard, students were graded based on a numerical system from 1-200 (except for math and philosophy where 1-100 was used). Later, shortly after 1883, Harvard used a system of "Classes" where students were either Class I, II, III, IV, or V, with V representing a failing grade. All of these examples show the subjective, arbitrary, and inconsistent nature with which different institutions graded their students, demonstrating the need for a more standardized, albeit equally arbitrary grading system.

In 1887, Mount Holyoke College became the first college to use letter grades similar to those commonly used today. The college used a grading scale with the letters A, B, C, D, and E, where E represented a failing grade. This grading system however, was far stricter than those commonly used today, with a failing grade being defined as anything below 75%. The college later re-defined their grading system, adding the letter F for a failing grade (still below 75%). This system of using a letter grading scale became increasingly popular within colleges and high schools, eventually leading to the letter grading systems typically used today. However, there is still significant variation regarding what may constitute an A, or whether a system uses plusses or minuses (i.e. A+ or B-), among other differences.

An alternative to the letter grading system

Letter grades provide an easy means to generalize a student's performance. They can be more effective than qualitative evaluations in situations where "right" or "wrong" answers can be easily quantified, such as an algebra exam, but alone may not provide a student with enough feedback in regards to an assessment like a written paper (which is much more subjective).

Although a written analysis of each individual student's work may be a more effective form of feedback, there exists the argument that students and parents are unlikely to read the feedback, and that teachers do not have the time to write such an analysis. There is precedence for this type of evaluation system however, in Saint Ann's School in New York City, an arts-oriented private school that does not have a letter grading system. Instead, teachers write anecdotal reports for each student. This method of evaluation focuses on promoting learning and improvement, rather than the pursuit of a certain letter grade in a course. For better or for worse however, these types of programs constitute a minority in the United States, and though the experience may be better for the student, most institutions still use a fairly standard letter grading system that students will have to adjust to. The time investment that this type of evaluation method requires of teachers/professors is likely not viable on university campuses with hundreds of students per course. As such, although there are other high schools such as Sanborn High School that approach grading in a more qualitative way, it remains to be seen whether such grading methods can be scalable. Until then, more generalized forms of grading like the letter grading system are unlikely to be entirely replaced. However, many educators already try to create an environment that limits the role that grades play in motivating students. One could argue that a combination of these two systems would likely be the most realistic, and effective way to provide a more standardized evaluation of students, while promoting learning.