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28 Activities for the First Day of School To Start the School Year Off Right

Back to school, here we go!

The first day of school can come with lots of excitement and, often, a bit of the jitters. It’s the start of a fresh academic year with new challenges and loads of learning opportunities. It’s also time to meet new people, make new friends, and learn different perspectives. These first-day-of-school activities will help you start off the year with a bang as you and your students form your community and begin your journey together.

1. Take first-day photos

Mark the occasion! These signs for the first day of school are the perfect back-to-school accessory for photo opportunities and activities on the first day of school.

Learn more: Free First-Day-of-School Printable Signs for Every Grade

2. Play a name game

Playing a name game is a fun way to help the entire class place faces with names and learn proper pronunciation. Plus kids are more likely to feel like they’re part of an inclusive environment when they hear their name pronounced correctly.

Learn more: Fun Name Games To Play With Your New Class

3. Read first-day-of-school books

The first days of back-to-school can truly set the stage for the entire school year with students. Get off on the right track with these entertaining and informative read-alouds.

Learn more: Perfect Back-to-School Books To Read Aloud on the First Day

4. Play a round of Classmate Bingo

Invite students to mix and mingle as they learn fun facts about one another with this fun, free printable bingo template. And check out the link below for even more awesome first-day printable activities.

Learn more: Fun First-Day-of-School Worksheets

5. Go on a school supply scavenger hunt

Spending lots of time gathering supplies for each assignment is time-consuming! Use this free printable worksheet to send your students on a scavenger hunt to find everything on the list. Then, when the time comes, they’ll be able to get geared up quickly.

Learn more: Life Over Cs

6. Ask your students about their hopes and dreams

Asking students about their hopes and dreams at the start of the school year gets them excited and enthusiastic about learning in your classroom.

Learn more: Responsive Classroom

7. Break the ice with fun activities

Icebreaker activities help kids form positive relationships from the get-go and are a great way to build community in your classroom. Along with these fun activities, try these Fun Icebreaker Questions for Kids and Teens.

Learn more: Elementary Icebreakers

8. Interview a classmate

What better way to help students get to know each other those first few weeks of school than by asking each other questions? Have students pair up, ask questions, and take notes on each other. Do this activity a few times, having students switch up partners each time.

Learn more: Teaching Made Practical

9. Write “I Am” poems

“I Am” poems beautifully capture a snapshot of your students at the beginning of the school year. Their poems reveal their hopes, dreams, and fears and help you get to know them a little better. Write your own along with them, and be sure to share.

Learn more: Mary Hanna Wilson

10. Craft a class contract together

Taking the time to create a classroom contract sets the stage for a supportive environment. Asking questions like “How do you want to treat each other?” and “How should we handle conflict?” opens up the dialogue and lets your students know that their needs are important.

Learn more: 4 Free 15-Minute Icebreakers for Your Classroom

11. Offer a STEM challenge

STEM challenges not only encourage kids to work together to solve problems and challenge their thinking skills,  they are super fun!

Learn more:

• Kindergarten STEM Challenges
• First Grade STEM Challenges
• Second Grade STEM Challenges
• Third Grade STEM Challenges
• Fourth Grade STEM Challenges
• Fifth Grade STEM Challenges

12. Open up with a teacher Q&A

Holding a Q&A session is a great way for your students to know more about you. Sit center stage and open the floor to their questions. Not only will this establish trust and help your students feel more comfortable with you, it is a great way to model how your morning circle works.

Learn more: What I Have Learned

13. Establish a few first-day-of-school traditions

Over the years, you’ll find a few first-day-of-school activities that are keepers. They mark the day as special and help you set the tone for a fun year ahead. Check out the list below and adopt a few as your own.

Learn more: First-Day-of-School Traditions Your Students Will Love

14. Start a goal-setting project

Being able to set goals is an important skill for students to practice all year long. This fun activity helps students identify some of the things they hope to accomplish and document them in an artful, creative way that becomes a colorful display for the classroom and a great keepsake for parents.

15. Get those procedures and routines rolling

The first days and weeks of school are the ideal time to set the stage for a well-managed classroom. These tips will help you establish, reinforce, and streamline classroom procedures that will really make a difference.

Learn more: Must-Teach Classroom Routines and Procedures

16. Race to build the tallest tower

This is another fun STEM challenge and collaborative activity for your students. As your students work, circulate around the classroom and take note of the strengths and challenges you see among your students. Use your notes to plan future coaching sessions.

Learn more: Laura Candler

17. Ask “Would you rather” questions

A perennial favorite, “Would you rather” questions delight kids of all ages. Funny, silly, and though-provoking, they loosen up first-day jitters and help kids find common ground with their classmates.

Learn more: Would You Rather? Questions for Elementary School

18. Play “Get To Know You” Jenga

Sometimes direct Q and A can feel a little intimidating. Putting a Jenga spin on it turns it into a game while accomplishing the “get to know you” aspect of this fun first-day-of-school activity.

Learn more: Jennifer Findley

19. Get creative together

Get your students’ creative juices flowing from the get-go with these fun drawing activities.

Learn more: Clever Drawing Games To Level Up Artistic Skills

20. Find out what your students wish their teacher knew

Getting to know your students is the first step toward building meaningful relationships with them. This activity gives your kids the opportunity to share important information about who they are and what is important to them. Share a little bit of yourself as you model this activity for them first.

Learn more: For the Love of Teachers

21. Establish your job/my job expectations

Occasionally kids can get a little overzealous and have some issues with boundaries. This activity is a great reminder for students about their job as a student vs. yours as their teacher.

Learn more: Mrs. Hawk’s Nest

22. Set the stage for a great year

The key to a well-planned classroom management system is finding out what works best for you and for your particular group of individuals each year. Here are 22 teacher-tested management techniques to help you design and maintain your own ideal classroom learning environment.

Learn more: Brilliant Classroom Management Strategies and Techniques

23. Find common ground with Venn diagrams

Venn diagrams are not only a great learning tool, they can be a fun get-to-know-you activity. Watch this fun video together, then pair students up to find out just how much they have in common with one another.

24. Put together a group puzzle

Create a beautiful collage of student art with this group puzzle. Hand out one piece to each student and encourage them to illustrate their piece in a way that expresses their personality. Then, give them time to put it all together. Once they’re done, apply clear contact paper over the puzzle and turn it into a hangable piece of art for your classroom.

Learn more: Teachers Pay Teachers

25. Touch base with some one-on-one time

This teacher-blogger shares one of her favorite activities for the first day of school. “I like to spend a few minutes one-on-one with each student,” she says. “Get to know them, introduce yourself, giggle, and encourage them. Making that personal connection on the first day is so important! You may get some teacher inspiration and insights into your students that you can use all year long!”

26. Sweeten the getting-to-know-you process

Did someone say M&Ms? This fun activity is sure to catch your students’ attention. Maybe save it until right before recess so they can run off the sugar spike.

Learn more: She’s Crafty

27. Play a team-building game

Team-building activities are a super way to kick off the first day of school. They give your students the chance to get to know one another, build trust as a community, and, best of all, have fun!

Learn more: Awesome Team-Building Activities for Kids

28. Set goals with avatars

This is another fun way to teach students the importance of setting meaningful goals. And just like the characters they create, have your students focus on their individual strengths and needs as they formulate their goals.

Learn more: Around the Kampfire

What are some of your favorite first-day-of-school activities? We’d love to hear about them in our WeAreTeachers HELPLINE  group on Facebook.

Plus, check out welcoming doors for back to school ..

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What To Do On The First Day Of School – A Practical Schedule

Wondering what to do on the first day of school?

I was always surprised at how quickly the day would fly by. One minute I'm greeting students, the next, I'm exhaustedly sitting at my desk wondering where the day has gone, why my feet are so tired, and how I could have gone the entire day without doing anything I had planned.

Over the years, I learned to prioritize what I wanted accomplished the first day of school so that I didn't forget to do the most important things. In my opinion, the non-negotiables for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students are:

• collecting school supplies
• building classroom community
• establishing classroom routines and procedures

Figuring Out School Supplies On The First Day Of School

Of all the things to do the first day of school, this is definitely the least important.  But it is also one of the first things you will have to deal with, as students will come in to the classroom eager to try out their new supplies.

Some schools have systems in place for parents to bring school supplies in ahead of time, but that is not always the case.  But even if parents brought in supplies ahead of time, there is a good chance that students come with more on the first day of school.

If you don't have a plan for these school supplies, then students will come up with their own plan.  And that plan will usually involve half opened bottles of glue and broken crayons stuffed inside their desk, and that copy paper that you so desperately need disappearing.

There are a lot of ways to handle student school supplies - communal supplies, every student keeping their own supplies, a mix of both, sharing with tables, etc.  However you decide to handle supplies in your own classroom, you need a plan in place ahead of time.

When students entered my 3rd grade classroom wondering what to do on the first day of school, I would ask them to find their seat, hang their backpack on the back of their chair, and begin one of these no prep activities (usually the word search, since they could do that independently) with the pencil I had already sharpened for them.

I provided everything they needed so that students didn't need to mess with any of their supplies.  If they had any supplies, they were asked to keep the supplies in their backpack or on the floor next to them.

Once we had time later in the day, I would go over the expectations for school supplies - what supplies they could keep in their desk, what to do with other supplies, how to treat school supplies, what to do if they didn't have any, etc.

Make sure you have a plan in place for school supplies when they first enter the classroom.  A free for all is not a sustainable solution.

The end of year is a great time to introduce and review probability - the hands on activities are fun and engaging for students. This Low Prep Probability Resource makes it easy on you. It includes:

• no prep worksheets
• an introduction to probability vocabulary - certain, likely, equally likely, unlikely, and impossible
• hands on probability games and graphing with spinners, dice, and a coin toss
• 32 task cards

Building Community on the First Day of School

Once all of your upper elementary students are in the classroom, you can begin the most important part of your day - beginning to build a positive classroom community.  You want to get to know your students, you want your students to get to know you, you want them to get to know each other, and you want to begin to create a culture of kindness.

Any extra time you have on the first day of school should be devoted to building community!  There are endless ways to do this.

Interview A Friend

All about me activities.

All About Me Activities are a fun way to get to know each other.  And if you complete the activity as well, it gives students a chance to get to know you.

One of my favorites was modeling this All About Me Bag activity , and then assigning it to students as their first "homework" assignment.

These other All About Me Activity Ideas are fun as well.

Partner or Small Group Discussion Questions

Giving students a chance to talk to each other in a low stakes setting is one of the best ways to build community.  Asking one of these fun discussion questions and giving students a chance to talk to the students that are around them will set them more at ease.

This also gives you a chance to explain and practice your different partnering up procedures - an often used procedure in my classroom.

Team Builders and Ice Breakers

Introducing and practicing important routines and procedures.

Beginning to set expectations and practice routines from Day 1 is essential.  If you don't take the time to establish a routine, then 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students will create their own.

There will probably not be enough time on the first day of school to practice ALL of the routines and procedures on this free checklist, but you can definitely begin by practicing the ones that will occur daily.  Things like:

• Entering the Classroom/Morning Routine
• Sharpening Pencils
• Going to the Bathroom
• Walking in the Hallway
• Using Hand Signals
• Classroom Jobs
• Finding a Partner
• Cleaning Up the Classroom

Most of these procedures will come up naturally during the day, so introduce them and practice them as they come up.  Just make sure you plan for plenty of time to practice before you are expected to be anywhere!

For example, allot around 5-10 minutes to go over bathroom procedures before you plan on taking a bathroom break.

Be sure you have time to practice your lining up procedures and hallway procedures before you have to get your students to lunch or P.E.

And since dismissal is almost always the craziest time of day, make sure you have plenty of time to practice this procedure - you don't want to rush it, and you also don't want students leaving school late!

The first day of school isn't the only time you'll be practicing procedures.  You'll do that over and over again throughout the school year.  These fun ideas to review procedures and routines can keep you and the students from getting bored!

Fitting it All Together - A Practical Schedule

So what does a typical schedule look like for that first day of school?  Since all classrooms have different schedules for things like recess, lunch, school-wide assemblies, and specials, it's hard to say exactly.  But it could go something like this:

• Greet Students (and tell them what to do with school supplies)
• Introduce Yourself
• Team Builder/Ice Breaker Activity to Build Community
• Procedure Practice (probably lining up, hallway, and bathroom procedures so you can take a bathroom break)
• Another Team Builder/Ice Breaker Activity to Build Community
• More Procedure Practice (whatever you need to practice before going to lunch/recess)
• Lunch/Recess
• More Procedure Practice (possibly practicing the morning routine so they know what to do when they enter the classroom the next day)
• Read aloud one of these Back to School Books
• Another Team Builder/Ice Breaker Activity
• More Procedure Practice

Between procedure practice and building community, there really isn't much time in the day for anything else!

You might also find these other back to school ideas and tips helpful.

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How To Help Your Child — And Yourself — Through The First Day Of School

Alejandra Marquez Janse

Courtney Dorning

The first day back to school can be a dreaded experience — for both children and parents. This year might be especially scary, as many children have spent a year and a half learning from home.

Copyright © 2021 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

10 Things Teachers MUST DO on the 1st Day of School!

• Classroom Management , Differentiation , Planning , Routines & Systems , Seasonal

Ahhhh… Summer is gone. Where did it go? It seems that it was only yesterday that you were packing up your classroom and driving off into the beach’s sunset. Now, it’s almost the first day of school. It’s time to unpack the classroom, make the copies, and start off a fresh new school year! Well, let’s make sure you start it off right – right from the first day of school!

There are 10 things that every teacher MUST DO on their first day of school. If they want their school year to be successful, then they cannot leave any of these 10 things out. Here they are in no particular order.

The 1st Day of School MUSTS

1.)  Greet Your Students.   As your cute little darlings are coming down the hallway, you need to be ready to help them out and greet them. This is definitely not the time to catch up with colleagues you haven’t seen all summer. You need to help these Nervous Nellies feel better – and the best way to do that is by making them comfortable with your smile and warm greeting.

2.)  Have Work for Them Right Away (and All Day!).   When students enter the classroom – even on the first day of school – there should be something for them to do. This sets the tone for the entire year. They need to understand that, in your classroom, you get down to business and that working (and learning) is a priority. Now, obviously, it’s the first day, so you may be thinking, “What am I going to have them do on the first day when they enter?” Why not a questionnaire, such as an interest inventory , to get to know them more or have them write about their summer (a writing sample!)?

Make sure you have plenty of things to do on the first day. I always over-planned on the first day because I didn’t know just how “this group” would move – were they tortoises or were they hares? You don’t want to be standing there unprepared with a few hours left to go; that leads to classroom management issues.

3.)  Introductions.  Have each student introduce themselves. There are lots of fun games to play where students have to share a little about themselves. You can even find some in my Back to School Product .

4.)  Build Community.   Building community is important because then, throughout the year, you can work together like a team or a family. This can be done through various team-building activities.

5.)  Teach Procedures .  It has to be done, but don’t just have students just sit and take it all in at once. I made that mistake my first year teaching. I droned on for what probably seemed like decades for those poor kids – and you know what? – they didn’t learn my procedures. Mention them as it is time. For instance, mention the procedures for lunch a few minutes before lunch. Seriously – otherwise it’s “information overload” and “shut the teacher out” mode.

Check out these resources for back to school!

6.)  Enforce Rules.  I know some teachers (myself included, at one time) that would not enforce rules on the first day of school because, well, it was the first day. BIG mistake . Make sure you introduce the rules (or create them together) right away and begin enforcing them on the first day – warnings and consequences. You usually don’t have to worry about them on the first day of school because they are so incredibly sleepy and in denial that summer is over, but hey, you never know!

7.)  Question and Answer Time.  This is one of my favorite things to do on the first day. It’s a great opportunity for me to make connections with the students and begin building relationships with them. I provide students with a 3×5 index card and allow them to write down any questions they have. They can even ask questions about me. Sometimes the questions are silly and wild (and I answer them kind of silly back – but that is just me!). Not all students have questions, and that’s okay. I answer the questions on the cards, and then I share with students a little about myself, including artifacts from my childhood, such as my report cards, my drawings, my handwriting (Mrs. Livingston, I finally finger-space between all my words!), and even pictures from when I was in elementary school. Students need to hear about your childhood and who you are outside the classroom. It helps them see that you also made mistakes and are human, too! The kids learn so much from it and love it!

8.)  Read.   Yes, read. On the first day, demonstrate the importance of literacy by creating a time for reading. If you don’t want to drag out your library just yet (understandably so), then choose a read aloud – even a picture book that will pique their interest – and just slow down to enjoy reading. We need to create students who have a passion for reading and who enjoy it. (I’m biased, of course, because I love reading). If you need some ideas for what to read, then check out my back to school read alouds or use the menu bar above and find my mentor texts posts.

9.)  Observe and Assess.  I know, students get tested and tested and tested. I’m not saying it has to be a formal test, but the reality is that when they come into our classroom, we don’t know exactly where they are academically. Sure, we have an idea because of their files and previous teachers. I like to get started right away, because the sooner I can get that information, the sooner I can start teaching. I can’t stand “taking days off” so I can assess. Observation is another great way to take note who they are forming relationships with for when you start creating seating charts and so on. (Of course, if you can’t get to this on the first day of school, then do try to get to it within the first week!)

1 0.)   Ease Their Nerves.   Students are very nervous on the first day of school. They are nervous about you as a teacher, about their class, about what they will learn this year, and so much more. Even if they have been in school for many years and have many of their friends in the same class – they are still nervous. Help them feel at ease by calming their nerves and giving them a heads up to what they will learn. I always try to give them a “preview,” similar to a movie trailer, of what is to come throughout the school year and excite them.

When school starts, think about how you want the day to run and imagine being in the shoes of your students. They are not going to want to do the same thing that every teacher does every year. They aren’t likely going to want to present about their summer, or listen to you drone on about the rules and procedures. Yes, some things have to be done every year, but there are ways to get those things done while still making the first day great! What do they say – it’s the first impression that counts?

Here’s to an amazing first day and a successful school year!

• Back to School , Planning , procedures , routines

4 Responses

This is such a fantastic post. I can totally relate- my first year of teaching I told ALLL the rules in the first hour… HUGE mistake! 🙂 #thejoysoffirstyearteaching

I’m not a first year teacher (I was previously a special education resource teacher), but this year I will be teaching K at my school with two new to my school teachers. Surprisingly, I had forgotten about setting aside time for introductions! lol thanks for sharing!!

Thank you for these useful tips!A really good start drives a year. That’s why I usually try to find an interesting question to start. To tell the truth talking about summer seems boring to some students, but the question ” where did summer go? ” can be a real fun. Writing guestions to each other is a great idea too. This school year I am going to start outdoors. My students are fond of informal lessons. It’ s always challenging but inspiring. Also on the first school day children feel sleepy and tired. So moving around can create a special atmosphere. It can be a quest, an excursion, a competition. a photo session with posts and comments, etc. All in all, the first lesson should be memorable, involving and fascinating.

Thank you so much. This is my first year as a teacher and this is super helpful!

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First Day of School: What Parents, Teachers Should Know

Here’s how to help students who need to adjust after a yearlong absence from the classroom.

First Day of School: What to Know

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• Read books about the excitement that comes with being in a classroom, such as “Oh the Places You’ll Go!” or “Miss Nelson is Missing.” Doing so can help students imagine what to expect. Parents can also recall their own experiences.

The first day of school is traditionally about creating routines and reestablishing the classroom community, but there is little that is routine or established about this year’s start.

Many students and teachers nationwide spent the last year communicating via screen, rather than in a school setting. For children in early grades, it has been a long time since they have experienced the structure and interaction of in-person school. For younger children, this year may be the first time ever that they have been asked to spend hours in a classroom.

“The whole experience is very fraught because of the pandemic,” Alissa Doobay, a psychologist and supervisor of psychological services at the Belin-Blank Center for Gifted Education & Talent Development at the University of Iowa , wrote in an email.

How Parents Can Help

The fraught nature of the return to school is tied, in part, to the ongoing political conversation over the coronavirus pandemic. Doobay says students may feel “stuck in the middle” of an emotional debate among parents, teachers and policymakers about mask-wearing, social distancing and vaccines.

As families prepare children for school, they should have a conversation about what students may see – some kids in face masks, some having trouble with their masks and some wearing none – and how that makes them feel, she says. Districts with a mask mandate could “make things easier on children” by homogenizing the experience.

“Without there being a choice for the kids, it might be less ambiguous,” she says

Patience Is Important

The nature of academics will also be very different from the remote style of learning that students and teachers experienced in the last year. “Students will be expected to focus for longer periods than when they were doing remote school,” Doobay says.

E.V. Downey, a Washington D.C.-based education consultant, agrees. “They have spent a good portion of their lives in environments in which they do not learn how to be in a group, how to follow group instructions and how to handle themselves socially and emotionally outside of their homes,” she wrote in an email. “We are all underestimating how hard this will be for the students and teachers as the school year begins.”

Doobay and Downey both warn that teachers and parents need to exercise patience when dealing with the first day of school this year. Kids may be more irritable and anxious. They may be scared of COVID-19, after a year of being told they are staying home to avoid getting sick or spreading the virus.

Parents and teachers may want to emphasize the opportunities that come with the first day of school, and how, more than a year into the pandemic, schools are now far better prepared to keep students safe. But some caution against too much emphasis on pandemic matters beyond the essentials.

"While adults need to consider each child’s unique needs and set of concerns going into the first day of school, generally, they should not make a bigger deal out of pandemic-related items than is necessary,” Carey A. Heller, a licensed psychologist in Maryland who specializes in executive function issues, wrote in an email. “Trying to normalize the school year as much as possible, especially if your child does not seem to have any specific concerns, may be best.”

First Day of School Tips for Parents

There are many things that parents can do to help children prepare for the first day of school. Here are some examples:

• Involve children in preparations to help them get invested. Take them shopping for clothes and supplies.
• Create a countdown activity that can help children get excited. One suggestion: Make a paper chain and tear a link off the chain each day, asking the child to name something he or she is looking forward to about school.
• Start new morning, after-school and evening routines that facilitate school as early as possible. “This allows mornings to be calmer, so the child can be as relaxed as possible heading out to school,” Heller says. “In addition, knowing their after-school schedule gives them a sense of certainty to offset all of the unknowns with the new school year. Furthermore, a good evening routine helps a child to wind down and get to bed in time to get sufficient sleep. This can lead to a better morning.”
• Meet the teacher before the first day of school, even if via email. Ask what the routine will be for the first week. Parents can also ask what they need to bring, such as health forms, immunization cards, snacks or extra clothes. Share the routine with the child, what the expectations will be and how he or she should behave.

First Day of School Tips for Teachers

The first day of school is when teachers typically lay out classroom rules, schedules and expectations, but making sure children feel comfortable and safe as they reenter in-person learning is also important.

“It is definitely essential for teachers to put students at ease on the first day,” Heller says. “Trying to do so as they would normally at the start of the school year is ideal. Some focus on pandemic-related items could be helpful, but picking a delicate balance in terms of how much to focus on these things is important so that it does not end up causing some students to experience greater anxiety.”

Here are some suggestions:

• Provide a seating chart with photos, so children know where they should be, and explain the classroom and how each area is used. Heller says that “a greater focus on helping students get to know each other” may also be helpful.
• Post the schedule prominently and explain it. Providing basic information about how the day will unfold and what they will be doing can help reduce anxiety.
• Be mindful that some students may still be learning from home and that activities should facilitate inclusion. For example, a scavenger hunt may be a great idea, but it would exclude a child who is forced to quarantine from participating. Try to keep remote learners connected to the classroom community
• Question-and-answer time is always an important feature on the first day of school. Try to promote a more natural verbal volley than was possible in a virtual setting and to promote the spontaneous connections and relationships that come with in-person learning. A good discussion sparked by student curiosity will start the year off right.

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8 Tips to Prepare for the First Days of School

Take the pressure and anxiety out of back-to-school season with these helpful ideas from an educator..

Whether your child is just beginning kindergarten or starting a new grade as a returning student, there’s lots to be done to prepare for the year ahead, including checking in about their fears, anxieties, and concerns . 

As summer winds down, it’s natural for kids to experience nervousness — after all, your child is entering a structured group setting after months away. Some children will accept the change with joy, while others may need a bit more hand-holding to acclimate.

“Children enter the school year with different skills, goals, and social-emotional aptitudes," says Heather O'Connor, a 3rd grade teacher in Connecticut. "Teachers know this and strive to foster a strong relationship with each student from the moment they enter the classroom community.” 

O’Connor encourages parents to reach out to their child’s teacher before the first day of school with questions or concerns. Since parents know their child best, this communication sets everyone up for a successful year ahead. 

“Back-to-school will always be accompanied by a certain amount of nervous excitement or anxiety, but as a parent you can minimize fear of the unknown by being positive about school,” O’Connor says. 

The below tips from O’Connor can help your family make a smooth transition into the school year ahead and give your child new perspective on the joys of the classroom. 

1. Visit the school or classroom before the first day.

This is especially important if your child is returning to in-person learning after periods of remote learning. Recently, O’Connor taught 3rd graders who had been out of the classroom for three years. 

“Many of my students' last normal year was kindergarten,” she says. “Also, many parents have never been inside of the school building because access is denied — they've only seen the classroom virtually.”

If your child’s teachers do not invite families to visit ahead of time, you can still take a trip to the school to see the building and the playground. 

2. Read books about starting school.

Stories with characters your child can relate to — especially those with characters attending their first day of kindergarten  — are useful for relieving first-day jitters and providing a boost of confidence where needed. 

You can also check out these comforting books about the first day of school . You’re sure to find a read-aloud that allows you moments to pause and ask your child what they’re feeling or thinking about in terms of the year ahead. 

3. Talk to your child about their feelings about school, friends, teachers, and new activities.

Social-emotional learning, or SEL , is a popular topic among educators today — and is being integrated into the curriculum in many school districts. SEL refers to the ways in which children build healthy relationships with themselves and with others. 

This framework of self-awareness can begin at home. When discussing back-to-school, you might gauge your child’s thoughts about the classroom. Ask them what they are looking forward to and what they are interested in learning, along with any concerns they might have. (Some children might have worries about being bullied, for example. Scholastic has resources for discussing bullying with your child .)

Reading together is a great way to start the conversation. Sofia Sanchez’s You Are Enough is a best-selling book with a universal message: We all belong. It’s the perfect read for empowering your child to embrace who they are as they start their first week back at school.

4. Set intentions with your child for the school year ahead.

Just like adults make intentions for the new year, students can do the same for the new school year. O’Connor, the 3rd grade teacher, recommends choosing a “focus word” with your child every month that represents their intention.

“Since children are still learning the concept of time, set a word for each month,” she says. “To reflect their back-to-school experience, September words might include friendship , perseverance, or kindness.”

Parents can then use this word to start conversations at home about your child’s classroom experience and progress. 

“This allows parents an entry into conversations with their child,” O’Connor says. “Ask questions like, ‘What's one way you lived your word today, friendship?’ Your child might reply, ‘I saw someone standing alone so I went over and asked her if she wanted to swing with me.’”

5. Practice, practice, practice your reading during the summer.

Set up a book nook at home over the summer to develop a reading routine by fall. This way, you and your child (or just your child, if they’re already reading independently) will have a place to read when they get home from school.

“You definitely want to keep it clear of any distractions,” suggests O’Connor. “Make sure the space includes a shelf or basket with books that your child may want to read next. Consider books in the same series or from a variety of genres: Poetry, graphic novels, historical fiction, mysteries, and biographies are all important for your exposing your child to new words and worlds.” Here’s how to set up a reading space for your child this summer.

In addition to providing access to an array of literary options, be sure to keep a paper and a pencil nearby so your child can draw or write about their book if they wish.

6. Include a note with your child's snack or lunch.

O’Connor suggests this special touch to let your child know you're thinking about them.

“Sometimes parents draw quick sketches of their child's favorite book characters or a joke from their favorite funny book to guarantee a smile,” she says.

You may want to make this a daily practice to help with the transition from summer to semester. But heed O’Connor’s advice: “Use a sharpie so that the ice-pack doesn't smudge your words.”

7. Go school shopping.

Designating items as “back to school,” like an outfit or backpack, makes preparing for the school year a ritual and can stoke excitement. 

You and your child can pick out new books during this time as well — and the titles don’t necessarily have to be about school. Refreshing their library at the start of each school year can be an annual tradition with the intention of starting anew and resetting your child’s mindset.

“Your child might inscribe the inside cover with what they're most excited about in the new grade,” O’Connor says. “At the end of the year, they can add some of their favorite grade-level memories. Now you have a keepsake.”

8. Encourage your child to pursue a passion project this year.

Gauge your child’s interests at the end of summer to see how their curiosity has evolved and what’s new. Ask them what topic they really want to learn about in the school year ahead. 

Book sets  are a great way to pinpoint books and topics that allow them to continue exploring their passions. Maybe they want to read the Harry Potter series or dive into an entirely new series that piques their interests. 

“This opens up another opportunity to create excitement around learning,” O’Connor says. “Ask your child what they already know and what they wonder about. Your child can research the topic to become an expert.”

Most teachers will build in time for their students to showcase new learning, O’Connor adds. 

Find more expert-approved kindergarten books, tips, and resources at our guide to  getting ready for kindergarten , including  summer activities for preschoolers going into kindergarten . 

Shop books to get ready for the first days of school below! You can find all books and activities at  The Scholastic Store . 

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How to Prepare For The First Day of School

Last Updated: May 7, 2024 Fact Checked

Nighttime Prep

First day tips, summer prep, remote learning tips.

This article was co-authored by Ashley Pritchard, MA . Ashley Pritchard is an Academic and School Counselor at Delaware Valley Regional High School in Frenchtown, New Jersey. Ashley has over 3 years of high school, college, and career counseling experience. She has an MA in School Counseling with a specialization in Mental Health from Caldwell University and is certified as an Independent Education Consultant through the University of California, Irvine. There are 21 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 676,085 times.

The first day of school can help set the tone for the whole year and it’s totally normal to feel some nervous jitters. But don’t worry! There are some things you can do to prepare and make your first day go by without a hitch. If your new year involves some remote learning, or if it’s entirely virtual, it’s okay to feel a little anxious about it. But even if you’re learning from home, there’s plenty you can do to help your first day go more smoothly.

For more help on starting school during the COVID-19 pandemic, check out Prepare for the First Day of School During a Pandemic.

For more help on remote learning in general, try Prepare for the First Day of School As a Remote Learner.

• If you have to wear a school uniform, use accessories to add your own style to your look. Jewelry like necklaces or bracelets can really brighten up your uniform. Just make sure it’s not against the rules.
• Be sure to follow your school's dress code, even if you don't have uniforms. You don't want to get in trouble on your first day!

• If you live close enough, you may be able to walk or ride a bicycle to school.
• Riding the bus allows you to talk to other students and make some friends.
• You could also join a carpool so you can ride to school with your friends.

• Choose alarms that are loud and will definitely wake you up.
• Try placing your alarm across the room so you have to get up to turn it off, which can help keep you from falling back asleep.

• If you’ve been staying up late all summer, try going to bed earlier during the week before school starts to reset your sleep schedule.
• Read a book if you’re having trouble falling asleep. You’ll start to naturally feel tired.

• You don’t have to bottle up your feelings. If you’re nervous, talk to somebody about it. If it’s a friend, chances are they’re nervous too!
• Your parents can remind you about other times you were worried but ended up doing a great job. For instance, maybe you were super anxious before school a few years ago. But you did great, right?

• Don’t stuff yourself or you could feel sluggish and groggy.
• If you feel too nervous to eat, try to at least get some toast or a piece of fruit so you’ve got something to help you make it until lunch.

Ashley Pritchard, MA

Our Expert Agrees: Some of the best ways you can prepare are getting enough sleep, getting up early, and eating a full breakfast. Being prepared helps so that you're not anxious and you don't feel overwhelmed.

• Knowing where you need to go and where everything is may help you feel less anxious about the first day.
• If you ride the bus to school, you’ll usually arrive a few minutes before classes start, giving you plenty of time to catch up with friends and scope out your classes.

• For example, if you love military history, tell your history teacher that you’re looking forward to learning about some of it in their class.
• Building a strong relationship with a teacher can be a game changer if you need that extra boost with your grade at the end of the year.

• If you’re more of an introvert, no worries. You don’t have to be the class clown or the most popular person in the room to be a good student.

• If you have social anxiety, being extra brave on your first day and making friends is a good way to help break out of your shyness. You'll soon find the vast majority of the people around you are potential friends you haven't bothered talking to yet!

• You’re surrounding yourself with people you'll be spending much of the next year with, and there's no reason why you shouldn't have fun spending time with them.
• Try to overcome the anxieties you're feeling, and remember to wear your best smile throughout the day.

• Be sure to set aside a little bit of time if you have any homework you need to knock out.
• Ask a friend you met earlier that day to hang out and do something together.
• There's nothing like finally coming home after your first day at school. Enjoy it!
• Your first day will feel strangely long compared to other days, largely because of how many different things and people you'll have been exposed to at once. Make sure to treat yourself.

• You could also check out the school’s bulletin board or call the main office to learn more about clubs and sports teams.
• Do you love music? Join the school choir or guitar club. Do you love the cinema of Akira Kurosawa and Lars von Trier? The school's film club might be perfect for you.
• Clubs are a great way to nurture interests you already have, and a perfect outlet to meet people operating on a similar wavelength.
• If you're really interested in something and there isn't already a club for it, start a school club yourself!

• For example, you can count the number of pages in the books and divide the total number of pages by the days until school starts and use that number as your daily minimum that you need to read.
• Summer reading doesn’t have to mess up or ruin your summer. Try reading a chapter or so every 2-3 days so you never feel overloaded.

• If you can’t physically hang out with your friends, try calling or video chatting with them. You could even play video games together to stay in touch.
• Keep up with your friends on social media so you know how they’re doing and how their summer break is going.

• Get yourself a planner you can use to keep track of important dates and homework assignments.

• Check out the backpacks at your local school supply store or department store and try on a few to see how they feel.
• You can also order backpacks online, but you won’t be able to try them on before you order them.
• Remember that you have to lug your backpack around every day, so it needs to be both stylish and comfortable.

• You might be surprised by how much clutter and junk you’ve accumulated during your summer break.
• Spray some air freshener so it smells nice as well.
• If you’re stressed or nervous, cleaning your room can help release some of your anxiety.

• For instance, you could use your kitchen table or a desk in your bedroom as your learning station.
• Try to remove as many distractions as possible so you can focus on learning.
• Keep the area clean and clutter-free so it’s dedicated to learning.

• Getting dressed like you’re going to school can tell your brain and body that it’s time to work, which can help you feel more motivated.
• Besides, you want to look neat and professional, especially if you’re participating in a video chat with your teacher and classmates.

• Many LMS programs have tutorials that explain how to use it. Check them out so you’re a pro.
• Follow any directions your teachers give you about your remote learning.

• Planners come in a variety of layouts and designs, so you can choose a cool one that you actually like and want to use!
• You can find planners at your local office supply store or department store. You can also order them online.

• Remote learning may seem scary or overwhelming if it’s new to you, but don’t worry! If you participate as much as you can, pay attention, and ask your teacher for help when you’re lost, you’ll do great.

• For many teachers and students, remote learning is new, so don’t be afraid to ask for help if you’re lost!

• Remember that because you don’t have the usual classroom breaks and lunch period of in-person school, you need to allow yourself time to take breaks and have snacks so you’re able to stay focused.

• Don’t be afraid to ask for help!
• Better to be safe and ask if you’re unsure about something so you don’t waste time or do something incorrectly.

Community Q&A

Reader Videos

Share a quick video tip and help bring articles to life with your friendly advice. Your insights could make a real difference and help millions of people!

• If a friend rides the bus with you and you have similar classes, try to stick with them. Two is always better than one! Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

• If you’re worried about a bully or you feel threatened, talk to your parents or a guidance counselor at school. You don’t deserve to be mistreated, so reach out for help if you need to. [22] X Research source Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.scienceofpeople.com/fashion-psychology/
• ↑ https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-hygiene/how-to-reset-your-sleep-routine
• ↑ https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/how-does-anxiety-affect-sleep
• ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/talk-to-parents.html
• ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/back-to-school.html
• ↑ https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/topic/mindfulness/definition
• ↑ https://www.apa.org/monitor/2023/06/cover-story-science-friendship
• ↑ https://raisingchildren.net.au/school-age/connecting-communicating/connecting/supporting-friendships
• ↑ https://www.uopeople.edu/blog/what-is-academic-burnout/
• ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/homework.html
• ↑ https://www.helpguide.org/articles/relationships-communication/making-good-friends.htm
• ↑ https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/gradeschool/school/Pages/Checklist-for-the-First-Day-of-School.aspx
• ↑ https://www.sleepfoundation.org/bedroom-environment
• ↑ https://www.uopeople.edu/blog/find-a-quiet-place-to-study/
• ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/hygiene-basics.html
• ↑ https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/metacognitive-study-strategies/
• ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/living-the-questions/201808/6-reasons-why-you-should-use-daily-planner
• ↑ https://www.edutopia.org/article/8-strategies-improve-participation-your-virtual-classroom/
• ↑ https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/studying-101-study-smarter-not-harder/
• ↑ https://www.edutopia.org/article/research-tested-benefits-breaks/
• ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/bullies.html

About This Article

To prepare for the first day of school, pick out your outfit the night before so you don't have to stress about it in the morning. Also, pack your school bag in advance so you have everything you need, including binders, pens, and notebooks. Try to get 8 hours of sleep the night before so you're well rested, and wake up a little early so you don't have to rush. Before you head to school, shower and eat a healthy breakfast so you feel ready to start your first day. To learn how to have a great first day of school, scroll down! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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10 Classroom Procedures and Rules to Teach on the First Day of School

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The first day with your students sets the tone for the whole year. 

Get everyone running smoothly with these 10 classroom procedures to teach on your first day of school.

This article contains affiliate links to things that you might like.

10 Important Procedures in a Classroom

Every classroom is different, but here are 10 must-have procedures to set in place on the first day of school.

1. Entering the Classroom

How do you want the morning to begin? 

Communicate your expectations. 

These could include walking in quietly, storing gear in cubbies, checking the board for the needed supply list, sharpening pencils, and doing the assigned warm-up activity on the board.  

2. Bathroom Breaks

When you gotta go, you gotta go! 

Have a procedure in place for bathroom breaks. 

This could be: Raise your hand and ask, get the bathroom pass, use the restroom quickly, wash your hands, and return the bathroom pass. 

Consider using a hand signal such as raising a pinky finger to indicate a bathroom request. 

Then you don’t have to stop instruction to dismiss a student to the bathroom.

3. Drinks/Water Bottles

Do you allow drinks in the classroom? 

Tell the students which liquids are okay. 

Some teachers only allow water in spill-proof containers.

4. Talking and Asking Questions

Education is interactive, so you need to implement procedures in a classroom regarding communication. 

If a student has a question, should he raise his hand? 

Should he ask the people to his left and right first?

Are quiet side conversations allowed in a cooperative learning environment?

5. Locker/Cubby Use

You also need procedures for classroom cubby or locker use (otherwise the students will be up and down all day). 

Are there set times to access their supplies? 

How will you let them know which supplies they need? 

If they leave a necessary item in their cubby or locker, will you allow them to access it in the middle of class? 

6. Leaving the Classroom

Your list of classroom procedures should include times when the students need to leave the class to go to the nurse or principal’s office. 

How should a student handle that? 

Some teachers limit the number of nurse passes per quarter unless the student has a documented medical need.

7. End of Day Procedures

Unless you want the end of the day to be chaos (and you to be left with a huge mess to clean up), set some classroom procedures for the end of the day. 

Here is an example:  Clean up your area, stack or push in your chair, clean out your cubby, pack your backpack, and wait to be dismissed.

8. Turning in Work

How and when should students turn in their work?

Do you have an electronic system or a special basket? 

Remind students to put their names on their papers. 

If they finish a classwork assignment early, what should they do?

9. Expectations for Work

What are your expectations for homework? 

Consider having a procedure for writing down/receiving homework assignments. 

For younger students, you may want to have parents initial the homework planner. 

What should a student do if he has trouble with a problem and cannot complete it? 

What happens if he fails to turn in homework? 

How should a student make up work when she is absent? 

Consider having a file folder where you keep the assignments for each day for your students to access later. 

How long does she have to make up any missed quizzes and tests? 

When are you available to administer those?  

Classroom Procedures and Rules

Give some thought as to how you would like your classroom to run. 

By laying out your classroom procedures on the first day, you eliminate a lot of future confusion and conflict. 

Everyone benefits from knowing what to expect!

You May Also Like:

• The Best Shoes for Teachers
• How to Use Fun Facts in the Classroom
• 25 Back to School Would You Rather Questions

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Wonder of the Day #1385

Why Do We Have Homework?

SCIENCE — Health and Fitness

Have You Ever Wondered...

• Why do we have homework?
• What are the benefits of homework?
• Is there such a thing as too much homework?
• classroom ,
• education ,
• knowledge ,
• mathematics ,
• prioritization ,
• repetition ,
• responsibility ,
• time management ,
• Classroom ,
• Education ,
• Knowledge ,
• Mathematics ,
• Prioritization ,
• Repetition ,
• Responsibility ,
• Time Management

Today’s Wonder of the Day was inspired by Nicolas from fort lauderdale, FL. Nicolas Wonders , “ Who invented homework? ” Thanks for WONDERing with us, Nicolas!

What has eight letters and strikes fear into the hearts of students around the world? No, it's not broccoli, but that was a good guess! Give up? HOMEWORK !

Did you just gasp in fear and anguish ? We're sorry, but homework is a fact of life and it's time we took a closer look at it. Even though it might get in the way of playing outside or watching your favorite television show, it's necessary and, believe it or not, good for you!

Homework creates a bridge between school and home. Parents rarely get to spend much time with you while you're at school. Homework allows them to keep up with what you're doing in your classes on a daily basis. But you don't have homework purely for your parents' benefit . It's good for you, too!

Homework can help you become a better student in several different ways. First of all, homework given in advance of a particular subject can help you make the most of your classroom discussion time. For example, before beginning a discussion of a complex period in history , it can be very helpful to read background information as homework the night before.

Homework also gives you valuable practice with what you've learned in the classroom. Often, the brief period of time you have during class to learn something new is simply not enough. Repeating classroom concepts at home helps to cement in your mind the things you learned.

For example, you've probably experienced the value of homework when it comes to mathematics . A new concept explained in class might seem foreign at first. With repetition via homework, however, you reinforce what you learned in class and it sticks with you. Without homework, a lot of classroom time would be wasted with repetition that could more easily be done outside the classroom.

In these ways, homework expands upon what is done during the day in the classroom. Your overall educational experience is better, because homework helps you to gain and retain more knowledge than would be possible with only classroom work. As you learn more, you know more and you achieve more…and you have homework to thank!

Homework teaches lessons beyond just what's taught in the classroom, too. Bringing homework home, completing it correctly, and turning it in promptly teaches a host of other important life skills, from time management and responsibility to organization and prioritization .

Despite these benefits found by researchers, the topics of who should receive homework and how much homework are hotly debated among educators and researchers. In one study , researchers found that academic gains from homework increased as grade level increased, suggesting homework is more beneficial for older students. Some researchers have found that too much homework can lower or cancel its benefits and become counterproductive , because students become burned out.

How much is too much? That depends upon many complex factors, including the individual abilities of the child, other demands upon time, such as sports, part-time jobs, family responsibilities, and types of classes. If you feel overburdened by homework, the best thing you can do is to open a dialog with your teacher. Be open and honest about your feelings regarding homework and work with your teacher to strike a reasonable balance that helps you achieve your educational goals.

Wonder What's Next?

Tomorrow’s Wonder of the Day feels just like home!

We hope today's Wonder of the Day didn't feel like homework! Be sure to check out the following activities with a friend or family member:

• While some kids don't like any homework, almost every student has homework that he doesn't mind doing on a regular basis. For some, reading a novel for homework is pure joy, because they love to read. For others, doing group projects as homework is great fun, because they get to have fun with their friends in the process. Make a list of the types of homework that you enjoy the most. Once you have your list, think about ways in which you can encourage your teachers to assign more of your favorite types of homework and less of the types you don't enjoy as much. Opening a dialog with your teacher about homework can be a mutually-beneficial conversation that can increase learning both in and out of the classroom!
• You know what goes great with homework? Food! It's true. A healthy snack can give you the energy you need to concentrate and tackle your homework as soon as you get home from school. If you need some ideas, jump online and check out After School Snacks To Power Homework . Share what you learn with your friends and family members. What's your favorite after-school snack? Why?
• Do you have a lot of homework on a regular basis? It can be easy to get overwhelmed. To make sure you make the most of your homework time, it helps to be organized. Setting priorities and sticking to them will help you complete your assignments on time with minimal stress. For help learning how to do this, read through How to Prioritize Homework Assignments: 5 Steps from School Habits. Using what you learn, put a plan into place that will help you make sure you become a homework hero!

Wonder Sources

• http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar07/vol64/num06/The-Case-For-and-Against-Homework.aspx
• http://www.centerforpubliceducation.org/Main-Menu/Instruction/What-research-says-about-the-value-of-homework-At-a-glance/What-research-says-about-the-value-of-homework-Research-review.html

Did you get it?

Wonder contributors.

We’d like to thank:

quenton , Jaiden , Leo , Grace and Lenysia for contributing questions about today’s Wonder topic!

Keep WONDERing with us!

Wonder Words

• responsibility
• organization
• prioritization
• counterproductive
• overburdened
• educational

Hopefully this article helped you realize why homework is helpful, nyiahna. Keep WONDERing with us!

Don't get homework at this school. :)

Hopefully this article helped you realize why homework is helpful! 

yeah me too a lot

Wow, that's great for those schools! Thanks for stopping by, Mister C.

You're welcome, Person!

Thanks for sharing, Joe!

That's a great way to look at it, Adriana! 

That's a great way to look at it, Adriana! Thanks for sharing! 

I need to vent

Homework could benefit you. It gives your brain an easier time when you get a surprise quiz.

That's a difficult one, Wonder Friend! 

It certainly is hard to do homework while at play practice! There are so many cool things going on! 

Trying to complete your math homework right after you get home and have had dinner might be the best bet. Good luck! 

Ellen The Happy Girl!

We're so glad you liked it, Ellen The Happy Girl!

We like your enthusiasm, tyonna! 

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Student! That's an interesting concept. 

clever-name-or-smth

There's nothing wrong with being a big ol' nerd. 

And, there's nothing wrong with Invater Zim fanfic, either. 

so is checking these comments like a full time job or

Here at Wonderopolis, we do have specific people that check comments, but we do much more than that! 

There's a specific amount of time during a school day--and that doesn't make a lot of time for 'independent practice' of skills learned during the school day. 

Also, it's a GREAT idea to share your homework with your parents! 

Thanks for sharing your opinon, Joe! 

That's a great question, Brady. You should post it in the Wonder Bank . 

You're welcome, Chase!

That's great, loren! Care to share your fun homework hack?

wegsfvbydgfhnry

Hey, Wonder Friend. We're sorry you think homework is a waste of time. Practice is really important when learning new things. 

Hi sofia! 

What's your secret for making homework fun? I'm sure a lot of our Wonder Friends would like to try it out! 

That seems to be a common theme, ashley. 

We're sorry to hear that, harrison. 

wonder i already know...

Yikes! Well, it's important to have good time management skills so you can get everything turned in! 

Thanks for sharing your opinion, Harold! 

Thanks for sharing your thought process, Tyrannie! 

That's great, Xavier-B-! Make homework interesting! 

Hey, Adriana! We have a wonderful Wonder team that works together to accomplish all the Wonderopolis tasks. There is a core group of three currently, but we have people that pop in occasionally to help with things. 

my next wonder is how do you know if a boy likes you because i just got a boyfriend and hes really shy.

Make sure you submit it to the Wonder Bank !

That's legit. We totally understand your position!

CaptainObvious

Thanks bunches, CaptainObvious! 

Lil’ Mousey

Hey, Lil' Mousey--

We have some Wonders about cheese already. Check them out !

I know right! ☺️

EverestAndEvetheWarriors

Thanks, E&E!

Thanks for sharing your opinion, kev.

Thanks for sharing your opinion, Giani.

Jeez bro. It’s boring. All you do is sit there and fill out worksheets and assignments. We already do work at school. Why do we need work at home? It’s boring,bro,it’s boring. That’s why nobody likes it.

Thanks for sharing your opinion, Elvisssss. 

None taken. ? And, we're glad you respect homework because it's a great way to practice skills. 

It's Crule??

...but necessary!

Video gamessssss??????????????

Great reward for finishing homework! 

Video games DUH! I have one! Would you rather eat only fried chicken for the rest of your life or suffer from homework every single day for the rest of your life. Plz reply ??

ChickenFries

I would pick fried chicken because I’m a HUGE chicken fan. Not a homework fan. One time my teacher gave the class a big report that day and said it was due the next day. It wasn’t fair because I had to miss football practice because I had to work on it.

We're sorry that happened, ChickenFries.

Homework. Definitely. 

Wonder Friend

I love homework it the best i love not being able to play with my friends and doing my homework call me i will do your homework. [redacted]

It may, Catlyn, but practice makes perfect! 

Homeworkistheworst

Catlyn smith

Homework is a way for students to practice skills. It takes, on average, doing something right 18 times before it becomes a habit. So, writing a sentence with subject/verb agreement 18 times(ish), means you have mastered that skill. 

Until you get to more complicated stuff.

The sources are listed in the left column of the WONDER, ZERVA. 

Homework is the independent practice of a skill teachers need to make sure students can perform on their own. 

We're sorry homework stresses some people out. That's a great subject to bring up with parents and teachers, though! 

We're sorry to hear that, Carter. 

Isohatehomework

I'm sure a lot of our Wonder Friends share your opinion! ?

Oh,ha ha ha.???I am not a so called Wonder Friend. Are you a robot?!

? Everyone who comes to Wonderopolis are our Wonder Friends! 

We're not robots. We actually respond to most of the comments made. 

your not one person, your multiple people who are in the "Wonderopolis" company

Oh...sorry about that...I didn’t mean to say that. I’m sorry x100 ☹️????

It's ?

We think you're not alone in that emotion!

Jack McCrea

OMG YOU ARE SO RIGHT. But to be honest I just hate it

Mason Smolen

That's WONDERful, Mason!

AnonymousPerson31

We're glad we could be of assistance, Wonder Friend!

Maybe this WONDER about expectations will help. 

Hi, Lulia! It's important to finish your homework so that you can continue to learn about topics discussed in school! What is your favorite subject in school? 

Hi, caileigh! Yeah, though homework isn't the most fun activity after school, it will help you learn more about what you learned in school!

steve savie

Hi, Sara! We're sorry to hear that you're having homework problems ?.

All homework does is make students stressed out and make less time for them to be with their family and relax

no homework is based on the work we do in school and you will get better at your work.

We're so sorry to hear that you're having a tough time with homework, Wonder Friend ?.  Homework is important, and time with family and relaxing is important, too!

AngryPerson

u think all of our parents help with our homework? some of them dont, they see this as a "student's responsibility" and let them be and btw, if you delete this comment, it is easy to see that you don't want any negative comments about this and want to eliminate the people who think homework is bad

Hi, AngryPerson.  We're so sorry that you're angry.  We do want to hear our Wonder Friends' thoughts here at Wonderopolis.  If you're having trouble with your homework, we hope that you ask your teacher for help.  We appreciate your feedback!

This is so true! In my house, homework never connected me to my parents, because like work at school, I saw it as a test of what I could do individually. Thus, as all my time was taken up by homework, I almost never spent time with my parents. Now I feel isolated from them.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Kay.  We definitely recommend spending quality time with family, and we hope that learning together is a way to connect with your family!

Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Mii.  And we absolutely agree that spending quality time with your family is very important!!  Perhaps you could tell your family fun facts that you learned at school?  Learning new information is also very important, and it is awesome to share the information you learn with your family so that you can learn together! ?

Homework is both emotionally and mentally hurtful...Physically too-

We're sorry to hear that you are having trouble with your homework, Wonder Friend!  We hope that you ask your teacher if you have any specific questions about your homework.

Hi, Llamaz! We hope that you are getting plenty of sleep, too! Check out  Wonder 1775: Do Kids Need More Sleep Than Adults?   Also, thanks for sharing your thoughts!

Thanks for asking, rather! We ask that Wonderopolis be listed as the author.  Also, since we do not list the publish date for our Wonders of the Day, you may put the date you accessed this page for information.  The following is how you would cite this page:

"Why Do We Have Homework?"  Wonderopolis.    https://www.wonderopolis.org/wonder/why-do-we-have-homework .  Accessed 25 Apr. 2018.

Hang in there, Louie! It sounds like you're working really hard on your homework and essays, which is awesome!!

Louie ramirez

We appreciate you sharing your thoughts with us, Louie.   We know that homework takes a lot of work, but it's also helping you learn and Wonder!

Hi, Louie! What are you writing about in your essay?

Hi, Clara! We have MANY Wonders on these topics!! Our  Explore Wonders tab contains over 2,100 Wonders, and if you scroll down on this page, you can search for Wonders by topics that you're interested in! Have fun WONDERing, Clara!

We're sorry to hear that you are having a hard time with your homework, Ben, but we think that you are doing a great job and working hard! Keep up the great work!!

Playing games is fun, but make sure you make time for your homework, too, Mitchell! Once you finish your the homework, you should check out   Wonder 1732: How Are Video Games Made?  ?

Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Benicio.  Though the pros of homework are the focus of this Wonder, the second to last paragraph does list some potential cons:

"Despite these benefits found by researchers, the topics of who should receive homework and how much homework are hotly debated among educators and researchers. In  one study , researchers found that academic gains from homework increased as grade level increased, suggesting homework is more beneficial for older students. Some researchers have found that too much homework can lower or cancel its benefits and become  counterproductive , because students become burned out."

Hi, kody! We're glad that you're WONDERing with us!

We love hearing that, Jordan!! Thanks for letting us know, and thanks for WONDERing with us!

Thanks for WONDERing with us, Miles!

Hi, Ameir! It looks like you've really done some research on the subject! 

Hi, ameir!! If you're having trouble with your homework, you may want to discuss specific questions you're having with your teacher.  What is your favorite subject in school?

math and science are my favorite

Those subjects are very interesting!! Have you seen our  Math and  Science Wonders?

We're sorry to hear that, UJEY, but we're glad you're WONDERing with us! 

It is important to take some time to rest, but homework is also important! We hope this Wonder helps explain why!

We're sorry to hear that, Gia, but we hope that this Wonder helps explain the many benefits of homework, too!

homework gets in the way of thing i want to do. I think teachers give homework just because they have nothing else to do. like isn't going to school enough work and it takes time away from my family especially my mom who cancer and i would want to spend more time with my mom. :(

We're so sorry to hear that, digeo! ?

dogs go moo

school is kid preson!

We're sorry you feel that way! We think school is an excellent place to Wonder!!!

why do dogs go moo

Thanks for WONDERing with us!

mkewigyjdfo8ueabsn ry7gtcbsh j

We're glad you liked this Wonder!! ?

Hi, Luke! Have you seen Wonder 1529:  Why Do Cats Purr?

Hi, mew mew! Have you seen our  Wonders about cats ?

jacob baldwin

Sorry, didn't catch that, jacob! Glad you're WONDERing with us though!!

Hello, Bob! We're always looking to hear more from our Wonder Friends!!  ?

Thanks for stopping by to Wonder with us!

dogs say moooooooooooooooooooo

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!!

Thanks for sharing! Sometimes it is difficult to balance homework and other activities.  What are some of your favorite things to do when you're not doing homework?

We're sorry you feel that way, CN Olson!! We're glad you're WONDERing with us, though!

Thanks for joining the conversation, davaeh!

im sorry for anyone that feels that way but homework is good for you

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

Great points, john! We hope you will have some more free time soon!!  Thanks for WONDERing with us!!

We appreciate your feedback, jorge! 

Agreed aswell

Does your school give homework, bob? Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

xxxtentacion

Sometimes, unfortunately, it does ?. Homework also has benefits too, though! Thanks, gavin!

That certainly does add up the majority of the day!  The lessons we learn in school help us to grow up to be thoughtful and intelligent adults.  We do agree that everyone needs a break sometimes, though!  Hope you and our other friends get a few minutes to kick back and relax today!?

We should discontinue homework because some kids don’t do it or understand it, therefore kids start stressing and saying to there self I’m gonna get in trouble , I’m gonna get a bad grade and it basically leads in to this whole conflict .

Thanks for sharing, Liv!

Sorry you feel that way, Justin, but we're glad that you're WONDERing with us!!

Thank you bob, we should change our studies to something actually helpful.

We appreciate you sharing your thoughts, Bob.  Thanks for WONDERing with us!

Homework hater

Homework is a disease I think we need a intercontinental cure research lab for it

But, unfortunately, creating this research lab may require some homework! ? 

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Hi!  It's good to keep the conversation going about the amount of homework that students typically get.

Thanks for sharing that, Caden!  Have you been back to Mars since being born there?

Yes, I went there with him I will send you a postcard next time we go. I think Mars is wrecking his brain.

Kai's evil twin

My friend trolled me

? Be safe out there, Caden!

Must be a fun class! ?

Thanks for the feedback, Gyanve!  Great to hear from you! ?

Perhaps they also suggested some coping strategies, too?  

OOOOOOOOOOO

Not a roast

Hi again, Kai!  Actually, if you look toward the bottom of the Wonder, under "Sources" you'll see where we got our information.  We appreciate you checking up on us with a critical eye!  It's always good to be a little skeptical and ask for more research and data. You're a smart Wonder Friend!  We Wonder if you could do some research to find support for why schools SHOULDN'T have homework. We're curious to hear what you find!

www.Scholastic.com says that there is no evidence to say that homework benefits kids at all, and Washington Post says that homework on a national level is not related to academic success. Washington post also says that some lower income countries cultures normalize long periods of studying but it is uneffective, nd neotoday.org says that the link between assigned homework and academic achievement is drastically over inflated, What do you have to say about that?(sorry If I was a little harsh in my last two comments I was unhappy at the time) neotoday.org/2014/05/13/should-schools-be-done-with-homework) //www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/09/02/homework-could-have-an-effect-on-kids-health-should-schools-ban-it

http://www.scholastic.com/browse/subarticle.jsp?id=2953

WOW!! You've really done some EXCELLENT research from some reputable sources, Kai!  Our Wonder Salute to you!  One thing to note: in the Washington Post article, they do make a distinction that heavy homework loads in elementary can be negative.  In higher grades, this might not be the case "Homework, in fact, is an important component of education for students in the middle and upper grades of schooling.".  It certainly raises a very good question which is we shouldn't assume homework is helping and adding more homework all the time seems to definitely not be helping.  It's a great question that deserves a lot more thought and research.  Thank you for WONDERing and researching, Kai! 

This might get moderated, but I am curious to see how how many people "talked" with me./?

How many people have responded to my comments

You would just have to look on this comment page and see who "replies" to your comment.  Does that help, Kai?

What do you mean, exactly?  We don't follow.

? Wow, tough review!  Well, research does support that extra practice helps.  We DO discuss the debate over how much homework and what kind.  Truthfully, homework is probably not going anywhere anytime soon, so we wanted to help show our Wonder Friends how it can be beneficial and how one can get the most out of it.  We appreciate hearing from you, Kai!

I'd agree with the fact that practice does help learning on a basic level of memory but, in experience as a student, I cannot say that homework could be considered "practice." I've had many-a-teacher that has given homework out and I've had to google search how to do most of it because I was never taught it in class. Homework is more of busy work in the way of doing hobbies, eating, sleeping, and a happy and healthy life style that could possibly be important in "the real world", as if this torture is as easy as petting a bunny. Homework CAN provide help in small, sparatic, doses. If you are bombarded with homework everyday, it really becomes more harmful than helpful.

Great thoughts, Jillian!  Really well said and we appreciate you taking the time to share that with us!  We wish more teachers made time to wonder with their class (and we are thankful for the great ones who do!).

jaime lannister

you couldn't be more right school is about seven hours every 5 days a week for about a year and we still get work to take home like school is for learning there needs to be time to separate school life from your life like you can't just do work all day and you also get homework when it's holiday and there are enough going on in childrens lives than homework so this page is bad no one needs homework i learn more from youtube videos than school and children get anxiety enough from life like puberty, family, growing older school is just boring and you need time to settle your mind because in british schools they work you forever and the teachers are tough.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Jaime!  Hang in there!

I hate homework we do work every day at school teachers know what is is like because they been through homework.Let me put it to you guys i know some people hate homework and some do not.Most teachers just overdo homework.

Good thoughts, Edrick.  Thanks for sharing and glad to have you WONDERing with us!

Do they write those essays in class or at home, Brielle? ?

they write the essays at home

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Yuguj!  Glad to have you WONDERing with us on this important topic!

I agree so much I am so scared of not doing my homework or my grade might go down and that really isn't fair for me and my peers so great point!!!

That's a great point, Anonymous!  In a perfect world, people would just do the work assigned and see the value in it.  Sadly, it's hard to do away with the consequences and still have full participation.  It's a challenging problem to try and solve, but we are glad you are WONDERing with us!

I think homework is a waste of time. it takes away from family time and exercise time.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Alisa! We think family time and exercise are important, too. The article did mention some reasons why homework has value, even if it doesn't always seem that way. Hang in there! It will all be worth it someday!

I am a very smart student with a brain to fit an adult, but even i get tired of homework. I have spent all day at school so I want a break. We don' need homework.

Yes, I agree and I too get tired of it. In my school they said that HW, was just the same lesson at home than at school. It is just a review. I am smart and don't study (LOL) and yet I have always gotten an A or a B in my tests (BTW, studying is considered homework for some reasons)

The struggle is real, Alisa. We do hope you get some time to give that super-smart brain a break! Thanks for using some of that brain power here with us at Wonderopolis!

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Kid77! Sometimes in life, the important things are not always the most fun. Some homework assignments might feel unnecessary but (as the article mentioned) there can be many functions of homework. At least in your case, if you learned the material well in class, it shouldn't take up as much time to complete at home. Sometimes, though, that extra practice can make the difference between knowing the information and truly mastering it. Hang in there, Kid77!

ethan (murphy)

If you are bullied, tell a teacher, if the teacher is the bully.... I honestly can’t help you there.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us, ethan. We're sorry it feels like you are being bullied by your teachers. Have you spoken with your school counselor or your parents? Perhaps they can help you resolve the issues you are facing.

Thanks for sharing your feedback with us, Alexia. We hope you'll keep exploring Wonders to find one you like!

Thank you for commenting, Boi. We hope you'll visit Wonderopolis again soon.

Thanks for joining the conversation, pretty456 and twanasia! We're glad you stopped by Wonderopolis!

you don't like homework?

Thanks for telling us how you feel, Isaac. We appreciate your feedback.

We're glad we could help with your homework, Pusheen! Since we do not list the publish date, standard MLA formatting says that it's OK to list the date you accessed the page for information. Check out the Purdue OWL website for more guidance.

Thank you for WONDERing with us, Isaac! We hope you'll take a look at Wonder #1534. We think it's right up your alley! ?

Certainly, Liesel! Thank you for asking. We ask that Wonderopolis be listed as the author of this Wonder of the Day. Since we do not list the publish date, you may use the date you accessed this webpage for information (such as November 27). Cheers, Wonder Friend!

We're glad you found this Wonder helpful, sonice! There are both advantages and disadvantages to homework and sometimes those points are contrary to each other. This happens when there are different studies performed by different researchers. Sometimes the results contradict other studies.

I used this source for a case study that I am conducting on homework. I was wondering if I could know who wrote the source and when it was published. If I am allowed to have this information, please respond. Thank you.

Thank you for using Wonderopolis for your homework, Liesel! Please see our response above. ?

I know the heather

Thanks for joining the discussion, D. We're glad you visited Wonderopolis.

We're glad this Wonder helped, suicune300, even if it didn't make you like homework any more! It's great that you're WONDERing! We hope you'll stop by again! :)

Hi, bill! We're not sure we understand your comment. Do you have homework about autism? If so, head over to Wonder #1346 to explore information about autism.

We're glad you joined the conversation, avery! We hope you liked reading this Wonder -- perhaps it helped you understand some of the advantages to homework. :)

We're glad you joined the discussion, Bob. Perhaps this Wonder helped to explain why homework is assigned to students. :)

Hi, amez! Sometimes it is helpful to take a break before starting your homework. Thinking can be tiring sometimes, but it's so important! :)

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Thank you for sharing, Wonder Friend! :)

lies lies lies lies lies lies lies lies lies lies

We're sorry you feel this way, bob. Thanks for sharing your opinion. We always value hearing from our Wonder Friends! :)

Hi, Christian. We're sorry you don't agree with this Wonder. We encourage you to also explore the Wonder Sources listed. Thanks for stopping by! :)

i hate homework

Thank you for sharing your opinion, yazzie! We hope this Wonder helped you to understand some of the advantages to homework, along with some of the disadvantages. :)

i really like this article, got an A+ on my report. THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Great job, Wonder Friend! Keep up the GREAT work and always keep WONDERing! :)

Hi, Wonder Friend! We appreciate you sharing your opinion about homework! Thanks for WONDERing with us! :)

We appreciate you sharing your opinion about homework, nathan! Try to think about all the extra practice! :)

hey homework is good for your brain and help you to get smarter

Thanks for sharing your opinion, elroi! 

Great question, tyler! If we know who submitted the question the author is listed up by the "Listen" button. This Wonder does not have an author listed. Sometimes people submit anonymous questions! Thanks for stopping by! :)

Riley & Anna

Thanks for the KIND words, Riley & Anna! We think our Wonder Friends are pretty AWESOME, too! We encourage you to submit your question to the Wonder Bank! :)

We appreciate you sharing your thoughts about homework, bob! We're glad you think it is helpful! :)

I hate homework

Thanks for joining the discussion and sharing your opinion, Brendon! We're glad you're WONDERing! :)

Thanks for sharing your opinion, Wonder Friend! Spending time with your parents is important, too! We encourage you to share this Wonder with them! :)

Antonio yet King

We appreciate you sharing your thoughts about this Wonder topic, too! Thanks for joining the conversation, Antonio! :)

Thanks for joining the conversation, Caroline! We appreciate you sharing your thoughts! :)

Hi, Makayla! We appreciate you sharing your thoughts about this important topic! Thanks for visiting Wonderopolis! :)

Welcome, Dionna! Thanks for sharing your opinion about homework! We're glad you're WONDERing! :)

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Bob! We understand that sometimes it is difficult, but try to also think about the positive aspects mentioned in the Wonder! :)

I notice that none of the evidence presented in the article is backed by any tests or studies to show that the claims presented in the wonder is true.

Oh wow.  You got us, Unknown.  Not a fan of homework, we are guessing?  Did you try clicking any of our sources links?  We appreciate you keeping us on our toes!

Hi, d! We understand it's important for you to have free time, too! We hope you still have time for that! :)

I think you are wrong I have to stay up all night to do my homework then at school I always fall asleep :(

We're sorry to hear that, Jack. Thanks for sharing your connection. Maybe you can talk to your teacher about that. :)

Thanks for sharing your opinion about homework, avry! We appreciate you joining the discussion! Hopefully you learned some of the positive aspects of homework! :)

Thanks for sharing your opinion, Bumble Bee! We understand that there are many different opinions out there about homework. We tried to address both sides, while also stating the positive aspects of homework. We hope you understand and Wonder with us again soon! :)

wonderopolis is a lier

no your article is mostly one sided. the side being that homework is good

Thanks for sharing your opinion, Wonder Friend. You can read more about the advantages and disadvantages of homework by reviewing the Wonder Sources we provided above.

Hi, Kayla! Thanks for sharing your thoughts! We're sorry to hear homework is so stressful. We hope things get better! Stay positive! :)

That's GREAT, Emma! We love your enthusiasm for learning! Keep up the GREAT work! :)

Trinity Goebel

Hi, Trinity! Thanks for sharing your thoughts about homework. Sometimes it can be frustrating if you have a lot, but try to stay positive! Keep up the GREAT work! :)

homework is stupid why why do we have it mmmmmmm i hate it..

Hi, tyson! Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We're sure there is some good in homework -- just take a look at the Wonder text above to see! :)

A lot of students don't like homework, ..., and it can be challenging to keep up with homework with everything else going on in your life. The important thing is to do your best, because there are lots of benefits to homework even if it doesn't always seem like it. If homework is a regular problem, talk to your teacher or fellow classmates for help. We're glad you took the time to share your thoughts about homework.

To answer your question, Im pretty sure homework is NOT a law, but pretty much every teacher gives you homework. Depending on what grade you are in, usually grades 1-3 get 0-30 minutes of homework each night. grades 4-6 get 0-2 hour of homework each night, and Grades 7 and 8 get 30-3 hours of homework each night..... all of this depends on the student and how he or she learns. but this is what the average student gives to do homework in Elementary school

Thanks for the GREAT explanation, emma! You're right in that there are recommended amounts, but no particular law. We appreciate your comment! :)

Thanks for visiting Wonderopolis for your homework, Maya! Homework is not a law. It depends how much homework you have as to how long it takes. Also, some assignments, like projects, take longer than smaller assignments. We hope this Wonder was helpful in answering your questions! :)

Hi, Maya! No, homework is not a law. It is up to your teacher or school. We hope this Wonder helped explain how homework is helpful for practicing what you learned. We understand it is a pain sometimes, but we hope you understand! Thanks for WONDERing with us! :)

TENNIS is awesome

Hello, TENNIS is awesome! The WONDER mentions some reasons why homework is important, sch as extra practice. We appreciate your comment and you sharing your opinion with us! :)

One opinion

Wonderopolis

We appreciate you sharing your thoughts, One opinion! Thanks for WONDERing with us! :)

Hello, hahahah! Homework can be time consuming sometimes, but keep thinking positively about all you're learning! :)

We appreciate you sharing your opinion, Goopdi! Sometimes it may seem like a chore, but it is always a good idea to practice what you learned at school. WONDERing is a WONDERful way to learn and have fun at the same time! :)

I believe homework is a waste of time!!

Shae Skipper

Hello, Shae Skipper! You make some great points to support your opinion. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with your WONDER friends! :)

Why do we wonder?

That's a GREAT question, Alistair! WONDERing is a GREAT way to learn new things, have fun, and explore the world around us! :)

connor essary

Hello WONDER Friend, connor essary! We are glad you enjoyed this WONDER. Here is another WONDER about homework. Wonder #491: Do Dogs Really Eat Homework? Enjoy! :)

JoHaunn Mainwood

Hi JoHaunn Mainwood! Thanks for commenting on this WONDER! We appreciate our WONDER friends sharing their thoughts! :)

Welcome, Bob! Thanks for WONDERing with us and commenting on the WONDER! :)

McDonald's

Hi McDonald's! Thanks for commenting on this WONDER. We hate to hear you hate homework. Homework is another way to learn and show others what you know. Check back for more WONDERS! :)

Hi Jaheim! We hate to hear you don't enjoy your homework. Homework is a great way to show your family and friends what you are doing in school. Keep working hard and WONDERing!

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Sara! You do learn more from doing your homework! Keep up the great work! :)

Hi David! We hate to hear you don't like homework because it helps us practice what we learned in school. Homework is different everywhere you go. Keep working hard! :)

Hello, Nicole! We hate to hear you hate homework. Homework can be great practice for what you are learning in school. We know you are working hard and doing a great job. Keep it up! :)

keandre campbell

Welcome to WONDERopolis, keandre campbell! There are over 1,000 WONDERS for you to explore. Thanks for WONDERing with us. Check back every day for more WONDERful WONDERS! :)

That's great, Crazy! Keep up the great WONDERing! :)

Wonder frog

It is not school is amazing!!!

Welcome, Wonder frog! We hate to hear you don't enjoy school. School is a great opportunity to WONDER and learn new things. Then you can share your new knowledge with your friends. Try checking out Wonder #1268: Why Was School Created? Always keep WONDERing! :)

I agree totally!

We appreciate you sharing your opinion about homework, too, Kaytlyn! Thanks for stopping by! :)

We appreciate you joining the discussion, Trinity! We hope this Wonder showed a few reasons why homework can be beneficial! :)

Hello, Jordan! Homework can be great practice. It helps you continue learning! :)

Lukas Wozencraft

That's funny, Lukas Wozencraft! What do you think it will be about? Be sure to check back tomorrow! :)

Jahkeya from DE

Hello WONDER friend, Jahkeya from DE! What would our world be like if dinosaurs weren't extint? Hmmm...? Something to WONDER about! :)

We are glad you enjoyed the video, Jasahn! Homework is very helpful most of the time! Thanks for WONDERing with us! :)

We are glad you liked the video, Makayla! It made us laugh, too! Check out Wonder #1285: What Was Before Dinosaurs? Happy WONDERing! :)

Juilo from DE

Hello, Juilo from DE! Cheer up! Homework helps you practice what you are learning. After all, they say practice makes perfect! If you enjoy video games, check out Wonder #1344: Who Invented the First Video Game? Have fun WONDERing! :)

Autumn from Delaware

Welcome, Autumn from Delaware! The video was silly! Here is another WONDER about dinosaurs! Wonder #275: How Do Dinosaurs Get Their Names? Enjoy! :)

Thanks for WONDERing with us, Sara! Check back everyday for more WONDERful WONDERS!:)

Hello, Gabriel! It sounds like many of our WONDER friends agree with you about the video. We all thought it was funny too! Thanks for commenting! :)

Julian from Delaware

Welcome, Julian from Delaware! You stay busy! That shows true commitment and hard work! :)

Hi Geyonni! We are glad you liked the video. Can you imagine seeing a dinosaur at school? Check out Wonder #491: Do Dogs Really Eat Homework? Happy WONDERing! :)

christina from De

I agree!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for commenting, christina from De! You're right, that kids also need time to spend with their family. As the WONDER tells us, it is important to not have too much homework. That leaves time for both! :)

Khyan from DE

Thanks for sharing, Khyan from DE! Homework is helpful practice and playing with your friends is important, too. Hopefully you can find a happy medium between the two! :)

Kainat from Delware

Not really... :(

im just here because of espark, of all you people you domt kn9w what espark is, well its not homework its just were on oir school ipads amd we do this app that novody wants to do and we have (quests) and are a bunch of activities put togethor.

That could be a very fun way to learn and WONDER, Mitchell! 

William Weispfenning

Homework is so fun (not) homework = ?

lol really william

Thanks for joining the discussion, William. There are pros and cons to homework and we hope this Wonder helped you learn about them. ?

We appreciate you sharing your thoughts, Trinity! Thanks for visiting Wonderopolis! :)

That's right, Kainat from Delware! Homework is great practice! Keep up the great WONDERing! :)

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Question 1 of 3

Homework plays an important role for parents by creating a bridge between home and what?

• a school Correct!
• b parents Not Quite!
• c coaches Not Quite!
• d students Not Quite!

Question 2 of 3

Which of the following is NOT an important life skill that can be enhanced via homework?

• a time management Not Quite!
• b prioritization Not Quite!
• c organization Not Quite!
• d photosynthesis Correct!

Question 3 of 3

How much is too much homework per night?

• a 30 minutes Not Quite!
• b 1 hour Not Quite!
• c 2 hours Not Quite!
• d It depends upon a variety of complex factors. Correct!

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47 Foolproof First Day Of School Activities

November 10, 2023 //  by  Joanna Balla-Elliot

The first day of school is all about setting expectations, learning about each other, and building culture. It is an anxious time so you’ll want to set your students at ease right away with something to do walking in. As the day progresses, you’ll balance get-to-know-you activities with a review of classroom rules, and an introduction to a few academic routines. Their first day will fly by in the best of ways with our foolproof list of engaging activities. Read on to pick out a few for your new class!

Bell Ringers

1. name tag share.

First things first, let’s learn some names! Have your students design a name tag as their first assignment walking in the door. This concrete and simple activity puts them at ease straight away. It’s also a great partner share once everyone has arrived.

Learn More: Name Tag Slide

2. Something You Read/Learned This Summer

Take the pressure of writing off your kiddies by having them share their summer adventures aloud. Did they learn something new about nature on their family camping trip? Did they read a clever graphic novel on the beach? You might be surprised by how quickly you’ll start to get to know them! 

Learn More: Retrieval Practice

3. Math Riddles

Kick off your math curriculum with intriguing numeracy riddles! These will challenge your students to think critically and stretch their problem-solving skills. This is sure to make math fun straight off the bat, and encourages their curiosity and engagement!

Learn More: Mental Up

4. Time Capsule Surveys

Take a snapshot of your kids’ personalities with this super time capsule activity. Have them fill out a questionnaire about their current interests and predictions for the year, then seal them up! At the end of the year, they’ll love to see how they’ve grown and changed over time as they read what they wrote!

Learn More: Teaching Mama

Behavioral Expectations

5. classroom map / scavenger hunt.

Get out your compass! It’s time for your kiddos to find their way around your classroom!  Have them explore, then draw their very own map to help them get to grips with the new space. You could even build community by pairing them up in small teams to complete this task.

Learn More: Twinkl

6. Classroom Crest

Set your classroom apart by working together to complete a classroom crest. What’s a crest they might ask? Well, they’ll soon find out! This fun activity further builds a sense of unity and belonging in this new space and can establish some common values to guide your kids into the new school year!

Learn More: Committee for the Children

7. Interactive Modeling

Practice interactive modeling to teach your students the key routines in your class. Get everyone moving by practicing standing in a line, organizing their cubbies, or getting their attention with some clapping or call-back signals. This is not only fun but works wonders to achieve order early on.

Learn More: Youtube

8. Hopes and Dreams

This first day of school activity, not only introduces your kiddos to goal setting but can be a colorful addition to your hallway bulletin board. Have them fill in the printable template showing their hopes for the year, then you can go back to them later to discuss how their hopes and dreams have changed and evolved over the year.

Learn More: Responsive Classroom

9. Classroom Charter

Why not create a class charter? Together, have your class discuss and decide upon a set of guidelines, behaviors, and values that will shape the classroom culture and promote respect for the shared learning space and for each other. You can even make it formal by letting everyone add their signature!

Learn More: TES

Fun Icebreaker Games

10. stem challenge.

Thisteam-building activity doubles as a STEM learning opportunity! Group your kids into small teams and have them work together to build a straw bridge, then test the strength of each bridge using weights. This is a great way to break the ice and get them collaborating. Be sure to review your expectations for teamwork beforehand!

Learn More: Matt Farrell

11. Puzzle Piece Activity

Create a class jigsaw! Print off each of your youngsters a large puzzle piece and let them decorate it with images, colors, and words that represent them, from their hobbies to their personality traits! All that’s left is to put the pieces together to make a super display. 

Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers

12. Beach Ball Activity

What are your kiddos’ favorite hobbies? What’s their favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Use a Sharpie to write these questions and more on a beachball then have them throw and catch the ball, answering whatever question their hand lands on. They’ll soon forget those first-day jitters and will be having a ball!

Learn More: Thought Co

13. Paper Snowballs

A snowball fight on the first day of school?! Start by writing some fun getting-to-know-you questions on some paper then scrunch them up into “snowballs”; then have your kiddos have fun throwing them around! After a while call time and have them open them up and answer the questions!

Learn More: Teaching Made Practical

14. FriennDiagrams

Allow your kiddos to interview each other in this fun getting-to-know-you activity! They’ll record their partners’ answers in the respective circle and see what similarities they find. Afterward, allow them to share their answers in front of their classmates. This is a fun introduction to each other and to Venn diagrams!

Learn More: Conflict Resolution Frienn Diagram

15. Two Truths and a Lie

Everyone’s favorite icebreaker, it’s an oldie but a goodie! Let each of your kids take a turn to present three statements about themselves – two of which are true, and one a lie. The rest of the class will then have to vote to guess which was the lie; this is sure to lead to some surprising revelations and lots of laughter.

Learn More: Teachers First

16. Guess the Teacher

Take this opportunity to share some quirky, unknown facts about the teachers and staff with your kiddos! They’ll work to guess who each fact belongs to, which creates a super fun way for them to learn about the grown-ups they’ll be interacting with.

Learn More: Pinterest

17. “Find a Friend Who…” Bingo

Another classic first-day game that’s stood the test of time is Bingo! Give your kiddies a bingo card filled with getting-to-know-you statements and encourage them to mix and mingle to find classmates who fit these descriptions and write down their names. This is a super interesting way to learn about their new classmates!

Learn More: Bingo Baker

18. Who Am I?

All you’ll need for this idea is a pack of sticky notes! Put a sticky note on each of your kids’ foreheads with the name of a famous person, place, or thing. Next, they’ll mingle with one another, asking yes or no questions to guess what’s on the sticky note. It’s a surefire way to bring interaction and laughter to the first day of school.

Learn More: wikiHow

19. Interview Carousel

Put your kiddos in the hot seat with this interview activity! For this icebreaker game, create two concentric circles where your students are facing each other. Each pair will have a brief chat, and then one circle rotates, forming new pairs; let this continue until everyone has met each other!

Learn More: Teach Starter

20. Human Knot

Can your kiddies untangle a human knot? Have your entire class form a circle and reach across to grab the hands of two other students, creating a human knot. They’ll then work together to untangle themselves without releasing their hands, giving them a lesson in teamwork and problem-solving!

Learn More: Theatre Folk

21. Musical Sharing

Play a snippet of music and pass around a “sharing ball” to learn more about your kiddies! When the music stops, whoever’s holding the ball shares a little about themselves. This is a fun way to keep everyone engaged and on their toes, and gives them the perfect opportunity to introduce themselves. 

Learn More: Mom Junction

Academic Activities

22. pica ferme nada.

Get your students refreshed on place value and their brains firing with this engaging math strategy activity. Pica Ferme Nada is the perfect game to shake off that summer fog and practice the expectations around raised hands and positive peer support!

Learn More: Sarah Buratti

23. My Ideal Day Pie Chart

Review fractions and pie charts while getting to know more about what makes each of your kiddos’ perfect day! Start with a class brainstorm to get the wheels turning and then make sure to give them plenty of time to decorate and color their charts. This is an extra fun way to make their first day extra special!

24. I Am From Poems

“I am From” poems make for a beautiful, literary way to learn about each others’ backgrounds and jumpstart your literary circle! This classroom activity is perfect for older learners as they’ll work to create a template after reading the original poem and then write their own.

Learn More: UMN

25. Independent Reading Time

The first day is a great time to not only set independent reading expectations but also to tour your classroom library! Invite your class to fill out a reading survey and then go to the library and discuss book picks that are based on their surveys! 

Learn More: The Thinker Builder

26. Letter to My Future Self

Time capsule letters are a fantastic way to start the year off with some self-reflection. Have your kiddos envision their future selves and write them a letter; put the letters into a padlocked box that you’ll crack into at the end of the year. You could also let them add things throughout the year too!

27. Virtual Field Trip

A field trip? On the first day of school? It’s time to take your class on a virtual tour of a museum, historical site, or natural wonder. This experience ignites curiosity and sets a tone of exploration for the academic year ahead. Plus, it’s a great way to roll out routines for safely retrieving and putting away the devices. 

Learn More: Discovery Education

28. Mad Libs

Make English fun and tap into your kids’ sillier side with Mad Libs! Start with a quick refresher on parts of speech and then have them work in pairs to fill in the blanks of a story with nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. What a hilarious way to start your school year!

29. Word Association Game

Get your class back into the swing of turn-taking with this fun word association game! With your kids all sitting in a circle, have one student say a word and then the next say the first word that comes to mind. This continues around the circle, encouraging spontaneity and creativity!

Learn More: Teach This

30. Quick Writes

Give your class a thought-provoking prompt and a short set time limit to write continuously. It is the perfect way to boost creativity and is a great first-day-of-school formative assessment tool! Over the course of you can extend the length of time to build stamina.

Learn More: Journal Buddies

31. History Mystery

Tap into your kiddos’ curiosity for all things ancient. First, present them with a choice of mysterious, obscure historical facts. Then they’ll work in groups to uncover the significance of these facts,  through detective-like investigation. This activity is best suited for older classes and the range of topics you can choose from is limitless. 

Learn More: The Beano

32. Bridge Building

Start with some STEM! Divide your class into small groups and challenge them to build the strongest bridge using only cups, construction paper, and tape. This one fosters teamwork and engineering skills, as your learners must collaborate on design and construction!

Learn More: PJ’s Summer Camp

Filler Time

33. captain’s coming.

Captain’s Coming is a game to get heart rates up while having fun. It is important to provide communal games during recess for the first few days of school and this game is the perfect choice as it’s impossible for kids to feel left out! Everyone will return to the classroom more at ease and with all their wiggles out!

Learn More: Mindy Brady

34. Zentangle Coloring Pages

The very best teachers know that brain breaks are key for retention, especially on a day like the first day of school when anxiety can be high for kiddos. Give your new learners time to decompress with these fantastic zen coloring sheets .

Learn More: Just Color

35. Brain Teasers

We all know the cafeteria can turn into a zoo, if not carefully managed. Ask your students some tricky brain teasers during lunchtime to stimulate conversation and keep things lighthearted. Invite other lunch monitors to join in the fun by distributing a list of riddles!

Learn More: Reader’s Digest

36. Would You Rather Questions

 Would you rather have sponges for hands, or be followed everywhere by five ducklings for the rest of your life? Ice cream for breakfast every morning or amusement park every afternoon? Cleaning your room, or loading the dishwasher? Questions like these will have your kiddos contemplating with a giggle!

Learn More: Family Education

37. Art For Kids Hub

Give your kiddos a fun, but challenging, art activity for their first day!  This follow-along video will show them how to draw a fun fold-out ice cream illustration! They’ll need to concentrate and follow the instructions closely, then when they’re finished, they can add their creations to a bulletin board.

Learn More: YouTube

You can’t go wrong with a game of Kahoot – it’s a definite win every time! Make a Kahoot with fun facts about your life to allow your kids the chance to get to know more about their new teacher. This could be a fun way to roll out the Chromebooks or iPads on day one!

Learn More: Teaching Expertise

39. Green Glass Door

Get ‘em head scratching with this tricky word game ! The object of the game is to figure out what can be brought through the door. Start by saying “I can bring a tree through the green glass door, but I cannot bring a leaf”. The key on this one is that the object must have double letters, but you can create a new rule each time you play!

Learn More: The Game Gal  

This is like twenty questions but with a twist! In Poodle, it’s all about verbs! The first player thinks of a verb and must try their very best to keep the verb a secret, while their classmates ask questions and try to guess it. This is a great first day of school way to practice quiet hand raising and get some laughs!

Learn More: The Game Gal

41. Emoji Bingo

They might not be allowed to have phones at school, but bring on the emojis! Give each kid their own emoji bingo cards and as each emoji is called out, they’ll mark their cards. What a fun way to kick off the school year!

42. Memory Chain

In this memory-building game, each student will share and remember facts about each other! As each person adds something about themselves to the chain, subsequent students have to recall all the previous shares before adding their own! They’ll create a chain of information that challenges memory in a fun way.

Learn More: Funny Game Ideas

43. Classroom Jigsaw Puzzle

Who doesn’t love a jigsaw puzzle? Designate an area of your class to set up a whole class jigsaw and let your kiddos work on it during breaks. This collaborative activity promotes problem-solving and patience, and they’ll have an awesome sense of achievement when it’s done!

44. Blind Drawing

This game is sure to get your class laughing! Your students will pair up, with one describing an object without naming it, and the other trying to draw it on a piece of paper, based solely on the description. What a fun way to demonstrate the importance of clear communication and listening skills!

45. Mindful Breathing

This is a great mid-day activity for day one when everyone could use a breather, even you! Start with some simple deep breathing exercises, in for two, out for two, with eyes closed and body calm This’ll easily help to quell the first-day jitters and introduce the concept of mindfulness.

46. Origami Corner

This is a great one for middle schoolers who love a challenge. Set up a station with colorful origami paper and instructions for various figures for your kiddos to create! This relaxing activity promotes fine motor skills and concentration and provides a quiet, creative break during the busy first day.

Learn More: The Spruce Crafts

47. Escape Room Challenge

Divide your class into small groups and create a mini escape room with puzzles related to the subjects you’ll be teaching throughout the year! Gamifying any lesson is a win-win and with this one, your kids will be practicing critical thinking in a fun way. They’ll definitely feel a sense of accomplishment as they work as a team to solve the challenges.

• Our Mission

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.

Does Homework Really Help Students Learn?

A conversation with a Wheelock researcher, a BU student, and a fourth-grade teacher

“Quality homework is engaging and relevant to kids’ lives,” says Wheelock’s Janine Bempechat. “It gives them autonomy and engages them in the community and with their families. In some subjects, like math, worksheets can be very helpful. It has to do with the value of practicing over and over.” Photo by iStock/Glenn Cook Photography

Do your homework.

If only it were that simple.

Educators have debated the merits of homework since the late 19th century. In recent years, amid concerns of some parents and teachers that children are being stressed out by too much homework, things have only gotten more fraught.

“Homework is complicated,” says developmental psychologist Janine Bempechat, a Wheelock College of Education & Human Development clinical professor. The author of the essay “ The Case for (Quality) Homework—Why It Improves Learning and How Parents Can Help ” in the winter 2019 issue of Education Next , Bempechat has studied how the debate about homework is influencing teacher preparation, parent and student beliefs about learning, and school policies.

She worries especially about socioeconomically disadvantaged students from low-performing schools who, according to research by Bempechat and others, get little or no homework.

BU Today  sat down with Bempechat and Erin Bruce (Wheelock’17,’18), a new fourth-grade teacher at a suburban Boston school, and future teacher freshman Emma Ardizzone (Wheelock) to talk about what quality homework looks like, how it can help children learn, and how schools can equip teachers to design it, evaluate it, and facilitate parents’ role in it.

BU Today: Parents and educators who are against homework in elementary school say there is no research definitively linking it to academic performance for kids in the early grades. You’ve said that they’re missing the point.

Bempechat : I think teachers assign homework in elementary school as a way to help kids develop skills they’ll need when they’re older—to begin to instill a sense of responsibility and to learn planning and organizational skills. That’s what I think is the greatest value of homework—in cultivating beliefs about learning and skills associated with academic success. If we greatly reduce or eliminate homework in elementary school, we deprive kids and parents of opportunities to instill these important learning habits and skills.

We do know that beginning in late middle school, and continuing through high school, there is a strong and positive correlation between homework completion and academic success.

That’s what I think is the greatest value of homework—in cultivating beliefs about learning and skills associated with academic success.

You talk about the importance of quality homework. What is that?

Quality homework is engaging and relevant to kids’ lives. It gives them autonomy and engages them in the community and with their families. In some subjects, like math, worksheets can be very helpful. It has to do with the value of practicing over and over.

What are your concerns about homework and low-income children?

The argument that some people make—that homework “punishes the poor” because lower-income parents may not be as well-equipped as affluent parents to help their children with homework—is very troubling to me. There are no parents who don’t care about their children’s learning. Parents don’t actually have to help with homework completion in order for kids to do well. They can help in other ways—by helping children organize a study space, providing snacks, being there as a support, helping children work in groups with siblings or friends.

Isn’t the discussion about getting rid of homework happening mostly in affluent communities?

Yes, and the stories we hear of kids being stressed out from too much homework—four or five hours of homework a night—are real. That’s problematic for physical and mental health and overall well-being. But the research shows that higher-income students get a lot more homework than lower-income kids.

Teachers may not have as high expectations for lower-income children. Schools should bear responsibility for providing supports for kids to be able to get their homework done—after-school clubs, community support, peer group support. It does kids a disservice when our expectations are lower for them.

The conversation around homework is to some extent a social class and social justice issue. If we eliminate homework for all children because affluent children have too much, we’re really doing a disservice to low-income children. They need the challenge, and every student can rise to the challenge with enough supports in place.

What did you learn by studying how education schools are preparing future teachers to handle homework?

My colleague, Margarita Jimenez-Silva, at the University of California, Davis, School of Education, and I interviewed faculty members at education schools, as well as supervising teachers, to find out how students are being prepared. And it seemed that they weren’t. There didn’t seem to be any readings on the research, or conversations on what high-quality homework is and how to design it.

Erin, what kind of training did you get in handling homework?

Bruce : I had phenomenal professors at Wheelock, but homework just didn’t come up. I did lots of student teaching. I’ve been in classrooms where the teachers didn’t assign any homework, and I’ve been in rooms where they assigned hours of homework a night. But I never even considered homework as something that was my decision. I just thought it was something I’d pull out of a book and it’d be done.

I started giving homework on the first night of school this year. My first assignment was to go home and draw a picture of the room where you do your homework. I want to know if it’s at a table and if there are chairs around it and if mom’s cooking dinner while you’re doing homework.

The second night I asked them to talk to a grown-up about how are you going to be able to get your homework done during the week. The kids really enjoyed it. There’s a running joke that I’m teaching life skills.

Friday nights, I read all my kids’ responses to me on their homework from the week and it’s wonderful. They pour their hearts out. It’s like we’re having a conversation on my couch Friday night.

It matters to know that the teacher cares about you and that what you think matters to the teacher. Homework is a vehicle to connect home and school…for parents to know teachers are welcoming to them and their families.

Bempechat : I can’t imagine that most new teachers would have the intuition Erin had in designing homework the way she did.

Ardizzone : Conversations with kids about homework, feeling you’re being listened to—that’s such a big part of wanting to do homework….I grew up in Westchester County. It was a pretty demanding school district. My junior year English teacher—I loved her—she would give us feedback, have meetings with all of us. She’d say, “If you have any questions, if you have anything you want to talk about, you can talk to me, here are my office hours.” It felt like she actually cared.

Bempechat : It matters to know that the teacher cares about you and that what you think matters to the teacher. Homework is a vehicle to connect home and school…for parents to know teachers are welcoming to them and their families.

Ardizzone : But can’t it lead to parents being overbearing and too involved in their children’s lives as students?

Bempechat : There’s good help and there’s bad help. The bad help is what you’re describing—when parents hover inappropriately, when they micromanage, when they see their children confused and struggling and tell them what to do.

Good help is when parents recognize there’s a struggle going on and instead ask informative questions: “Where do you think you went wrong?” They give hints, or pointers, rather than saying, “You missed this,” or “You didn’t read that.”

Bruce : I hope something comes of this. I hope BU or Wheelock can think of some way to make this a more pressing issue. As a first-year teacher, it was not something I even thought about on the first day of school—until a kid raised his hand and said, “Do we have homework?” It would have been wonderful if I’d had a plan from day one.

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Sara Rimer A journalist for more than three decades, Sara Rimer worked at the Miami Herald , Washington Post and, for 26 years, the New York Times , where she was the New England bureau chief, and a national reporter covering education, aging, immigration, and other social justice issues. Her stories on the death penalty’s inequities were nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and cited in the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision outlawing the execution of people with intellectual disabilities. Her journalism honors include Columbia University’s Meyer Berger award for in-depth human interest reporting. She holds a BA degree in American Studies from the University of Michigan. Profile

She can be reached at [email protected] .

Comments & Discussion

Boston University moderates comments to facilitate an informed, substantive, civil conversation. Abusive, profane, self-promotional, misleading, incoherent or off-topic comments will be rejected. Moderators are staffed during regular business hours (EST) and can only accept comments written in English. Statistics or facts must include a citation or a link to the citation.

There are 81 comments on Does Homework Really Help Students Learn?

Insightful! The values about homework in elementary schools are well aligned with my intuition as a parent.

when i finish my work i do my homework and i sometimes forget what to do because i did not get enough sleep

same omg it does not help me it is stressful and if I have it in more than one class I hate it.

Same I think my parent wants to help me but, she doesn’t care if I get bad grades so I just try my best and my grades are great.

I think that last question about Good help from parents is not know to all parents, we do as our parents did or how we best think it can be done, so maybe coaching parents or giving them resources on how to help with homework would be very beneficial for the parent on how to help and for the teacher to have consistency and improve homework results, and of course for the child. I do see how homework helps reaffirm the knowledge obtained in the classroom, I also have the ability to see progress and it is a time I share with my kids

The answer to the headline question is a no-brainer – a more pressing problem is why there is a difference in how students from different cultures succeed. Perfect example is the student population at BU – why is there a majority population of Asian students and only about 3% black students at BU? In fact at some universities there are law suits by Asians to stop discrimination and quotas against admitting Asian students because the real truth is that as a group they are demonstrating better qualifications for admittance, while at the same time there are quotas and reduced requirements for black students to boost their portion of the student population because as a group they do more poorly in meeting admissions standards – and it is not about the Benjamins. The real problem is that in our PC society no one has the gazuntas to explore this issue as it may reveal that all people are not created equal after all. Or is it just environmental cultural differences??????

I get you have a concern about the issue but that is not even what the point of this article is about. If you have an issue please take this to the site we have and only post your opinion about the actual topic

This is not at all what the article is talking about.

This literally has nothing to do with the article brought up. You should really take your opinions somewhere else before you speak about something that doesn’t make sense.

we have the same name

so they have the same name what of it?

lol you tell her

totally agree

What does that have to do with homework, that is not what the article talks about AT ALL.

Yes, I think homework plays an important role in the development of student life. Through homework, students have to face challenges on a daily basis and they try to solve them quickly.I am an intense online tutor at 24x7homeworkhelp and I give homework to my students at that level in which they handle it easily.

More than two-thirds of students said they used alcohol and drugs, primarily marijuana, to cope with stress.

You know what’s funny? I got this assignment to write an argument for homework about homework and this article was really helpful and understandable, and I also agree with this article’s point of view.

I also got the same task as you! I was looking for some good resources and I found this! I really found this article useful and easy to understand, just like you! ^^

i think that homework is the best thing that a child can have on the school because it help them with their thinking and memory.

I am a child myself and i think homework is a terrific pass time because i can’t play video games during the week. It also helps me set goals.

Homework is not harmful ,but it will if there is too much

I feel like, from a minors point of view that we shouldn’t get homework. Not only is the homework stressful, but it takes us away from relaxing and being social. For example, me and my friends was supposed to hang at the mall last week but we had to postpone it since we all had some sort of work to do. Our minds shouldn’t be focused on finishing an assignment that in realty, doesn’t matter. I completely understand that we should have homework. I have to write a paper on the unimportance of homework so thanks.

homework isn’t that bad

Are you a student? if not then i don’t really think you know how much and how severe todays homework really is

i am a student and i do not enjoy homework because i practice my sport 4 out of the five days we have school for 4 hours and that’s not even counting the commute time or the fact i still have to shower and eat dinner when i get home. its draining!

i totally agree with you. these people are such boomers

why just why

they do make a really good point, i think that there should be a limit though. hours and hours of homework can be really stressful, and the extra work isn’t making a difference to our learning, but i do believe homework should be optional and extra credit. that would make it for students to not have the leaning stress of a assignment and if you have a low grade you you can catch up.

Studies show that homework improves student achievement in terms of improved grades, test results, and the likelihood to attend college. Research published in the High School Journal indicates that students who spent between 31 and 90 minutes each day on homework “scored about 40 points higher on the SAT-Mathematics subtest than their peers, who reported spending no time on homework each day, on average.” On both standardized tests and grades, students in classes that were assigned homework outperformed 69% of students who didn’t have homework. A majority of studies on homework’s impact – 64% in one meta-study and 72% in another – showed that take home assignments were effective at improving academic achievement. Research by the Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) concluded that increased homework led to better GPAs and higher probability of college attendance for high school boys. In fact, boys who attended college did more than three hours of additional homework per week in high school.

So how are your measuring student achievement? That’s the real question. The argument that doing homework is simply a tool for teaching responsibility isn’t enough for me. We can teach responsibility in a number of ways. Also the poor argument that parents don’t need to help with homework, and that students can do it on their own, is wishful thinking at best. It completely ignores neurodiverse students. Students in poverty aren’t magically going to find a space to do homework, a friend’s or siblings to help them do it, and snacks to eat. I feel like the author of this piece has never set foot in a classroom of students.

THIS. This article is pathetic coming from a university. So intellectually dishonest, refusing to address the havoc of capitalism and poverty plays on academic success in life. How can they in one sentence use poor kids in an argument and never once address that poor children have access to damn near 0 of the resources affluent kids have? Draw me a picture and let’s talk about feelings lmao what a joke is that gonna put food in their belly so they can have the calories to burn in order to use their brain to study? What about quiet their 7 other siblings that they share a single bedroom with for hours? Is it gonna force the single mom to magically be at home and at work at the same time to cook food while you study and be there to throw an encouraging word?

Also the “parents don’t need to be a parent and be able to guide their kid at all academically they just need to exist in the next room” is wild. Its one thing if a parent straight up is not equipped but to say kids can just figured it out is…. wow coming from an educator What’s next the teacher doesn’t need to teach cause the kid can just follow the packet and figure it out?

Well then get a tutor right? Oh wait you are poor only affluent kids can afford a tutor for their hours of homework a day were they on average have none of the worries a poor child does. Does this address that poor children are more likely to also suffer abuse and mental illness? Like mentioned what about kids that can’t learn or comprehend the forced standardized way? Just let em fail? These children regularly are not in “special education”(some of those are a joke in their own and full of neglect and abuse) programs cause most aren’t even acknowledged as having disabilities or disorders.

But yes all and all those pesky poor kids just aren’t being worked hard enough lol pretty sure poor children’s existence just in childhood is more work, stress, and responsibility alone than an affluent child’s entire life cycle. Love they never once talked about the quality of education in the classroom being so bad between the poor and affluent it can qualify as segregation, just basically blamed poor people for being lazy, good job capitalism for failing us once again!

why the hell?

you should feel bad for saying this, this article can be helpful for people who has to write a essay about it

This is more of a political rant than it is about homework

I know a teacher who has told his students their homework is to find something they are interested in, pursue it and then come share what they learn. The student responses are quite compelling. One girl taught herself German so she could talk to her grandfather. One boy did a research project on Nelson Mandela because the teacher had mentioned him in class. Another boy, a both on the autism spectrum, fixed his family’s computer. The list goes on. This is fourth grade. I think students are highly motivated to learn, when we step aside and encourage them.

The whole point of homework is to give the students a chance to use the material that they have been presented with in class. If they never have the opportunity to use that information, and discover that it is actually useful, it will be in one ear and out the other. As a science teacher, it is critical that the students are challenged to use the material they have been presented with, which gives them the opportunity to actually think about it rather than regurgitate “facts”. Well designed homework forces the student to think conceptually, as opposed to regurgitation, which is never a pretty sight

Wonderful discussion. and yes, homework helps in learning and building skills in students.

not true it just causes kids to stress

Homework can be both beneficial and unuseful, if you will. There are students who are gifted in all subjects in school and ones with disabilities. Why should the students who are gifted get the lucky break, whereas the people who have disabilities suffer? The people who were born with this “gift” go through school with ease whereas people with disabilities struggle with the work given to them. I speak from experience because I am one of those students: the ones with disabilities. Homework doesn’t benefit “us”, it only tears us down and put us in an abyss of confusion and stress and hopelessness because we can’t learn as fast as others. Or we can’t handle the amount of work given whereas the gifted students go through it with ease. It just brings us down and makes us feel lost; because no mater what, it feels like we are destined to fail. It feels like we weren’t “cut out” for success.

homework does help

here is the thing though, if a child is shoved in the face with a whole ton of homework that isn’t really even considered homework it is assignments, it’s not helpful. the teacher should make homework more of a fun learning experience rather than something that is dreaded

This article was wonderful, I am going to ask my teachers about extra, or at all giving homework.

I agree. Especially when you have homework before an exam. Which is distasteful as you’ll need that time to study. It doesn’t make any sense, nor does us doing homework really matters as It’s just facts thrown at us.

Homework is too severe and is just too much for students, schools need to decrease the amount of homework. When teachers assign homework they forget that the students have other classes that give them the same amount of homework each day. Students need to work on social skills and life skills.

I disagree.

Beyond achievement, proponents of homework argue that it can have many other beneficial effects. They claim it can help students develop good study habits so they are ready to grow as their cognitive capacities mature. It can help students recognize that learning can occur at home as well as at school. Homework can foster independent learning and responsible character traits. And it can give parents an opportunity to see what’s going on at school and let them express positive attitudes toward achievement.

Homework is helpful because homework helps us by teaching us how to learn a specific topic.

As a student myself, I can say that I have almost never gotten the full 9 hours of recommended sleep time, because of homework. (Now I’m writing an essay on it in the middle of the night D=)

I am a 10 year old kid doing a report about “Is homework good or bad” for homework before i was going to do homework is bad but the sources from this site changed my mind!

Homeowkr is god for stusenrs

I agree with hunter because homework can be so stressful especially with this whole covid thing no one has time for homework and every one just wants to get back to there normal lives it is especially stressful when you go on a 2 week vaca 3 weeks into the new school year and and then less then a week after you come back from the vaca you are out for over a month because of covid and you have no way to get the assignment done and turned in

As great as homework is said to be in the is article, I feel like the viewpoint of the students was left out. Every where I go on the internet researching about this topic it almost always has interviews from teachers, professors, and the like. However isn’t that a little biased? Of course teachers are going to be for homework, they’re not the ones that have to stay up past midnight completing the homework from not just one class, but all of them. I just feel like this site is one-sided and you should include what the students of today think of spending four hours every night completing 6-8 classes worth of work.

Are we talking about homework or practice? Those are two very different things and can result in different outcomes.

Homework is a graded assignment. I do not know of research showing the benefits of graded assignments going home.

Practice; however, can be extremely beneficial, especially if there is some sort of feedback (not a grade but feedback). That feedback can come from the teacher, another student or even an automated grading program.

As a former band director, I assigned daily practice. I never once thought it would be appropriate for me to require the students to turn in a recording of their practice for me to grade. Instead, I had in-class assignments/assessments that were graded and directly related to the practice assigned.

I would really like to read articles on “homework” that truly distinguish between the two.

oof i feel bad good luck!

thank you guys for the artical because I have to finish an assingment. yes i did cite it but just thanks

thx for the article guys.

Homework is good

I think homework is helpful AND harmful. Sometimes u can’t get sleep bc of homework but it helps u practice for school too so idk.

I agree with this Article. And does anyone know when this was published. I would like to know.

It was published FEb 19, 2019.

Studies have shown that homework improved student achievement in terms of improved grades, test results, and the likelihood to attend college.

i think homework can help kids but at the same time not help kids

This article is so out of touch with majority of homes it would be laughable if it wasn’t so incredibly sad.

There is no value to homework all it does is add stress to already stressed homes. Parents or adults magically having the time or energy to shepherd kids through homework is dome sort of 1950’s fantasy.

What lala land do these teachers live in?

Homework gives noting to the kid

Homework is Bad

homework is bad.

why do kids even have homework?

Comments are closed.

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Ages & Stages

Checklist for the first day of school.

​As you and your child prepare for the first day of the new school year, use this checklist to help make sure you have taken care of the necessary tasks and have the information you need.

• Is your child registered? Many school districts hold registration for returning students during the spring of the prior school year, often online.
• When is the first day of school , and what time does school start? What will your child's daily schedule be like?
• How is your child going to get to school? If your child is biking, do they know the school rules for bicycles? If they are walking for the first time, who will they walk with to and from school? Have you reviewed safety precautions with them regarding traffic and strangers? (See " Walking and Biking to School: Keeping Kids Safe .")
• Will they need to bring a snack? What kinds of snacks are allowed and encouraged? Are refillable water bottles allowed? Water is the perfect beverage, an inexpensive and healthy choice.
• What time is lunch? Can your child buy it at school, and how much will it cost ?
• What clothes will your child need to wear? Are there any re­strictions on what they can wear? Will they need a different set of clothes for physical education or art classes?
• Does your child need to bring supplies such as pencils, paper and notebooks ? Often, school districts will publish grade-specific school supply lists online ahead of time, and supplies can be brought in during the school walk-through day. Many parent-teacher organizations hold online fundraiser supply kit sales, as well.
• Does your child have a backpack or something else in which to carry their books and supplies back and forth to school? Will they have a place (besides their desk) to keep their things at school?
• Have you filled out all health forms or emergency contact forms sent home (or published online on the district website)?
• Have any new health problems developed in your child over the summer that will affect their school day? Does the school nurse know about this condition, or is an appointment set up to discuss it?
• If your child will need to take medication at school on the first day, have arrangements and necessary paperwork (usually requiring signatures from your pediatrician) been made for this?
• Does your child know where they are going after school (like home or to a babysitter)? Do they know how they will get there? If you will not be there when they arrive, does he know who will be re­sponsible for them, what the rules are, and how to get help in an emergency?
• Does your child have your cell and work telephone numbers memorized and accessible?

More information

• Back to School Tips for Families
• 5 Ways to Help Your Child Have a Healthy School Year
• Health Problems at School: How School Nurses Can Help
• School Safety During an Emergency or Crisis

First Day of School Worksheets & Printables

The first day of the new school year can feel overwhelming with lesson planning, organizing your classroom, and getting to know new students (or reconnecting with your students after summer) all on your ever-growing to-do list. Here you’ll find a collection of back to school activities, printable worksheets, checklists, and templates, to help ease you into the first week of school and take away some of that back to school angst.

Back to School Worksheets & Printables

Here you'll find our tried and tested teaching resources for the first day of school. Choose from icebreakers, writing and math activities, in-depth projects, and more. Browse the collections by grade level to find the perfect back to school activity for your class.

First Day of School Activities for Elementary

These back to school activities and printables have been created for Kindergarten, 1st grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, and 5th grade. You’ll find activities specifically for the first day of school as well as getting to know you printables, and handy “5 minutes left” activities. Many of the worksheets and templates have been designed so that can be used for bulletin boards or open houses and back to school nights.

• First Day Activities For Elementary School Students Themed Packet
• 12 First Lesson Icebreakers For Elementary

My First Day Of Kindergarten

• My First Day Of School Picture Activity
• My First Day of School Poem
• First Day Of School Thoughts
• Our First Day of School Classroom Book
• "5 Minutes Left" Activities for the Elementary Classroom

Beginning Of The School Year: Find Someone Who

• All About Me - Getting To Know You Questions
• We All Fit Together
• Get To Know You Turn and Talk Cards 
• Getting To Know You Cards For Elementary
• Getting To Know You Suitcase For Elementary
• My Summer Break

First Day of School Activities for Middle School

This collection of first day of school activities and printables is designed for middle school grade levels. It might be time to welcome back your classes from last year or to get to know new classes, either way, these getting to know you and icebreaker activities are a great way to settle in on the first day of school. For new students moving from elementary to start 6th grade, try our packet of helpful transition activities.

• First Day Activities For Middle School Students Themed Packet 
• Back To School: Welcome To 6th Grade Packet
• Getting To Know Your Classmates Scoot 
• All About Me Worksheet - Getting To Know You Questions
• Getting To Know You Activities for Middle School

First Day of School Activities for High School

For new high school students moving up from middle school, and new classes you may not have taught before, try our first day of school activities packet and getting to know you activities. For those more familiar with their surroundings, the beginning of the year is the perfect time to set goals for the upcoming school year.

• First Day Activities For High School Students Themed Packet
• Back To School Goal Setting Activities Themed Packet
• Getting To Know Your Classmates Scoot
• Getting To Know You Activities for High School

First Day of School Printables for Teachers

The beginning of the year is the time to restock and organize those planners, check off everything you need to do in those first days and weeks and find fun ways to get to know your new students. Here you’ll find a collection of ready-to-use printables specifically for teachers.

Checklists & Templates for the First Day of School

The first day of school is a great time to set classroom rules, expectations, and routines with your class. Use our checklists to make sure you’ve got everything covered, and our planners and templates to get organized for the beginning of the year.

• Teacher Planner 2023-2024
• Back To School Classroom Routines And Procedures Checklist
• End Of The Day Organization Checklist
• Daily Planner Printable
• More Classroom Forms and Graphic Organizers

Tips for New Teachers

The first day of school is particularly intimidating for new teachers not quite sure what to expect or how to prepare. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with all the advice, templates, and printables you could possibly need for your very first day of school as a new teacher.

• New Teacher Starter Kit
• First Day Of School Checklist & Teaching Tips

First Day at the Elementary Level

First Day at the Secondary Level

FAQs for the First Days of School

• 15 Essential Teaching Tips for Back To School
• More New Teacher Resources
• Getting To Know Your Students

The first day of school is your first opportunity to get to know new students and start building a classroom community. Here we’ve included our top tips and ready-to-use icebreaker printables for getting to know your students.

• 5 Tips For Getting To Know Your Students
• 20 Tips For Remembering Students' Names
• Meeting And Greeting Students At The Beginning Of Class
• Ice Breakers For Kids In Elementary And Middle School
• Icebreakers and Getting To Know You Classroom Kit
• More Getting To Know You and Icebreaker Resources

More Back to School Resources

If you’re looking for more support for the back to school season, try these resource collections, for the first day back and beyond!

• Back To School Headquarters
• New Teacher Resources
• Icebreakers
• Classroom Management
• Lesson Planning
• Classroom Organization
• Bulletin Board Ideas

Recommended First Day of School Resources

First Day Activities For Middle School Students

First Day Activities For High School Students

TEACHING RESOURCE

First Day of School Thoughts

Back To School: Goal Setting Activities

Back To School: Welcome to 6th Grade Packet

Back To School Activities For Elementary Students

TEACHER ADVICE

First Day of School Checklist & Teaching Tips

My First Day Poem

Our First Day Classroom Book

My First Day of School Picture Activity

My Summer Break Icebreaker Writing Activity

TeacherVision Talks: Why This Matters - Teaching The Importance of Learning

What to Plan for the First Day of Kindergarten

There is so much wrapped up into the first day of school in kindergarten. A kindergarten first day is important to teachers, students, and parents!

Here is what I do ahead of time to prepare for just the first day.

These preparations help me keep myself on track the first day of school since we have no routine established, have a lot of kindergarten procedures to learn and we have the attention span of a goldfish .

I say that lovingly and {most} kindergarten teachers will agree.

Staying on track

I write out just about  every little thing  I can fit into my lesson plan template. I write it out in note form (what makes sense to me) and try to plan in this order:

There are no times listed since I have no idea how long any of these items will take me with the new group of kinders, but I try to use my general sense of kindergarten time-space continuum to plan smart.

I do have anchor points in our day – which are specials, lunch, and dismissal.

If you’re a newbie kindergarten teacher, just do your best and aim to get them moving every 10-15 minutes!

It feels a little bit like herding cats the first few days of school but remember we’re laying the foundation for a year of tremendous growth.

Next, and this is magic for me , I take that plan for the day and cut it to fit on my wrist. I make a lesson plan bracelet .

What to plan for the first day of k

Let me first explain what types of things go into my first day of kindergarten lesson plans and then I’ll list them out for you in the order I use them.

Cover the basics – right away

We start by ourselves since we say goodbye to parents outside as part of our morning routine.

I teach them where to put their lunch boxes and backpacks since that’ll be the way we normally start our day and then I move right into teaching them about the bathroom in our classroom .

Seriously?  Yep.

There is always a kinder (or seven) who have to use it right away so it’s the best way to get them started off using proper procedures right away and sets them all at ease.

I also teach procedures like how to blow your nose, using your elbow germ-catcher and using a kleenex to get pesky nose germs out.

I’m not going to expect that someone has taught them these things, but I can expect them to do it now that I have taught them. Nose picking in our classroom is so.not.allowed .

This was my first year starting kindergarten with a projector, so that comes with its own set of introductions and we do a “lite” version of the calendar.

Cover the major expectations or rules

Before we’re too far into our day I go over the classroom expectations along with both the rewards and consequences. I find it helps us start the year off smoothly and then I can begin to hold them accountable since the ground rules are set.

It comes down to that we are here at school to learn and so every choice we make needs to work towards that and there are consequences for making choices that prevent that in ourselves or others.

I try to use natural consequences first and always reinforce that the two things in life we can control are our actions and our attitudes.

Plan time to play

Oh yeah, and I plan in playtime.

I schedule it regularly for the first two weeks of kindergarten.

I use this time to snap a photo of each child that will eventually make a  class list for specials teachers, substitutes as well as our class name chart and word wall.

I also try to plan in an extra recess into these first few days and it is a great morning break since our mornings are long.

Plan simple activities

Whatever activities you pick – make them simple. Oh gosh, make them simple.

The goal isn’t to be super creative or super-teacher… your goal is to make students feel welcome, learn how to use things in the classroom appropriately, and begin to learn “how to do school in this classroom.”

So pick a simple set of manipulatives to use or a coloring sheet and pick lots of books to read. Find ways to get them to move. A lot.

Plan a flexible ending to the day

And our afternoon is relatively short (about two hours).

Knowing this, I plan an activity, more procedures (so we know what to expect at the end of the day and dismissal) and an activity — if time provides — that can always finish the next morning.

Mrs. Miner’s Secret Gluing Techniques is my end-of-the-day rescue. We can do it rather quickly (for some) and can finish it in the morning (for others) and it helps make the point of learning how to not glue big globs.

Plan things that build on each other for the next couple of days

If you want to do calendar time then just pick a couple of things to do and add one new thing every day (or every couple of days to help lengthen their attention span)

If you plan to teach students how to use a glue bottle on the first day of school, then you can use your newfound technique on the second day of school to glue a small heart onto a Kissing Hand hand-print (using large stamp pads).

This way they aren’t gluing to practice gluing anymore – they are making a product with the skill they learned.

Now, please note that I did opt to teach them how to use a glue bottle on the first day of school and not scissors.

I don’t plan anything with scissors until the third day of school when we learn how to use glue frames (another new gluing skill) and gluing dabs in four corners to put items together.

In that case, we use this lunch expectations craft to practice our new skills. I outline the foods with a marker to make easy cutting lines.

By day three I have a better idea of who to target for individual attention with scissors for behavior reasons and fine motor skills.

When you plan activities that build on the skills you teach, you are quickly helping students learn to be successful.

First day of school lesson plans

Okay, so here are my lesson plans for the first day of school.

Remember, I write this out in note form and jot down what makes sense to me so I’ll be able to recall what I have to do immediately.

Let’s wrap it up

There you have it – the planning that helps me keep me on track the first day of school. I hope that these tips and seeing our day written out in bullet-point format is helpful to you.

If you like what I do here on KindergartenWorks, then be sure to subscribe today. I look forward to sharing ideas with you weekly.

You may want to  get this tip and 8 others sent directly to your email  with my  free Back to School Bootcamp course . You’ll get my best on starting kindergarten and be on your way to feeling more prepared than ever!

More starting kindergarten

• Kindergarten First Day Setup Photos
• The Truth About Kindergarten Classroom Management
• The Secret Every Teacher Should Know for the First 21 Days of School
• What Will Your Daily Routine Look Like Eventually?

Leslie is the teacher behind KindergartenWorks . She believes in teaching kinders how to be pretty incredible along with teaching them to read, write and think for themselves. She enjoys drinking hot tea, making mud pies with her four kids and sharing what she's learned with teachers.

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The first day of school is almost overwhelming with new procedures and things to learn in kindergarten. No, that would be a lie to say *almost* because it definitely is overwhelming. It’s just a big, exciting day with tons to pack in… in the most creative, energetic, playful, movement-oriented ways of teaching how to “do…

13 Valentine’s Day Videos for Kindergarten – Read, Move and Learn!

Want to find kindergarten-friendly videos that hit the mark in time for learning about Valentine’s Day? Here is a list of teacher-recommended videos for teaching about love, friendship, and the holiday filled with candy hearts. It can be fun to change up our normal routine in the classroom for February (when most teachers sprinkle in a few…

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Here are some favorite kindergarten videos on describing and naming 2D shapes. These videos are quick and very handy to use in lessons or during a transition. For example, you just might need a learning video to supplement what you’re teaching or a brain break video that can help get the wiggles out. Let’s look…

Tanya, I love your idea about using books to introduce your most important procedures. Although I have been combing many pages of your blog about this I’m still not clear on how you put your books together. Could you give me some information about that? I would love to have these ready this year for my kindies! Thanks

Hi Tanya, thanks so much for letting me know that wasn’t easy to find! I’ve got three examples online for you to check out: 1) Bathroom – https://www.kindergartenworks.com/classroom-management/classroom-procedures-bathroom/ 2) End of the Day – https://www.kindergartenworks.com/classroom-management/classroom-procedures-end-of-the-day/ 3) Pic only / Lunch – https://www.teachjunkie.com/management/back-to-school-lunch-procedures/ As I mainly used these multi-step processes to teach with a book. I took photos of the steps (usually starring me!) and then added words on each page using Microsoft Word or powerpoint/Google Slides. I highly recommend them for teaching multi-step things at the beginning. Does that help? – Leslie

I have to tell you, I used your bracelet idea this year. I had at least 3 teachers say, “what is on your wrist?” And, when they looked at it, they were shocked at the simple brilliance of it! LOL Teachers are funny, and easily impressed. Thank you for the great idea. BTW, I teach first grade, but my new firsties come from half day kindergarten, so my first days are also like herding cats! LOL

Tanya ☺ First Grade is Fantabulous!

Thanks for sharing Tanya – that’s awesome to hear how something so simple made a difference and perked up the ears of others. Enjoy the first few days with your cats too 😉 – Leslie

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Everyone struggles with homework sometimes, but if getting your homework done has become a chronic issue for you, then you may need a little extra help. That’s why we’ve written this article all about how to do homework. Once you’re finished reading it, you’ll know how to do homework (and have tons of new ways to motivate yourself to do homework)!

We’ve broken this article down into a few major sections. You’ll find:

• A diagnostic test to help you figure out why you’re struggling with homework
• A discussion of the four major homework problems students face, along with expert tips for addressing them
• A bonus section with tips for how to do homework fast

By the end of this article, you’ll be prepared to tackle whatever homework assignments your teachers throw at you .

So let’s get started!

How to Do Homework: Figure Out Your Struggles 

Sometimes it feels like everything is standing between you and getting your homework done. But the truth is, most people only have one or two major roadblocks that are keeping them from getting their homework done well and on time. 

The best way to figure out how to get motivated to do homework starts with pinpointing the issues that are affecting your ability to get your assignments done. That’s why we’ve developed a short quiz to help you identify the areas where you’re struggling. 

Take the quiz below and record your answers on your phone or on a scrap piece of paper. Keep in mind there are no wrong answers! 

1. You’ve just been assigned an essay in your English class that’s due at the end of the week. What’s the first thing you do?

A. Keep it in mind, even though you won’t start it until the day before it’s due  B. Open up your planner. You’ve got to figure out when you’ll write your paper since you have band practice, a speech tournament, and your little sister’s dance recital this week, too.  C. Groan out loud. Another essay? You could barely get yourself to write the last one!  D. Start thinking about your essay topic, which makes you think about your art project that’s due the same day, which reminds you that your favorite artist might have just posted to Instagram...so you better check your feed right now. 

2. Your mom asked you to pick up your room before she gets home from work. You’ve just gotten home from school. You decide you’ll tackle your chores: 

A. Five minutes before your mom walks through the front door. As long as it gets done, who cares when you start?  B. As soon as you get home from your shift at the local grocery store.  C. After you give yourself a 15-minute pep talk about how you need to get to work.  D. You won’t get it done. Between texts from your friends, trying to watch your favorite Netflix show, and playing with your dog, you just lost track of time! 

3. You’ve signed up to wash dogs at the Humane Society to help earn money for your senior class trip. You: 

A. Show up ten minutes late. You put off leaving your house until the last minute, then got stuck in unexpected traffic on the way to the shelter.  B. Have to call and cancel at the last minute. You forgot you’d already agreed to babysit your cousin and bake cupcakes for tomorrow’s bake sale.  C. Actually arrive fifteen minutes early with extra brushes and bandanas you picked up at the store. You’re passionate about animals, so you’re excited to help out! D. Show up on time, but only get three dogs washed. You couldn’t help it: you just kept getting distracted by how cute they were!

4. You have an hour of downtime, so you decide you’re going to watch an episode of The Great British Baking Show. You: 

A. Scroll through your social media feeds for twenty minutes before hitting play, which means you’re not able to finish the whole episode. Ugh! You really wanted to see who was sent home!  B. Watch fifteen minutes until you remember you’re supposed to pick up your sister from band practice before heading to your part-time job. No GBBO for you!  C. You finish one episode, then decide to watch another even though you’ve got SAT studying to do. It’s just more fun to watch people make scones.  D. Start the episode, but only catch bits and pieces of it because you’re reading Twitter, cleaning out your backpack, and eating a snack at the same time.

5. Your teacher asks you to stay after class because you’ve missed turning in two homework assignments in a row. When she asks you what’s wrong, you say: 

A. You planned to do your assignments during lunch, but you ran out of time. You decided it would be better to turn in nothing at all than submit unfinished work.  B. You really wanted to get the assignments done, but between your extracurriculars, family commitments, and your part-time job, your homework fell through the cracks.  C. You have a hard time psyching yourself to tackle the assignments. You just can’t seem to find the motivation to work on them once you get home.  D. You tried to do them, but you had a hard time focusing. By the time you realized you hadn’t gotten anything done, it was already time to turn them in. 

Like we said earlier, there are no right or wrong answers to this quiz (though your results will be better if you answered as honestly as possible). Here’s how your answers break down: 

• If your answers were mostly As, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is procrastination. 
• If your answers were mostly Bs, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is time management. 
• If your answers were mostly Cs, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is motivation. 
• If your answers were mostly Ds, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is getting distracted. 

Now that you’ve identified why you’re having a hard time getting your homework done, we can help you figure out how to fix it! Scroll down to find your core problem area to learn more about how you can start to address it. 

And one more thing: you’re really struggling with homework, it’s a good idea to read through every section below. You may find some additional tips that will help make homework less intimidating. 

How to Do Homework When You’re a Procrastinator  

Merriam Webster defines “procrastinate” as “to put off intentionally and habitually.” In other words, procrastination is when you choose to do something at the last minute on a regular basis. If you’ve ever found yourself pulling an all-nighter, trying to finish an assignment between periods, or sprinting to turn in a paper minutes before a deadline, you’ve experienced the effects of procrastination. 

If you’re a chronic procrastinator, you’re in good company. In fact, one study found that 70% to 95% of undergraduate students procrastinate when it comes to doing their homework. Unfortunately, procrastination can negatively impact your grades. Researchers have found that procrastination can lower your grade on an assignment by as much as five points ...which might not sound serious until you realize that can mean the difference between a B- and a C+. 

Procrastination can also negatively affect your health by increasing your stress levels , which can lead to other health conditions like insomnia, a weakened immune system, and even heart conditions. Getting a handle on procrastination can not only improve your grades, it can make you feel better, too! 

The big thing to understand about procrastination is that it’s not the result of laziness. Laziness is defined as being “disinclined to activity or exertion.” In other words, being lazy is all about doing nothing. But a s this Psychology Today article explains , procrastinators don’t put things off because they don’t want to work. Instead, procrastinators tend to postpone tasks they don’t want to do in favor of tasks that they perceive as either more important or more fun. Put another way, procrastinators want to do things...as long as it’s not their homework! 

3 Tips f or Conquering Procrastination 

Because putting off doing homework is a common problem, there are lots of good tactics for addressing procrastination. Keep reading for our three expert tips that will get your homework habits back on track in no time. 

#1: Create a Reward System

Like we mentioned earlier, procrastination happens when you prioritize other activities over getting your homework done. Many times, this happens because homework...well, just isn’t enjoyable. But you can add some fun back into the process by rewarding yourself for getting your work done. 

Here’s what we mean: let’s say you decide that every time you get your homework done before the day it’s due, you’ll give yourself a point. For every five points you earn, you’ll treat yourself to your favorite dessert: a chocolate cupcake! Now you have an extra (delicious!) incentive to motivate you to leave procrastination in the dust. 

If you’re not into cupcakes, don’t worry. Your reward can be anything that motivates you . Maybe it’s hanging out with your best friend or an extra ten minutes of video game time. As long as you’re choosing something that makes homework worth doing, you’ll be successful. 

#2: Have a Homework Accountability Partner 

If you’re having trouble getting yourself to start your homework ahead of time, it may be a good idea to call in reinforcements . Find a friend or classmate you can trust and explain to them that you’re trying to change your homework habits. Ask them if they’d be willing to text you to make sure you’re doing your homework and check in with you once a week to see if you’re meeting your anti-procrastination goals. 

Sharing your goals can make them feel more real, and an accountability partner can help hold you responsible for your decisions. For example, let’s say you’re tempted to put off your science lab write-up until the morning before it’s due. But you know that your accountability partner is going to text you about it tomorrow...and you don’t want to fess up that you haven’t started your assignment. A homework accountability partner can give you the extra support and incentive you need to keep your homework habits on track. 

#3: Create Your Own Due Dates 

If you’re a life-long procrastinator, you might find that changing the habit is harder than you expected. In that case, you might try using procrastination to your advantage! If you just can’t seem to stop doing your work at the last minute, try setting your own due dates for assignments that range from a day to a week before the assignment is actually due. 

Here’s what we mean. Let’s say you have a math worksheet that’s been assigned on Tuesday and is due on Friday. In your planner, you can write down the due date as Thursday instead. You may still put off your homework assignment until the last minute...but in this case, the “last minute” is a day before the assignment’s real due date . This little hack can trick your procrastination-addicted brain into planning ahead! 

If you feel like Kevin Hart in this meme, then our tips for doing homework when you're busy are for you. 

How to Do Homework When You’re too Busy

If you’re aiming to go to a top-tier college , you’re going to have a full plate. Because college admissions is getting more competitive, it’s important that you’re maintaining your grades , studying hard for your standardized tests , and participating in extracurriculars so your application stands out. A packed schedule can get even more hectic once you add family obligations or a part-time job to the mix. 

If you feel like you’re being pulled in a million directions at once, you’re not alone. Recent research has found that stress—and more severe stress-related conditions like anxiety and depression— are a major problem for high school students . In fact, one study from the American Psychological Association found that during the school year, students’ stress levels are higher than those of the adults around them. 

For students, homework is a major contributor to their overall stress levels . Many high schoolers have multiple hours of homework every night , and figuring out how to fit it into an already-packed schedule can seem impossible. 

3 Tips for Fitting Homework Into Your Busy Schedule

While it might feel like you have literally no time left in your schedule, there are still ways to make sure you’re able to get your homework done and meet your other commitments. Here are our expert homework tips for even the busiest of students. 

#1: Make a Prioritized To-Do List 

You probably already have a to-do list to keep yourself on track. The next step is to prioritize the items on your to-do list so you can see what items need your attention right away. 

Here’s how it works: at the beginning of each day, sit down and make a list of all the items you need to get done before you go to bed. This includes your homework, but it should also take into account any practices, chores, events, or job shifts you may have. Once you get everything listed out, it’s time to prioritize them using the labels A, B, and C. Here’s what those labels mean:

• A Tasks : tasks that have to get done—like showing up at work or turning in an assignment—get an A. 
• B Tasks : these are tasks that you would like to get done by the end of the day but aren’t as time sensitive. For example, studying for a test you have next week could be a B-level task. It’s still important, but it doesn’t have to be done right away.
• C Tasks: these are tasks that aren’t very important and/or have no real consequences if you don’t get them done immediately. For instance, if you’re hoping to clean out your closet but it’s not an assigned chore from your parents, you could label that to-do item with a C.

Prioritizing your to-do list helps you visualize which items need your immediate attention, and which items you can leave for later. A prioritized to-do list ensures that you’re spending your time efficiently and effectively, which helps you make room in your schedule for homework. So even though you might really want to start making decorations for Homecoming (a B task), you’ll know that finishing your reading log (an A task) is more important. 

#2: Use a Planner With Time Labels

Your planner is probably packed with notes, events, and assignments already. (And if you’re not using a planner, it’s time to start!) But planners can do more for you than just remind you when an assignment is due. If you’re using a planner with time labels, it can help you visualize how you need to spend your day.

A planner with time labels breaks your day down into chunks, and you assign tasks to each chunk of time. For example, you can make a note of your class schedule with assignments, block out time to study, and make sure you know when you need to be at practice. Once you know which tasks take priority, you can add them to any empty spaces in your day. 

Planning out how you spend your time not only helps you use it wisely, it can help you feel less overwhelmed, too . We’re big fans of planners that include a task list ( like this one ) or have room for notes ( like this one ). 

#3: Set Reminders on Your Phone 

If you need a little extra nudge to make sure you’re getting your homework done on time, it’s a good idea to set some reminders on your phone. You don’t need a fancy app, either. You can use your alarm app to have it go off at specific times throughout the day to remind you to do your homework. This works especially well if you have a set homework time scheduled. So if you’ve decided you’re doing homework at 6:00 pm, you can set an alarm to remind you to bust out your books and get to work. 

If you use your phone as your planner, you may have the option to add alerts, emails, or notifications to scheduled events . Many calendar apps, including the one that comes with your phone, have built-in reminders that you can customize to meet your needs. So if you block off time to do your homework from 4:30 to 6:00 pm, you can set a reminder that will pop up on your phone when it’s time to get started. 

This dog isn't judging your lack of motivation...but your teacher might. Keep reading for tips to help you motivate yourself to do your homework.

How to Do Homework When You’re Unmotivated 

At first glance, it may seem like procrastination and being unmotivated are the same thing. After all, both of these issues usually result in you putting off your homework until the very last minute. 

But there’s one key difference: many procrastinators are working, they’re just prioritizing work differently. They know they’re going to start their homework...they’re just going to do it later. 

Conversely, people who are unmotivated to do homework just can’t find the willpower to tackle their assignments. Procrastinators know they’ll at least attempt the homework at the last minute, whereas people who are unmotivated struggle with convincing themselves to do it at a ll. For procrastinators, the stress comes from the inevitable time crunch. For unmotivated people, the stress comes from trying to convince themselves to do something they don’t want to do in the first place. 

Here are some common reasons students are unmotivated in doing homework : 

• Assignments are too easy, too hard, or seemingly pointless 
• Students aren’t interested in (or passionate about) the subject matter
• Students are intimidated by the work and/or feels like they don’t understand the assignment 
• Homework isn’t fun, and students would rather spend their time on things that they enjoy 

To sum it up: people who lack motivation to do their homework are more likely to not do it at all, or to spend more time worrying about doing their homework than...well, actually doing it.

3 Tips for How to Get Motivated to Do Homework

The key to getting homework done when you’re unmotivated is to figure out what does motivate you, then apply those things to homework. It sounds tricky...but it’s pretty simple once you get the hang of it! Here are our three expert tips for motivating yourself to do your homework. 

#1: Use Incremental Incentives

When you’re not motivated, it’s important to give yourself small rewards to stay focused on finishing the task at hand. The trick is to keep the incentives small and to reward yourself often. For example, maybe you’re reading a good book in your free time. For every ten minutes you spend on your homework, you get to read five pages of your book. Like we mentioned earlier, make sure you’re choosing a reward that works for you! 

So why does this technique work? Using small rewards more often allows you to experience small wins for getting your work done. Every time you make it to one of your tiny reward points, you get to celebrate your success, which gives your brain a boost of dopamine . Dopamine helps you stay motivated and also creates a feeling of satisfaction when you complete your homework !  

#2: Form a Homework Group 

If you’re having trouble motivating yourself, it’s okay to turn to others for support. Creating a homework group can help with this. Bring together a group of your friends or classmates, and pick one time a week where you meet and work on homework together. You don’t have to be in the same class, or even taking the same subjects— the goal is to encourage one another to start (and finish!) your assignments. 

Another added benefit of a homework group is that you can help one another if you’re struggling to understand the material covered in your classes. This is especially helpful if your lack of motivation comes from being intimidated by your assignments. Asking your friends for help may feel less scary than talking to your teacher...and once you get a handle on the material, your homework may become less frightening, too. 

#3: Change Up Your Environment 

If you find that you’re totally unmotivated, it may help if you find a new place to do your homework. For example, if you’ve been struggling to get your homework done at home, try spending an extra hour in the library after school instead. The change of scenery can limit your distractions and give you the energy you need to get your work done. 

If you’re stuck doing homework at home, you can still use this tip. For instance, maybe you’ve always done your homework sitting on your bed. Try relocating somewhere else, like your kitchen table, for a few weeks. You may find that setting up a new “homework spot” in your house gives you a motivational lift and helps you get your work done. 

Social media can be a huge problem when it comes to doing homework. We have advice for helping you unplug and regain focus.

How to Do Homework When You’re Easily Distracted

We live in an always-on world, and there are tons of things clamoring for our attention. From friends and family to pop culture and social media, it seems like there’s always something (or someone!) distracting us from the things we need to do.

The 24/7 world we live in has affected our ability to focus on tasks for prolonged periods of time. Research has shown that over the past decade, an average person’s attention span has gone from 12 seconds to eight seconds . And when we do lose focus, i t takes people a long time to get back on task . One study found that it can take as long as 23 minutes to get back to work once we’ve been distracte d. No wonder it can take hours to get your homework done! 

3 Tips to Improve Your Focus

If you have a hard time focusing when you’re doing your homework, it’s a good idea to try and eliminate as many distractions as possible. Here are three expert tips for blocking out the noise so you can focus on getting your homework done. 

#1: Create a Distraction-Free Environment

Pick a place where you’ll do your homework every day, and make it as distraction-free as possible. Try to find a location where there won’t be tons of noise, and limit your access to screens while you’re doing your homework. Put together a focus-oriented playlist (or choose one on your favorite streaming service), and put your headphones on while you work. 

You may find that other people, like your friends and family, are your biggest distraction. If that’s the case, try setting up some homework boundaries. Let them know when you’ll be working on homework every day, and ask them if they’ll help you keep a quiet environment. They’ll be happy to lend a hand! 

#2: Limit Your Access to Technology 

We know, we know...this tip isn’t fun, but it does work. For homework that doesn’t require a computer, like handouts or worksheets, it’s best to put all your technology away . Turn off your television, put your phone and laptop in your backpack, and silence notifications on any wearable tech you may be sporting. If you listen to music while you work, that’s fine...but make sure you have a playlist set up so you’re not shuffling through songs once you get started on your homework. 

If your homework requires your laptop or tablet, it can be harder to limit your access to distractions. But it’s not impossible! T here are apps you can download that will block certain websites while you’re working so that you’re not tempted to scroll through Twitter or check your Facebook feed. Silence notifications and text messages on your computer, and don’t open your email account unless you absolutely have to. And if you don’t need access to the internet to complete your assignments, turn off your WiFi. Cutting out the online chatter is a great way to make sure you’re getting your homework done. 

#3: Set a Timer (the Pomodoro Technique)

Have you ever heard of the Pomodoro technique ? It’s a productivity hack that uses a timer to help you focus!

Here’s how it works: first, set a timer for 25 minutes. This is going to be your work time. During this 25 minutes, all you can do is work on whatever homework assignment you have in front of you. No email, no text messaging, no phone calls—just homework. When that timer goes off, you get to take a 5 minute break. Every time you go through one of these cycles, it’s called a “pomodoro.” For every four pomodoros you complete, you can take a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes.

The pomodoro technique works through a combination of boundary setting and rewards. First, it gives you a finite amount of time to focus, so you know that you only have to work really hard for 25 minutes. Once you’ve done that, you’re rewarded with a short break where you can do whatever you want. Additionally, tracking how many pomodoros you complete can help you see how long you’re really working on your homework. (Once you start using our focus tips, you may find it doesn’t take as long as you thought!)

Two Bonus Tips for How to Do Homework Fast

Even if you’re doing everything right, there will be times when you just need to get your homework done as fast as possible. (Why do teachers always have projects due in the same week? The world may never know.)

The problem with speeding through homework is that it’s easy to make mistakes. While turning in an assignment is always better than not submitting anything at all, you want to make sure that you’re not compromising quality for speed. Simply put, the goal is to get your homework done quickly and still make a good grade on the assignment! 

Here are our two bonus tips for getting a decent grade on your homework assignments , even when you’re in a time crunch. 

#1: Do the Easy Parts First 

This is especially true if you’re working on a handout with multiple questions. Before you start working on the assignment, read through all the questions and problems. As you do, make a mark beside the questions you think are “easy” to answer . 

Once you’ve finished going through the whole assignment, you can answer these questions first. Getting the easy questions out of the way as quickly as possible lets you spend more time on the trickier portions of your homework, which will maximize your assignment grade. 

(Quick note: this is also a good strategy to use on timed assignments and tests, like the SAT and the ACT !) 

#2: Pay Attention in Class 

Homework gets a lot easier when you’re actively learning the material. Teachers aren’t giving you homework because they’re mean or trying to ruin your weekend... it’s because they want you to really understand the course material. Homework is designed to reinforce what you’re already learning in class so you’ll be ready to tackle harder concepts later.

When you pay attention in class, ask questions, and take good notes, you’re absorbing the information you’ll need to succeed on your homework assignments. (You’re stuck in class anyway, so you might as well make the most of it!) Not only will paying attention in class make your homework less confusing, it will also help it go much faster, too.

What’s Next?

If you’re looking to improve your productivity beyond homework, a good place to begin is with time management. After all, we only have so much time in a day...so it’s important to get the most out of it! To get you started, check out this list of the 12 best time management techniques that you can start using today.

You may have read this article because homework struggles have been affecting your GPA. Now that you’re on the path to homework success, it’s time to start being proactive about raising your grades. This article teaches you everything you need to know about raising your GPA so you can

Now you know how to get motivated to do homework...but what about your study habits? Studying is just as critical to getting good grades, and ultimately getting into a good college . We can teach you how to study bette r in high school. (We’ve also got tons of resources to help you study for your ACT and SAT exams , too!)

These recommendations are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links, PrepScholar may receive a commission.

Ashley Sufflé Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams.

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The first day of school can be challenging for educators as students start to pour in and get reoriented to the goals and expectations of the school year. As a teacher, you can face several challenges in setting the right tone, which is why the first day of school activities is important to plan out and execute.

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You can focus on in-class decorations, fun introductions, educational games , show & tell activities, and other fun activities that can instill a sense of enthusiasm and playfulness. You can even create fun group mission statements that your class can fill out as a way of expressing intent and vision for the rest of the year.

21 Best First Day Of School Activities

1. Friends Diagrams

You can pair up students in the classroom and ask them to find similar interests to fill out a Friendship Venn diagram. This can be a unique way to help students understand how math can be used for practical applications.

Age Range – 6 years and older

Tools Needed – Venn diagram template

Special Note – Add prompts to help kids understand better

2.  My ideal day chart

You can have your students design their ideal first day of school and convert their ideas into a pie chart. You can add instructions on how to color, categorize, and label different parts correctly to have the chart represent their day.

Tools Needed – Pie chart outline, colors

Special Note – Stickers will help label different categories

3. Introductions all around

Introductions are some of the most fun first day of school get-to-know-you activities, and you can have your students share a few facts that their classmates didn’t know about. You can also use an instrument to turn introductions into songs. 

Age Range – 3 years and older

Tools Needed – Instrument

Special Note – Rhyming introductions will be more fun

4. Name tags for kids

You can make customized name tags for everyone to get to know each other better. Your students can also use name tags to stick onto toys, books, and other objects. This personalizes the first day of school, which can overwhelm some students.

Tools Needed – Stickers and labels

Special Note – Initials will also be helpful

5. Designing a classroom crest

A memorable first day of school activity can be around designing crests that represent the classroom’s mission and vision. You can prepare templates for kids to draw into, along with a motto and symbols representing different aspects.

Tools Needed – Template, colors, labels, stickers

Special Note – Explaining the utility of crests will keep them engaged

6. Get to know your teachers!

The first day of school can be stressful for kids who are more introverted and shyer. By having fun facts about yourself listed out, along with hobbies, interests, and favorite books, you can encourage everyone to talk to you about anything on the first day.

Tools Needed – Printable sheets

Special Note – Talking about relatable traits and hobbies will be key

7. First day of school time capsule

You can add fun mementos, toys, stickers, and other unique objects to help kids understand the value of archiving and storing memories. You can also make unique time capsules for each child to take home at the end of the school year.

Age Range – 4 years and older

Tools Needed – Toys, stickers, notes, labels

Special Note – Having the students fill up their capsule will be more impactful

8. Book reading activities

Instead of jumping straight into the curricula, you can take the first day of school to read books aloud and engage kids in storytelling. You can make the first day more magical and awe-inspiring, bringing the joy of reading intently back into their mindset.

Tools Needed – Story-rich fiction books

Special Note – You can find the right book by referencing the Lexile score

9. Share a compliment

You can have your class add blank stickers to their backs as students write compliments on them anonymously. This can significantly uplift children’s morale on the first day of school.

Tools Needed – Large stickers, pencils

Special Note – Adding prompts for compliments will be ideal

10. Would you rather questions

You can have your students unpack the first day of school with would you rather questions. You can ask them what they’d like for lunch, what they want to study, what they’d like to play, etc. This can be a group activity as well, with kids voting on what they’d like.

Age Range – 5 years and older

Tools Needed – Voting sheets, pencils

Special Note – Making the questions as unique as possible will garner specific responses

11. Individual promises

Your students can fill out a promise sheet about what they plan to do and what promises they plan to keep by the end of the school year. You can customize each sheet to the strengths and exploratory areas you’d like each child to focus on.

Tools Needed – Template

Special Note – Adding blanks where kids can fill out promise sheets is ideal.

12. Two truths and a lie

This is a fun first-day-of-school activity that asks kids to get creative and imagine unique lies and specific truths. You can have them write it down and read it out loud for the entire class to guess.

Tools Needed – Paper, pencils

Special Note – You can provide examples of truths and lies

13. Self-portraits

You can have your students draw self-portraits and add what they love to the paper layout. You can have them make it unique and personalized by adding their names at the top of the sheet.

Tools Needed – Paper, colors

Special Note – Ask your students to be as colorful as possible

14. Sticky-note expectations

You can have a paper board on the wall and ask students to add what they expect from their class for the year. They can write their thoughts on a sticky note and place it on the board directly.

Tools Needed – Sticky notes, board, colors

Special Note – Asking specific areas, such as subjects, topics, goals, etc. will be ideal

15. Printable coloring worksheets

You can create coloring sheets around each student’s personality and hobbies and have them fill them out with colors, prompts, and answers to questions. This can be hung up on the classroom wall to make each child feel special.

Tools Needed – Paper sheets, colors, templates

Special Note – Focusing on unique traits and hobbies will be key

16. Art session

By organizing a few easels and painting supplies, you can start the first day of school with an art session. You can ask students to express themselves through art and give them a memorable experience for the start of the school year.

Tools Needed – Easel, painting supplies, props

Special Note – Giving them specific direction will make the session more impactful.

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17. Trivia Day!

You can host a Kahoot-style Trivia Day session, asking questions about what they’ve learned during their break. You can also focus on specific subjects, such as math and science, to get them into the right mindset to return to learning.

Tools Needed – Trivia questions

Special Note – Making the quiz specific to subjects or goals will be the right way ahead

18. I-Spy Back to School

An I-Spy game with back-to-school elements will make the first school day more interesting. You can have students guess the right answers or write them down for rewards. You can also make the activity more academic by asking kids to solve puzzles for the prompt.

Tools Needed – Props, quiz list, paper

Special Note – Having distinct items spread across the room will make the activity more dynamic.

19. Birthday boards!

Birthday boards are a great first day of school activities elementary students will enjoy as something fun to look forward to. You can plan special celebrations around each child’s birthday and make it a fun activity for everyone.

Tools Needed – Board, paper, buttons, calendar templates

Special Note – You can make paper cutouts of the kid’s names and stick them on specific dates.

20. Role-playing on the first day

To make the first day of school more exciting, you can assign different roles, professions, and jobs to kids and have them role-play for accomplishing specific tasks. You can have some kids be ice cream vendors while other kids are comedians.

Tools Needed – Paper, colors, tasks list

Special Note – Asking what your students want to be when they grow up can help you customize the professions and task lists.

21. Making FDoS welcome bags

Your students can make welcome bags for other classrooms for the first day of school. The activity can help students across different classrooms feel connected to each other. You can also have students fill out these bags however they like.

Tools Needed – Paper bags, ribbons, stickers, labels, colors, props

Special Note – You can ask students to think about how they’d feel when they receive a welcome bag

Let’s check out the first day of school activities for remote learning classrooms

Remote learning is quickly emerging as the new norm worldwide, with teachers having to bring out hybrid activity ideas for the first day of school. These fun-filled and engaging online first-day-of-school activities will help you get your classroom excited for the school year.

1. Holiday Snapshots

In this activity, students can prepare snapshots of their vacation with different activities, things they learned, places they visited, and other fun memories they’d like to share. You can make the activity even more interactive by having them present their snapshots in class.

Tools Needed – Snapshot template, colors, pencils, online video software

Special Note – Customize the snapshot according to grade

2. Emotions check-in

This activity is great for remote learning classrooms as it allows you to measure your students’ emotions without overwhelming them. You can develop a creatively designed survey sheet that asks your students about how they are feeling about the first day of school.

Tools Needed – Editing software, template, interactive tool

Special Note – Add emojis or cute animals for younger children

3. Virtual sing-alongs

One of the best ways to make your students feel joyful and enthusiastic is to conduct virtual sing-alongs. You can also have your students print and cut out fun props, such as microphones, hats, masks, animal cards, etc.

Tools Needed – Templates, high-quality microphone, virtual meeting software

Special Note – Going with familiar songs will be ideal

4. Virtual icebreakers

You can create virtual icebreaker questions, asking your students to name their favorite animals, their deserted island books, or their favorite activities. The answers to these questions can be shared with everyone in class, giving each student a chance to learn something about each other.

Tools Needed – Ice-breaker questions, online Q&A tool, presentation tool

Special Note – Encouraging students to build friendships over common interests can be helpful.

5. Online scavenger hunt

You can create a digital scavenger hunt based on what your students have learned over the past year. These questions can also help reflect how much information has been retained by your students.  

Tools Needed – Rules sheet, outlines, rewards

Special Note – Focusing on math or science-related prompts will be key.

These 5 take-home activities will be great for your classroom!

Take-home first-day-of-school activities can also help students become excited about school and what they can expect for the rest of the year. You can also customize take-home activities with a smaller class and add stickers to make them unique and special.

1. Classroom Decor ideas

You can have your students decide how to decorate the physical classroom space by giving them take-home templates. They can choose the seating arrangements, the decorations, the daily affirmations/notes, and the placement of toys & books.

Tools Needed – Empty classroom template, stickers, rewards

Special Note – Giving students the exact categories of decoration will help

2. Word puzzles

Puzzles are a great way to help students improve their confidence across subject areas. You can make amazing puzzles that reflect what students may have learned over the last year as a fun home first-day-of-school activity.

Tools Needed – Puzzles template

Special Note – Giving them crayons and pencils will make it more engaging

3. Math worksheets

Math worksheets are great tools to help you analyze knowledge retention and understand how your class performs against standardized measures. It’s one of the more comprehensive take-home first-day-of-school math activities that provides a fun challenge to students across grades.

You can download a free math worksheet from thousands of options here on our platform . 

Tools Needed – Access to worksheet template

Special Note – You can use different worksheets for different objectives

4. What are your hopes & dreams?

An interesting first-day-of-school activity is to ask your students what their hopes & dreams are. They can carry the template sheet home and fill out what they hope to achieve during the year, their dreams, and where their interests reside.

Tools Needed – Printable sheet, pencils

Special Note – Adding prompts or examples will provide more clarity.

5. Awesome STEM activity

A great way to get the ball rolling on the first day is to engage them in a STEM activity. You can give them seed kits, cardboard car cutouts, parachute and egg-basket kits, and other fun science-based projects. 

Tools Needed – STEM activity kit, instructions, access to tools

Special Note – The simpler the experiment, the better the results

Get Started With The Preparations!

These are the best first-day-of-school activities for students that you can use to make the day that much more memorable. You can use these activities and games to keep their spirits up and help shyer children come out of their shells. 

These games are also versatile, with some of them being given as homework for kids to work on. You can use them in conjunction and come up with your own unique games that can excite children for the first day of school.

Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)

What areas should i emphasize on the first day of school.

You should start the school year on a bright and positive note. You can introduce fun activities, games, and online learning sites to help kids ease into the lesson plan for the week. You can also focus on ensuring active participation with group activities and sing-alongs.

How should I schedule the first day of school?

You can start slower in the first half of the day with some introductions, games, and group activities. You can schedule multiple breaks and leisure time to keep them engaged. You can then introduce concepts and subjects by covering them on the surface level and recommending books to help them get acquainted.

How do you make the first day of school interesting?

There are several things you can do to make the first day of class enjoyable.

• Having activities planned around the first day.
• Focus on introductions and social playtime.
• Mention the objectives for the year.
• Prepare schedules for your students to follow.

How do you engage students on the first day of school?

You can make the first day more memorable and engaging by using multisensory strategies, such as music, reading , and kinesthetic experiences.

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100 Questions to Ask Students on the First Day of School

The first day of school is a blend of excitement and nerves for both students and teachers. The key to smoothing out those first-day jitters lies in asking the right questions.

Engaging students with thoughtful inquiries not only breaks the ice but also provides invaluable insights into their personalities, learning preferences, and expectations. This list of questions is designed to create a warm and supportive classroom atmosphere that encourages open communication from the very start.

Table of Contents

Ice Breaker Questions

• What is one fun fact about yourself that you’d like to share?
• If you could have any superpower for a day, which one would you choose and why?
• What’s your favorite hobby or activity to do outside of school?
• If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
• Which movie or book character do you relate to most, and why?
• What’s your favorite subject in school so far, and what do you like about it?
• If you could meet anyone from history, who would it be, and what would you ask them?
• Do you play any musical instruments or participate in any sports?
• What’s something new you tried this summer that you enjoyed?
• If you had a YouTube channel, what kind of videos would you make?
• What’s your favorite game to play with friends or family?
• Can you tell us about a memorable moment or achievement from the last year?
• What type of music do you love, and who is your favorite artist or band?
• If you could invent something to make life easier, what would it be?
• What’s your go-to snack when you’re hungry?
• Do you have a favorite quote or saying that inspires you?
• If you were an animal, which one would you like to be and why?
• What’s something you’re looking forward to this school year?
• Do you have any special talents or skills you’re proud of?
• What’s the most interesting place you’ve ever visited, and what did you like about it?

Personal Interest Questions

• What book are you currently reading, or what was the last one you finished?
• Are there any hobbies you’re passionate about and would like to spend more time on?
• Do you have any pets? If so, what are their names, and what do you enjoy about them?
• Who is someone you admire or who inspires you, and why?
• What do you like to do when you have free time on the weekends?
• Is there a subject or topic you’re really interested in learning more about?
• What’s one goal you have for yourself this school year?
• Have you been involved in any community service or volunteer work?
• What kind of movies or TV shows do you enjoy watching?
• Is there a language you’ve always wanted to learn or are currently learning?
• What’s your favorite family tradition?
• Do you like creating things, like art, music, or stories?
• What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
• Do you enjoy cooking or baking? What’s your specialty dish?
• If you could start a club at school, what would it be about?
• When you grow up, what profession are you interested in pursuing?
• Do you have a place where you feel most at peace or happy?
• Have you ever taken part in a performance, like acting in a play or dancing?
• What’s one thing you would change about the world if you could?
• How do you usually celebrate your birthday?

Learning Style and Preferences Questions

• Do you prefer working in teams or on your own when it comes to school projects?
• Is there a particular subject that you find challenging but would like to improve in?
• What helps you stay organized and on track with your school work?
• Do you learn better with visual aids like charts and graphs or through listening to explanations?
• What’s the most interesting project or assignment you’ve ever done?
• How do you prefer to study for tests or quizzes?
• What’s one thing a teacher can do that really helps you learn?
• Do you enjoy hands-on activities or experiments in class?
• Are there any educational games or apps that you’ve found particularly helpful or fun?
• How important is a quiet environment to you when you’re studying?
• Do you have any strategies for remembering important information?
• Which do you enjoy more: in-depth research projects or quick, in-class activities?
• What motivates you to do well in school?
• Do you like to ask questions in class, or do you prefer to reflect on the material silently?
• What type of feedback from teachers do you find most useful?
• Have you ever taught someone else how to do something? What was it and how did it go?
• Is there a time of day when you feel you learn best?
• How do technology and digital tools fit into your preferred learning style?
• Do you set academic goals for yourself? If so, how do you work toward achieving them?
• Have you ever participated in online learning, and what was your experience like?

Classroom Environment Expectations Questions

• What do you hope to get out of this class by the end of the year?
• In what kind of classroom environment do you feel most comfortable and ready to learn?
• What are some classroom rules that you think are important for everyone to follow?
• How do you think teachers and students can best communicate with one another?
• Do you like it when classes include group discussions or debates?
• What’s one thing that can make you excited about coming to school each day?
• Is there anything specific that you’re nervous about for this school year?
• How do you feel about public speaking or giving presentations in class?
• What are your thoughts on homework—how much is just right, and how much is too much?
• How do you handle conflicts or disagreements with classmates?
• What is your ideal way to receive praise or recognition for your work?
• Do you have any suggestions for classroom activities or projects you’d like to do?
• What’s the best way for you to receive help or support when you’re struggling with coursework?
• What do you think is the key to a successful and enjoyable school year?
• What role do you think respect plays in the classroom?
• How important is it for you to have a creative outlet during school hours?
• Do you have any concerns about the school environment that you’d like to share?
• How does the physical setup of the classroom affect your learning?
• What makes a classroom feel like a positive and inclusive place for you?
• How do you like to celebrate academic successes and milestones as a class?

Academic Background and Skills Questions

• What are some subjects or topics you’ve excelled in previously?
• Have you learned something in school that sparked a new interest or passion?
• Are there any skills or talents you’re hoping to develop this school year?
• Do you speak any other languages besides English, and how did you learn them?
• Can you think of a time when you overcame an academic challenge? How did you do it?
• What is your favorite method for researching and exploring new topics?
• Do you have any experience with coding, robotics, or other STEM-related activities?
• Have you participated in any academic competitions or contests, and what was that like?
• Are math and science subjects that come naturally to you, or do you prefer humanities-based subjects?
• Is there a project or paper you’ve written in the past that you’re particularly proud of?
• How do you approach learning something completely new to you?
• Have you ever helped a classmate understand a concept or subject better?
• Do you have any educational goals for this year, such as reading a certain number of books or mastering a new skill?
• Do you enjoy exploring art, music, and creative writing in your academics?
• What’s one piece of technology that’s had a significant impact on your learning?
• Have you ever taken part in a science fair, art show, or other school exhibition?
• What techniques have you found to be effective when studying complex, dense material?
• Do you have any experience with collaborative learning or peer tutoring?
• What type of projects do you feel showcase your skills and knowledge best?
• Are there any specific academic achievements you’re striving to reach this year?

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you start a conversation on the first day of school.

Starting a conversation on the first day of school can be a bit nerve-wracking, but it’s a great opportunity to meet new people and make new friends.

One way to start a conversation is to simply introduce yourself and ask the other person their name. You could also ask them where they are from or if they have any hobbies or interests that they enjoy. Another approach is to comment on something that is happening around you, such as a fun activity or an interesting lesson.

Remember to be friendly, confident, and respectful, and the conversation will develop naturally.

How do teachers begin the first day of class?

On the first day of class, teachers usually introduce themselves to their students and give an overview of the course, including the syllabus and expectations for the class.

They may also discuss classroom rules and procedures and give students an opportunity to ask questions and get to know each other. In some cases, teachers may begin with a lesson or activity so students can get acclimated to the class and begin learning right away.

Overall, the first day of class is an opportunity for teachers to set the tone for the course and get students excited and engaged about the material.

How do you motivate your students on the first day of school?

One way to motivate students on the first day of school is to create a positive and engaging learning environment. This can be accomplished by setting clear expectations for behavior and performance and showing enthusiasm for the material that will be covered during the school year.

It can also be helpful to create a sense of community among students and allow them to get to know each other and work together. In addition, giving students a sense of ownership over their learning can help to motivate them, as can offering them opportunities to pursue their interests and passions in the classroom.

Final Thoughts

As I wrap up this diverse collection of questions, remember that the goal is to create connections and foster a sense of community within your classroom. By showing genuine interest in your students’ lives and learning preferences, you set the tone for a school year full of growth, cooperation, and mutual respect.

Encourage dialogue, listen intently, and be prepared to learn as much from your students as they will from you. Here’s to a fantastic and engaging school year ahead!

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Jahrine Okutsu

Back to School | Study tips for making the most of homework time

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) - As the kids get ready to head back to school, it’s time to get back in that learning frame of mind.

From math to reading, each piece of homework the kids bring home can come with its own set of challenges. Going from laidback summer days to a more rigid school schedule can be a tough adjustment.

“It’s something certainly very difficult to do,” said Valley Health psychologist Cory Boothe. “It’s a big change, and schools don’t always warm up to it.”

Boothe works with kids year round, and this time of year there’s an emphasis on helping them get ready for the daily commitment of homework and assignments.

“Setting up that study area at home,” he said. “That’s one of the things I think is so important. That might look like setting up a structured time for that homework, helping them set up a space to work on that, whether that’s having a desk and how to organize their materials.”

Boothe says it’s important to give kids some independence with their own work space so they have that accountability for their homework.

There are effective ways to stay involved in their learning process.

“Generally, we learn best when our knowledge is applied. Memorization is one of the first steps but what I recommend is to find ways to apply that in the daily world,” Boothe said. “Practicing our math, decimals and fractions when you go to the grocery store. Calculating things like miles per gallon when you’re driving.”

By paying attention to your child’s learning style, you can help them study more efficiently.

“Sometimes kids have a hard time sitting down to just focus on what the work is, so what I’ll encourage them to do is, let’s get up and move,” Boothe said. “We’re practicing the spelling words and the vocabulary, let’s go pass a ball.”

When speaking to kids about their learning progress, Boothe recommends taking out any comparison and focusing on each child’s goals.

“There’s a good deal of research that talks about performance goals vs. mastery goals. We’ve really transitioned to that mastery aspect,” he said. “Performance goals being, what did you get on the test, how many As did you get? That talks about how well they’re doing compared to other students. In mastery, we’re talking individually.”

Mastery goals can include creating weekly benchmarks like getting a little faster at your times tables than you were the week before.

As they’re adjusting to a new school year, Boothe reminds parents to give kids time to adjust to this drastic change in schedule.

10 Surprising Facts About Memorial Day

M emorial Day began as a way to honor soldiers who died in the American Civil War, which claimed the lives of the most U.S. military personnel in history. Now, the holiday is celebrated to memorialize fallen U.S. troops of all conflicts.

To some Americans, this holiday also marks a three-day weekend, the beginning of summer, and various traditions. Here are some interesting and surprising facts about Memorial Day.

Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day

After the end of the Civil War in 1865, the beginnings of Memorial Day lay in a celebration called Decoration Day, as community members, including those in the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), a Union Veterans organization, visited the graves of the fallen Union soldiers in their hometown and decorated them with flowers.

“That's why it was at the end of May, because that’s when the springtime blooms, especially in Charleston, one of the cities that claims to have the first celebration, just weeks after General Lee surrendered and Abraham Lincoln was assassinated,” Dr. Joey Fink, Interim Chair and Assistant Professor of History at High Point University, tells TIME in a phone call. 

Memorial Day is said to have began as a Southern holiday, celebrating African American Freedom

In May 1865, thousands of formerly enslaved Black community members in Charleston held a ceremony and parade at the site of a former racetrack, the Washington Race Course and Jockey Club, where a reported 260 Union soldiers were buried in a mass grave. They reburied the soldiers in individual graves, decorated the resting places, sang songs of freedom, and held a picnic afterwards.

“The war was over, and Decoration Day had been founded by African Americans in a ritual of remembrance and consecration,” said Dr. David Blight, Sterling Professor of History and of African American Studies at Yale University, in his article “The First Decoration Day, ” about the Charleston celebration. “The war, they had boldly announced, had been all about the triumph of their emancipation over a slaveholders' republic, and not about state rights, defense of home, nor merely soldiers' valor and sacrifice.” 

Read More: The Overlooked Black History of Memorial Day

The holiday was not official until 1968

Though many towns had their own Decoration Day celebrations, the holiday more officially emerged in 1868 when General John A. Logan , commander-in-chief of the GAR called on former soldiers and their communities to conduct ceremonies and decorate graves of their dead comrades. This is why many consider Logan to be the founder of Memorial Day.

Memorial Day became an official federal holiday in 1968, with the passing of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act by Congress in June 1968, which went into effect in 1971.

It wasn't always celebrated on the last Monday in May

General Logan called for Decoration Day to occur on May 30 , since it was not the anniversary of any particular battle. With the passing of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act in 1968, Memorial Day was established a federal holiday on the last Monday of May, so it could be a three-day weekend. 

When President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the act, he noted that the three-day weekend would make it easier for Americans to travel, and better for industrial production and commercial activity, since there would be no midweek shut down.

“In the post-war years, the narrative is that it’s American to honor our traditions, our ideals and our people with commercial and industrial production and activity,” says Dr. Fink.

There is debate on where the “home” of Memorial Day is

President Johnson named Waterloo, New York, as the birthplace of Memorial Day in 1966. Waterloo first celebrated the day on May 5, 1866. However, several other towns have also claimed to be the holiday's birthplace, including Charleson, South Carolina; Columbus, Georgia; and Boalsburg, Pennsylvania.

“Charleston claims that. Columbus claims it,” Dr. Adam Domby, Associate Professor of History at Auburn University, tells TIME in a phone call. “But the sentiment remains that the act of decoration annually begins really in the South at grave sites of American soldiers who had died fighting for African American freedom.”

American Memorial Day is quite different to the memorial days of other Anglo-European countries

According to Dr. Fink, it is far more common around the world for countries, particularly Anglo-European countries, to have their version of a Memorial Day or Remembrance Day on November 11, the conclusion of World War I, also known as Armistice Day.

In America, though, Armistice Day coincides with Veterans Day, which honors all of those who have served in the United States Military, while Memorial Day focuses on soldiers who have died.

Furthermore, Memorial Day in America is often seen as a celebration—many early iterations of the day included songs, barbecues, and lemonade, according to Dr. Domby—while Armistice Day in many other countries is publicly viewed as quite solemn.

Confederate Memorial Day rose concurrently with Memorial Day

After the Civil War, many white Southerners refused to participate in Memorial Day, according to Domby. Instead, Confederate Memorial Day, commemorating the deaths of Confederate soldiers in the U.S., began around the same time. These celebrations never became an official federal holiday, but were eventually established as state holidays in some southern states.

Mississippi , Alabama, and South Carolina still recognize Confederate Memorial Day, closing state offices on April 22 and May 10, respectively. Florida , North Carolina, and Georgia still name the holiday in state law, but no longer close state offices in observance.

How a President celebrates Memorial Day is often viewed through a political lens

There is a newer narrative that Americans are losing intimacy and care for their troops. And while Dr. Fink says this is partially true with volunteer military service, Presidents have been scrutinized for how they celebrate Memorial Day.

“In 1888, the U.S. President [Grover Cleveland] was criticized for going fishing on Memorial Day, and in 1911 the first Indy 500 was held on Memorial Day,” Dr. Fink says. 

In June 1972, TIME commented that the holiday had become “a three-day nationwide hootenanny that seems to have lost much of its original purpose.”

A customary moment of silence takes place at 3:00 p.m.

Memorial Day is frequently commemorated with the gesture of American flags lowered to half-mast, accompanied by a moment of silence observed at 3:00 p.m., a time designated by The National Moment of Remembrance Act , passed in 2000.

This year, President Joe Biden also called for an “hour beginning in each locality at 11:00 a.m. of [Memorial Day] as a time when people might unite in prayer and reflection.”

43.8 million people are expected to travel this Memorial Day Weekend.

AAA projected that Memorial Day 2024 will be an extremely busy travel weekend. According to their analysis, 43.8 million travelers will head 50 miles or more from home over the Memorial Day holiday travel period, a 4% increase over last year. 

“We’re projecting an additional one million travelers this holiday weekend compared to 2019, which not only means we’re exceeding pre-pandemic levels but also signals a very busy summer travel season ahead,” said Paula Twidale, Senior Vice President of AAA Travel on their website.

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Whole Grains

Choose whole grains instead of refined grains.

Whole grains offer a “complete package” of health benefits, unlike refined grains, which are stripped of valuable nutrients in the refining process.

All whole grain kernels contain three parts: the bran, germ, and endosperm. Each section houses health-promoting nutrients. The bran is the fiber -rich outer layer that supplies B vitamins , iron , copper, zinc , magnesium , antioxidants , and phytochemicals. Phytochemicals are natural chemical compounds in plants that have been researched for their role in disease prevention. The germ is the core of the seed where growth occurs; it is rich in healthy fats, vitamin E , B vitamins, phytochemicals, and antioxidants. The endosperm is the interior layer that holds carbohydrates, protein, and small amounts of some B vitamins and minerals.

These components have various effects on our bodies:

• Bran and fiber slow the breakdown of starch into glucose—thus maintaining a steady blood sugar rather than causing sharp spikes.
• Fiber helps lower cholesterol as well as move waste through the digestive tract.
• Fiber may also help prevent the formation of small blood clots that can trigger heart attacks or strokes.
• Phytochemicals and essential minerals such as magnesium, selenium and copper found in whole grains may protect against some cancers.

The invention of industrialized roller mills in the late 19th century changed the way we process grains. Milling strips away the bran and germ and leaves only the soft, easy-to-digest endosperm. Without the fibrous bran, the grain is easier to chew. The germ is removed because of its fat content, which can limit the shelf life of processed wheat products. The resulting highly processed grains are much lower in nutritional quality. Refining wheat creates fluffy flour that makes light, airy breads and pastries, but the process strips away more than half of wheat’s B vitamins, 90 percent of the vitamin E, and virtually all of the fiber. Although some nutrients may be added back by fortification, other health-promoting components of whole grains such as phytochemicals cannot be replaced.

A growing body of research shows that choosing whole grains and other less-processed, higher-quality sources of carbohydrates, and cutting back on refined grains, improves health in many ways. For a closer look at carbohydrates, check out our  Carbohydrate Guide .

The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends eating 6 ounces of grain foods daily (based on a 2000-calorie diet) and getting at least half or 3 ounces of that grain intake from 100% whole grains. [1] However, due to an increasing amount of research showing the various health benefits derived from whole grains, and even a possible detrimental effect when eating mostly refined grains, it is recommended to choose mostly whole grains instead of refined grains. An easy way to tell if a food product is high in 100% whole grains is to make sure it is listed first or second in the ingredient list. Or better yet, choose unprocessed whole grains:

Be careful when choosing foods labeled as whole grains: “Whole grain” doesn’t always mean healthy.

One study revealed that inconsistent food labeling means that foods identified as “whole grain” are not always healthy. [2]

• The Whole Grain Stamp is a widely used marker on food products. The stamp, while designed to steer consumers towards healthy whole grains, identified products with more fiber and less sodium and trans fat but that were higher in sugar and calories than whole grain foods without the stamp.
• The other three USDA criteria had mixed results in identifying healthier whole grain products, but (criterion 4) the carbohydrate-to-fiber ratio of less than 10:1 proved to be the most effective measure of healthfulness. However, it is unclear whether this ratio is more predictive of chronic disease risk than other measures of carbohydrate quality—such as the amount/type of fiber or overall dietary glycemic index/load . Foods that met this criterion were higher in fiber and less likely to contain trans fats, sodium, and sugar.
• Because calculating the carbohydrate-to-fiber ratio may be difficult and not readily available for a consumer reading a label, the study suggests that labeling guidelines appearing on whole-grain foods should be improved.

Consumers should steer towards whole grain foods that are high in fiber and that have few ingredients in addition to whole grain. Moreover, eating whole grains in their whole forms—such as brown rice , barley, oats , corn, and rye—are healthy choices because they pack in the nutritional benefits of whole grains without any additional ingredients.

Whole Grains and Disease

As researchers have begun to look more closely at carbohydrates and health, they are learning that  the quality of the carbohydrates  you eat is at least as important as the quantity. Most studies, including some from several different Harvard teams, show a connection between whole grains and better health. [3]

• A report from the Iowa Women’s Health Study linked whole grain consumption with fewer deaths from inflammatory and infectious causes, excluding cardiac and cancer causes. Examples are rheumatoid arthritis, gout, asthma, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, and neurodegenerative diseases. Compared with women who rarely or never ate whole-grain foods, those who had at least two or more servings a day were 30% less likely to have died from an inflammation-related condition over a 17-year period. [4]
• A meta-analysis combining results from studies conducted in the U.S., the United Kingdom, and Scandinavian countries (which included health information from over 786,000 individuals), found that people who ate 70 grams/day of whole grains—compared with those who ate little or no whole grains—had a 22% lower risk of total mortality, a 23% lower risk of cardiovascular disease mortality, and a 20% lower risk of cancer mortality. [5]

Cardiovascular Disease

Eating whole instead of refined grains substantially lowers total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or bad) cholesterol, triglycerides, and insulin levels.

• In the Harvard-based Nurses’ Health Study, women who ate 2 to 3 servings of whole-grain products each day were 30% less likely to have a heart attack or die from heart disease over a 10-year period than women who ate less than 1 serving per week. [6]
• A meta-analysis of seven major studies showed that cardiovascular disease (heart attack, stroke, or the need for a procedure to bypass or open a clogged artery) was 21% less likely in people who ate 2.5 or more servings of whole-grain foods a day compared with those who ate less than 2 servings a week. [7]

Type 2 Diabetes

Replacing refined grains with whole grains and eating at least 2 servings of whole grains daily may help to reduce type 2 diabetes risk. The fiber, nutrients, and phytochemicals in whole grains may improve insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism and slow the absorption of food, preventing blood sugar spikes. [8] In contrast, refined grains tend to have a high glycemic index and glycemic load with less fiber and nutrients.

• In a study of more than 160,000 women whose health and dietary habits were followed for up to 18 years, those who averaged 2 to 3 servings of whole grains a day were 30% less likely to have developed type 2 diabetes than those who rarely ate whole grains. [9] When the researchers combined these results with those of several other large studies, they found that eating an extra 2 servings of whole grains a day decreased the risk of type 2 diabetes by 21%.
• A follow-up to that study including men and women from the Nurses’ Health Studies I and II and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study found that swapping white rice for whole grains could help lower diabetes risk. Those who ate the most white rice—five or more servings a week—had a 17% higher risk of diabetes than those who ate white rice less than one time a month. Those who ate the most brown rice —two or more servings a week—had an 11% lower risk of diabetes than those who rarely ate brown rice. Researchers estimate that swapping whole grains in place of even some white rice could lower diabetes risk by 36%. [10]
• A large study of more than 72,000 postmenopausal women without diabetes at the start of the study found that the higher the intake of whole grains, the greater the risk reduction of type 2 diabetes. A 43% reduced risk was found in women eating the highest amount of whole grains (2 or more servings daily) as compared with those who ate no whole grains. [11]

The data on cancer are mixed, with some studies showing a protective effect of whole grains and others showing none. [12,13]

• A large five-year study among nearly 500,000 men and women suggests that eating whole grains, but not dietary fiber, offers modest protection against colorectal cancer. [14,15] A review of four large population studies also showed a protective effect of whole grains from colorectal cancer, with a cumulative risk reduction of 21%. [16]

Digestive Health

By keeping the stool soft and bulky, the fiber in whole grains helps prevent constipation, a common, costly, and aggravating problem. It also helps prevent diverticular disease (diverticulosis) by decreasing pressure in the intestines. [17]

• A study of 170,776 women followed for more than 26 years looked at the effect of different dietary fibers, including that from whole grains, on Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Though a reduced risk of Crohn’s disease was found in those eating high intakes of fruit fiber, there was no reduced risk of either disease found from eating whole grains. [18]

Some grains contain the naturally-occurring protein, gluten. While gluten can cause side effects in certain individuals, such as those with celiac disease, most people can and have eaten gluten most of their lives—without any adverse reaction. However, negative media attention on wheat and gluten has caused some people to doubt its place in a healthful diet, though there is little published research to support such claims. For further information on gluten and health, see: Gluten: A Benefit or Harm to the Body?

• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2015 – 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 8th Edition. December 2015. Available at http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/
• Mozaffarian RS, Lee RM, Kennedy MA, Ludwig DS, Mozaffarian D, Gortmaker SL. Identifying whole grain foods: a comparison of different approaches for selecting more healthful whole grain products. Public Health Nutr . 2013;16:2255-64.
• Wu H, Flint AJ, Qi Q, et al. Association between dietary whole grain intake and risk of mortality: two large prospective studies in US men and women. JAMA Intern Med . 2015;175:373-84.
• Jacobs DR, Jr., Andersen LF, Blomhoff R. Whole-grain consumption is associated with a reduced risk of noncardiovascular, noncancer death attributed to inflammatory diseases in the Iowa Women’s Health Study. Am J Clin Nutr . 2007;85:1606-14.
• Zong G, Gao A, Hu FB, Sun Q. Whole Grain Intake and Mortality From All Causes, Cardiovascular Disease, and Cancer: A Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies. Circulation . 2016;133:2370-80.
• Liu S, Stampfer MJ, Hu FB, et al. Whole-grain consumption and risk of coronary heart disease: results from the Nurses’ Health Study. Am J Clin Nutr . 1999;70:412-9.
• Mellen PB, Walsh TF, Herrington DM. Whole grain intake and cardiovascular disease: a meta-analysis. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis . 2008;18:283-90.
• Aune D, Norat T, Romundstad P, Vatten LJ. Whole grain and refined grain consumption and the risk of type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of cohort studies. Eur J Epidemiol . 2013;28:845-58.
• de Munter JS, Hu FB, Spiegelman D, Franz M, van Dam RM. Whole grain, bran, and germ intake and risk of type 2 diabetes: a prospective cohort study and systematic review. PLoS Med . 2007;4:e261.
• Sun Q, Spiegelman D, van Dam RM, et al. White rice, brown rice, and risk of type 2 diabetes in US men and women. Arch Intern Med . 2010;170:961-9.
• Parker ED, Liu S, Van Horn L, et al. The association of whole grain consumption with incident type 2 diabetes: the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study. Ann Epidemiol . 2013;23:321-7.
• Aune D, Keum N, Giovannucci E, et al. Whole grain consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and all cause and cause specific mortality: systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies. BMJ . 2016;353:i2716.
• Jacobs DR, Jr., Marquart L, Slavin J, Kushi LH. Whole-grain intake and cancer: an expanded review and meta-analysis. Nutr Cancer . 1998;30:85-96.
• Schatzkin A, Mouw T, Park Y, et al. Dietary fiber and whole-grain consumption in relation to colorectal cancer in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study. Am J Clin Nutr . 2007;85:1353-60.
• Strayer L, Jacobs DR, Jr., Schairer C, Schatzkin A, Flood A. Dietary carbohydrate, glycemic index, and glycemic load and the risk of colorectal cancer in the BCDDP cohort. Cancer Causes Control . 2007;18:853-63.
• Aune D, Chan DS, Lau R, et al. Dietary fibre, whole grains, and risk of colorectal cancer: systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies. BMJ . 2011;343:d6617.
• Strate LL, Keeley BR, Cao Y, Wu K, Giovannucci EL, Chan AT. Western Dietary Pattern Increases, and Prudent Dietary Pattern Decreases, Risk of Incident Diverticulitis in a Prospective Cohort Study. Gastroenterology . 2017;152:1023-30 e2.
• Ananthakrishnan AN, Khalili H, Konijeti GG, et al. A prospective study of long-term intake of dietary fiber and risk of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Gastroenterology . 2013;145:970-7.

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Student Opinion

How Did You Grow and Change This School Year?

In this forum, we invite both students and teachers to reflect on their challenges and successes — and to consider how to build on them for next year.

By Katherine Schulten

The 2023-24 academic year is coming to a close, and we have a post describing 10 ways to reflect on these last months and learn from them. But the 10 ways aren’t just for students — we also hope teachers can benefit from them. In fact, we would be delighted if teachers and students did some of the exercises together and told us what happened!

We invite you to post a comment reflecting on any aspect of this school year that you would like to make public, and we have provided some questions below to get you started.

We hope, too, that you will not only post your own reflections but also comment on the thoughts of others. As always, our staff will moderate comments , and we can’t wait to learn from you.

Students and teachers, read our related list of reflection ideas from which the questions below are drawn and then answer any of them that resonate with you. Please identify yourself as a teacher or a student when you post.

What do you want to remember about this school year? Why?

What are you especially grateful for this year? To whom would you most like to write a letter of gratitude if you could?

What surprised you?

What successes are you most proud of?

What challenged you? What helped you face or overcome those challenges?

What did you learn that most matters to you, whether in or out of school?

What new skills, however small, did you acquire?

How have you grown — as a student, a friend, a community or family member or a person?

How could you build on that growth next year?

What would you like more of in your life? What would you like less of? Why?

What music would be on a soundtrack of the 2023-24 school year for you? Why?

What books did you read this year that you would recommend to others? Why?

About what, if anything, did you change your mind? How did that happen?

If you were to collect and graph some data about your life this school year, what would you choose to graph, and what do you think it might show? What could you learn from it?

Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.

Find more Student Opinion questions here. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate these prompts into your classroom.

Katherine Schulten has been a Learning Network editor since 2006. Before that, she spent 19 years in New York City public schools as an English teacher, school-newspaper adviser and literacy coach. More about Katherine Schulten

I Invited My Students to Be the Principal for a Day. Here’s What I Learned

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There is tired and then there’s “educator tired.”

More meetings, more conflicts to mediate, more data to collect and analysis overload, and more staffing decisions—the to-do list is exhausting. By springtime, most of us are operating on empty tanks while battling a seasonal-affective slump carried over from the winter.

With some degree of consistency, we can predict the times of the year when staff morale is highest, as well as the months when you can expect teachers to be crawling toward the finish line of upcoming school breaks. I heard a person once say, “If we can predict it, then we can influence it.”

About This Series

In this biweekly column , principals and other authorities on school leadership—including researchers, education professors, district administrators, and assistant principals—offer timely and timeless advice for their peers.

Like many principals, I’m an optimistic person by nature. But in mid-February, I felt myself struggling to change my heartache of stress into heartfelt joy.

When I analyzed why I was feeling this way, it became clear that I wasn’t living my “why” for working in public education. I was drowning in meetings that discussed adult issues instead of being focused on student learning and the experience of being a student at my school.

After consulting with a colleague, I decided to change how I was spending my time at work. That small change had a huge impact on my ability to refocus and feel fulfilled.

Several years ago, I participated in a principal challenge for which I shadowed a student for a day. It was an amazing experience that allowed me to better understand my school from a student’s perspective.

As I reflected on how to reenergize several months ago, I decided to try this activity once again at my new school—but with a twist. I wanted to help bridge the divide between students and adults. This time, I offered my students the opportunity to be principal for the day by following me as I made my rounds with classroom visits and staff member meetings.

My request of the students who joined me was simple: 1) Get parent permission, 2) be responsible for the work you missed in class, 3) communicate with your teachers that you would be with me for the day, and 4) write up a one-page summary of the events of the day and your reflections.

To my surprise, I was flooded with student requests. Just the idea of having a shared experience with the students we serve was uplifting. I marveled at the idea that students would want to know what my job entailed. It was a great way to connect and build kinship between students and the leaders that serve them.

What I imagined would be one day with one student shadowing me evolved into three days of multiple students per day participating in this activity.

Here are some of the lessons from the students who joined me:

• Students and staff have a right to speak up, even if they are the only dissenting voice.
• Keep an open mind when people bring concerns to you. The importance of growing from mistakes was highlighted.
• Treat everyone with respect, no matter their position.
• Communication should be two ways, not a monologue.
• Make time to help others.

They enjoyed seeing the authentic and positive relationships that occur between administration and students and staff, but I was just as happy to learn from the students. They shared that they were surprised to see how well staff got along with each other behind the scenes, as well as with students in the hallways and classrooms. Our first shadow-the-principal day was March 14 (aka Pi Day in the math world), so the students had a chance to eat pie while talking with teachers in the math workroom.

My “apprentices” also enjoyed hearing a student share his idea for completing his Eagle Scout project that provided diabetic kits for students in need. He and I brainstormed various ways to complete the project, as well as how to market and sustain it in the years to come. The students later commented that they were surprised to observe an administrator working alongside their peers, generating ideas together.

Besides circulating throughout the school and speaking with a number of students and staff, the apprentices and I discussed ways that artificial intelligence could be used to facilitate teaching and learning in a positive way. I always find it enlightening to hear students’ technology ideas, including for AI use—for example, to assist with study tips or to organize their notes—were as innovative as I had heard from any presenters.

Finally, we ended the day by taking a stroll around the track at our football stadium. I shared that I like to go outside as much as I can to exercise and gather my thoughts. I try to do that once per week as part of my self-care routine. The students shared that they were pleasantly surprised to hear me prioritize that type of activity and that they thought their peers would benefit from such an activity as well.

I’m proud of my students for taking a chance on being a leader for the day. Students in 2024 have so many pressures facing them, so accepting one more thing can be a daunting task.

Here’s a challenge for everyone reading this article: Make time to prioritize your own “why.” This is especially important as we enter the final marking period of the year, when emotions tend to run high and stamina tends to wane.

Fill your tank with the kind of energy that inspired you to enter our profession. Look for the moments in your school on a daily basis when you can be kind, learn something new, build a new relationship, and spend time with those that brought you into a career in education—your students!

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• Arts & Entertainment

Fear you’ll never hear your favorite band live? These Maine tribute shows might do the trick

See homages to David Bowie, Prince, The Cure and The Rolling Stones in Portland this week, and other shows coming this summer.

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If you’ve never seen a tribute act perform the songs of artists that are either too big to play in Maine or who have passed away, there’s a way to do a whole bunch of that this week in Portland.

There are also tribute shows happening in venues around the state all summer long.

A Strange Day is the Portland-based tribute to The Cure. Photo by Seth D. Warner

Let’s start with Portland-based A Strange Day, a tribute to British alternative act The Cure, fronted by singer and guitarist Seth Warner.

The band will perform The Cure’s second album, “Seventeen Seconds,” in its entirety, along with some hits and other cuts at Portland House of Music on Thursday.

The album was released on April 18, 1980. Lead singer and guitarist Robert Smith turned 21 three days later. The single  “A Forest” marked the band’s debut on the U.K. Singles Chart, where it reached the No. 31 spot. The song remains a setlist staple at The Cure’s live performances.

Warner said he put himself in the shoes of Cure fans when deciding what album to cover. “What I would like to hear from a Cure band is a dive into the specific eras that surrounded each record, and ‘Seventeen Seconds’ set the tone for the more introspective and gloomy textures and themes.” Advertisement

As for Warner’s favorite “Seventeen Seconds” tracks, he said, “I really like ‘At Night’ for its dynamic potential, and the edgy and angsty ‘M.'”

The band took its name from the track “A Strange Day” from The Cure’s 1982 album “Pornography.”

Along with Warner, the band is Pete Dugas (keys), Andrew Hodgkins (drums), Matt Kennedy (synth/sax), Kevin O’Reilly (bass), Casey Urich (trumpet) and Corey Urich.

Angel Butts, a copy editor living in Westbrook, has seen The Cure more than 100 times on three continents and at least 10 countries, including Latvia and Colombia. “They’re like breathing to me. They have this massive catalog and it spans every possible mood, I don’t know of another band with a palette like that. “Seventeen Seconds” is among her favorite of the band’s 13 studio albums.

Butts has seen The Cure play the “Seventeen Seconds” album all the way through three times. “One of those shows stands as the best show I’ve ever seen in my life. The Cure: Reflections, Nov. 27, 2011 at the  Beacon Theatre in New York City.”

Butts said she and her 13-year-old daughter will be attending the A Strange Day show. “I think she’s more excited than I am.” Advertisement

A Strange Day  8:30 p.m. Thursday. Portland House of Music, 25 Temple St., Portland, $12 in advance, $15 day of show, 21-plus. portlandhouseofmusic.com

Another British act that will likely never perform in Maine is The Rolling Stones. With more than 30 albums, the band achieved legendary status decades ago. Singer Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards are both 80, and the band is currently on tour and will be at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts, on Thursday.

There are still tickets left for that show, but you can save yourself hours of traffic jams and a lot of more by instead heading to Aura on Saturday to see Satisfaction: The International Rolling Stones tribute show. Or maybe you’ll see the real deal and then keep the party going here in Maine.

Satisfaction has been slinging Stones hits for over two decades and has played more than 4,000 shows. Chris LeGrand’s take on Mick Jagger is pretty convincing, and he and the band will surely be pleased to meet you.

Satisfaction: The International Rolling Stones Tribute Show 9 p.m. Saturday. Aura, 121 Center St., Portland, $15, $25.50, 18-plus. auramaine.com

The Prince/Bowie tribute act performing live. Photo by Tammie Birdwell

David Bowie and Prince died within five months of each other in 2016, at the ages of 69 and 57, respectively, and their losses were felt by millions of fans around the world. Advertisement

With contributions that are impossible to quantify, both artists left behind a legacy of music that lives on through radio play, home listening and tribute shows.

Boston-based musician Eric Gould loves both artists and is the bandleader of a Prince/Bowie tribute coming to Portland on Saturday. The band is a revolving lineup of players from all over the country.

Gould plays bass and designs the setlists. For this show, the musicians are Cal Kehoe (guitar, vocals), Adrian Tramontano (drums), Sammi Garrett (percussion, vocals), Josh Schwartz (baritone sax, vocals), Rob Somerville (tenor saxophone), Rob Volo (trombone) and Kiran Edwards (keys).

Gould said that, to him, Prince embodies soul, creative arrangement and precision. “His music has the best energy and makes you feel on top of the universe.”

He described Bowie as having a voice and character that is completely unique.

“It is powerful and epic and decadent,” said Gould, who has made a career out of finding unique connections through the songbooks of artists. “It is such a treat to present music people know and love in a way that is fresh to the ears. This combination brings so much joy to everyone on and off stage.” Advertisement

Prince/Bowie 8 p.m. Saturday. Portland House of Music, 25 Temple St., Portland, $25, 21-plus. portlandhouseofmusic.com

Other upcoming tribute shows

The Peacheaters: An Allman Brothers Band Experience, Friday. Jonathan’s, Ogunquit, $31 to $72.50. jonathansogunquit.com

Sweet Baby James: James Taylor Tribute, Saturday. Vinegar Hill Music Theatre, Arundel, $30 to $45. vinhillmusic.com

Studio Two: The Early Beatles Tribute, June 9. Vinegar Hill Music Theatre, Arundel, $30, $35. vinhillmusic.com

Magic Bus: A Tribute to The Who, June 14. Vinegar Hill Music Theatre, Arundel, $30. vinhillmusic.com Advertisement

The The Band Band, June 21. Vinegar Hill Music Theatre, Arundel, $45, $55. vinhillmusic.com

Bruce In The USA, June 21. Aura, Portland, $20 to $39.50. auramaine.com

Elvis Tribute Show, June 22, July 20. Jonathan’s, Ogunquit, $29 to $70. jonathansogunquit.com

Higher Ground: A Tribute to Stevie Wonder, July 20. Vinegar Hill Music Theatre, Arundel, $40. vinhillmusic.com

Studio Two: The Early Beatles Tribute, July 6. Jonathan’s, Ogunquit, $41.50 to $82.50. jonathansogunquit.com

Johnny Cash Tribute Show, July 7, Aug. 10.  Jonathan’s, Ogunquit, $29 to $70. jonathansogunquit.com Advertisement

Rose Alley: A Tribute to Jerry Garcia, June 28. Vinegar Hill Music Theatre, Arundel, $23. vinhillmusic.com

Runnin’ Down A Dream: The Tom Petty Tribute Band, July 13, Nov. 14. Jonathan’s, Ogunquit, $35 to $76. jonathansogunquit.com

The Elton John Experience, July 21. Jonathan’s, Ogunquit, $29 to $79. jonathansogunquit.com

Zach Nugent’s Dead Set, Aug. 1. Vinegar Hill Music Theatre, Arundel, $25. vinhillmusic.com

The Stray Horses, Aug. 8. Vinegar Hill Music Theatre, Arundel, $25. vinhillmusic.com

Wake Up Mama: The Allman Brothers Tribute Band, Aug. 24. Vinegar Hill Music Theatre, Arundel, $25. vinhillmusic.com

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Sen. Susan Collins decries Trump’s conviction

Trump becomes first former u.s. president convicted of felony crimes, our view: fearlessness of exactly the wrong kind from sen. susan collins, negative response to first windham pride event prompts drag queens to cancel performance, don mclean’s appearance at white house dinner sends ‘dangerous’ message about domestic violence, ex-wife says, member log in.

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