Doing homework teaches students how to manage their time and how to set priorities. Students must set aside enough time in the evenings to complete daily assignments. They must also set aside enough time to complete projects, such as research papers, which can take weeks to complete. Students must learn how to prioritize activities and events in their life in order to complete all of their assignments. Many parents play a role in this by setting guidelines about homework and other activities.
By doing homework, children can learn at an early age how to solve problems -- an ability that's crucial for adults to have. Students learn problem-solving skills through working independently or within groups. When a student is working on homework, he may work really hard to find answers that are difficult to him. If students have homework for a project due, they often work in groups. As a group, the students learn to make decisions and solve problems that arise.
Homework requires many things, including that students take good notes and understand the information. Students must develop good listening skills for this purpose, so that they know what is expected and when it is due. Developing organizational skills is a trait that children will carry with them through adulthood. Another way homework helps students be more organized is that students must remember to take home certain textbooks, handouts and notebooks so they have the right information at home while completing the assignments.
Homework can offer many other positive effects. Students who complete all homework assignments can develop better intellectual abilities. Homework can also teach students how to be diligent and persistent and how to learn to wait for what they want -- delayed gratification.