What does the research say about homework planners? And the critical reasons why your child should use one.

It is August and a new school year is upon us. In addition to new clothes and a fresh haircut, students ought to add a homework planner to their back-to-school supply list. The planner can be a physical one, which the student writes in, or it could be a digital one, such as an app. Whichever version a student prefers, there is strong evidence linking success in school to support using a planner.

Many students balk at using a planner. If they attend a digital school, where students use laptops or iPads for assignments, students may remark that all their class information is online. While that may be true, there are still compelling reasons for students to adopt the habit of using a planner.

Why use a planner

Parents should urge their kids to use one, starting on the first day of school. First, clearly identify the purpose of using a planner: to have everything the student is responsible for all in one place. Using a planner promotes the Executive Functioning skills of organization, planning, and time management.

Edutopia reports three main reasons to use a planner: capture our to-do lists and activities, schedule our actions and represent time, and remind us of future tasks. Many students will need support with starting to use a planner. Parents ought to be prepared to help fill in the appropriate information, such as class assignments, test dates, and any personal information such as doctor’s appointments and or sports games. 

Another reason to use a planner is our working memory can typically hold 3 to 5 items. Assignments, due dates, and obligations are going to be forgotten! Using a planner organizes a student’s life, reduces frustration and saves time. And writing something down makes it easier to remember.

Finally, many schools and teachers use different platforms to assign work. Some teachers place assignments in a learning management system such as Canvas; others place it in Google Classroom; while still others may have a website. Perhaps a few veteran teachers still write assignments on a whiteboard in the classroom. Students may need to look in three or four different places to collate their assignments. Using a planner allows them to put all their assignments in one place.

Types of planners

Generally speaking there are two types of planners: a physical one that the student can write in and a digital one such as an app. Each has many options. The best planner is one that your child will use, so the first step is to decide which type of planner your child will actually use. 

A giant benefit to using a paper/physical planner is it uses two senses: sight and touch, which better activates your brain, and which results in more memory and more stimulation. Also, a physical planner is always available and not at the whims of technology gremlins. Students have a lot more flexibility and creativity with physical ones, too. Students who enjoy being artistic can color code and/or draw pictures to represent assignments.

An advantage of an electronic planner/app is that some can synch between a phone and laptop. Populate information in one device and it appears in another connected one. One such example is the my homework app, which offers a free version and a paid version with upgrades. Simpler electronic versions could be using a Google doc or Google Slide and having a student write down assignments on it throughout their school day.

Whether your child elects to use a physical or digital planner, they may need some coaxing to actually use it. If your child balks or is wishy washy to the idea, try a reward system. Some students, especially those with learning differences, may need extra motivation in the form of a reward in order to try using a planner. Of course you know your child best, but some common reward suggestions include extra time for activities they enjoy or stickers/tokens/money, depending on the student’s age. 

Benefits of using a planner

There are so many great benefits to using a planner. A University of Kentucky study found that students who used a planner reported positive changes in their life, including a greater sense of organization and less stress (hello, mental health!). Another study found that students were much more likely to complete their homework when they used a planner. And yet another study found that middle school students who use a planner scored better on state tests. 

Another benefit is learning the difference between a do date and a due date. A due date is when an assignment must be turned in. A do date is when your child is going to actually complete the assignment. These are exactly the types of information that should be entered in a planner.

And yet another perk of using a planner is practice for college where professors will assign long term projects. If your child is in high school, college may be on the horizon. Depending on their area of study, many assignments in college tend to be longer term, spread out over the course of the semester. 

Lastly, filling out a planner will help your child establish a routine. Perhaps they populate their planner for the coming week on Sunday, placing in any assignments or tests the teacher(s) have posted. Then each day after school they can refer to the planner and prioritize which assignments to work on, when they will study and review for a test, and identify any other conflicts they foresee that week.

Final thoughts

The evidence is clear. Students who use a homework planner do better in school. Using one practices the all-important Executive Functioning skills of planning, prioritizing, time management, and organization, skills that will benefit your child for the rest of their life. Physical planners have advantages such as being always available and activate multiple senses when used. Digital planners, such as an app, can appeal to students who attend digital schools due their ability to synch assignments between devices. While some children will push back against using one, it is so important they have all their assignments and responsibilities all in one place. A student may have to search in three or four different locations: Canvas, Google Classroom, and a website to find all their assignments. Finally, some kids may need an extra boost to use a planner in the form of an appropriate reward system.

If your child refuses to use a homework planner or simply struggles to use one consistently, contact Jennifer Disch at Engage the Brain to discover how a Learning Specialist can assist your child in developing the necessary Executive Functioning skills to become a confident and successful student in the classroom and person in life.