It is important to consider that the effectiveness of different types of homework will vary according to a student's age and ability, and that more time spent on homework does not necessarily lead to higher achievement. That said, here is a list of recommended practices that can help to make homework more productive (and maybe even fun?) for students, parents and educators:
Be consistent: Try to determine your child's regular pattern of homework so it can be easily incorporated into a daily routine. Offer assistance without being intrusive. Remember whose work it is, and allow your child the opportunity to take charge.
Define expectations: Teachers need to let students know if/when homework will be assigned, collected, reviewed, or graded, and how they expect parents to support the completion of homework assignments. Parents need to know, in advance, if/when signatures are required, and need to have easy and ongoing access to teachers when questions and problems arise.
Avoid busy work: There's nothing worse than asking a child complete 50 math problem when 10 will do the trick. Parents and teachers should be vigilant to ensure that assignments are interesting, challenging, and varied in format.
Keep an eye on the clock: More is not better when it comes to homework. Be sure to spread the burden of homework over time, and be sensitive to the set up and clean up time that is often needed for students to complete their work. Remember also that homework is likely to be assigned in a number of classes, so efforts to coordinate a calendar of demands would be very helpful. Parents can be very helpful by assisting their child to anticipate challenges with scheduling (i.e. many assignments due at once, juggling extra-curricular activities) and identifying the resources and possible accommodations needed to complete assignments.
Guarantee success: Homework should be designed so students can compete most (if not all) of the tasks successfully. And in every instance, their efforts should be acknowledged (even when they struggle and make mistakes).
Provide feedback: Homework without feedback will quickly be perceived by students as meaningless and unnecessary. Providing feedback that is explicit and well-targeted has been shown to improve overall student performance.
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My child is struggling 
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