Which of the following would the author most likely regard as justifiable homework?

Teachers often set homework out of habit, and parents often demand it as a sign of seriousness. The evidence for its benefit is weaker than either would like to think. Studies tend to find that homework helps older pupils more than younger ones, and that the benefit levels off after an hour or so a night. For young children, the gains are small, while the costs, in tired children and strained evenings, are real. This does not mean that homework should be abolished. Practice that consolidates what has been taught, and tasks that pupils can complete without help, are likely to be useful. What is hard to justify is the large quantity of busywork set by routine. A good rule is that a task should be set only if the teacher can say what it is for.

Answer and explanation

Correct answer: C. A short exercise that lets pupils practise a method taught that day without needing help

  1. Step 1: The author endorses practice that consolidates teaching and tasks completed without help.
  2. Step 2: Reading the question against this evidence gives "A short exercise that lets pupils practise a method taught that day without needing help".
Answer
A short exercise that lets pupils practise a method taught that day without needing help.
Why not the others: A project that needs parents, a task set because of the day, a page to fill time and a weekly identical task are all examples of routine or busywork, which the author finds hard to justify.

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