Free Homework Planner: Weekly Assignment Planner, Assignment Tracker and After-School Schedule (PDF, Word, Excel)

What is on the homework planner

Subjects by day

One row per subject, one column per school day, with the assignment and a tick when done. Fill it in at the end of each class, not from memory at home.

Tests and projects

A line at the top for anything bigger than tonight's homework, so it gets started early.

Points and percentage

On the assignment tracker: points earned and possible for each graded item. Excel shows the percentage and the overall average.

Status

Not started, in progress, turned in, graded. Missing assignments are the biggest drag on most report cards.

Homework time, place and rules

On the after-school schedule: when and where homework happens each day, for how long, and the house rules, signed by both parent and child.

Getting homework home

The weekly planner only works if it's filled in at school. Teach the habit early: at the end of each class, write the assignment in that subject's row under today, or "none". At home, the planner is the list: work through each row and tick it. On Friday, look at next week's tests and projects line and break any project into steps on the days it will be worked on. Parents can initial the check line each evening; for younger students that quick look catches most of the forgotten worksheets.

How much homework is normal?

A widely quoted guideline in the US is about ten minutes per grade level per night: roughly 10 minutes in first grade, 40 in fourth grade, 80 in eighth grade, with high school varying alot by course load. If homework regularly takes much longer than that, it's worth a conversation with the teacher, because the issue may be the work, the method or the conditions at home. The after-school schedule lets you set a time limit that matches the grade and stick to it.

Tracking grades through the term

Report cards rarely surprise students who track their own scores. Enter every graded assignment, quiz and test with points earned and points possible; Excel works out each percentage and the overall average. Because many classes weight tests more heavily than homework, the overall figure is a guide rather than the official grade, but a falling trend is visible weeks before the report card. The notes column is for what to do differently next time which is the part that actually improves grades.

A homework routine that sticks

Same time, same place, same rules. Agree them together, write them on the after-school schedule, sign it and post it where homework happens. A snack first, a short break in the middle, hardest subject first, the phone in another room, and backpack packed for tomorrow before screen time: those five rules settle most evening arguments. Adjust the time on activity days rather than skipping homework. For older students who have outgrown a homework schedule, the study schedule plans revision and longer study sessions.

Editing the files

Change the subjects, add a Saturday or rename the days in Word and Excel. The assignment tracker in Excel calculates percentages and the overall average. All three are fillable PDFs. For the class timetable itself, see the class schedule.

Questions

What should a homework planner include?

Each subject's assignment for each day with a tick when done, upcoming tests and projects, and things to bring to school. An assignment tracker adds due dates, status and grades.

How much time should kids spend on homework?

A common guideline is about ten minutes per grade level per night, so about 40 minutes in fourth grade and 80 minutes in eighth grade.

How do I track grades?

Record points earned and points possible for each graded item. The Excel assignment tracker calculates each percentage and the overall average.

Is the homework planner dated?

No. Write the week at the top, so it works for any school year.

Can older students use it?

Yes. The assignment tracker suits middle school, high school and college. Younger students usually do better with the weekly planner and after-school schedule.