Weekly homework planner: free printable and online

The short answer

A weekly homework planner lists every assignment by the day it is due, with the subject, a box to tick and tests or projects marked. Write each assignment down when it is set, work backward from tests with two or three short review sessions, and check the week ahead every Sunday.

How to plan homework in 10 minutes a week

1. Write it down the moment it is set. Every assignment, small ones too, with the day it is due. A planner only works if it holds everything.
2. Mark tests and projects. They need several study sessions, so they show up again under “coming up” until the date.
3. Work backward from big dates. For a test, plan two or three short review sessions on different days before it. Spacing study out beats one long session the night before.
4. Pick a time and a place. “After my snack, at the kitchen table” is a plan; “later” is not. Keep the phone in another room.
5. Start with the hardest or the soonest. Tick each one as you finish; the status line shows what is left this week.
6. Check it on Sunday. Look at the week ahead and the tests coming up, and move anything that will not fit.

How long should homework take?

Many school districts use a guideline of about 10 minutes of homework per grade level a night, which the NEA calls a good rule of thumb. A review of US homework studies found a positive link between homework and achievement, stronger in grades 7 to 12 than in the early grades, so regular, focused work counts for more than marathon nights. If a night runs much longer than the table, tell the teacher; it is useful information.

For long blocks, a short break helps you come back to the work. See how long you should study without a break, then time it with the pomodoro timer.

How to plan for a test or a big project

Write the date in the planner as a Test or Project as soon as you hear it. Then add two or three “review” entries on the days before, in that subject. Research on spacing found that study spread over several days is remembered better than the same time in one session. For a whole exam season with review dates worked out for you, use the study schedule maker.

Planning when and where also helps you start. In a study of 66 high school students preparing for the PSAT, those who wrote down their obstacles and if-then plans for getting past them completed over 60% more practice questions than a control group. Try one line: “If I want to check my phone, I will finish the next question first.”

Make homework part of the afternoon

A planner says what is due; a routine says when it gets done. The after school routine chart puts snack, play, homework and screens in an order with times for ages 5 to 13. More ideas in good study habits for students and how to stop procrastinating on studying.

Frequently asked questions

How do I make a homework planner?

List your subjects, then add each assignment with its due date the day it is set: homework, tests and projects. This planner sorts them into the week by day, marks tests and projects, and keeps the ones further out under Coming up. Tick each one when you finish.

Is there a printable homework planner?

Yes. Print gives you this week on one Letter or A4 page in notebook, pastel or ink-saver design, with your assignments, ticks and the tests coming up. Print blank planner gives a one-page week with lines for each day to fill in by hand.

What should a homework planner include?

The subject, the assignment, the due date, a box to tick and a way to spot tests and projects early. A short list of what is coming up in the next weeks helps you start studying in time instead of the night before.

How much homework is normal?

Many districts use about 10 minutes per grade level a night: around 30 minutes in grade 3, 60 in grade 6 and up to about 2 hours in high school. If homework regularly takes much longer, talk to the teacher.

How do I plan for a test?

Add the test with its date, then add two or three review sessions in that subject on different days before it. Spaced practice is remembered better than the same time crammed into one evening. For many exams at once, use the study schedule maker.

Where is my planner saved?

Only in this browser on this device. Nothing is sent to our server and there is no account. Print it or save an image to keep a copy, and use the arrows to look at past and future weeks.

Sources and evidence

1. Cooper, Robinson and Patall (2006): Does homework improve academic achievement? A synthesis of research, 1987–2003 — US studies showed generally consistent evidence for a positive link between homework and achievement, stronger in grades 7 to 12 than in kindergarten to grade 6; all designs had flaws.
2. NEA: How much homework is too much? — Many districts follow a guideline of about 10 minutes of homework per grade level, which the NEA calls a good rule of thumb.
3. Cepeda et al. (2006): Distributed practice in verbal recall tasks, a review and quantitative synthesis — Spacing study sessions improves later recall compared with massing the same time in one session.
4. Duckworth et al. (2011): Self-regulation strategies improve self-discipline in adolescents, mental contrasting and implementation intentions — In 66 high school students preparing for the PSAT, those who used mental contrasting with if-then plans completed over 60% more practice questions than a control group.