by Lyndon Ludwick (Posted on October 22, 2026 @ 11:25 a.m.)

Seventh-grade math teacher Allison Daniels balances curriculum requirements with student workload when assigning homework at Alamo Heights Junior School. Daniels’ work has helped students grow in their math curriculum by doing math homework.

“Being a parent myself, I also think about what these kids have at night that won’t wear them down, but I have to also think about what skills have to be covered,” Daniels said.

Daniels considers that these students have things to do at home that are more important than math homework. She believes students need consistent practice to maintain those skills and prepare for more advanced concepts.

“If you don’t use math, you lose it,” Daniels said.

To provide practice, students must take extra time to use math instead of losing it, which can be deducted from their math grade. She believes consistent practice helps students get better at advanced concepts. To practice, Daniels assigns three IXL assignments to maintain math skills.

In addition to IXL, Daniels assigns unfinished Bluebonnet workbook pages as homework approximately once a week, depending on how much students complete during class. She provides time for students to work on these assignments before they become homework, allowing students who finish their work in class to have fewer assignments to complete at home.

Daniels said she considers the skills students must master before moving on to new material when deciding how much practice to assign.

“I think about the children and where they have to be at the end of the unit,” Daniels said.

While Daniels has to assign homework, she also has to think about where they will be in terms of academic requirements, but students have different experiences with math homework.

Seventh-grader Louisa McLaughlin said she typically spends about an hour per week on math homework and usually finishes her assignments during class. She said IXL helps her understand math concepts because of the way the program presents problems.

“IXL helps me understand better because it’s more visual than Mrs. Daniels giving me a problem,” McLaughlin said.

However, McLaughlin said IXL can also be frustrating because of its scoring system. She explained that it takes students down a lot when they get a question wrong, and when they get it right, it only goes up by one point.

Despite these frustrations, IXL helps with a repetitive game that helps commit the math curriculum to a student’s brain to get better grades. She said students who avoid completing assignments may struggle academically because they are not consistently reviewing the skills they learn.

“Kids who didn’t do their IXL had falling grades,” Daniels said.

For students who struggle, she wants them to seek help, and there are many opportunities to help students get off the struggle bus with help from a parent, friend, or family member.

Daniels gives students opportunities to get help, such as during lunch. Daniels also communicates with parents when students consistently struggle with assignments. She works with families to determine whether students need help understanding the material, managing their time, or addressing other challenges that may affect their ability to complete homework.

Daniels also considers students’ grades and how homework affects those grades. She said she has noticed improvements in student behavior when students are not overwhelmed with large amounts of math homework.

Because students have activities and responsibilities outside school, Daniels continues adjusting her approach based on their needs. Her goal is to provide enough practice for students to develop important math skills while avoiding unnecessary stress.

By providing classroom work time, offering additional support and considering students’ responsibilities outside school, Daniels aims to make homework a way to strengthen math skills without overwhelming students.