reading homework how long

Studying 101: Study Smarter Not Harder

Do you ever feel like your study habits simply aren’t cutting it? Do you wonder what you could be doing to perform better in class and on exams? Many students realize that their high school study habits aren’t very effective in college. This is understandable, as college is quite different from high school. The professors are less personally involved, classes are bigger, exams are worth more, reading is more intense, and classes are much more rigorous. That doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you; it just means you need to learn some more effective study skills. Fortunately, there are many active, effective study strategies that are shown to be effective in college classes.

This handout offers several tips on effective studying. Implementing these tips into your regular study routine will help you to efficiently and effectively learn course material. Experiment with them and find some that work for you.

Reading is not studying

Simply reading and re-reading texts or notes is not actively engaging in the material. It is simply re-reading your notes. Only ‘doing’ the readings for class is not studying. It is simply doing the reading for class. Re-reading leads to quick forgetting.

Think of reading as an important part of pre-studying, but learning information requires actively engaging in the material (Edwards, 2014). Active engagement is the process of constructing meaning from text that involves making connections to lectures, forming examples, and regulating your own learning (Davis, 2007). Active studying does not mean highlighting or underlining text, re-reading, or rote memorization. Though these activities may help to keep you engaged in the task, they are not considered active studying techniques and are weakly related to improved learning (Mackenzie, 1994).

Ideas for active studying include:

• Create a study guide by topic. Formulate questions and problems and write complete answers. Create your own quiz.
• Become a teacher. Say the information aloud in your own words as if you are the instructor and teaching the concepts to a class.
• Derive examples that relate to your own experiences.
• Create concept maps or diagrams that explain the material.
• Develop symbols that represent concepts.
• For non-technical classes (e.g., English, History, Psychology), figure out the big ideas so you can explain, contrast, and re-evaluate them.
• For technical classes, work the problems and explain the steps and why they work.
• Study in terms of question, evidence, and conclusion: What is the question posed by the instructor/author? What is the evidence that they present? What is the conclusion?

Organization and planning will help you to actively study for your courses. When studying for a test, organize your materials first and then begin your active reviewing by topic (Newport, 2007). Often professors provide subtopics on the syllabi. Use them as a guide to help organize your materials. For example, gather all of the materials for one topic (e.g., PowerPoint notes, text book notes, articles, homework, etc.) and put them together in a pile. Label each pile with the topic and study by topics.

For more information on the principle behind active studying, check out our tipsheet on metacognition .

Understand the Study Cycle

The Study Cycle , developed by Frank Christ, breaks down the different parts of studying: previewing, attending class, reviewing, studying, and checking your understanding. Although each step may seem obvious at a glance, all too often students try to take shortcuts and miss opportunities for good learning. For example, you may skip a reading before class because the professor covers the same material in class; doing so misses a key opportunity to learn in different modes (reading and listening) and to benefit from the repetition and distributed practice (see #3 below) that you’ll get from both reading ahead and attending class. Understanding the importance of all stages of this cycle will help make sure you don’t miss opportunities to learn effectively.

Spacing out is good

One of the most impactful learning strategies is “distributed practice”—spacing out your studying over several short periods of time over several days and weeks (Newport, 2007). The most effective practice is to work a short time on each class every day. The total amount of time spent studying will be the same (or less) than one or two marathon library sessions, but you will learn the information more deeply and retain much more for the long term—which will help get you an A on the final. The important thing is how you use your study time, not how long you study. Long study sessions lead to a lack of concentration and thus a lack of learning and retention.

In order to spread out studying over short periods of time across several days and weeks, you need control over your schedule . Keeping a list of tasks to complete on a daily basis will help you to include regular active studying sessions for each class. Try to do something for each class each day. Be specific and realistic regarding how long you plan to spend on each task—you should not have more tasks on your list than you can reasonably complete during the day.

For example, you may do a few problems per day in math rather than all of them the hour before class. In history, you can spend 15-20 minutes each day actively studying your class notes. Thus, your studying time may still be the same length, but rather than only preparing for one class, you will be preparing for all of your classes in short stretches. This will help focus, stay on top of your work, and retain information.

In addition to learning the material more deeply, spacing out your work helps stave off procrastination. Rather than having to face the dreaded project for four hours on Monday, you can face the dreaded project for 30 minutes each day. The shorter, more consistent time to work on a dreaded project is likely to be more acceptable and less likely to be delayed to the last minute. Finally, if you have to memorize material for class (names, dates, formulas), it is best to make flashcards for this material and review periodically throughout the day rather than one long, memorization session (Wissman and Rawson, 2012). See our handout on memorization strategies to learn more.

It’s good to be intense

Not all studying is equal. You will accomplish more if you study intensively. Intensive study sessions are short and will allow you to get work done with minimal wasted effort. Shorter, intensive study times are more effective than drawn out studying.

In fact, one of the most impactful study strategies is distributing studying over multiple sessions (Newport, 2007). Intensive study sessions can last 30 or 45-minute sessions and include active studying strategies. For example, self-testing is an active study strategy that improves the intensity of studying and efficiency of learning. However, planning to spend hours on end self-testing is likely to cause you to become distracted and lose your attention.

On the other hand, if you plan to quiz yourself on the course material for 45 minutes and then take a break, you are much more likely to maintain your attention and retain the information. Furthermore, the shorter, more intense sessions will likely put the pressure on that is needed to prevent procrastination.

Silence isn’t golden

Know where you study best. The silence of a library may not be the best place for you. It’s important to consider what noise environment works best for you. You might find that you concentrate better with some background noise. Some people find that listening to classical music while studying helps them concentrate, while others find this highly distracting. The point is that the silence of the library may be just as distracting (or more) than the noise of a gymnasium. Thus, if silence is distracting, but you prefer to study in the library, try the first or second floors where there is more background ‘buzz.’

Keep in mind that active studying is rarely silent as it often requires saying the material aloud.

Problems are your friend

Working and re-working problems is important for technical courses (e.g., math, economics). Be able to explain the steps of the problems and why they work.

In technical courses, it is usually more important to work problems than read the text (Newport, 2007). In class, write down in detail the practice problems demonstrated by the professor. Annotate each step and ask questions if you are confused. At the very least, record the question and the answer (even if you miss the steps).

When preparing for tests, put together a large list of problems from the course materials and lectures. Work the problems and explain the steps and why they work (Carrier, 2003).

Reconsider multitasking

A significant amount of research indicates that multi-tasking does not improve efficiency and actually negatively affects results (Junco, 2012).

In order to study smarter, not harder, you will need to eliminate distractions during your study sessions. Social media, web browsing, game playing, texting, etc. will severely affect the intensity of your study sessions if you allow them! Research is clear that multi-tasking (e.g., responding to texts, while studying), increases the amount of time needed to learn material and decreases the quality of the learning (Junco, 2012).

Eliminating the distractions will allow you to fully engage during your study sessions. If you don’t need your computer for homework, then don’t use it. Use apps to help you set limits on the amount of time you can spend at certain sites during the day. Turn your phone off. Reward intensive studying with a social-media break (but make sure you time your break!) See our handout on managing technology for more tips and strategies.

Switch up your setting

Find several places to study in and around campus and change up your space if you find that it is no longer a working space for you.

Know when and where you study best. It may be that your focus at 10:00 PM. is not as sharp as at 10:00 AM. Perhaps you are more productive at a coffee shop with background noise, or in the study lounge in your residence hall. Perhaps when you study on your bed, you fall asleep.

Have a variety of places in and around campus that are good study environments for you. That way wherever you are, you can find your perfect study spot. After a while, you might find that your spot is too comfortable and no longer is a good place to study, so it’s time to hop to a new spot!

Become a teacher

Try to explain the material in your own words, as if you are the teacher. You can do this in a study group, with a study partner, or on your own. Saying the material aloud will point out where you are confused and need more information and will help you retain the information. As you are explaining the material, use examples and make connections between concepts (just as a teacher does). It is okay (even encouraged) to do this with your notes in your hands. At first you may need to rely on your notes to explain the material, but eventually you’ll be able to teach it without your notes.

Creating a quiz for yourself will help you to think like your professor. What does your professor want you to know? Quizzing yourself is a highly effective study technique. Make a study guide and carry it with you so you can review the questions and answers periodically throughout the day and across several days. Identify the questions that you don’t know and quiz yourself on only those questions. Say your answers aloud. This will help you to retain the information and make corrections where they are needed. For technical courses, do the sample problems and explain how you got from the question to the answer. Re-do the problems that give you trouble. Learning the material in this way actively engages your brain and will significantly improve your memory (Craik, 1975).

Take control of your calendar

Controlling your schedule and your distractions will help you to accomplish your goals.

If you are in control of your calendar, you will be able to complete your assignments and stay on top of your coursework. The following are steps to getting control of your calendar:

• On the same day each week, (perhaps Sunday nights or Saturday mornings) plan out your schedule for the week.
• Go through each class and write down what you’d like to get completed for each class that week.
• Look at your calendar and determine how many hours you have to complete your work.
• Determine whether your list can be completed in the amount of time that you have available. (You may want to put the amount of time expected to complete each assignment.) Make adjustments as needed. For example, if you find that it will take more hours to complete your work than you have available, you will likely need to triage your readings. Completing all of the readings is a luxury. You will need to make decisions about your readings based on what is covered in class. You should read and take notes on all of the assignments from the favored class source (the one that is used a lot in the class). This may be the textbook or a reading that directly addresses the topic for the day. You can likely skim supplemental readings.
• Pencil into your calendar when you plan to get assignments completed.
• Before going to bed each night, make your plan for the next day. Waking up with a plan will make you more productive.

See our handout on calendars and college for more tips on using calendars as time management.

Use downtime to your advantage

Beware of ‘easy’ weeks. This is the calm before the storm. Lighter work weeks are a great time to get ahead on work or to start long projects. Use the extra hours to get ahead on assignments or start big projects or papers. You should plan to work on every class every week even if you don’t have anything due. In fact, it is preferable to do some work for each of your classes every day. Spending 30 minutes per class each day will add up to three hours per week, but spreading this time out over six days is more effective than cramming it all in during one long three-hour session. If you have completed all of the work for a particular class, then use the 30 minutes to get ahead or start a longer project.

Use all your resources

Remember that you can make an appointment with an academic coach to work on implementing any of the strategies suggested in this handout.

Works consulted

Carrier, L. M. (2003). College students’ choices of study strategies. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 96 (1), 54-56.

Craik, F. I., & Tulving, E. (1975). Depth of processing and the retention of words in episodic memory. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 104 (3), 268.

Davis, S. G., & Gray, E. S. (2007). Going beyond test-taking strategies: Building self-regulated students and teachers. Journal of Curriculum and Instruction, 1 (1), 31-47.

Edwards, A. J., Weinstein, C. E., Goetz, E. T., & Alexander, P. A. (2014). Learning and study strategies: Issues in assessment, instruction, and evaluation. Elsevier.

Junco, R., & Cotten, S. R. (2012). No A 4 U: The relationship between multitasking and academic performance. Computers & Education, 59 (2), 505-514.

Mackenzie, A. M. (1994). Examination preparation, anxiety and examination performance in a group of adult students. International Journal of Lifelong Education, 13 (5), 373-388.

McGuire, S.Y. & McGuire, S. (2016). Teach Students How to Learn: Strategies You Can Incorporate in Any Course to Improve Student Metacognition, Study Skills, and Motivation. Stylus Publishing, LLC.

Newport, C. (2006). How to become a straight-a student: the unconventional strategies real college students use to score high while studying less. Three Rivers Press.

Paul, K. (1996). Study smarter, not harder. Self Counsel Press.

Robinson, A. (1993). What smart students know: maximum grades, optimum learning, minimum time. Crown trade paperbacks.

Wissman, K. T., Rawson, K. A., & Pyc, M. A. (2012). How and when do students use flashcards? Memory, 20, 568-579.

If you enjoy using our handouts, we appreciate contributions of acknowledgement.

Make a Gift

Reading Time Calculator

Table of contents

If you're thinking, " how long will it take me to read this book? " - you'll find the answer in this reading time calculator.

And not just that- you can also find the value of any of the variables used in the time to read calculator. You may want to know how much time a day you should allocate to finish a textbook before the deadline. Or maybe you want to assess how many books you should borrow from the library for a 2-week holiday ? You can use the reading time calculator in many ways, which we'll describe in the text.

Choose a book, grab a coffee or tea, and let's see what the calculator can do. But if you need help choosing a book, seek guidance from our quarantine books calculator .

The questions this reading time calculator can answer

Depending on which values you input into the reading time calculator, you can find out :

How much time per day should you allocate to finish in x days;

How long will it take to read this book;

What the total reading time will be (in hours);

How many pages you'll be able to read in a given time; and

How fast you should read to finish this book on time.

And if you are still curious and need more answers, then give our other tools are read:

• The Day counter ; and
• The Time calculator .

How to use the time to read calculator — How long will it take to read this book?

Depending on your problem, fill in the fields for which you know answers and leave the one you want to calculate empty . You can also prevent some variables from changing values by clicking three dots to the right of a variable's name and toggling the "Save input value" option 📌".

If you're wondering, " how long will it take me to read this book? ":

Choose the reader type that best describes you. If you want the result to be accurate, measure your reading speed and input the number of pages you can read per minute into the second field of the calculator (select Enter a custom average reading speed first).

You can also change the unit and enter the pages per hour. If you don't have time to test your reading speed, decide whether you're a slow , average , or quick reader , and choose the adequate description in the first field. If you are curious about your reading speed, check out our reading speed calculator .

Enter the book's length into the third field of the reading time calculator.

The total reading time will appear. You can display it in hours, minutes, or hours and minutes.

To assess how many days it will take to read the book, decide on your daily reading time .

The last field will tell you the period you'll have to spend reading a book. The time-to-read calculator lets you display the number in different units.

Calculating reading time — an example

Another real-life example — you're going to have a major test in three months, and you want to work a textbook (300 pages) over before the deadline. How long will it take to read this book? How much time should you allocate to studying each day?

How to solve this problem using the reading time calculator :

Check how long it takes you to finish one page. Let's say the book is quite heavy, and it takes you ~3 minutes to go through one page. Then divide 1 by the number of minutes to get the reading speed:

0.33 pages/min, let's input the number into the second field of the time to read calculator .

In the third field, enter the book's length — 300 pages.

You can see it will take you about 15 h 9 min to finish the book.

How many days will you devote to studying the book? Let's say you want to finish it in 2 months and then brush up on the material. You study for five days a week. There are around four full working weeks in a month, so there are 2 × 4 × 5 = 40 days in total. Let's say you want to complete the book in 40 days — type in "40" in the last field of the time reading calculator.

That's it. In the "daily reading time" section, you'll see that you should spend around 22 minutes per day reading. The time reading calculator will also tell you that you should read 7.5 pages a day. If overwhelmed with your results, consider that those who read regularly sleep better, have lower stress levels, and are generally happier.

If you are someone who is into reading, then our books vs ebooks calculator is sure to tickle your fancy.

How long does it take to read 30 pages?

It takes about 1 hour to read 30 pages at an average reading speed - about half a page per minute. Persons can have different reading speeds. Usually, it would take us longer to read the same amount of pages of an academic text than a contemporary novel.

How long does it take to read the Great Gatsby?

You need around 6 hours to finish the Great Gatsby if you read at an average reading speed of half a page per minute. So, if you read for only an hour a day, you can finish the Great Gatsby in 6 days.

How much should I read a day to read 52 books per year?

You should read for about 1.5 hours per day . But that's assuming you're an average speed reader, and the books you're reading are 300 pages on average. You can lessen that number by learning to read faster.

How long will it take me to read a book?

To find how long it will take you to read a book, follow these steps:

Find out how many pages of your book you can read per minute.

Check your book's length.

Divide the book's length by your reading speed.

That's the time it will take you to read your book. You can check your result with our reading time calculator.

.css-17jgrqx.css-17jgrqx{color:#2B3148;background-color:transparent;font-family:"Roboto","Helvetica","Arial",sans-serif;font-size:20px;line-height:24px;overflow:visible;padding-top:0px;position:relative;}.css-17jgrqx.css-17jgrqx:after{content:'';-webkit-transform:scale(0);-moz-transform:scale(0);-ms-transform:scale(0);transform:scale(0);position:absolute;border:2px solid #EA9430;border-radius:2px;inset:-8px;z-index:1;}.css-17jgrqx .js-external-link-button.link-like,.css-17jgrqx .js-external-link-anchor{color:inherit;border-radius:1px;-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.css-17jgrqx .js-external-link-button.link-like:hover,.css-17jgrqx .js-external-link-anchor:hover,.css-17jgrqx .js-external-link-button.link-like:active,.css-17jgrqx .js-external-link-anchor:active{text-decoration-thickness:2px;text-shadow:1px 0 0;}.css-17jgrqx .js-external-link-button.link-like:focus-visible,.css-17jgrqx .js-external-link-anchor:focus-visible{outline:transparent 2px dotted;box-shadow:0 0 0 2px #6314E6;}.css-17jgrqx p,.css-17jgrqx div{margin:0;display:block;}.css-17jgrqx pre{margin:0;display:block;}.css-17jgrqx pre code{display:block;width:-webkit-fit-content;width:-moz-fit-content;width:fit-content;}.css-17jgrqx pre:not(:first-child){padding-top:8px;}.css-17jgrqx ul,.css-17jgrqx ol{display:block margin:0;padding-left:20px;}.css-17jgrqx ul li,.css-17jgrqx ol li{padding-top:8px;}.css-17jgrqx ul ul,.css-17jgrqx ol ul,.css-17jgrqx ul ol,.css-17jgrqx ol ol{padding-top:0;}.css-17jgrqx ul:not(:first-child),.css-17jgrqx ol:not(:first-child){padding-top:4px;} .css-jdoljy{margin:auto;background-color:white;overflow:auto;overflow-wrap:break-word;word-break:break-word;}.css-jdoljy code,.css-jdoljy kbd,.css-jdoljy pre,.css-jdoljy samp{font-family:monospace;}.css-jdoljy code{padding:2px 4px;color:#444;background:#ddd;border-radius:4px;}.css-jdoljy figcaption,.css-jdoljy caption{text-align:center;}.css-jdoljy figcaption{font-size:12px;font-style:italic;overflow:hidden;}.css-jdoljy h3{font-size:1.75rem;}.css-jdoljy h4{font-size:1.5rem;}.css-jdoljy .mathBlock{font-size:24px;-webkit-padding-start:4px;padding-inline-start:4px;}.css-jdoljy .mathBlock .katex{font-size:24px;text-align:left;}.css-jdoljy .math-inline{background-color:#f0f0f0;display:inline-block;font-size:inherit;padding:0 3px;}.css-jdoljy .videoBlock,.css-jdoljy .imageBlock{margin-bottom:16px;}.css-jdoljy .imageBlock__image-align--left,.css-jdoljy .videoBlock__video-align--left{float:left;}.css-jdoljy .imageBlock__image-align--right,.css-jdoljy .videoBlock__video-align--right{float:right;}.css-jdoljy .imageBlock__image-align--center,.css-jdoljy .videoBlock__video-align--center{display:block;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;clear:both;}.css-jdoljy .imageBlock__image-align--none,.css-jdoljy .videoBlock__video-align--none{clear:both;margin-left:0;margin-right:0;}.css-jdoljy .videoBlock__video--wrapper{position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;}.css-jdoljy .videoBlock__video--wrapper iframe{position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;}.css-jdoljy .videoBlock__caption{text-align:left;}@font-face{font-family:'KaTeX_AMS';src:url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_AMS-Regular.woff2) format('woff2'),url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_AMS-Regular.woff) format('woff'),url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_AMS-Regular.ttf) format('truetype');font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;}@font-face{font-family:'KaTeX_Caligraphic';src:url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_Caligraphic-Bold.woff2) format('woff2'),url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_Caligraphic-Bold.woff) format('woff'),url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_Caligraphic-Bold.ttf) format('truetype');font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;}@font-face{font-family:'KaTeX_Caligraphic';src:url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_Caligraphic-Regular.woff2) format('woff2'),url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_Caligraphic-Regular.woff) format('woff'),url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_Caligraphic-Regular.ttf) format('truetype');font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;}@font-face{font-family:'KaTeX_Fraktur';src:url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_Fraktur-Bold.woff2) format('woff2'),url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_Fraktur-Bold.woff) format('woff'),url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_Fraktur-Bold.ttf) format('truetype');font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;}@font-face{font-family:'KaTeX_Fraktur';src:url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_Fraktur-Regular.woff2) format('woff2'),url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_Fraktur-Regular.woff) format('woff'),url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_Fraktur-Regular.ttf) format('truetype');font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;}@font-face{font-family:'KaTeX_Main';src:url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_Main-Bold.woff2) format('woff2'),url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_Main-Bold.woff) format('woff'),url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_Main-Bold.ttf) format('truetype');font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;}@font-face{font-family:'KaTeX_Main';src:url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_Main-BoldItalic.woff2) format('woff2'),url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_Main-BoldItalic.woff) format('woff'),url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_Main-BoldItalic.ttf) format('truetype');font-weight:bold;font-style:italic;}@font-face{font-family:'KaTeX_Main';src:url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_Main-Italic.woff2) format('woff2'),url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_Main-Italic.woff) format('woff'),url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_Main-Italic.ttf) format('truetype');font-weight:normal;font-style:italic;}@font-face{font-family:'KaTeX_Main';src:url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_Main-Regular.woff2) format('woff2'),url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_Main-Regular.woff) format('woff'),url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_Main-Regular.ttf) format('truetype');font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;}@font-face{font-family:'KaTeX_Math';src:url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_Math-BoldItalic.woff2) format('woff2'),url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_Math-BoldItalic.woff) format('woff'),url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_Math-BoldItalic.ttf) format('truetype');font-weight:bold;font-style:italic;}@font-face{font-family:'KaTeX_Math';src:url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_Math-Italic.woff2) format('woff2'),url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_Math-Italic.woff) format('woff'),url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_Math-Italic.ttf) format('truetype');font-weight:normal;font-style:italic;}@font-face{font-family:'KaTeX_SansSerif';src:url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_SansSerif-Bold.woff2) format('woff2'),url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_SansSerif-Bold.woff) format('woff'),url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_SansSerif-Bold.ttf) format('truetype');font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;}@font-face{font-family:'KaTeX_SansSerif';src:url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_SansSerif-Italic.woff2) format('woff2'),url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_SansSerif-Italic.woff) format('woff'),url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_SansSerif-Italic.ttf) format('truetype');font-weight:normal;font-style:italic;}@font-face{font-family:'KaTeX_SansSerif';src:url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_SansSerif-Regular.woff2) format('woff2'),url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_SansSerif-Regular.woff) format('woff'),url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_SansSerif-Regular.ttf) format('truetype');font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;}@font-face{font-family:'KaTeX_Script';src:url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_Script-Regular.woff2) format('woff2'),url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_Script-Regular.woff) format('woff'),url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_Script-Regular.ttf) format('truetype');font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;}@font-face{font-family:'KaTeX_Size1';src:url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_Size1-Regular.woff2) format('woff2'),url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_Size1-Regular.woff) format('woff'),url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_Size1-Regular.ttf) format('truetype');font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;}@font-face{font-family:'KaTeX_Size2';src:url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_Size2-Regular.woff2) format('woff2'),url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_Size2-Regular.woff) format('woff'),url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_Size2-Regular.ttf) format('truetype');font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;}@font-face{font-family:'KaTeX_Size3';src:url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_Size3-Regular.woff2) format('woff2'),url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_Size3-Regular.woff) format('woff'),url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_Size3-Regular.ttf) format('truetype');font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;}@font-face{font-family:'KaTeX_Size4';src:url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_Size4-Regular.woff2) format('woff2'),url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_Size4-Regular.woff) format('woff'),url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_Size4-Regular.ttf) format('truetype');font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;}@font-face{font-family:'KaTeX_Typewriter';src:url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_Typewriter-Regular.woff2) format('woff2'),url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_Typewriter-Regular.woff) format('woff'),url(/katex-fonts/KaTeX_Typewriter-Regular.ttf) format('truetype');font-weight:normal;font-style:normal;}.css-jdoljy .katex{font:normal 1.21em KaTeX_Main,Times New Roman,serif;line-height:1.2;text-indent:0;text-rendering:auto;}.css-jdoljy .katex *{-ms-high-contrast-adjust:none!important;border-color:currentColor;}.css-jdoljy .katex .katex-version::after{content:'0.13.13';}.css-jdoljy .katex .katex-mathml{position:absolute;clip:rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);padding:0;border:0;height:1px;width:1px;overflow:hidden;}.css-jdoljy .katex .katex-html>.newline{display:block;}.css-jdoljy .katex .base{position:relative;display:inline-block;white-space:nowrap;width:-webkit-min-content;width:-moz-min-content;width:-webkit-min-content;width:-moz-min-content;width:min-content;}.css-jdoljy .katex .strut{display:inline-block;}.css-jdoljy .katex .textbf{font-weight:bold;}.css-jdoljy .katex .textit{font-style:italic;}.css-jdoljy .katex .textrm{font-family:KaTeX_Main;}.css-jdoljy .katex .textsf{font-family:KaTeX_SansSerif;}.css-jdoljy .katex .texttt{font-family:KaTeX_Typewriter;}.css-jdoljy .katex .mathnormal{font-family:KaTeX_Math;font-style:italic;}.css-jdoljy .katex .mathit{font-family:KaTeX_Main;font-style:italic;}.css-jdoljy .katex .mathrm{font-style:normal;}.css-jdoljy .katex .mathbf{font-family:KaTeX_Main;font-weight:bold;}.css-jdoljy .katex .boldsymbol{font-family:KaTeX_Math;font-weight:bold;font-style:italic;}.css-jdoljy .katex .amsrm{font-family:KaTeX_AMS;}.css-jdoljy .katex .mathbb,.css-jdoljy .katex .textbb{font-family:KaTeX_AMS;}.css-jdoljy .katex .mathcal{font-family:KaTeX_Caligraphic;}.css-jdoljy .katex .mathfrak,.css-jdoljy .katex .textfrak{font-family:KaTeX_Fraktur;}.css-jdoljy .katex .mathtt{font-family:KaTeX_Typewriter;}.css-jdoljy .katex .mathscr,.css-jdoljy .katex .textscr{font-family:KaTeX_Script;}.css-jdoljy .katex .mathsf,.css-jdoljy .katex .textsf{font-family:KaTeX_SansSerif;}.css-jdoljy .katex .mathboldsf,.css-jdoljy .katex .textboldsf{font-family:KaTeX_SansSerif;font-weight:bold;}.css-jdoljy .katex .mathitsf,.css-jdoljy .katex .textitsf{font-family:KaTeX_SansSerif;font-style:italic;}.css-jdoljy .katex .mainrm{font-family:KaTeX_Main;font-style:normal;}.css-jdoljy .katex .vlist-t{display:inline-table;table-layout:fixed;border-collapse:collapse;}.css-jdoljy .katex .vlist-r{display:table-row;}.css-jdoljy .katex .vlist{display:table-cell;vertical-align:bottom;position:relative;}.css-jdoljy .katex .vlist>span{display:block;height:0;position:relative;}.css-jdoljy .katex .vlist>span>span{display:inline-block;}.css-jdoljy .katex .vlist>span>.pstrut{overflow:hidden;width:0;}.css-jdoljy .katex .vlist-t2{margin-right:-2px;}.css-jdoljy .katex .vlist-s{display:table-cell;vertical-align:bottom;font-size:1px;width:2px;min-width:2px;}.css-jdoljy .katex .vbox{display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;-webkit-flex-direction:column;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column;-webkit-align-items:baseline;-webkit-box-align:baseline;-ms-flex-align:baseline;align-items:baseline;}.css-jdoljy .katex .hbox{display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;width:100%;}.css-jdoljy .katex .thinbox{display:-webkit-inline-box;display:-webkit-inline-flex;display:-ms-inline-flexbox;display:inline-flex;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;width:0;max-width:0;}.css-jdoljy .katex .msupsub{text-align:left;}.css-jdoljy .katex .mfrac>span>span{text-align:center;}.css-jdoljy .katex .mfrac .frac-line{display:inline-block;width:100%;border-bottom-style:solid;}.css-jdoljy .katex .mfrac .frac-line,.css-jdoljy .katex .overline .overline-line,.css-jdoljy .katex .underline .underline-line,.css-jdoljy .katex .hline,.css-jdoljy .katex .hdashline,.css-jdoljy .katex .rule{min-height:1px;}.css-jdoljy .katex .mspace{display:inline-block;}.css-jdoljy .katex .llap,.css-jdoljy .katex .rlap,.css-jdoljy .katex .clap{width:0;position:relative;}.css-jdoljy .katex .llap>.inner,.css-jdoljy .katex .rlap>.inner,.css-jdoljy .katex .clap>.inner{position:absolute;}.css-jdoljy .katex .llap>.fix,.css-jdoljy .katex .rlap>.fix,.css-jdoljy .katex .clap>.fix{display:inline-block;}.css-jdoljy .katex .llap>.inner{right:0;}.css-jdoljy .katex .rlap>.inner,.css-jdoljy .katex .clap>.inner{left:0;}.css-jdoljy .katex .clap>.inner>span{margin-left:-50%;margin-right:50%;}.css-jdoljy .katex .rule{display:inline-block;border:solid 0;position:relative;}.css-jdoljy .katex .overline .overline-line,.css-jdoljy .katex .underline .underline-line,.css-jdoljy .katex .hline{display:inline-block;width:100%;border-bottom-style:solid;}.css-jdoljy .katex .hdashline{display:inline-block;width:100%;border-bottom-style:dashed;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sqrt>.root{margin-left:0.27777778em;margin-right:-0.55555556em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size1.size1,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size1.size1{font-size:1em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size1.size2,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size1.size2{font-size:1.2em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size1.size3,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size1.size3{font-size:1.4em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size1.size4,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size1.size4{font-size:1.6em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size1.size5,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size1.size5{font-size:1.8em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size1.size6,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size1.size6{font-size:2em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size1.size7,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size1.size7{font-size:2.4em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size1.size8,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size1.size8{font-size:2.88em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size1.size9,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size1.size9{font-size:3.456em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size1.size10,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size1.size10{font-size:4.148em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size1.size11,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size1.size11{font-size:4.976em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size2.size1,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size2.size1{font-size:0.83333333em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size2.size2,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size2.size2{font-size:1em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size2.size3,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size2.size3{font-size:1.16666667em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size2.size4,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size2.size4{font-size:1.33333333em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size2.size5,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size2.size5{font-size:1.5em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size2.size6,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size2.size6{font-size:1.66666667em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size2.size7,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size2.size7{font-size:2em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size2.size8,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size2.size8{font-size:2.4em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size2.size9,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size2.size9{font-size:2.88em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size2.size10,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size2.size10{font-size:3.45666667em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size2.size11,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size2.size11{font-size:4.14666667em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size3.size1,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size3.size1{font-size:0.71428571em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size3.size2,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size3.size2{font-size:0.85714286em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size3.size3,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size3.size3{font-size:1em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size3.size4,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size3.size4{font-size:1.14285714em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size3.size5,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size3.size5{font-size:1.28571429em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size3.size6,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size3.size6{font-size:1.42857143em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size3.size7,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size3.size7{font-size:1.71428571em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size3.size8,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size3.size8{font-size:2.05714286em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size3.size9,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size3.size9{font-size:2.46857143em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size3.size10,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size3.size10{font-size:2.96285714em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size3.size11,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size3.size11{font-size:3.55428571em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size4.size1,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size4.size1{font-size:0.625em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size4.size2,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size4.size2{font-size:0.75em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size4.size3,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size4.size3{font-size:0.875em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size4.size4,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size4.size4{font-size:1em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size4.size5,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size4.size5{font-size:1.125em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size4.size6,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size4.size6{font-size:1.25em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size4.size7,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size4.size7{font-size:1.5em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size4.size8,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size4.size8{font-size:1.8em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size4.size9,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size4.size9{font-size:2.16em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size4.size10,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size4.size10{font-size:2.5925em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size4.size11,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size4.size11{font-size:3.11em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size5.size1,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size5.size1{font-size:0.55555556em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size5.size2,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size5.size2{font-size:0.66666667em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size5.size3,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size5.size3{font-size:0.77777778em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size5.size4,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size5.size4{font-size:0.88888889em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size5.size5,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size5.size5{font-size:1em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size5.size6,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size5.size6{font-size:1.11111111em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size5.size7,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size5.size7{font-size:1.33333333em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size5.size8,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size5.size8{font-size:1.6em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size5.size9,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size5.size9{font-size:1.92em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size5.size10,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size5.size10{font-size:2.30444444em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size5.size11,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size5.size11{font-size:2.76444444em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size6.size1,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size6.size1{font-size:0.5em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size6.size2,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size6.size2{font-size:0.6em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size6.size3,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size6.size3{font-size:0.7em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size6.size4,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size6.size4{font-size:0.8em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size6.size5,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size6.size5{font-size:0.9em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size6.size6,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size6.size6{font-size:1em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size6.size7,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size6.size7{font-size:1.2em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size6.size8,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size6.size8{font-size:1.44em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size6.size9,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size6.size9{font-size:1.728em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size6.size10,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size6.size10{font-size:2.074em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size6.size11,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size6.size11{font-size:2.488em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size7.size1,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size7.size1{font-size:0.41666667em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size7.size2,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size7.size2{font-size:0.5em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size7.size3,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size7.size3{font-size:0.58333333em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size7.size4,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size7.size4{font-size:0.66666667em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size7.size5,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size7.size5{font-size:0.75em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size7.size6,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size7.size6{font-size:0.83333333em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size7.size7,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size7.size7{font-size:1em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size7.size8,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size7.size8{font-size:1.2em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size7.size9,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size7.size9{font-size:1.44em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size7.size10,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size7.size10{font-size:1.72833333em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size7.size11,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size7.size11{font-size:2.07333333em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size8.size1,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size8.size1{font-size:0.34722222em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size8.size2,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size8.size2{font-size:0.41666667em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size8.size3,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size8.size3{font-size:0.48611111em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size8.size4,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size8.size4{font-size:0.55555556em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size8.size5,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size8.size5{font-size:0.625em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size8.size6,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size8.size6{font-size:0.69444444em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size8.size7,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size8.size7{font-size:0.83333333em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size8.size8,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size8.size8{font-size:1em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size8.size9,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size8.size9{font-size:1.2em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size8.size10,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size8.size10{font-size:1.44027778em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size8.size11,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size8.size11{font-size:1.72777778em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size9.size1,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size9.size1{font-size:0.28935185em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size9.size2,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size9.size2{font-size:0.34722222em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size9.size3,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size9.size3{font-size:0.40509259em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size9.size4,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size9.size4{font-size:0.46296296em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size9.size5,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size9.size5{font-size:0.52083333em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size9.size6,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size9.size6{font-size:0.5787037em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size9.size7,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size9.size7{font-size:0.69444444em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size9.size8,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size9.size8{font-size:0.83333333em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size9.size9,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size9.size9{font-size:1em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size9.size10,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size9.size10{font-size:1.20023148em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size9.size11,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size9.size11{font-size:1.43981481em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size10.size1,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size10.size1{font-size:0.24108004em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size10.size2,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size10.size2{font-size:0.28929605em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size10.size3,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size10.size3{font-size:0.33751205em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size10.size4,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size10.size4{font-size:0.38572806em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size10.size5,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size10.size5{font-size:0.43394407em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size10.size6,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size10.size6{font-size:0.48216008em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size10.size7,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size10.size7{font-size:0.57859209em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size10.size8,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size10.size8{font-size:0.69431051em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size10.size9,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size10.size9{font-size:0.83317261em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size10.size10,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size10.size10{font-size:1em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size10.size11,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size10.size11{font-size:1.19961427em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size11.size1,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size11.size1{font-size:0.20096463em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size11.size2,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size11.size2{font-size:0.24115756em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size11.size3,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size11.size3{font-size:0.28135048em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size11.size4,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size11.size4{font-size:0.32154341em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size11.size5,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size11.size5{font-size:0.36173633em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size11.size6,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size11.size6{font-size:0.40192926em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size11.size7,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size11.size7{font-size:0.48231511em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size11.size8,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size11.size8{font-size:0.57877814em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size11.size9,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size11.size9{font-size:0.69453376em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size11.size10,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size11.size10{font-size:0.83360129em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sizing.reset-size11.size11,.css-jdoljy .katex .fontsize-ensurer.reset-size11.size11{font-size:1em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .delimsizing.size1{font-family:KaTeX_Size1;}.css-jdoljy .katex .delimsizing.size2{font-family:KaTeX_Size2;}.css-jdoljy .katex .delimsizing.size3{font-family:KaTeX_Size3;}.css-jdoljy .katex .delimsizing.size4{font-family:KaTeX_Size4;}.css-jdoljy .katex .delimsizing.mult .delim-size1>span{font-family:KaTeX_Size1;}.css-jdoljy .katex .delimsizing.mult .delim-size4>span{font-family:KaTeX_Size4;}.css-jdoljy .katex .nulldelimiter{display:inline-block;width:0.12em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .delimcenter{position:relative;}.css-jdoljy .katex .op-symbol{position:relative;}.css-jdoljy .katex .op-symbol.small-op{font-family:KaTeX_Size1;}.css-jdoljy .katex .op-symbol.large-op{font-family:KaTeX_Size2;}.css-jdoljy .katex .op-limits>.vlist-t{text-align:center;}.css-jdoljy .katex .accent>.vlist-t{text-align:center;}.css-jdoljy .katex .accent .accent-body{position:relative;}.css-jdoljy .katex .accent .accent-body:not(.accent-full){width:0;}.css-jdoljy .katex .overlay{display:block;}.css-jdoljy .katex .mtable .vertical-separator{display:inline-block;min-width:1px;}.css-jdoljy .katex .mtable .arraycolsep{display:inline-block;}.css-jdoljy .katex .mtable .col-align-c>.vlist-t{text-align:center;}.css-jdoljy .katex .mtable .col-align-l>.vlist-t{text-align:left;}.css-jdoljy .katex .mtable .col-align-r>.vlist-t{text-align:right;}.css-jdoljy .katex .svg-align{text-align:left;}.css-jdoljy .katex svg{display:block;position:absolute;width:100%;height:inherit;fill:currentColor;stroke:currentColor;fill-rule:nonzero;fill-opacity:1;stroke-width:1;stroke-linecap:butt;stroke-linejoin:miter;stroke-miterlimit:4;stroke-dasharray:none;stroke-dashoffset:0;stroke-opacity:1;}.css-jdoljy .katex svg path{stroke:none;}.css-jdoljy .katex img{border-style:none;min-width:0;min-height:0;max-width:none;max-height:none;}.css-jdoljy .katex .stretchy{width:100%;display:block;position:relative;overflow:hidden;}.css-jdoljy .katex .stretchy::before,.css-jdoljy .katex .stretchy::after{content:'';}.css-jdoljy .katex .hide-tail{width:100%;position:relative;overflow:hidden;}.css-jdoljy .katex .halfarrow-left{position:absolute;left:0;width:50.2%;overflow:hidden;}.css-jdoljy .katex .halfarrow-right{position:absolute;right:0;width:50.2%;overflow:hidden;}.css-jdoljy .katex .brace-left{position:absolute;left:0;width:25.1%;overflow:hidden;}.css-jdoljy .katex .brace-center{position:absolute;left:25%;width:50%;overflow:hidden;}.css-jdoljy .katex .brace-right{position:absolute;right:0;width:25.1%;overflow:hidden;}.css-jdoljy .katex .x-arrow-pad{padding:0 0.5em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .cd-arrow-pad{padding:0 0.55556em 0 0.27778em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .x-arrow,.css-jdoljy .katex .mover,.css-jdoljy .katex .munder{text-align:center;}.css-jdoljy .katex .boxpad{padding:0 0.3em 0 0.3em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .fbox,.css-jdoljy .katex .fcolorbox{box-sizing:border-box;border:0.04em solid;}.css-jdoljy .katex .cancel-pad{padding:0 0.2em 0 0.2em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .cancel-lap{margin-left:-0.2em;margin-right:-0.2em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .sout{border-bottom-style:solid;border-bottom-width:0.08em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .angl{box-sizing:border-box;border-top:0.049em solid;border-right:0.049em solid;margin-right:0.03889em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .anglpad{padding:0 0.03889em 0 0.03889em;}.css-jdoljy .katex .eqn-num::before{counter-increment:katexEqnNo;content:'(' counter(katexEqnNo) ')';}.css-jdoljy .katex .mml-eqn-num::before{counter-increment:mmlEqnNo;content:'(' counter(mmlEqnNo) ')';}.css-jdoljy .katex .mtr-glue{width:50%;}.css-jdoljy .katex .cd-vert-arrow{display:inline-block;position:relative;}.css-jdoljy .katex .cd-label-left{display:inline-block;position:absolute;right:calc(50% + 0.3em);text-align:left;}.css-jdoljy .katex .cd-label-right{display:inline-block;position:absolute;left:calc(50% + 0.3em);text-align:right;}.css-jdoljy .katex-display{display:block;margin:1em 0;text-align:center;}.css-jdoljy .katex-display>.katex{display:block;white-space:nowrap;}.css-jdoljy .katex-display>.katex>.katex-html{display:block;position:relative;}.css-jdoljy .katex-display>.katex>.katex-html>.tag{position:absolute;right:0;}.css-jdoljy .katex-display.leqno>.katex>.katex-html>.tag{left:0;right:auto;}.css-jdoljy .katex-display.fleqn>.katex{text-align:left;padding-left:2em;}.css-jdoljy body{counter-reset:katexEqnNo mmlEqnNo;}.css-jdoljy table{width:-webkit-max-content;width:-moz-max-content;width:max-content;}.css-jdoljy .tableBlock{max-width:100%;margin-bottom:1rem;overflow-y:scroll;}.css-jdoljy .tableBlock thead,.css-jdoljy .tableBlock thead th{border-bottom:1px solid #333!important;}.css-jdoljy .tableBlock th,.css-jdoljy .tableBlock td{padding:10px;text-align:left;}.css-jdoljy .tableBlock th{font-weight:bold!important;}.css-jdoljy .tableBlock caption{caption-side:bottom;color:#555;font-size:12px;font-style:italic;text-align:center;}.css-jdoljy .tableBlock caption>p{margin:0;}.css-jdoljy .tableBlock th>p,.css-jdoljy .tableBlock td>p{margin:0;}.css-jdoljy .tableBlock [data-background-color='aliceblue']{background-color:#f0f8ff;color:#000;}.css-jdoljy .tableBlock [data-background-color='black']{background-color:#000;color:#fff;}.css-jdoljy .tableBlock [data-background-color='chocolate']{background-color:#d2691e;color:#fff;}.css-jdoljy .tableBlock [data-background-color='cornflowerblue']{background-color:#6495ed;color:#fff;}.css-jdoljy .tableBlock [data-background-color='crimson']{background-color:#dc143c;color:#fff;}.css-jdoljy .tableBlock [data-background-color='darkblue']{background-color:#00008b;color:#fff;}.css-jdoljy .tableBlock [data-background-color='darkseagreen']{background-color:#8fbc8f;color:#000;}.css-jdoljy .tableBlock [data-background-color='deepskyblue']{background-color:#00bfff;color:#000;}.css-jdoljy .tableBlock [data-background-color='gainsboro']{background-color:#dcdcdc;color:#000;}.css-jdoljy .tableBlock [data-background-color='grey']{background-color:#808080;color:#fff;}.css-jdoljy .tableBlock [data-background-color='lemonchiffon']{background-color:#fffacd;color:#000;}.css-jdoljy .tableBlock [data-background-color='lightpink']{background-color:#ffb6c1;color:#000;}.css-jdoljy .tableBlock [data-background-color='lightsalmon']{background-color:#ffa07a;color:#000;}.css-jdoljy .tableBlock [data-background-color='lightskyblue']{background-color:#87cefa;color:#000;}.css-jdoljy .tableBlock [data-background-color='mediumblue']{background-color:#0000cd;color:#fff;}.css-jdoljy .tableBlock [data-background-color='omnigrey']{background-color:#f0f0f0;color:#000;}.css-jdoljy .tableBlock [data-background-color='white']{background-color:#fff;color:#000;}.css-jdoljy .tableBlock [data-text-align='center']{text-align:center;}.css-jdoljy .tableBlock [data-text-align='left']{text-align:left;}.css-jdoljy .tableBlock [data-text-align='right']{text-align:right;}.css-jdoljy .tableBlock [data-vertical-align='bottom']{vertical-align:bottom;}.css-jdoljy .tableBlock [data-vertical-align='middle']{vertical-align:middle;}.css-jdoljy .tableBlock [data-vertical-align='top']{vertical-align:top;}.css-jdoljy .tableBlock__font-size--xxsmall{font-size:10px;}.css-jdoljy .tableBlock__font-size--xsmall{font-size:12px;}.css-jdoljy .tableBlock__font-size--small{font-size:14px;}.css-jdoljy .tableBlock__font-size--large{font-size:18px;}.css-jdoljy .tableBlock__border--some tbody tr:not(:last-child){border-bottom:1px solid #e2e5e7;}.css-jdoljy .tableBlock__border--bordered td,.css-jdoljy .tableBlock__border--bordered th{border:1px solid #e2e5e7;}.css-jdoljy .tableBlock__border--borderless tbody+tbody,.css-jdoljy .tableBlock__border--borderless td,.css-jdoljy .tableBlock__border--borderless th,.css-jdoljy .tableBlock__border--borderless tr,.css-jdoljy .tableBlock__border--borderless thead,.css-jdoljy .tableBlock__border--borderless thead th{border:0!important;}.css-jdoljy .tableBlock:not(.tableBlock__table-striped) tbody tr{background-color:unset!important;}.css-jdoljy .tableBlock__table-striped tbody tr:nth-of-type(odd){background-color:#f9fafc!important;}.css-jdoljy .tableBlock__table-compactl th,.css-jdoljy .tableBlock__table-compact td{padding:3px!important;}.css-jdoljy .tableBlock__full-size{width:100%;}.css-jdoljy .textBlock{margin-bottom:16px;}.css-jdoljy .textBlock__text-formatting--finePrint{font-size:12px;}.css-jdoljy .textBlock__text-infoBox{padding:0.75rem 1.25rem;margin-bottom:1rem;border:1px solid transparent;border-radius:0.25rem;}.css-jdoljy .textBlock__text-infoBox p{margin:0;}.css-jdoljy .textBlock__text-infoBox--primary{background-color:#cce5ff;border-color:#b8daff;color:#004085;}.css-jdoljy .textBlock__text-infoBox--secondary{background-color:#e2e3e5;border-color:#d6d8db;color:#383d41;}.css-jdoljy .textBlock__text-infoBox--success{background-color:#d4edda;border-color:#c3e6cb;color:#155724;}.css-jdoljy .textBlock__text-infoBox--danger{background-color:#f8d7da;border-color:#f5c6cb;color:#721c24;}.css-jdoljy .textBlock__text-infoBox--warning{background-color:#fff3cd;border-color:#ffeeba;color:#856404;}.css-jdoljy .textBlock__text-infoBox--info{background-color:#d1ecf1;border-color:#bee5eb;color:#0c5460;}.css-jdoljy .textBlock__text-infoBox--dark{background-color:#d6d8d9;border-color:#c6c8ca;color:#1b1e21;}.css-jdoljy .text-overline{-webkit-text-decoration:overline;text-decoration:overline;}.css-jdoljy.css-jdoljy{color:#2B3148;background-color:transparent;font-family:"Roboto","Helvetica","Arial",sans-serif;font-size:20px;line-height:24px;overflow:visible;padding-top:0px;position:relative;}.css-jdoljy.css-jdoljy:after{content:'';-webkit-transform:scale(0);-moz-transform:scale(0);-ms-transform:scale(0);transform:scale(0);position:absolute;border:2px solid #EA9430;border-radius:2px;inset:-8px;z-index:1;}.css-jdoljy .js-external-link-button.link-like,.css-jdoljy .js-external-link-anchor{color:inherit;border-radius:1px;-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.css-jdoljy .js-external-link-button.link-like:hover,.css-jdoljy .js-external-link-anchor:hover,.css-jdoljy .js-external-link-button.link-like:active,.css-jdoljy .js-external-link-anchor:active{text-decoration-thickness:2px;text-shadow:1px 0 0;}.css-jdoljy .js-external-link-button.link-like:focus-visible,.css-jdoljy .js-external-link-anchor:focus-visible{outline:transparent 2px dotted;box-shadow:0 0 0 2px #6314E6;}.css-jdoljy p,.css-jdoljy div{margin:0;display:block;}.css-jdoljy pre{margin:0;display:block;}.css-jdoljy pre code{display:block;width:-webkit-fit-content;width:-moz-fit-content;width:fit-content;}.css-jdoljy pre:not(:first-child){padding-top:8px;}.css-jdoljy ul,.css-jdoljy ol{display:block margin:0;padding-left:20px;}.css-jdoljy ul li,.css-jdoljy ol li{padding-top:8px;}.css-jdoljy ul ul,.css-jdoljy ol ul,.css-jdoljy ul ol,.css-jdoljy ol ol{padding-top:0;}.css-jdoljy ul:not(:first-child),.css-jdoljy ol:not(:first-child){padding-top:4px;} Total reading time

How much time will it take to read a book?

Reader type

Select the last radio button option to enter a custom average reading speed below.

Average reading speed

Book's length

Total reading time

Book reading duration

How many days will it take?

Daily reading time

Daily reading

Period spent reading

Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, how to do homework: 15 expert tips and tricks.

Coursework/GPA

Everyone struggles with homework sometimes, but if getting your homework done has become a chronic issue for you, then you may need a little extra help. That’s why we’ve written this article all about how to do homework. Once you’re finished reading it, you’ll know how to do homework (and have tons of new ways to motivate yourself to do homework)!

We’ve broken this article down into a few major sections. You’ll find:

• A diagnostic test to help you figure out why you’re struggling with homework
• A discussion of the four major homework problems students face, along with expert tips for addressing them
• A bonus section with tips for how to do homework fast

By the end of this article, you’ll be prepared to tackle whatever homework assignments your teachers throw at you .

So let’s get started!

How to Do Homework: Figure Out Your Struggles 

Sometimes it feels like everything is standing between you and getting your homework done. But the truth is, most people only have one or two major roadblocks that are keeping them from getting their homework done well and on time. 

The best way to figure out how to get motivated to do homework starts with pinpointing the issues that are affecting your ability to get your assignments done. That’s why we’ve developed a short quiz to help you identify the areas where you’re struggling. 

Take the quiz below and record your answers on your phone or on a scrap piece of paper. Keep in mind there are no wrong answers! 

1. You’ve just been assigned an essay in your English class that’s due at the end of the week. What’s the first thing you do?

A. Keep it in mind, even though you won’t start it until the day before it’s due  B. Open up your planner. You’ve got to figure out when you’ll write your paper since you have band practice, a speech tournament, and your little sister’s dance recital this week, too.  C. Groan out loud. Another essay? You could barely get yourself to write the last one!  D. Start thinking about your essay topic, which makes you think about your art project that’s due the same day, which reminds you that your favorite artist might have just posted to Instagram...so you better check your feed right now. 

2. Your mom asked you to pick up your room before she gets home from work. You’ve just gotten home from school. You decide you’ll tackle your chores: 

A. Five minutes before your mom walks through the front door. As long as it gets done, who cares when you start?  B. As soon as you get home from your shift at the local grocery store.  C. After you give yourself a 15-minute pep talk about how you need to get to work.  D. You won’t get it done. Between texts from your friends, trying to watch your favorite Netflix show, and playing with your dog, you just lost track of time! 

3. You’ve signed up to wash dogs at the Humane Society to help earn money for your senior class trip. You: 

A. Show up ten minutes late. You put off leaving your house until the last minute, then got stuck in unexpected traffic on the way to the shelter.  B. Have to call and cancel at the last minute. You forgot you’d already agreed to babysit your cousin and bake cupcakes for tomorrow’s bake sale.  C. Actually arrive fifteen minutes early with extra brushes and bandanas you picked up at the store. You’re passionate about animals, so you’re excited to help out! D. Show up on time, but only get three dogs washed. You couldn’t help it: you just kept getting distracted by how cute they were!

4. You have an hour of downtime, so you decide you’re going to watch an episode of The Great British Baking Show. You: 

A. Scroll through your social media feeds for twenty minutes before hitting play, which means you’re not able to finish the whole episode. Ugh! You really wanted to see who was sent home!  B. Watch fifteen minutes until you remember you’re supposed to pick up your sister from band practice before heading to your part-time job. No GBBO for you!  C. You finish one episode, then decide to watch another even though you’ve got SAT studying to do. It’s just more fun to watch people make scones.  D. Start the episode, but only catch bits and pieces of it because you’re reading Twitter, cleaning out your backpack, and eating a snack at the same time.

5. Your teacher asks you to stay after class because you’ve missed turning in two homework assignments in a row. When she asks you what’s wrong, you say: 

A. You planned to do your assignments during lunch, but you ran out of time. You decided it would be better to turn in nothing at all than submit unfinished work.  B. You really wanted to get the assignments done, but between your extracurriculars, family commitments, and your part-time job, your homework fell through the cracks.  C. You have a hard time psyching yourself to tackle the assignments. You just can’t seem to find the motivation to work on them once you get home.  D. You tried to do them, but you had a hard time focusing. By the time you realized you hadn’t gotten anything done, it was already time to turn them in. 

Like we said earlier, there are no right or wrong answers to this quiz (though your results will be better if you answered as honestly as possible). Here’s how your answers break down: 

• If your answers were mostly As, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is procrastination. 
• If your answers were mostly Bs, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is time management. 
• If your answers were mostly Cs, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is motivation. 
• If your answers were mostly Ds, then your biggest struggle with doing homework is getting distracted. 

Now that you’ve identified why you’re having a hard time getting your homework done, we can help you figure out how to fix it! Scroll down to find your core problem area to learn more about how you can start to address it. 

And one more thing: you’re really struggling with homework, it’s a good idea to read through every section below. You may find some additional tips that will help make homework less intimidating. 

How to Do Homework When You’re a Procrastinator  

Merriam Webster defines “procrastinate” as “to put off intentionally and habitually.” In other words, procrastination is when you choose to do something at the last minute on a regular basis. If you’ve ever found yourself pulling an all-nighter, trying to finish an assignment between periods, or sprinting to turn in a paper minutes before a deadline, you’ve experienced the effects of procrastination. 

If you’re a chronic procrastinator, you’re in good company. In fact, one study found that 70% to 95% of undergraduate students procrastinate when it comes to doing their homework. Unfortunately, procrastination can negatively impact your grades. Researchers have found that procrastination can lower your grade on an assignment by as much as five points ...which might not sound serious until you realize that can mean the difference between a B- and a C+. 

Procrastination can also negatively affect your health by increasing your stress levels , which can lead to other health conditions like insomnia, a weakened immune system, and even heart conditions. Getting a handle on procrastination can not only improve your grades, it can make you feel better, too! 

The big thing to understand about procrastination is that it’s not the result of laziness. Laziness is defined as being “disinclined to activity or exertion.” In other words, being lazy is all about doing nothing. But a s this Psychology Today article explains , procrastinators don’t put things off because they don’t want to work. Instead, procrastinators tend to postpone tasks they don’t want to do in favor of tasks that they perceive as either more important or more fun. Put another way, procrastinators want to do things...as long as it’s not their homework! 

3 Tips f or Conquering Procrastination 

Because putting off doing homework is a common problem, there are lots of good tactics for addressing procrastination. Keep reading for our three expert tips that will get your homework habits back on track in no time. 

#1: Create a Reward System

Like we mentioned earlier, procrastination happens when you prioritize other activities over getting your homework done. Many times, this happens because homework...well, just isn’t enjoyable. But you can add some fun back into the process by rewarding yourself for getting your work done. 

Here’s what we mean: let’s say you decide that every time you get your homework done before the day it’s due, you’ll give yourself a point. For every five points you earn, you’ll treat yourself to your favorite dessert: a chocolate cupcake! Now you have an extra (delicious!) incentive to motivate you to leave procrastination in the dust. 

If you’re not into cupcakes, don’t worry. Your reward can be anything that motivates you . Maybe it’s hanging out with your best friend or an extra ten minutes of video game time. As long as you’re choosing something that makes homework worth doing, you’ll be successful. 

#2: Have a Homework Accountability Partner 

If you’re having trouble getting yourself to start your homework ahead of time, it may be a good idea to call in reinforcements . Find a friend or classmate you can trust and explain to them that you’re trying to change your homework habits. Ask them if they’d be willing to text you to make sure you’re doing your homework and check in with you once a week to see if you’re meeting your anti-procrastination goals. 

Sharing your goals can make them feel more real, and an accountability partner can help hold you responsible for your decisions. For example, let’s say you’re tempted to put off your science lab write-up until the morning before it’s due. But you know that your accountability partner is going to text you about it tomorrow...and you don’t want to fess up that you haven’t started your assignment. A homework accountability partner can give you the extra support and incentive you need to keep your homework habits on track. 

#3: Create Your Own Due Dates 

If you’re a life-long procrastinator, you might find that changing the habit is harder than you expected. In that case, you might try using procrastination to your advantage! If you just can’t seem to stop doing your work at the last minute, try setting your own due dates for assignments that range from a day to a week before the assignment is actually due. 

Here’s what we mean. Let’s say you have a math worksheet that’s been assigned on Tuesday and is due on Friday. In your planner, you can write down the due date as Thursday instead. You may still put off your homework assignment until the last minute...but in this case, the “last minute” is a day before the assignment’s real due date . This little hack can trick your procrastination-addicted brain into planning ahead! 

If you feel like Kevin Hart in this meme, then our tips for doing homework when you're busy are for you. 

How to Do Homework When You’re too Busy

If you’re aiming to go to a top-tier college , you’re going to have a full plate. Because college admissions is getting more competitive, it’s important that you’re maintaining your grades , studying hard for your standardized tests , and participating in extracurriculars so your application stands out. A packed schedule can get even more hectic once you add family obligations or a part-time job to the mix. 

If you feel like you’re being pulled in a million directions at once, you’re not alone. Recent research has found that stress—and more severe stress-related conditions like anxiety and depression— are a major problem for high school students . In fact, one study from the American Psychological Association found that during the school year, students’ stress levels are higher than those of the adults around them. 

For students, homework is a major contributor to their overall stress levels . Many high schoolers have multiple hours of homework every night , and figuring out how to fit it into an already-packed schedule can seem impossible. 

3 Tips for Fitting Homework Into Your Busy Schedule

While it might feel like you have literally no time left in your schedule, there are still ways to make sure you’re able to get your homework done and meet your other commitments. Here are our expert homework tips for even the busiest of students. 

#1: Make a Prioritized To-Do List 

You probably already have a to-do list to keep yourself on track. The next step is to prioritize the items on your to-do list so you can see what items need your attention right away. 

Here’s how it works: at the beginning of each day, sit down and make a list of all the items you need to get done before you go to bed. This includes your homework, but it should also take into account any practices, chores, events, or job shifts you may have. Once you get everything listed out, it’s time to prioritize them using the labels A, B, and C. Here’s what those labels mean:

• A Tasks : tasks that have to get done—like showing up at work or turning in an assignment—get an A. 
• B Tasks : these are tasks that you would like to get done by the end of the day but aren’t as time sensitive. For example, studying for a test you have next week could be a B-level task. It’s still important, but it doesn’t have to be done right away.
• C Tasks: these are tasks that aren’t very important and/or have no real consequences if you don’t get them done immediately. For instance, if you’re hoping to clean out your closet but it’s not an assigned chore from your parents, you could label that to-do item with a C.

Prioritizing your to-do list helps you visualize which items need your immediate attention, and which items you can leave for later. A prioritized to-do list ensures that you’re spending your time efficiently and effectively, which helps you make room in your schedule for homework. So even though you might really want to start making decorations for Homecoming (a B task), you’ll know that finishing your reading log (an A task) is more important. 

#2: Use a Planner With Time Labels

Your planner is probably packed with notes, events, and assignments already. (And if you’re not using a planner, it’s time to start!) But planners can do more for you than just remind you when an assignment is due. If you’re using a planner with time labels, it can help you visualize how you need to spend your day.

A planner with time labels breaks your day down into chunks, and you assign tasks to each chunk of time. For example, you can make a note of your class schedule with assignments, block out time to study, and make sure you know when you need to be at practice. Once you know which tasks take priority, you can add them to any empty spaces in your day. 

Planning out how you spend your time not only helps you use it wisely, it can help you feel less overwhelmed, too . We’re big fans of planners that include a task list ( like this one ) or have room for notes ( like this one ). 

#3: Set Reminders on Your Phone 

If you need a little extra nudge to make sure you’re getting your homework done on time, it’s a good idea to set some reminders on your phone. You don’t need a fancy app, either. You can use your alarm app to have it go off at specific times throughout the day to remind you to do your homework. This works especially well if you have a set homework time scheduled. So if you’ve decided you’re doing homework at 6:00 pm, you can set an alarm to remind you to bust out your books and get to work. 

If you use your phone as your planner, you may have the option to add alerts, emails, or notifications to scheduled events . Many calendar apps, including the one that comes with your phone, have built-in reminders that you can customize to meet your needs. So if you block off time to do your homework from 4:30 to 6:00 pm, you can set a reminder that will pop up on your phone when it’s time to get started. 

This dog isn't judging your lack of motivation...but your teacher might. Keep reading for tips to help you motivate yourself to do your homework.

How to Do Homework When You’re Unmotivated 

At first glance, it may seem like procrastination and being unmotivated are the same thing. After all, both of these issues usually result in you putting off your homework until the very last minute. 

But there’s one key difference: many procrastinators are working, they’re just prioritizing work differently. They know they’re going to start their homework...they’re just going to do it later. 

Conversely, people who are unmotivated to do homework just can’t find the willpower to tackle their assignments. Procrastinators know they’ll at least attempt the homework at the last minute, whereas people who are unmotivated struggle with convincing themselves to do it at a ll. For procrastinators, the stress comes from the inevitable time crunch. For unmotivated people, the stress comes from trying to convince themselves to do something they don’t want to do in the first place. 

Here are some common reasons students are unmotivated in doing homework : 

• Assignments are too easy, too hard, or seemingly pointless 
• Students aren’t interested in (or passionate about) the subject matter
• Students are intimidated by the work and/or feels like they don’t understand the assignment 
• Homework isn’t fun, and students would rather spend their time on things that they enjoy 

To sum it up: people who lack motivation to do their homework are more likely to not do it at all, or to spend more time worrying about doing their homework than...well, actually doing it.

3 Tips for How to Get Motivated to Do Homework

The key to getting homework done when you’re unmotivated is to figure out what does motivate you, then apply those things to homework. It sounds tricky...but it’s pretty simple once you get the hang of it! Here are our three expert tips for motivating yourself to do your homework. 

#1: Use Incremental Incentives

When you’re not motivated, it’s important to give yourself small rewards to stay focused on finishing the task at hand. The trick is to keep the incentives small and to reward yourself often. For example, maybe you’re reading a good book in your free time. For every ten minutes you spend on your homework, you get to read five pages of your book. Like we mentioned earlier, make sure you’re choosing a reward that works for you! 

So why does this technique work? Using small rewards more often allows you to experience small wins for getting your work done. Every time you make it to one of your tiny reward points, you get to celebrate your success, which gives your brain a boost of dopamine . Dopamine helps you stay motivated and also creates a feeling of satisfaction when you complete your homework !  

#2: Form a Homework Group 

If you’re having trouble motivating yourself, it’s okay to turn to others for support. Creating a homework group can help with this. Bring together a group of your friends or classmates, and pick one time a week where you meet and work on homework together. You don’t have to be in the same class, or even taking the same subjects— the goal is to encourage one another to start (and finish!) your assignments. 

Another added benefit of a homework group is that you can help one another if you’re struggling to understand the material covered in your classes. This is especially helpful if your lack of motivation comes from being intimidated by your assignments. Asking your friends for help may feel less scary than talking to your teacher...and once you get a handle on the material, your homework may become less frightening, too. 

#3: Change Up Your Environment 

If you find that you’re totally unmotivated, it may help if you find a new place to do your homework. For example, if you’ve been struggling to get your homework done at home, try spending an extra hour in the library after school instead. The change of scenery can limit your distractions and give you the energy you need to get your work done. 

If you’re stuck doing homework at home, you can still use this tip. For instance, maybe you’ve always done your homework sitting on your bed. Try relocating somewhere else, like your kitchen table, for a few weeks. You may find that setting up a new “homework spot” in your house gives you a motivational lift and helps you get your work done. 

Social media can be a huge problem when it comes to doing homework. We have advice for helping you unplug and regain focus.

How to Do Homework When You’re Easily Distracted

We live in an always-on world, and there are tons of things clamoring for our attention. From friends and family to pop culture and social media, it seems like there’s always something (or someone!) distracting us from the things we need to do.

The 24/7 world we live in has affected our ability to focus on tasks for prolonged periods of time. Research has shown that over the past decade, an average person’s attention span has gone from 12 seconds to eight seconds . And when we do lose focus, i t takes people a long time to get back on task . One study found that it can take as long as 23 minutes to get back to work once we’ve been distracte d. No wonder it can take hours to get your homework done! 

3 Tips to Improve Your Focus

If you have a hard time focusing when you’re doing your homework, it’s a good idea to try and eliminate as many distractions as possible. Here are three expert tips for blocking out the noise so you can focus on getting your homework done. 

#1: Create a Distraction-Free Environment

Pick a place where you’ll do your homework every day, and make it as distraction-free as possible. Try to find a location where there won’t be tons of noise, and limit your access to screens while you’re doing your homework. Put together a focus-oriented playlist (or choose one on your favorite streaming service), and put your headphones on while you work. 

You may find that other people, like your friends and family, are your biggest distraction. If that’s the case, try setting up some homework boundaries. Let them know when you’ll be working on homework every day, and ask them if they’ll help you keep a quiet environment. They’ll be happy to lend a hand! 

#2: Limit Your Access to Technology 

We know, we know...this tip isn’t fun, but it does work. For homework that doesn’t require a computer, like handouts or worksheets, it’s best to put all your technology away . Turn off your television, put your phone and laptop in your backpack, and silence notifications on any wearable tech you may be sporting. If you listen to music while you work, that’s fine...but make sure you have a playlist set up so you’re not shuffling through songs once you get started on your homework. 

If your homework requires your laptop or tablet, it can be harder to limit your access to distractions. But it’s not impossible! T here are apps you can download that will block certain websites while you’re working so that you’re not tempted to scroll through Twitter or check your Facebook feed. Silence notifications and text messages on your computer, and don’t open your email account unless you absolutely have to. And if you don’t need access to the internet to complete your assignments, turn off your WiFi. Cutting out the online chatter is a great way to make sure you’re getting your homework done. 

#3: Set a Timer (the Pomodoro Technique)

Have you ever heard of the Pomodoro technique ? It’s a productivity hack that uses a timer to help you focus!

Here’s how it works: first, set a timer for 25 minutes. This is going to be your work time. During this 25 minutes, all you can do is work on whatever homework assignment you have in front of you. No email, no text messaging, no phone calls—just homework. When that timer goes off, you get to take a 5 minute break. Every time you go through one of these cycles, it’s called a “pomodoro.” For every four pomodoros you complete, you can take a longer break of 15 to 30 minutes.

The pomodoro technique works through a combination of boundary setting and rewards. First, it gives you a finite amount of time to focus, so you know that you only have to work really hard for 25 minutes. Once you’ve done that, you’re rewarded with a short break where you can do whatever you want. Additionally, tracking how many pomodoros you complete can help you see how long you’re really working on your homework. (Once you start using our focus tips, you may find it doesn’t take as long as you thought!)

Two Bonus Tips for How to Do Homework Fast

Even if you’re doing everything right, there will be times when you just need to get your homework done as fast as possible. (Why do teachers always have projects due in the same week? The world may never know.)

The problem with speeding through homework is that it’s easy to make mistakes. While turning in an assignment is always better than not submitting anything at all, you want to make sure that you’re not compromising quality for speed. Simply put, the goal is to get your homework done quickly and still make a good grade on the assignment! 

Here are our two bonus tips for getting a decent grade on your homework assignments , even when you’re in a time crunch. 

#1: Do the Easy Parts First 

This is especially true if you’re working on a handout with multiple questions. Before you start working on the assignment, read through all the questions and problems. As you do, make a mark beside the questions you think are “easy” to answer . 

Once you’ve finished going through the whole assignment, you can answer these questions first. Getting the easy questions out of the way as quickly as possible lets you spend more time on the trickier portions of your homework, which will maximize your assignment grade. 

(Quick note: this is also a good strategy to use on timed assignments and tests, like the SAT and the ACT !) 

#2: Pay Attention in Class 

Homework gets a lot easier when you’re actively learning the material. Teachers aren’t giving you homework because they’re mean or trying to ruin your weekend... it’s because they want you to really understand the course material. Homework is designed to reinforce what you’re already learning in class so you’ll be ready to tackle harder concepts later.

When you pay attention in class, ask questions, and take good notes, you’re absorbing the information you’ll need to succeed on your homework assignments. (You’re stuck in class anyway, so you might as well make the most of it!) Not only will paying attention in class make your homework less confusing, it will also help it go much faster, too.

What’s Next?

If you’re looking to improve your productivity beyond homework, a good place to begin is with time management. After all, we only have so much time in a day...so it’s important to get the most out of it! To get you started, check out this list of the 12 best time management techniques that you can start using today.

You may have read this article because homework struggles have been affecting your GPA. Now that you’re on the path to homework success, it’s time to start being proactive about raising your grades. This article teaches you everything you need to know about raising your GPA so you can

Now you know how to get motivated to do homework...but what about your study habits? Studying is just as critical to getting good grades, and ultimately getting into a good college . We can teach you how to study bette r in high school. (We’ve also got tons of resources to help you study for your ACT and SAT exams , too!)

These recommendations are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links, PrepScholar may receive a commission.

Ashley Sufflé Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams.

Ask a Question Below

Have any questions about this article or other topics? Ask below and we'll reply!

Improve With Our Famous Guides

• For All Students

The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 160+ SAT Points

How to Get a Perfect 1600, by a Perfect Scorer

Series: How to Get 800 on Each SAT Section:

Score 800 on SAT Math

Score 800 on SAT Reading

Score 800 on SAT Writing

Series: How to Get to 600 on Each SAT Section:

Score 600 on SAT Math

Score 600 on SAT Reading

Score 600 on SAT Writing

Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests

What SAT Target Score Should You Be Aiming For?

15 Strategies to Improve Your SAT Essay

The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 4+ ACT Points

How to Get a Perfect 36 ACT, by a Perfect Scorer

Series: How to Get 36 on Each ACT Section:

36 on ACT English

36 on ACT Math

36 on ACT Reading

36 on ACT Science

Series: How to Get to 24 on Each ACT Section:

24 on ACT English

24 on ACT Math

24 on ACT Reading

24 on ACT Science

What ACT target score should you be aiming for?

ACT Vocabulary You Must Know

ACT Writing: 15 Tips to Raise Your Essay Score

How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League

How to Get a Perfect 4.0 GPA

How to Write an Amazing College Essay

What Exactly Are Colleges Looking For?

Is the ACT easier than the SAT? A Comprehensive Guide

Should you retake your SAT or ACT?

When should you take the SAT or ACT?

Stay Informed

Get the latest articles and test prep tips!

Looking for Graduate School Test Prep?

Check out our top-rated graduate blogs here:

GRE Online Prep Blog

GMAT Online Prep Blog

TOEFL Online Prep Blog

Holly R. "I am absolutely overjoyed and cannot thank you enough for helping me!”

• PRO Courses Guides New Tech Help Pro Expert Videos About wikiHow Pro Upgrade Sign In
• EDIT Edit this Article
• EXPLORE Tech Help Pro About Us Random Article Quizzes Request a New Article Community Dashboard This Or That Game Popular Categories Arts and Entertainment Artwork Books Movies Computers and Electronics Computers Phone Skills Technology Hacks Health Men's Health Mental Health Women's Health Relationships Dating Love Relationship Issues Hobbies and Crafts Crafts Drawing Games Education & Communication Communication Skills Personal Development Studying Personal Care and Style Fashion Hair Care Personal Hygiene Youth Personal Care School Stuff Dating All Categories Arts and Entertainment Finance and Business Home and Garden Relationship Quizzes Cars & Other Vehicles Food and Entertaining Personal Care and Style Sports and Fitness Computers and Electronics Health Pets and Animals Travel Education & Communication Hobbies and Crafts Philosophy and Religion Work World Family Life Holidays and Traditions Relationships Youth
• Browse Articles
• Learn Something New
• Quizzes Hot
• This Or That Game
• Train Your Brain
• Explore More
• Support wikiHow
• About wikiHow
• Log in / Sign up
• Education and Communications
• Study Skills
• Homework Skills

How to Do Homework

Last Updated: June 24, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Ronitte Libedinsky, MS . Ronitte Libedinsky is an Academic Tutor and the Founder of Brighter Minds SF, a San Francisco, California based company that provides one-on-one and small group tutoring. Specializing in tutoring mathematics (pre-algebra, algebra I/II, geometry, pre-calculus, calculus) and science (chemistry, biology), Ronitte has over 10 years of experience tutoring to middle school, high school, and college students. She also tutors in SSAT, Terra Nova, HSPT, SAT, and ACT test prep. Ronitte holds a BS in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MS in Chemistry from Tel Aviv University. There are 11 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 959,319 times.

Even though your parents probably complain about how hard it was in their day, students nowadays have more homework than ever before, even when just starting their first year at middle school. That homework doesn't need to be a struggle now. Learning to plan out an efficient schedule for completing your homework, working on it effectively, and knowing when to get help with difficult assignments can help take the stress out of studying. Don't put it off any longer. See Step 1 for more information.

Working on Homework

Once you go into your space and start working, try not to leave until you've got a break scheduled. If you want a quick snack or drink, get it now before you start. Hit the bathroom and make sure you'll be able to work for the amount of time before your next break, uninterrupted.

• It's common that students will try to multi-task, watching TV or listening to the radio or continuing to chat on Facebook or Instagram while also trying to do homework. It'll be so much more fun to do those things after you're already done with your homework, though, and your homework will take half as much time if you're focused on doing nothing but your homework.
• Check your phone or your social networking sites during your study break, but not before. Use these distractions as a carrot, not as a pacifier.

If one assignment proves challenging and time-consuming, it's okay to switch for a while to something else. Just make sure to save enough time to circle back and give it another shot.

• Try to figure out what works best for you. Some students might like to start their homework immediately after school to get it done as quickly as possible, while it may be better to give yourself an hour to relax before starting in on it and decompress from the long school day. Don't wait for the last minute.
• While it may seem like a better idea to work straight through and finish, it's possible that the quality of the work you're doing will start to suffer if you don't give your mind a rest. It's difficult to think hard for more than 45 minutes at a time on a particular subject. Give yourself a rest and come back refreshed.

• The first fifteen minutes after a break are your most effective minutes, because your mind will be cleared, and ready to work hard. Give yourself a pep talk and dive back in, refreshed and ready.

• If you have trouble staying focused, get a parent, sibling, or friend to help keep you honest. Give them your phone while you're working to avoid the temptation to check it, or give them the video game controller so you won't be able to plug in for a few minutes of alien-hunting when you're supposed to be doing your homework. Then, when you're finished, show them the finished product and earn back your fun. Make it impossible to cheat.

• You can make yourself take enough time by having your gate-keeper (the person with your phone or video game controller) check over your homework for quality when you're done. If you know you're not going to get it anyway unless it's done right, you won't have any reason to rush. Slow down and do it right.

Joseph Meyer

When doing practice problems, promptly check to see if your answers are correct. Use worksheets that provide answer keys for instant feedback. Discuss answers with a classmate or find explanations online. Immediate feedback will help you correct your mistakes, avoid bad habits, and advance your learning more quickly.

Planning Your Homework

• It's common to quickly write out the math problems you're supposed to do at the top of your notes, or scribble down the page number of the English reading on a textbook page, but try to recopy this information into a specific homework list so you will be sure to remember to do it.
• Write down as many details as you can about each assignment. It's good to include the due date, corresponding textbook pages, and additional instructions from your teacher. This will help you plan your night of homework more effectively. Also, it's a good idea to write about your homework in a planner.

• Homework doesn't have to wait until you get home. Look through an assignment as soon as it's been given, so you'll have the time to ask your teacher any questions you might have before you leave school for the day.

• At home , a desk in your bedroom might be the best place. You can shut the door and tune out any distractions. For some students, though, this is a good way to get distracted. You might have video games, computers, guitars, and all sorts of other distractions in your bedroom. It might be a better idea to sit at the kitchen table, or in the living room, where your parents can call you out for procrastinating. You'll get it done more quickly without the temptation of distraction.
• In public , the library is a great place to study and do homework. At all libraries, it's a rule that you have to be quiet, and you won't have any of the distractions of home. The school library will often stay open after school ends, making it a good option for finishing up homework before heading home, or your school may even have an after-school study spot specifically for the purpose. [11] X Research source
• Try to switch it up . Studying in the same place too often can make work more difficult. Some studies have shown that a change in environment can make your mind more active, since it's processing new information. You'll be able to vary your routine and remember what you learned more effectively.

• Try starting with the most difficult homework . Do you really hate the idea of getting into the algebra homework? Does reading for English take the longest? Start with the most challenging homework to give yourself the most time to complete it, then move on to the easier tasks you can complete more quickly.
• Try starting with the most pressing homework . If you've got 20 math problems to do for tomorrow, and 20 pages to read in a novel for Friday, it's probably better to start with the math homework to make sure you'll have enough time to complete it. Make homework due the next day the priority.
• Try starting with the most important homework . Your math homework might be difficult, but if it's only worth a few completion points, it might be less important to spend a lot of time on it than the big project for Social Studies that's due in two days. Devote the most time to the most valuable assignments.

• Set an alarm or a timer to keep yourself honest. The less time you spend procrastinating and checking your text messages, the more quickly you'll be done. If you think you can finish everything in a half hour, set a timer and work efficiently to finish in that amount of time. If you don't quite finish, give yourself a few extra minutes. Treat it like a drill.
• Keep track of how long you usually spend on particular assignments on average. If your math homework typically takes you 45 minutes to finish, save that much time each night. If you start plugging away for an hour, give yourself a break and work on something else to avoid tiring out.
• Schedule 10 minutes of break time for every 50 minutes of work time. It's important to take study breaks and give your mind a rest, or you'll work less effectively. You're not a robot!

Finding Extra Time

• Do you really need an hour of TV or computer after school to decompress? It might be easier to just dive into your homework and get it done while the skills are still fresh in your mind. Waiting a couple hours means you'll have to review your notes and try to get back to the same place you already were. Do it while it's fresh.
• If you've got three days to read an assignment, don't wait until the last evening to do it all. Space it out and give yourself more time to finish. Just because you've got a due date that's a long time away doesn't mean it wouldn't be easier to finish now. Stay ahead of the game. Try either waking up earlier or going to bed later. But don't get too tired!

• If you've got to read a bunch of stuff for homework, read on the bus. Pop in some headphones to white noise that'll drown out the shouting of other students and tune into your book.
• The bus can be distracting, or it can be a great resource. Since it's full of your classmates, try to get other students to work with you and get things done more quickly. Work together on the math problems and try to figure out things together. It's not cheating if everyone's doing the work and no one's just copying. Also, you might make some new friends while you're at it!

• Don't rely on this time to finish homework just before it's due. Rushing to finish your last few problems in the five minutes before you need to turn it in looks bad in front of the teacher, plus it doesn't give you any time to review your homework after you finish it. Rushing is a good way to make mistakes. And always check difficult problems you had trouble with.

• Work on your homework while you're waiting for a ride, while you're killing time at your brother's soccer game, or while you're waiting for your friend to come over. Take advantage of any extra time you have in the day.

Getting Homework Help

• Asking for help with your homework isn't a sign that you're bad at the subject or that you're "stupid." Every teacher on the planet will respect a student that takes their homework seriously enough to ask for help. Especially ask if you weren't there that day!
• Asking for help isn't the same thing as complaining about the difficulty of homework or making excuses. Spending ten minutes doing half your math problems and leaving most of them blank because they were hard and then telling your teacher you need help isn't going to win you any favors on the due date. If it's hard, see your teacher ahead of time and find the time to get help.

• If there's not an organized homework help group at your school, there are many private tutoring organizations that work both for-pay and non-profits. Sylvan Learning Center and other businesses have after-school hours that you can schedule appointments at to get help studying and completing your homework, while community centers like the YMCA, or even public libraries will often have homework help hours in your area.
• Getting help doesn't mean that you're bad at your homework. All variety of students visit tutoring centers for extra help, just to make sure they have enough time and motivation to get everything done. It's hard being a student! There's no shame in extra help. Imagine being afraid to ask for anything! You wouldn't be able to ask in restaurants, shops, anywhere!

• Make sure that your group study sessions don't cross the line into cheating. Dividing up an assigned so your friend does half and you copy each other's answers is considered cheating, but discussing a problem and coming up with a solution together isn't. As long as you each do the work separately, you shouldn't have any problems.

• Some parents don't necessarily know how to help with your homework and might end up doing too much. Try to keep yourself honest. Asking for help doesn't mean asking your parent to do your work for you.
• Likewise, some older relatives have outdated ways of completing specific tasks and might suggest forcefully that something you learned in class is wrong. Always use your teacher's approach as the correct approach, and discuss these alternative ways of completing an assignment with your teacher if necessary.

Supercharge Your Studying with this Expert Series

Expert Q&A

Reader Videos

• Make sure your little study space is well lit, quiet, and comfortable. This will make it much easier to do your homework properly. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0
• If you missed school that day, then you should call a friend to get the notes and/or homework from that day. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Take a piece of paper or wipe board and create a schedule for your homework. Be generous with the amount of time that you give for each task. If you end up finishing a task earlier than the schedule says, you will feel accomplished and will have extra time to complete the next task. It makes homework get done quicker than usual. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

Tips from our Readers

• Don't put off starting homework just to have more playtime. Jumping in early leaves you more free time for later and ensures you don't miss out on sleep. Plus, the class material is still fresh right after school, so you'll understand your homework better.
• Make sure you have what you need handy when you get stuck on homework. Don't be afraid to ask questions if you're confused — asking helps you understand things better. And get enough sleep since it's easier to get your work done when you're well-rested.
• Do your homework as soon as you get home every day except Fridays. On Fridays, give yourself permission to relax for the evening. Also, take short breaks as you work to help you focus. For example, play a quick game or eat a healthy snack.
• Ask for help when you need it, but don't rely on others to give you all the answers. The point of homework is for you to practice what you've learned, so try to work through problems yourself before asking for hints or explanations.
• Write down homework assignments in your planner right when your teacher gives them so you don't forget details later. Knowing exactly what work you need to do keeps you from being surprised.
• Break big assignments down into smaller pieces that feel more manageable. Taking things step-by-step makes big tasks feel less overwhelming, and helps you stay motivated.

• Never leave unfinished homework for the next day because you might have other homework to do and you will have to do both. Thanks Helpful 24 Not Helpful 0
• If you forget your homework, your teacher might not accept late work or may even give you more homework. Thanks Helpful 7 Not Helpful 1

Things You'll Need

• Writing equipment, such as pencils, rulers, and erasers.
• Resources that may help you work faster.
• A comfy place to sit while doing homework.

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.warnerpacific.edu/5-tips-for-dealing-with-too-much-homework/
• ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mental-wealth/201206/10-tips-make-homework-time-less-painful
• ↑ Ronitte Libedinsky, MS. Academic Tutor. Expert Interview. 26 May 2020.
• ↑ https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/plan-for-college/college-prep/stay-motivated/take-control-of-homework
• ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/homework.html
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/understanding-assignments/
• ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/homework.html
• ↑ http://kidshealth.org/teen/school_jobs/school/homework.html#a_Create_a_Homework_Plan
• ↑ https://tutorial.math.lamar.edu/Extras/StudyMath/Homework.aspx
• ↑ https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/studying-101-study-smarter-not-harder/
• ↑ https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/homework-help.html

About This Article

If you need to do homework, find a quiet, comfortable spot where you won’t be distracted. Turn off any electronics, like your TV, phone, or radio, and gather all of the supplies you’ll need before you get started. Work on the most important or hardest assignments first to get them out of the way, and if you have a homework assignment that actually seems fun, save it for last to motivate you to finish your other work faster. Keep reading to learn how to find extra time to get your homework done, like working on it on the way home from school! Did this summary help you? Yes No

• Send fan mail to authors

Reader Success Stories

Margaret Wessex

Dec 2, 2017

Did this article help you?

Doris Fasanya

Oct 25, 2017

May 27, 2017

Shibapriya Mukhopadhyay

Jun 3, 2017

Sep 13, 2021

Featured Articles

Trending Articles

Watch Articles

• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Do Not Sell or Share My Info
• Not Selling Info

Don’t miss out! Sign up for

wikiHow’s newsletter

This site uses various technologies, as described in our Privacy Policy, for personalization, measuring website use/performance, and targeted advertising, which may include storing and sharing information about your site visit with third parties. By continuing to use this website you consent to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use .

   COVID-19 Update: To help students through this crisis, The Princeton Review will continue our "Enroll with Confidence" refund policies. For full details, please click here.

Enter your email to unlock an extra $25 off an SAT or ACT program!

By submitting my email address. i certify that i am 13 years of age or older, agree to recieve marketing email messages from the princeton review, and agree to terms of use., 8 easy ways to finish your homework faster.

How many times have you found yourself still staring at your textbook around midnight (or later!) even when you started your homework hours earlier? Those lost hours could be explained by Parkinson’s Law, which states, “Work expands to fill the time available for its completion.” In other words, if you give yourself all night to memorize those geometry formulas for your quiz tomorrow, you’ll inevitably find that a 30 minute task has somehow filled your entire evening.

We know that you have more homework than ever. But even with lots and lots to do, a few tweaks to your study routine could help you spend less time getting more accomplished. Here are 8 steps to make Parkinson’s Law work to your advantage:

1. Make a list

This should be a list of everything that has to be done that evening. And we mean, everything—from re-reading notes from this morning’s history class to quizzing yourself on Spanish vocabulary.

2. Estimate the time needed for each item on your list

You can be a little ruthless here. However long you think a task will take, try shaving off 5 or 10 minutes. But, be realistic. You won’t magically become a speed reader.

Free SAT Practice Tests & Events

Evaluate and improve your SAT score.

3. Gather all your gear

Collect EVERYTHING you will need for the homework you are working on (like your laptop for writing assignments and pencils for problem sets). Getting up for supplies takes you off course and makes it that much harder to get back to your homework.

The constant blings and beeps from your devices can make it impossible to focus on what you are working on. Switch off or silence your phones and tablets, or leave them in another room until it’s time to take a tech break.

Read More: How to Calculate Your GPA

5. Time yourself

Noting how much time something actually takes will help you estimate better and plan your next study session.

6. Stay on task

If you’re fact checking online, it can be so easy to surf on over to a completely unrelated site. A better strategy is to note what information you need to find online, and do it all at once at the end of the study session.

7. Take plenty of breaks

Most of us need a break between subjects or to break up long stretches of studying. Active breaks are a great way to keep your energy up. Tech breaks can be an awesome way to combat the fear of missing out that might strike while you are buried in your work, but they also tend to stretch much longer than originally intended. Stick to a break schedule of 10 minutes or so.

8. Reward yourself! 

Finish early? If you had allocated 30 minutes for reading a biology chapter and it only took 20, you can apply those extra 10 minutes to a short break—or just move on to your next task. If you stay on track, you might breeze through your work quickly enough to catch up on some Netflix.

Our best piece of advice? Keep at it. The more you use this system, the easier it will become. You’ll be surprised by how much time you can shave off homework just by focusing and committing to a distraction-free study plan.

Stuck on homework?

Try an online tutoring session with one of our experts, and get homework help in 40+ subjects.

Try a Free Session

Explore Colleges For You

Connect with our featured colleges to find schools that both match your interests and are looking for students like you.

Career Quiz

Take our short quiz to learn which is the right career for you.

Get Started on Athletic Scholarships & Recruiting!

Join athletes who were discovered, recruited & often received scholarships after connecting with NCSA's 42,000 strong network of coaches.

Best 389 Colleges

165,000 students rate everything from their professors to their campus social scene.

SAT Prep Courses

1400+ course, act prep courses, free sat practice test & events,  1-800-2review, free digital sat prep try our self-paced plus program - for free, get a 14 day trial.

Free MCAT Practice Test

I already know my score.

MCAT Self-Paced 14-Day Free Trial

Enrollment Advisor

1-800-2REVIEW (800-273-8439) ext. 1

1-877-LEARN-30

Mon-Fri 9AM-10PM ET

Sat-Sun 9AM-8PM ET

Student Support

1-800-2REVIEW (800-273-8439) ext. 2

Mon-Fri 9AM-9PM ET

Sat-Sun 8:30AM-5PM ET

Partnerships

• Teach or Tutor for Us

College Readiness

International

Advertising

Affiliate/Other

• Enrollment Terms & Conditions
• Accessibility
• Cigna Medical Transparency in Coverage

Register Book

Local Offices: Mon-Fri 9AM-6PM

• SAT Subject Tests

Academic Subjects

• Social Studies

Find the Right College

• College Rankings
• College Advice
• Applying to College
• Financial Aid

School & District Partnerships

• Professional Development
• Advice Articles
• Private Tutoring
• Mobile Apps
• International Offices
• Work for Us
• Affiliate Program
• Partner with Us
• Advertise with Us
• International Partnerships
• Our Guarantees
• Accessibility – Canada

Privacy Policy | CA Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information | Your Opt-Out Rights | Terms of Use | Site Map

©2024 TPR Education IP Holdings, LLC. All Rights Reserved. The Princeton Review is not affiliated with Princeton University

TPR Education, LLC (doing business as “The Princeton Review”) is controlled by Primavera Holdings Limited, a firm owned by Chinese nationals with a principal place of business in Hong Kong, China.

• Our Mission

Rethinking Homework for This Year—and Beyond

A schoolwide effort to reduce homework has led to a renewed focus on ensuring that all work assigned really aids students’ learning.

I used to pride myself on my high expectations, including my firm commitment to accountability for regular homework completion among my students. But the trauma of Covid-19 has prompted me to both reflect and adapt. Now when I think about the purpose and practice of homework, two key concepts guide me: depth over breadth, and student well-being.

Homework has long been the subject of intense debate, and there’s no easy answer with respect to its value. Teachers assign homework for any number of reasons: It’s traditional to do so, it makes students practice their skills and solidify learning, it offers the opportunity for formative assessment, and it creates good study habits and discipline. Then there’s the issue of pace. Throughout my career, I’ve assigned homework largely because there just isn’t enough time to get everything done in class.

A Different Approach

Since classes have gone online, the school where I teach has made a conscious effort as a teaching community to reduce, refine, and distill our curriculum. We have applied guiding questions like: What is most important? What is most transferable? What is most relevant? Refocusing on what matters most has inevitably made us rethink homework.

We have approached both asking and answering these questions through a science of learning lens. In Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning , the authors maintain that deep learning is slow learning. Deep learning requires time for retrieval, practice, feedback, reflection, and revisiting content; ultimately it requires struggle, and there is no struggle without time.

As someone who has mastered the curriculum mapping style of “get it done to move on to get that next thing done,” using an approach of “slow down and reduce” has been quite a shift for me. However, the shift has been necessary: What matters most is what’s best for my students, as opposed to my own plans or mandates imposed by others.

Listening to Students

To implement this shift, my high school English department has reduced content and texts both in terms of the amount of units and the content within each unit. We’re more flexible with dates and deadlines. We spend our energy planning the current unit instead of the year’s units. In true partnership with my students, I’m constantly checking in with them via Google forms, Zoom chats, conferences, and Padlet activities. In these check-ins, I specifically ask students how they’re managing the workload for my class and their other classes. I ask them how much homework they’re doing. And I adjust what I do and expect based on what they tell me. For example, when I find out a week is heavy with work in other classes, I make sure to allot more time during class for my tasks. At times I have even delayed or altered one of my assignments.

To be completely transparent, the “old” me is sheepish in admitting that I’ve so dramatically changed my thinking with respect to homework. However, both my students and I have reaped numerous benefits. I’m now laser-focused when designing every minute of my lessons to maximize teaching and learning. Every decision I make is now scrutinized through the lens of absolute worth for my students’ growth: If it doesn’t make the cut, it’s cut. I also take into account what is most relevant to my students.

For example, our 10th-grade English team has redesigned a unit that explores current manifestations of systemic oppression. This unit is new in approach and longer in duration than it was pre-Covid, and it has resulted in some of the deepest and hardest learning, as well as the richest conversations, that I have seen among students in my career. Part of this improved quality comes from the frequent and intentional pauses that I instruct students to take in order to reflect on the content and on the arc of their own learning. The reduction in content that we need to get through in online learning has given me more time to assign reflective prompts, and to let students process their thoughts, whether that’s at the end of a lesson as an exit slip or as an assignment.

Joining Forces to Be Consistent

There’s no doubt this reduction in homework has been a team effort. Within the English department, we have all agreed to allot reading time during class; across each grade level, we’re monitoring the amount of homework our students have collectively; and across the whole high school, we have adopted a framework to help us think through assigning homework.

Within that framework, teachers at the school agree that the best option is for students to complete all work during class. The next best option is for students to finish uncompleted class work at home as a homework assignment of less than 30 minutes. The last option—the one we try to avoid as much as possible—is for students to be assigned and complete new work at home (still less than 30 minutes). I set a maximum time limit for students’ homework tasks (e.g., 30 minutes) and make that clear at the top of every assignment.

This schoolwide approach has increased my humility as a teacher. In the past, I tended to think my subject was more important than everyone else’s, which gave me license to assign more homework. But now I view my students’ experience more holistically: All of their classes and the associated work must be considered, and respected.

As always, I ground this new pedagogical approach not just in what’s best for students’ academic learning, but also what’s best for them socially and emotionally. 2020 has been traumatic for educators, parents, and students. There is no doubt the level of trauma varies greatly ; however, one can’t argue with the fact that homework typically means more screen time when students are already spending most of the day on their devices. They need to rest their eyes. They need to not be sitting at their desks. They need physical activity. They need time to do nothing at all.

Eliminating or reducing homework is a social and emotional intervention, which brings me to the greatest benefit of reducing the homework load: Students are more invested in their relationship with me now that they have less homework. When students trust me to take their time seriously, when they trust me to listen to them and adjust accordingly, when they trust me to care for them... they trust more in general.

And what a beautiful world of learning can be built on trust.

What’s the right amount of homework for my students?

Sara Austin May 25, 2022

Whether in their K-12 experience or in college, most teachers can remember a time when they felt overwhelmed by the amount of homework they were asked to do. Homework has been a staple of the school experience since the early days of formal education. Over the years, however, research has shown that more is not always better when it comes to homework. Some students, such as primary students, see no benefit from homework, while high school students see only limited benefits.

The truth is that homework is a controversial subject, even among school teachers. Every student is different — some are self-motivated and independent, while others need constant supervision in order to succeed. These differences can lead to disagreement regarding the optimal amount of homework that should be assigned. As a result, the question of how much homework to assign can be difficult to answer.

Too much homework can negatively impact students in ways you might not expect. Understanding these impacts will make you a better, more effective, and more empathetic teacher to your students. Let’s begin by looking at some of the ways that homework can negatively impact students. Then, we’ll look at recommendations for how much homework is appropriate at different grade levels.

School work can worsen the impacts of lack of access for vulnerable students

One of the lessons learned during the pandemic is that access to resources among students varied widely. The underlying inequities facing students meant that some students could continue their education remotely while others fell behind.

According to a study from Pew Research , one in five teens struggle to complete their homework because they don’t have access to the internet or a home computer. Even with the best intentions, homework poses an unequal burden on students, depending on their socioeconomic status. Students of lower socioeconomic status are less likely to have the resources that help them do homework, such as a computer or a quiet place to work. They’re more likely than their wealthier peers to live in noisy neighborhoods and work after a school day.

While some students may have access to computers, they may not have free access to the internet at home. These factors make it harder for disadvantaged students to complete assignments at home effectively — and this means it’s harder for them to get the same kind of education that their advantaged peers are getting.

The pandemic revealed at least two areas where inequity impacted student success.

The resource accessibility gap

Some students simply don’t have access to resources that make it possible to do their school work. Kids from middle- to high-income families often have computers, access to the internet, and a quiet place to study with no distractions. In contrast, low-income kids may live in a noisy home shared by many people or are sent to an unsafe neighborhood library where they can be at risk of being approached by strangers. Some students may live in places where there is no internet at all.

The pandemic also revealed inequities in the amount of assistance students would receive from their parents or guardians. Many low-income students were home alone all day as their parents worked in essential jobs such as the service industry. Without anyone at home to help with their schoolwork or to help kids stay on track, these kids suffered massive learning losses that will take years to recover from.

The learning accessibility gap

Some students learn more effectively from an interactive teacher than from a textbook or online video, and they need help understanding the material gained through homework assignments. Having additional time with a teacher (in class, after school, or over the phone) can be helpful for these students. Wealthy parents can pay for tutors and extra classes — low-income parents cannot afford such luxuries.

These disparities, which are not always obvious to teachers, can have long-lasting effects on the academic success of low-income and minority students.

Homework can lead to greater stress and conflict in the home

Homework can have negative impacts on students’ home lives since it can be a catalyst for family conflicts. For example, a child with hours of homework may come home from school and have to spend hours completing it, leaving little time to eat dinner before going to bed. With too much homework, family time is replaced by homework time, especially when parents have to help their children with their work. In this scenario, parents spend their time in the afternoons and evenings policing schoolwork rather than nurturing family bonds in important ways.

The education level of parents also plays a role. Parents with a college degree tend to have more confidence in helping their children with homework, but many parents do not have a college degree. In these households, homework is a significant stressor. These parents do not feel comfortable helping with school work and expect their children to have learned everything they need to know in order to complete their homework. Without parental support or assistance, these children can fall even further behind.

School work can also take time away from their hobbies and other interests, leading to poor mental health. In addition, the pressure of homework takes away children’s freedom, as they cannot spend time exploring other interests or building relationships with family and friends.

Homework can even have negative impacts on students’ academic performance

Many studies have shown that homework offers no benefit in elementary school and, due to the impacts of academic stress and inequity, can even be detrimental. Feelings of stress and fear can lead to resentment and a generally negative outlook on the entire educational experience, for both students and their parents. These feelings then color the child’s perception of school, leading some to hate it.

It’s also worth asking if homework is really necessary. Research has found little evidence of a correlation between how much time kids spend on math and reading homework and how well they perform in these subjects once they’re back in class.

Assigning the right amount of homework

So how can we be sure to assign the right amount of homework? While there is some debate on this, the answer is actually quite simple: it depends. Fortunately, research has been done in this area that provides some clarity. The right amount of homework depends on the age and ability of students and the subject matter.  

Homework by grade level

The National Education Association offers a simple guideline to help you determine how much homework is appropriate at each grade level. This framework is also endorsed by the National Parent Teacher Association National Parent Teachers Association .

According to this rule, time spent on homework each night should not exceed:

• 30 minutes in 3 rd grade
• 40 minutes in 4 th grade
• 50 minutes in 5 th grade
• 60 minutes in 6 th grade
• 70 minutes in 7 th grade
• 80 minutes in 8 th grade

Worried that you might be assigning too much? Talk to your students about how long they spend on homework and adjust accordingly. Remember that the point of homework is to support learning and not to cause undue stress. Students need to be able to complete their assignments in order to learn, but they also shouldn’t be overwhelmed with too many tasks.

Homework by subject matter

The homework you assign should also differ based on the subject. For example, while your fifth grader may benefit from nightly math worksheets, your third grader’s homework should include more reading exercises than daily arithmetic assignments.

Remember that the amount of help that students get from parents at home can vary a great deal. For this reason, the homework you assign should be work students can complete on their own, without the need for parental help.

The Homework Debate

Many schools are doing away with homework all together. This is because, after decades of research, there is still no evidence of any academic benefit of take-home work in grades K-8 and very little to support it in high school either. 

The main thing to remember is this: simply increasing the amount of homework that a child has will not make them more successful. On the contrary, assigning too much homework — or the wrong kind — could actually harm their development.

Keep in mind what you are trying to accomplish with homework. Is the homework intended to give the student practice in completing a task? Is it to improve test scores? Research has actually shown that students who do more than 90 minutes of homework tend to have lower test scores than those who do less . As you consider homework for your students, remember that many of the factors influencing homework performance are not visible to you, and that you should always prioritize quality over quantity.

Photo Credit: Google Education

Classroom Management

The Griffon

Want to stay in the loop about Classcraft? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter for updates on new features and fixes, pedagogical content, and much more!

Your child has nightly reading homework. What should YOU be doing?

August 24, 2014

Can't find what you are looking for? Contact Us

This guest post comes from  Carolyn Wilhelm  of the Wise Owl Factory .

Kindergarten, first, and second grade teachers often give children a nightly assignment to read aloud for 10 to 20 minutes. This can be supervised by parents, grandparents, or family members. Usually, a certain level of book or page of text is sent home in a reading folder with a chart for recording book titles or length of time spent reading. Here are some tips to help parents understand how best to use the nightly reading time at home.

1. Do not skip this time . A half hour every week does not begin to help as much as a few minutes each day. The long-term effects of skipping nightly reading homework are well established, as described in this article by Edudemic . This fact is well known by teachers who have studied reading pedagogy, and parents can easily find the research online if they need to be convinced.

2. Choose the right time.  Always try to find a time when your child will cooperate, when neither of you are pushing to just finish the homework. The best time might not be right after school as some play time may be needed first, and certainly just before bed is not opportune. Find a time that works for you and your family.

4. At the emergent level (when the child is learning sight words, short vowels, and mostly individual letter sounds), allow the child to use all the resources of the book, including pictures. Parents sometimes tell me they are proud of the fact they covered the pictures in emergent readers to force the child to read the “big” words. At this point in early reading, it is not possible to read the big words. The point of emergent readers is to learn sight words, use left to right reading orientation, and realize each word is separate, to utilize the pictures, and to experience reading success. Books that say things such as, “I like the ball, I like the car, I like the bird” are only helping reinforce the words I and like . Here is a link to a free emergent reader printable if you are wondering what they look like.

5. Do not “tell” words at the developing level as the child reads. When the child has progressed from the emergent level to the developing level (learning letter blends, long vowels, and word solving strategies), he or she should be able to stop pointing to words. When children stop dead in the middle of a sentence or paragraph when reading to the teacher, the teacher knows the parents are trying to help by telling the words. Instead, help the child learn to rely on word solving strategies outlined at the end of this blog post.

6. Do not stop reading aloud to your child.  It is a mistake to think that now the child can read on his or her own, the parent is out of the picture. Reading aloud to children should continue through grade four or higher. Why? Adults can read such a great variety of stories and expose children to a huge amount of vocabulary that children cannot access on their own. Children need to be reminded that reading is interesting.

7. Discuss what was read.  Help your child understand the point of reading is to understand, not just “word call.”  Here is a link to my free PDF that explains how parents can help develop their children’s reading comprehension .

This video illustrates some of these concepts:

What is word solving?

This is the missing piece of information for most parents. Because English is not a completely phonetic language, relying on the sound-it-out strategy is not the most effective way to support a child’s reading. To become a fluent reader, more strategies are required. Here are some of them:  [For a full description of these strategies, please see my FREE 162 page printable .]

Auto the Otter: This means some words cannot be sounded out and just have to be learned by memory, such as sight words . Good readers need a memorized word bank for automaticity and fluency in reading.

Chunky Monkey: This means to use letter blends and “chunks” of words such as ing, or ed . I remember one mother saying the homework came home for her to help her child chunk the sounds, and she said, “How am I supposed to know what chunking is?” This is really beginning syllabication, but what we say in school is how many times does your mouth open when you say a word like hippopotamus ? In that word, your mouth opens five times (five syllables)! A child’s name may have one, two, or three syllables. Of course, we do not expect children to know what that means.  We clap as we say words in school, four claps for happy birthday . Also, children can find little words in big words to help them read longer words.

Crabby Connector: This means to make connections between similar words to read a new word. For instance, if you know the word cake , you can more easily read the word lake . Or if you know the word cook , it is easier to connect that to the word cookie, than to completely sound it out over again.

Eagle Eye: This means to look over the entire word. Many times children will stop reading if a word looks difficult, making no attempt to word solve. One trick teachers use is to put a red dot under the middle of the word to get the child to look all the way through the sounds. This will often help the child figure out the word.

Elephant Ears:   This means to try a word and see if it makes sense. Sometimes children will read a sentence saying a word that doesn’t fit. We ask, “Did that make sense?” Children need to learn to trust themselves by thinking about the sentence, not just the word. We ask, “What would make sense in this sentence that also begins with that letter?”

Fix-up Bear:  Fix-up bear means it is alright to go back and reread and fix an error.  We do not have to race through reading just to be done. We read to understand. If we make an error, it should be fixed.

Flippy Dolphin:  This is sort of an amazing strategy. If a child reads a long vowel word with a short vowel, or a short vowel word with a long vowel, we say, “Flip the sound.” Somehow children seem to instinctively know to try again with another sound. At the emergent level, though, children do not know the long vowel sounds so this doesn’t apply.

Helpful Kangaroo:  This strategy may be used when a few others have been tried without success. It means to ask another person for help!

Lips the Fish:   This means to ask a child stuck on a word to get his or her “lips ready” for the first sound. By making an attempt to really notice the first sound, it is often enough for the child to try to finish the word.

Skippy Frog: This strategy is second best to Stretchy Snake. Skippy frog is using context to figure out a word, but what we tell children is to skip the word and keep reading the sentence. Most often, they realize they can figure out the word by using this strategy. They somehow do not think this strategy is OK, so we tell them good readers use Skippy frog, too.

Stretchy Snake: This is the whisper it out strategy. Sound it out uses strong, separate sounds the child is trying to connect together. When we whisper, we naturally connect sounds as they should be connected in reading. It is the best strategy, but it doesn’t work for all words.

Tryin’ Lion:  Keep trying! Try another strategy! Try again!  Of course, this isn’t for a tired or frustrated reader. Another strategy might be more useful in those cases.

What to Read Next

Categories: Instruction

Tags: English language arts , Grades K-2 , learning & memory , parent-teacher connection

25 Comments

I love this post!! Bottom line…this has to become a part of the culture of your home. With my daughter, I am working on consistency. We conduct SSR for 20 minutes with a timer. We all have to read and I am working on her dad being a regular participant! My daughter has become competitive with it. She is happy to share that she is in a chapter higher than the one I am in (she is 2nd grade). I let her have those moments. If it motivates her to beat mommy, then so be it! What I really like is it forces me to get back to my personal reading which I seem to sacrifice to lesson planning, grading papers, curating, emailing….something work related. Thanks for this wonderful post.

That sounds awesome, Shayne. When I have been able to do something similar to this (i.e., doing my own actual pleasure reading along with them), I love it. I think for a lot of us, we are good at preaching about reading, but might not walk the walk as often as we’d like our kids to.

Your video is OUTSTANDING, clearly explains, and demonstrates the parent role in nightly reading homework. Your art is wonderful! This is so nice for teachers to share with parents. It will clarity the dilemma of how to help a child improve in reading skills. Thank you so much! Carolyn

Carolyn, thank you! I’m so glad you like it; your article is excellent as well. My hope is that my video along with your article will reach a whole lot of parents. Thanks so much for partnering with me on this!!

That video is fabulous. Is there a way to add it to my class page?

Thank you! Yes, if you contact the tech person in your school, they can probably show you exactly how to embed the video right on your page. If your district blocks YouTube, it won’t work, but you can still put a link to the video on your page. Here is a direct link to the video on YouTube: http://youtu.be/korfvEOQb14 Here is an article that may help you with the embedding: http://www.htmlgoodies.com/tutorials/web_graphics/article.php/3480061/How-To-Add-a-YouTube-Video-to-Your-Web-Site.htm

Thank you x a million for this information!!

You’re welcome, Carrie!

Thanks so much for this post! I already follow your blog as a middle school educator, but I love these tips for helping my daughter with reading skills as she begins kindergarten this year. It really helps to know exactly what we can and need to do at home to maximize her nightly reading. I’ll be hanging on to this (and sharing it with fellow parents) as she continues to grow as a reader.

Why is reading before bedtime a bad thing? That is our routine. Am I missing something?

My kids read every single night before they go to sleep, and before they could read, I read to them at bedtime every night as well, so I see why you’re asking. I think in this case, the “not before bed” recommendation is referring to the kind of reading the child has to do out loud, with the parent supervising. Reading practice. So it may be more of a struggle. For a child at that stage in their reading skills, you’d want to choose a time when the child is not tired and can handle the challenge of new words. I’d say you still do the reading to them (if that’s the routine) and still encourage them to do their own recreational reading at bedtime, but save the more challenging work for earlier in the day.

What an excellent and essential post! For years, I did the Reading Recovery program with first graders. Repeatedly, I saw that the kids that made the most progress, were the kids who had support at home. However, parents need to learn the strategies outlined in this post in order to provide optimum support to their early readers.

I cannot find the free 162 page printable. Thank you

Hi, Kelly! This is Debbie, a Customer Experience Manager with Cult of Pedagogy. We are contacting the author to see if she can tell us where to find it. Thanks.

Kelly, the link to the free printable in the post has been revised. Thanks for making us aware of the problem!

Thank you for the video. Have you considered doing a Spanish version? I’d love to share this with our Spanish-speaking families.

What a wonderful idea! That’s not in my plans for the near future, because my Spanish isn’t anywhere close to fluent, but I will keep it in mind for future possibilities!

If you have a child with a learning disability like dyslexia, these strategies are not enough to help your child meet their potential. 1 in 5 kids have dyslexia so it is important to consider why your child might have trouble with reading, spelling, and writing. If you child is falling behind in one of these areas you need to get an evaluation. Your child will also need explicit, structured, evidence-based instruction by a highly-trained teacher. Here are two resources I would recommend for more information: understood.org and dyslexiaida.org.

Excellent video! Do you have a video with tips for parents of middle school students? Or a handout you’d recommend? Thank you:j

Hey Jennifer!

Glad you liked the video! I’m not exactly sure what you might be interested in for a middle school reader, but if the student is struggling, I think the tips in the video are still really good to use with a reader of any age. I’d also check out How To Kill the Love of Reading — there might be some really good information that you can apply at home. Pernille Ripp’s Parents: Creating Joyful Reading Routines at Home seemed to have some good suggestions as well. Hope this helps!

Do you have anything like this for fourth grade parents?

Hello Alba, Try checking out Scholastic’s Guide to 4th Grade for parents. In addition to reading activities parents can do with their children, there are also many activity ideas from other subject areas listed on the website.

My son who’s about to be in second grade is having a hard time reading. I’m glad you shared this; I’ll keep in mind to let him read books that consist of pictures. This is quite a challenge that’s why I aim to find the right reading curriculum for him.

I love your videos and podcast! I’m found them so helpful! I am curious if you do all the art yourself in these videos? I’d love to make my ed videos look this polished!

Hi Amanda! Yes, Jenn does all her own illustrations. Check out the FAQs and Behind the Scenes pages for details. Hope this helps!

Hope this helps!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

• Career Center
• Digital Events
• Member Benefits
• Membership Types
• My Account & Profile
• Chapters & Affiliates
• Awards & Recognition
• Write or Review for ILA
• Volunteer & Lead
• Children's Rights to Read
• Position Statements
• Literacy Glossary
• Literacy Today Magazine
• Literacy Now Blog
• Resource Collections
• Resources by Topic
• School-Based Solutions
• ILA Digital Events
• In-Person Events
• Our Mission
• Our Leadership
• Press & Media

Literacy Now

• ILA Network
• Conferences & Events
• Literacy Leadership
• Teaching With Tech
• Purposeful Tech
• Book Reviews
• 5 Questions With...
• Anita's Picks
• Check It Out
• Teaching Tips
• In Other Words
• Putting Books to Work
• Tales Out of School

• Student Engagement & Motivation
• ~14 years old (Grade 9)
• ~11 years old (Grade 6)
• ~12 years old (Grade 7)
• Student Level
• Teaching Strategies
• Content Areas
• ~13 years old (Grade 8)
• Content Types
• Foundational Skills
• ~15 years old (Grade 10)
• English Language Arts
• The Engaging Classroom

Need More Instructional Time? Let Your Students Read at Home

As an eighth-grade English language arts teacher with 45-minute periods, my time with students has always seemed far too short. When my district switched to 90-minute blocks for language arts classes a few years ago, I thought I would finally have the time I needed to teach and ensure my students completed their work. However, after a lot of reflection and discussions with colleagues, I realized my long-standing practice of not assigning much reading homework was undermining my instructional time—even with the longer block.

When we moved to the longer blocks, along with a switch to a new language arts curriculum, it seemed logical to have students do the reading assignments in class. It’s a common practice, and it made sense because the text complexity of the new program was a big change for my students. But the result wasn’t what I expected. My pacing suffered terribly.

Let them do at home what they can handle on their own

Good reading instruction encourages students to revisit a text for multiple purposes, and I was doing that. But having students read the text first during class and then also do a deep analysis of the reading material in class was repetitive and, frankly, a little boring.

My colleagues and I realized we needed to assign the reading material as homework to improve our pacing and convey high expectations. Our eighth-grade students were capable of wrestling with the text independently for a first read. They could wonder about a text while doing homework, and then, as a class, we could all move to deeper levels of understanding through a variety of classroom activities.

For example, one of the core texts we read is  All Quiet on the Western Front ,  and the homework for one lesson includes reading a dozen pages while annotating for emotional responses (or lack thereof) of the men in the Second Company. In class, students share what they find and then purposefully reread the text to answer additional text-dependent questions. That rereading promotes deeper learning and ensures all students are accessing the text, even if they missed the homework.

When first reading a book or other text on their own, I ask students to jot down what they notice and wonder, which serves as an entry point for our lesson in class. This supports them in reading longer, more complex materials with greater comprehension.

It’s important to help students, especially middle school students, become more self-directed and take ownership of their work. That will help them as they move up into high school and college. By asking students to complete more work outside of class, I’m supporting my students, not letting them down.

This approach makes especially good sense with reading, which doesn’t involve lab supplies or computer programs—just a quiet corner and a book, which they hopefully can find at home.

Four strategies to support and motivate students with reading homework

Making the shift to assigning reading at home rather than in class can be challenging, but it is worth the effort. Good reading instruction gives students multiple opportunities to engage with the content, so if a student doesn’t complete the homework, they will still have a chance to engage with the text. Over time, students will be more intrinsically motivated to complete the homework so that they can engage with their peers during class. Here are some strategies to try:

• Assign homework, especially reading homework, that is closely tied to what students are doing in class.
• Ask students, through homework prompts, to engage with reading by noticing and wondering about it. In class, use practices to encourage even deeper levels of analysis with your support and peer support.
• Give parents an entry point for discussions with their kids by providing a question related to the reading homework. Send the question through email or posted in a virtual space.
• Use tools like Equity Sticks to randomize student selection during class discussion. Write the names of your students and place them in a jar. During class, select a stick from the jar to check for understanding, ask for reflections, and have that student share thoughts on a reading. Making the process random removes any teacher bias, but you should also ensure your students know that they can pass at any time free of consequence or scrutiny.

I know homework seems out of date in some teaching circles. Kids are busy, and they need downtime, not busy work. But giving students rich reading assignments to engage with from home is hardly busy work. Rather, it’s an instructional approach that can help improve their literacy skills and free up time during the school day for more robust teaching and learning. I’ve found it’s hard to argue with that.

Krystle Gleason , an educator with 16 years of experience, has taught both high school English and eighth-grade language arts. She currently is an eighth-grade teacher at Mad River Local Schools in Dayton, OH. She also works part time as a PD facilitator for Great Minds, the developer of the Wit & Wisdom English language arts curriculum. She is passionate about helping each of her students reach their potential.

They Tried to Ban My Book

Challenged Books Can Hold Great Insight

• Conferences & Events
• Anita's Picks

Recent Posts

• Where Are They Now? The Continued Journey of ILA 30 Under 30 Honorees (Part 3 of 4)
• ILA Honors New Voices in Children’s and Young Adult Literature
• Where Are They Now? The Continued Journey of ILA 30 Under 30 Honorees (Part 2 of 4)
• Where Are They Now? The Continued Journey of ILA 30 Under 30 Honorees (Part 1 of 4)
• Dana A. Robertson Named Vice President of ILA Board of Directors

• For Network Leaders
• For Advertisers
• Privacy & Security
• Terms of Use

How and when to take study breaks for optimal learning

Study breaks are essential. Here's how and when to take them so that you power-up your studying and avoid getting distracted.

Getting into the swing of studying is a bit like pushing an apple cart along a road. The hardest part is getting it going. You have to heave against its inertia, and then gradually you get some forward momentum. A bit more pushing, and finally, you’re rumbling happily along the road.

It’s right there in Newton’s laws: “every object in a state of uniform motion will remain in that state of motion unless an external force acts on it.”

It’s the same with studying. The hardest part is getting going. You gather some motivation to study , power through the first couple of minutes of resistance, and once you have momentum, things get easier.

After forty minutes, or an hour, you find your attention flagging. You want to take a break but this can be dangerous. At Brainscape, we know there are two types of study breaks. You can either:

• Take the right kind of break, and get back to studying with more energy and a sharper brain, or,
• Get sidetracked, realizing four hours later that it’s 11:30 pm, and you’ve wasted most of your study time Googling cat memes.

Here’s the important bit: there are good ways to take study breaks. And there are not-so-good ways (see option B above.) Check out Brainscape's complete guide on how to study efficiently to learn the good ways to study, and also the bad ways (so you can avoid them Or recommend them to your class rivals, though that’s morally questionable.)

How to take study breaks—the right way

Tip 1. set your boundaries.

Like tequila, all-you-can-eat buffets, and Vegas, the most important thing to understand about study breaks isn’t when to start, but when to stop . So before you start your break, decide how long it will be, and set a timer.

The length of your break should depend on how long you’ve been working, and therefore how long you need to recharge. If you’re using the Pomodoro method , take a 5-minute break every 25 minutes. However, if you’ve just spent the last two hours working through difficult math theorems, then a 20-30 minute break is fine.

Set an alarm on your phone or watch to go off when your time’s up. And as soon as you hear the alarm, don’t mess about: get back to studying . This is important. The willpower needed to get you back into the study groove is considerable, so keeping to a very exact time will prevent a 10-minute study break turning into an hour of procrastination.

It can also be helpful to decide how long you’re going to study before you take a break. This will help you stay focused while studying , and give your willpower that boost to save making an origami chimpanzee for your study break.

Tip 2. Exercise

Exercise is perhaps the most effective way to restore mind and body, with the added advantage of improving concentration . (Pink leg warmers and leotards optional.) Even a short exercise session of 5 to 10 minutes (a quick walk or set of push-ups) will get your blood flowing and oxygenate your brain. In addition to the physical benefits, exercise aids your memory .

Tip 3. Have something to eat

The best foods to eat during your study break are healthy , like fruit, nuts, lean proteins, and slow-release carbohydrates, which are shown to enhance brainpower . Unfortunately, sugary drinks, chips, and highly processed junk foods just aren’t on this list .

Sugar may spike your energy at first but it’s pretty soon followed by a crash in energy levels , thanks to increased production of insulin. This has the effect of making your head feel as heavy as a cannonball, compelling you to rest it on your books and nap the next hour away.

If fighting off sleep is something you often face, here are some other tips to stop being tired when you need to study .

The other danger of snacking on MSG-laced junk food is it’s hard to stop. Even if you get back to study, you may find yourself snacking on it for the rest of your study time. Mixing study with continual snacking isn’t a good option, as you’re diverting energy from your brain to your digestive system. And you’ll end up with MSG poisoning from eating far too many Cheetos.

Tip 4. Read something

This may not seem like a proper break at first if you’ve been reading as part of your study. But the key is to read something fun, and wholly unrelated to what you’ve been working on.

It could be an interesting magazine article, a graphic novel, or a fiction book. Non-fiction is all right, but fiction or humor will give your brain a chance to change gears from analytical to creative mode. Just remember that if your book’s a real page-turner, set your timer to “obnoxiously loud” to shatter your reverie and signal the end of your study break.

Tip 5. Have a nap

Napping can be a great way to recharge, provided you keep to certain guidelines. Famous nappers include Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy, Napoleon, Albert Einstein, and Thomas Edison. They certainly got a few things done in between their naps.

As with some of the other options, successful napping comes down to knowing yourself . Some people are world-class nappers. They can close their eyes, fall asleep, and wake up five minutes later feeling thoroughly refreshed.

Other people try to have a nap and come out of it feeling groggy and awful. If that’s you, then this type of study break may not be your cup of tea.

When planning your nap, it’s important to set a timer so you don’t nap longer than twenty minutes . This should give you enough time to fall into the shallow stages of sleep, but not into the deeper stages, from which you can awaken feeling like you’ve been run over by an 18-wheeler truck. A short nap also shouldn’t interfere with your sleep at night, while a long nap can.

Tip 6. Make a quick phone call

This one can be a great way to catch up with friends and put your mind into a completely different state so it can recharge. Just don’t call that friend whose life is an endless series of dramas and likes to tell you about them in exhausting detail.

In other words, if you’re the kind of person who can’t interrupt and say ‘Thanks, that’s really interesting, but I have to go now,” then this tactic isn’t for you.

Otherwise, calling a friend is a nice way to break things up. And you can complain about having to study as well.

Tip 7. Check your text messages

This would be a great place to have a rant about how modern human beings need validation from mobile devices instead of you just loving your own true beautiful self ... but meh . If you really must make sure the world outside still exists, go ahead and check your text messages.

Texting falls into the "handle with caution, and we’d rather you didn’t" category. So there are a few caveats. Only check text messages if:

• You’re planning something time sensitive (like a surprise birthday party or bank robbery)
• You solemnly swear not to stray outside text-world into other apps. This is important.

Thus far, we’ve covered the good ways to take study breaks in order to recharge your brain, study efficiently, and ace your exams.

It’s now time to cross over to the dark side …

How to take study breaks—the wrong way

Below is a list of the "that’s-a-bad-idea" study break options. They’re in order of truly terrible to merely bad. Time to let the procrastination monkeys out of their cage ...

Tip 8. Avoid social media

Yes, the rumors are true: Mark Zuckerberg has engaged hordes of MIT engineers to ensure that Facebook will derail your study break . Well ... not quite. But it’s not far off either .

Social media of every description—Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, Pinterest, et al.—are incredibly distracting and attention-hungry platforms. The infinitely extendable scroll bar means you never get to the end of that colorful feed. It’s a bottomless ocean of attention-grabbing, socially-reinforced content designed to draw you in, waste your time, and prevent you from achieving your goals. And the worst thing is, we do it to ourselves.

That’s not to say all social media is bad . What’s not to like about Nicholas Cage memes? It’s just that if learning is a flame, social media is a bag of wet sand.

Tip 9. Avoid TV and streaming services

Netflix is not a good study buddy. Like social media, good movies and TV series are designed to grab and hold your attention. Midway through a murder mystery, with the killer stalking through the single mom’s house, are you really going to hit pause to get back to accounting 101?

Didn’t think so. (To be fair, we wouldn’t either.)

As Oscar Wilde said: “I can resist anything except temptation.” So, don’t tempt yourself.

Tip 10. Avoid long naps

As we mentioned before, a nap longer than 20-minutes is counter productive. If you’re constantly tired while studying, you’re better off taking a good look at your daily schedule and developing good sleep habits .

A healthy amount of restorative sleep is vital for your brain to work properly. While caffeine can get you going again after an all-nighter, it’s no substitute for a good night’s sleep.

Tip 11. Avoid junk food

We talked before about the sugar-high / energy-low phenomenon. Even though cookie dough may seem a good idea at the time, you’re far better off going with an apple. There’s even some science behind why a nice fresh apple can give you a boost similar to coffee .

If you want to make things easy for yourself (and we recommend you do) the best way to avoid junk food snacks is to control your environment. Make sure you don’t have this type of food handy when you sit down for a study session.

It’s highly unlikely your willpower will triumph if you’re three steps away from a pack of salted caramel cronuts—especially if you’re already tired from studying all afternoon. You can go out and get some as a reward once you’re finished.

The inverse strategy for taking study breaks

The last way to think about study breaks is to switch everything on its head. Sometimes, doing the opposite of what you’d normally do is the best way to get things done in half the time it usually takes you, and that’s where Brainscape comes in.

Brainscape is an online flashcard study tool that breaks complex, knowledge-intensive subjects down into bite-sized pieces of information. Students using it can halve the time it takes them to learn difficult information, due to Brainscape’s adaptive spaced repetition algorithm .

Here’s how it works. Instead of studying and taking study breaks, think of life as one big study session, and you’re taking ‘life breaks’ to go study. This means breaking your study into many small bite-sized portions you can scatter throughout your day.

When you use a study app like Brainscape, it’s easy to do this in short 5-10 minute rounds. With the mobile app, you can use those in-between times to learn what you need to in order to pass your tests.

You can study:

• On public transportation.
• While drinking your morning cup of joe.
• On the treadmill (yes, it is possible to study while exercising (NNL)).
• Waiting for your girlfriend/boyfriend to finish doing his/her makeup/piano lesson/kung fu session.

You get the picture. The most successful people are good at managing their work-life balance. When you have big goals, it doesn’t always have to be a tradeoff between Study Now vs. Live Later. Especially if you have the right tools to study productively, anywhere, at any time.

Taking good study breaks: the summary

If you’re studying for any decent length of time, you’ll need to take breaks to recharge and refocus. But like all things in life (including SNL skits and NYC taxis) not all study breaks are created equal.

Knowing how to take study breaks so that you summon study motivation and crank up concentration—and not get distracted—is critical. Some will return you on time to your study schedule, refreshed and ready to go. And others will lead you down a dark alley, knock you over the head, and steal your sneakers.

Now you know what these two kinds of study breaks look like, the choice, as always, is yours.

Altenburg, T. M., Chinapaw, M. J., & Singh, A. S. (2016). Effects of one versus two bouts of moderate intensity physical activity on selective attention during a school morning in Dutch primary schoolchildren: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport , 19 (10), 820-824. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2015.12.003

Dhand, R. & Sohal, H. (2006). Good sleep, bad sleep! The role of daytime naps in healthy adults. Current Opinion in Pulmonary Medicine , 12 (6), 379-382. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.mcp.0000245703.92311.d0

Mantantzis, K., Schlaghecken, F., Sünram-Lea, S. I., & Maylor, E. A. (2019). Sugar rush or sugar crash? A meta-analysis of carbohydrate effects on mood. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews , 101 , 45-67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.03.016

Flashcards for serious learners .

Reading Worksheets, Spelling, Grammar, Comprehension, Lesson Plans

Reading Comprehension Worksheets Grades 1 - 10

Use our free, printable reading comprehension passage exercises to improve your student's reading skills! Recognizing letters and words is an important first step in learning to read. However, it is only a first step; it is vital that students comprehend, or understand, what they are reading. They must be able to get the meaning of the text: What is the author telling the reader? This is reading comprehension, and it is an essential skill for success in school and in the real world. Below are our reading comprehension worksheets grouped by grade, that include passages and related questions. Click on the title to view the printable activities in each grade range, or to read the details of each worksheet. They are free for use in the home or in the classroom. Be sure to check out our spelling words  activities too!

1st Grade Reading Comprehension Worksheets

This 36 week first grade worksheet program for reading comprehension provides grade-appropriate passages and related questions, and can be used for other grades as appropriate.

2nd Grade Reading Comprehension Worksheets

This 36 week second grade worksheet program for reading comprehension provides passages and questions that are grade appropriate, but can be used with additional grades.

3rd Grade Reading Comprehension Worksheets

The 36 week third grade worksheet program for reading comprehension that we’ve organized here provides reading passages and activities designed for 3rd grade but can be used for other grades.

4th Grade Reading Comprehension Worksheets

The 36 week fourth grade comprehension program that is included here provides reading passages and questions that are grade appropriate, but can be used with additional grades.

5th Grade Reading Comprehension Worksheets

The 36 week fifth grade comprehension program provides passages and related questions that are grade appropriate, but can be used with additional grades.

6th Grade Reading Comprehension Worksheets

7th Grade Reading Comprehension Worksheets

8th Grade Reading Comprehension Worksheets

9th - 10th Grade Reading Comprehension Worksheets

The Read Time

Words to time converter, accurately estimate talk time for presentations, speeches and voice-over scripts.

Words per Minute:

Not sure about your reading speed? Get it tested with our Free Reading Speed Test

Learn to Speed Read with our Speed Reader

A tool to find out what any word count looks like: What does any word count look like?

Require a sentence count? Do try out our Sentence Counter

Also, convert text to speech with Read My Text

Does This Free Tool Convert Words To Time?

Yes, this tool essentially converts words to time by estimating speech time for texts of all lengths. This is ideal for people who want to calculate talk time for presentations, speeches and voice-over scripts beforehand

How Do I Use This Words To Time Tool?

• If you know the number of words, enter this amount in number format into the text area OR if you have a body of text, just copy and paste this onto the text area.
• The tool will automatically calculate the Talk Time based on your input. The default Talk Time estimate is based on an oral reading rate of 183 words per minute ; which is considered to be the accepted average for adults according to scientific research. Silent Reading Time is estimated based on a fixed reading speed of 238 words per minute .
• Drag the slider to change the words per minute value to see corresponding Talk Time estimates. This will not have an effect on the Silent Reading Time estimate as the reading rate is fixed at 238 words per minute. Slow, Average and Fast reading rates have been denoted in the above table for guidance.
• Press the 'clear text' button to empty the text area and reset the slider to its default value of 183.

Is 183 Words Per Minute An Accurate Measure Of Oral Reading Speed?

Yes, based on a paper published by Marc Brysbaert , the average speed for reading aloud is estimated to be 183 words per minute for adults. This value is based on 77 studies involving 5965 participants. The paper further states that reading rates are lower for older adults, children and readers with English as a second language.

What Is Read Time?

Read time is the time taken for an average person to silently read a piece of text while maintaining reading comprehension. Based on the meta-analysis of 100's of studies involving over 18000 participants, the average silent reading speed for an adult individual has been estimated to be approximately 238 words per minute (Marc Brysbaert,2019) .

The reading time of a piece of text can thus be deduced by dividing the total word count by this value of 238. Below is the mathematical formula for calculating reading time in minutes:

Reading Time = Total Word Count / 238

If the reading material consists of images or illustrations, we can assume that an average reader spends around 5 seconds per image, which is equivalent to 0.083 minutes. Hence, we can further modify this formula as below:

Reading Time = Total Word Count / 238 + (Number of Images * 0.083)

Simple Math Really! 🙂

How Long Does It Take To Read 1000 Words?

Assuming the average reading speed of an adult individual is 238 words per minute, it takes approximately 4 minutes and 12 seconds to read 1000 words.

Reading Time For Popular Word Counts (Table)

How Long Does It Take To Read 100 Pages?

Assuming a page consists of 500 words, it approximately takes 3 hours and 30 minutes to read 100 pages.

Reading Time For Popular Page Counts (Table)

What Is Speech Time?

Speech Time is the time taken for an average person to read aloud a piece of text. Based on the meta-analysis of nearly 80 studies involving 6000 participants, the average oral reading speed for an adult individual is considered to be 183 words per minute (Marc Brysbaert,2019) . The speech time of a piece of text can then be deduced by dividing the total word count by this value of 183. Again simple Math. 🙂

How Long Does It Take To Speak 1000 Words?

Assuming the average oral reading speed of an adult individual is 183 words per minute, it takes approximately 5 minutes and 28 seconds to orate 1000 words.

What Other Metrics Does The Read Time Provide?

In addition to reading time and speech time, The Read Time provides the word count for texts of all lengths.

Who Is It For?

The Read Time is an ideal free tool for scriptwriters, content writers, educators, students and just about anyone who wants to measure the number of words and reading time for texts of all lengths.

Is My Text/Data Safe?

thereadtime.com does not store or process any text/data on its servers while the computations are done purely on the client's browser.

Reading & Math for K-5

Kindergarten

• Learning numbers
• Comparing numbers
• Place Value
• Roman numerals
• Subtraction
• Multiplication
• Order of operations
• Drills & practice
• Measurement
• Factoring & prime factors
• Proportions
• Shape & geometry
• Data & graphing
• Word problems
• Children's stories
• Leveled Stories

Context clues

Cause & effect

• Compare & contrast
• Fact vs. fiction
• Fact vs. opinion
• Main idea & details

Story elements

• Conclusions & inferences
• Sounds & phonics
• Words & vocabulary
• Reading comprehension
• Early writing
• Numbers & counting
• Simple math
• Social skills
• Other activities
• Dolch sight words
• Fry sight words
• Multiple meaning words
• Prefixes & suffixes
• Vocabulary cards
• Other parts of speech
• Punctuation
• Capitalization
• Narrative writing
• Opinion writing
• Informative writing
• Cursive alphabet
• Cursive letters
• Cursive letter joins
• Cursive words
• Cursive sentences
• Cursive passages
• Grammar & Writing

Breadcrumbs

Download & Print Only $3.49

Reading Comprehension

Free reading comprehension worksheets.

Use these printable worksheets to improve reading comprehension. Over 100  free children's stories  followed by comprehension exercises, as well as  worksheets focused on specific comprehension topics  (main idea, sequencing, etc).

Reading worksheets by grade:

Reading worksheets by topic:.

Children's stories

Compare and contrast

Main idea & supporting details

Conclusions and inferences

Fact vs fiction

Fact vs opinion

Figurative language

What is K5?

K5 Learning offers free worksheets , flashcards  and inexpensive  workbooks  for kids in kindergarten to grade 5. Become a member  to access additional content and skip ads.

Our members helped us give away millions of worksheets last year.

We provide free educational materials to parents and teachers in over 100 countries. If you can, please consider purchasing a membership ($24/year) to support our efforts.

Members skip ads and access exclusive features.

Learn about member benefits

This content is available to members only.

Join K5 to save time, skip ads and access more content. Learn More

• Forgot Password?

We would love to talk to you!

Monday-Friday, 8am - 4pm CST 715-477-1976

Email us: [email protected]

Fill out our contact form .

Check out our FAQs .

How Much Time Should You Spend On Reading?

“How much time should I spend teaching reading?” It’s a common question with a somewhat surprising answer.

Here’s Rachel to explain …

How Much Time Should You Spend on Reading?

All About Reading lessons are designed so that you can work at your student’s pace . Here are three simple guidelines to follow.

Spend 20 minutes per day teaching reading.

We recommend spending about 20 minutes per day, five days a week, on reading instruction, but you can adjust this for early readers or for older remedial students if necessary. Short daily lessons are much more effective than longer, less frequent lessons.

It can be helpful to set a timer. When 20 minutes are up, mark the spot in the lesson where you stopped. When you begin teaching the next day, briefly review some of the daily review cards and then begin in the Teacher’s Manual wherever you left off.

What if you can’t finish a whole lesson in one sitting? No worries–this next tip is for you.

Lessons often take more than one day to complete.

It’s important to note that the lessons in All About Reading are not meant to be completed in one day. In fact, some lessons may take a week or more to finish.

A number of variables including your student’s age, attention span, prior experience, the difficulty of the concept being taught, and the length of the stories all play a part in how quickly a lesson can be completed.

After your formal lesson time is up, it’s time for some great read-alouds!

Read aloud to your student for 20 minutes per day.

Reading aloud to your student is one of the most important things you can do to promote future reading ability. In fact, it is so important that we’ve added a reminder at the end of every lesson.

Reading aloud for 20 minutes a day may not seem like a lot, but the cumulative effect cannot be overstated. By reading aloud for just 20 minutes a day over a five-year period, your student will have the advantage of 600 hours of read-alouds. That equates to huge gains in vocabulary , comprehension , and background information.

When you combine 20 minutes of direct reading instruction with 20 minutes of read-aloud time, you are providing your student with the very best opportunity for long-term reading success.

How much time do you spend on reading instruction each day? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below.

Share This:

Leave a reply cancel reply.

I have 9 and10 years old daughters, and they are not fluent readers. They will see the words and either just make up a word completely different from what is actually there or they give the pronunciation of the word a try and sound out something that is not there. Do you think it is possible for them to learn at this age? How much hope should/can I have?

Sherefa, Yes! Even older students can learn how to approach unfamiliar words successfully with confidence! They often just need the right approach. Here are some links that can help:

The “No Gaps” Approach to Reading and Spelling Break the “Word Guessing” Habit Helping Kids Sound Out Words 10 Tips for Reaching Your Struggling Learner

All About Reading can make all the difference. Let me know if you have questions, need help with placement, or anything else. I’m happy to help!

I need to do a better job sticking to the 20 minute marker. I’m always so preoccupied with getting it done that I lose sight of the real goal to make sure my daughter is retaining what she’s learning. Thanks for this reminder.

You’re welcome for the reminder, Emily. Short lessons done consistently make such a difference!

Janet Auma Otieno

I’m a teacher handling pre-primary one learners age 4-5 kindly help on how to introduce 3 letter words to this age group,

Janet, The most important thing is ensuring that the students have mastered the Reading Readiness Skills necessary for reading success. For many children, it is not enough that they know letter sounds; they also need to be able to rhyme and identify the first sounds in words and so on. Otherwise, learning to blend sounds into words is just too hard.

Once you are sure all of your students have mastered the Reading Readiness Skills , then you will find our article on Helping Kids Sound Out Words useful for teaching how to blend.

I hope these help, but let me know if you have questions or need anything else. I’m happy to help!

I normally takes 20 minutes or beyond just to help the slow learners

Jenny Baird

Thanks for the info. I have a grade three granddaughter who can not sound out words although she knows the individual sounds of the alphabet. She will often guess at the word which may be in the right context or not. Her mom does not worry about her reading as My granddaughter did not get any special help last year. Suggestions?

Jenny, I’m sorry your granddaughter is having such trouble with sounding out words.

This is a concern, since if a person cannot sound out a word, they have no way to figure out a word they don’t know except to ask someone for help or to guess. And they will have no way to check if their guess was correct, because they can’t sound out the word to see.

With younger learners, learning words by memorizing them and guessing by picture clues can work somewhat well. Or, it at least seems like it works, as a child that has memorized hundreds of words and is good at guessing by context and pictures will sound like they read well. But as children get older, they are expected to move into reading as a form of learning. A student will be expected to open a science (or history or math or whatever) textbook and understand material that is brand new to them. Since the material will be new concepts, they will have a hard time guessing by context. And such textbooks have fewer pictures, and the ones they do have are much less likely to be helpful with guessing words. It is at that point that children start to struggle, and it affects all subjects at school.

Children need to be taught how to blend sounds to form words. We discuss this in our Helping Kids Sound Out Words blog post. You will likely find our Break the “Word Guessing” Habit post helpful as well.

More than anything, however, it sounds like your granddaughter would benefit from The “No Gaps” Approach to Reading and Spelling to ensure her foundational skills and knowledge are solid, so that she will be ready for more complex reading in years to come.

I hope this helps some, but let me know if you have specific questions or need more information. I’m happy to help!

I’ve been wanting the entire kits for long time , excited to try this out soon ,

Great to hear, Dakota! Let me know if you need help with placement or have any other questions.

Thank you so much for providing all this information and free supplemental resources to get started. I can’t wait to try what I’ve learned on your site. This has truly given me hope for my strong daughter.

I’m so pleased to hear that this site has been helpful and encouraging for you, Stacy! That is definitely a goal for us! Let me know if you have questions or ever need anything.

Laura Harring

This was so helpful. I often find myself focusing on the lesson time, but totally forget about read aloud time. To be honest, that time is far more special to my kids than lesson time, so I need to capitalize on that portion!

I understand how easily read aloud time can be overlooked, Laura. I’ve been there myself.

What I found helpful was to make read aloud time tied to another activity that gets done every day. For example, we eat lunch every day, so I would read aloud as soon as I finished eating. Another thing I have done over the years is to make reading aloud the first thing we do, before any other subject like math or spelling, so that it was not missed if the day got busy.

How important is(are) the Teacher Handbook(s)? Specifically for pre-reading at the moment but as a general whole. I love this program I’m just curious if you honestly need that portion or if you can just use the student books and the cards.

Good question, Misha.

The Teacher’s Manuals are essential. They provide all the teaching, even at the Pre-reading level. The Activity Books provide practice with what was taught, and the cards are used for customizing the review , but the teaching is in the Teacher’s Manuals.

We have multiple sample lessons in each level that you can look through to see just how the Teacher’s Manuals and other components are used.

I am a reading specialist who works with striving readers. I am alloted 30 minutes to work with my students. I also co-teach in the classroom and there I do mini-lessons followed by small group work during center time.

Thank you for sharing this, Renee.

What do you recommend for a child who can only focus for 7 minutes of instruction/lesson at most? My 7 year old son (3rd child of 6 in the family) lasts 7 minutes on the best of days. He is only about 20 lessons into Level 1. Reading is a struggle. Continue with the 7 minutes a day or try to do three 7 minute sessions in a day? He loves listening to read alouds, so that isn’t an issue.

Rachel, Go ahead and aim for two 7-minute sessions each day. Progress will be made with consistency day in and day out. If his attention wanes at 7 minutes, do another activity that is completely different like take a recess, have a snack, or practice music. Then pick up for the next 7 minutes.

In time work up to longer periods of focused reading, but it can be a slow process to build up his stamina.

Chelsie Ashley

It has taken me a little bit to understand 20 minutes of instruction is plenty. The public school teacher in me felt like I needed to spend hours on reading instruction. We are on level 3 with my older child, and the results are amazing! 20 minutes is all he ever needed. We love this program!

Thank you for sharing this, Chelsie! It isn’t only school teachers that feel that longer lessons must be necessary. I’m sure it will be helpful to others to read what success the 20 minutes a day has led to for your child!

Keeping our reading lessons to 20 minutes a day is great for both me and my son! Short and sweet, not overwhelming and super manageable. I have loved seeing how much he’s progressed using this program!

Wow! That’s good to know! It’s all a learning curve :)

Thank you for your encouragement and reminders to put aside the busy work and just read to my kids!

You’re welcome, Cara. There is a lot of “work” going on when children enjoy hearing great books read aloud!

Jami Dunsford

Thanks! I always beat myself up thinking my child is not reading enough – but I want her to love reading. We can do anything for 20 minutes at a time.

You’re welcome, Jami! The most important thing to be doing enough for reading is doing it consistently day in and day out, not working for long periods on any one day.

Nicole Ikeda

We are using All About Reading Level 1 and some days my son does 20 min and some days 30-40 min. But anything more than 20 min is a hard push for him. He has a genuine natural love and focus in math but he does not love reading (yet). But the All About Reading program is working! We have reached lesson 41 now and I can see his fluency and decoding improving. I’m so glad he is learning to read at home with me using this program. I think in a classroom he would have been struggling even more. Thank you for creating this program.

Nicole, I’m so excited to hear that you are seeing improvement in your son’s ability to decode and his reading fluency! Keep up the great work!

I love the focus on both reading aloud and reading instruction. Such a reasonable amount of time to fit into our schedule, especially when I have 2 kids I’m teaching.

Thank you, Lydia!

We were able to do more then 20 minutes when we were on the reading part because my daughter loved reading. I will say that for spelling we definitely have to do 20 minutes a day or my daughter is not a happy person when learning how to spell.

Thank you for sharing this, Jonie! Yes, individual enjoyment of the subject definitely can have an affect on how long the student is able to stay engaged.

Kelly Levesque

I think any amount of time a child wants to spend reading is adequate. Making them read when they don’t want to will turn them away.

Thank you for your thoughts on this, Kelly. However, many students, if given a choice from day to day, will opt to never work on learning to read. For many children, learning to read is hard and it is often human nature to want to avoid hard work when possible.

That is why we recommend working on reading each day, but keeping the time short and as enjoyable as possible. Progress will be made and a positive outlook toward reading will be maintained. And when students have mastered reading, it will no longer be hard anymore!

I’m not even sure we spend 20 minutes, I know in the beginning that would have been way too long for one of my kids. We would occasionally be able to come back to it after a break, but some days it was only 5 minutes. I love that homeschooling let us go at my kid’s pace.

Such a great approach, Carleen!

My youngest child wasn’t up to working on reading for 20 minutes a day until she was approaching 10 years old. Before then, I paid attention to her cues and fatigue. She typically grew tired a bit after 10 minutes. But since we were consistent day in and day out, she finished Level 4 before she was 11 and now, a few years later, happily reads for hours at a time!

What an encouragement/ and motivational simple rule to engage in reading! Thank you!!!

You’re welcome, Simo!

Thank you for the info!

You’re welcome, Tashlyn!

Kelly Weber

This info has been so helpful! Thanks AAL!!!

You’re welcome, Kelly!

Book were important to me growing up And my parents didn’t let us watch tv often. So books were our escape. So glad that we developed a love for books early on board and that I could pass that on to my kids!!!

Wonderful, Sonya! One of the best predictors of a child’s love of books is the parent’s love of books!

Crystal Anderson

I have notice my kids love now when I say it’s time to read a book. They actually look forward to it!

Oh, that is so wonderful, Crystal!

Sarah Thomas

This advice has helped so much! I was trying to stretch my son too far on time and it made us both miserable. This has made our time manageable and enjoyable!

I’m so glad to hear this, Sarah! Positive experiences with reading lessons is so important not only for a child’s attitude toward reading but also for making the best progress possible!

We started out spending 20 min per day and now in AAR3 we spend closer to 30. One of our goals with this program was also building stamina and it is working great!

I’m so pleased to hear that your student’s stamina for reading is increasing with All About Reading, Tara! Thank you for sharing.

Elizabeth Martin

This is so helpful to remember not to spend too long on a lesson and to break it up into more than one day.

Kasey Werner

I love how AAR makes it so doable to teach reading and read aloud with your kids in bite sized chunks!

More comments are loading...

Friend's Email Address

Your Email Address

• Reading Comprehension Worksheets

Inferences Worksheets

• Context Clues Worksheets
• Theme Worksheets

Main Idea Worksheets

• Reading Games
• Summary Worksheets
• Online Tests
• Figurative Language Worksheets
• Short Stories with Questions
• Nonfiction Passages
• Genre Worksheets

BECOME A MEMBER!

Reading worksheets.

Ereading Worksheets has the best reading worksheets on the internet, and they're all free. These worksheets are skill focused and aligned to Common Core State Standards. You are free to save, edit, and print these worksheets for personal or classroom use. Many of these assignments can now be completed online. You're going to like this.

This page features a sampling of the reading worksheets on this website, organized by skills. You can find more activity by browsing the pages that are dedicated to each reading skill.

Fiction Reading Passages

Nonfiction reading passages.

• Author's Purpose Worksheets
• Characterization Worksheets
• Fact and Opinion Worksheets
• Irony Worksheets
• Story Structure Worksheets

Types of Conflict Worksheets

Looking for More Fiction Passages?

Looking for More Nonfiction Passages?

More Resources on Author's Purpose?

More Resources on Characterizations

More Resources on Fact and Opinion

More Resources on Inferences

More Irony Worksheets

More Main Idea Resources

More Story Structure Resources

More Resources on Theme

More Resources on Conflict

104 Comments

great website! it made my work easier.. love it. thank you

This is one of the best websites I ever came across! It’s just simply the best website for English, apart from the web dictionaries 😉

I’ve been using this website for getting great grades (alliteration is one of those things that your games inspired me to do; not that yours are bad though) at my examinations for atleast 2 years.

I will be forever grateful to Mr. Morton for his wonderful website!

Maybe-Your-Most-Favourite-Viewer

Thank you for visiting and the kind words!

English is my second language.

It is with great pleasure that I found your web site. Over the summer 2020, I printed almost all your reading comprehension materials for my grade 7 and 9 kids to read. I myself read each of them too and answered each of the questions. Your web sites rekindled my interest in reading as an adult.

I am bit selfish to hope there are more reading comprehension materials for my kids and myself.

Thank you for your great work! The world becomes more beautiful because of your altruistic contribution.

Thank you for taking the time to comment. I am always trying to create more content as well as improve the existing content. Best wishes, friend!

Tina Torres

This will help my child alot with her homework,i like this app

Laura Stapel

Hi, Thanks so much for these reading worksheets. They are original and unique and perfect for my tuition of gifted and talented sudents. Just wondering if you have an answer key for the following sheets:

The Authors Purpose 3 Figurative Language Worksheet 3 Non Fiction Reading Test Garbage

Thanks so much and well done on an excellent resource!

its good but i think u should add more games

this is great.

Zainab Ali Asghar

Hello Mr Morton, WOW!! these worksheets, games and activities are simply outstanding!! I am a teacher from Pakistan and these worksheets have helped me immensely in my learning as well as in the school when I share them with my students!! Thank you SOOOO much! I came across figurative language activities which was just the thing I was looking for but I would really appreciate if you could put up activities related to other grammar content; for example, characterization, inferential, fact and opinion, and all other content which we can integrate in our classroom activities.

Forever grateful, Zainab

That’s awesome. I actually have all of that content posted already. I’ve got to figure out some way to make the content more visible. Thanks for visiting!

it helped me in my exams

Hello Mr. Morton,

Thank you for using this great website for my daughter and me. It helps me and my daughter a lot. Do you have answers below***** those tests? If you have can I have it?

***** Jacob the Great Comprehension Test Nutrition Facts Comprehension Worksheet Pain Reliever Comprehension Worksheet

Here are those keys.

https://www.ereadingworksheets.com/reading-comprehension-worksheets/jacob-the-great-answers.html

https://www.ereadingworksheets.com/reading-comprehension-worksheets/medicine-comprehension-worksheet-answers.html

https://www.ereadingworksheets.com/reading-comprehension-worksheets/nutrition-facts-comprehension-activity-answers.htm

Thanks for using the website!

well,these storys are…AWSOME

Michael Holson

Would I be able to post your Power points and worksheets on my webpage? I’ll leave all of them the same and i’ll also put your name on them.

I’m ok with that. Links back to my website as attribution are appreciated.

Samira El-Sabban

Such an outstanding work; i do appreciate the effort and i find it quite useful thanks a million Samira El-Sabban Head of English Department Rajac Schools Egypt

Sarah Madden

Thank you THank you!!!! This site is amazing! I cannot be more happy with it!

hello great passages but is there answers to these passages.

Answers are posted where available, typically under a link that says “View Answers.”

great website!!!!!! I am using your materials for my home school kids

steward Pheirim

This is brilliant, Thank you so much. Absolutely a treasure!!!

My tutor absolutely LOVES this website(so do I) but I was just wondering where the answer key for Jacob the Great? Awesome stories too. I love how detailed they are!

You make teaching easier! Thank you!

Just amazing thanks a lot really

very helpful, exercises are enriching.

I’ve read three of the passages you have here.

The first one was about metal detectors, was amusing, I like it and it’s good to know some of this facts.

The second one was a persuasive text about seat belts, how them keep us safe and the author keeps telling us to use them.

And the third one, my favourite, was about the pony express and how they carry the mail and how hard was and the complications, it’s interesting because they had a problem and they sorted it out in a clever way.

I like your website, thank you very much.

I’m so happy that you do. Best wishes!

hello my name is gabby i like this app it is really fun

It was very good and it is also enriching

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

• Conflict Worksheets
• Figurative Language Activities
• Figurative Language Poems with Questions
• Genre Activities
• Making Predictions
• Mood Worksheets
• Nonfiction Passages and Functional Texts
• Parts of Speech Worksheets
• Poetic Devices
• Point of View Worksheets
• School Project Ideas
• Setting Worksheets
• Simile and Metaphor Worksheets
• Text Structure Worksheets
• Tone Worksheets
• ALL PAGES AND WORKSHEETS

Get the Reddit app

This sub is for discussions amongst college & university faculty. Whether you are an adjunct, a lecturer, a grad TA or tenured stream if you teach students at the college level, this space is for you! While we welcome students and non-academics lurking and learning, posts and comments are not allowed. If you're new here, please familiarize yourself with the sub rules and follow them. If you're ever unsure, feel free to reach out to the moderators for clarification.

Students say I assign too much reading

I got my evaluations from last semester today. I was surprised in years of teaching how negative they were:

Too much reading

Professor didn’t cover all the reading

professor too disorganized for assigning too much reading and not covering it all

Maybe things have changed. My professors in undergraduate and graduate school always assigned tons of reading and they didn’t cover it all. There was an expectation that we were responsible for both lectures and the reading and we had lots of it. Now they’re all up in arms about something I thought was a given in higher ed. It seems to be getting worse each semester.

Edit: I should add that I cover most of the material. But sometimes we run short and I will mention briefly a concept from the reading. I never test on something I don’t cover in class, but I think it’s ok to make them read something we still don’t get time to fully discuss.

How to crush your summer reading goals

Reading takes on a sunny spotlight in the summer.

Jenny Kincaid Boone

24 Jun 2024

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Copy address link to clipboard

Summer reading lists. Poolside favorites. Best beach reads. 

Reading often takes on a sunny spotlight during the summer months.

School is out and some work and personal schedules may lend themselves to sitting down with a good book.

So what’s the best way to tackle those reading lists?

First, remember that reading is like exercising a muscle, said Jared Gibbs , senior instructor and assistant chair of the English Department at Virginia Tech. It may take time to build a reading habit.

“If you are out of the habit of reading, don’t start with ‘Moby Dick,’” Gibbs said. “Instead, choose books that keep you reading. Don’t worry about reading the right type of book, just read what interests you, what keeps you coming back. And if you just can’t get into a book, put it down and find a new one. There’s no shame in leaving a book unread.”

Gibbs offers more tips for sticking to a summer reading routine.

Do summer reading lists motivate people to read more?

Summer book lists are one way to organize that reading, though one doesn’t have to be organized about it at all. I like going to the public library and wandering the fiction stacks, stumbling upon authors I’d meant to read but forgotten about or seeing what jumps out at me from the new arrivals shelves. You don’t always have to approach reading methodically.

What are your best tips for crushing summer reading goals?

I don’t set a goal for a specific number of books to read. Instead, I keep track of the books I have read, noting the title, author, and what I thought about each one. I don’t always have much to say about a book, but sometimes I do. When the summer is over, I can look back on the list of books I have read and feel a sense of accomplishment, no matter the number. If I start with a specific goal in mind — say, 15 books — that goal is likely to be too ambitious and it just sets me up for disappointment.

I also like looking back over a book list and seeing patterns, which helps me see more clearly my own reading habits. When did I read many books quickly? When did I take longer to finish a book? What was happening to allow me to read faster or that forced me to read at a slower pace? My experience has been that this approach helps me to both read more and feel more satisfied with the reading that I do.

How should reading plans be adjusted while on vacation?

A vacation period can be a great time to do a lot of reading all at once. The key is to set realistic expectations. Is your vacation's purpose to read or are you traveling or taking time off work to do other things? A family trip to France is probably not the type of vacation that will include much reading time. But a week-long trip to the beach or to a state park can include more time for reading. 

If you are set on reading a certain number of books while on vacation, then reading should be the main purpose of that vacation — something like a reading retreat. Such a vacation may not appeal to everyone, but it’s a great way to read many books in a short time. It also helps to choose a location with poor internet and cell service, cutting down on potential distractions. 

Some people are in the middle of reading several books at one time, while others may only read one at time. What is the best strategy?  

There’s no one way to be a reader. And one’s reading habits are likely to change throughout the year. There are times when I’m working on three or four books at once. More often, though, I’m just reading two at a time — a more serious or challenging book during the day, and something lighter that I read to relax before bed.  

540-314-7207

• College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences

Related Content

We've detected unusual activity from your computer network

To continue, please click the box below to let us know you're not a robot.

Why did this happen?

Please make sure your browser supports JavaScript and cookies and that you are not blocking them from loading. For more information you can review our Terms of Service and Cookie Policy .

For inquiries related to this message please contact our support team and provide the reference ID below.

• Health Tech
• Health Insurance
• Medical Devices
• Gene Therapy
• Neuroscience
• H5N1 Bird Flu
• Health Disparities
• Infectious Disease
• Mental Health
• Cardiovascular Disease
• Chronic Disease
• Alzheimer's
• Coercive Care
• The Obesity Revolution
• The War on Recovery
• Adam Feuerstein
• Matthew Herper
• Jennifer Adaeze Okwerekwu
• Ed Silverman
• CRISPR Tracker
• Breakthrough Device Tracker
• Generative AI Tracker
• Obesity Drug Tracker
• 2024 STAT Summit
• Wunderkinds Nomination
• STAT Madness
• STAT Brand Studio

Don't miss out

Subscribe to STAT+ today, for the best life sciences journalism in the industry

Long Covid feels like a gun to my head

By Rachel Hall-Clifford June 18, 2024

I have spent my career studying infectious diseases that fall under the heading of neglected tropical diseases . Now I have a neglected disease — long Covid — an incurable (for now and for me) disease.

As a medical anthropologist working in global health, I thought I understood the despair of poor health. I didn’t. I join 7% of the U.S. adult population — or about 18 million Americans — who have experienced long Covid. Diagnosis of long Covid remains uncertain and contested , and treatments, ranging from repurposed drugs to hyperbaric oxygen, are even more so.

advertisement

I was infected with SARS-CoV2 during the Omicron wave of January 2022. It crashed through my kid’s kindergarten class and swept our household along with it. We had none of the “ underlying conditions ” that may indicate increased risks of poor outcomes from Covid (and which have been used throughout the pandemic to allay fears that dangerous outcomes would only happen to “others”). My acute infection wasn’t scary: I had fever, aches, and chills for about four days. My initial Covid aches and pains were nothing in comparison to when I had dengue fever, known as “bone break fever,” while working in Guatemala’s remote mountains.

And then I just never got better . It took a couple of months for me to realize that. I developed crushing chest pain and a heart rate that would rival a hummingbird’s. I couldn’t walk around my block without stopping to catch my breath. I was often dizzy, and my arms and legs felt like leaden sausages that had grown too big for their casings.

Related: Listen: Why Long Covid can feel scarier than a gun to the head

Like many of my global health colleagues, I love a good adventure and don’t mind flirting with danger a little. I’ll go anywhere and talk to anyone. I once talked a Guatemalan street gang out of harming my small research team as they held a Kalashnikov to our heads during a robbery. It was scary, but I didn’t fear for my life. I knew it wasn’t the end of my story. But I have thought that long Covid might be: At its worst, I wrote letters to my children in fear that I wouldn’t survive the night.

More than two years in, I’m among the luckiest of those living with long Covid. My symptoms are managed, though imperfectly. I have the academic background to follow the latest research findings and access to brilliant colleagues doing some of that work. I have the money, insurance, and health care providers that have enabled me to try several treatments.

Here’s a bit of what I’ve tried so far, all shots in the dark: A beta blocker controls my chest pain and high heart rate. A 3-month course of powerful blood thinners improved numbness and pain in my limbs. Constant use of electrolyte fluids like Gatorade and Pedialyte (ironically what I studied in graduate school) improves my dizziness and is essential for propping myself up to teach a class in a lecture hall or get through a day of Zoom meetings. My iliac vein has completely collapsed in my left leg, and my cardiologist wants me to get a stent.

I wouldn’t be able to hold down the jobs in warehouses, factories, and farms that many in my family have had.

Though my world has gotten small, and I’m not able to travel for my work as I once did, most days I feel like I just got off a long-haul flight and live in a permanent state of jet lag . I have one of those pill organizers stuffed full of medications and supplements that I hope will help at least a little. (I still struggle to reconcile my self-identity with this new reality.)

Related: NIH documents show how $1.6 billion long Covid initiative has failed so far to meet its goals

I was able to take a 15-day course of the antiviral Paxlovid , and it was the best I’ve felt in two years. For many people, the side effects of this medicine are terrible, but I never wanted its hallmark metallic tang to end. About two days after my course of Paxlovid ended, though, my symptoms crept back. Recent findings of viral persistence came as no surprise to me, and new results from a clinical trial investigating a 15-day course of Paxlovid in long Covid patients has shown no benefit .

I am now taking (at great cost) maraviroc , an antiviral used to treat HIV, which helps partially control my symptoms. I recently slid into the whirring tomb of an MRI machine to try to find an explanation for persistent post-Covid migraines in my brain, but that was a dead end. Nothing was found, and I don’t know whether to be disappointed or relieved.

I admit I am scared. This is not a funny story I will tell colleagues over drinks later. There’s no gangland drug lord to negotiate with this time. Instead, I spend a lot of my time lying in the dark (I’m here now, even as I type this) negotiating with god and science to make me — and all of us suffering with long Covid and other post-viral illnesses — better. It’s surprisingly been the short periods when I have felt better that are the most upsetting, as they highlight how terrible I feel most of the time.

So I fake it. I need the pretense of being my old, fearless self. I need to discuss interesting things with colleagues and teach and run my lab. I need to take the snacks to soccer and help my kids with homework. That’s what makes me who I am, even as I playact a poor facsimile of my healthy self that requires hours (sometimes days) of recovery time afterwards.

I will continue to bargain with the universe to get to live the life I have worked to build for myself. I want that for everyone. My work in global health has shown me both the fragility of life but also the value of fighting for everyone’s right to a full and healthy life.

Sign up for First Opinion

The smartest thinkers in life sciences on what's happening — and what's to come

I understand that no one cares much about Covid anymore. It’s been a long haul for all of us, even those who aren’t “long haulers.” I hope everyone who hasn’t experienced long Covid never really understand what I’m talking about — what others with chronic illness and disability have tried to teach us — that our abled bodies are only temporary. Long Covid and the SARS-CoV-2 infections that cause it are harsh teachers.

I am inspired by the work of the long Covid Patient-Led Research Collaborative and the research being done to uncover the causes of and cures for long Covid. But it’s not enough. Given the widespread burden of disease and the losses to the economy and social fabric it is causing in the U.S. and around the globe, the U.S. government must act quickly and decisively to curb long Covid. The Long Covid Moonshot is a collective advocating for $1 billion in annual research funding for long Covid, akin to the Operation Warp Speed that enabled the first generation of Covid-19 vaccines. U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) recently released a Long Covid Moonshot legislative proposal . Bipartisan support for long Covid is essential so that someday no one needs to care about Covid and its lasting effects.

Long Covid feels like living with a gun to my head. Please pull the trigger on the moonshot.

Rachel Hall-Clifford, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of global health, human health, and sociology at Emory University in Atlanta.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Have an opinion on this essay submit a letter to the editor here ., about the author reprints, rachel hall-clifford.

STAT encourages you to share your voice. We welcome your commentary, criticism, and expertise on our subscriber-only platform, STAT+ Connect

To submit a correction request, please visit our Contact Us page .

Recommended

Recommended Stories

Two years since Dobbs, reproductive freedom must be protected from assault

To reduce suicide, primary care and mental health clinicians need to work together. Congress can help that happen

STAT Plus: A primer on HELIOS-B, an enormous stock-moving event for Alnylam Pharmaceuticals

STAT Plus: Top FDA official Peter Marks overruled staff, review team to approve Sarepta gene therapy

STAT Plus: What the Sarepta decision means for Duchenne patients, the company, and the FDA

NBA mock draft: 58 picks as trade talks heat up for 30 teams

The 2024 NBA draft in New York is a week away (June 26-27 on ABC/ESPN/ESPN+), and the 30 teams are well into their pre-draft process for working out top candidates and narrowing down their draft boards, helping us get a better feel for how the first round, especially, might unfold.

Trade talks are at an early stage but beginning to take shape to an extent as different scenarios are being laid out from NBA decision-makers depending on how the draft evolves.

The Atlanta Hawks , who won the draft lottery to claim the No. 1 pick, seem to be honing in on either Zaccharie Risacher or Donovan Clingan but might have trade opportunities at their disposal on draft night, especially if the San Antonio Spurs are interested in making a deal.

Hawks general manager Landry Fields said Monday the Hawks are currently satisfied with their situation. "Today, we're planning on picking one," Fields said. "I don't think it would be wise for us not to go over scenarios, even ones that may present later on with different teams."

There's still lots left to play out over the coming week, but ranges for players are being solidified as NBA teams voted on the 25 players they'd like to see invited to the Barclays Center green room, with a handful more players to be added still to the 21-player list that has already been revealed .

Draft experts Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo considered the draft board and the likely players available at each spot to update the ESPN 2024 NBA mock draft accordingly. Their latest mock, which reflects exhaustive evaluation of the 2024 draft class and considers intel gathered from conversations with scouts and front office personnel, also accounts for picks owed and owned by all 30 teams.

First round

1. Atlanta Hawks

Zaccharie Risacher , SF, Bourg (France) | Age: 19.1

The Hawks casted a wide net through the pre-draft process, aggressively recruiting nearly every prospect in the lottery for workouts while also bringing in players projected outside that range, indicating the team is preparing for different strategies depending on what it learns and potential trade opportunities.

While it appears the Hawks are far from making final decisions, many teams say their intel indicates Risacher remains the favorite at No. 1, partially because of the dual-track flexibility he offers of either remaining competitive next season or tapping into his upside as the type of big, versatile wing that is difficult to acquire outside the draft. The Hawks will bring Risacher in for a workout Wednesday, his first with the team thus far, which should help add clarity regarding his standing.

The Hawks have been unable to bring Alex Sarr in for a workout to this point, but the door remains open for that to potentially happen. Clingan appears to be Risacher's main rival at No. 1. His workout -- where he shot the ball extremely well, showed surprisingly good passing ability operating out of short rolls and was impressive both in film study and in interviews -- helped his draft standing and makes him as possible sleeper selection here, as we've discussed for several weeks.

The status of Atlanta's Trae Young is the big question hovering over the franchise. One option that has been widely discussed among teams is the possibility of the Hawks reacquiring their unprotected 2025 first-round pick from San Antonio (perhaps in a swap for the No. 4 pick), which would give the team far more flexibility for rebuilding. That would currently be difficult to fathom, with their next three draft picks (2025, 2026 swap rights and 2027) owned by the Spurs.

The Hawks worked out Reed Sheppard last week and Clingan before that, two attractive options at No. 4 should they elect to slide back. Atlanta also brought in Matas Buzelis , Cody Williams and Ron Holland for workouts. -- Givony

2. Washington Wizards

Alex Sarr , PF/C, Perth (Australia) | Age: 19.1

Rival teams have largely viewed the Wizards as a landing spot for Risacher or Sarr, depending which direction the Hawks go. That line of thinking has held up so far, although the radio silence out of Washington has some teams still curious about its intentions at No. 2.

That said, Sarr has not yet gone to Atlanta and did work out for Washington last week. The Wizards did quite a bit of homework (and travel) to evaluate him during the course of his season with Perth. Stephon Castle , Clingan, Buzelis and Williams are among the other top prospects that have worked out for the Wizards. Some of those players feel more like contingencies, whether it's via trade, or if Sarr goes No. 1, but the Wizards have done their due diligence.

Washington has the runway available to be patient with Sarr's development, making it a strong fit for him -- and vice versa -- on paper. Sarr arguably has the greatest upside available here, with the physical attributes to be a top defender, as well as the makings of a useful offensive skill set as a finisher and improving floor-spacer. -- Woo

3. Houston Rockets (via Nets )

Reed Sheppard , PG/SG, Kentucky | Age: 19.9

It feels like Sheppard's range of draft outcomes is quite narrow at this point. The Rockets have demonstrated serious interest in him at No. 3, with both the front office and ownership intrigued by his fit as a shooter and playmaker next to their established young talent.

Should Houston decide to trade back or go another direction, San Antonio is also quite intrigued with Sheppard and will be in position to pounce one pick later. He has also worked out for the Hawks (as a trade-back option) and Charlotte Hornets (who are also thought to be fans, and look like his backstop at No. 6), but the odds seem to be in favor of Sheppard relocating to Texas.

Houston has been testing the market for this pick, which holds trade value due in part to the thought that Clingan, who many teams view as a potential trade-up target, will be available if the first two picks go as currently expected. Regardless, Sheppard's shooting ability, intangibles and room for growth as a playmaker have put him in position to be the first guard off the board, completing his ascent from a November curiosity into a full-blown lottery talent. -- Woo

Look back at Reed Sheppard's best plays from his lone season at Kentucky.

4. San Antonio Spurs

Stephon Castle , PG/SG, UConn | Age: 19.6

If two top targets -- Risacher (who will work out with San Antonio on Friday) and Sheppard (worked out last week) -- are already off the board, it wouldn't be surprising if the Spurs looked to bolster their backcourt with the next two top guard prospects on ESPN's Big Board in Castle and Rob Dillingham with the No. 4 and No. 8 picks.

With Darius Garland unlikely to be attainable from Cleveland, and uncertainty around Trae Young's candidacy, it might make sense to add two top-tier guard prospects who can play in different lineup configurations and roles, especially if the Spurs can secure a commitment from a veteran point guard -- for example, Chris Paul -- to mentor the next generation.

The Spurs -- one of the worst shooting teams in the NBA last season -- need to find ways to better space the floor for Victor Wembanyama next season, which would point to players such as Sheppard, Dillingham and Dalton Knecht , but also have long been enamored with positional size, length and intangibles of prospects such as Castle and, to a lesser extent, Williams.

Castle's defensive versatility, unselfishness and secondary playmaking prowess would be valued additions to the Spurs' lineup provided he can make enough perimeter shots to keep defenses honest. He played an important role in UConn's national championship run, showing a willingness to do the little things needed to help his team win. The 19-year-old has plenty of upside to tap into with strong physical tools. He worked out in San Antonio against Devin Carter last week. -- Givony

Check out some highlights that have made UConn's Stephon Castle a top NBA draft prospect.

5. Detroit Pistons

Matas Buzelis , SF/PF, G League Ignite | Age: 19.6

Buzelis scheduled workouts with Atlanta and Washington, but for weeks now, rival teams have largely viewed Detroit as his likely landing spot. At this point, the Pistons haven't worked out other players who are ticketed for the high lottery, contributing to the idea that Detroit is the probable floor for him.

The Pistons are transitioning under new president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon's leadership, but their interest in Buzelis predated his hiring.

Currently other teams are viewing this as a likely marriage. Buzelis fits Detroit's timeline, positional needs and has the type of size and versatility at forward that Langdon's former group tended to favor (and had success with) during his five years as general manager in New Orleans. -- Woo

6. Charlotte Hornets

Dalton Knecht , SF, Tennessee | Age: 23.1

Knecht's draft range is appearing increasingly small, with teams in the Nos. 4-9 range all expressing significant interest, except Detroit at No. 5.

Charlotte has worked out Knecht, and his fit alongside LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller appears to be strong with the perimeter shooting and all-around scoring prowess he offers. If Knecht isn't picked at No. 6, it might be because a player such as Sheppard or Castle (both of whom Charlotte has worked out) became available.

Rival teams say they would be surprised to see Knecht fall past both Portland and San Antonio at No. 7 and No. 8, where he also seems to be coveted. Buzelis worked out with Charlotte as well, along with Ja'Kobe Walter . -- Givony

7. Portland Trail Blazers

Donovan Clingan , C, UConn | Age: 20.3

Ranked No. 3 in ESPN's Top 100 , Clingan is viewed by many rival teams as a legitimate candidate for the Hawks at No. 1, making him a key piece of the puzzle in projecting this draft.

Clingan is also viewed as a potential trade-up target for teams, including the Memphis Grizzlies , which could lead to him coming off the board ahead of this spot. However, the Rockets, Spurs, Pistons and Hornets don't appear to be landing spots for Clingan, so there are also scenarios in which he falls to No. 7.

Portland would presumably be thrilled with that, as Clingan is the best player available and would supply long-term defensive backbone for a team still laying its foundation in the frontcourt. -- Woo

8. San Antonio Spurs

Rob Dillingham , PG, Kentucky | Age: 19.4

Dillingham has been unable to work out for teams for much of the pre-draft process because of an ankle injury; however, he completed his combine testing Friday to cement his eligibility requirements for the draft. His inactivity thus far has caused some speculation around the league that he could fall toward the back of the lottery or out of it, but he's an option for guard-needy San Antonio, particularly if the Spurs are unable to draft his college teammate Reed Sheppard at No 4.

Dillingham will work out for the Spurs on Wednesday, with Detroit lined up, and Utah and Chicago expressing interest. The guard, who played for Chris Paul's Nike EYBL team (Team CP3), has a natural creativity as a scorer, but lack of size and defensive acumen make him a polarizing prospect. He's the type of talent teams are often willing to swing on, particularly the further he falls down the board.

If the Spurs go another direction, the Jazz and Bulls could be landing spots in the late lottery, and if he falls past those teams, it shouldn't be too far. -- Woo

9. Memphis Grizzlies

Cody Williams , SG/SF, Colorado | Age: 19.5

Williams will end up working out for nearly every team in the top 10 (with the exception of Houston), with Memphis being his latest stop this past weekend. Teams outside that range haven't been able to get him in, indicating his camp feels comfortable with where he'll end up and the feedback they've received to this point.

Ranked No. 12 in ESPN's Top 100 , Williams has the physical tools every NBA team is looking for at 6-foot-8 in shoes with a 7-1 wingspan. His outstanding early-season play from November through January had some NBA teams wondering if he could make a run at the No. 1 pick prior to him being derailed by injuries.

He's a late bloomer who has shown playmaking, defensive versatility and perimeter shooting that can hopefully be harnessed into more consistent skills down the road, and could be a sleeper pick for a team selecting earlier even, with teams in the Nos. 5-8 range also studying his candidacy closely. He has even worked out in Atlanta, who holds the No. 1 pick. -- Givony

10. Utah Jazz

Nikola Topic , PG, Mega MIS (Adriatic League) | Age: 18.8

Topic was one of 20 players voted into the draft's green room by teams, which is a good sign for his stock stabilizing in the wake of his ACL tear diagnosis at the draft combine in Treviso, Italy. Topic is in the U.S. visiting teams, with Portland (Nos. 7 and 14) San Antonio (No. 8), Memphis (No. 9), Utah (No. 10) being on the schedule.

A team picking him will likely need to be comfortable with the idea of a redshirt season next year with long-term thinking in mind, similar to how Chet Holmgren , Joel Embiid , Michael Porter Jr . or Blake Griffin started their NBA careers. Utah might feel a degree of regret for not going more all-in on positioning themselves for draft picks the past two years and could potentially consider that strategy at some point.

Drafting Topic and trying to make a run at Cooper Flagg next year might not be the worst idea, something that could prove difficult with an All-Star in Lauri Markkanen in the fold and one of the NBA's best young coaches in Will Hardy. -- Givony

11. Chicago Bulls

Devin Carter , PG/SG, Providence | Age: 22.2

Carter has been one of the hottest names on the workout circuit, with some teams now believing he'll come off the board in the top 10. His tenacity, reliability and two-way skill set gives him strong upside for an older guard. Carter, ranked No. 13 in ESPN's Top 100 , is known primarily for his defense, but has made significant strides as a scorer in the past year that have helped reframe how teams view his upside.

Teams' confidence in what he supplies has bolstered his draft stock, with every team in the Nos. 8-11 range looking like a possible landing spot.

There's also some chatter that multiple teams currently drafting outside the lottery have interest in trading up to select him. After trading Alex Caruso to Oklahoma City , Carter would be an excellent option to slot into his role. -- Woo

12. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Rockets )

Tidjane Salaun , PF, Cholet (France) | Age: 18.8

Salaun is one of the tougher lottery prospects to peg in terms of a draft range, as he has had limited time to conduct workouts after recently arriving from Europe. Quite a few teams would like to get to know him better. Salaun, ranked No. 9 in ESPN's Top 100 , conducted workouts with Portland, Sacramento and Oklahoma City before spraining his ankle this past weekend in San Antonio, which might prevent him from working out in scheduled visits with Detroit and Charlotte.

Despite that setback, it's hard to find many prospects who share the upside Salaun does at 6-10, with an outstanding frame, length, shot-making prowess and defensive intensity. He is also one of the youngest players in this draft at 18 and will likely need patience and reps to find his footing with the questionable awareness he shows and mistake-prone style he displays on both ends of the floor at times.

Oklahoma City traded Josh Giddey to the Chicago Bulls for Alex Caruso Wednesday. The Thunder could continue to be aggressive this week if they choose with their huge stockpile of draft picks and intriguing young players that could get them virtually anywhere they want on draft night or go after more veterans. -- Givony

13. Sacramento Kings

Ron Holland , SF, G League Ignite | Age: 18.9

Sacramento has explored trade options with this pick, but there will be a range of quality players on the board if the Kings stand pat -- they might be content to simply see who falls to No. 13. Holland has worked out for a wide range of teams, from Atlanta at No. 1 down to the Heat at No. 15, and it's still not quite clear where his backstop lies.

Presuming the Kings are on track to retain Malik Monk and maintain their backcourt, taking a swing on a wing such as Holland or a frontcourt player could be a smart direction.

Landing on a Sacramento team with established talent and roles, which won't ask Holland to be an offensive focal point, could be ideal long term for his game. That move would allow Holland to get back to his roots as a tough defender and high-energy contributor. -- Woo

14. Portland Trail Blazers (via Warriors )

Ja'Kobe Walter , SG/SF, Baylor | Age: 19.7

Walter, ranked No. 14 in ESPN's Top 100 , has kept a pretty low profile during the pre-draft process, mostly conducting one-on-zero workouts in places such as Detroit, Charlotte, San Antonio, Utah and Sacramento. He was among the first 12 players invited to the draft green room, which is a positive sign for his standing among teams.

Walter's combination of length, dynamic shot-making prowess, intensity, youth and outstanding off-court intangibles give him both a high floor and an attractive archetype every team is looking for with a 3-and-D wing with upside to grow.

He's likely to get looks from all the teams in the mid-to-late lottery looking for wing depth, and he'll have plenty of suitors in the teens hoping he falls to them. -- Givony

15. Miami Heat

Zach Edey , C, Purdue | Age: 22.0

Edey, ranked No. 16 in ESPN's Top 100 , is drawing interest from teams that are drafting in front and behind Miami, with every team in the back half of the lottery after San Antonio said to be in the market for a center. Utah, Portland and Sacramento were some of his latest stops on the workout circuit, and he might end up visiting the Los Angeles Lakers as well.

Edey's combination of size, power and intensity has been difficult to contain in a workout setting, as there simply aren't many players in this draft equipped to slow him down.

He was one of 21 players voted by NBA teams for an invitation to the green room, but has decided he will watch the draft from West Lafayette, Indiana instead with his coaches, teammates and family. He is the only player to decline the in-person opportunity. -- Givony

Take a look at some of the top plays from Purdue's Zach Edey ahead of the 2024 NBA draft.

16. Philadelphia 76ers

Jared McCain , PG, Duke | Age: 20.3

McCain appears to be firmly inside the top 20 at this point, earning a green room invitation and having enjoyed a positive pre-draft process. There's interest in him from teams in the late lottery, and the Heat, 76ers and Lakers are all possibilities, creating what looks like a narrow range.

As an excellent shooter with impressive intangibles that have bolstered his case in the short and long term, McCain is well-prepared for an NBA adjustment and could be on a faster track to making an impact than your typical freshman. His ability to play both backcourt spots intelligently and provide immediate spacing has plenty of appeal to any team in need of shooting or guard depth.

If the 76ers keep this pick -- which they may instead use as a trade chip -- that type of skill set would make a lot of sense next to Tyrese Maxey . -- Woo

17. Los Angeles Lakers

Tristan Da Silva , SF/PF, Colorado | Age: 23.0

Da Silva was a surprising omission from the NBA's early green-room list, but he may still earn an invitation, with firm interest in inside the top 20. He has interest as high as Memphis at No. 9, but will likely fall into the next range, where an array of playoff-caliber teams, including the Kings, Heat, Sixers, and Lakers, are all interested in his services.

Da Silva's versatility at either forward spot on both ends and reliable 3-point shooting give him a good pathway to minutes next season, although his ceiling isn't perceived quite as high as some of the younger players in this range. -- Woo

18. Orlando Magic

Johnny Furphy , SG/SF, Kansas | Age: 19.5

Furphy was one of 21 players to receive an invite to the draft's green room, which was not particularly surprising as he is drawing strong interest, starting with Memphis at No. 9, extending throughout the teens and ending with Cleveland at No. 20.

Furphy's size at 6-9 and multipositional versatility operating in different lineup configurations makes him an attractive target for the many teams in that range that are looking for shooting, including Chicago at No. 11, Sacramento at No. 13, Philadelphia at No. 16, Orlando at No. 18 and Toronto at No. 19.

Ranked No. 18 in ESPN's Top 100 , Furphy brings toughness, activity and youth, with the upside to grow thanks to his steep development trajectory. -- Givony

19. Toronto Raptors (via Pacers )

Kyshawn George , SG/SF, Miami | Age: 20.5

Which direction the Raptors decide to go with this pick might indicate how much longer they intend to retool, entering what might be more of a transition season due to the youth of their roster. George would be a long-view pick, and appears to be trending as a top-20 selection after earning a green-room invite.

He has interest starting in the late lottery down into the 20s, but also has a bit of a wide range. George, ranked No. 19 in ESPN's Top 100 , will have a big adjustment ahead in terms of physicality, and teams have some concern about his struggles getting to the rim and competing on the defensive end. However, big wings who are playmakers, can handle and shoot are always attractive to develop.

His blend of size, guard skills and perimeter shooting gives him a good developmental blueprint, but he's a pick that will likely take some time to bear out. -- Woo

20. Cleveland Cavaliers

Carlton Carrington , PG/SG, Pittsburgh | Age: 18.9

Carrington was not in the group of 21 players receiving an invite to the draft, but he could end up being one of the final four or so players to get a nod later this week, as he's in the conversation for teams earlier than this pick.

He has been visiting teams primarily in the Nos. 10-to-20 range, with franchises looking for point guards such as Utah, Miami and Orlando being especially interesting landing spots. The week prior to the draft might see teams in different ranges travel to watch him in Dallas to prepare for alternative contingencies, including trade scenarios that could shake up the draft order.

Carrington's upside stands out as one of the youngest players in the draft, who was able to carve out a significant role in the ACC showing off his talent as a plus-sized ballhandling guard who can shoot off the bounce and pass off a live dribble. He brings intensity defensively despite his lack of strength and high-end explosiveness.

Carrington, ranked No. 20 in ESPN's Top 100 , will need time and seasoning to be ready to play meaningful NBA minutes, but his youth, versatility and feel for the game gives him a high ceiling in a draft lacking somewhat in that department. -- Givony

21. New Orleans Pelicans (via Bucks )

Yves Missi , C, Baylor | Age: 20.0

Missi earned a green-room invite and is in the mix for a range of teams in need of long-term help at center, with the Lakers, Pelicans and Bucks all shaping up among potential landing spots. He has been a popular name on the workout circuit, and he has proved himself head-to-head against other bigs in this range, and in turn, generated confidence that he can handle the amount of physical, demanding work he'll be asked to do to succeed in the NBA.

His athletic profile and room for development at an early stage of his career have made him intriguing as someone who can play a useful rim-running style in time. Addressing the center position, with Jonas Valanciunas headed to free agency, will be an offseason priority for New Orleans as it tinkers with the personnel around Zion Williamson . -- Woo

22. Phoenix Suns

Tyler Kolek , PG, Marquette | Age: 23.2

Kolek, ranked No. 26 in ESPN's Top 100 , has been one of the big risers of the pre-draft process, showing his unique blend of toughness, skill, experience and feel for the game in every pre-draft workout.

He has worked out for teams picking as high as the mid-to-late lottery (San Antonio, Utah) and has fans throughout the teens portion of the draft, ending with Orlando and Toronto at No. 18 and No. 19. The success of older, physically underwhelming point guards such as Jalen Brunson and T.J. McConnell seems to be causing teams to look at players like Kolek in a different light.

The Suns, where Kolek is headed for a workout later this week, are viewed as an especially interesting destination considering their lack of depth at point guard and need for an experienced playmaker who can operate on and off the ball. -- Givony

23. Milwaukee Bucks (via Pelicans )

Kel'el Ware , C, Indiana | Age: 20.1

Ware was viewed to be building solid momentum in the pre-draft process but wasn't among the 21 players voted by teams into the draft green room, something that could still change once the final wave of invites is released later this week.

He has casted a wide net in workouts thus far, conducting more than a dozen to this point with teams ranging from the late lottery to the end of the first round. Milwaukee, a team he visited, has a clear need at center, with Brook Lopez , 36, entering the final season of his contract, and Bobby Portis able to opt out next summer.

Ware's ability to both pop or roll gives him coveted flexibility he can tap into, along with his solid rebounding and shot-blocking prowess. At 7-1, talent is certainly not a question mark for the 20-year-old, making him a solid value play for any of the teams picking in this range. -- Givony

Check out some of the highlights that have made Kel'el Ware a top NBA draft prospect.

24. New York Knicks (via Mavericks )

Kyle Filipowski , PF/C, Duke | Age: 20.6

Filipowski appears to have a wide range on draft night, as he appears to be firmly in the conversation for several teams picking in the teens while other teams in the 20s say they expect him to be available when they pick.

Being among the 21 players voted by teams into the draft night green room was a good sign for his standing, as there will almost certainly be a market for a player with his skill set at some point in the first round. Filipowski's ability to handle, pass and shoot is difficult to come by at 7-foot, and the dearth of versatile bigs who can play inside and out will surely be attractive to a team picking in this range -- should he fall this far.

Most teams don't expect the Knicks to keep both of their first-round picks, meaning this selection might very well end up in another team's hands. Trading one of their two picks for a future first-rounder would likely help for trade flexibility down the road, but it remains to be seen what the market will look like on draft night, as picks in the early second round are being viewed as valuable ones due to the salary cap and luxury tax flexibility they offer. -- Givony

25. New York Knicks

Ryan Dunn , SF/PF, Virginia | Age: 21.4

The Knicks are among the teams believed to be highest on Dunn long term, due to his defensive versatility and knack for creating turnovers and blocking shots on the wing. His poor jump shooting and wavering confidence as a scorer will be something he'll have to work to overcome, but he has showcased his strengths on the workout circuit and has left room for optimism around his long-term chances of offensive growth.

The Knicks, with a defensive-minded coach in Tom Thibodeau, are likely to value the unique production and tools the No. 34 prospect in ESPN's Top 100 brings to the table, and might be more interested than most in being patient with Dunn (who is a Long Island native) as he comes along offensively.

Rival teams expect New York may trade one of these picks in the 20s, so it's possible another team selects for the Knicks here. -- Woo

26. Washington Wizards (via Clippers )

Isaiah Collier , PG, USC | Age: 19.6

While it seems unlikely at this point that Collier, once viewed as a top prospect in this class and now ranked No. 22 in ESPN's Top 100 , comes off the board in the lottery, he did receive a green-room invitation and now represents an interesting value pick for teams that can swing on his playmaking talent.

Collier does have interest from teams in the late lottery, but there are realistic scenarios in which he falls toward the back of the first round. It can be difficult for competitive teams to find minutes for a point guard whose key areas for improvement are decision-making and long-range shooting -- logically, Collier might need G League time, particularly if he lands with a playoff-level team. He is a gifted athlete and passer with good size on the ball.

Drafting a talent such as Collier in this back part of the first round would be terrific value for the Wizards if he slides to No. 26. -- Woo

27. Minnesota Timberwolves

Terrence Shannon Jr. , SG/SF, Illinois | Age: 23.8

Shannon was acquitted last week and found not guilty of rape and sexual battery charges , a case NBA teams had been following closely. The clarity offered by the court ruling should put front offices and ownership groups at ease, and it reopens a path for Shannon back into the first round, where he will now conduct workouts for a handful of teams going into draft night.

It's quite possible Shannon hears his name called well before this pick at No. 27, with many teams in the top 25 expressing interest. He has an opportunity to work his way up the board in the days to come. His athletic tools have always been NBA-caliber, but his development at Illinois into a more consistent two-way contributor helped raise the perception around his floor as a useful rotation player.

A playoff-caliber team like the Timberwolves might be excited to see him fall here. -- Woo

28. Denver Nuggets

DaRon Holmes II , PF/C, Dayton | Age: 21.8

Most NBA teams are operating under the assumption Holmes has received a promise from the Nuggets, although it is possible the team might attempt to trade down a few spots into the second round to draft him for financial reasons.

Holmes canceled a half-dozen workouts shortly after the NCAA withdrawal deadline, with several smoking guns pointing in Denver's direction, a scenario that is similar to what we saw play out last year with Jalen Pickett . -- Givony

29. Utah Jazz (via Thunder )

Baylor Scheierman , SG/SF, Creighton | Age: 23.7

Many teams expect Scheierman to come off the draft board in the 20s, with his mix of shooting, craftiness and positional size likely to make him immediately useful coming off an NBA bench.

The No. 25-ranked prospect in ESPN's Top 100 has workouts scheduled with Utah, New Orleans and Denver in the coming days. The Jazz can go a variety of directions with three picks in the first 32 selections, and should have the ability to balance drafting for need as well as long-term upside. In this scenario, after taking the long view with Topic at No. 10, a more rotation-ready option such as Scheierman makes sense here. -- Woo

30. Boston Celtics

Pacome Dadiet , SG/SF, Ratiopharm Ulm | Age: 18.8

Dadiet, ranked No. 29 in ESPN's Top 100 , elected to remain in the draft at the NBA's withdrawal deadline Sunday, a sign he is receiving positive enough feedback to feel comfortable with where he might end up being drafted.

Utah and Boston are some of the teams connected with Dadiet at the end of the first round, and he is also expected to visit Orlando, Miami, Philadelphia, San Antonio, Milwaukee and Brooklyn in his short time in the U.S. due to his mandatory appearance at the draft combine in Treviso, Italy, the first week of June.

Dadiet's combination of size (6-9), youth and shot-making prowess gives him an interesting upside to grow into long term, something that could be attractive at this stage of the draft. -- Givony

Take a trip down memory lane and relive Bronny James' young career ahead of the 2024 NBA draft.

Second round

31. Toronto Raptors (via Pistons ) Jaylon Tyson , SG/SF, California | Age: 21.5

32. Utah Jazz (via Wizards ) Bobi Klintman , SF/PF, Cairns (Australia) | Age: 21.2

33. Milwaukee Bucks (via Trail Blazers ) Tyler Smith , SF/PF, G League Ignite | Age: 19.6

34. Portland Trail Blazers (via Hornets ) Cam Christie , SG, Minnesota | Age: 18.8

35. San Antonio Spurs Juan Nunez , PG, Ratiopharm Ulm (Germany) | Age: 20.0

36. Indiana Pacers (via Raptors ) A.J. Johnson , SG, Illawarra (Australia) | Age: 19.5

37. Minnesota Timberwolves (via Grizzlies ) Adem Bona , C, UCLA | Age: 21.2

38. New York Knicks (via Jazz )

Kevin McCullar , SF, Kansas | Age: 23.2

39. Memphis Grizzlies (via Nets )

Justin Edwards , SG/SF, Kentucky | Age: 20.4

40. Portland Trail Blazers (via Hawks ) Melvin Ajinca , SG/SF, Saint Quentin (France) | Age: 19.9

41. Philadelphia 76ers (via Bulls ) Pelle Larsson , SG, Arizona | Age: 23.3

42. Charlotte Hornets (via Rockets ) Jonathan Mogbo , PF/C, San Francisco | Age: 22.6

43. Miami Heat Jamal Shead , PG, Houston | Age: 21.8

44. Houston Rockets (via Warriors ) Ulrich Chomche , PF/C, NBA Academy Showcase (Africa) | Age: 18.4

45. Sacramento Kings Harrison Ingram , SF/PF, North Carolina | Age: 21.5

46. LA Clippers (via Pacers ) Ajay Mitchell , PG, UC Santa Barbara | Age: 21.9

47. Orlando Magic Jaylen Wells , SG/SF, Washington State | Age: 20.8

48. San Antonio Spurs (via Lakers ) Cam Spencer , SG, UConn | Age: 24.1

49. Indiana Pacers (via Cavaliers ) Nikola Djurisic , SG/SF, Mega MIS (Adriatic League) | Age: 20.3

50. Indiana Pacers (via Pelicans ) Dillon Jones , SF/PF, Weber State | Age: 22.6

51. Washington Wizards (via Suns ) Keshad Johnson , PF, Arizona | Age: 22.9

52. Golden State Warriors (via Bucks ) KJ Simpson , PG, Colorado | Age: 21.8

53. Detroit Pistons (via Knicks ) Jalen Bridges , SF, Baylor | Age: 23.0

54. Boston Celtics (via Mavericks ) Antonio Reeves, SG/SF, Kentucky | Age: 23.5

55. Los Angeles Lakers (via Clippers ) Bronny James , PG/SG, USC | Age: 19.6

56. Denver Nuggets (via Timberwolves ) Oso Ighodaro , PF/C, Marquette | Age: 21.9

57. Memphis Grizzlies (via Thunder ) Enrique Freeman , PF/C, Akron | Age: 23.8

58. Dallas Mavericks (via Celtics ) Trentyn Flowers , SG/SF, Adelaide (Australia) | Age: 19.2

Jonathan Givony is an NBA draft expert and the founder and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a private scouting and analytics service used by NBA, NCAA and international teams.

Jeremy Woo is an NBA analyst specializing in prospect evaluation and the draft. He was previously a staff writer and draft insider at Sports Illustrated.

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

Guest Essay

Something’s Rotten About the Justices Taking So Long on Trump’s Immunity Case

By Leah Litman

Ms. Litman is a professor at the University of Michigan Law School, a host of the “Strict Scrutiny” podcast and a former clerk to the Supreme Court justice Anthony Kennedy.

For those looking for the hidden hand of politics in what the Supreme Court does, there’s plenty of reason for suspicion on Donald Trump’s as-yet-undecided immunity case given its urgency. There are, of course, explanations that have nothing to do with politics for why a ruling still hasn’t been issued. But the reasons to think something is rotten at the court are impossible to ignore.

On Feb. 28, the justices agreed to hear Mr. Trump’s claim that he is immune from prosecution on charges that he plotted to subvert the 2020 election. The court scheduled oral arguments in the case for the end of April. That eight-week interval is much quicker than the ordinary Supreme Court briefing process, which usually extends for at least 10 weeks . But it’s considerably more drawn out than the schedule the court established earlier this year on a challenge from Colorado after that state took Mr. Trump off its presidential primary ballot. The court agreed to hear arguments on the case a mere month after accepting it and issued its decision less than a month after the argument. Mr. Trump prevailed, 9-0.

Nearly two months have passed since the justices heard lawyers for the former president and for the special counsel’s office argue the immunity case. The court is dominated by conservatives nominated by Republican presidents. Every passing day further delays a potential trial on charges related to Mr. Trump’s efforts to remain in office after losing the 2020 election and his role in the events that led to the storming of the Capitol; indeed, at this point, even if the court rules that Mr. Trump has limited or no immunity, it is unlikely a verdict will be delivered before the election.

The immunity case is not the only big case hanging fire. Some two dozen remain undecided that were argued even before the April 25 oral argument over Mr. Trump’s immunity. A case on gun rights for domestic abusers under a restraining order was argued in November; cases involving the power of federal agencies and a multibillion-dollar settlement for opioid victims were heard in December and January; the court also has yet to decide whether upwind states must cut emissions that affect the air quality in downwind states. That case was argued in February.

The court is a busy place, though the justices are completing decisions at the second slowest rate since the 1946 term, according to a recent article in The Wall Street Journal. The court tries to wrap up its business for the term that began in October by the end of June. It’s not shocking that cases argued later in the term end up being decided later, especially because by the end of April, when the immunity case was heard, the court was still working to finish cases argued months earlier. April was also among the court’s busiest months: The justices heard 10 cases.

But these seemingly mundane, process explanations overlook some of the particulars in the immunity case. Mr. Trump’s lawyers put together a set of arguments that are so outlandish they shouldn’t take much time to dispatch. Among them is the upside-down claim that, because the Constitution specifies that an officer who is convicted in an impeachment proceeding may subsequently face a criminal trial, the Constitution actually requires an impeachment conviction before there is any criminal punishment.

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and  log into  your Times account, or  subscribe  for all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber?  Log in .

Want all of The Times?  Subscribe .