The Homework Continuum Deluxe (why homework isn’t just one thing)(Video)

Hey everybody, this is Seth with SethPerler.com, and I’m glad you’re here.

Look, this is an important day because I’m about to teach you about the Homework Continuum Deluxe.

Now you might be asking yourself, what makes it “deluxe”?

And the answer is: absolutely nothing.

I just think it sounds cool, and I have low self-esteem and think “deluxe” makes it sound cooler and makes me sound cooler, so it helps me out a little bit.

If you can accept that, we’re going to be good.

All right, here we go.

How you doing?

All right.

I’m going to tell you something serious: the Homework Continuum.

The reason this is so important is because the students I work with struggle. They are right-brain thinkers. They’re not getting grades that reflect their intelligence, creativity, or potential.

These students often—pretty much always—struggle with executive function.

Executive function is the brain’s ability to execute a task.

For example, picking up this marker is a very simple task and doesn’t require much executive function. But doing homework requires a lot of executive function.

And the mistake that students, parents, and teachers make is that they think of “homework” as one thing.

“Go do your homework.”

“I’ve got to do my homework.”

It sounds like one thing, but it’s actually many things.

I’m going to break that down for you right now.

The value of understanding the Homework Continuum—and breaking it into small chunks—is that you can examine each part individually and find real solutions for each step.

There is a beginning and there is an end to homework, and I’m going to walk you through it.

1. Clear assignment

At the very beginning, the homework has to be assigned.

And it has to be clearly assigned.

A lot of the students I work with don’t understand the assignment clearly. Sometimes it’s not clearly written down. Sometimes teachers don’t make it clear online. Sometimes it’s unclear even on the paper itself.

So even understanding what the homework is becomes a step in itself.

If the teacher assigns it verbally in class, that can also be a problem. Students may be distracted, stressed, bored, or disengaged. They may be talking, taking notes, or simply not fully processing it.

Some students may also have auditory processing difficulties.

So even just accurately understanding the assignment is one step.

2. Accurately recording the homework

Next, the student has to record the assignment correctly.

That might mean:

• Writing it down

• Using a planner

• Checking online systems

• Looking at the worksheet carefully

Using a planner effectively—the right planner, the right way—is especially important for many students.

So this step alone is its own challenge: accurately capturing what the homework is.

3. Remembering to do it

Next, the student has to remember the assignment exists.

Once they leave school, they have to remember to check their planner or recall that the assignment even exists.

This involves working memory—the brain’s ability to hold and manage information, like juggling multiple ideas at once.

Without working memory support, this step breaks down quickly.

4. Self-starting (task initiation)

Next is self-starting.

In executive function terms, this is called task initiation.

This is the ability to start the task, to get the train moving.

And for many students, this is one of the biggest barriers.

Starting requires a huge amount of energy—especially when the task is boring, difficult, or unpleasant.

For most of my students, self-starting is a major challenge.

5. Follow-through (task persistence)

Next is follow-through.

This includes continuing the work even when you get distracted or derailed—and getting back on track.

Some students get slightly derailed and recover easily. Others get completely derailed and struggle to return to the task.

This is called task persistence in executive function terms.

It includes stick-to-it-iveness and completing what you started.

A lot of students also don’t fully complete assignments and then don’t turn them in at all.

Sometimes it’s better, especially when building habits, to turn in 80% completed work than nothing at all.

6. Transporting the work

Next is transportation.

How does the homework move from:

• The desk or kitchen table
  to

• The folder
  to

• The backpack
  to

• The bus or car
  to

• School

This is a system problem.

Many parents are baffled when a single piece of paper doesn’t make it back to school, but this step is very real and very important.

7. Turning it in

Finally, the student has to turn it in.

This requires another executive function step: recognizing in the moment, “I need to take this out of my backpack and hand it in.”

Transitions make this especially difficult. Students may still be mentally in the previous class or distracted by something that happened in the hallway.

Teachers often say, “Turn in your homework now,” but students may genuinely forget.

I’ve even seen students find assignments weeks or months later buried in their backpack and say, “Oh, I thought I turned that in.”

Sometimes they even remember turning it in, but they didn’t actually do it.

Final idea

The Homework Continuum has a beginning and an end.

Homework is not one thing—it is many steps.

When you break it down like this, you can solve each part individually and help students build independence and success.

This video doesn’t even address whether all homework is valuable—because sometimes it isn’t. Some assignments are genuinely meaningless.

But in general, homework should not interfere with self-care or family time.

That’s another discussion entirely.

So there you go: the Homework Continuum Deluxe.

I hope this helps you see where you can break things down, solve problems more specifically, and support students in becoming more independent and successful.

Good luck to you.

I hope you’re having an awesome weekend.

I’ll see you next week.

Take care.