That's not... no.. Math requires practice. Math homework gave you the repeated practice necessary to encompass the subject. History homework was often a readin

That's not... no.. Math requires practice. Math homework gave you the repeated practice necessary to encompass the subject. History homework was often a reading assignment, so the classroom time could be spent on discussion instead of variable reading speeds. The same for sciences, where instead of reading, the classroom time could be spent on discussion and experiments. Even grammar homework had its point in the learning process. So no, it wasn't just about learning discipline, it was often about the practice. We homeschool. Finding suitable practice books was a large part of the job.