3. You may have heard about research that indicates that
homework does not have a significant affect on academic
achievement in elementary school
But here are some things it does impact:
Teaches children to take responsibility for tasks
Teaches children to work independently
Helps children learn to organize, plan, manage time, problem
solve
Build not only school skills, but life skills
Gain practice using libraries, internet, reference materials
Allows time to explore topics more fully than class allows
Provides a review of the previous class and helps prepare for the
next class
Also- it affects grades!
4. Show that you think education
and homework ARE
important!
5. •Set a regular time for homework
•Find a homework spot
•Set up a Homework Center
•Remove distractions!
11. Help your child get organized
Encourage good study habits
Talk about assignments
Watch for frustration
Give praise!
12. Have your child read aloud every night
Choose a quiet place for your child to do their reading assignments
each night
When your child reads aloud to you and makes a mistake- point
this out and help them read it correctly
After your child corrects the word, have them start the sentence
from the beginning (so they understand it)
Ask your child to re-tell you the story in their own words
To check your child’s understanding, occasionally pause and ask
them questions about the characters/setting/plot
Ask your child why they think characters acted certain ways, and
encourage them to use information from the story to answer
Before getting to the end of the story, ask your child what they
think will happen and why
13. Encourage your child to use their daily assignment book
Check in daily with your child to see the progress they’re
making
If you don’t understand your child’s math assignments,
communicate with the teacher (you’re a team!)
If your child is experiencing problems, check in with the
teacher for ideas to help at home
Request from teacher after school help or tutoring
opportunities (if necessary)
Use household chores as a way to reinforce math lessons (ex.
Pizza for fractions/cooking for measuring)
Try to be aware of how your child is being taught math, and
avoid using strategies that conflict with those used in class
15. Develop an Incentive System
http://printablecolouringpages.co.uk/?s=hom
ework+reward+chart
16. Canter, Lee and Hausner, Lee. (1993). Homework withoutTears: A Parent's Guide
for Motivating Children to Do Homework and to Succeed in School. NewYork:
HarperCollins.
Cholden, Harriet, Friedman, John A. and Tiersky, Ethel. (1998).The Homework
Handbook: Practical AdviceYou Can UseTonight to HelpYour Child Succeed
Tomorrow. NewYork: McGraw-Hill.
Cooper, Harris M. (2001).The Battle over Homework: Common Ground for
Administrators,Teachers and Parents. NewYork: Corwin Press.
Klavan, Ellen. (1992).Taming the Homework Monster: How to Stop Fighting with
Your Kids over Homework. NewYork: Poseidon Press.
National ParentTeacher Association and the National Education Association.
(1995). HelpingYour Student Get the Most Out of Homework. (Available from the
PTAWeb site: http://www.pta.org/programs/edulibr/homework.htm).
Rich, Dorothy. (1992). Megaskills: How Families Can Help Children Succeed in
School and Beyond (rev. ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
U.S. Department of Education. (2002). HomeworkTips for Parents. (Available
from the Department'sWeb
site:http://www.nclb.gov/parents/homework/index.html).
U.S. Department of Education. (1997). Parents Guide to the Internet. (Available
from the Department'sWeb site:http://www.ed.gov/pubs/parents/internet/).
Now when this regular time is – is up to you and your family- if your child works better right after school-do it then. If they need an hour to play and relax and then do it- that’s fine. If they have to do it following sports or other practices that works too. Just make sure that you make it clear that home work is a PRIORITY.
Keep in mind- the later it gets, the more tired the child gets- and the longer it will take homework to get done/the more likely is your child will get upset/throw a tantrum. So try to set the time before dinner or as early as your child will allow .
It may be helpful to have this schedule written out somewhere- like the fridge door.
Some families use a required amt of time to work on school work. For example, if you know your 7th grader generally needs to do an hour a night- require they work /review information for an hour. This way they may be less likely to rush through assignments so they can go watch tv.
----------------------------------
Find a homework spot-
This is also going to depend on you and your family. Some children work better at a desk in their room. Some will get distracted by the toys in there. Some work better in the kitchen- Some will be distracted by the noise. You have to pick what works for you. Ask your child what works for them. If they’re unsure- help them talk through the pros and cons of different locations and pick one that works.
--------------------------
Once you find the spot- set up a homework center. What’s one of the excuses kids always use? “I need a pencil…I need a piece of paper.” Eliminate as many of those excuses as you can. Make sure there’s plenty of paper, pencils, pens, scissors, a dictionary and thesaurus, calculator, laptop, etc. If the homework center is somewhere like in the kitchen, where you can’t leave it set up, put the supplies in a bin that can be easily carried in.
If possible, the homework center should include a monthly calendar, so your child can keep track of long term assignments
-------------------------------------------------------
Make sure you remove as many distractions as possible. Some children work well with some quiet music- others will be distracted by this. NO tv. Discourage your child from taking personal phone calls/or using social media during the time allotted for homework. The only exception is to ask a classmate for help with an assignment.
Talk to teachers about their computer use policies for homework. A lot of teachers will put homework information online- bookmark this!
-----------------------------------------------
Show your child that the skills they are learning- are useful later in life. Let your child see you reading and writing. Use math to balance a checkbook or figure out how much the new flooring you want will be. Tell them how you use math and reading at work. Talk about your work. Talk to your child about things you see when you drive through the neighborhood, this background knowledge helps out more than you think.
------------------------------------
Make time to go to the library to check out books for school and for fun. Read with your child. Bring up school activities while you talk as a family. Attend afterschool activities, such as sports, plays, conferences (if you can). If you can, volunteer at classroom activities during the day. It helps for your child to see that you’re a team with the school. Also- knowing some of your student’s classmates and their parents can help create a support network for you
Before the school year starts, talk to your child’s teacher about her homework policy, and the rules for homework. Talk about her expectations. Some teachers closely monitor assignments- others just check to make sure they’re completed. Tell the teacher to call you if she begins to notice any issues with the homework.
----------------------------------
Be available for questions, if you can’t be, try and have someone else there who can. Now, if the child is older and you’re not supposed to help much- then limit your role to helping make sure the assignment is clear or that they have the necessary supplies. Too much involvement can take away the goal from the goal of homework- to help your child develop independence/study skills on their own.
If your child does ask you a question- try to provide guidance not an answer. Just giving answers teaches your child that when the going gets tough, someone will just do it for you. It also prevents them from learning the material. This is probably the hardest part of helping with homework.
-------------------------------
Make sure they completed everything! And when the teacher returns homework- make sure they were doing it right.
In many homes- limiting TV and video game time- increases the time available for homework. TV can become a learning tool- look for tv shows and movies related to what your child is learning in school
-Help your child learn good organizational skills. Buy some folders and help them organize each class into the folders. Try and help them keep their bookbag organized
-Oftentimes teachers will give tips for how to study, but it’s good to help them practice this.
-Try to encourage them to avoid cramming
-Give them practice tests
-Talk with them about how to take a test, for example not spending too much time on any one question or how to read directions fully
-Talking to your child about assignments will help them break them down into more manageable parts.
Start with asking them to summarize the instructions….”Do you know what you’re supposed to do?”
Next question, Do you need help in understanding how to do this assignment? If you can, give them some examples or help guide them.
-Do you have everything you need to do this assignment? By making sure they have all their materials…you avoid hearing excuses later about why they can’t finish.
-Last question: Does your answer make sense to you? This encourages them to check their work.
Watch your child for signs of frustration- if you see the warning signs- allow them to take a short break to cool down.
Giving praise can go a long way in encouraging your child to continue their homework , even when its difficult
Giving criticism is okay too- but make sure it is constructive. For example, instead of saying “you’re not going to hand in that mess are you?” Say: “I think your teacher will understand this better if you use your best handwriting.”
This is a question that I had A LOT when helping kids with homework- especially math.
Here’s a list of some websites that may help out
Khan Academy is a non-profit[4] educational organization created in 2006 by educator Salman Khan to provide "a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere".[5] The organization produces micro lectures in the form of YouTubevideos.[6] In addition to micro lectures, the organization's website features practice exercises and tools for educators. All resources are available for free to anyone around the world.
Info please- has lots of tools and resources for completing homework assignments. Conversion calculators/dictionaries/flash cards/history information/study tips
Math homework help for different concepts…practice tests
Homework help for different subjects…computer games to help with understanding…step by step math help
You may need to develop an incentive system…Here are the steps:
Describe the problem behaviors …be as concrete as possible (e.g. rushes through assignments (not is lazy)/ complains about homework (not is rude))
Set a goal- this should relate directly to the problem behavior e.g. “Billy will check his work.”
Decide on possible incentives or rewards- usually the incentive system will work best if the child has a “reward menu” to work from- since no reward will usually stay attractive for long. It helps if you have points for meeting goals- and then have bigger rewards worth more points. Some rewards may take a week to learn and others may take a month. Examples of rewards- watching your favorite tv show or a trip to chuck-e-cheese
Write a homework contract he contract should say exactly what the child agrees to do and exactly what the parents' roles and responsibilities will be. When the contract is in place, it should reduce some of the tension parents and kids often experience around homework. For instance, if part of the contract is that the child will earn a point for not complaining about homework, then if the child does complain, this should not be cause for a battle between parent and child: the child simply does not earn that point. Parents should also be sure to praise their children for following the contract.
If the incentive system doesn’t work- feel free to revise it
