How To Improve
Homework Focus
        Lunch & Learn Series
Heartscope Learning, Overland Park, KS
What is Homework
     Focus?

   Quality
             Efficiency


      Autonomy
Measured By

            Time
         Management
           Skills     Cost of

Grades              Student
                     Stress
                                 Cost of

                                Family
                                Stress
When does Homework
 Focus Represent a
     Problem?
     Any ongoing academic ‘burden’
     Any pattern of missing
      assignments
     Any ‘adjustments’ to report card
      grade
     For example, ongoing ‘accommodations’
      required at school
How Much Is



Too Much Homework?
 1st grade     > 20 minutes
 3rd grade     > 45 minutes
 6th grade     > 90 minutes
 9th grade     > 2 hours
 11th grade > 4 hours
                            CONT   
Types of Support
Healthy Support

   Reading Together
   Preview Evening Schedule
   Answer Specific Questions
   Review Evening’s Results
   Situational Tutoring   (short-term)
Types of Support
Risky Support

   Parents ‘Teaching’ esp Reading or Math
   Teachers Recommend ‘Extra’ Help
   Ongoing Tutoring      (>3 weeks)

   Parents ‘Hands-On’ in:
         Starting homework
         Pacing homework
         Completing projects
How Much Is



  Too Much Support?
 1st grade     > 20 minutes
 3rd grade     > 15 minutes
 6th grade     > 10 minutes
 9th grade     > 5 minutes
 11th grade > 0 minutes
                            CONT   
Because Excess
              Support
Improves
           Quality
                      But KILLS…….



                            Efficiency
                 Autonomy
BECAUSE:




Help once a month:   You are a Hero
      3x a month:    You are an Enabler
Low Homework Focus:
      HUGE Costs

Expensive (and often hidden)
 Student stress is cumulative
  like tobacco smoke
HUGE Costs
 Family resources are not unlimited
     parental time
     patience
 Future college debt
     student debt
     parent burden of future student debt
HUGE Costs

 Quality of Life
  parents‘ quality time with kids
  kids‘ time to just be kids
Seven Rules of
Homework Focus
Rule #1: Every Issue
Looks Like a Homework
      Focus Issue
  Similar Symptoms For
   Cognitive
   Medical
   Cultural
   Emotional
   and Curricular Issues
#2: Learning Challenges
Are Usually NOT Caused By:

    Poor parenting
    Poor teaching
Rule #3

 Kids Won’t Break If You
  Drop Them Once.
  Human brains and bodies
   are wired to be resilient.
Rule #4
 Kids DO Scar If Dropped
  Repeatedly
  Emotionally
  Situationally
  Cognitively
Rule #5

 Learning Challenges Are
  Not A Form Of Mental
  Illness
Rule #6
 Use Medical Tools To
  Solve Medical Problems
  Awareness of side-effects
  Awareness of symptoms
     vs causes
Rule #7
 Rescue a child once a month:
  be a Hero
 Rescue a child three times a
  month:
   be an Enabler
Corollary #1
(Everything Looks Like a
Homework Focus Issue)


 Everyone has an opinion
 Few have evidence
Corollary #2
(Learning Challenges Are Usually
       NOT Caused By…)


   However, learning SOLUTIONS
    can be blocked by:
      Short-term Parenting
      Test-score Teaching
Corollary #3
(Kids Won’t Break If You Drop
        Them Once).

   Children’s brains and bodies
    need to LEARN how to be
    resilient.
Corollary #4
 (Kids DO Scar If Dropped
        Repeatedly)

 Wounds on the outside
    easy to treat because easy to
     see.
 Wounds on the inside
    extremely challenging to treat
     because challenging to see.
Corollary #5
(Learning Challenges Are Not A
    Form Of Mental Illness)

        Grownups’ talk as if they ARE can
         lead to:
         Learned helplessness

        Grownups’ limiting candid talk
         about learning challenges can
         lead to:
         Anxiety, depression, substance abuse, etc.
Corollary #6
(Use Medical Tools To Solve
    Medical Problems)

  Medical tools unlikely to
   address other challenges:
     Cognitive
     Emotional
     Situational
  A child who is not sick cannot
   be ‘cured.’
Corollary #7
(Rescue a child once a month:
         be a Hero…)
 No parent intentionally
  enables a child to be
  dependent
      Learn to fail now…
      Or later?
Heartscope Options

  Cognitive Coaching
  Cognitive Training
Next Step

 Phone Brainstorming
  1st 15 min are free
  913-362-8777
Thank you!

www.greatbraincoach.org

How to improve Homework Focus

  • 1.
    How To Improve HomeworkFocus Lunch & Learn Series Heartscope Learning, Overland Park, KS
  • 2.
    What is Homework Focus? Quality Efficiency Autonomy
  • 3.
    Measured By Time Management Skills Cost of Grades Student Stress Cost of Family Stress
  • 4.
    When does Homework Focus Represent a Problem?  Any ongoing academic ‘burden’  Any pattern of missing assignments  Any ‘adjustments’ to report card grade  For example, ongoing ‘accommodations’ required at school
  • 5.
    How Much Is TooMuch Homework?  1st grade > 20 minutes  3rd grade > 45 minutes  6th grade > 90 minutes  9th grade > 2 hours  11th grade > 4 hours CONT 
  • 6.
    Types of Support HealthySupport  Reading Together  Preview Evening Schedule  Answer Specific Questions  Review Evening’s Results  Situational Tutoring (short-term)
  • 7.
    Types of Support RiskySupport  Parents ‘Teaching’ esp Reading or Math  Teachers Recommend ‘Extra’ Help  Ongoing Tutoring (>3 weeks)  Parents ‘Hands-On’ in:  Starting homework  Pacing homework  Completing projects
  • 8.
    How Much Is Too Much Support?  1st grade > 20 minutes  3rd grade > 15 minutes  6th grade > 10 minutes  9th grade > 5 minutes  11th grade > 0 minutes CONT 
  • 9.
    Because Excess Support Improves Quality But KILLS……. Efficiency Autonomy
  • 10.
    BECAUSE: Help once amonth: You are a Hero 3x a month: You are an Enabler
  • 11.
    Low Homework Focus: HUGE Costs Expensive (and often hidden)  Student stress is cumulative  like tobacco smoke
  • 12.
    HUGE Costs  Familyresources are not unlimited  parental time  patience  Future college debt  student debt  parent burden of future student debt
  • 13.
    HUGE Costs  Qualityof Life  parents‘ quality time with kids  kids‘ time to just be kids
  • 14.
  • 15.
    Rule #1: EveryIssue Looks Like a Homework Focus Issue Similar Symptoms For  Cognitive  Medical  Cultural  Emotional  and Curricular Issues
  • 16.
    #2: Learning Challenges AreUsually NOT Caused By:  Poor parenting  Poor teaching
  • 17.
    Rule #3  KidsWon’t Break If You Drop Them Once.  Human brains and bodies are wired to be resilient.
  • 18.
    Rule #4  KidsDO Scar If Dropped Repeatedly  Emotionally  Situationally  Cognitively
  • 19.
    Rule #5  LearningChallenges Are Not A Form Of Mental Illness
  • 20.
    Rule #6  UseMedical Tools To Solve Medical Problems  Awareness of side-effects  Awareness of symptoms  vs causes
  • 21.
    Rule #7  Rescuea child once a month:  be a Hero  Rescue a child three times a month:  be an Enabler
  • 22.
    Corollary #1 (Everything LooksLike a Homework Focus Issue)  Everyone has an opinion  Few have evidence
  • 23.
    Corollary #2 (Learning ChallengesAre Usually NOT Caused By…)  However, learning SOLUTIONS can be blocked by:  Short-term Parenting  Test-score Teaching
  • 24.
    Corollary #3 (Kids Won’tBreak If You Drop Them Once).  Children’s brains and bodies need to LEARN how to be resilient.
  • 25.
    Corollary #4 (KidsDO Scar If Dropped Repeatedly)  Wounds on the outside  easy to treat because easy to see.  Wounds on the inside  extremely challenging to treat because challenging to see.
  • 26.
    Corollary #5 (Learning ChallengesAre Not A Form Of Mental Illness)  Grownups’ talk as if they ARE can lead to:  Learned helplessness  Grownups’ limiting candid talk about learning challenges can lead to:  Anxiety, depression, substance abuse, etc.
  • 27.
    Corollary #6 (Use MedicalTools To Solve Medical Problems)  Medical tools unlikely to address other challenges:  Cognitive  Emotional  Situational  A child who is not sick cannot be ‘cured.’
  • 28.
    Corollary #7 (Rescue achild once a month: be a Hero…)  No parent intentionally enables a child to be dependent  Learn to fail now…  Or later?
  • 29.
    Heartscope Options Cognitive Coaching  Cognitive Training
  • 30.
    Next Step  PhoneBrainstorming  1st 15 min are free  913-362-8777
  • 31.

Editor's Notes

  • #3 Quality, efficiency, autonomy
  • #5 Why burden is a problem – when they have a chance, they bail
  • #10 Quality, efficiency, autonomy