The document discusses three main ways to support parents in helping their children with homework and literacy activities: 1. Provide guidelines rather than expectations to give parents flexibility. 2. Be explicit by clearly explaining recurring homework assignments and strategies and inviting parents to ask questions. 3. Offer workshops that demonstrate lessons, strategies, and tips and allow for parent feedback. Workshops should also inform parents about curriculum and grading practices. Resources should also be available online for parents who cannot attend in person.

1. How do we
support parents
to help their kids
with homework
and other home
literacy
activities?

2. When considering homework…
• Provide Guidelines
• Be Explicit
• Offer Workshops

3. Provide guidelines, not expectations

4. Why Guidelines?
“Guidelines or Options suggest a voluntary
process, that parents have choices in what they
will or will not do.
Expectations, however, indicate teachers expect
parents to do certain things, meaning that if
parents don’t do those things—they or their
children may be judged poorly”
(Vatterott, 2009, p. 49-50).

5. Be Explicit
Many educators provide parents
with rushed advice, simply
because they have not clarified
the assignments and how
parents can support students
(Musti-Rao & Cartledge, 2004).

6. Provide explicit explanations of recurring
homework assignments, and invite parents to
seek clarifications about assignments.

7. Let’s clarify an assignment for home….
• Find a partner. Decide who will be the questioner
and who will be the sharer.
• Share an assignment you regularly give students
at home.
• Your partner asks you the clarifying questions
included on the WIKI.
• You write responses to those questions.
• The responses can be used to write an
explanation of the assignment to parents.
• Switch roles and repeat the process.

8. Offer a Workshop

9. What would the workshop include:
1. Describe the curriculum and lead a brief
demonstration of typical lesson.
2. Describe strategies you use and why you use
them. Explain how parents could support or
reproduce these strategies at home.
3. Hand out tips for how parents could support
homework activities.
4. If time, ask parents to tell/write their preferred
method on contact.
(Musti-Rao & Cartledge, 2004; Paratore & Edwards, 2011)

10. Other Informational Sessions
 About topics parents may not understand:
 ACT
 PBIS
 outcome-based learning,
 self-selected reading,
 grading practices,
 summer reading, etc.
Sessions could be offered at flexible times (in morning and
evening -- depending on available and willing personnel).
(Paratore & Edwards, 2011)

11. Remember to support parents who
you may not see face-to-face
• Send explicit explanations of assignments and
strategies home.
• Post information on your website.
• Post videos of your workshops or strategy
demonstrations on your website.

12. References
Musti-Rao, S., & Cartledge, G. (2004). Making home an advantage in the
prevention of reading failure: Strategies for collaborating with
parents in urban schools. Preventing School Failure, 48(4). 15-21.
Paratore, J. R., & Edwards, P. A. (2011). Parent-teacher partnerships that make
a difference in children's literacy achievement. In L. M. Morrow & L.
B. Gambrell (Eds.), Best practices in literacy instruction. (pp. 436-
454). New York, NY: The Guilford Press.
Vatterott, C. (2009). Rethinking homework: Best practices that support diverse
needs. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Vatterott, C. (2012, October). "Coeducation": Negotiating a new
parent-school relationship. Poster session presented at the
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Fall
Conference, Atlanta, GA.