Dear Parents:
As the old saying goes, an
ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Don’t wait until your child is
struggling in school to develop a plan for success. This document was adapted
from the U.S. Department of Education Parent Handbook from the following web
address http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content/homework.html#Howtohelp. It provides important information so you can
create an environment in your home that is conducive to learning.
Once you finish reading
this document, create a plan for your child. A plan is ineffective unless it is
used. Begin to enforce the plan immediately after it is designed and discussed
with your child. There may be some battles – but eventually it will become a
habit. Stephen Covey’s research stated that it takes 21-30 days for your mind
to form a habit – so the first month may be a challenge. It will be worth it.
Hang in there!
How to Help Your Child Experience Academic Success
1.
Show You Think Education and Homework Are Important
Children need to know that their parents think homework is important. There is a lot that you can do to show that you value education and homework.
2.
Set a Regular Time at Home to Study and Complete Homework
Finding a regular time for homework helps children
finish assignments. The best schedule is one that works for your child and your
family. What works well in one household may not work in another. Of course, a
good schedule depends in part on your child's age, as well as individual needs.
For instance, one youngster may work best in the afternoon after an hour of
play, and another may be more efficient after dinner. Homework should never be
completed after 9:00PM . Learning will not take place when the child is
tired. Homework should be a learning experience – not just a task to complete.
Outside activities, such as sports or music lessons, may mean that you need a
flexible schedule. Your child may study after school on some days and in the
evening on others. If there isn't enough time to finish homework, your child
may need to drop some outside activity. Homework must be a high
priority. Over scheduling your child is
detrimental is his/her education, health, emotional
well being, and the family as a unit. Remember, one can do everything, just not
at the same time.
3. You'll
need to work with your child to develop a schedule
It may help to write out the schedule and put it in a place where you'll see it
often, such as the refrigerator door.
Families should have a required amount of time that children must devote to
homework or some other learning activity each school night. The length of time
will vary depending upon the child's age. A good guide is to put a zero behind
the grade to equal the number of minutes that a child should be spending
outside of school engaged in academics. For instance, if your sixth-grader
knows she's expected to spend sixty minutes doing homework, reading, or
visiting the library, she may be less likely to rush through assignments so
that she can watch television. A required amount of time may also discourage
her from "forgetting" to bring home assignments and help her adjust
to a routine.
4.
Pick a Place
A study area should have
lots of light, supplies close by, and be fairly quiet.
A study area doesn't have to be fancy. A desk in the bedroom is nice, but for
many youngsters the kitchen table or a corner of the living room works just
fine. Make sure where ever your child studies, an adult can monitor the time to
make sure the child is being productive and stays focused on the task at hand.
5.
Remove Distractions
Turn off the television and the radio. Discourage social
telephone calls during study time. A call to a classmate about an assignment
may, however, be helpful.
Some youngsters work well with quiet background music, but loud noise from the
stereo or radio is not okay. Music should be instrumental without words. One
If you live in a small or noisy household, try having all family members take
part in a quiet activity during homework time. You may need to take a noisy
toddler outside or into another room to play. If distractions can't be avoided,
your child may want to complete assignments in a nearby library.
6.
Provide Supplies and Identify Resources
For starters, collect pencils, pens, erasers, writing paper, an assignment book, and a dictionary. Other things that might be helpful include glue, a stapler, paper clips, maps, a calculator, a pencil sharpener, tape, scissors, a ruler, index cards, a thesaurus, and an almanac. Keep these items together in one place if possible. If you can't provide your child with needed supplies, check with the teacher, school guidance counselor, or principal about possible sources of assistance.
7.
Set a Good Example
Children are more likely to study if they see their parents reading, writing, and doing things that require thought and effort on your part. Talk with your child about what you're reading and writing even if it's something as simple as making the grocery list. Tell them about what you do at work. Encourage activities that support learning--for example, educational games, library visits, walks in the neighborhood, trips to the zoo or museums, and chores that teach a sense of responsibility.
8.
Show an Interest.
Make time to take your child to the library to check out materials needed for homework (and for fun too), and read with your child as often as you can (no matter what age!). Talk about school and learning activities in family conversations. Ask your child what was discussed in class that day. If he doesn't have much to say, try another approach. For example, ask your child to read aloud a story he wrote or discuss the results of a science experiment. Another good way to show your interest is to attend school activities, such as parent-teacher meetings, shows, and sports events. If you can, volunteer to help in the classroom or at special events. Getting to know some classmates and other parents not only shows you're interested but helps build a network of support for you and your child.
9.
How To Help: Monitor Assignments
Children are more likely to complete assignments
successfully when parents monitor homework. How closely you need to monitor
depends upon the age of your child, how independent she is, and how well she
does in school. Whatever the age of your child, if assignments are not getting
done satisfactorily, more supervision is needed.
10.
Look Over Completed Assignments.
It's usually a good idea to check to see that your child has finished the assignments. If you're not there when an assignment is finished, look it over when you get home. After the teacher returns completed homework, read the comments to see if your child has done the assignments satisfactorily.
11.
Monitor Television Viewing.
American children on
average spend far more time watching television than they do completing
homework. In many homes, more homework gets done when television time is
limited. Once you and your child have worked out a homework schedule, take time
to discuss how much television and what programs she can watch. When you can,
watch shows with your child, discuss them, and encourage follow-up activities
such as reading or a trip to the museum.
12.
How To Help: Provide Guidance
The basic rule is, "Don't do the assignments yourself." It's not your homework--it's your child's. "I've had kids hand in homework that's in their parents' handwriting," one Washington, DC-area eighth-grade teacher complains. Doing assignments for your child won't help him understand and use information. And it won't help him become confident in his own abilities. It can be hard to know where to draw the line between supporting and doing. If your child waited until the last minute to begin an assignment. Do not help. Allow the natural consequences to happen. This is the only way your child will learn not to procrastinate.
13.
Figure Out How Your Child Learns Best.
If you understand something about the style of learning that suits your child, it will be easier for you to help her. See the learning profile link at www.engagingtheirminds.com website for numerous links and resources to determine your child’s learning profile.
14.
Help Your Child Get Organized.
Set a regular time for children to do homework. Put up a
calendar in a place where you'll see it often and record assignments on it. If
your child's not able to write yet, then do it for him until he can do it
himself. Writing out assignments will get him used to the idea of keeping track
of what's due and when. You may want to use an assignment book instead of a
calendar.
A bag for books will make it easier to carry homework to and from school.
Homework folders in which youngsters can tuck their assignments for safekeeping
help many students stay organized. Prior to going to bed at night, have your
child pack his/her backpack with anything he/she needs for the following day.
The backpack and anything else for school (e.g. gym clothes; instrument; etc)
should be place next to the door, which he/she will exit in the morning.
15.
Encourage Good Study Habits.
Teachers generally give students tips on how to study. But
it takes time and practice to develop good habits. You can reinforce these
habits at home. For example:
Help your child structure time in order to complete assignments. For example,
if your eighth-grader has a biology report due in 3 weeks, discuss all the steps
and timeline she needs to follow to complete it on time, including: selecting a
topic; doing the research by looking up books and other; materials on the topic
and taking notes; figuring out what questions to discuss; drafting an outline;
writing a rough draft; and revising and completing the final draft.
16.
Studying for Tests
Nightly engagement and review of important information is much more effective
than studying the night prior to a test. Keep learning fun. Make games out of
the information. Have your child teach you the content. Have your child create
his/her own practice test. One learns best if he/she sees it, says it, and
hears it. Studying for a test should not be a silent process when the child’s
eyes stare at the text and/or class notes that idea is antiquated and is not as
effective as interacting with the information using a multi-sensory
approach. It is also advised to study to
a test in the form of the test. If the test is going to be an essay test, then
your child should practice by writing essays on related topic.
Help your child avoid last minute cramming. Two children crammed the night
before a test. One earned an A the other earned an F. The only difference
between two children was the one forgot the information 5 minutes before the
test. The other one forgot the information 5 minutes after the test. The end result is the same. No learning.
Parents need to focus on their child learning and remember the information and
not on the grade their child earned. What is an A if no learning took place?
Every night the child should read over important information (class notes,
vocabulary, etc) aloud. Repetition is an excellent way to remember information.
One will learn the information if they interact with it on a regular basis over
several nights.
17.
Talk About the Assignments.
Have your child estimate the amount of time he/she believes
the assignment should take to complete. Ask your child questions. Talking can help
him think through an assignment and break it down into small, workable parts.
Here are some sample questions:
Do you understand what you're supposed to do? After your child has read the
instructions, ask her to tell you in her own words what the assignment is
about. (If your child can't read yet, the teacher may have sent home
instructions that you can read to her.) Some schools have homework hotlines you
can call for assignments in case your child misplaced a paper or was absent
that day. If your child doesn't understand the instructions, read them with her
and talk about the assignment. Are there words she doesn't understand? How can
she find out what they mean? If neither you nor your child understands an
assignment, call a classmate or contact the teacher.
What do you need to do to finish the assignment? Your child may want to talk
through the steps with you (or make a written list of them, if he's able to),
as described in the section above on good study habits.
Do you need help in understanding how to do your work? See if your child needs
to learn more, for example, about subtracting fractions before she can do her
assignment. Or find out if the teacher needs to explain to her again when to
use capital and lowercase letters. If you understand the subject yourself, you
may want to work through some examples with your child. But let her do the
assignment herself.
Have you ever done any problems like the ones you're supposed to do right now?
See if your child has already done similar problems that can guide him in
completing these particular ones.
Do you have everything you need to do the assignment? Sometimes your child
needs special supplies, such as colored pencils, metric rulers, maps, or
reference books. As mentioned before, check with the teacher, school guidance
counselor, or principal for possible sources of assistance if you can't provide
needed supplies; and check with the local public library or school library for
books and other information resources.
Does your answer make sense to you? Sometimes the response to a math problem
doesn't seem logical, or the meaning of a paragraph your child has written is
unclear. If that's the case, your child may need to check over the math problem
or revise the paragraph.
If your child is still confused, ask:
- How far have you gotten on the assignment? Let's try to figure out where you're having a problem.
- Do you need to review your notes (or reread a chapter in your textbook) before you do the assignment?
- Are you still having problems? Maybe it would help to take a break or have a snack.
People of all ages respond to praise. And children need
encouragement from the people whose opinions they value most--their parents.
"Good first draft of your book report!" or "You've done a great
job" can go a long way toward motivating your child to complete
assignments.
Children also need to know when they haven't done their best work. Make
criticism constructive. Instead of telling a third-grader, "You aren't
going to hand in that mess, are you?" try, "The teacher will
understand your ideas better if you use your best handwriting." Then give
praise when a neat version is completed.
18.
How To Help: Talk With Someone at School To Resolve
Problems
Homework hassles can often be avoided when parents and caregiver’s value, monitor, and guide their children's work on assignments. But, sometimes helping in these ways is not enough. Problems can still come up. If they do, the schools, teachers, parents, and students may need to work together to resolve them. Contact the teacher to schedule a conference.
19.
Work With the School.
Communication
between teachers and parents is very important in solving homework problems.
Here are some important things to remember:
Talk with teachers early in the school year. Get acquainted before problems
arise, and let teachers know that you want to be kept informed. Most elementary
schools and many secondary schools invite parents to come to parent-teacher
conferences or open houses. If your child's school doesn't provide such
opportunities, call the teacher to set up a meeting.
Contact the teacher by phone as soon as you suspect your child has a homework
problem. Request a meeting with the teacher to discuss homework problems. Tell
him/her briefly why you want to meet. Avoid using email or electronic
communication because they can be easily misinterpreted. By discussing your
concerns with the teacher, you can work together to solve a problem in its
early stages.
Don't go straight to the principal without giving the teacher a chance to work
out the problem with you and your child.
Approach the teacher with a cooperative spirit. Believe that the teacher wants
to help you and your child, even if you disagree about something. It's hard to
solve problems if teachers and parents view each other as enemies.
If you have a complaint, try not to put the teacher on the defensive. For
example, avoid saying that you think the assignments are terrible even if you
think so. You might say, "I'm glad Calvin is learning to add and subtract
in the first grade, but he doesn't want to do his math work sheets. Can we find
another way for him to learn the same material?" This might encourage the
teacher to let Calvin (and the rest of his classmates) try another approach.
Perhaps he can learn addition and subtraction by moving around buttons, sticks,
or shells.
While meeting with the teacher, explain what you think is going on. Also tell
the teacher if you don't know what the problem is. Sometimes a child's version
of what's going on isn't the same as the teacher's version. For example, your
child may tell you that the teacher never explains assignments so he can
understand them. But the teacher may tell you that your child isn't paying
attention when assignments are given.
Sometimes, children try to manipulate the adults to avoid work. Keep
communication lines open. Teachers are never out to “get” a child. Keep
emotions out of the conference and focus on the cause of the problem. Work out
a way to solve or lessen the problem. The strategy will depend on what the
problem is, how severe it is, and the needs of your child. For instance:
- Is the homework often too hard? Maybe your
child has fallen behind and will need extra help from a teacher, parent,
or tutor to catch up.
- Does your child need to make up a lot of work
because of absences? The first step might be working out a schedule with
the teacher.
- Has your child been diagnosed with a learning
disability or is one suspected? If so, you'll need to make sure your child
gets extra help, and the teacher may need to adjust some assignments. (See
Federal Sources of Assistance in the Resources Section of this book.)
Does
your child need extra support, beyond what home and school can give? Ask the
teacher, school guidance counselor, or principal if there are mentor programs
in your community.
Make sure communication is clear. Listen to the teacher and don't leave until
you're sure you understand what's being said. Make sure, too, that the teacher
understands what you have to say. If, after the meeting, you realize you don't
understand something, call the teacher to double-check.
It may help to summarize what you've agreed to do at the end of the meeting:
Follow up to make sure that the approach you agreed to is working. If the
teacher told you, for example, that your child needs to spend more time
practicing long division, check back in a month to talk about your child's
progress.
Homework can bring together children, parents, and teachers in a common effort
to improve student learning. The younger your child is when you start to do the
kinds of activities suggested in this guide, the better.
Helping your child with homework is an opportunity to improve your child's
chances of doing well in school and life. By helping your child with homework,
you can help him learn important lessons about discipline and responsibility.
You can open up lines of communication--between you and your child, and you and
the school. You are in a unique position to help your child make connections
between school work and the "real world," and thereby bring meaning
(and some fun) to your child's homework experience.
Whether you succeed in doing all of the activities suggested in this guide is
not what's most important. What's most important is that you are willing to
take the time and make the effort to be involved in your child's education.
SNAP SHOT OF IMPORTANT POINTS TO PONDER
Show
You Think Education and Homework are Important
- Do you set a regular time every day for homework?
- Does your child have the papers, books, pencils, and other things needed to do assignments?
- Does your child have a fairly quiet place to study with lots of light?
- Do you set a good example by reading and writing yourself?
- Do you stay in touch with your child's teachers?
Monitor
Assignments
- Do you know what your child's homework assignments are? How long they should take? How the teacher wants you to be involved?
- Do you see that assignments are started and completed?
- Do you read the teacher's comments on assignments that are returned?
- Is TV viewing cutting into your child's homework time?
Provide
Guidance
- Do you understand and respect your child's style of learning? Does he work better alone or with someone else? Does he learn best when he can see things, hear them, or handle them?
- Do you help your child to get organized? Does your child need a calendar or assignment book? A bag for books and a folder for papers?
- Do you encourage your child to develop good study habits (e.g., scheduling enough time for big assignments; making up practice tests)?
- Do you talk with your child about homework assignments? Does she understand them?
Talk
With Someone at School When Problems Arise
- Do you meet the teacher early in the year before any problems arise?
- If a problem comes up, do you meet with the teacher?
- Do you cooperate with the teacher and your child to work out a plan and a schedule to fix homework problems?
- Do you follow up with the teacher and with your child to make sure the plan is working?