Homework: Some Guidance for Parents
The basic rule for helping your child with his or her homework is, "Don't do the assignments yourself." It's not your homework - it's your child's. Teachers have actually had students hand in homework that's in their parents' handwriting! But 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 for parents to let children work through problems alone and learn from their mistakes. It's also hard to know where to draw the line between supporting and doing.
Different teachers have different ideas about the best way for parents to provide guidance. Here are a few suggestions with which most teachers agree:
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. If you've never thought about this style, observe your child. See if he works better alone or with someone else. If your child gets more done when working with someone else, he may want to complete some assignments with a brother, sister or a classmate.
Does your child learn things best when she can see them? If so, drawing a picture or a chart may help with some assignments. For example, after reading her science book, she may not remember the difference between the tibia and the fibula. But by drawing a picture of the leg and labeling the bones, she can remember easily.
Does your child learn things best when he can hear them? He may need to listen to a story or have directions read to him. Too much written material or too many pictures or charts may confuse him.
Does your child understand some things best when she can handle or move them? An apple cut four or six or eight ways can help children learn fractions.
Help your child get organized.
In addition to setting a regular time for children to do homework, put up a calendar or use an assignment book and record assignments. Writing out assignments will get him used to the idea of keeping track of what's due and when.
A bag for books will make it easier to carry homework to and from school. And homework folders in which youngsters can tuck their assignments for safe-keeping help keep students organized.
Encourage good study habits.
It takes time and practice to develop good habits.
Help you child structure time in order to complete assignments. For example, if your eighth-grader has a biology report due in three weeks, discuss all the steps she needs to take 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. Encourage your child to write down how much time she expects to spend on each step.
Help your child get started when he has to do research reports or other big assignments. Encourage him to use the library. If he isn't sure where to begin, have him ask the librarian for suggestions.
Give practice tests.
Help your third-grader prepare for a spelling test by saying the words while she writes them down. Then have her correct her own test.
Help your child avoid last-minute cramming by having him work out a schedule of what he needs to do to prepare for a test.
Talk with your child about how to take a test.
Be sure she understands how important it is to read the instructions carefully and to keep track of the time and avoid spending too much time on any one question.
Talk about assignments. Such discussion can help your child think through an assignment and break it down into small, workable parts. Find out if your child understands what he's supposed to do. Read the instructions. If there are still questions, call a classmate or contact the teacher.
Give praise.
People of all ages respond to praise. And children need encouragement from the people whose opinion they value most - their parents. "You've done a great job" can go a long way toward motivating your child to complete assignments.
