HOW TO HELP YOUR CHILD WITH HOMEWORK
For Parents of Children Ages 6 - 13
by Marguerite C. Radencich, Ph.D
and Jeanne Shay Schumm, Ph.D
Getting Started
"It is not what you do for your children
but what you have taught them to do for themselves
that will make them successful human beings."
(Ann Landers)
The two-way street between home and school.
It goes without saying that the better your relationship is with your child's teacher and school, the more successful your child's school experience will be. Because homework is part of your child's school experience, it's wise to make that relationship a two-way street. Following are some suggenstions for accomplishing this.
Talk to your child about school.
Ask your child to tell you about what happens during the day, what does your child like best about school? What does she like least about it? The more you know, the more prepared you'll be if problems arise.
Plan to meet with your child's teacher at least three times during the school year.
Communicate your willingness to cooperate with the teacher. Don't wait for a personal invitation; an Open House (most schools hold them annually) is an excellent opportunity to have a brief conversation. If you need more time, make an appointment.
Learn about the curriculum at your child's school
What is your child being taught? How is she being taught? Many schools provide parents with written summaries of the curriculum. In other schools, teachers describe the curriculum during parent meetings or open houses. Ask whether this information is provided as a matter of course; if it isn't, tell the teacher that you'd appreciate having it. Learn about what your child is learning.
Find out how you will be informed about your child's progress.
Will children bring papers home on a weekly basis? Will there be interim reports between report cards? Some schools are now using portfolios - folders or binders that include samples of children's work and summary sheets that indicate their progress throughout the year. Ask if your child's teacher is compiling or plans to compile an assessment portfolio for your child.
Act quickly if you suspect that a problem exists.
Tell the teacher that you want to meet, and make an appointment as soon as possible. Don't just show up unannounced! Spur-of-the-moment conferences translate into incomplete information. They aren't fair to you, the teacher, or your child.
Sometimes a teacher will notice a problem before the parents do. Typically, a teacher will initiate communication by sending a note home with the child. Be sure to respond, either with a phone call or with a note of your own. Depending on the nature of the problem, you may want to schedule a conference to discuss it.
If your child is having difficulties doing schoolwork, make sure there are no hidden physical causes. A visit to your pediatrician, ophthalmologist, or audiologist can uncover any that might exist.
20 Tips for Homework Helpers
1 Maintain two-way communication with your child
Don't just lecture. Listen and respond to what your child has to say. When you respond, don't plead or argue. (Pleading puts your child in charge; arguing creates a no-win situation.) Instead, respond assertively and positively.
2 Don't give your child a choice unless you mean it.
Instead of saying, "Would you like to work on your science homework now?" say, "It's time to work on your science homework. Please join me at the table." Or, if you really want to offer a choice between two tasks, phrase it in a way that's likely to get the desired response. Example : "You can either do your science homework now or after dinner. But if you wait until after dinner, you won't be able to watch your favourite TV programme."
3 Set goals with, not for, your child. Then focus on one at a time.
Start with a goal that your child is almost guaranteed to achieve. That will make the others more appealing and continued success more likely
4 Expect progress
We all respond to the expectations other people have of us. (this is known as the self-fulfilling prophecy syndrome.) If your expectations are low, your child's acheivement are likely to match them. If your expectations are high but not unreasonable, your child will respond in kind.
5 Make your child aware of his or her improvement. Reward achievement.
Don't "pay" for every accomplishment with a treat or a promise. Often it's enough simply to say, "You did a really good job on that map. I'm proud of you." But if your child works especially hard on a challenging assignment and completes it successfully, that's worth celebrating.
6 Praise generously, yet honestly.
Praise will lose its effectiveness if used indiscriminately, plus a child can usually tell when you're not being sincere.
7 Direct praise to the task at hand.
Saying, "You spelled eight out of ten words right. Much better!" is more specific than "Good for you!" Specific praise guides future behaviour.
8 Try not to show disappointment if your child doesn't do as well as you'd like.
Look for your child's strengths; avoid criticism. The child whose performance is poor doesn't need reminding; she needs encouragement and reassurance that you value her regardless of the performance.
9 Be enthusiastic. Use humour.
Starting every homework session with the Star Wars theme might be going overboard. But it doesn't hurt to smile and say, "I like spending this time with you." And you don't have to be deadly serious about it. Laughter, shared jokes, and even a tickle or two can go a long way toward lightening the homework load.
10 Use timers and competition wisely.
For some children, a timer spurs effort and puts an end to stalling; for others, it's anxiety-producing. If the latter seems true for your child, put the timer away. Some children enjoy competing against themselves and trying to better their past achievements, and if this is the case with your child, that's fine. But competition with friends brothers, or sisters can be threatening and debilitating, expecially if the child is at an academic disadvantage.
11 Be prepared to teach
Even though the teacher is responsible for teaching the subject matter, this doesn't always happen, and you may need to "fill in the blanks." Skimming the textbook and carefully reading lesson materials and handouts will prepare you for this role.
12 Use concrete, hands-on materials whenever possible, especially (but not exclusively) when
working with a young child.
For example, it's easier to learn 2+3 with blocks than with pictures. And it's easier to learn
with pictures than with numbers.
13 Help your child build associations between what he or she already knows and what is being
learned.
Children learn new concepts by learning how they are like and different from concepts they already know. Examples: "Multiplying fractions is like regular multiplying except ........." "A stream is like the canal behind Grandma's house except ......" "The electrons in an atom circle the proton. What circles the sun?" A child who mentally pictures the solar system has a better understanding of what goes on in an atom.
14 Provide adequate practice.
Children shouldn't just learn material; they should actually overlearn it to promote the development of long-term memory. Try to ignore complaints of "We already did that! This is boring!" But don't run a subject or a concept into the ground. Know when to stop.
15 Provide variety.
If a child starts fidgeting excessively over a math book, switch to spelling for a while. Return to math later. In between, share a snack, take a short walk, or have a joke-telling session.
16 Encourage creativity.
Although you should be careful about "sticking to the rules," a certain amount of creativity can "help the medicine go down". A story in one of the basal readers (reading textbooks) tells of a child whose Thanksgiving homework assignment was to make a Pilgrim doll. The child's mother was an Eastern European immigrant. The child dressed the doll in Russian attire, and the doll served as a lesson to the class that the United States has had many kinds of pilgrims over the years.
17 Encourage independence.
For example, if your child is able to read directions independently, encourage her to do so.
18 Take every opportunity to build your child's self-esteem.
This includes, but isn't confined to, most of the other tips already presented here. Use your imagination and your natural affection and concern to think of other ways to show your child that she is a worthwhile and important person.
19 Check with the teacher before correcting your child's homework.
Many teachers want to see a student's mistakes; they use them to determine where more teaching is called for. A perfect parent-corrected paper can be misleading and can rob a child of the extra help she may need.
20 Show a positive attitude toward school
If you have problems with your child's school or teacher, don't discuss them with the child. Instead, show your respect for school by emphasizing the importance of regular attendance, a neat appearance, aqnd grades that reflect your child's true capabilities. Then make an appointment to speak privately with the teacher.
Marguerite Cogorno Radencich, Ph.D - is an Assistant Professor at the University of South Florida.
Jeanne Shay Schumm, Ph.D - is an Associate Professor at the University of Miami.
11 Be prepared to teach
Even though the teacher is responsible for teaching the subject matter, this doesn't always happen, and you may need to "fill in the blanks." Skimming the textbook and carefully reading lesson materials and handouts will prepare you for this role.
12 Use concrete, hands-on materials whenever possible, especially (but not exclusively) when
working with a young child.
For example, it's easier to learn 2+3 with blocks than with pictures. And it's easier to learn
with pictures than with numbers.
13 Help your child build associations between what he or she already knows and what is being
learned.
Children learn new concepts by learning how they are like and different from concepts they already know. Examples: "Multiplying fractions is like regular multiplying except ........." "A stream is like the canal behind Grandma's house except ......" "The electrons in an atom circle the proton. What circles the sun?" A child who mentally pictures the solar system has a better understanding of what goes on in an atom.
14 Provide adequate practice.
Children shouldn't just learn material; they should actually overlearn it to promote the development of long-term memory. Try to ignore complaints of "We already did that! This is boring!" But don't run a subject or a concept into the ground. Know when to stop.
15 Provide variety.
If a child starts fidgeting excessively over a math book, switch to spelling for a while. Return to math later. In between, share a snack, take a short walk, or have a joke-telling session.
16 Encourage creativity.
Although you should be careful about "sticking to the rules," a certain amount of creativity can "help the medicine go down". A story in one of the basal readers (reading textbooks) tells of a child whose Thanksgiving homework assignment was to make a Pilgrim doll. The child's mother was an Eastern European immigrant. The child dressed the doll in Russian attire, and the doll served as a lesson to the class that the United States has had many kinds of pilgrims over the years.
17 Encourage independence.
For example, if your child is able to read directions independently, encourage her to do so.
18 Take every opportunity to build your child's self-esteem.
This includes, but isn't confined to, most of the other tips already presented here. Use your imagination and your natural affection and concern to think of other ways to show your child that she is a worthwhile and important person.
19 Check with the teacher before correcting your child's homework.
Many teachers want to see a student's mistakes; they use them to determine where more teaching is called for. A perfect parent-corrected paper can be misleading and can rob a child of the extra help she may need.
20 Show a positive attitude toward school
If you have problems with your child's school or teacher, don't discuss them with the child. Instead, show your respect for school by emphasizing the importance of regular attendance, a neat appearance, aqnd grades that reflect your child's true capabilities. Then make an appointment to speak privately with the teacher.
Marguerite Cogorno Radencich, Ph.D - is an Assistant Professor at the University of South Florida.
Jeanne Shay Schumm, Ph.D - is an Associate Professor at the University of Miami.
Stop fighting the Homework Wars
And start helping your child succeed in school.
