Let’s Talk
A monthly column for parents and educators.
Helping With Homework
Summary: Helping children develop good homework habits helps reinforce lessons, pave the way for future studies and helps them practice new skills. The best ways to help include helping to organize and prioritize time, routine expectations, and being positive.
With the start of the school year on the horizon, homework can’t be far behind. For many parents, providing help with homework can be a challenging situation. They wonder what their role is. How much help is too much? And, how can they encourage their children to develop good homework habits?
In answering those questions, it’s important to remember why teachers assign homework in the first place. Ideally, it reinforces current lessons, paves the way for future studies, and helps students practice new skills. Homework should teach children to plan effectively, get organized, and work on their own. Consider asking your child’s school or teacher(s) about their homework policy.
According to a number of national school organizations, you should expect your kindergarten through second grade student to have 10–20 minutes of homework a day. In third through sixth grade, homework assignments generally take 30–60 minutes. For older middle and high school students, the amount of time spent doing homework varies greatly by subject and grade.
No matter how much time your child spends on homework—or how complex it is—it’s useful to help your child organize and prioritize her time. Discuss the assignment to make sure the student understands the directions and to identify and overcome any potential stumbling blocks. Be available for questions but don’t do the work for your child. Remember, one of the major goals of homework is to help a child think and work independently. Check the work to make sure the student understands not only what she’s done, but how she did it.
Establishing a routine and creating a special “homework corner” are two ways to make things go smoother. A routine sets expectations, creates a focused atmosphere, and helps in organizing time. Providing a space that’s quiet, well-lighted, and has minimal distractions will help make the work go faster. It’s also good to keep supplies like pens, paper, staplers, and tape close at hand.
Finally, when you work with your child, try not to be judgmental. Focus on positive accomplishments rather than errors. For example, if you’re checking a series of multiplication problems and discover a mistake, you might say: “You did very well on these—five out of six problems are right. Why don’t you recheck your work, find your mistake, and correct it?”
A little praise and an open attitude will go a long way toward making homework less of a chore for everyone. For more tips, check out the U.S. Department of Education Web site: www.ed.gov/parents/academic/help/homework/
This column, by Rhonda Barton, is provided as a public service by the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, a nonprofit institution working with schools and communities throughout the region
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