Helpful Strategies for Common Homework Assignments
Regardless of the grade level(s) you work with, you will see a range of homework tasks. Though it's impossible to predict specific assignments, here are some typical ones
- Read a chapter and answer a set of questions
- Research and/or write an essay, speech, or report on a chosen topic
- Write a book report
- Solve math word problems
- Practice specific skills (e.g., multiplication or spelling)
- Study for spelling or language tests
- Work on projects, such as posters, for content areas
To complete assignments successfully, students need help with study skills. Five skills are described below, along with concrete examples for the homework helper. Always consider your students' age and developmental levels when tailoring your homework help to their unique needs. The skills are:
- Answering inferential rather than factual questions
- Reading nonfiction
- Solving word problems
- Preparing for a quiz or test
- Summarizing source material
"Sometimes it helps to just have someone there at your side to work with. That keeps me going when I really want to stop."
(Lynne, ninth grade)
Answering inferential rather than factual questions. Most homework assignments require students to think abstractly. In the context of reading, students need to draw inferences and synthesize information to answer questions or analyze text. In the context of math, they need to understand the concepts behind the math problems they are solving. This can challenge children of any age. The following examples and strategies can help you support children as they move from concrete to abstract thinking.
To make inferences, students need to combine prior knowledge and clues from the text to make certain logical assumptions. To help your student infer, select a very short passage–a couple of sentences is adequate–from a text, or create one yourself. Use an example that's easier than the text you are working on. For example:
Anna and Janice meet on the playground. They hear the bell of the ice cream truck and one of them decides to run home and ask her mom for some money.
See if your student can answer the following inferential questions based on the passage:
- How old do you think the girls might be?
- What time of year do you think it is?
- What is the money for?
 Helpful Strategies for Common Homework Assignments (cont.)
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