Parenting Tips from Louise Clark

Do you have nightly battles over homework?

• Where,  When , How homework is done?
• Who does the homework,  You or  Your child?

 

The good news is that your child does the homework; NOT you!  If you rescue your child by doing the homework, your child will get the message that he/she is incompetent.  Your goal is to encourage your child to do their best work and do it independently.  State clearly that homework is a  priority. There is a difference between helping and doing. You do not need a teaching certificate to help your child. Your responsibility is to create a study environment without distractions or interruptions so that your child can DO the work.

Homework is an important link between you and your child’s teachers. Homework is assigned for your child to practice and expand on skills learned in class.  Study skills can be taught and encouraged.  If your child is overwhelmed with tears of frustration ,try these study tips:

• Read the directions together.  Perhaps your child can’t answer the questions because he/she did not read the assigned pages.
• Divide large assignments into smaller chunks with a time limit.
• Encourage your child to do the hardest subject first.
• Write spelling words on 3 x 5 cards to make it easier to
• Alphabetize the list
• Practice spelling by seeing the shape of the word
• Praise the effort and acknowledge the progress.  “You have been working very  hard this week.  I see you got ___ _____ correct.”
• Create a language rich home.  Read as a family.

 

Be aware of your child’s learning style.  Assess your child’s activity level, distractibility, need for routine and persistence. Have age appropriate expectations. Understand the child’s need to get outside and rip and run after being confined at school.  Active growing children need a nutritious snack and  time to unwind.  A Kindergarten or first grade child should not be expected to  do sit down homework for more that 20 minutes at a time. Children need to move to get their brains stimulated.  It is your responsibility as  a parent to create a study environment that works for your child.

 

Homework Resisters  What if your child procrastinates, forgets, speeds or refuses to do homework? Take a stand that homework is a priority.  Establish  Mandatory Homework Time. During Mandatory Homework Time your child must be involved in doing academic work.  There is no advantage to forgetting the book or speeding through the assignment to “get it done.”   Back up your words with actions.  Remove privileges until homework is completed appropriately.  You are the one who pays the phone bill and the electric bill.  Take charge of the TV, e-mail, Internet, and phone.  By clearly stating your expectations and setting firm limits  your child will eventually learn that you mean business.  If non-compliance continues, schedule a conference with your child’s teacher.  By forming a partnership your child will realize that the power people mean business.

Your child wants to please you and succeed in school.  Doing homework is the child’s first step in taking responsibility for his/her education.  Notice the accomplishments, Praise the progress. Be Firm, Be Fair, Be Consistent.

For further information refer to Homework without Tears: A Parent’s Guide for Motivating Children to Do their Homework and to Succeed in School, by Lee Canter and Lee Hausner, Harper Perennial