Homework help...for parents

As the school year gets closer and closer to the scheduled SOLs, you may find that you child's homework increases exponentially in preparation. The increase in stress for your child may cause negative feelings toward school to emerge or intensify. In order to help your child maintain a positive relationship to homework, school, and learning, experiment with these strategies from the Department of Education to see what works best!

General Homework Tips for Parents

1. Make sure your child has a quiet, well-lit place to do homework.

2. Make sure the materials your child needs, such as paper, pencils and a dictionary, are available.

3. Ask your child if special materials will be needed for some projects and get them in advance.

4. Help your child with time management.Establish a set time each day for doing homework.

Don't let your child leave homework until just before bedtime.

5. Be positive about homework. Tell your child how important school is. The attitude you express about homework will be the attitude your child acquires.

6. When your child does homework, you do homework. Show your child that the skills they are learning are related to things you do as an adult. If your child is reading, you read too. If your child is doing math, balance your checkbook.

7. When your child asks for help, provide guidance, not answers. Giving answers means your child will not learn the material. Too much help teaches your child that when the going gets rough, someone will do the work for him or her.

8. When the teacher asks that you play a role in homework, try to oblige him/her. Cooperate with the teacher. It shows your child that the school and home are a team. Follow the directions given by the teacher.

9. If homework is meant to be done by your child alone, give him/her the necessary space. Too much parent involvement can prevent homework from having some positive effects. Homework is a great way for kids to develop independent, lifelong learning skills.

10. Stay informed.Talk with your child's teacher. Make sure you know the purpose of homework and what your child's class rules are.

11. Help your child figure out what is hard homework and what is easy homework. Have your child do the hard work first. This will mean he will be most alert when facing the biggest challenges. Easy material will seem to go fast when fatigue begins to set in.

12. Watch your child for signs of frustration. Let your child take a short break if she is having trouble keeping her mind on an assignment.

Let us know if you have additional tips that work well for your child! We would love to start a dialogue for parents on any of the subjects listed in the blog. Invite your friends to view our blog or to email us with any ideas!